America’s Test Kitchen has a new book called The Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks (Penguin Random House, 2022) that intrigued me enough to accept an offer to review it.
Similar to the organization’s other cookbooks, this one is comprehensive, explaining how to shop for produce, what equipment to use, techniques for blending and the role of various ingredients. Plus, all recipes include beautiful photos.
First on my list was the Simple Green Smoothie (p. 22). I was a little hesitant about using kale since is so bitter. Fortunately, it’s masked by the banana and orange juice, which add the right amount of sweetness to this tasty beverage.
On the other hand, I felt the Berry-Oat Smoothie (p. 37) needed to be sweeter. It’s made with frozen mixed berries, lemon zest, plain yogurt, cinnamon and ground ginger. I think if I make this again, I’ll probably add honey.
I have to note that I don’t own a juicer, so I didn’t make any of the juices. Still, the Pineapple-Kale Juice (p. 89, with kale, cilantro, yellow bell pepper and pineapple) and the Cucumber and Kiwi Juice (p. 90, with kiwi, mint leaves, spinach and cucumber) sounded good.
Other recipes include spritzers, syrups and fermented beverages.
The book also features infused water. I made one using shredded green apple, slices of lemon and fresh dill (p. 164). I am not a huge fan of dill, but luckily for me, the lemon and green apple masked it. All in all, it was a refreshing beverage.
You can purchase The Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks ($27.99) on America’s Test Kitchen website and on Amazon.
Photo by America’s Test Kitchen
