Move over flat whites. A drink with the colour and consistency of Labyrinth's Bog of Eternal Stench is stealthily emerging as the nation's must-slurp beverage: green juice. Drinks made from leafy green vegetables are popping up on supermarket shelves (Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Whole Foods all now stock branded green juices), in juice bars such as Crussh, in recipe books (thanks Gwyneth Paltrow) and on Instagram, currently clogged with #greenjuice selfies. Meanwhile, New York is experiencing a "juice bar brawl" as a flurry of brands each claim their juice is the healthiest. While vegetable juice is nothing new, with the likes of V8 and carrot juice doing the rounds for years, green juicing uses large quantities of leafy veg and brassicas such as kale, spinach, chard and broccoli. The other main difference between (fresh) green juice and traditional vegetable drinks is the technique - cold-pressing, where the juice is extracted by a method of crushing and pressing. Traditional centrifugal juicers, the type usually sold in Britain, use fast-spinning blades that heat up as they whir, thus, cold-press converts say, oxidising and therefore destroying some of the nutrients in the juice.

Clare Neill, co-founder of juice company Radiance Cleanse, says juice from a centrifugal machine "oxidises faster because so much air has gone through the juice while it's being made." Fresh green juice wins health points over packaged fruit juice and smoothies on several counts. First, most fruit juices sold commercially in the UK are pasteurised. Nutritionist Vicki Edgson says: "They're heat-treated so they have a longer shelf life and no bacteria, but this means unfortunately a lot of the nutritional value is knocked out." Second, green juices contain much less sugar than their fruity counterparts. Third, there is a range of nutrients present in those dark green vegetables, the ones we're always being told to eat more of – kale is packed with beta-carotene, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin K. So is drinking a glass of green juice as good as eating the vegetables? Registered dietician Iona Taylor says: "You'll get the vitamins and minerals but not the fibre. And the soluble fibre in vegetables is really good for your cholesterol and blood pressure."

There is a potential way around this problem. Edgson suggests avoiding both standard centrifugal AND cold-press juicers, and using a powerful blender instead: "When you pulverise or blend with a Vitamix or similar blender, you get the benefits of the fibre as well. The blades go through everything." Both Edgson and Taylor say there are some people who should approach green juice with a little caution. oster blender galaxieEdgson checks clients aren't on anti-depressants or blood-thinning medication such as Warfarin, and is also "a little wary when women are in the first trimester of pregnancy." vitamix turboblend 4500 canadaThis is because "many of the ingredients that go into a green juice speed up detoxification through the liver," she says. breville kinetix aero blender price

"I don't want to exacerbate the moving through the system of those medications faster than they are designed to do." But for the rest of us, green juice seems an easy way to add more leafy veg to our diets. "You can put a lot more in a juice than you could sit and eat," says Edgson. But how palatable is a big glass of cabbage? I spent a week finding out. I kicked off with a mini juice fast from Radiance Cleanse, with six 500ml bottles for the day. avent steamer blender john lewisThe juices were delicious. vitamix kitchen center stainless steel blender model 2200Alka Green – courgette, spinach, broccoli, fennel, apple and lemon – tastes zesty and vital, with no hint of broccoli or spinach. cuisinart blender blade seized

I spent the day hovering between the sofa and loo, though, and missed lovely, carby, solid food, so for the rest of the week, I incorporated green juice into my regular diet instead. I borrowed a Hurom cold-press juicer from Lakeland. It looks like the Starship Enterprise and costs an eye-watering £299, but by golly, it juices them brassicas good. I followed La Paltrow's green juice recipe: kale, mint and an all-important apple. ninja blender drive coupler Green juice is also surprisingly filling. I drank it mid-afternoon and found it alleviated 4pm snack cravings. I experimented with spinach, spring greens, cavolo nero. In juice form, none taste like the vegetables in question. And most likely it was psychological, but I felt healthier and more energetic, too. The biggest stumbling block is the cost of the equipment. Is using a standard £25 juicer worth doing? "Definitely – 100%," says Neill.

