Veggie Might: Hot and Spicy Cider for a Cold and Dreary Winter

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

I don’t know if y’all heard, but it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s cold in winter; and, here in the Northeast, it’s really cold. And in New York, we’ve been having winter-type weather all winter long! It’s been on the news and everything!

Okay, it has been colder and snowier than normal (snowiest January on record!), but it’s not Ft. McMurray, Alberta, and it’s only been below 20 degrees once or twice. We can handle it.

That said, the relentless grey, damp chill demands a few things: a couch, a blanket, a board game, a sentient being to cuddle, and hot mulled cider.

Hot mulled (or spiced) apple cider is a winter tradition at my house. It’s so easy to make, especially if you use whole spices. You can whip up enough for a party in less than 30 minutes. If you use ground spices, the only added step is tying up the aromatics in cheesecloth before putting them in the pot.

But whole spices are really the way to go if you can. They impart more warm, zesty flavor into the cider. Mulling spice can be customized to your individual taste, too. Maybe you’re not a fan of star anise, or perhaps cardamom is not available where you are. Play with the recipe until you find a blend you like. Once the spices have simmered in the cider for about 20 minutes, transfer the elixir to a slow cooker for warm-keeping (or reduce heat to low, low, low).

Orange zest is the not-so-secret ingredient that gives spiced cider that je ne sai quois. The tangy citrus combined with warm spices like cinnamon and clove keeps people guessing and sends them back to the slow cooker for more.

This recipe has been a never-fail hit at my fall and winter gatherings for years. Hot and Spicy Cider melts the icicles from the noses of the weariest of travelers and buoys the festive mood of any gathering, transforming that grey, damp chill of winter into a orange, cinnamon glow.

Gentle Readers, what other warm-you-from-the-inside beverages do you turn to in the winter? Do you have a mulled cider recipe for the ages? Comments are open for your suggestions.

Bonus Snow News Coverage: My Snow Angel, Pat Kiernan

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If this recipes warms your cockles, you may also enjoy:

• Masala Chai
• DIY Holidays–Part One
• Vegetarian Bloody Marys

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Hot and Spicy Apple Cider
8–10 Servings

2 quarts apple cider
8 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg, crushed
6 cloves
12 allspice berries
12 cardamom pods
6 star anise
1 orange, zest

1) In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, combine apple cider and spices. Wash orange well, and grate orange zest into mixture.

2) Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Transfer mixture to slow cooker, cover, and set to low to keep cider warm throughout your winter cuddlefest. Ladle into mugs through a wire mesh strainer and serve with an orange wedge or stick of cinnamon.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
8 servings: 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
10 servings: 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

Calculations
2 quarts apple cider: 960 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.50
8 cinnamon sticks: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 whole nutmeg: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 cloves: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 allspice berries: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 cardamom pods: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 star anise: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 orange, zest: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.02
TOTALS: 966 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.64
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
PER SERVING (TOTALS/10): 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

Veggie Might: Hot and Spicy Cider for a Cold and Dreary Winter

Veggie Might: Have a Bubbly New Year!

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Gentle readers, I’ve missed you so. Hope you had a happy and delicious New Year celebration. Mine was on the down-low this year; CB and I were still shaking off scoundrelly colds that had already derailed his Christmas plans, and I was too tired to do much more than sit on my couch with a few friends.

However, I still wanted the evening to be celebratory and festive, even if we were just ordering takeout and playing board games. I asked my guests to bring dessert, and I provided the beverages. Since I don’t drink alcohol due to health issues, I am always trying to come up with fun alternatives to hootch.

On New Year’s Eves of yore, my beverage of choice was always champagne. I love sparkly, fizzy drinks: pop, sparkling water, effervescent cold medicine. Though I never tire of a seltzer with a twist, I wanted something special and unexpected on New Year’s Eve.

Bubble tea! While only metaphorically bubbly, bubble tea has the sparkle I wanted for my party and the bonus attributes of being relatively healthy, beyond easy, and incredibly inexpensive to make.

Bubble tea requires two special ingredients: the bubbles, which are black tapioca pearls or boba in Taiwanese, and wide straws that allow the pearls passage from glass to mouth.

