Deliciously warm and spicy mulled pear cider

Dimmicks Beach - Blairgowrie

The inspiration for giving this a go was when I was recently down at one of my favourite places on this earth - the Mornington Peninsula. I was having a girls weekend with two of my sisters and after traversing the rugged terrain of the Blairgowrie cliffs looking over the wilderness of the back beach with one sister, I went for a civilised shopping trip to Sorrento with the other. It was a cold, wet and windy day - my favourite kind of weather for the beach and for a browse through boutique shops including one of my favourites ... Antipodes Gallery & Bookshop.

After about an hour or two of shopping we decided it was well past time for lunch. I instantly pictured us near the fire at The Continental Hotel. As it was quite late they had plenty of tables. On their specials board were the words 'mulled pear cider'. Cold, wet and windy day with mulled pear cider - match made in heaven.

It was hot and the spices were warm. I had only taken one sip when I knew I was going to have to find a way to replicate it. I went trawling through the internet for recipes and in typical Bella fashion I have sort of created a hybrid of them all to come out with something pretty special - if I do say so myself.

I don't know my ciders very well so I did some research looking at reviews. What I was looking for was general appeal but on the not so sweet side. The cider I decided upon was Somersby Pear Cider which I found at Dan Murphy's.  I got the very last pack of ten.

I had a winter warmer gathering planned at my place which made it the prefect time to give it a crack.

Ingredients

• 2 x 375ml cans Somersby Pear Cider 
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 - 2 pinches of grated nutmeg (I actually grated the nutmeg!)
• 1/2 vanilla pod sliced in half long ways
• 1 nugget of ginger chopped
• 2 cardamon pods
• 1 orange - juiced & the peel (try not to get the white pith)
• 1 tbsp organic raw castor sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp brandy (I used St Agnes three star brandy)

Pulling it all together

Because I was using the stove for other things I decided that in the spirit of experimentation I would use my rice cooker. The following instructions will work the same for the stove.

Brewing and bubbling in my cauldron
... ahem, I mean rice cooker

• Pour the pear cider into the rice cooker and turn it onto cook to heat the cider through
• Add everything but the sugar and brandy
• Bring it to the boil then for those on a stove, turn it down to a simmer. In the rice cooker it pretty much just gets to a simmer but if yours is a little excitable with heat then you may need to alternate between 'cook' and 'keep warm' settings.
• Place the lid on so that it is mostly covered and let it simmer for about 5 or so minutes. 
• Stir in the brandy and then have a little taste and see if you feel your mulled cider needs sugar. Mine had a slight bitterness due to the orange peel. I quite like bitterness but it did still need the sugar.
• If you're going to add sugar stir it through until dissolved (won't take long) and taste again.  Keep adding sugar until you get your preferred level of sweetness.
• Serve warm

Result

Warm and spicy
and all things nicey

Delicious is a word that comes to mind! It was pretty close to what I had at The Continental Hotel but I reckon mine was even better. It was definitely a little more spicy and was a little less sweet. I didn't serve my in a fancy glass or use my remaining cinnamon sticks for decoration but a thin slice of orange seemed to add a touch of ... well, decoration really.

My winter warmer gathering guests seem to like it too which is always a good indicator of a recipe worth making again. 

NOTE: I made this twice, once as a trial and then again for my guests. The first time I used the quantities I've specified here. Second time I doubled the recipe but I didn't need to double the sugar.

Verdict

This will definitely become a favourite for me in winter. I wouldn't make it every night but it's perfect for when guests come over. And the benefit of having it in the rice cooker is that I was able to keep it warm. But just as a side - it still tasted darn good when it was cold. 

Dandelion Root Detox Brew

As the temperature drops, drawing closer to the longest night of the year, I seek warm earthy drinks that compliment my detox. One of the best herbs/plants for detoxing the liver and aiding digestion is dandelion. The root especially has strong detox benefits. You can buy roasted dandelion root at most health food stores but if you want to keep it in it's most beneficial form please choose one that is not sweetened. A brand I know well is Bonvit (http://www.bonvit.com.au/dandelion_blend.html). A combination of roasted dandelion root and chicory results in a earthy beverage that many call a substitute for coffee. Similar to my views on carob being a substitute for chocolate, it's best not to think of dandelion root as a substitute but rather flavour all its own.

