Easy Cold Brew Iced Coffee

Fuzzy Mmmmm!

Whoops-- it's been way too long since I've blogged! Sorry about that, everyone (all five of you, I assume). Today I have a tried and true recipe, and my first liquid recipe: Cold Brew iced coffee! And perfect timing, too-- it's been quite warm here and boiling on the East Coast! So turn a blind eye to your hot and steamy coffee brewer and set your sights on some delicious, bold, and refreshing coffee!

Cold Brew has been a happening buzz word in the coffee world, but few people really know the difference or why it's making such a big hit in cafes. While I don't know the exact science behind the perks of cold brewed coffee, some things make sense to me: making a large batch of concentrated coffee is a lot less messy than overflowing your coffee brewer, cold things should be made cold (I'm guessing on this one), and making a batch of concentrate will also help your coffee to have a full flavor, rather than just pouring some coffee over ice and severely watering it down in the process.

This blog was partly inspired by one of my favorite bloggers who featured a how-to on cold brew, but she made it *way* too complicated! So here's an easy recipe for you readers!

Happy family of ingredients with our local star, Discovery Coffee!

Wet, vaguely messy ingredients. 

Stir, baby, stir!

Drain, baby drain!

Draining part deux.

Voila! Done.

Ingredients

4 Cups cold water

1 1/3 Cups ground coffee (medium-fine, as for a regular brewer)

Directions

1) Add coffee to your container of choice (large Mason jars work great, but any sort of pitcher is fine).  I spooned most of my coffee into the jar to make a bit less of a mess, but you could use a funnel. Add the water and stir until well combined. I used a spoon stick to create less of a mess.

2) Cover and leave out for 8 - 12 hours at room temperature.

3) Using either a cheese cloth, fine dish towel, or nut milk bag (as pictured), drain the grounds from the coffee twice. First, use a large-ish pot to pour the contents of your brewing jar through the draining device of choice. Then, drain again into the initial container of choice for safe keeping for up to a week in the fridge (see photo "draining part deux").

For making coffee!

As a reminder this is a concentrate, so you don't want to drink this stuff straight-up unless you have a stomach of steel. 

1) I use one part coffee concentrate to two parts cold water, but that can be adjusted per your preference.

2) Add sweetener (I use honey because it dissolves easily in cold water) and preferred milk if desired.

3) Add ice cubes and sip happily, hopefully in the shade with a good book.

Yummy in my tummy!

Recipe via Red Book Magazine.

Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions

Deliciousness in a bowl

Holy moly I love this meal. The first time I made it I had just moved to Boston and while I was making fairly good meals, nothing was really hitting the spot until this one. I nearly went cross-eyed it tasted *so* good! Hearty, rustic, and "meat-y" (as Jon described it), this is probably a good recipe for crisp winter nights, but really wonderful any time of year. 

I will warn anyone who wishes to make this meal: It will take a while. Like, an hour to an hour and a half long. And not like, throw it in the oven for most of that time long, more like watch it and stir often so it doesn't burn type of long. But it is so, so worth it.

And what better way to make this fabulous time-consuming dish than with my brand new Le Creuset braiser! (Tons and tons of thanks to my Aunt Beth for sending this rather belated wedding gift!)

Flame perfection.

Mmmm raw ingredients.

All ready to go!

Gross-looking but delicious caramelized onions

OMNOMNOMNOM

Ingredients

4 yellow onions

1 tbsp + 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 

3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1) Chop two of the onions and add to a large skillet or dutch oven (such as a Le Creuset!) with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Cook for a bit and add garlic, cooking for about 8 minutes on low heat. 

2) Turn up heat to medium-high and add sliced mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes.

3) Add the rosemary sprig, rice, vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover tightly. Stir it about once or twice while the rice soaks up the broth.

4) While the risotto is cooking, start making the caramelized onions. Cut the remaining two onions in half then cut them into half moons. Add the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil to a large-ish pan on medium-low heat and add the onions. Stir often, making sure not to burn, until the onions turn golden brown. The original recipe says this takes about a half hour, I feel like I've spent anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour making these bastards. Maybe it is actually a half hour, but it feels SO LONG.

5) Once the rice has soaked up all of the broth remove the sprig stems. Then, go to town on this delicious risotto topped with caramelized onions. 

Recipe Via Oh She Glows

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Nice light lunch!

I've been meaning to make this salad for quite some time, and since kale was on sale at the grocery store and I had left-over quinoa in the fridge, this week was the perfect occasion! With its tart and sweet lemon vinaigrette, I think it's the perfect winter/spring transition salad. Although the recipe called for avocado (which would have been spot-on), they weren't on sale so I went without, but that doesn't mean that you should! 

