Aphorisms of a Dancing Girl!

ATOLE - Vegan - EZ - Only 3 Ingredients - Warm Protein Smoothie

1/19/2017

Mexican Atole
A warm cornmeal porridge drink.

Vanilla Atole - 3 ingredients:
1/4 cup of Masa Harina
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder
1/8 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
2 cups of Water

Fruit Atole - 4 ingredients:
1/4 cup of Masa Harina
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder
1/8 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
2 cups of Water
1/2 cup of Fresh or Frozen Fruit
(blueberries, pineapple, strawberries... any fruit you like)

Optional Ingredients:
Extra Sweetener to taste
1 Cinnamon Stick for serving

Directions:

Add all the ingredients into a blender.

Pulse til smooth.

Pour into a pot.

Let it simmer over medium heat for a few minutes to thicken up.

Pour into a mug.

Top with a pinch of Cinnamon or add a Cinnamon stick.

Makes 2 (1 cup) servings.

Note: I used Sun Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein Powder.
Any protein powder will work but be careful as to how its sweetened.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: A Healthy Decadent Dark Chocolate Version of CHAMPURRADO (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

3/15/2016

A Healthy Decadent Dark Chocolate Version of CHAMPURRADO
(Vegan & Gluten-Free Options)

Champurrado is a very popular drink in Mexico. I decided to make a decadent version of the drink with a few extras not found in the traditional recipe. It's basically a hot chocolate drink that is thickened with Masa which is a fine cornmeal that is used to make tortillas and more. Mexican chocolate has a unique distinct flavor due to its grainy texture, mixed with masa you have a thick and creamy chocolate drink. These versions are all gluten free and vegan. I used Taza cuz they have a wonderful 85% dark chocolate that I like. Dark chocolate is considered healthy chocolate for all its wonderful benefits if you eat at least 70% dark or higher. Some of those benefits include heart health, immunity boosting, lowers bad cholesterol, packed with minerals, regulates blood pressure, antioxidant, fights anemia and much more. If you are unable to find mexican dark chocolate, you can substitute with Cacao Powder.

I've also included a couple of other recipes of what you can do with leftover Champurrado.

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Almond Milk
2 cups of Water
1/2 cup Fresh Masa
2 disks of Taza 85% Dark Mexican Stone Ground Chocolate
1/4 cup Piloncillo (Substitute Jaggery, Muscovado or Brown Sugar or Sweetener of choice)
1/8 teaspoon of ground Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat up the water and start adding the fresh masa little by little whisking the mixture together til its creamy and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, cook over medium heat stirring constantly until close to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until it's thickened to your liking. You can make it frothy by using a molinillo or a stick blender.

NOTE: If you can't get fresh masa, you can substitute with 1/2 cup Masa Harina and 1/4 cup of water that you'll blend until smooth before adding all the other ingredients. Bob's Red Mill sells a dry Masa Harina, you can also find "Maseca" in many grocery stores.

Can't find masa or maseca? You can substitue with rice or oat flour. You can quickly make your own by putting 1/2 cup Oats or a 1/2 cup Rice into a blender and pulsing til its a flour consistency. It won't taste the same but it would still be pretty good.

Champurrado
Grain Free Version

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Almond Milk
2 cups of Water
1/2 cup of Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Puree
2 disks of Taza 85% Dark Mexican Stone Ground Chocolate
1/4 cup Piloncillo (Substitute Jaggery, Muscovado or Brown Sugar or Sweetener of choice)
1/8 teaspoon of ground anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon of Celtic Salt

Directions:
In a saucepan, heat up the water and start adding the thick puree little by little, whisking the mixture together til its creamy and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, cook over medium heat stirring constantly until close to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until it's thickened to your liking.

CHAMPURRADO SMOOTHIE
(Liquado de Champurrado)

Ingredients:
1 cup of Champurrado
1/2 Frozen Banana
1/2 cup of Strawberries
1 teaspoon of Ground Flax

Option Toppings used: Cacao Nibs and Hemp Hearts

Directions:
Put all the ingredients together in a blender and pulse til smooth.

