Forget the wine! Pair Simply Nectar with food instead

Like many people I’m taking it upon myself to get trimmed down and toned up ready for summer…if we ever get a summer that is!  I have therefore decided to drop alcohol for the next few months.  But with temptation around every corner this could be harder said than done.

One of the easiest ways to consume alcohol, and those dreaded calories, is by drinking wine with dinner.  It is the beverage of choice because it complements the food.  Plus, a lot of venues are keen to point out which wine you should drink with which meal.  But what happens when you want to ditch the wine?  What drink do you opt for instead, rather than just water?  I was so intrigued that I did some research into what soft drinks go with what foods.  Or, better yet, what flavours of Simply Nectar go best with what dishes.

Photo: Laura Collins

It turns out that there isn't a great deal of research on the topic.   But from what I did find it seems that fruit juice pairing is a lot like wine pairing.  Lighter bodied drinks go better with lighter foods, and heavier fuller bodied drinks go well with heavier foods.   Using my research I have managed to match particular foods with the different flavours of Simply Nectar.  And here are the results:

Apple or pear – white fish and shellfish, chicken, turkey, veal, sushi, pasta dishes made with creamy sauces, Thai food, spicy Mexican foods, pork, venison, cheese fondue and desserts, cheeses

Peach or Mango – shellfish, especially if in a rich cream or buttery sauce, risotto, white fish, grilled or smoked vegetables, chicken, strong flavours and spices such as those found in Indian curries, Thai food, game, duck

Raspberry – salads, chicken, venison, lamb, beef, cheese, chocolate, mint desserts

Apricot – pork, duck, lamb, chicken, quail, spicy foods such as curries, Thai or Szechwan cuisines

Citron Pressé – chicken, quail, pork, veal, venison, pheasant, mussels

Orange – Bread, salads, fruit, veal, duck, quail, pheasant, mussels

I hope you can use the above to enjoy fruit juices and nectars with your food in the future.  I know I will!

Simply pairing,

Simply Nectar

Sources:

http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/20070103/

http://www.dartagnan.com/t54/60368/a3636/Everyday-Food/Page-1.html

http://www.gayot.com/wine/pairing/white-wines.html

http://wellbrookwinery.com/site/our-wines/food-and-wine-pairings.html

http://www.winepairingchart.com/

Using fruit as a healthy substitute in cooking

Being an avid user of Twitter I tend to be logged on to the site all day every day.  I find it a fascinating way to keep up with the goings on in the world.  During a regular day of being nosey and seeing what everyone had to shout about I noticed a tweet that took my interest.  It mentioned that fruit can be used as a substitute for certain ingredients in baking.  This struck a particular chord with me because here at Simply Nectar we know only too well that fruit can be used instead of sugar.  Simply Nectar drinks don’t contain any refined sugars.  If the drinks need sweetening at all we just add a dash of grape juice.  That is all they need.   Knowing this I was then intrigued to find out more about other ways fruit can be used to sweeten products and what else it can replace.  My curiosity encouraged me to delve deeper into the subject and this is what I found out.

Fruit can be used to replace artificial sugars and sweeteners in most recipes.  You can swap about half a cup of fruit for one cup of sugar.  It can be used in all forms too – from liquid to solid.  Fruit juice – such as Simply Nectar (of course!) – can be used to add sweetness to food.  If you want to juice your own fruit then you can obviously do this but make sure you use the fruit pulp as well as the juice because this can thicken as well as sweeten.  Another thick liquid you can use is apple sauce.  This can be used as a healthy replacement to butter and oil as it has similar properties to these ingredients.  It allows the finished product to retain its moisture so deducting oil or butter from the recipe won’t dry it out.

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Purees are also a good way to add sweetness and the trusty apple can be used once again.  An apple puree will work especially well in many baked goods.  Pear and prune puree can also work well as they can replace a significant amount of sugar in cake mixtures in particular.  You can even play around with sweet vegetable purees like pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash.  They all add nutritional benefits.  You could try using the purees with spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.   You can make your own puree or sauce by simmering one cup of water with around a quarter of a cup of fruit for about an hour.

Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As well as pureeing the fruit, you can use overripe fruits such as pears, bananas, figs and mangoes.  If you drain off the excess juice from these fruits then you can usually use an equal ratio of fruit to sugar.  Overripe fruit doesn’t just have to be added to recipes either.  Why not mash it up to form a paste which can then be used as a topping.  Smother it on toast, bagels or muffins instead of jam or chocolate spread.

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Another option is to use the zest of a lemon, orange or lime to add sweetness and enhance the fruitiness of a dish.  Dried fruits also work well.  Try fruits such as plums, apricots, raisins and cranberries.  When fruit is dried it retains its natural sugars and so can provide bursts of sweetness if used in baking.  Take caution though.  Dried fruit is very dense so it needs to be used in small quantities in particular recipes, otherwise it may ruin the end product.  It may sink to the bottom of the mixture or not get distributed equally. 



Image courtesy of Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So there we have it; the proof that fruit can be used in lots of ways and can be used to replace many ingredients.  We all for getting rid of added sugar in food and drinks and now you can help us.  Stop including artificial sugars and sweeteners in your recipes and start using fruit.  It’s pure, natural goodness and by the sounds of it it’s also very easy to use.  Give it a try and see for yourself.

Simply fruit,

Simply Nectar

Uses for fruit juice in cooking

Great news for chocolate lovers!  Good news for fruit juice lovers too!  A new chocolate has been invented that will have less fat than normal chocolate.  Why?  Because the designers behind it have replaced the fat with fruit juice.  Hurrah!  In fact, according to chemists at the University of Warwick, the brains behind the new product, up to 50 per cent of the chocolate’s fat content has been replaced with the juice.  They also claim that they have spent months making sure the ‘mouthfeel’ of the chocolate is perfect.

According to the scientists, people crave the indulgent sensations of chocolate which are brought on by the fat i.e. the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth.  But Dr Stefan Bon from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick has said he and his team have found a way to maintain those characteristics by using fruit juice.  Sounds delicious if you use us!

This got us thinking about other uses for fruit juice.  As well as drinking Simply Nectar you could use it for all manner of things.  Here is a little list of examples.

Ice lollies or frozen yoghurt

Fill some ice lolly moulds with Simply Nectar, add some water and stick them in the freezer for delicious ice lollies.  Or simply add some yoghurt to the juice and try making frozen yoghurt/ice cream.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cereal topping

If you’re not a fan of milk perhaps use Simply Nectar for cereal.  Pour it on and enjoy a fruity sensation for breakfast…or lunch, or dinner – whenever!

Cake ingredient

Perhaps add some Simply Nectar to cake mixture to give it a fruity kick.  Or alternatively add it to icing sugar or butter icing to give a flavoured cake topping or filling.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Meat or fish flavouringRather than adding beer or wine to meat or fish, perhaps add a splash of Simply Nectar when it’s cooking.  It’ll soak into the meat/fish and add a fruity flavour.

Salad dressingCombine Simply Nectar with a vinegarette and drizzle over salad for an exotic twist on a regular dish.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, what do you think?  Would you use Simply Nectar for any of these? If you have any other suggestions please do let us know.

Simply fruit juice uses,

Simply Nectar

(For more detail on the chocolate story, please see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2188119/Good-news-chocaholics-Scientists-replace-fat-FRUIT-JUICE-create-healthy-chocolate-bars.html#ixzz252SGTST2)