Toddy Iced Coffee at Home - The Coffee Sock Co.

Monday Morning Coffee Talk:

It's Toddy season people!  It's warming up and I only want cold brewed coffee from here on out!  Toddy is a trademarked cold brewing system but is synonymous with any sort of cold brewed coffee.  No longer do we just throw ice cubes in our otherwise warm coffee!  Grodie!  Who wants watered down coffee!?  Cold brewing refers to steeping your grinds in room temp or cold water for an extended period of time.  This process of slowly extracting flavor from the beans produces a different chemical profile than conventional brewing methods.  The result seems a bit sweeter due to lower acidity and much more concentrated.  This brew will definitely kick you into high gear!  Last year around the holidays I was gifted this amazing Toddy maker by Corina Guillory of The Coffee Sock Co.  I'm so excited to finally use it! 

I've known Corina for many moons, she being a long time customer of the market I used to run.  Her company makes reusable, organic cotton coffee filters, tea bags and cold pressed coffee kits...genius!  She hand sews all of the bags!

Toddy Filter

HERE is a list of her products.  Corina is incredibly sweet and crafty and I am so proud of her!  You can purchase her products or find out where to buy them HERE.

So...now we know what Toddy is but how do we brew it!?  It's easy folks.  The Coffee Sock Co. Cold Brewer comes with simple instructions to help you out.

Here's what you do:

1.  Grind your beans COARSE.  Muy importante.  Like so: 

2.  Keep your Coffee Sock folded over your jar and fill with the grinds.  Corina suggests 2 cups of grinds per 7 cups of liquid.  So fill that bad boy with roughly 2 cups grinds.

3.  Pour water over grinds to make them bloom.  Simply wet (not soak) them for about a minute.  You will see the grinds rise and break apart a bit...like a muffin rising. 

4.  Add 7 cups of cold water to your grinds.  You will see the water seeping out like so:

5.  Tie up your Sock.  I wrapped the string around LOOSELY and then placed the ring around it.  You don't want to wrap the Sock too tightly.

6.  Place in fridge for roughly 12 hours.

7.  Pull out sock and enjoy!  

 These Socks are reusable.  Just rinse out, dry and use over and over again!

 

Vegan White Russian Recipe

My blog is getting quite the buzz over in Russia this week.  So to celebrate with my new friends...I give you the Vegan White Russian!  Mmm-mmm good!

You will need:

1 shot Coffee Liquor (go HERE for a home made vegan version!)
1 shot Vodka (my fave is Monopolova)
Splash of Coconut Milk Creamer
Splash of Light or Unsweetened Soy Milk

Mix it up and enjoy on the rocks!

Naslazhdaites'!
(enjoy!)

Chilled Vegan Chocolate Torte - Raw

I looove a good chocolatey torte.  I used to work at a high-end restaurant that served the most decadent chocolate and raspberry dessert you could ever dream of!  I had my share...believe me.   Would I ever think in a million years that I would enjoy one just as much and...RAW!?   Not so much.  But this little baby changed my mind (and my world) completely. 

Once again, Oh She Glows, knocks it outta the park with this easy recipe:

 

No Bake Chilled Chocolate Torte 

 

No Bake Crust: 

 2 cups Pecans
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Chocolate Avocado Mousse: 

 2 cups Avocado Flesh (roughly 3 small avocados) pitted and scooped out
1/3 cup Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter (or other nut or sunflower seed butter)
1 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder, sifted if clumpy

Directions:

1. Crust: *Oil a 7-10 inch springform pan and line it with a circle of parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the pecans until crumbly. Be careful not to over process them as you still want them a bit chunky. Now add in the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse until just mixed. Scoop mixture onto prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly with slightly wet fingers or a spatula. Pop into freezer to set while making the mousse.

2. Chocolate mousse: Place all mousse ingredients (except chocolate chips) into food processor. Process until smooth. In a small bowl, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave and scoop melted chocolate into food processor mixture. Process until smooth.

3. Remove crust from freezer and scoop this mousse on top of crust. Smooth out as much as possible and then place in the freezer for 2 hours to firm.