This is a warm, earthy and slightly tangy brew which I've been enjoying in the evenings.

Ingredients

• 1 heaped teaspoon of Bonvit roasted dandelion blend (medium ground but you can use any)
• chopped fresh ginger
• finely sliced lime or lemon peel with as little of the pith as possible
• almond, soy or preferred milk (optional)

Method

• I prefer to brew this with a tea strainer as I don't really like the dandelion root dregs
• In your preferred tea pot, pour boiling water over the dandelion, ginger and lime/lemon peel
• Let this brew for a couple of minutes
• Enjoy with or without your preferred milk and sweeten with honey if you wish

Results

It isn't coffee and when you drink it with that in mind this is a really lovely beverage. Something to be aware of is that if you are using almond or soy milk, if the dandelion is too strong (like if you make really strong coffee) your milk may curdle. It's still okay to drink it just doesn't look so great. Getting the balance can be a bit of an art form - but it's worth it.

Verdict

The lime/lemon peel is a really special touch to this brew. Using the peel means you are getting the essential oils out of the skin which often gets thrown away. This is a winner for those wanting a warm earthy drink in the evening.

A word on dandelion

As children we picked them and made a wish as we blew the ball of faeries in all directions. As adults we might be less inclined to do the same when we know those faeries carry seeds that can create more dandelions all over our lawn. I for one find it difficult to resist.

Be it the firm yellow flower or the round seed head - dandelions make me smile. But it was only in recent years that I learned that this humble 'weed' was packed full of goodness.

The main parts of the dandelion that are used therapeutically are the leaves and the root. The leaves are said to have a diuretic effect and helps to purify the blood. The root is known for its detoxifying benefits or supporting liver function and as a bitter it also stimulates the digestive system. The root can also have a laxative effect on some people.

After a workshop I did with a herb enthusiast I wasn't quite ready to go out into my garden and pick the numerous dandelion scattered through out my lawn and growing up between the cracks of my pavement. Perhaps it's the fact that my dog uses my lawn as her own personal toilet or that my brother has been known to come around when I'm not there and spray my weeds.

Thankfully dandelion leaves and roots can be bought in tea, herb and health food shops.

Juicing for detox

I've been doing well on my detox for the past three weeks and am now at the stage of doing my two day juice fast. To be honest I'm not really sure that juice fasting is ideal for my body so with the guidance of my naturopath I am doing my first day with only juices and my second day will be mostly juices. But that's not why I'm writing this post.

I wanted to share a common juice to aid the body in detoxifying. I say common because it's often found at Boost Juice bars and other juicing places. The key detoxifying ingredients are celery and beetroot.

Ingredients

• Beetroot
• Carrot
• Celery (including some leaves)
• Orange, lemon or pineapple
• Cucumber
• Ginger
• Water

Putting it together

Look at that beautiful collection of vegetables and fruit. All certified organic and bursting with goodness.

• The quantities you see there are exactly what I used (well, aside from the huge chunk of ginger and the whole orange and beetroot added to the image for effect)
• I use a cold press juicer. My juicer is a Oscar Vital Max. The cold pressed method means that the juice retains its nutrients and enzymes and in my experience you get more juice out of less vegetables and fruit. It's also really easy to clean which certainly gets my vote. To learn more about this type of juicer you can visit Vitality4Life.
• As with any juicer the method is basically to put your vegetables and fruit and let the juicer do the work. I use certified organic and juice them with skins on (all but the orange peel)
• Add the water at the end. Water is important because fresh juice is quite strong especially if you have something like beetroot in it. 
• Pour it into a glass and drink within half an hour for maximum benefit.

Result

It has an impressive colour and it tastes pretty good. Be aware that with a cold pressed juicer you get more juice from the whole food - so be sparing with your ginger if you're not too fond of it. I love it so my juice was darn spicy!