I had my first bubble tea about five years ago with a friend. Bubble tea was at its peak trendiness, and I was convinced I would hate it, despite the fact that tea and seltzer consumption are on par. All the tea and coffee shops advertised the candy-colored drinks with fruity flavors that did not appeal to me and my fruit/milk hating taste buds.

Turns out, bubble tea comes in regular tea flavors, like standard black and green tea, as well as fruit concoctions like lychee, coconut, and mango. The gummy tapioca pearls live at the bottom of the cup and are sucked up through a fat straw along with the tea, which is usually sweetened and served cold with milk.

If you’re someone who loves Gummi bears or Swedish fish, bubble tea is likely right up your street. The texture of the tapioca evokes a love-it or leave-it reaction in most folks. I’m the exception to the rule, never having been a fan of gelatinous candies. But there is something weird and wonderful about bubble tea that has kept me coming back. Maybe it’s the fun straw.

At $4 a pop, I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to put bubble tea to the DIY test, especially because it’s as simple to make as boiling water and stirring. Wait. I forgot the pouring. The hardest part was finding the tapioca pearls and straws, and even that was fairly easy. My go-to market in Koreatown had neither, so I had to try another store. But before I could make it to Chinatown, I happened by an outpost an Asian convenience store chain.

Five minutes later, I walked out with a 9 ounce bag of tapioca pearls and a package of 50 bubble tea straws for $2 each: the makings of a party for the cost of one tea-shop drink. If you don’t have an Asian market in your area, bubble tea components are just a few clicks away via the Marvelous Internet Machine.

The bubble tea was a hit on New Year’s Eve. I made the tea ahead of time so it could chill in the fridge, and then cooked the tapioca a few minutes before I served the drinks. The instructions on the package say to serve immediately, and I’ve since learned that they get sticky and hard if left to sit too long.

The recipe below is more of a guideline than a strict formula. Make tea you like to drink, add as much or as little milk and sweetener as you wish, and pour over a few tablespoons of tapioca pearls―whatever you like; it’s your party.

Gentle readers, I raise my glass in toast to an abundant, healthy, and sparkling new year. More whimsical beverages in 2011!

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If you fancied this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Make Your Own Almond Milk
• Masala Chai of Gratitude
• Vegetarian Virgin Marys

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Jasmine Bubble Tea
Yields 64 ounces/Serves 8

48 ounces water (6 cups)
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea, loose (or 6 tea bags)
16 ounces (2 cups) almond milk
6 tablespoons agave nectar (or more to taste)

32 ounces (4 cups) water
3 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca pearls

1) Bring 48 ounces (6 cups) water to a boil in a tea kettle or large sauce pan. Pour boiling water over loose tea or tea bags in a tea pot or add tea to saucepan. Allow to steep for 3–5 minutes, but no longer. Green tea gets bitter quickly. Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags and pour tea into a serving pitcher. (If you’re using glass, take care that the glass is tempered for hot beverages. If you’re unsure, allow tea to cool before pouring into serving pitcher.)

2) Add sweetener and nondairy milk to tea and stir well. Chill for at least an hour; two hours is ideal.

3) When you’re just about ready to serve, bring to a boil 32 ounces water (4 cups) in a medium sauce pan. Slowly add tapioca pearls, stirring gently. After a few minutes, the pearls will become plump and begin to float to the top of the water. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the pearls are floating on the top of the water.

4) Remove lid and carefully scoop out the tapioca pearls with a slotted spoon or wire mesh strainer. If you’re serving cold tea, run the pearls under cold tap water to chill.

5) Divide cooked pearls evenly among the glasses and pour tea over them. It’s best not to add the tapioca pearls to the tea pitcher; they will sink to the bottom, only to be retrieved with a long spoon or tongs. Serve with fat straws and whimsy.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

Calculations
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea: 16 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.28
2 1/2 cups almond milk: 80 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $1.00
6 tablespoons agave nectar: 360 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.96
3 ounces tapioca pearls: 300 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.66
TOTALS: 756 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $2.90
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

Veggie Might: Have a Bubbly New Year!

Vegetarian Bloody Marys

Today on Serious Eats: Confetti Quinoa Salad, a rainbow of vegan deliciousness that even the staunchest meaties will love.