CHAMPURRADO LATTE OR FRAPUCCINO

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of Champurrado
2-4 oz of Espresso (Substitute strongly brewed coffee)

Optional: Extra sweetener and a pinch of Cinnamon

Directions:
Fora latte, just mix the ingredients together.

If making it a Frappuccino:
Add ice & blend.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Brunch Dish - Melon Avocado Salad w/Balsamic Rose Glaze

3/12/2016

Brunch Dish
Melon Avocado Salad
with a Balsamic Rose Glaze

2 Recipes with Cantaloupe & Rose Water.

Ingredients:
1/4 of a Cantaloupe
1/4 cup of Non-Dairy Yogurt
1/2 Large Avocado
5 Strawberries
a handful of chopped Mint

Balsamic Rose Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon of Rose Water
a pinch of Cinnamon
a pinch of salt

Directions:
Peel and quarter the melon. Cut the melon into wedges.
Peel the avocado and cut it into wedges. Chop the mint.

Put the vinegar and syrup into a small frying pan. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer. Stir in the cinnamon and salt. Let the mixture reduce to a syrupy glaze.
The more you reduce, the sweeter the glaze.

Arrange the melon, avocado, strawberries and yogurt onto a bowl/plate.
Drizzle with the glaze. Sprinkle with mint.

Melon Rose Milk
Thirst Quencher

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Non-Dairy Milk
1/4 Cantaloupe (about 1 cup chopped)
1/2 tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Rose Water
Ice Cubes
Sweetener to taste.

Directions:
Put it all into a blender. Pulse til smooth.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: HARVESTING ALOE VERA & ITS USES - Smoothie, Pudding, Scrub & Spritzer

2/25/2016

Harvesting Aloe Vera & its many uses

Harvesting Aloe Vera is really easy and the benefits are great. I've seen Aloe Vera juice in the stores being sold at a very high price and yet people don't realize how cheap the fresh stuff is. The health benefits are better when you use it fresh. I've seen juice cost upwards of $20 or more. This one leaf that I bought is enough to last me all week and only cost me $1. Harvesting the Aloe Vera gel does not take long and you don't need any special tools to do it.

Take the aloe leaf and use a large kitchen knife to cut one of the sides. You'll see there are pointy serrated edges. Be careful. Cut off one of the serrated sides to open it up. Now take your knife and start cutting the top section of skin from the flesh. It'll easily peel away. Its gooey but the flesh itself is firm. Once you've gotten the skin off the top, you can start cutting the flesh away from the bottom. I like to take the flesh and cube it into tablespoon sized pieces.

You can keep Aloe Vera gel for up to a week in a container in the fridge. You can freeze aloe like ice cubes if you plan to use it only on your skin for sunburns or any other external use. You can further preserve your Aloe Vera gel by adding 500 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of Vitamin E for every 1/4 cup of gel. This will lengthen your storage time for up to 6 months or more. You know Aloe has turned bad if it starts to stink.

I find that Aloe Vera gel is very bitter so its best to eat with other stuff. I tend to add it to smoothies, puddings, salsas, ceviche and more. I don't like eating it alone or in juice form. Some people will lightly poach or steam Aloe Vera but be careful if you do. Many of the health benefits disappear if you add heat to the gel. The gel makes a great thickener for salsas, puddings and smoothies. You can also use it in ceviche as an alternative to seafood.

As you can see, it's not hard to harvest and a lot cheaper than the expensive preservative filled juices that are on the market. At $1 a leaf, anyone can afford to add aloe vera into their diet. Try it at least once and see how you like it. In case your not sure where you can get some, I find that latino and asian markets are most like to carry fresh aloe. You might also have some growing in your own backyard, cut some up and try it out today.

Here are some of the ways I use Aloe Vera:

GREEN ALOE VERA DETOX SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 Celery Rib
1 cup Liquid (i.e. Water, Coconut Water or Non-Dairy Milk)
1 small thumb of peeled Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Flax
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
a few sprigs of Fresh Mint
a handful of Baby Kale (or any greens)

Directions:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until creamy smooth.