4. Once firm, remove from freezer and allow to sit on the counter for about 5-10 minutes before serving chilled. Add fruit or other toppings while allowing to sit.  **Place leftover torte in the freezer wrapped and placed in a seal container.

Note that this torte should be served chilled as it gets soft at room temperature.

*I didn't have a springform pan on hand, so I just lightly oiled a pie dish.  It came out perfectly.  
**I put leftovers in the fridge...it was softer, of course, but I enjoyed the texture more.  

Easy, Yummy Marinade

It's still TECHNICALLY winter...but in Austin, TX you can easily get to grillin' when it's 65 degrees and sunny out!  And that's exactly what we did yesterday. 

As a veg-head...the term "grilling out" scares most...but not me :)  With a bunch of veggies and herbs in stock, you won't feel left out...promise!

Here's what you'll need:

That's EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar, minced Onion & Garlic, Basil, S&P

 I chopped everything in my AMAZING Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender...sooo easy!

Fresh Basil

Instuctions:  

1. Mix all ingredients
2. Use your hands or brush and cover your veggies
3. Grill on grill pan or wrapped in foil
4. Enjoy!
 

Meaty Portabellos!

*You can also use this marinade to saute or bake your veggies.

Vegan "Calzone"

This weekend I was craving pizza so I chose a tart recipe I had made in January and adapted it to a calzone style dish.

The recipe I adapted is from www.cookstr.com and is their Italian Rustic Squash & Kale Tart.  It looks amazing and tastes so delicious too!  I doubled the recipe and made it for my brother-in-law's birthday and it came out quite well.  This calzone was a bit more of a challenge due to the sauciness of the tomatoes I added but was equally as delicious...maybe even more so.

I tried this last week with wheat flour and it just didn't roll out well.  If you are going to use wheat flour, find a wheat crust recipe that you love...do not simply substitute it with the white flour below.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups White Flour (do not use pastry flour)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup Ice Cold Water

Filling:
1tbsp olive oil
Green Olives
1/2 Red Pepper chopped
1/2 Green Pepper chopped
2 cloves Garlic
1 Medium Yellow Onion
1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes - no salt added
1 Bunch Spinach, Kale or other leafy green
1 block Italian Seasoned Seitan - I used Upton's Italian "Sausage"
Salt & Pepper to your liking
1 or 2 dashes of Italian Seasoning
1 or 2 dashes of hot chile flakes

Directions:

Crust:
1. Combine the flour and salt and whisk or mix with fork
2. Slowly add the olive oil and mix with hands or fork
3. Slowly drizzle the ice cold water
4. When it starts to stick, knead into a ball
5. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for at least 30 minutes

Filling:
While the dough is chilling, start your filling.
1. Add olive oil to saute pan on medium heat
2. Add garlic and onion and let sautee until onions are tender
3. Add peppers and olives and saute until peppers are tender
4. Add tomatoes, seitan, seasoning, s&p and hot chile flakes
5. Let cook 5-10 minutes
6. Add Spinach at the very end.  Cook just until it settles into pan.  DO NOT let your greens turn to mush!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly oil your pie dish or pizza pan with oil.  The dish works better for this recipe because the filling is looser.

After 30 minutes or more, take your dough out of the fridge.  Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle with flour.

Roll out your dough to a thin 14" circle.  Your dough will be very thin.  Carefully transfer to your dish or pan.  Add your filling to the center of the dough.  Once your filling is there, start folding the ends of your dough over the filling, keeping the center of the tart exposed.

Brush a tiny bit of oil on top of the folded dough and place a bit of foil on top of the center so that the filling will not burn.  Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. (I cooked mine for around 40.  Next time I'll cook longer for a crunchier crust)

I served my "calzone" with a side of  "gravy" or tomato/pasta sauce (I used Cadia organic) that I mixed with a new local favorite - EIEIO Pesto!  It is a vegan pesto found in the deli at the Natural Grocer on Guadalupe.  You can also find her at the downtown farmer's market.  Soooo tasty!

Next time I'll have fresh basil to top and garnish with.  You could also mix the pesto in with the veggie saute. 

Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Mardi Gras Madness - Fat Tuesday Hurricane Recipe

Gumbo Shmumbo!  I'll be drinking my calories this evening thank you very much! 