Making salad dressing doesn't get any prettier!

Salad ingredients, assemble! 

Lovely close-up! 

Ingredients

1 bunch chopped kale 

1/2 Cup cooked quinoa

Chopped pecans, to taste

Chopped avocado, optional 

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar 

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Start by making whisking all of your vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Then, assemble your salad ingredients. Wash the kale, remove the stems, and chop into bite-sized pieces and place on a large plate. Add the chopped pecans (which I just broke apart by hand), optional avocado, and finally the cooked quinoa. Top with dressing, to taste. 

Super easy, eh? Like I mentioned, I ended up using left-over quinoa from my fridge, but if you intend to make this from scratch, use about a 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (which is about a 1/4 dry). 

When I made this for myself I was intended to break this up into 2 servings: for immediate consumption and the next day, so I halved the entire salad fixings, but it didn't go according to plan! The salad dressing unfortunately does not keep so I would suggest either making this a large lunch salad for one hungry person or two smaller salads for two peckish people. 

Cheers!

Had to share my latest thrift score-- those flowers make me so happy!

Recipe via Healthy Living Healthy Us

6 Ingredient Granola Bars

Fancy granola bar! (it's not that big-- it's on a small plate)

I realized a few weeks ago that Jon and I had pretty much cut out all super-processed foods out of our daily diet except for one thing: granola bars. And we ate a TON of them. We started buying them by the big box (about once a week, sometimes more), and it began to worry me. I craved them like no other food, and their addicting quality was no doubt due to the fact that they had *tons* of sugar and salt in them. They were practically candy with little nutritional value. 

Their addicting quality plus the fact that I couldn't pronounce half of the ingredients, PLUS their added garbage because they were individually packaged made me want to start making my own bars. I researched granola bars on Pinterest, wanting to find a healthy, easy, and simple alternative that didn't have any crazy ingredients, and this recipe has been the best one yet!

The no-frills ingredients!

This is typically an easy recipe if I didn't spill oats!

Or spill honey on my sock! Gosh!

The "hardest" part about this is melting the coconut oil, and it's really not hard at all.

Mix it up sloooowly!

Pack that shit down, freeze, and done!

Ingredients

4 Cups Oats (Gluten-free if needed)

2 Cups Brown Crisp/Puff Cereal (Rice Crispies should work, too)

1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil

1 Cup Nut/Seed Butter (I used peanut)

1/2 Cup Honey (or Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar) 

3 - 4 Tablespoons of Flax or Chia Seeds (Optional)

Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil or parchment paper and grease it (I just used sunflower seed oil). 

In a large bowl mix in all the ingredients. If it's not sticking all together, add a little extra honey. 

Press granola mixture into the prepared pan, and flatten with a potato masher. Throw it in the freezer for about 10 minutes and then cut your pieces (as big or as little as you'd like). Store the bars in the fridge, covered. 

Voila! Done!

Recipe via Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Skillet Gardener's Pie

I learned two very important things while making this: 1) I need to learn to read directions more carefully and 2) You really can't screw up mashed potatoes. When making the mashed potatoes, I forgot the potato water *and* the almond milk, and ended up making them with vegetable broth and splashes of almond milk. They still taste like mashed potatoes. 

This dish is perfect for those blustery fall days and when you and your roommates/partner are in competition with mother nature to see how long you can hold out before you turn on the head. This is sans-meat and potatoes type of food that is full of wonderful veggies and will leave you happy and full!

Bad family photo. You can't see the potatoes, carrots, or onion!

This is how I measure "packed" spinach. 

Spreadin' on that good stuff!

All done!

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes

2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk

salt and pepper, to taste

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, diced

2 cups fat-free vegetable broth

16 ounces (1 can) or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained

2 cups green beans, cut in 1″ pieces (may use frozen)

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water (or veg. broth)

extra rosemary for garnish

Instructions

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into cubes. (I leave mine unpeeled, but if you want you can peel them before dicing.) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. Reserve a cup of their cooking water, if possible, and drain. Place in a large bowl, add the non-dairy milk, and mash until smooth, adding a little of the potato-cooking water if they seem too dry. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside in a warm place (I put them in the oven on a low heat).

While the potatoes are cooking, make the “pie” filling. Heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet on a medium-high burner and add the onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic, carrots and mushrooms, and sauté for 3 more minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, kidney beans, green beans, and herbs. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes and all vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. There should still be some liquid in the pan, but if it has become too dry, add a little of the potato-cooking water. Add the spinach and stir until it’s completely wilted. Mix the corn starch with the water until smooth, and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened.

