APPLE, LEMONGRASS + MINT MOCKTAILS

There are a lot more of these non-alcoholic babies on the horizon because...I'm pregnant! When this post goes live I'll be about 18 weeks along, so nearly halfway through. The last month we have slowly been telling family and friends, but it's felt weird not mentioning it online; not that I have been wanting to do a big 'reveal' - actually the whole idea of it makes me quite shy! - but there have been a few times on Twitter where I've wanted to be like, 'sorry, what happens when the baby is a week old!!?' etc. and not been able to join in.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHAI

It's officially Autumn and it's chiiiilllly! Lindt sent over their new chocolate orange Lindor and I tucked into the box this weekend to come up with a cosy recipe for the blog. If you have enough restraint not to scoff the whole box in one go, then this drink is a winner...if I do say so myself ;)



I love hot chocolate and I love chai tea and this recipe combines the best of both. Chai is a such a winter warmer, full of immune-boosting spices, while I'm sure hot chocolate is exactly what was in mind when the phrase 'a hug in a mug was coined'. Put them together and it's pure Christmas in a mug (sorry for bringing up the C word, but I've been working on Christmas in my day job since July and I still can't get enough of it!).

Not knowing the first thing about making chai, I followed Freya's recipe to the letter - a cinnamon stick, ginger, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cloves and tea, steeped in a mug of milk and half a mug of water in a small saucepan. I did, however, leave out the sugar as the chocolate adds enough sweetness. For the single serving Freya has given the quantities for, I added two chocolates (naughty!).

After gently steaming for 15 minutes, I added the Lindor truffles. You can pop them on the end of a skewer and gently stir until they dissolve, or you can just put them straight in the saucepan and they will melt into the chai. For children, it would be fun to strain the tea into a large mug and then let them stir the chocolate in themselves.

CUCUMBER AGUA FRESCA

I've just come back from Barcelona so this refreshing recipe seems sort of fitting. Instagram is my favourite place to get inspiration but it can be a little heart wrenching when your feed is full of people posting pictures from a tropical island (putting my hands up, I've been guilty of that!). Agua fresca is a popular, Mexican soft drink that is based on fruit, sugar and water - all good things in my book!

If you have a juicer, this recipe will be super easy, but I just used a regular food processor and it all worked out fine too. My recipe probably isn't all that traditional as I didn't add as much sugar as the recipes I found suggested, but it is super refreshing and I can just imagine myself sipping one of these while sitting at a roadside taqueria. 

To make 1 medium jug:

2 whole cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped

Large bunch of mint

5cm piece if ginger, peeled

1/4 cup sugar*

Water and ice

If you're using a blender/food processor, throw everything except the ice in and blitz until smooth. Then strain and pour over ice into a large jug. If you have a juicer, pass the cucumber, mint and ginger through the juicer and mix in the jug with the water and sugar before adding ice.

*You can adjust the sugar to taste. I wasn't expecting to want any sugar but as this recipe doesn't include any fruit, a little was needed. If you would prefer not to use any sugar, add a few green apples or a splash of pineapple juice.

MANGO + COCONUT COINTREAU FIZZ

I had so much fun recreating the strawberry and mint Cointreau Fizz back in April, so when Cointreau asked if I'd like to try a fresh summer update on their signature serve I jumped at the chance. I thought they were just going to send me a bottle of Cointreau to play around with, but a huge box arrived at my door, filled to the brim with everything I needed to make a summer-ready mango and coconut version.

I decided to make this tasty mango and coconut cocktail two ways - as a regular cocktail and as a frozen slushee.

To make one litre
150ml Cointreau
150ml fresh lime juice
100ml mango puree (I used funkin')
50ml coconut syrup (I used Monin)
100ml champagne*
450ml sparkling water

You can substitute the champagne for prossecco or cava or even another 100ml of sparkling water. I tried both and it doesn't make too much of a difference.

In a jug, mix together the Cointreau, lime juice (freshly squeezed - Darren took over because apparently I was doing it wrong...), mango puree and sparkling water. You can add the champagne at this stage too, but I like topping the glasses up with it at the end as the fizz has a bit more impact if you're serving it straight away.

For an extra fancy cocktail, rub a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass and then dip in salt or desiccated coconut.