Happy Hurricane Day!  If you're out and about, be safe....and if you want beads...don't get them from just ANYBODY!  :)  

New Orleans Hurricane

Ingredients:

• 2 oz light rum
• 2 oz dark rum
• 2 oz passion fruit juice
• 1 oz orange juice
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon simple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon grenadine
• Garnish: orange slice and cherry

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice.  Shake, shake, shake. Strain in a hurricane glass or other fancy glass full of ice. Garnish with a wedge of orange, a cherry or 2 and of course, a fancy straw.

Coffee Talk - Chemex Tutorial

 The best part of waking up....is NOT Folgers in your cup.  It's what this little guy creates.  No...it's not a science project...it's not a beaker...it's my love, The Chemex!


I thought The Chemex was thought up by some Alaskan mountain hippies.  I have no idea how that idea popped into my head.  But it was actually invented by a doctor of chemistry, a German by the name of Peter J. Schlumbohm in the early 40's.  Find out more HERE:

So...how does it work...and why does it taste SO much better than a coffeemaker or one of those horrible Keurig's?  I'll show you!

THE CONE FILTER

From the box: "It assures uniform extraction since the water filters through all the grounds on its way to the apex of the cone."

It is:
1. Oxygen Cleansed
2. Prefolded
3. Created with absorbent special fibers for quality



 When you unfold the filter, you will want one side of the cone to have a single layer and the other side to have 3 layers.  Place the thicker side at the spout of the Chemex like so:

 THE GRIND

When you grind your beans, you want them course.  Meaning...not ground too much.  You want your grinds a little chunky.  

THE BLOOM

Now you're ready to pour your kettle water over the course grinds in the filter.  

1. Boil water

2. Slowly pour the boiling water in a circle motion over the grinds.  

3. Make sure you cover all of your grinds with the water.  

4. A blooming effect will occur.  The grinds will rise with the water and then sink back down into the cones as the water seeps through the filter and turns to coffee in the Chemex.  

5. IF THERE IS NO BLOOM - either the grounds were too fine or your water wasn't hot enough.  

The Bloom in Progress

After The Bloom

The Chemex offers the most even and pure extraction from the bean.  No milk or creamer needed in my opinion!  

Where can you get one?  Go down to the Royal Blue Grocery on 6th & Congress and have Lycia, Tiffany, Tim or Abbey pour you one.  It does take about 5 minutes or so to achieve this perfection, but so worth it!  You can also buy one on Amazon or World Market and have a go at it yourself! 

Perfection in a cup from Anthropologie

Happy Monday Everybody!

Fun with Lasers

 I took an amazing class this evening through the Women Design Build organization.  They partnered with Kristen & Eve from MakeATX to introduce the laser-cut technique on food...chocolate no less!  MakeATX is known for their laser-cut paper and wood crafts and jewelry.  They have this huge laser named, Patty Princess of Power, in their studio space in East Austin.  By looking at it, you can see that it could laser through anything.  But to be so powerful and yet so delicate as to not blow our bars into smithereens was a sight to behold!  Most definitely a Princess!

Grrrr...sexy beast!  ha!

We first met with Eve and picked out an image or text and font.  Then Kristen took us over to another computer and uploaded our creation.  We took our Theo bars and placed them in the laser face down...Kristen pushed a button...and voila!  Easy peazy!

While we waited for our turn, the girls had all sorts of fun crafts for us to do.  They had a table overflowing with crafty goodness - glitter, pom poms, cute wood & paper cut-out hearts, colored pens and pencils, glue, felt hearts, colored hard-stock paper and envelopes...and my favorite....laser cut-outs to make our Love Monsters with.  I could have stayed at that table all night!

Monster Cowboy of Love

I highly recommend taking a class with Women Design Build.  Everyone and everything was lovely.

AND I highly recommend taking a class, becoming a member or buying some of the goods that MakeATX has to offer.  They are so creative and talented!  Go girls go!

