Veggie Might: Hot and Spicy Cider for a Cold and Dreary Winter

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

I don’t know if y’all heard, but it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s cold in winter; and, here in the Northeast, it’s really cold. And in New York, we’ve been having winter-type weather all winter long! It’s been on the news and everything!

Okay, it has been colder and snowier than normal (snowiest January on record!), but it’s not Ft. McMurray, Alberta, and it’s only been below 20 degrees once or twice. We can handle it.

That said, the relentless grey, damp chill demands a few things: a couch, a blanket, a board game, a sentient being to cuddle, and hot mulled cider.

Hot mulled (or spiced) apple cider is a winter tradition at my house. It’s so easy to make, especially if you use whole spices. You can whip up enough for a party in less than 30 minutes. If you use ground spices, the only added step is tying up the aromatics in cheesecloth before putting them in the pot.

But whole spices are really the way to go if you can. They impart more warm, zesty flavor into the cider. Mulling spice can be customized to your individual taste, too. Maybe you’re not a fan of star anise, or perhaps cardamom is not available where you are. Play with the recipe until you find a blend you like. Once the spices have simmered in the cider for about 20 minutes, transfer the elixir to a slow cooker for warm-keeping (or reduce heat to low, low, low).

Orange zest is the not-so-secret ingredient that gives spiced cider that je ne sai quois. The tangy citrus combined with warm spices like cinnamon and clove keeps people guessing and sends them back to the slow cooker for more.

This recipe has been a never-fail hit at my fall and winter gatherings for years. Hot and Spicy Cider melts the icicles from the noses of the weariest of travelers and buoys the festive mood of any gathering, transforming that grey, damp chill of winter into a orange, cinnamon glow.

Gentle Readers, what other warm-you-from-the-inside beverages do you turn to in the winter? Do you have a mulled cider recipe for the ages? Comments are open for your suggestions.

Bonus Snow News Coverage: My Snow Angel, Pat Kiernan

~~~~

If this recipes warms your cockles, you may also enjoy:

• Masala Chai
• DIY Holidays–Part One
• Vegetarian Bloody Marys

~~~

Hot and Spicy Apple Cider
8–10 Servings

2 quarts apple cider
8 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg, crushed
6 cloves
12 allspice berries
12 cardamom pods
6 star anise
1 orange, zest

1) In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, combine apple cider and spices. Wash orange well, and grate orange zest into mixture.

2) Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Transfer mixture to slow cooker, cover, and set to low to keep cider warm throughout your winter cuddlefest. Ladle into mugs through a wire mesh strainer and serve with an orange wedge or stick of cinnamon.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
8 servings: 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
10 servings: 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

Calculations
2 quarts apple cider: 960 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.50
8 cinnamon sticks: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 whole nutmeg: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 cloves: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 allspice berries: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 cardamom pods: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 star anise: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 orange, zest: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.02
TOTALS: 966 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.64
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
PER SERVING (TOTALS/10): 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Veggie Might: Have a Bubbly New Year!

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Gentle readers, I’ve missed you so. Hope you had a happy and delicious New Year celebration. Mine was on the down-low this year; CB and I were still shaking off scoundrelly colds that had already derailed his Christmas plans, and I was too tired to do much more than sit on my couch with a few friends.

However, I still wanted the evening to be celebratory and festive, even if we were just ordering takeout and playing board games. I asked my guests to bring dessert, and I provided the beverages. Since I don’t drink alcohol due to health issues, I am always trying to come up with fun alternatives to hootch.

On New Year’s Eves of yore, my beverage of choice was always champagne. I love sparkly, fizzy drinks: pop, sparkling water, effervescent cold medicine. Though I never tire of a seltzer with a twist, I wanted something special and unexpected on New Year’s Eve.

Bubble tea! While only metaphorically bubbly, bubble tea has the sparkle I wanted for my party and the bonus attributes of being relatively healthy, beyond easy, and incredibly inexpensive to make.

Bubble tea requires two special ingredients: the bubbles, which are black tapioca pearls or boba in Taiwanese, and wide straws that allow the pearls passage from glass to mouth.

I had my first bubble tea about five years ago with a friend. Bubble tea was at its peak trendiness, and I was convinced I would hate it, despite the fact that tea and seltzer consumption are on par. All the tea and coffee shops advertised the candy-colored drinks with fruity flavors that did not appeal to me and my fruit/milk hating taste buds.

Turns out, bubble tea comes in regular tea flavors, like standard black and green tea, as well as fruit concoctions like lychee, coconut, and mango. The gummy tapioca pearls live at the bottom of the cup and are sucked up through a fat straw along with the tea, which is usually sweetened and served cold with milk.

If you’re someone who loves Gummi bears or Swedish fish, bubble tea is likely right up your street. The texture of the tapioca evokes a love-it or leave-it reaction in most folks. I’m the exception to the rule, never having been a fan of gelatinous candies. But there is something weird and wonderful about bubble tea that has kept me coming back. Maybe it’s the fun straw.