Just drink it straight away, rather than storing it in the fridge, and bear in mind "they're not as good at juicing leafy greens, so you'll need to juice more to get the same volume." So now I've found an affordable compromise, my new green juicing habit is here to stay. Kale and spinach to go, please.As a reasonably responsible adult capable of navigating public transportation, paying bills on time, and operating a washing machine, I recognize that certain days demand restraint. We best fasten our top button, order a club soda, and keep our elbows off the table. Today is not that day. Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel is neither timid nor demure. It’s boisterous, decadent, and baby is it boozy. St. Patrick’s Day is no time to be reserved. As I shared last week, I’m Irish, and in addition to celebrating my heritage via this must-bake recipe for Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread, I’ll be enjoying Irish whiskey in a multitude of forms, the best of which is today’s whiskey ice cream.

Although the whiskey flavor is definitively pronounced (and no, it does not cook out), because Irish whiskey is quite smooth, its flavor blends beautifully with the velvety custard and caramel. The whiskey ice cream base is an easy stovetop vanilla custard that takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Even if this is your first time making ice cream from scratch, I have complete faith that you will dominate. Take your time heating the custard—you’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of the spoon and a line stays in place. Feel free to take an extra sip of whiskey for encouragement. This whiskey ice cream has very little sugar, because I wanted to leave room for my new favorite condiment: Fudge Everything Salted Caramel Sauce, which I both swirled into the ice cream itself and drizzled liberally over each scoop, followed by a shower of crunchy toasted pecans. Fudge Everything makes two products: the salted caramel sauce (used in the whiskey ice cream) and a dark chocolate fudge sauce, a.k.a. Nectar of the Gods Part I and Nectar of the Gods Part II.

Unlike grocery store fudge and caramel sauces, which are made almost entirely of corn syrup, Fudge Everything sauces contain the same ingredients you would use to make them from scratch yourself: milk, cream, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. It’s a clear difference; the sauces taste homemade. Another reason I love Fudge Everything (aside from the fact that it’s fab on everything from vanilla ice cream, to brownies, to my spoon) is that it is a small company owned by two female entrepreneurs, Anne and Debbie. These ladies are kind, fiercely dedicated to the quality of their product, and honestly just want to make the world a sweeter place. I hope the three of us get to hang out and eat caramel and fudge sauce straight from the jar one day. As a special St. Patrick’s Day treat, Anne and Debbie are offering all Well Plated readers 15% off the Fudge Everything online store with the discount code WELLPLATED (valid through 3/23/15). Stock up for Easter entertaining, gifts for the sweet-lovers in your life, and your own personal happiness.

Although these sauces do cost a bit more than what you’ll find in the grocery store, in my mind, the real ingredients and fact that you are supporting a small business make them worth the splurge. In addition to the discount, we’re having a Fudge Everything giveaway. Anne and Debbie have graciously offered to send five (yes five!) lucky winners a combo set of the fudge and caramel sauces. To enter the giveaway: use the widget below. Please be patient, as it may take a few moments to load. One final celebration suggestion: for a year’s worth of St. Patrick’s Day good fortune, make a grown-up float by topping a monster scoop of Irish Whisky Ice Cream with Guinness. Then call me—I’m coming over immediately. Did you make this recipe?Leave a review » A decadent and creamy Irish whiskey ice cream with a salted caramel swirl. Great on its own or with Guinness for a grown-up ice cream float! Yield: about 1 pint 2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup 2% or whole milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 5 large egg yolks 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 6 tablespoons Fudge Everything Salted Caramel Sauce, plus additional for serving Toasted chopped pecans, for serving Warm the cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the milk begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Once the cream mixture is heated, very slowly and gradually pour about half of it into the bowl with egg yolks, stirring constantly (this tempers the yolks so that they do not scramble). Return the saucepan to the stove, the slowly pour the egg yolk-cream mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the whiskey and vanilla extract. Pour the custard through a mesh sieve and into a container, then refrigerate until completely chilled (at least 4 hours), or overnight. Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, freeze it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once the ice cream is finished churning, spread 1/3 of it into the bottom of a freezer-safe storage container. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce. Add the next 1/3 of the ice cream in another layer, then 2 more tablespoons caramel, then the final 1/3 of ice cream. Drizzle 2 remaining tablespoons of caramel over the top. With a butter knife or chopstick, swirl the caramel throughout, being sure you reach all the way to the edges. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight to firm up. Serve in big scoops, topped with additional caramel and pecans. Don’t forget to try this Irish Whiskey Brownie Pie (dare I suggest topped with the Irish Whiskey Ice Cream?).