Vegan Cooking with TLC

Sometimes a little simplicity makes life so much better, especially when life has been hectic or stressful. One simple way to give water a little pep is to add a little fruit infusion. This cherry infused water is simple, tasty, and makes drinking water a little more interesting. Cherry Infused Water 1 cup cherries* 48 - 60 ounces water** Place the cherries in a  pitcher . Fill pitcher with water. Let steep overnight in the refrigerator. Refill the pitcher once or twice to get the most out of the berries.   Berries can then be used in a smoothie, if desired. * I always use frozen cherries for this recipe when I make it. I think they work a bit better than fresh for infusing the flavor, but feel free to use either. ** I've made cherry infused water in pitchers ranging from 48 ounces to 60 ounces. I use the same amount of cherries. It doesn't seem to make a huge difference. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This blueberry water makes a nice, refreshing alternative when I feel bored with plain water. Granted fruit infused water doesn't allow for the fiber and other nutrients to be fully utilized by the body in the way eating whole fruit does; however, I'm okay with that because I know I'm getting all those nutrients in the other food I'm eating. And it's so easy to make! Blueberry Water   1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh 60 ounces water*   Place the blueberries in a large pitcher and cover with water.   Let steep overnight in the refrigerator.   Refill the pitcher a few times to get the most out of the berries.   Note: Berries can then be used in a smoothie, if desired. * I use the same amount of blueberries whether I'm using a 48-ounce or 60-ounce pitcher. You just can't get as many infusions - refills of water - from the 60-ounce as the 48-ounce, generally speaking. Adjust amount of water according to the size of your pitcher.

I really enjoy flavored water, and mint water is one of my favorites - well, I guess they're all kind of my favorites depending on which one I have in the refrigerator. It's easy to make and quite refreshing with a variety of meals or just as a glass of water in the middle of the day. It offers a nice change when drinking plain water gets boring. My mint was looking and smelling quite good this week, so I decided it was time for some mint water.   Mint Water 1 cup fresh mint* 60 ounces water** Place mint in 60 ounce pitcher and pour water over mint. Let steep overnight in the refrigerator. Serve. Add more water until it begins to lose it flavor. It’s usually possible to get several extractions from the mint. *You can use more or less according to personal preference. ** If your pitcher is smaller than this, that's fine. Just use whatever you have on hand. I've made this same recipe with as little as 48 ounces of water. It's just a bit mintier, but 60 seems to work w...

Growing up in Kentucky we almost always iced tea in the refrigerator during the summer, and often in the winter, even when we had plenty of soda and lemonade and water and whatever else. I learned to make iced tea at such a young age, it feels like I've always known how.Even in college I found ways to make iced tea. I suppose I considered it a necessity or just what one does.  At some point though I stopped making iced tea. I'm not really sure why or even really when. I love tea - hot or cold. But traditionally made iced tea started to feel more like sugar with a little tea in it as I increasingly needed more sweetener to drink it. I didn't like that. Then one day I saw something about cold-brewed tea that piqued by curiosity. So I researched the idea. Within hours, we had 3 pitchers of different teas - a flavored green, a flavored black, and a flavored white -  cold-brewing in the refrigerator. Yes, I can go a bit overboard when I get excited, and I was excited! They each ...

I've been thinking about adding a recipe for something I drink every single day - tea, but that doesn't really seem like a recipe, at least to me. So, instead I'm going to talk a bit about tea. I've always enjoyed drinking tea. Over the years, my taste in tea has changed. I prefer loose leaf tea now over bagged tea. I prefer green and white teas over black teas. I often prefer tea that has some other additions, like fruit or vanilla or spices. I occasionally drink matcha tea as well though I usually put matcha in my smoothies or baked goods rather than drinking it as a tea. I shared my recipe for a Ginger Hazelnut Matcha Latte a while back. But, let's talk about tea. Tea has many health benefits . Tea is filled with anti-oxidants.  Green and white teas have more anti-oxidants than black. They also have other nutritional benefits. They have zero calories when no sweetener is added. Some studies have even shown drinking green tea can help control weight. Th...

This week didn't go to plan regarding making a recipe to post because I forgot to buy some key ingredients. I was a bit frustrated about it, but life goes on. As I thought about what to do to salvage my post for the week, I stepped outside for a few minutes. The chill in the air made me crave Hot Spiced Apple Cider , so I decided I'd just share my recipe for anyone else who needs a warm treat on a cold winter day. Hot Spiced Apple Cider 2 cups apple cider* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon** 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 whole cloves 2 cardamom pods*** 1 whole small star anise, optional Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan or Turkish coffee pot .  Bring to a simmer stirring often, especially until the powdered spices are incorporated. Be careful not to bring it to a full boil.  Simmer for 6-10 minutes, stirring often to infuse the spices. Remove the whole spices, or strain, if desired. Pour into cups.  Serve. * Apple cider is a fruit juice...