Sandwiches! Eggless Salad Sammie

I'm a sandwich fanatic.  Brad & I are always looking for the perfect sandwich in Austin.  You have to take into consideration so many variables.  The bread is my #1 - is it crunchy/soft enough, is it fresh, does it keep everything in?  And then, of course, your middle bits and pieces.  Is it too dry, too soggy, are the condiments overpowering it, is there too much up in there, is it tasty?  I definitely found my favorite meat variety sandwich!  The duck pastrami at The Noble Pig is killer tasty.  Piles of succulent shredded duck on top of thick in-house made wheat bread...paired with house made pickles and potato thins  So good.  Brad thinks Fricano's has them beat.  Fricano's is a little deli off Guadalupe.  I can vouge for them...darn good!

Although I never made it for myself...Egg Salad is the perfect food to put between 2 slices of bread!  Pair it with frisee, tomato and a little shallot and you have yourself a protein packed delicacy!

I haven't missed many foods thus far....with the EGGception of the egg ;)  The egg is this perfect, well contained, delicious protein.  An egg in the morning could keep me satisfied well into the day.  But alas, it's definitely made from an animal source...so I bid it farewell. 












I've EGGperimented (ok...i'll stop) with a few tofu recipes but I think this one from the Happy Herbivore website is, hands down, the best:

Eggless Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 whole celery stalks, minced
• 1¼ tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp relish (dill pickle)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp mild curry powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp black salt
• 2 tbsp vegan mayo (fat-free)  

Instructions

If using firm tofu, press for at least 20 minutes. Give exrta-firm tofu a good squeeze before starting. Crumble tofu into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Let set for a few minutes (this allows the flavor to merge but also enhances the yellow coloring). Stir again. Taste, adjusting spices as necessary. Add black pepper to taste and serve.
*I used low-fat firm tofu and regular salt

Nutritional Information

• Serving Size: 1
• Servings Per Batch: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 63
• Fat 2.80g
• Carbohydrate 5.20g
• Dietary Fiber1.50g
• Sugars2.40g
• Protein6g

Super Bowl Sunday - Go Whichever Team Wins!

It's Superbowl Sunday and I don't know who's even playing!  But...I do know what I'm eating!

I always love this Sunday...hanging with friends, drinking beer, eating chips & dip as a meal!   Hello!?!  Awesome-town!

With my new-found food restrictions, I scoured the internet for something resembling a "regular" football-watching munchie and I found this:

Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Pizza with Tofu Blue Cheese Spread  

From Kristy at Keepin' It Kind

Vegan & Gluten Free! 

What you'll need: 

1. Cornmeal Crust (I used Vicolo - small 2pack) - in frozen section of your health food stores

2. Recipe for Tofu Blue Cheese Spread (found below)

3. Recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Topping (found below)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 475.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

• Spread a layer of tofu blue cheese spread on the prepared crust, using as much or as little as you like.  You will most likely have leftovers.  Spread the buffalo cauliflower wings out on top of the blue cheese spread.  You will likely have a few of these leftover as well- they’re great appetizers for while you wait for the pizza.

Bake at 475 for 12-15 minutes, until heated thoroughly.  Remove from oven and serve hot.

 The Sriracha and BBQ sauce, mixed with the "blue cheese" really tastes like you're treating yourself to a wing!  yum!  Enjoy!

Tofu Blue Cheese: 

 Ingredients:

• ½ block of extra firm tofu, crumbled into small pieces
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 T veganaise
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp white miso
• ½ tsp tahini
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried marjoram
• ¼ tsp kelp granules
• a few dashes of salt

Instructions:

• Place the tofu crumbles into a medium bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.  Chill until ready to use.  Enjoy!

*You may need to adjust the seasonings to fit your preferences.  This was slightly on the mild side for me.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Topping:

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• several dashes of garlic powder
• several dashes of smoked paprika
• ¾ cup  barbecue sauce (we used Organicville)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or whatever starch you’ve got)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease or spray a glass 9 x 13 casserole dish with olive oil spray.

• Whisk almond milk and chickpea flour together.  Dredge cauliflower pieces into flour mixture and place in the casserole dish.  Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, mix together the BBQ sauce, Sriracha sauce, arrowroot, salt and pepper.

• Once cooked, toss cauliflower with BBQ mix and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve hot (or use on pizza).  Enjoy!