Drinks

There are times when we could really use a change when it comes to Drinks. Check out these six drink recipes, including Slow-Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Homemade Ginger Tea. Enjoy!

CHAI LATTE

This is from Meghan Splawn in thekitchn. For this yumminess, Meghan wrote, "I fell in love with the idea of chai through the cartons of this drink mix from the grocery store. The milky sweetness partnered with the astringent black tea drew me in, but the warm spices that lingered between sips kept me drinking. It wasn’t long before the sweetness of those chai drink mixes became too much for me and I started experimenting with chai lattes at home.

"This chai latte gives you complete control over your chai latte experience, from the tea and the spices, to the sweetener and type of milk. All you need is to brew, steep, sweeten your tea, and then froth your milk. The result is a creamy cup of black tea subtly spiced and fragrant with cinnamon, black peppercorns, and ginger, and just the right amount of sweetness, so near perfect that you’ll skip the coffee shop chai (or the carton) and come home to make a pot of this at tea time."

Serves 4

To view this online, go to https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-chai-tea-latte-242520. There's also a lot of info for making the chai latte as good as it gets.

Ingredients

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods, cracked

4 cups water

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea, or 6 black tea bags

1/2 cup sweetener, such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup (optional)

3 cups cold whole milk, coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk

Equipment

Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

Pitcher or teapot

Instructions

Toast the spices. Place the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Brew the tea. Add the water and ginger and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Steep the tea. Remove from the heat and add the loose-leaf tea or tea bags. Cover and steep for 10 minutes.

Sweeten the tea. While the tea is still warm, add the sweetener and stir until combined or dissolved.

Strain the tea. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or teapot. Discard the spices and tea leaves. Store in the refrigerator for future use, or keep it warm while you froth the milk.

Froth the milk. For whole milk, froth the milk by shaking it in a jar or by whisking it vigorously over medium-high heat. For non-dairy milks, use an immersion blender to froth before heating.

Heat the milk. Heat the frothed milk in a small saucepan over low heat until warm.

Serve. Pour 3/4 cup of the warm tea base into each mug. Add 1/2 cup of warmed milk and stir to combine. Top with a heaping spoonful of milk froth.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The tea base can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before frothing the milk.

HOMEMADE GINGER TEA

This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats Jolinda wrote, “Wondering how to make a simple and easy homemade ginger tea? Why go out and buy stale old tea bags when you can easily make your own fresh and homemade ginger tea at home using fresh ginger? Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that's great for digestion.

”Here's how to make the tastiest and most soothing and healing ginger tea you've ever had! There's really no comparison.

“This healing ginger tea recipe actually comes from the raw food and natural health retreat center I used to work at in Thailand, where we served it to our guests bright and early every single morning, seven days a week. The secret to the perfect healing ginger tea? Lots and lots of fresh ginger, simmered for a long time to bring out the flavor, and the lime, which compliments the ginger perfectly, and plenty of natural agave nectar or honey for a refined sugar-free sweetener (or you might prefer it unsweetened, depending on your health goals - It's still delicious, I promise!). Try this simple ginger tea for an immune system boost or for an invigorating way to start the morning.

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 servings of ginger tea

To check this out online, click here.

Ingredients

About 2 inches of fresh raw ginger (use more or less, depending on how strong you want it!)

1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar, to taste)

Optional: 1/2 lime (juiced, or to taste)

Directions

First, prepare the fresh ginger by peeling it and slicing it thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.

Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. You really can't over do it, so feel free to add as much ginger and simmer it for as long as you want.

Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.

The secret to making a really flavorful ginger tea is to use plenty of ginger-more than you think you will need-and also to add a bit of lime juice and honey to your ginger tea. You will also probably want to add more honey than you think you will need as well.

Enjoy your hot ginger tea! A homemade ginger tea is excellent in soothing stomach aches and in aiding digestion.