At $4 a pop, I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to put bubble tea to the DIY test, especially because it’s as simple to make as boiling water and stirring. Wait. I forgot the pouring. The hardest part was finding the tapioca pearls and straws, and even that was fairly easy. My go-to market in Koreatown had neither, so I had to try another store. But before I could make it to Chinatown, I happened by an outpost an Asian convenience store chain.

Five minutes later, I walked out with a 9 ounce bag of tapioca pearls and a package of 50 bubble tea straws for $2 each: the makings of a party for the cost of one tea-shop drink. If you don’t have an Asian market in your area, bubble tea components are just a few clicks away via the Marvelous Internet Machine.

The bubble tea was a hit on New Year’s Eve. I made the tea ahead of time so it could chill in the fridge, and then cooked the tapioca a few minutes before I served the drinks. The instructions on the package say to serve immediately, and I’ve since learned that they get sticky and hard if left to sit too long.

The recipe below is more of a guideline than a strict formula. Make tea you like to drink, add as much or as little milk and sweetener as you wish, and pour over a few tablespoons of tapioca pearls―whatever you like; it’s your party.

Gentle readers, I raise my glass in toast to an abundant, healthy, and sparkling new year. More whimsical beverages in 2011!

~~~~

If you fancied this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Make Your Own Almond Milk
• Masala Chai of Gratitude
• Vegetarian Virgin Marys

~~~

Jasmine Bubble Tea
Yields 64 ounces/Serves 8

48 ounces water (6 cups)
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea, loose (or 6 tea bags)
16 ounces (2 cups) almond milk
6 tablespoons agave nectar (or more to taste)

32 ounces (4 cups) water
3 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca pearls

1) Bring 48 ounces (6 cups) water to a boil in a tea kettle or large sauce pan. Pour boiling water over loose tea or tea bags in a tea pot or add tea to saucepan. Allow to steep for 3–5 minutes, but no longer. Green tea gets bitter quickly. Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags and pour tea into a serving pitcher. (If you’re using glass, take care that the glass is tempered for hot beverages. If you’re unsure, allow tea to cool before pouring into serving pitcher.)

2) Add sweetener and nondairy milk to tea and stir well. Chill for at least an hour; two hours is ideal.

3) When you’re just about ready to serve, bring to a boil 32 ounces water (4 cups) in a medium sauce pan. Slowly add tapioca pearls, stirring gently. After a few minutes, the pearls will become plump and begin to float to the top of the water. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the pearls are floating on the top of the water.

4) Remove lid and carefully scoop out the tapioca pearls with a slotted spoon or wire mesh strainer. If you’re serving cold tea, run the pearls under cold tap water to chill.

5) Divide cooked pearls evenly among the glasses and pour tea over them. It’s best not to add the tapioca pearls to the tea pitcher; they will sink to the bottom, only to be retrieved with a long spoon or tongs. Serve with fat straws and whimsy.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

Calculations
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea: 16 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.28
2 1/2 cups almond milk: 80 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $1.00
6 tablespoons agave nectar: 360 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.96
3 ounces tapioca pearls: 300 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.66
TOTALS: 756 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $2.90
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

Vegetarian Bloody Marys

Today on Serious Eats: Confetti Quinoa Salad, a rainbow of vegan deliciousness that even the staunchest meaties will love.

Happy Labor Day, dear readers. Today is a day to celebrate the working people of America. For much of the country, that means picnics and cookouts. In New York City, a holiday Monday means brunch.

Now, I’m a teetotaler (for health reasons—you’ll get no moralizing from me), but I like a fancy beverage with my brunch as much as the next girl; and my favorite brunch mocktail is the Virgin Mary. First of all, I love tomato juice; I love spicy; and a virgin mimosa is just orange juice.

The problem as a vegetarian is that most restaurants use a premade Bloody Mary mix. Not only are those mixes often bland, the Worcestershire sauce is already in there, meaning the dang thing is not vegetarian.

Here’s my tried-and-true Vegetarian Virgin Mary recipe, perfect for your next brunch party or the next time you want some zesty vitamin C with your breakfast. It uses my homemade Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce, but you can find veggie versions in most natural food markets.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses to Mrs. and Mr. Kris and Husband, the loveliest, funniest, dancingest bride and groom on the Island of Long. Sláinte!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll likely enjoy:
Mint Limeade
White Wine Sangria
Cranberry and Blackberry Champagne Punch

Vegetarian Virgin Marys

makes 4 8-oz servings

32 oz (1 quart) tomato juice
2 tsp crushed celery seed
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon

1. Chill tomato juice in a medium pitcher.

2. Add crushed celery seed, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

3. Stir and pour into glasses. Garish with parsley, lime wedges, or celery.

4. Toast to your good friends.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
67.8 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, .5g protein, $.98