Coconut & Aloe Vera Pudding
(RAW & Vegan)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1 cup of Thai Young Coconut Meat
1/4 cup of fresh Coconut Water
1/2 Small Avocado (or 1/4 of Large Avocado)
2 tablespoons of Lime Juice
Sweetener of choice
a pinch of salt

Toppings:
a pinch of Dessicated Coconut
Raspberries

Directions:
You can find directions on how to open up a coconut here:
http://fatmanlive.weebly.com/musings/lupes-kitchen-corner-fresh-young-coconut-smoothie

Take all the ingredients and put them into a blender. Pulse til creamy smooth.

Anti-Inflammatory
Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
2 teaspoons of Rose Water
1/2 cup of Coconut or Brown Sugar (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
2 tablespoons of Avocado Oil

Directions:
Put all the ingredients except for the sugar into a blender and pulse til its smooth. Add the sugar. Put in as much as you like, that will depend on how thick you like your scrub to be.

Sugar scrubs are especially good for exfoliating your skin especially on elbows and knees or wherever you have rough patches or red burning irritated spots. I have psoriasis and skin allergies, this helps my skin feel better and cools it down.

Aloe Vera Virgin Mojito Spritzer

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera Gel
1 cup of Mineral Water
1 tablespoon of Key Lime Juice (about 3 key limes)
a few sprigs of Mint
Sweetener of choice
Ice Cubes

Directions:
Put everything into a blender and pulse til its well blended and slushy-like.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Two Dominican Classic Drinks -- Healthy Dairy-Free Vegan Versions -- "Morir Sonando" & "Batida de Lechoza"

2/17/2016

MORIR SONANDO
Translation is "To Die Dreaming"
(Orange Creamsicle Drink)

Ingredients:
1 cup Unsweetened Plant Based Milk (or Non-Dairy Evaporated Milk)*
1/2 cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup of Ice cubes
Sweetener to taste

Optional Healthy Additive:
a pinch of Cinnamon on top

Directions:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until creamy smooth.

The only commercial non-dairy evaporated milk that I've seen available is made out of coconut but you can make your own. See below for directions.

"Batida de Lechoza"
(Papaya Smoothie)

Ingredients:
1 cup ripe Papaya
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Evaporated Almond Milk (or any Non-Dairy Evaporated Milk)
1/2 cup Ice Cubes
1 tsp Coconut Sugar (or Sweetener of choice to taste)

Ingredients for making Evaporated Milk:
2 cups Almond Milk (or any Non-Dairy Milk)

Optional Healthy Additives as shown:
1 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel
a pinch of Nutmeg on top

Directions for making the Non-Dairy Evaporated Milk:
Canned evaporated milk is homogenized milk with about 60 percent of its water removed. Although there are vegan versions of evaporated milk, finding it can be quite hard. So I decided to make my own. I took 2 cups of Almond milk and simmered it for about 30 min on low to medium heat to reduce it by half. Use a big pot in case it starts to boil so it won't spill onto your stove. Keep an eye on it and stir it often. Try not to let it boil. You could also put the milk into a crock pot and let it reduce that way. I just didn't want to wait for 4-5 hours. The end result was really amazing in this drink. Cool the mixture down before using it.

Directions for making the drink:
Cut a very ripe Papaya. I used a Maradol papaya and I know when its ripe because it turns ugly. Lol... Do not throw away the seeds, they are edible and are great for protecting your kidneys from toxins, eliminating intestinal parasites, detoxifying your liver and are effective against E. Coli, Salmonella and Staph infections. I eat a few everytime I have a serving of papaya.

Take 1 cup of the papaya and all the other ingredients and put them into a blender. Puree til smooth. I added fresh Aloe Vera gel to my drink, not for the taste but for the health benefits. The mild flavor does not affect the taste of the drink.

I topped it with a little nutmeg.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - A Dominican Classic - Chocolate de Mani "Peanut Cocoa" - Vegan Version

2/11/2016

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Chocolate de Mani
"Peanut Cocoa"

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of unsalted Roasted Peanuts
2 cups of non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
2 tsp Coconut Sugar (or Sweetener of choice)
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 clove
a pinch of salt

Topping:
a pinch of ground cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
Cinnamon stick

Makes 2 servings.

Directions:
Put the peanuts, milk, salt and sugar in a blender. Puree til smooth.

Put the mixture into a sauce pan, add the cinnamon stick and clove. Simmer for about 10 min.