Happy Labor Day, dear readers. Today is a day to celebrate the working people of America. For much of the country, that means picnics and cookouts. In New York City, a holiday Monday means brunch.

Now, I’m a teetotaler (for health reasons—you’ll get no moralizing from me), but I like a fancy beverage with my brunch as much as the next girl; and my favorite brunch mocktail is the Virgin Mary. First of all, I love tomato juice; I love spicy; and a virgin mimosa is just orange juice.

The problem as a vegetarian is that most restaurants use a premade Bloody Mary mix. Not only are those mixes often bland, the Worcestershire sauce is already in there, meaning the dang thing is not vegetarian.

Here’s my tried-and-true Vegetarian Virgin Mary recipe, perfect for your next brunch party or the next time you want some zesty vitamin C with your breakfast. It uses my homemade Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce, but you can find veggie versions in most natural food markets.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses to Mrs. and Mr. Kris and Husband, the loveliest, funniest, dancingest bride and groom on the Island of Long. Sláinte!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll likely enjoy:
Mint Limeade
White Wine Sangria
Cranberry and Blackberry Champagne Punch

Vegetarian Virgin Marys

makes 4 8-oz servings

32 oz (1 quart) tomato juice
2 tsp crushed celery seed
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon

1. Chill tomato juice in a medium pitcher.

2. Add crushed celery seed, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

3. Stir and pour into glasses. Garish with parsley, lime wedges, or celery.

4. Toast to your good friends.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
67.8 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, .5g protein, $.98

Caluculations
NOTE: I used organic tomato juice. Your cost will vary depending on the tomato juice you choose.
32 oz (1 quart) tomato juice: 240 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $.3.49
2 tsp crushed celery seed: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste): negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.04
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce: 16 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.06
1 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
juice of 1 lemon: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
Totals: 271 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $3.92
Per serving (totals/4): 67.8 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, .5g protein, $.98

Photo by Brian Haskell

Vegetarian Bloody Marys

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Almond Milk

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Complete the following word problem and show your work:
You purchased a 4-lb bag of almonds for $10.99 at the Indian market near your friend T’s house. Three weeks later, you still have 1/2 of the bag left. You are worried you may not eat all the remaining almonds before they go rancid because you forgot to stick the bag in the fridge sooner. What can you do with 1 cup of the remaining almonds?

Sample response:
Make almond milk.

1) Cover 1 cup of almonds with water and soak overnight.

2) Drain, rinse, and place almonds in a blender with 3 fresh cups of water. Puree until the almonds are chopped finely.

3) Using cheesecloth or a fine strainer, strain the liquid from the almond mash. Press the mash to extract as much liquid as possible.

4) Set aside the mash for later.

5) Strain a second time. If you used cheese cloth, switch to a fine strainer.

6) Save the superfine mash—this is almond paste!

7) Refrigerate the liquid for 24 hours. There will be some separations, so give the almond milk a good shake. Add a more water if it’s too thick. Add a pinch of salt and sweetener to taste.

Making almond milk is very satisfying, if a touch time consuming. But believe me, the almond milk you will make is far tastier and richer than commercial almond milks I’ve tried (though doesn’t keep as long—only about a week in the fridge). No added thickeners!

Plus, you’ll cut down on those aseptic cartons that are difficult to recycle. You can also dry (in a 200 degree oven) the leftover almond meal and use it in baking. No waste!

Cost comparison
Homemade almond milk: 1 cup almonds = $.91 = about 3 cups of almond milk
Commercial almond milk: 3 cups = $2.24

If you make almond milk in larger quantities (1 cup almonds = 3 cups water), you’ll save on your time cost too.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Fiber*, and Cost per Serving
60 calories, 2.5g fat, 0g fiber, and $.30

8) Congratulations! You’re ready for the next activity: drinking, cooking with, or eating cereal with your delicious almond milk.

Sources:
LifeHacker: How to Make Almond Milk at Home
Instructables: How to Milk an Almond
WikiHow: How to Make Almond Milk

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If you like this post, you’ll dig:

• Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard
• Veggie Might: Tasty Almond Bran Muffins
• Veggie Might: Don’t Fear the Bean Curd

*I looked high and low for homemade almond milk nutrition data, but alas this nutrition data is for commercially prepared almond milk.

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Almond Milk