Caluculations
NOTE: I used organic tomato juice. Your cost will vary depending on the tomato juice you choose.
32 oz (1 quart) tomato juice: 240 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $.3.49
2 tsp crushed celery seed: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste): negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.04
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce: 16 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.06
1 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
juice of 1 lemon: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
Totals: 271 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $3.92
Per serving (totals/4): 67.8 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, .5g protein, $.98

Photo by Brian Haskell

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Posted in: Breakfast,Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Almond Milk

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Complete the following word problem and show your work:
You purchased a 4-lb bag of almonds for $10.99 at the Indian market near your friend T’s house. Three weeks later, you still have 1/2 of the bag left. You are worried you may not eat all the remaining almonds before they go rancid because you forgot to stick the bag in the fridge sooner. What can you do with 1 cup of the remaining almonds?

Sample response:
Make almond milk.

1) Cover 1 cup of almonds with water and soak overnight.

2) Drain, rinse, and place almonds in a blender with 3 fresh cups of water. Puree until the almonds are chopped finely.

3) Using cheesecloth or a fine strainer, strain the liquid from the almond mash. Press the mash to extract as much liquid as possible.

4) Set aside the mash for later.

5) Strain a second time. If you used cheese cloth, switch to a fine strainer.

6) Save the superfine mash—this is almond paste!

7) Refrigerate the liquid for 24 hours. There will be some separations, so give the almond milk a good shake. Add a more water if it’s too thick. Add a pinch of salt and sweetener to taste.

Making almond milk is very satisfying, if a touch time consuming. But believe me, the almond milk you will make is far tastier and richer than commercial almond milks I’ve tried (though doesn’t keep as long—only about a week in the fridge). No added thickeners!

Plus, you’ll cut down on those aseptic cartons that are difficult to recycle. You can also dry (in a 200 degree oven) the leftover almond meal and use it in baking. No waste!

Cost comparison
Homemade almond milk: 1 cup almonds = $.91 = about 3 cups of almond milk
Commercial almond milk: 3 cups = $2.24

If you make almond milk in larger quantities (1 cup almonds = 3 cups water), you’ll save on your time cost too.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Fiber*, and Cost per Serving
60 calories, 2.5g fat, 0g fiber, and $.30

8) Congratulations! You’re ready for the next activity: drinking, cooking with, or eating cereal with your delicious almond milk.