CAFE DE OLLA

The recipe for this yummy coffee is from the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47. It starts off, “Literally 'coffee from the pot,' this recipe offers a simple way to make coffee for a crowd, with a spiced twist that no one can resist.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

4 allspice berries

4 whole cloves

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or 4 oz. piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar cones)

2 cups medium grind, dark roast coffee beans

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa, optional

Directions

Lightly crush cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves with mortar and pestle. Place in resealable plastic bag, and pound with rolling pin. Transfer to large saucepan, and add sugar and 8 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add coffee, and let steep 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm milk in small saucepan, and whisk until frothy.

Strain coffee through fine sieve or coffee filter into pitcher. Stir in coffee liqueur (if using). Serve with frothed milk.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 80; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 35 mg; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g; Gluten-Free

SLOW-COOKER PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE

This comes from The Food Network, and starts off, “Made and served in the same pot, our slow-cooker cocoa is thickened and enriched with dark chocolate. Set up an add-ons bar beside the cooker (mini marshmallows, crushed candies and peppermint schnapps take cocoa to a whole new holiday level), then stick a ladle in the pot and let guests help themselves.” The recipe's last ingredient is peppermint schnapps, which is optional. I don't use it, and, if this is being served to children and/or people who normally don't drink – or if you're not sure – don't use it. I find that it really doesn't need it. Total Time: 2 hr 5 min; Prep: 5 min; Cook: 2 hr; Yield: 14 cups; Level: Easy

To read more, go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-peppermint-hot-chocolate.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

12 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

24 peppermint candies, crushed (about 1 cup), for serving

3 cups mini marshmallows, for serving

2 cups peppermint schnapps, optional, for serving

Directions

Whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder in a 6-quart slow cooker. Turn the cooker to high, and slowly whisk in the milk to prevent lumps from forming. Add the vanilla and salt, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. The sugar and cocoa powder should be completely dissolved.

Whisk in the chopped chocolate a little at a time until it is all incorporated. Replace the lid, and cook until thickened, 30 minutes more.

Turn the cooker to warm, and serve with small bowls of the peppermint candies and mini marshmallows and a small pitcher of schnapps, if using. For minty cocoa, let a few teaspoons of the peppermints melt in an 8-ounce cup or add 2 tablespoons of schnapps.

CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO SMOOTHIE

This is from the February 2007 issue of Runner’s World.

Ingredients

8 ounces chocolate yogurt, such as Brown Cow “Cream Top”

1 large banana (browned & frozen)*

2 shots espresso, chilled

2 C ice (about 14 ice cubes)

1 dozen chocolate-covered espresso beans

Directions

Place half of the yogurt plus all the remaining ingredients in blender & puree until smooth. Add remaining yogurt & pulse until smooth. (If you add full container of yogurt at beginning, mixture is too thick to blend easily.)

For a thicker smoothie, blend in up to a cup more ice. Serves two.

Note:* Any ripe banana will work, but a browned & frozen banana lends better flavor & texture.

With Brown Cow: calories: 230; fat: 7 g; carbs: 39 g; protein: 7 g.

LIZARD LOUNGE TEA

My oldest son spent several summers traveling the country, both singly and with friends. Several times, he wound up at the Rainbow Gathering, where he hooked up with a larger group of friends. Most of them had grown up in hot areas of the country, so they nicknamed themselves lizards; their area of the camp site was the lizard lounge. They would cook up their version of iced tea, which they would barter for other commodities. They were frequently asked what their secret ingredient was.

This is a scaled down version. I found that cranberry or cranberry-apple herb tea works very nicely with this, but any herbal tea can be used.

This, as well as other yummy recipes, can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
Ingredients


1/2 gallon apple cider

4 – 5 herbal tea bags

Directions

Place cider in a large pan or teakettle and bring to a boil. Place herbal tea bags into a large container and pour the boiled cider over the tea bags. Let steep for 15-30 minutes and cool. Very good.