Spoon the potatoes evenly over the top of the filling and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. If potatoes have cooled, put the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve immediately while hot.

omnomnom

Recipe via Fat Free Vegan

Thai Basil Tofu Bowl with Sriracha and Stir-Fry Quinoa

Omnomnom

I felt like I was joining a large fan club when I purchased my first bottle of Sriracha for this recipe. It felt good, but I'm not sure why. I had never had Sriracha up until this point (well, once before in hummus), but I'm so, so happy I discovered it. It's delightfully spicy, but not over powering, and relatively affordable! Yeah, I suppose you could use any other type of hot sauce for this recipe, but why?

This was my first go at this, but it turned out yummy, as I hope it does for you!

Baby's first Sriracha

Family photo (aka the ingredients)

Snuggly tofu!

Perfect!

Carrots! Carrots everywhere!

Fun fact! If you hold a match in your mouth while you're cutting onions, you won't cry! A friend taught me this after seeing me border-line sob after cutting a particularly juicy onion, and it works!

Multitasking.

Dinner is served!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup grated carrots (about two)

1 small onion, minced

½ cup frozen peas

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1½ tbsp Sriracha

Tofu Marinade/Sauce

14 oz firm tofu

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tbsp Sriracha

1 tsp honey (or agave nectar should be fine, too)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai (or regular) basil, plus a little bit extra

Instructions

Add the quinoa to two cups of water in a sauce pan. Let it boil, then reduce to low heat until all of the water is absorbed-- about 20 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat.

While quinoa is cooking, cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slices, and then wedge them between two towels and press firmly to remove some excess moisture. I flipped over the towels to a dry side multiple times before I was satisfied. After pressing the tofu, slice it into 1 inch squares. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat (or, if you're fancy, a wok) and add the tofu. Let it brown one side for about five minutes, flip the pieces over with some tongs and let the other side brown for five minutes.  

In between flips you can start making your marinade. Mix together the garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, veggie oyster sauce, Sriracha, honey, and Thai basil in a large bowl. Once all of the tofu is done, mix the pieces in the sauce, and let it marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes or more. Don't wash the non-stick pan yet-- you'll need it!

This lull should give you time to grate the carrots. God damn, those carrots were a pain, but SO worth it! Once you're done grating and chopping the onions and garlic, add all three to a large hot pan on about medium heat. Cook for about three or five minutes and add the frozen peas and cook until they're warmed, about another five minutes. Then, add the quinoa, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons of Sriracha. Lower the heat to a medium-low.

After the tofu is done marinating, remove the tofu from the sauce and heat it the little guys in the  non-stick pan for about two minutes on medium-low heat. Add the marinade and let it thicken for about five minutes. Finally, stir in the extra fresh Thai basil.

To prepare the bowls, put the quinoa on the bottom and add the tofu on top. Or just mix it all in together. It's all going the same place anyway. Enjoy!

Bonus Clemens tail!

Recipe credit goes to Domesticate Me

Quinoa Salad with Blueberries, Strawberries, and Mint

Jon and I were invited to a dinner tonight at a friend's house and, as the type of guest that I am, asked if we could bring anything. The suggested salad, and after browsing my recipes, I decided to try this one that I only made once before. I wanted to try a new recipe, but with such limited time (I was told two hours before we had to leave!) this quinoa and fruit salad was great, quick option! 

Quinoa a'cookin'! 

Mmmm berries 

This juicer was given to me by a friend as my going away present to Boston. I love it and any chance I get to use it!

The recipe calls for fresh herbs including mint. I cheated with this mix and added my own mint!

Dressing!

All packed up and ready to go!

Not suggested serving size. Suggested serving size much larger!

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked quinoa
4 cups fresh water

1.5 cups fresh blueberries, washed, picked over
1.5 cups fresh strawberries, washed, sliced
6 cups baby salad greens
A handful of fresh chopped herbs: cilantro, dill, parsley and mint1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh squeezed lime juice from 2 limes
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Place the quinoa, water, and sea salt in a large to medium rice cooker, and cover. Cook until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender. Scoop the cooked quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing, fruit and baby greens.

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and pepper. Taste test it, and adjust seasonings.

Slice the strawberries and mix together with the blueberries.

Distribute the baby greens and chopped herbs onto plates. All the quinoa, then strawberries and blueberries. Drizzle with dressing and serve!

Recipe via Gluten Free Goddess