Remove the cinnamon stick and clove before serving.

Top with extra cinnamon and nutmeg. Add a cinnamon stick to the mug.

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Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Flat Belly Avocado Smoothies (Licuados de Aguacates y Frutas)

1/31/2016

Avocado Smoothies
(Licuados de Aguacate y Frutas)

It's a new year and there are a lot of people that are getting on the health bandwagon. These smoothies are great for weight loss. I know it must sound weird to put avocado in a smoothie but it really does make it creamy. The healthy fats in avocado are especially good for helping you to lose belly fat. Try it out, you might really like it.

Citrus Avocado
Matcha Green Tea Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 Small Avocado (or 1/4 of Large Avocado)
1 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 Orange
1/2 cup Pineapple
Juice of one Key Lime
1 cup Liquid (Water, Non-Dairy Milk, Tea or Coconut water)
1 tsp Ground Flax
Sweetener of your choice
a handful of fresh greens

Directions:
Peel and pit the Avocado. Peel the orange. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
Pulse til blended well.

Very Berry Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 Small Avocado (or 1/4 of Large Avocado)
1/2 Frozen Banana
1/4 cup of Blackberries
1/4 cup of Raspberries
1/4 cup of Blueberries
1 cup Liquid (Water, Non-Dairy Milk, Tea or Coconut water)
1 tsp Ground Flax
Sweetener of your choice

Directions:
Peel and pit the Avocado. Add all the ingredients to a blender. Pulse til blended well.

Chocolate Strawberry
Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 Small Avocado (or 1/4 of Large Avocado)
2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Strawberries
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 cup Liquid (Water, Non-Dairy Milk, Tea or Coconut water)
Sweetener of your choice
1 tsp Ground Flax
1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of salt

Directions:
Peel and pit the Avocado. Add all the ingredients to a blender. Pulse til blended well.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Fresh Young Coconut Smoothie

1/28/2016

Fresh Young Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Young Thai Coconut Water & Meat
4 Dates (I used Deglet Noor type)
1 Frozen Banana
1/2 cup of Pineapple
Juice of 4 Key Limes
1 tsp Ground Flax
Sweetener of choice
a handful of greens (i.e. spinach, kale... etc...)

This made 5 cups of smoothie drink.

Directions:
Opening these coconuts is tricky so be very careful. The way I opened mine was by taking my Chef knife and digging it in to the top. I then took my hammer and banged on it til the knife went thru. I did it 4 times around the coconut til the top popped off.

I drained the water into a bowl. I then took a spoon and dug out all the coconut meat out. Clean off the brown bits from the meat as much as you can.

Put the coconut meat and water along with the rest of the ingredients into a blender and pulse til its creamy and smooth.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Ancient Turmeric Golden Milk & Smoothie Bowl

1/25/2016

Ancient Turmeric Golden Milk

Ingredients:
2 cups Coconut Milk (Or any non-dairy milk)
3 tsp of Turmeric Powder (or 1/2-1 inch piece of fresh turmeric root)
A Pinch Of Ground Black Peppercorn

Optional Add-Ins for added nutrition:
1 tsp Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 small thumb of grated Ginger (or a pinch of Ginger powder)
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
A Pinch Of Allspice
A Pinch Of Cloves
A Pinch Of Saffron
A Pinch Of Cayenne Pepper
Sweetener To Taste (optional)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients into a saucepan & heat up the whole mixture while stirring for about 10 minutes over low to medium heat until everything has dissolved. Do not boil.

Add sweetener if you like. I used Honey.

Strain the mixture and drink the milk after allowing it to cool down. Top it with a pinch of cinnamon.

This drink is great on its own but can also be used in other recipes such as tea, oatmeal or in a smoothie.

LUPE'S KITCHEN CORNER: EL GRINGO-OH's NON-DAIRY & SUGAR-FREE MATCHA LATTE

1/24/2016

NON-DAIRY & SUGAR-FREE
MATCHA LATTE

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon Matcha powder
1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any non-dairy milk of your choice)

Optional Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon Dried Ground Stevia Powder

Makes one serving.

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the water up. Make sure the water is under boiling point. Don't use boiling water, the best tea is made with water no more than 180 degrees F.

