Spicy Chai Tea Latte

September 12, 2012 15 Comments

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; these are a few of my favorite things:

Eden instigating kisses from her cousins
Starting off a weekend with Maple Hazelnut Corncakes
Early mornings when I’m the only one awake
Spicy chai tea lattes on crisp fall afternoons

Especially spicy chai tea lattes on crisp fall afternoons.

Last year at this time I was entering into my third trimester of pregnancy. I had a job that kept me on my feet 8 hours a day, ending with a walk to and from the Max Station (portland’s public transit). With an extra 40 pounds of belly (yes, 40) this life was taking a toll on my body. And so I did the best thing I could think of to alleviate pain. Every day after work I spoiled myself with a chai latte to enjoy as I walked waddled to the train.

Now I have Eden and I don’t work (at least not for a paycheck) daily chai lattes are out of the question. But now it is fall and spicy chai tea lattes are one of my favorite things. So I created a solution: the homemade chai tea latte. I prefer this chai to the drinks at coffee shops because I control how it’s seasoned. And I can enjoy it for only a fraction of the cost.

Spicy Chai Latte
makes 2

2 cups water
3 black tea bags
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
2 cardamom pods
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/8 tsp black peppercorn
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
1-2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I use soy)

Combine the water, tea bags, and spices in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove lid and add sugar and milk. Return to heat until the milk begins to lightly simmer. Immediately remove from heat.

Pour chai mixture through a strainer into a french press. Cover with top/filter and pump up and down a few times until the desired amount of froth builds up.  If you are unfamiliar with this technique to froth milk, here’s a detailed tutorial. And if you don’t have a french press, that’s okay too. The chai tea will still be awesome.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

How do you treat yourself when you’re in need of a pick-me-up?

I think I almost exclusively use coffee drinks when I feel like splurging. My drink of choice: a quad soy latte. Although I just got back from the store moments ago with some dark chocolate-covered almonds in my grocery bag because with a long week of single parenting ahead of me, (J is in Switzerland for work) I knew that would be just the treat to keep me going.

Filed Under: breakfast, drinks, Eating in Season, Fall, snacks Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Zucchini and Summer Squash Hummus

August 23, 2012 9 Comments

I don’t know about you but I still have an abundance of zucchini and summer squash. I’ve made Chocolate Espresso Cake, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Veggie Chips, Tofu scrambles, and so much more. My creative juices started to dry up and I was just about to call it quits with the squash.

Then something great happened. As I was picking up my CSA share this week, our local farmer (a.k.a my mom) told me about squash hummus, an idea from one of her other CSA share holders. Brilliant!

So today, eager to use up my squash, I made myself this Zucchini and Summer Squash Hummus.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Hummus – makes about 4 cups

1 medium-sized zucchini and summer squash each (or 2 zucchini), peeled and chopped

1 cup tahini,

3-4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

pinch of cayenne pepper

2-3 tsp salt

Place a folded cheesecloth inside a colander and set on top of a medium sized bowl.

In a food processor puree the squash until smooth. Scrap puree onto the cheesecloth and set in the refrigerator for at least two hours to drain excess liquid. Return to the food processor and add remaining ingredients, processing until well combined.

Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Easiest thing ever right? And it certainly is a delicious spin on traditional hummus.

Are you finding yourself over-loaded with any particular recipes? Are you finding creative ways to use up your summer harvest?

Filed Under: Eating in Season, snacks, Summer Tagged With: , , , ,

Baked Plantain Chips (x3)

August 15, 2012 9 Comments

Cinnamon Sugar Plantain chips

In 2005 I spent four months in Honduras. Over the course of those months I fell in love with the culture of Central America, the language, the music, and the food. I had expected to returned to Central America by now but with two cats, a dog, and a baby, travel (at this time in my life) feels a bit out of reach. Therefore whenever I have a chance to relive a little bit of the Honduran experience, I relish it.

Today, inspired by the traditional fried plantain, I created three flavors of baked plantain chips.

Curried Plantain Chips

Curried Plantain Chips 

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp salt

 

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

1/4 tsp salt

 

Cinnamon Sugar Plantain Chips

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl toss the sliced plantain in oil until thoroughly coated. Add spices and mix to evenly spread. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until plantains start to brown and curl up on the sides.

Remove from oven and cool. Enjoy or store in an air tight contain for  up to 5 days.

 

Filed Under: snacks Tagged With: , , ,

German Chocolate Protein Bars

August 9, 2012 12 Comments

For almost a year and a half I have either been pregnant or nursing. My body, which used to be solely mine, is now shared with one of my two favorite people on this earth and unlike I expected, I love it. I find deep joy in the powers of my body that created, birthed, and nourished another human being. I am awed watching Eden, who yesterday at her 6 month check in weighed almost 17 pounds, grow.