Sources:
LifeHacker: How to Make Almond Milk at Home
Instructables: How to Milk an Almond
WikiHow: How to Make Almond Milk

~~~

If you like this post, you’ll dig:

• Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard
• Veggie Might: Tasty Almond Bran Muffins
• Veggie Might: Don’t Fear the Bean Curd

*I looked high and low for homemade almond milk nutrition data, but alas this nutrition data is for commercially prepared almond milk.

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

GUEST POST: White Sangria - I Am a Thoughtful Hostess

Kris and Leigh (that’s us) are on vacation this week, so we asked some of our most hilarious friends to pen guest columns for CHG. Today, we’re kicking everything off with the lovely Cindee.

Who doesn't love throwing a party? Good friends, good food, good drink. Those few minutes of pure adrenaline right before the first guests arrive...I love it all.

I'm currently planning a housewarming party. My boyfriend and I recently moved into an actual adult apartment, which we have furnished with actual adult furniture. We are now required to have an actual adult party. A celebration of good fortune and adulthood!

If I put every party that I have ever had on a timeline, it would go something like this:

1980's Theme: Parents away!
Guest List: Andrew Warde High School
Menu: Beer

1990's Theme: I Like Parties!
Guest List: NYC friends
Menu: BYOB and "doctored" hummus

2000's Theme: The Holidays!
Guest List: Extended NYC friends and friends from Brooklyn
Menu: light appetizers and wine

I've definitely moved beyond the kegger, and have spent a few anxious nights trying to figure out what kind of party it should be.

So without hesitation, I turned to Martha.

It was as if she knew I would be seeking out her advice. I was led to a simply delightful quiz that aimed to set me straight on the path to housewarming enlightenment:

What Kind of Hostess Are You?

You are undoubtedly A Thoughtful Hostess

You plan ahead to ensure that the events you host are special and that your guests feel welcome. Friends feel comfortable in your home and enjoy bringing signature dishes to your table. You're known for featuring unique touches without going overboard.

Martha's assessment of my hostessing skills was eerily similar to my horoscope for that very day. Now THAT'S a good thing!

I am so relieved. I have focus! I am unique!

This is going to be a great party.

I can already feel the adrenaline.

White Cingria (Sangria) With Fresh Fruit Ice Cubes
A perfectly unique beverage

2 bottles Pinot Grigio or any light, citrusy white wine
1 bottle Looza Tropical Fruit Nectar
Various and sundry fruits that freeze well: grapes, peaches, nectarines
Various and sundry fruits for garnish: tangelos, blood oranges, apples, blackberries

For the Fresh Fruit Ice Cubes:
1) Cut up peaches and nectarines into 1" or so chunks.

2) Place grapes and other fruits in freezer bags and freeze overnight

3) These are your ice cubes!

For the White Sangria:
1) Mix wine and nectar in a pitcher, add fruit cubes, garnish, and drink to your good fortune!

Cindee Weiss enjoys making food funny. She does this at Little Kitchen Mouse. She is also a contributor to Media Freak.

(Photo courtesy of Drink Recipes.)

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Why Mango Lassis are the Best Ever, or, an Abundance of Mangoes

(You guys! My column today at Serious Eats is on Avocado Chicken Salad. No joke, it’s one of the best things I’ve made this year. Thanks to Mrs. Micah for the idea and The Boyfriend for slurping it up like a team of ravenous little leaguers.)

Last week, I came into possession of two large, ripe mangoes. And let me tell you, folks - there are few things in life greater than receiving mangoes for free. They include, but are not limited to:

• free backrubs
• free concert tickets
• freedom from oppression

Alas, as we were invaded by horrible, six-legged Woody Allen cartoons, it took me awhile to get to the beckoning fruit. Four days after their arrival, they weren’t quite mushy, but had most definitely surpassed the salsa stage. (Meaning the mangoes could be chopped up, but wouldn’t hold their shape very well.)

Here’s the rub: when you search online for mango recipes, 99.9 of the first 100 bazillion are for mango salsa. Once you scroll 14,000 pages past those, there’s a severed link for mango chutney. But never fret. Because if you persevere, you will find, at the very end of the internet, next to an 8-bit porno from 1982 and an ASCII drawing of Homer Simpson, a recipe for mango lassis.

Mango lassis, to put it simply, are THE BEST. An offshoot of the regular lassi (seen here), they’re shake-like and fruity and sweet and filling and positively wonderful. Plus, they have magical powers. Bad things don’t happen when mango lassis are around. To wit:

• If Joss Whedon knew about mango lassis, Buffy wouldn’t have become so weird in the last few seasons.
• If the Hells Angels knew about mango lassis, Altamont would never have happened.
• If Kim Jong-Il knew about mango lassis, North Korea would be a flourishing democratic republic/vacation spot, welcoming of all races and creeds, where nuclear warheads would be used as in-ground swimming pools instead of weapons of mass ouchification.

This mango lassi is a lighter version of the one from the lovely Elise at Simply Recipes. Though it uses milk, you could probably substitute cold water and/or crushed ice based on your preferences. Cardamom is optional, but couldn’t hurt.

In conclusion: mango lassi. Get one.

Mango Lassi
Serves 2
From Simply Recipes.

1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 cup chopped mango, peeled and stone removed (about 1 large)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)

1) Get out a blender. Add  yogurt, milk, mango, sugar, and cardamom. Blend for about 2 minutes, or until everything is smooth and relatively chunk-free. Distribute evenly among your glasses. Serve super-cold.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