Fill the glass with ice, pour over the champagne - if you haven't already added it - and serve immediately.

This version is really nice to have with dinner and Darren and I had a lot of fun making them together. We've been trying to save money lately, so to make something like this at home that I would be happy to pay for at a bar makes staying in that little bit sweeter.

The slushee version is really fun to serve at a party. I had a couple of friends over on a sunny afternoon, we put some reggae tunes on in the background and had a good old catch-up with a big (re-fillable!) jug and plenty of snacks.

To make the slushee, half fill a blender with crushed ice, pour in all the ingredients and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. If you don't have a blender, but you still want a nice thick cocktail, blend the cocktail ingredients with a fresh mango for a thicker, smoothie texture, and then top with crushed ice.

I've been loving experimenting with drinks on the blog lately - cucumber + elderflower coolers, peach sangria, coco mary's (virgin mary's with coconut water!) - and thought it would be fun to make a hashtag. Follow me as @catherinesprunt on twitter and instagram and if you make one of my drinks, tag me and include the hashtag #spruntingdrinks so I can see what you're up to :)

CUCUMBER + ELDERFLOWER COOLER

Hooray for the weekend! This recipe is perfect for hot summer days; it's non-alcoholic and perfect for barbecues and picnics, but if you did feel inclined to get a little boozy, a shot of gin would go down nicely too.

I called it a cooler, which I'm not sure is correct, but I think it sounds good. Plus it has plenty of ice and is super refreshing, so I'm gonna go with that!

Elderflower is a popular summer drink in the UK. Usually we drink it as a cordial - Belvoir is my favourite - which is a sweet, concentrated syrup that you mix with water. How much you dilute it depends on how sweet it will be, but Belvoir recommends 1 part cordial to 10 parts water.

For this recipe, finely slice a cucumber with a vegetable peeler and place in a jug with the cordial. Top with soda water and serve over plenty of ice.

I had some frozen berries hanging around in the freezer so I thought I would add them - it's been so hot that ice has been melting SO quickly - and I not only do they look super pretty but they don't dilute the cordial when the melt like ice does.

CELEBRATING SUMMER: two ways with stone fruit

Will I jinx it if I say it finally feels like summer? Well, it does! With warmer weather and longer evenings (which makes it SO much easier to take food pictures - have you noticed more food posts than usual?) comes al fresco dining. If I had a garden I would be out there every night of the week, but as it happens I just have a tiny balcony with space for two at a squeeze (one when the deck chair comes out!)

To celebrate the start of summer, I've turned two of my favourite recipes on their heads, giving a new lease of life to sangria and bruschetta using the gorgeous stone fruit that is currently in season. Peaches, nectarines and apricots are my jam, and these recipes perfectly showcase two of the best - peaches and nectarines.

For the white sangria

3 parts white wine

1 part lemonade/soda water

2 quartered peaches

Handful of mint

Half an orange, sliced

Anything goes with this recipe and you can adjust the quantities to suit your taste, but three parts wine to one part mixer is just right for me. Previously I wasn't much of a wine drinker, but now I've discovered that white wines described as having stone fruit or tropical flavours are just right for me - crisp without being too dry. I had the Wollemi chardonnay on the tables at my 21st birthday; I picked it up for super cheap, but even at full price it's still inexpensive, which is ideal for a recipe like this. 

In a jug, mix the wine with the fruit and mint, cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. I let mine sit overnight - it ended up being a little cloudy due to the fruit breaking down, but definitely added an extra layer of flavour. Before serving, fill with ice and top up with soda water or lemonade depending on how sweet you would like it.

For the bruschetta

Loaf of crusty white bread

Nectarines

Handful of basil leaves

Mozzarella

Balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Prosciutto/parma ham

Heat up a griddle pan or turn on the grill, slice the bread, brush with olive oil and grill or griddle until crisp. 

Meanwhile, chop the fruit and tear the mozzarella. Assemble on the toasted bread and serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

This makes a great recipe for a party - you could use smaller rounds of baguette to create two-bite canapés or if you're pushed for time, put together a board for everyone to build their own. My boyfriend whipped up the one below while I was taking pictures on the balcony. 

Sainsbury's very kindly provided a voucher to buy all of the ingredients used in these recipes, but all ideas, recipes and thoughts are very much my own.