By supplying food and nourishment for my fetus and now baby I must constantly be aware of how I eat. Iron, Calcium, and Protein are more important than ever in this time. Since this all began protein has been challenging for me. This is in no way because I’m vegan; I eat an average amount of protein, but a pregnant or nursing mom needs about 70 grams a day!

Therefore I am always trying to figure out ways to sneak a little extra protein into my diet and in that process I created these: The German Chocolate Protein Bar.

German Chocolate Protein Bar – makes 12

1 cup oats or oat flour

1/2 cup soy protein powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup dates, pitted

1/3 cup  + 2 tbsp pecans

1/2 cup + 3 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

6 tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 salt

In a food processor grind up the oats until they are s fine flour. Add protein and cocoa powders, 1/3 cup of pecans, 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, and salt and combine well. Add dates, brown rice syrup, and vanilla. Mix until the dry ingredients are fully hydrated, scraping down the sides as needed. Dough should be tacky, but not too sticky. If the dough is too dry and won’t come together add a little bit of water.

Once well combined, scrape dough onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper or a silicone mat. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll out to 1/2 inch thick, shaping into a square as you roll.

Place bars in the refrigerator and allow to harden before cutting into 12 equal pieces. Store in refrigerator for 5 days or up to a month in the freezer.

Enjoy as a snack for a good, healthy boost of protein.

Filed Under: breakfast, gluten-free meals, snacks Tagged With: , , , , ,

Neapolitan Popsicles

July 30, 2012 6 Comments

Yesterday I made 8 of these little things. Today when it was time to photograph I only had two left!  This is because last night when Jason and I were taste testing the final product, we had a hard time stopping.

But it’s okay because these delicious Neapolitan Popsicles are less than 40 calories each!  You are lucky to be seeing pictures because it took all my restraint to save the final two.

Ready for an incredibly healthy, delicious dessert?

Neapolitan Popsicles – makes 8 popsicles

2 large frozen bananas

1  cup frozen strawberries

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2-3 tbsp soy milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp agave nectar (optional)

Using very ripe bananas (the riper the sweeter), cut them into chunks and freeze. I use frozen bananas enough to make an effort to always keeping some in my freezer, a practice I highly recommend.

Starting with the chocolate layer, place 1 frozen banana  in a food processor (or if you’re lucky enough, a vitamix) with cocoa powder and 3/4 tsp vanilla. Blend until smooth. It should be the texture of soft serve ice cream. Spoon or pipe the chocolate banana mixture into popsicle molds, filling 1/3 full. freeze for 1 hour.

Now the vanilla layer. Using the other frozen bananas and remaining 3/4 tsp vanilla, blend until smooth. Spoon or pipe on top of the chocolate layer. At this point, stick your popsicle sticks into the molds, through the vanilla layer, stopping when you hit the top of the chocolate. Refreeze for another hour.

Finally the strawberries!  Blend your frozen strawberries in your food processor with enough soy milk to process into a smooth, sorbet-like consistency. If your strawberries aren’t very sweet, add agave nectar or other liquid sweetener. Top off the poposicles with strawberries, pouring or piping around the sticks. Give it a few gentle whacks (is that an oxymoron?) to settle the bubbles and freeze one more time until strawberries are solid.

Gently remove popsicles by running hot water around the molds. And enjoy as many as you can handle!

 

Filed Under: Eating in Season, gluten-free desserts, snacks, Summer, sweets Tagged With: , , , , ,

Seasonal Fruit Leather

July 24, 2012 36 Comments

I have been in mega preserving mode this week, staying busy dehydrating veggie chips, fermenting sauerkraut, shelling and freezing sweet peas, and most recently, baking fruit leather.  Last week in my CSA I received another two pints of marionberries (hooray!). I still have lots of frozen strawberries from prior weeks, and when fishing through the bottom of my chest freezer discovered a bag of last year’s blueberries. So yesterday I went went all out, testing three new seasonal and exciting fruit leather flavors.

And here they are from left to right: Marionberry Lavender (remember my Marionberry Lavender Pie? I couldn’t get enough of this flavor combination), Strawberry Balsamic, and Blueberry Lemonade.

And here’s what I did:

Marionberry Lavender

4 cups fresh or thawed marionberries

1-2 tsp fresh lavender

2 tbsp sugar

Strawberry Balsamic

4 cups fresh or thawed strawberries

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

Blueberry Lemonade

4 cups fresh or thawed blueberries

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp sugar

*These recipes are very flexible and can/should be altered to taste.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Place all three ingredients in a small pot over medium heat stirring often until sugar has dissolved and fruit is slightly thickened. Transfer into a food processor and blend together until the mixture is smooth. Pour mixture onto the baking sheet and using an offset spatula spread out as evenly as possible. Place in oven for 3-5 hours.

*Each of these recipes bake for different lengths. Bake until leather is sticky to the touch, but does not pull off onto your finger.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. The leather will continue to harden until completely cool. Peel away from silicone mat and slice into desired pieces.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Filed Under: Eating in Season, snacks, Summer Tagged With: , , , , ,
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