190 calories, 2.8 g fat, $0.92

Calculations
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt: 154 calories, 3.9 g fat, $0.70
1/2 cup 1% milk: 53 calories, 1.2 g fat, $0.11
1 cup chopped mango, peeled and stone removed: 107 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.99
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste: 65 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
TOTAL: 379 calories, 5.6 g fat, $1.83
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 190 calories, 2.8 g fat, $0.92

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Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Desserts and Snacks,Drinks,Vegetarian

City Kitchen Chronicles: Cranberry and Blackberry Champagne Punch

City Kitchen Chronicles is a bi-weekly column about living frugally in Manhattan. It's penned by the lovely Jaime, and is a little late this week due to Kris' absence. Still, it's neato.

In my last column, on the misguided “cheap parties for rich people” meme currently taking over our newspapers, I mentioned my own upcoming soiree. And indeed, this past weekend, I invited a bunch of friends and a few strangers (read: cute boys I vaguely know) to what I called “birthdahousewarming.”

Yes, I moved into this apartment, oh, fifteen months ago, but as a procrastinator and generally not-too-neat person, I didn’t quickly have my place either fully furnished and decorated, nor ever really tidy. (Necessary disclaimer: I am messy, but not dirty. There are clothes on my bedroom floor, but not moldy food on my kitchen counters.)

As this birthday approached, I was debating between having people over and gathering folks at a bar. Each had its appeal – at a bar I would likely have all my drinks bought for me, but the atmosphere is beyond my control and I have to take the subway home at the end of the night; at home I have to buy booze and snacky foods, and clean, but I get to show off my (when it’s clean) quite lovely and spacious abode. But to be honest with myself, something that would force me to clean was probably a good thing, and I have put more than a year’s work into making my home a place I love. It was time to (almost literally) warm it with the people I loved.

That just left the hurdle of feeding and watering a group of friends. My mother instilled in me a strong hostessing instinct – I couldn’t bear to just provide a jug of cheap vodka and some HFCS cranberry juice and call it a day. Visions of crudités and homemade hummus danced through my head, but so did fears of overdrawn checking accounts and subsequent months of living on toast.

Thankfully, in a bit of birthday deus ex machina, I realized that, hey, it’s my birthday, and I’m young enough that my grandparents still send some cash my way come December. So that took me from zero budget to low budget. My anxiety was eased, but I still needed to do this cheap.

For food I went to the super-cheap grocery behind Port Authority for veggies to go with my homemade hummus. Target provided very cheap and very delicious restaurant-style tortilla chips and a splurge of dark M&M’s. My supermarket had organic apple chipotle salsa for just a dollar more than the regular stuff; that extra dollar was mightily worth the oohs and ahs and enjoyment of my friends. It made everything feel a little fancier.

But drinks confounded me. Alcohol is not cheap. (Or, cheap alcohol is usually not good.)

I figured people would bring beer and wine (and I knew I could count on one dear friend for whiskey), so I wanted to lay the foundation with something festive and interesting.

Punch.

I scoured the internet, got somehow set on the idea of cranberry champagne punch, found basically no internet recipes for that, and so made it up myself (with the help of many silly and frantic emails to wise friends).

Most punch recipes call for several kinds of alcohol. I’d be starting from scratch, without a bar to draw from, so that put just about everything out of my budget. A friend assured me that champagne + fruit juice would be tasty, and I picked up a few fancifying touches from the internet.

I made this entirely without recipes (and without a punch bowl – my big soup pot had to suffice), but in preparation I bought:

3 bottles of the next-to-cheapest champagne I could find: $21
2 8 oz. boxes of blackberries: $2
1 64 oz. bottle of cranberry juice cocktail: $2.39
1 32 oz. bottle of black cherry juice: $3.50

I didn’t use all of either juice – those leftovers went to a vitamin C binge to ward off a cold that was tickling the back of my throat. (Totally worked.) I’d say I spent $27 on the punch. I wasn’t exactly tracking how many servings, but let’s say 20? That’s $1.35 each, a fair competition for even the cheapest bottle of beer, and immensely better than a champagne cocktail at a bar.

This is a party, after all, and a go-with-the-flow improvised recipe, so it’s not the time to intensely nitpick calories. Serving sizes vary, too, but I can estimate that a small glass of this has fewer than 150 calories (probably more like 120) and the juice and berries are surely healthier mixers than a lot of other options. Cranberry juice has vitamin C! Have your fruit and drink it, too.

Cranberry & Black Cherry Champagne Punch
(makes about 1 ½ soup pots worth)

(Picture from Torani, but it's fairly/kind of close to what it actually looked like.)

1) Freeze an ice cube tray full of cranberry juice, and one full of black cherry juice. Leave juices and champagne in the fridge for several hours to chill.

2) Pour a champagne into punch bowl or large soup pot. (I only used two bottles at first, because my soup pot isn’t huge and also the third bottle’s cork was stuck, so I had to wait for a strong friend to arrive. This helps keep things fizzy, too.)

3) Add juice, to taste.

4) Add blackberries. (If you want to be a total rockstar, you can soak the berries in a little champagne or vodka ahead of time to booze them up.) Add juice ice cubes.

