Want something 'special' but still light on calories to spice up your next family gathering or dinner party? This non-alcoholic "mocktail" is rich in antioxidants from the fresh mint, green tea and sour apple juice. Makes 10 – 6 oz servings
2 green teabags
2 cups homemade sour-apple juice
2/3 cups each lemon and lime juice
2 ½ cups Hansen's Natural Ginger Ale
1 ounce fresh mint leaves
1.Steep teabags in 2 cups boiling water, let cool.
2.To make fresh sour-apple juice, juice 4-5 tart apples (like Granny Smiths) with the skins intact.
3.Mix the remainder of the ingredients (except mint) with tart apple juice in a 2-quart pitcher.Chill for at least 1 hour.
4.When ready to serve, place mint leaves in the bottom of a chilled Tom Collins glass.Using a muddler (or the rounded end of a kitchen tool), crush the mint.
5. Add a few ice cubes and serve, garnish with a lemon or lime.
Time-Saver Tool Tips -If you don't have a juicer, you can use a high-powered blender and "liquefy" coarsely chopped apples with water or coconut water (1/2 cup per apple).
Ingredient Insight -Dirty Dozen™ Ingredients: apples -I recommend Hansen's Natural Ginger Ale because it is extra spicy (more ginger!) and is sweetened with cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup. -If you are strongly opposed to using a soda mixture, you can infuse water with fresh grated ginger for 8-12 hours, then sweeten with maple syrup or honey.