I used to love drinking orange juice with a splash or cranberry juice in it, but I no longer drink fruit juices as a general rule because of the high sugar content and lack of fiber. Sometimes, like this morning, I get a craving for that flavor combination. This water isn't as sweet or as strong, but it satisfies that craving. I like to drink infused water because it helps me keep my hydration up when I get bored with plain water. Since I was craving this this morning and decided to make it to quench my craving, I decided to share it! Orange Cranberry Water 2 oranges 1 cup frozen cranberries 40-60 ounces water Wash oranges. Slice into piece discarding the end pieces. Remove seeds. Gently massage orange slices over the top of a pitcher . Drop slices into the pitcher.  Add cranberries. Fill pitcher with water. Place in the refrigerator and all to infuse for several hours, or overnight. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

I love fruit infused water! I find it a refreshing way to keep hydrated especially when I start slacking off water. Strawberry water needs very ripe strawberries to infuse well, so keep that in mind.  I like to bruise them slightly before pouring the water over them. Just a little press with a wooden spoon will do the trick. Strawberry Water 1 pint of fresh, ripe strawberries*  40 ounces of water Place the strawberries in a pitcher and add water. Let steep overnight in the refrigerator. Refill the pitcher up once to get the most out of the berries.** * Frozen strawberries an also be used. ** Berries can then be used in a smoothie, if desired Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This week I was craving Cold Brew Hibiscus Blueberry Water, so I decided to share it here. The hibiscus and blueberries work well together making for a nice change from plain Cold Brew Hibiscus Water .  It's also super simple! Cold Brew Hibiscus Blueberry Water ¼ cup hibiscus petals 1 cup blueberries 60 ounces water Place the hibiscus petals blueberries in a 60-ounce pitcher and cover with water. Let steep overnight in the refrigerator. If desired, refill the pitcher once or twice to get the most out of the hibiscus and berries.

I first drank Rosemary Water at Magenta*, a restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon. When I tasted the water they served, I noted it had a slight rosemary taste. I wondered about it, so I asked the waitress. She explained that they infused the water with fresh rosemary. I loved the idea, and soon tried it at home. My first few attempts I used far too much rosemary and ended up with water that had an antiseptic flavor. Finally, I found a nice balance. Rosemary water is easy to make and makes for a nice change from plain water. I often make it when I find I'm not drinking enough water as a way to encourage myself to drink more. Rosemary Water 2-4 sprigs fresh rosemary 60 ounces water. Place rosemary in a  pitcher and pour water over rosemary. Let steep overnight in refrigerator and drink. Add water to pitcher until water begins to lose its flavor. Note: I use organic ingredient whenever possible. *Magenta is still open, but I haven't been there since ...

Mango Banana Blood Orange Water is one of my favorite fruit infused waters... But then again, I think most of the fruit infused waters I make are a favorite when I'm drinking them. I'd been waiting for a while for the local grocery store to get blood oranges in stock, so I could make this one.  Since the First Alternative Co-op finally had blood oranges back in, I decided to bump the recipe I planned to post this week to next week.  I really like fruit infused water as a way to make water be more interesting, particularly when I start slacking off drinking enough water on a daily basis. Mango Banana Blood Orange Water 1 cup frozen mango* 1 banana 1-2 blood oranges 48-60 ounces water Slice blood orange and remove seeds. Peel the banana and break into pieces. Place all the fruit in a 48- 60 ounce pitcher . Cover with water. Refrigerate. Let infuse for 12 hours. *Fresh mango will also work, but I prefer to use frozen in this recipe...

This week I wanted a matcha latte and I wanted ginger, so I combined the two for a nice cup of hot matcha tea. Sometimes matcha tea can be a bit grassy for me. Using a nutmilk and a spice or two tempers that grassiness a bit. I really enjoyed drinking my matcha latte with my breakfast; however, I would caution you to drink it hot because I find it is less enjoyable the colder it gets. Matcha tea offers a wealth of health benefits , so its worth finding a recipe that you can enjoy from time to time. Ginger Hazelnut Matcha Latte 1 cup hazelnut milk ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon matcha powder Add hazelnut milk to a small pan or a Turkish coffee pot . Heat hazelnut milk to a steady simmer whisking occasionally to keep from sticking. When steam rises from the milk upon stirring, it is warm enough.   Whisk in ginger. Turn off heat. Rinse large cup or matcha bowl with hot water. Pour hazelnut-ginger milk into cup/matcha bowl. Add ma...

As I mentioned in my recipe for cold brew coffee, one of my favorite ways to drink it is paired with a plant-based milk , particularly  nut milk . Making a Cold Brew Latte really easy.  Whenever I drink one, I always feel like I'm giving myself a treat! I don't give exact measurements in this recipe because it depends on the size of your glass. Cold Brew Latte Ice* Equal parts cold brew coffee ** Equal parts nut milk ** Fill a glass halfway with ice. Pour coffee over ice until glass is approximately half full. Fill glass the rest of the way with nut milk.*** Serve. *Sometimes I opt to leave the ice out completely, but the additional cold is quite nice, particularly when it's really hot out. It does, however, make the latte a bit weaker, so if you prefer stronger, eliminate or reduce the amount of ice. ** I say equal parts of each because, generally speaking, that seems to give the best flavor profile though I ...

I love cold brewed coffee. There's something about it paired with plant-based milk , particularly  nut milk , (see Cold Brew Latte )that I find very refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. It's easy to make and ages fairly well in the refrigerator. Yet, I don't make it all that often. I think if I made it more often it would lose that feeling of having a treat! Cold Brew Coffee 1 cup dark roast coffee beans * 1 cup light (or light medium) roast coffee beans * 6 cups water Roughly grind coffee grounds in a coffee grinder , one cup or less at a time depending on the size of your coffee grinder. Place in an 8-cup measuring cup . Add water. Stir to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Strain through a f ine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth in a pitcher. Twist the cheesecloth around the ground beans extracting as much liquid as possible. Store in the refrigerator. *While the coffee I linked to isn...