5) Stick a ladle in your soup pot and explain to guests that it’s not mulled wine.

Totally guestimated calories and cost per serving: 120 calories, $1.35

(Photos courtesy of Flickr member Wardomatic and Torani.)

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Posted in: City Kitchen Chronicles,Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Veggie Might: Masala Chai of Gratitude

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

(Part three of three in a series of healthyish dessertish things for the impending holiday madness.)

"Part three?" you may be asking, "What more can I do for these lactose-intolerant, gluten-free vegans?" How about welcoming them into your home with a big steaming cuppa to thank them for A) being your awesome friends, 2) forcing you try new things, baking-wise, and M) just being the supafreaks they are.

With Thanksgiving around the bend, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. Sometimes it’s hard when I feel I’m constantly reminded of what’s missing from my life. The news reminds me daily, if not minutely, that the economy is on a barge to Fresh Kills, and that food prices are rising along with sea levels.

But this lean time is the perfect time to focus on bounty, to look around and say, "Hey Leigh. You’re doing pretty well: your brain works for the most part, you have a great family of friends and family types, and you are not starving." Or you could use your own name and circumstances.

The perfect accompaniment for Thanking and cold-weather gatherings: a cup of masala chai out of your favorite mug from your favorite late-night hangout in your college town that takes you back to a time when cares were scarce even though money was more so.

Masala chai is Hindi for spice tea. Chai derives from cha, the Chinese word for tea. At this point in the post, the grammar/word nerd in me must inform you that “chai tea” is a pleonasm, like ATM machine or A.M. in the morning. Don’t be that guy/gal. Chai means tea. If you say “I’ll have the chai tea, you’re saying “I’ll have the tea tea,” which could be horribly misconstrued.

I’m a tea person. Coffee just never did it for me. Believe me, I tried in college; I tried in summer stock. During my years as a waitron, I poured enough coffee on 2­ to 3 hours sleep that I’d do anything to make it through my shift. But when you’re having more milk and sugar than coffee, and oh yeah could I have a little ice cream with that?, it’s time to stop kidding yourself.

Over the years, I’ve been perfecting my masala blend. I like mine fiery-spicy, so I go heavy on the black pepper and ginger. Cardamom is also my best favorite spice friend. It tastes like warm. Sometimes I put it in my chai by itself.

There are hundreds of masala chai recipes on the Web if you want to experiment with different spices and quantities. Go crazy. The most common spices are cinnamon, cardamom, clove, black pepper, and fresh ginger. Optional, but also tasty additions can be nutmeg, allspice, fennel, bay leaf, and star anise. It’s best to use a hearty black tea like assam or keemun. Darjeeling is a bit too light to stand up to the flavors of the spices.

The only hard and fast rule is one held by tea drinkers the world around: Do not boil your tea leaves. The order of operations here is very important. To really get the flavor of the spices, they need to be boiled; but tea leaves are more delicate. Boiling causes the tea to become bitter.

Boil the spices first, turn of the heat, then add the tea leaves and brew. It’s that simple. Tea tip for the ages: Never boil tea leaves. Ever. Oversteeping is bad too. A friend who used to work in a tea shop once told me: Brew, don’t stew. Three to five minutes is the longest tea leaves should steep.

Before I started writing this, I started feeling a little insecure. Just how authentic was my masala? I asked my friend P, who is from Northern India. He told me I was off-base with the anise seed in my original recipe, so out it came. I couldn’t tell the difference when it was gone. We need never speak of it again.

This is a strong brew, just the way I like it. It’s also malleable; bend it, shape it any way you want it. It’s all right. The recipe is easily increased or decreased.

The traditional way to drink masala chai is with milk, but you can go skim or soy/rice if you’re cutting back on fat/calories/cholesterol. I made this recipe with soy because it’s a little heartier than rice milk and stands up better to the cooking. Of course, there is no rule that you have to have milk at all. But for a nice holiday treat, it is comforting and delicious.

Thank U, India; thank u cardamom, and thank u to all my spicy friends. Happy T day.

Masala Chai of Gratitude
Yields 4 cups

3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom pods (about 20 pods)
2 knobs fresh ginger (about 1/4 oz
3 tbsp loose black tea (i use keemun)
3 tbsp clover honey (sub turbinado sugar or agave nectar for a true vegan bev)
1 1/3 cup soy milk
3 cups water

1) Wrap cinnamon sticks in a kitchen towel and crush with hammer or rubber mallet.

2) In a coffee or spice grinder (or mortar and pestle if you’re old school), grind cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom pods for 10­ to 15 seconds.

3) Peel and dice ginger.

4) In a sauce pan, bring to a boil 3 cups of water and all spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5) Add soy milk and honey, and bring back to a boil, stirring occasionally.

6) Turn off heat. Add tea leaves and cover.

7) Steep for 2-3 minutes.

8) Strain into teapot or mugs and serve hot.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
94 calories, 1.8g fat, $.30

Calculations
3 cinnamon sticks: negligible calories and fat, $.18
1/2 tsp cloves: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1/2 tbsp black peppercorns: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tsp cardamom pods: negligible calories and fat, $.04