Take a small bowl and sift your matcha tea powder. Then add 1/4 cup of hot water and use the bamboo chasen to whisk briskly til the tea powder has completely dissolved into the water.

Warm up your milk but don't boil.

I used an electric hand frother to foam up the milk. (This step is optional. I just happen to like the foam on top.)

I used ground up all natural Stevia leaves to sweeten this drink. (Sweeteners are optional.)

Pour the tea into a mug. Add the milk. Sweeten to taste. Stir.

________________________________________________

I have found that Almond milk and Soy milk work best in a non-dairy latte if you like your milk to be frothy and creamy.

This recipe makes one 8 oz serving. I doubled the amount when I made it for these photos.

Preparing The Stevia Powder:
Take the dried Stevia leaves and put them into a blender or coffee grinder. Pulse til its pulverized into a powder. Be careful as to how much you use. 1 tablespoon equals 1/2 cup of Sugar. Buying all natural dried leaves is the best way to use Stevia because there are no added preservatives or sugar alcohols added to the powder. It looks different from the preservative filled products you buy at the store because this is all-natural and has not been tampered with to look white like sugar. The photos below show how easy it is to prepare. A little goes a long way.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: DeeDee's EZ Cranberry Tea

1/15/2016

DeeDee's EZ Cranberry Tea

Ingredients:
1 cup of Water
1/2 cup of Fresh Cranberries
1 tsp of Coconut Sugar (or any sweetner you like)
1 Cinnamon Stick

Directions:
Boil the water. Add the cranberries and sugar. Simmer for about 5-10 min til the berries have slightly burst.

You can sift it so the tea is all liquid or you can drink it with the berries. Add the cinnamon stick to the mug and stir the tea with it. It's great to drink on cold winter nights.

This tea can be served hot or cold. You can even mix it into lemonade for a special treat.

Makes 1 serving.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: DeeDee's Pomegranate Tea

1/8/2016

DeeDee's Pomegranate Tea

Ingredients:

1 cup of Hot Water
1/4 cup of Pomegranate Seeds
1 tsp of Coconut Sugar (or Sweetener of your choice)
a pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Boil the water.

Put the pomegranate seeds and sugar into a mug. Muddle the seeds and sugar together. Add the hot water and let it seep for a few minutes. Stir.

You can sift it so the tea is all liquid or you can drink it with the seeds. I chose to leave the seeds in and I topped it with a pinch of cinnamon.

Makes 1 serving.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - Rose Milk

12/24/2015

ROSE MILK

I love rose milk tea but I don't like buying rose milk syrup to make it because of the sugary sweetener that is used. So I decided to make my own. Here's my version of rose milk. I made it without any sweetener but you can add whatever you like. You can find Rose Water and Rose Essence at an Indian or International grocery market.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Coconut Milk (or any type of milk)
1 tablespoon of Rose Water
1/4 teaspoon of Rose Essence
1/4 teaspoon of Beetroot Powder
Sweetener of your choice (optional)

Directions:
Add the rose milk essence, rosewater and beetroot powder to the coconut milk and stir well. If the scent or taste is too strong for you, then add more milk.

How do you use rose milk?
I like to use rose milk like a creamer for making rose milk tea. I used oolong tea in the photo. You can drink the milk alone but you may want to double the amount of milk or it may be too strong or fragrant.

The Barista Corner - DeeDee's Pumpkin Spiced Skinny Lattes - The Pumpkin Butter Latte & The Pumpkin Spiced Eggnog Latte

12/23/2015

DEE DEE's SKINNY
PUMPKIN BUTTER LATTE

I love pumpkin spiced drinks and created this one today. This particular drink was made with Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter which has only 40 calories per tablespoon. If you really want your drink to be frothy, then almond milk is the best for that. This drink is better than most drinks you find at expensive coffeehouses.

INGREDIENTS:
2-4 oz of espresso (single or double shot)
1 cup of Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
1/8 tsp of Pumpkin Spice
1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp of Pumpkin Butter
Sweetener of choice.
a dash of cinnamon for topping

Only ~75 Calories.

DIRECTIONS:
Heat up the milk and pumpkin butter together on the stove top. Mix well. Add the pumpkin spice and vanilla. I used an electric hand frother to foam up the milk.

