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Posts from the ‘Drinks’ Category

Super Foods Power Smoothie

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

This is my daily breakfast.  It’s very filling and so healthy.  I like this smoothie so much that I used it to kick my morning caffeine habit.  I used to look forward to coffee.  Now I crave my smoothie.

May I talk about flax seed for a moment?  One of the most common nutrition complaints I hear from people is that they don’t get enough fiber in their diet.  Indeed, it can be quite difficult to get the recommended 20-35 grams per day, especially if you don’t eat a lot of fruits and veggies.  1 1/2 tablespoons of flax seed has 4 grams of fiber!  That’s the same as eating a cup of brussels sprouts.   In addition to containing fiber, flax seed has omega-3 essential fatty acids and lignans, which have antioxidant properties.  There’s evidence that flax seed may help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  Adding flax seeds to a smoothie is a perfect way to incorporate natural, healthy fiber into your diet. I recently discovered roasted flaxand prefer the flavor and texture over standard flax seed.  But either will work fine.

This recipe is totally customizable.  I like using almond milk and butter because almonds are another super food.  But feel free to swap out the almond milk for soy or coconut (coconut milk tastes amazing with the other ingredients and is a healthy fat).  Use any nut butter you prefer.  You can also add more nut butter for decadence.  I know a lot of people are squeamish about green smoothies, but I promise you won’t notice the kale.  It’s so good for you and this is any easy way to fill your tummy and add nutrition.  I freeze individual servings of banana and kale so I simply drop them into the blender.  The kale chops up better when frozen. Read more

Vietnamese Iced Coffee (cà phê sữa đá)

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Years ago I was first introduced to cà phê sữa đá by a friend.  There are numerous Vietnamese restaurants in the DC/MD/VA area and after tasting this delicious drink once, I began traveling to get it on a regular basis. Vietnamese iced coffee is creamy, rich and gives me that great burst of energy you can only get from sugar and caffeine.  Bliss!  Now that I realize how simple they are to make, I can enjoy them at home whenever I please.  You need a Vietnamese coffee filter, which can be found online or at most Asian markets.  You also need chicory coffee, which can be found at most supermarkets. I prefer Cafe Du Monde.

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Homemade Coconut Milk

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Things have been a bit quiet here at Savory Simple.  It’s because I’m currently doing a 7 day detox from Baltimore Health Coach!  No sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, soy, corn, or processed foods for one week.  The first few days were rough, but now I’m feeling great!  It’s amazing how much the foods we consume effect our bodies.  I’m waking up without coffee and my night time sugar cravings are gone.  I feel clear-headed and energized.  I think I may do this once per month since I work with sugar and gluten so often.

As you can imagine, it’s been difficult to cook and bake for the blog this week.  Next time I detox I really need to bank some entries in advance.  However, I’ve been wanting to make coconut milk ever since I made raw almond milk.  This was the perfect week to try.  And it was so easy and delicious.  It has a consistency similar to regular milk, but tastes like the canned variety.  Canned coconut milk is much thicker and I tend to use it in curries and ice cream.  I’d recommend this version for cereal and smoothies, or wherever you might use regular milk.  You can store it in the refrigerator for a few days but I wouldn’t let it sit too long.  Natural separation will occur, so shake it before using.  I store my milk in a mason jar for easy shaking.

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Raw Almond Milk

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I recently watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ and it was a life changer.  The movie provides some stunning scientific evidence supporting the relationship between animal product consumption and disease.  I want to live a long healthy life!  I’m nowhere close to maintaining an exclusively plant-based diet, but I’m making changes.  For example, I’ve never been a big meat eater but I consume quite a bit of dairy.  To offset this, I’ve been alternating between milk and non-dairy alternatives.

Out of the wide array of non-dairy milk alternatives available, my favorite is almond milk.  It has a mild, smooth flavor and works great in cereal, coffee and smoothies.  I have yet to try baking with it but I’ve heard many success stories.  I decided to try making my own to see how it compared to store brands such as Almond Breeze.

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Alcohol-Free Mojito Spritzer

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

As I mentioned in my hot toddy post, I’m not much of a drinker these days.  Maybe I’ve developed a mild allergy to alcohol over the years, because most of time it gives me a headache that ranges from mild to severe.  It’s a shame, because I’ve always loved good wine and beer.  And, you know, drinking is fun… but in the end I’ve found it’s not worth the pain.  I usually stick with cocktails when I do hit the booze because I’ve had the best luck staying headache-free with hard liquor.  The mojito is my absolute favorite cocktail, so why should I be limited to enjoying them on rare occasions?

I’ve adapted a healthy recipe from Canyon Ranch, which they refer to as an “Almosjito Limeade.” The recipe contains several juices that I prefer not to keep around, so I’ve swapped them all out for the fresh squeezed variety.  I usually have red-seedless grapes on hand and since the original recipe calls for 1/4 cups white grape juice, I juiced grapes into a measuring cup with a garlic press over a fine mesh strainer.  Voila, fresh grape juice!

The results are so delicious.  I can drink this everyday without the least bit of guilt or pain! And if you want to turn it into a regular mojito, simply add a shot of rum.

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Hot Toddy

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

The past two weeks have been rough.  I’m sick with a brutal virus that just won’t leave me alone.  I’ve dealt with an assortment of symptoms: sore throat, lethargy, low-grade fever, mild congestion.  And it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere!  I feel better than I did when it first hit me but I am definitely not myself.

My savior during this particular illness has been hot toddies.  For the record, I’m not typically a drinker.  I just don’t care for alcohol these days; many times it either makes me tired or gives me a headache.  But when I have a bad cold this drink really helps distract from my misery.  The honey and lemon do wonders for my throat.  The alcohol adds a nice mellow buzz on top of my wooziness, allowing me to stop feeling pathetic and relax for a bit.  Is it actually helping me get better?  I doubt it, but I don’t think it hurts.

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