1 knob fresh ginger: 45 calories, 0g fat, $.03
3 tbsp loose black tea: 18 calories, 0 g fat, $.12
3 tbsp clover honey:192 calories, 0g fat, $.38
1 1/3 cup soy milk: 120 calories, 4.7g fat, $.40
TOTALS: 375 calories, 4.7g fat, $1.19
PER SERVING: 94 calories, 1.8g fat, $.30

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

Of Mojitos and Gratitude

Sometimes when you go on vacation, you have a few drinks, get some sun, return home, and go right back to work. Other times, you return home, log on to your tiny website, see that a last-minute Simpsons post garnered 75,000 hits, and kind of choke on your tongue. (And still other times, you keep referring to yourself in third person, which makes you want to punch yourself in the face.)

So - WHOA, and thank you to …

…Karen Datko of MSN Smart Spending, amysm the Metafilter poster, and everyone who linked and/or visited. The response was wonderful, and it was great to see so many more Simpsons quotes in the comments.

…Jaime, Leigh and Rachel, who covered CHG while I was away. They are classy, classy ladies who wield the spatula with righteous fury and wonder. (Incidentally, I made Rach’s Flank Steak recipe for the folks in North Carolina. They died, went to heaven, saw there was no additional flank steak, and came back to spread its legend.)

…CC Sabathia, who pitched his fourth complete game for the Brewers, temporarily rescuing my fantasy baseball team from terrible oblivion.

…My right eye, which held off on contracting conjunctivitis until I arrived home.

…My left eye, which has not yet contracted conjunctivitis.

…Ma, Pa, D, and R, who showed me that “Irish” and “beach” don’t necessarily connote “life-ending sunburn.”

…J and L, who I TOTALLY SCHOOLED in Scrabble.

…Um, I mean … J and L, accomplished spellers who graciously allowed me to score slightly higher than them in several very tight games of Scrabble.

…The Boyfriend, who made these light, summery mojitos last Friday evening. He pulled them off a site called Mojito Company and followed the recipe almost to a tee, eliminating only the bitters. At $1.42 a pop, they’re $3.58 less than the average Happy Hour special, and at 179 calories each, they’re a better bet than Pina Coladas, Frozen Margaritas, and 48 billion other mixed drinks. We sipped them while taking in the Opening Ceremonies, and they proved the perfect accompaniment to A) cultural spectacle, B) really neat fireworks, and C) wondering if the little boy who walked in with Yao Ming was his own, very large four-month-old baby.

So, drink away! (And please excuse the delays while I get caught up this week. It might be a little while before everything’s back on track.)

The Miami Mojito (Mojito with Simple Syrup)
Makes 1 drink
Adapted from The Mojito Company.

½ lime, quartered (3 lime wedges)
5-6 fresh mint leaves
Crushed Ice
2 ounces White/light rum
1 ounce simple syrup*
3 ounces Club Soda

* Simple Sugar Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

1) Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 or 3 minutes. ("Water will appear slightly cloudy, but will become clear as it cools.") Let sit and come down to room temp. (We're only making one drink here, but you can store this in the fridge for future use. According the original recipe, it's good for around 12 mojitos.)

2) Place lime and mint in a big glass. Muddle. Pour in light rum, simple syrup, and bitters. Add ice until it reaches the top of the glass. Pour in club soda. Shake the mixture for a few seconds. (Use a shaker or cover the glass with something that will prevent spillage.) Top with a lime wedge, some mint, and the sugar cane if you have it.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
179 calories, 0 g fat, $1.42

Calculations
½ lime, quartered (3 lime wedges): 7 calories, 0 g fat, $0.13
5-6 fresh mint leaves: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.08
Crushed Ice: negligible calories and fat, $0.00
2 ounces White/light rum: 131 calories, 0 g fat, $1.12
1 ounce simple syrup (1/12th batch): 38 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
3 ounces Club Soda: negligible calories and fat, $0.04
TOTAL: 179 calories, 0 g fat, $1.42

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Veggie Might: La-la-la-la-Limeade

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

My family is rich with “L” names, though I was the only one until my sister bore three boys and started a trend. One favorite song of my youth/college nostalgia regression was the Bert and Ernie-crooned “L Song” from Sesame Street. It frequently sticks in my head:

La-la-la-la lemon
La-la-la-la light bulb
La-la-la-la lamp post
La-la-la-la lump in my oatmeal

This unseasonably warm weekend had me singing another lilting “l” word: limeade. I usually save my limeade for special summer gatherings, but with the oppressive heat wafting across the eastern seaboard, I felt compelled to whip it up early and just for me. Plus, limes were an astounding 9 for $1 at my local fruit and veg market.

I love ‘ades, particularly lime, but I’m picky about them: too sweet or too fake and no thanks. You can keep your Country Time and Crystal Light, none of that artificial powdery stuff for me. Kool-aid is for dyeing yarn. If you don’t have the time or energy to squeeze your own citrus, at least spring for those “real lemon/lime” juices and go from there.

What makes my limeade really belt out the tunes is a secret ingredient I picked up from the gays. The first hot weekend of last spring, two friends and I went for a pre-show drink at one of our favorite places in Chelsea, East of Eighth. On the bar were three glass pitchers: one with cosmos, one with sangria, and one with mint lemonade. It was liquid magic, even without the rum the bartender suggested.

Since then, mint limeade has been my warm weather outdoor gathering staple—it’s like a mojito without the hangover. I’d never made homemade ‘ade before, so it took some trial and error. The most important lesson: if you’re making enough for more than, say four people, an electric citrus juicer is a worthy investment. They run from $12–$20 (or less if you hit a close-out store, like I did) and will save your forearms a world of hurt.

