Orange Rose – Fun twist on the classic OJ

Oh hai! It’s June and I’m back!

Temperatures are soaring; mercury is climbing; and the heat is searing.  

Summertime is here and I’m celebrating this sunshiny season with cool drinks ideal for sipping inside or poolside.

A sublime drink and a cool breeze is all you need to make a lazy hot day just about perfect. Don’t you agree?

I hardly get time to shoot food or write about food these days. Weekdays are always rushed in an attempt to dash out the doors and battle the morning traffic. Followed by emails and phone calls and action items. And then in the late evening, a few hours of repose and many cups of tea. Weekends are gone in the blink of an eye with family meals, errands, shopping, and more errands.

Honestly, when I am home with a bit of time to kill, all I want to do is curl up on the couch, leisurely flipping through magazines; watching a movie; or getting lost in the pages of heart wrenching romance. Sigh.

Today was another day. I was longing to break the looming silence on the blog by posting a new recipe.

And here I am with a very simple drink recipe. Sometimes simple is best.

As usual, I got a bit carried away with the photography.

Juicing is a convenient way to get your daily requirement of fruits. Most especially for busy A.M.s. Freshly squeezed orange is a classic morning beverage and a staple at breakfast tables across the globe. A glass of OJ in the morning with breakfast helps you stay hydrated and keeps you feeling full until your lunch. Besides it is chock full of Vitamin C, which helps fight radicals.

How about taking the classic OJ to a new level with a squirt of rose syrup? Yum-O. Rose flavor adds a beautifully evocative fragrance and sweet floral depth to the drink. The tang of citrus and the lush sweetness of rose petal is a deadly combination.

Use Rooh Afza instead of the regular rose syrup to flavor your drink. Rooh afza is known as the summer drink of the East. It is extremely popular in the subcontinents of India and Pakistan. This rose-pink concentrate syrup is said to be flavored with flowers and fruits. Technically a sherbet introduced to the India subcontinent by the Mughal rulers, Rooh Afza is touted for its medicinal cooling properties. Rooh means soul, and afza means refreshing. Soul refreshing, ahh. 

Squeeze your own orange for the mocktail. Using fresh-squeezed orange makes all the difference. I love adding ice cubes to make the OJ extra cold during the dogs day of summer. You just have to drink it fast and not let it water down. Which is not a problem on a hot day! If you are no fan of ice in OJ, try freezing juice in ice cube trays to use instead.

A word of warning before we jump to the recipe. A cup of orange juice contains about 110 calories with approximately 21 grams of sugar.  So a sweet and satisfying glass is healthy only when consumed in moderation. Yes, moderation is the key.

Orange Rose Mocktail

Ingredients

Makes 1

Prep: 5 mins

1 glass freshly squeezed orange juice

1 ½ tablespoon rose syrup, or to taste

Ice cubes

Directions

Add rose syrup to the bottom of a tall, slender glass—use Collins, pilsner, or highball . Fill glass with ice and add fresh orange juice. Using a swizzle stick or bar spoon, stir to combine. Taste for sweetness and add more rose syrup if needed. Garnish with a slice of orange if you like.

Rose flavor is potent, so for best effect, use it discreetly.

That’s it.

A sweet, refreshing mix of orange and rose—looks like summer sunset!