Monthly Archives: November 2015

“Chai” Love

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As the weather turns colder, we naturally turn to warming remedies to give us strength and nourishment…soups, stews, broths, baths…a hot water bottle to warm our toes at night…and of course, a hot cup of something soothing to warm our hands, bellies, and spirits.

This version of a chai latte is full of those warming spices we’re drawn to this time of year, but is also dairy and caffeine free.  It resembles the frothy, spicy chai latte you have tasted at your local coffee shop…creamy and delicious…and it’s easy to make in your kitchen.

I use a Bullet blender, and any high-speed blender will work.  A regular blender is fine, though you may have a few unblended pieces of cashew at the bottom…no biggie.

I have most of my spices in shakers, so I just shake each one directly into the blender.  Otherwise, just guesstimate.  If you like to use fresh spices, that’s even better, but you will have to gauge quantities, since fresh spices are generally more intensely flavorful than those from a jar.  Let me know how yours turns out!

To Make:

15 shakes of Ginger

10 Cinnamon

2 Clove                                                                                                                                                               

2 Nutmeg

2 Black Pepper

1 Cardamom

1/4 Cup Cashews (raw)*

1 Tsp Honey

2 Dates

1 1/2 Cups Hot Water 

Boil water and add to blender, then add in the other ingredients.  Blend until frothy, about a minute with high-speed blenders, a bit longer with regular ones.  Pour into your favorite mug.  

To make it extra fancy, add a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of cinnamon, ginger or vanilla ice cream, and sprinkle cinnamon on top.  A cinnamon stick adds a festive touch and doubles as a straw for kids.  

Serve in place of hot cocoa or egg nog; it pairs beautifully with spice cake and other holiday treats.

* Cashews (and all nuts) should ideally be soaked first.  This makes their nutrition more accessible and easier to digest.  Just cover raw nuts in water and soak for eight hours or overnight.  Use within a couple of days or freeze.

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Chia Love

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Chia seeds are everywhere these days!  These little seeds pack a superfood punch, are naturally gluten free, and have so many uses.  Here’s a few of their nutritional benefits:

They are high in fiber…super high.

They lower cholesterol…they decrease LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides, and raise HDL, the “good” cholesterol.

They help lower blood pressure.

And they are a fantastic source of Omega 3 fatty acids…way more than flax seeds, and way healthier.

Here’s how to get them into your diet:

Soaking chia seeds for at least 10 minutes releases their full nutritional bounty.  They will expand and turn into a sort of gel.  Although you can sprinkle them on your food, they will not provide all the nutrients this way, and may not be digested at all.   You can soak them in water and store in the fridge to use later (up to three weeks), or blend the seeds into your smoothies (no need to soak first), or toss into your bowl of soup, where they will quickly expand.  Start slow, like maybe a tablespoon or less a day and work up to a couple tablespoons or more.  Here are a couple quick recipes to get you started:

Basic Chia “gel” 

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 cups water

Stir, then place in sealed container in fridge and use as needed, for dressings, soups, yogurt etc

Chai Pudding

2 Tbl chia seeds

1 C almond or coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Splash of vanilla

Dash of cinnamon

Honey, stevia, agave or sweetener of choice

Mix together (a wisk helps), and store in fridge for a least 10 minutes. Waiting a few hours or overnight yields a nice, firm pudding.

You can add other things to pudding…raspberry jam, mashed or cut up banana, grated coconut, mango or other fruit, cacao powder.…experiment!  You can top with sliced banana, berries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings (for a desserty treat) or just eat as is.

Enjoy!