Category: Beverage

Beverage · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Carrot cake smoothie

Belinda1 Comment

I happen to be married to someone who adores carrot cake, so when I found this recipe recently, there was no way I wasn’t going to include it. I mean, a healthy smoothie tasting like carrot cake??

Screen Shot 2017-10-10 at 2.25.08 PM

1 cup carrots, peeled and then grated (if you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, you could probably just roughly chop them)
1 organic banana, frozen
1 1/2 cups coconut/almond milk(or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for two hours (or 1/4 cup homemade cashew nut butter)
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 good sized Medjool date
1 tbsp organic raw shelled hemp seeds, or protein powder.
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Optional – instead of the hemp seeds, for additional nutritional support, you could also opt for a scoop of Protein Powder, either the Vanilla Chai or straight Vanilla would be great.

Directions: Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender and process until smooth and creamy. Top with a little cinnamon and a pinch of grated carrots. Enjoy immediately.

Asian flavors · Beverage · Breakfast · Chocolate · Fruit · Gluten Free

Spiced Mocha Lassi

Belinda

This is a terrific recipe from Bobby Flay and the only thing you need to do in advance is make the spiced coffee ice cubes. They are well worth having in the freezer as the flavors are incredible when you drop a cube into this drink. A wonderful and different breakfast drink.

Screen Shot 2015-01-17 at 9.31.41 AM

Serves 4

SPICED COFFEE ICE CUBES:

2 cups hot espresso
1/4 cup sugar
1 strip orange peel
8 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

LASSI:

3/4 cup to 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or more to thin down the drink)
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 ripe banana, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Make the spiced coffee ice cubes:
Combine the espresso, sugar, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Cool to room temperature, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Strain the coffee mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl and discard the solids. Divide the mixture among 2 ice cube trays and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.

Make the lassi:
Add 3/4 cup orange juice, the yogurt, banana and cocoa powder to a blender and puree until smooth (if you’d like the lassi to be a bit thinner, blend in the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice).
Add a few spiced ice cubes to the blender and puree. Pour the lassi into glasses and add 2 more spiced ice cubes to each glass.
Serve immediately.

Asian flavors · Beverage

Pod Thai. (The worlds best cocktail!)

Belinda

Cardamom-lemongrass syrup lends a bit of Thai spice to a fresh cocktail made with rum and coconut.

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 8.28.11 PM

FOR THE CARDAMOM-LEMONGRASS SYRUP
½ cup sugar
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and thinly sliced

FOR THE COCKTAIL
3 sprigs Thai basil
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1½ oz. light rum
1 oz. cardamom-lemongrass syrup
½ oz. crème de coconut
Club soda, for topping

Make the cardamom-lemongrass syrup: Boil sugar and ½ cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add cardamom and lemongrass; let cool and then strain. Makes 1 cup. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Muddle 2 basil sprigs with lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add rum, crème de coconut, syrup, and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass mug; top with soda and garnish with remaining basil sprig.
Enjoy!!

Beverage · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Kiwi Christmas jello squares

Belinda

This is an old favorite Christmas recipe from New Zealand. It is such fun to make, is really pretty and Christmassy served on a platter and everyone loves it, especially the children.
There is no need for measurements as it’s just a matter of making up three things. Red jello, green jello and a white creamy jello made from sweetened condensed milk and dissolved gelatine. You can change it up and add more layers or colors if you like. Go for it!!

 

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 4.18.50 PM

All you do is separately make up a batch of green jello and red jello, and dissolve some gelatine in hot water and add sweetened condensed milk to the gelatine mixture.
You now have three pitchers of different color liquids. Pour half the red jello in the bottom of a square glass dish, then put in the fridge to set.
When it’s pretty set, pour over half of the white liquid (condensed milk) and put back in the fridge to set, then half the green jello etc etc.
Refrigerate the whole thing until set.
Cut into small square pieces and top with either whipped cream, mint leaves, red candles and cherries.

