Ginger Lemon Detox Drink

I was surprised to notice that a lot of food ingredients that are allowed in a detox diet are commonly used in Indian kitchens regularly, especially the spices that aid in digestion and kick start the metabolism. This detox drink for instance, consists of two powerful detoxing ingredients, ginger and lemon which are commonly found in most kitchens. 

I made this drink on my husband's request without realizing at that moment that it is detoxifying. Ginger is anti inflammatory and effective in relieving digestive problems.Whereas lemon water is believed to be a natural diuretic which helps in detoxifying the body. And besides the citrus fruit is high in vitamin C content. Start your day healthy with a glass of this ginger lemon drink or refrigerate and drink through out the day.
 
Ingredients:
2.5 to 3 cups of water
2 inch piece of ginger
1/2 lemon

Method:
* Peel the ginger and either grate it or cut into small pieces.
* Bring together ginger and water to a boil. Or water can be boiled and poured over the ginger and allowed to sit for few minutes.  
* Squeeze the lemon juice or add the lemon slices to the ginger water. Let it sit for a couple of minutes if slices were added.
* Filter out the ginger pieces and lemon slices. 
* Enjoy the drink warm or cold. (My husband loved it with a pinch of salt and black pepper addition.)


This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #64 under 'detox recipes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Detox Berry Shake

 

I picked 'detox diet' as the theme for this marathon more than a month ago but honestly, all I had known at that time was the random stuff I heard now and then on health shows. Diets ranging from juice based ones, apple cider vinegar to weird ones where charcoal is used. I am not an expert on the subject and had to go through several articles and posts online to get the gist of the 'detox diet' idea. I have been a vegetarian all my life and I try to eat balanced meals and stay away from junk food as much as possible. That is the only dietary plan I have been following so far in my life. I did not follow any detox plan this week too but surprisingly I realized that the detox meals can be well balanced ones without compromising on taste or flavors.

Detoxification or detox in short is nothing but a form of body cleansing. This approach is followed to get rid of the supposedly  accumulated 'toxins' from the body which may affect an individual's health in the short or long term. The general idea here being that the food we consume in the modern world is filled with contaminants such as food colors, pesticides, flavor enhancers, preservatives and such which are all nothing but unwanted chemicals. The detox diets which are special dietary plans claim to have detoxifying effects on our body and would aid in getting rid of these toxins. Fasting, dieting, avoiding specific foods and colon cleansing are some of the methods approached in detox diet plans. While the medical experts state that cleansing the body is unnecessary as our bodies are capable of doing the job perfectly. (source:wiki and others)

The recipes I picked for this week's theme rely on the idea of aiming towards the consumption of specific foods that are beneficial to body and avoiding certain ones. I am just giving a list from a vegetarian point of view. The detox plans which follow this idea generally avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, fats like butter & mayonnaise, sweeteners (like sugar, honey, maple syrup),  processed foods, caffeine, chocolate, soy products, alcohol, and such. Much emphasis is given to fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains that are non gluten (like brown rice, quinoa, millets), legumes, healthy nuts and oils. I created recipes based on what foods were allowed in the plan.

My recipe today falls under the liquid cleanse which is the simplest form of cleansing and provides the body with nutrients. Liquid cleanses usually involve consuming water, fresh (organic) fruit / vegetable juices, pureed soups, smoothies, and such. This shake can be included as part of the detox plan or can be enjoyed anytime. The berries are rich in antioxidants while mango and banana are rich in fiber. The fruits I picked were sweeter and I froze them in advance.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup mango cubes
1/4 cup pineapple cubes
1 small banana
2 tbsp. flax seeds
Coconut water or unsweetened almond milk as needed
(Using organic fruits would be better if following detox diet because of the pesticides.)

Method:
Blend everything to desired consistency and serve.



This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #64 under 'detox recipes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Gajar Ka Doodh / Carrot Milk

 

The first time I came across this recipe at Sailu's, I dismissed it thinking as another version of carrot kheer. Thanks to my mother, I have drunk my share of gajar ka kheer growing up, still love it and still prepare it. I happened to notice it again recently under the wiki list of Indian beverages and set out to find what it really is. It turns out it is not actually a kheer but a milk based beverage, on the lines of badam milk aka the almond milk. Not the one used as a substitute for dairy milk but the Indian style flavored beverage based on almonds.
 
The recipe sounds like almost the kheer at the first glance, going by the ingredients and the method of preparation. However the consistency and the flavor of this milk are way different than the kheer. In fact this delightful surprise tasted almost similar as badam milk, as I mentioned above. It may not be every day choice of drink considering that it takes longer than to whip up a milkshake or to prepare tea / coffee. However it would be a wonderful addition to a brunch or when serving a gathering.  

Ingredients: (2 servings)
3 cups full fat milk
1 clove
1" cinnamon piece
10 cashews and/or almonds
2 small carrots, peeled and cubed (about 1/2 cup carrot cubes)
2 tbsp. khoya / condensed milk
Sugar to taste
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Crushed nuts to garnish (optional)
 
Method:
* Heat milk in a sturdy bottomed or a non-stick sauce pan. Bring the milk to a boil and add clove and cinnamon. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes. Keep stirring the milk intermittently to avoid scorching.
* Soak cashews and/or almonds in hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
* In the meanwhile, steam or microwave the carrots until tender, adding little water. Nuts can also be added along with carrots instead of soaking them in water.
* Grind carrots and nuts together into a fine puree along with the water used to cook them. Add extra water / milk if needed to facilitate grinding.
* Add the ground carrot puree, khoya/condensed milk, sugar and cardamom to the boiling milk. Let it simmer for another five minutes and turn off the stove.
* Discard the clove and cinnamon bark before serving. 
* This can be served hot or chilled. Garnish with nuts if using, before serving.

This goes to Blogging marathon #61 under the theme 'Root Vegetables'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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