Recipe of the week

This super-refreshing drink brings back memories of happy, sunny days on the beach in Mexico, where nutritious chia seeds, much beloved by the Mayans, are liberally added to most things, say David and Charlotte Bailey. This is an all-round winner for summer barbecues or picnics

Homemade lemonade with chia seeds

Makes 1 litre 5 unwaxed lemons, peeled and roughly chopped (reserving the zest of 1) 150ml agave syrup 1 litre cold water 8 sprigs of fresh mint, plus extra to garnish ice 2 tbsps chia seeds

• Put the lemons, lemon zest, agave and water in a blender and combine on high speed for about 1 minute. Add the mint and blend for a further 10 seconds.

• Put a few ice cubes in each glass, top with the lemonade and stir in 1-2 teaspoons of the chia seeds. Leave for a few minutes to allow the chia to soak, then garnish each glass with the mint. Serve.

• As well as being jampacked with good nutrition, chia seeds also absorb ten times their weight in water, so they form a kind of bulky gel when added to liquids, which really helps hydration on long, sticky days (and the gel helps make you feel full).

• As a source of omega-3 oils we find them much more user-friendly than flaxseed, as they’re far easier to digest and don’t need to be ground.

Taken from Fresh Vegan Kitchen by David and Charlotte Bailey, published by Pavilion Books at £12.99. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £9.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit www.theweek.co.uk/bookshop.