Asian flavors · Beverage

A ginger gin cocktail

Belinda

Image

Well it’s Memorial weekend here in the US and time to get out the barbeques and cocktails. I’m not a huge gin drinker, but this combination with the mint and ginger beer is a winner!

Makes one cocktail

10 mint leaves
1 oz. simple syrup
¾ oz. lime juice
1½ oz. gin
2 oz. ginger beer
Mint sprig, for garnish

Muddle the mint leaves, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add the gin and fill with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled cocktail glass; top with ginger beer and garnish with a mint sprig. Cheers!

Beverage · Holiday Food

A frozen“Wild Turkey” cocktail for the Holidays

Belinda

This is from a fellow blogger “View from a Great Island.”  If you want to “taste” the Holidays and feel really special while you figure out the menu, recipes etc, make yourself one of these. It will make your toes curl!!

Serves 2 – 4 (or in our house, 1!)

1 pint container Haagen-Daz butter pecan ice cream
1 oz Wild Turkey 101, or a little more, at your discretion
1 oz Amaretto Liqueur, or a little more

Caramel Sauce

1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter

Make the caramel sauce by mixing the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a saucepan and heating to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour into a jar and let cool. If the sauce thickens too much after cooling, microwave it for a few seconds

For the cocktail; blend the ice cream, the Wild Turkey and the Amaretto in a blender until smooth.
Serve in fancy glasses with a drizzle of the caramel sauce.

If you would like to make this ahead, put the whole blender container back in the freezer after blending and then give it a quick re-blend right before serving

Beverage

Coquito (A gorgeous Latin cocktail)

Belinda

Delicious and a show stopper! Try it for a Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail instead of the usual eggnog!

Makes about 8 servings

3 egg yolks
15 oz cream of coconut  (Use the Coco Lopez brand from the supermarket)
15 oz evaporated milk
8 oz condensed milk
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
2 cups white rum (like Bacardi)
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large blender combine all the ingredients.
Pour into a large pitcher and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Serve chilled

 

Beverage · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Cranberry Liqueur

Belinda

This is slightly adapted from “The Essential New York Times” recipe book by Amanda Hesser.

Yields 2 cups

2 cups cranberries
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
12 oz vodka
2 cinnamon sticks

Combine the cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Boil until cranberries are soft and start to pop, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.
Pour into a jar and add the vodka and cinnamon sticks.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 week and up to 3 weeks.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth if you don’t want any straggling seeds.

Serve and/or refrigerate and it will last for up to 1 year!

Asian flavors · Beverage · Do-ahead

Masala Chai (Hot spiced Indian tea)

Belinda

Another great recipe from “One Perfect Bite” fellow food blogger.

1 cup water
4 tsp Darjeeling or other loose black tea
2-3 crushed green cardamon pods
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed
2 cups milk
3-6 tsp sugar

Place water in a 2 qt saucepan and bring to the boil
Add loose tea leaves to water. Stir in the crushed cardamon pods and smashed ginger.
Add the milk and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
Add sugar to taste. Simmer for 1 minute longer or until the sugar is fullydissolved.
Strain the mixture through a strainer into cups or tempered glasses.
Yield is about 3 servings

Asian flavors · Beverage · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Fresh ginger ale with lemongrass

Belinda1 Comment

This is a ginger ale for grown-ups, a spicy, not-too-sweet, ultra refreshing drink that combines fresh ginger, lemongrass and chilies in a way you’ve probably never had them.
It makes 1 quart of syrup, enough to make at least 10 glasses.  The syrup keeps for weeks, refrigerated

Thanks to Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

1lb fresh ginger root, unpeeled and cut into small dice
2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 small chilies, stems removed
1 1/2 cups white sugar
soda water
lime wedges

Combine the ginger, lemongrass and chilies in a food processor and process until minced, stopping the machine periodically and scraping down the sides, if necessary.

Place the puree in a saucepan with the sugar and 1 quart water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Cool, then strain and chill.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup of the syrup in a glass full of ice. Fill with soda water, taste and add more syrup if you like. Garnish with a lime wedge, then serve