COCO MARY

On Friday night I was invited to the re-launch of Dirty Martini in Hanover Square and given free reign on the cocktail menu. Delicious, yes, but totally lethal! The newly-renovated bar is lovely, with lots of modern art, louche '70s furniture and cosy corners, but the best part of the evening was learning how to make my favourite Peach and Wild Tea martini, which was surprisingly easy even though my cocktail-making skills proved a little lacklustre.

On Saturday I was feeling a little rough around the edges but, faced with a glut of tomatoes after an online order gone wrong, I decided to see if I could recreate the fresh Bloody Mary that I still dream about from Qunci Villas in Lombok. I know hair of the dog is meant to be a miracle cure, but I couldn't face any more alcohol so I made a virgin version I've christened the Coco Mary, mixing homemade tomato juice with all the necessary condiments and topping with coconut water for a super refreshing hit of hydration.

Making your own tomato juice tastes amazing, but you do need a lot of tomatoes, even just to make a small amount of juice, so be warned. If you are making a big batch for friends, it might end up being more cost effective to buy tomato juice, but try and get a good quality brand rather than the thick stuff everyone seems to drink on airplanes. If you find yourself, like me, with an overflow of toms, then make it yourself and you won't regret it.

For the tomato juice (makes 350ml)
20 small tomatoes
Half a stick of celery
A pinch of salt, pepper and sugar

Halve the tomatoes and place in a stainless steel pan with the celery, sugar, salt and pepper. On a medium heat, simmer for around 25 minutes until you have a soupy consistency. Don't worry about using any oil - as the tomatoes heat up they will let out quite a lot of water, so they shouldn't stick to the pan.

Pass the mixture through a colander or, if you want a completely smooth, seedless juice, through a fine sieve. Allow to cool and keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

When cooked slowly, tomatoes release the antioxidant lycopene, which has been potentially linked to preventing cancer and heart disease and apparently helps to protect your skin from sunburn (don't skip the SPF just yet though!).

For the Coco Mary (per glass)
1 part coconut water
2 parts tomato juice
A squeeze of lemon
5 dashes of Tobasco sauce
5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
A pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Ice

Mix together all of the ingredients in a glass, adding Tobasco sauce and Worcestershire sauce to taste. I like mine quite spicy and tangy, but taste as you go to find your perfect balance. Top with plenty of ice and garnish with a stick of celery and straw! If you want a more refreshing, lighter drink, use 2 parts coconut water to 1 part tomato juice instead.

I actually prefer a Virgin Mary to a Bloody Mary and the addition of coconut water makes for a really light and fresh drink that is super-hydrating and nutritious. It kept my martini-induced hangover at bay and was satisfying enough to keep me going until lunchtime too. Enjoy any time of day, though breakfast is an obvious choice - see my favourite breakfast recipes here.

BIRTHDAY COCKTAIL: strawberry + mint cointreau fizz

It's my birthday! What better way to celebrate than with a cocktail? A month or so ago my friend invited me to a private view of her photo exhibition at The Hoxton Hotel in Holborn. It was hosted by Cointreau and they served delicious cocktails from their Cointreau Fizz collection. Luckily, there was a little swatch of recipes included in the goodie bag so I could test out some of them at home and this is my favourite.

I'd never tried Cointreau before - it seemed like one of those grown-up spirits that twenty-somethings don't really drink - but it's delicious and this fresh cocktail is perfect for summer. It doesn't require any fancy ingredients and I made it at home easily without any cocktail making equipment.

To make two cocktails:
2 shots of Cointreau (about 10ml, depending on how strong you like it)
200ml sparkling water
Juice of a lime (I've made it with and without and I like it both ways)
8 strawberries
A small handful of mint leaves

In a shaker glass (I used a pint glass), muddle the strawberries with mint leaves. I used the end of a small rolling pin to get a fine pulp, but you could puree the strawberries in a blender as well.

Add Cointreau and lime juice, fill with ice and shake. Strain into a glass over ice and top with sparkling water.

The straining is a little bit fiddly, but it does make a nice, bright cocktail. I've also been leaving out the Cointreau and drinking this by the gallon for a refreshing dose of my 5-a-day that feels super fancy for just a regular afternoon.

p.s. the winnner of my blog giveaway is Polly Rowan!