Last July, I made this recipe for my birthday party, squeezing 40 limes and 20 lemons by hand with a vintage glass juicer/reamer. Sweet Dodie Goodman, never again. When I repeated the gesture for a darling pair’s wedding shower in August, I invested in the electric version (sing along now). It has been worth every penny.

The great thing about this recipe is that it multiplies so easily. It operates on a basic 1:1:6 ratio—1 cup of lime juice: 1 cup of simple syrup: 6 cups of water for a total of 8 cups, and since we’re dealing with Customary Units, you know that cups also equal ounces, if that’s the way you like it (unh huh). Make a pitcher or make a vat; your guests will be singing your praises for picnics to come. And isn’t that the way it should be?

Limeade with Fresh Mint
yields ½ gallon, or 8 1-cup servings

1 cup of fresh lime juice (approx. 6 limes)
¾ cup sugar*
1 medium bunch fresh mint, washed and torn or chopped (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
7 ¼ cups water

1) Start with the simple syrup. It’s the key to the whole shebang. And it has to cool, so it’s best to let it while you’re juicing limes. In a small saucepan, bring to a boil 1 ¼ cups of water. Stir in sugar until it dissolves; add chopped mint. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. (The extra ¼ cup of water will boil off while simmering.) This is not an exact science. When it smells good and minty, turn off the burner and let the syrup cool, at first on the stove top, then move to fridge.

2) Juice the limes and add to pitcher. Add 6 cups of water and chill in fridge while mint syrup continues to cool.

3) When the syrup is cool, strain the mint and add to the pitcher.

4) Stir and garnish with mint leaves.

5) Pour over ice and enjoy!

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
81.1 calories, .04g fat, $.30 per serving

Calculations
6 limes: 61.5 calories, .2g fat, $.66
¾ cup sugar*: 580 calories, 0 fat, $.70
1 bunch mint: 7 calories, .1g fat, $1.00
TOTALS: 648.5 calories, .3g fat, $2.36
PER SERVING: 81.1 calories, .04g fat, $.30

*I use Florida Crystals Natural Cane Sugar. Your cost may be less with refined white sugar.

(Additional photo courtesy of Flickr member James~Quinn.)

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

Cantaloupe Soup: The Pop Quiz

Hey everybody! It’s multiple choice time! So gather your wits, sharpen your, uh, keyboard and let’s get going.

Cantaloupe is:
A) Surprisingly easy to chop, though the juice gets dang near everywhere.
B) Difficult to spell, with that whole “loupe” thing.
C) Something your roommate might confuse for a hatstand.
D) Meant for better things than fruit salad.

Orange juice is:
A) Pretty friggin’ expensive, man.
B) Orange.
C) Being suspiciously cut back to 51 ounce containers (rather than 64) by some companies.
D) A good base for any liquid with additional fruits.

Soup is:
A) Eaten with a spoon. Or a fork if you’re looking for a challenge.
B) Blind Melon’s second album.
C) Not something you throw at your sister.
D) An anytime kind of dish made from nearly any substance on Earth.

A beverage is:
A) Seriously, where are you going with this?
B) Because I’m not sure where it’s leading.
C) And it’s making me hungry.
D) A nourishing liquid taken from a glass.

Based on your previous answers, how would you evaluate a cantaloupe/orange juice-based liquid that makes a refreshing, fruity summer soup, but would also be delicious in a scotch glass with a jigger of vodka?
A) Ohhhhhh. I get it. Okay. I’m ready to answer now.
B) A soup, dummy. It’s spoonable, yes?
C) A drink. Who ever heard of fruit soup? You need a brain checkup.
D) Enh, it could really go either way, dawg.

And that concludes our quiz. You can find the answers at the bottom of this post, but before you go there and/or look at the recipe, a few notes on AllRecipe’s Cantaloupe Soup:

1) Make sure your cantaloupe is ripe. In the supermarket, you can tell when it’s ready to go by taking a whiff of the little circle at the top. If it smells, uh, cantaloupe-y, you’re in.

2) On the advice of AllRecipes reviewers, I cut a cup of orange juice out of the original recipe, which makes it more soup-like, but brings the servings down from a small six to a medium-sized four. If you’re making a drink instead of a soup, feel free to add the extra O.J. back in.

3) This is one of the easiest dishes ever. My sister and/or a slightly dumb monkey could do it. (Not to say my sister is a monkey, but rather that she’s not so good with the cooking. Love you, L!)

Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Soup
4 servings
Adapted from All Recipes.

1 cantaloupe - peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1) In a blender or food processor, combine cantaloupe and 1/2 cup orange juice. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into a big bowl. Add lime juice, cinnamon, and other 1/2 cup of orange juice to bowl. Stir. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in fridge for at least 60 minutes. Like mint? Sprinkle some on top right before serving.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
78 calories, 0 g fat, $0.40

Calculations
1 cantaloupe: 188 calories, 1 g fat, $0.98
1 cups orange juice: 120 calories, 0 g fat, $0.27
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice: 5 calories, 0 g fat, $0.33
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
TOTAL: 313 calories, 1 g fat, $1.59
PER SERVING: 78 calories, 0 g fat, $0.40

ANSWERS: All of them. Everything was correct! You get an A++++! Now go buy that Red Rider carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time, but for pete’s sake, don’t shoot your eye out.

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Posted in: Drinks,Soups and Stocks,Vegan,Vegetarian