Perfect 10: 1 healthy juice recipe, 9 colourful ways to make it

Deborah Gray shares recipes from her cookbook '1000 Juices, Green Drinks and Smoothies' (Struik Lifestyle, R220)

BASIC RECIPE: RED SUNRISE JUICE

Makes 1 large or 2 small glasses

Ingredients:

5 medium carrots, trimmed

1 small beetroot, chopped

2.5cm fresh root ginger, peeled

1 apple, quartered

2 large oranges, peeled

½ a grapefruit, peeled

4 strawberries, hulled

Method:

1. Process the fruits and vegetables through a juice extractor in the order given in the ingredients list.

2. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.  Consume as soon as possible after juicing to gain the maximum nutritional benefits, preferably within 15 minutes.

NOW THAT YOU'VE MASTERED THE BASIC RECIPE, TRY ONE OF THESE COLOURFUL VARIATIONS

1) Fortified Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice as directed. Whisk a tablespoon of powdered wheatgrass or barley grass powder into the finished juice. Wheatgrass and barley grass are high in chlorophyll, which proponents claim helps to cleanse the system and fight infections.

2) Orange Sunrise Juice

Replace the beetroot and the strawberries in the Red Sunrise Juice recipe with half a spanspek. Children love this drink - it is a way to get even the most reluctant child to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.

3) Minted Sunrise Juice

Prepare the Red Sunrise Juice, omitting the ginger and putting 10 sprigs of fresh mint through the juicer with the soft fruits. Ginger is not to everyone's taste, but it is rare to find someone who does not enjoy mint, so make this variation if you are not sure of someone's preferences.

4) Double Yellow Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice, replacing the beetroot and strawberries with half a medium cucumber and a 5cm piece of peeled turmeric root. If you can't find turmeric root, whisk a teaspoon of powdered turmeric into the finished juice.

5) Red Booster Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice, replacing the strawberries with a red pepper. If you like spicy drinks, add red chilli. Juice all the other ingredients, then juice one or two chillies into a separate container. Add a little at a time to the final drink according to taste.

6) Tropical Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice, replacing the orange and grapefruit with half a pineapple, peeled and chopped. This juice pairs well with soy-sauce-marinated grilled chicken.

7) Pink Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice, replacing the beetroot with two pink grapefruits and the oranges with half a yellow grapefruit. This makes a refreshing juice to have with a sandwich at lunch time.

8) Aloe Sunrise Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice as directed. Stir one or two capfuls of aloe vera concentrate into the finished drink, following the manufacturer's recommendations. Breastfeeding mothers should use aloe with caution because it may cause an upset stomach in the baby.

9) TrafficSignal Juice

Make the Red Sunrise Juice, adding four large kale leaves before the strawberries. Kale is a good ingredient to throw into a smoothie for green drink novices. It is a subtle addition to all the other wonderful flavours in this drink.