Pour espresso into a mug. Add the milk and stir well. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.

The pumpkin butter sweetens the drink but you can use extra sweetener if you like. I used a little liquid stevia in mine. It was amazing.

_______________________________________________________________________

DEE DEE's SKINNY
PUMPKIN-SPICED EGGNOG LATTE

Only 100 Calories. This is way better than a coffeehouse and its 500 calorie drinks. I used Silk's non-dairy Original Eggnog. It only has 45 calories per 1/2 cup. I loved the taste and really couldn't tell the difference from regular eggnog. This drink allows me to indulge in a holiday treat without breaking my diet.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of Non-Dairy Eggnog
2-4oz of Espresso (single or double shot)
1/8 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp of Pumpkin Spice + a pinch for topping
Sweetener of Choice.

Only ~100 calories.

DIRECTIONS:
Heat up the eggnog on the stove top. Stir in the pumpkin spice and vanilla.
I used an electric hand frother to foam up the milk.

Pour espresso into a mug. Add the milk and sweetener. Stir well.
Sprinkle a pinch of pumpkin spice on top of the foam.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Holiday Detox - The Cranapple Slushie

12/11/2015

Holiday Detox: The Cranapple Slushie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Fresh Cranberries
1 apple
1 small thumb of fresh ginger
1/2 peeled lemon
2 large ice cubes
1/4 cup of water
Sweetener to taste

Directions:

Put everything into a blender.
Blend until its slush.

THE BARISTA CORNER- DEE DEE'S SKINNY PEPPERMINTY WHITE CHOCOLATE MATCHA LATTE

12/6/2015

DEE DEE'S SKINNY PEPPERMINTY
WHITE CHOCOLATE MATCHA LATTE

I'm not fond of coffee houses because I'm a picky eater. I do a better job on my own. So here's my version of a matcha latte which I used to love ordering at coffee houses but now make myself. I like using cashew milk because its very creamy and low in calories. The calories depend on what milk and sweetener you use. This just happens to be a good way to have a fancy drink without the heavy calories you find at most coffeehouses. Considering most fancy coffee drinks are over 250 calories, the 105 in this drink is pretty good.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp Matcha powder
1/4 cup water
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy Milk
2 tablespoons of Vegan White Chocolate Chips
1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

Optional Ingredients:
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 small candy cane
sweetener of your choice - I used Stevia

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the water up. Make sure the water is under boiling point. Don't use boiling water, the best tea is made with water no more than 180 degrees F.

Warm up your milk but don't boil. Add the white chocolate chips and stir until its all melted. I then used an electric hand frother to foam up the milk.

Take a small bowl and sift your matcha. Then add 1/4 cup of hot water and use the whisk briskly til the powder has completely dissolved.

Pour the tea into a mug. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract. Add the milk. Sweeten to taste. Stir.
I used Liquid Stevia so there are no additional calories.

Hang a candy cane on to the cup's rim.

This recipe makes one serving.

There are only 105 calories in this drink. Add 15 calories if you eat the candy cane.

The Barista Corner - DeeDee's Skinny Salted "Nutella" Latte

11/20/2015

The Skinny Salted Nutella Latte - Only 111 Calories

I can't go to fancy coffee houses because they are pricey and caloric. I do a better job and use better ingredients at home. Here's my healthy version of a nutella latte. Great taste, fewer calories.

INGREDIENTS
Double Shot Espresso 4 oz
1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (Nutella)
1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch Of Cinnamon
Pinch Of Sea Salt

Makes 1 serving.

One shot can be used but it's tastier with 2.

Make your own Vegan Nutella with my recipe. You'll find it here:
http://fatmanlive.weebly.com/musings/lupes-kitchen-corner-home-made-2-ingredient-mayan-superfood-nutella

DIRECTIONS

Heat up the milk and nutella together on the stove top. Mix well. I used Cashew Milk.
I used an electric hand frother to foam up the milk.

Pour espresso, salt and vanilla into a mug. Add the milk and stir well.
Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.

The Nutella sweetens the drink but you can use extra sweetener if you like.
I used a little liquid stevia in mine. It was amazing.