Category: Recipes

Off The Grid: Quick Holiday Cappuccino

December 12, 2012
English: Classic cappuccino
CAPPUCCINO

Off The Grid means no electricity.  If you really want to get down to basics, it means no batteries either.  All the work is manual. 

Traditional Cappuccino is an espresso coffee drink.  Black coffee is poured into a cup, and then hot milk is added, and then another layer of hot milk foam is placed on the top.  To enhance flavor, powdered cinnamon, chocolate chips, chocolate powder, or carob powder might be used to top the foamed milk.

Froth, or foam are the bubbles formed at the top of milk after processing.

Veering away from tradition, and for the sake of saving time, here are three ways to make your Quick Holiday Cappuccino.  

THREE WAYS TO FROTH COLD MILK 

Equipment: A glass jar with a snug lid.  Hand powered shake method.

Pour milk into a glass jar, leaving space for bubbles to form.  Shake vigorously for about one minute. Open lid, and spoon some of the foamed milk into coffee.  If the milk foam isn’t sufficient, shake some more, or use a different type of milk.

Equipment: Hand-powered milk frother.

Purchase a hand-powered milk frother.  Follow directions that come with your frother.  There are various models, from low to high priced.  Some are made from stainless steel, others from glass. 

Equipment: Battery- powered milk frother.

Battery-powered frothers are off grid, but you’ll need to keep batteries on hand to use your frother. 

MILK TYPES FOR FOAMING

Not all milk will foam.  Some types of milk will foam, but won’t have much body.  Experiment with your favorite milk, to see what you like.

  • Cold evaporated milk will produce foam, and body.
  • Cold rice, hemp, or almond milk will not foam well, or have body.
  • Cold skim milk will foam, but won’t have much body.
  • Cold heavy cream will foam, and have body.
  • Cold soy milk will foam, but won’t have much body.

SOY MILK CAPPUCCINO RECIPE

1 Cup unflavored soymilk
2 Teaspoons maple syrup, brown sugar or honey
2 Teaspoons grain beverage powder or unsweetened cocoa
powder
1/4 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon
Optional garnish: Chocolate shavings, Cinnamon, Chocolate Powder, Carob Powder.

Directions

Heat soy milk in saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from heat.  Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with egg beater until frothy.  Garnish with chocolate shavings, cinnamon, chocolate powder, or carob powder.

Villa Linguine: Holiday Vegan Clam Sauce

November 27, 2012

During my childhood, our family Christmas dinner was seafood served with pasta, vegetables, and a green salad.  Now that I no longer eat sea creatures, I found a great substitute by using mushrooms.  See what you think.

VEGAN CLAM SAUCE OVER LINGUINE

OYSTER MUSHROOMS

• 1 Lb. cooked whole wheat linguine
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons dry arame
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Cloves garlic sliced thin
• 3 Cups sliced mushrooms: Alii Oyster Mushrooms, or Shiitake Mushrooms.*
• 1/4 Cup white wine
•  Juice of one-half fresh lemon
• 1  1/2 Cups unsweetened rice or soy milk
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Chili pepper flakes to taste
• Chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts Continue reading “Villa Linguine: Holiday Vegan Clam Sauce”

Compassionate Cuisine: Thanksgiving Without Turkey

November 14, 2012

Trader Joe’s Meatless Turkey

Thanksgiving without the turkey doesn’t mean you’ll feel deprived.  Instead of focusing on the meat, you’ll be consuming more fruits, hearty vegetables, lean protein, and delicious sauces without animal fat.

Enjoying a vegetarian Thanksgiving Holiday meal boosts your fiber intake.

Serving creative vegetable dishes like Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Portobello Mushrooms with Savory Lentil-Cashew Stuffing, Streusel Topped Pumpkin Pie, Sourdough Stuffed Winter Squash,  Avocado and Grapefruit Salad, Chestnut and Apple Casserole, is just as mouth-watering, if not more so, than an animal-based holiday meal. Continue reading “Compassionate Cuisine: Thanksgiving Without Turkey”

Emergency Kitchen Tool: The Rotary Egg Beater

November 10, 2012

The Rotary Egg Beater, was a staple kitchen tool, until the electric beater came along.  Hand powered kitchen tools gave your arm, shoulder and fingers a workout. Now, all you need to do is hold an electric beater in your hand while it does all the work.  Or you can watch a blender, crush, mix and frappe without much effort on your part.

Good Old Fashioned
Rotary Egg Beater

Before the advent of electric kitchen appliances, everyone used kitchen tools that were powered by elbow grease.

Electrically powered blenders, food processors, peelers, mixers, make food preparation fast and easy.

Hand powered kitchen tools provide exercise for your wrists, fingers, and arms. Continue reading “Emergency Kitchen Tool: The Rotary Egg Beater”