Simple smoothes - drink your way to paradise

This current British weather is enough to make anybody pack their bags and run screaming into the sun in search of a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment.  I am certainly on the verge of doing so myself.  Our summer time is very often a bit of a joke and we all know it.  But there is a way we can still have a little bit of sunshine on these grey, cold and wet days.  How?  By tucking into a smoothie that offers a taste of the good life.

In an effort to bring summertime indoors, and to get a flavour of the exotic, Simply Nectar has pulled together these great smoothie recipes.  Just supping on one of these healthy, fruity and delicious smoothies is enough to transport your mind to a tropical destination far away from England's predictably dreary shores.  The taste will bring back precious memories of happy, lazy days spent in the sunshine; the smell of frangipani in the air; the sea sleepily lapping at your feet.  Oh what we'd all give to be there right now.  Make one (or more) of these easy and tasty smoothies and you can be (sort of!)

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You don't need many ingredients so these won't cost you an arm and a leg to make.  It'll be the cheapest holiday you've had!  Plus, the best thing about these smoothies is that they all contain Simply Nectar.  These smoothies use Peach Simply Nectar and Mango Simply Nectar.  We'll add more recipes for other flavours next week.

Simply Peach

• bottle Peach Simply Nectar
• ½ cup peach yoghurt
• ½ cup milk
• 6 ice cubes

Directions: Blend the Peach Simply Nectar with the ice and milk.  Slowly add the yoghurt and blend for another minute on a low setting.

Simply Mango

• 1 bottle Mango Simply Nectar
• ½ cup mango yoghurt
• ½ cup milk – preferably whole or semi skimmed
• 6 ice cubes

Directions: Blend the Peach Simply Nectar with the ice and milk.  Slowly add the yoghurt ad blend for another minute on a low setting. 

Peach, banana and ice cream

• 1 bottle Peach Simply Nectar
• 1 small banana or ½ a large banana
• ½ cup peach or vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup milk

Directions: Start by blending the Peach Simply Nectar with the banana and milk.  Add the ice cream last and blend for 30 seconds on low to keep the ice cream texture in the smoothie.  This is a very great tasting and healthy peach smoothie that is ideal for children.

Mango, banana and pineapple

• 1 bottle Mango Simply Nectar
• ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 small banana or ½ large banana, chopped
• Juice of ½-1 lime (according to taste)
• 150ml milk
• 8 ice cubes

Directions: Blend the Mango Simply Nectar with the pineapple, banana, milk and ice cubes until the desired consistency is reached.  Add lime juice according to taste.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Peach and banana

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas — (about 2 large), — frozen
• 1 bottle Peach Simply Nectar
• ½ cup milk

Directions: Place all ingredients in blender. Cover and blend about 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve immediately over ice cubes. Serves 2.

Mango and strawberry

• 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup Mango Simply Nectar, chilled
• 5 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
• 4 ice cubes

Directions: In a blender, combine strawberries, Mango Simply Nectar, yogurt, and ice and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy. Pour into 2 tall glasses.

Peach and raspberry

• 1 cup low fat peach yogurt
• 1 bottle Peach Simply Nectar
• ½ cup What On Earth organic raspberries
• 2 ripe medium peaches, diced

Directions:

Combine the yogurt and nectar in a blender. Add the raspberries and peaches. Blend until smooth. Serves 2

Mango and banana

• 1 bottle Mango Simply Nectar
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 1 heaped tablespoon of honey
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 8 ice cubes

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients (add ice last) in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses.  Garnish with additional fruit pieces, mint, and a straw.

If you have any other suggestions for smoothies we'd love to hear them.  Just drop us a line and let us know.  For now we hope you enjoy these suggestions.

Simply smoothies,

Simply Nectar

Mangoes- How do you cut yours?

It’s National Mango Week this week and we’ve been racking our brains to work out what exciting mango stories we should blog about.  We thought about facts, news articles and even recipes but then it occurred to us that some of us actually have no clue how to cut a mango properly.  Us Britons are particular culprits of this, mainly because the mango isn’t a native fruit of the UK.  Let’s face it, the country isn’t warm enough to grow any exotic fruits!

Our resident intern, Anissa, lives in Toulouse so she is more than used to cutting and eating mangoes.  She has therefore written up a failsafe method of how to cut a mango properly.  She’s even provided some top tips at the bottom.   It’s so foolproof even the bosses could do it.  If all else fails, however, just tuck into some Mango Simply Nectar. It’s made from mango pulp and contains no refined sugars or pesticides so is pretty much just like eating the fruit anyway.

Now, go get that mango and get stuck in.

Instructions

1. Cut off the mango

Placing your fingers at the top of the mango, hold the fruit upright on a chopping board. Take a knife and place it at the top of the mango.  The next step is to cut two large pieces of mango from either side of the stone, which sits in the middle of the fruit.  Cut down one side of the mango going close to the stone but avoiding it. If you hit the stone remove the knife and try again.  Turn the mango and cut the other side so you get two large pieces of mango.

2. Dice the mango

Take one of the pieces of mango in your hand or place skin down on the chipping board. Using a small knife, score the mango vertically and horizontally to make small cubes. Do not cut through the skin.  Repeat with the other piece of mango.

3. Turn the mango inside out

Turn the pieces of mango over and gently press on the skin to turn it inside out.  The small cubes should pop out but will still be attached to the skin.  Use your knife or your fingers to detach the small mango cubes and put into a bowl. Repeat with the other half of the mango.

4. Trim fruit from the stone

Place the remaining part of the mango (the stone) on the chopping board and use a knife to slice of any skin.  Next, use a knife or your fingers to remove any remaining flesh still clinging to the stone.

5. Decoration

If you don’t want to waste the skin you can use it for decoration purposes when serving the mango. Cut the skin into any shape you want!

6. BON APPETIT ! :) 

Important tips to remember when cutting mangoes:

• The flesh can be very slippery. Be careful not to cut yourself in the process of cutting the zig-zag lines or peeling the mango itself
• The flesh nearest the stone is the stringiest and least pleasant to eat
• If you can't stand sticky fruit juice running down your chin, you should definitely cut the mango into small bite size pieces
• If you are allergic to latex, poison ivy, or cashews you may have a reaction to mango, too, through cross-reactivity. Many people report an allergy only when contacting the skin of the mango. To prevent this, wash your hands with soap after peeling the mango but before eating it. For more information, search the Internet with the key words "mango" and "allergic."
• Mango juice will leave messy stains on clothes and so be careful.

Simply mango,

Simply Nectar