Cold-Pressed Coffee and Sprouts

Kelly e-mailed me a few weeks ago asking, “Have you ever tried cold-pressed coffee? Celia is doing it, and we know that if Celia likes it it must be good.” So of course I couldn’t resist.

Val made the first batch when I was home visiting and I agreed with the reputation this coffee has for being extra smooth and less acidic so that the sweet, carmel-y notes are more prevalent. Bonus: It’s pre-made so you less time is required between that alarm going off and the caffeine intake!

I just soak 2/3 cup grinds (medium ground, for auto drip machine) overnight in 3 cups of water. In the morning I filter it into a jar to keep in the fridge. This yields a concentrate that is supposed to mixed with an equal part of water before consuming… but lately, I’ve been just tossing in a few ice cubes and drinking it more or less straight. At home I mixed it with non-fat milk and it was decadent, but since I haven’t purchased cow’s milk in quite some time, and I didn’t care for the almond milk combo, ice cubes it is. I’ve also tried heating it up and adding half and half which is also quite tasty.

Sprouts, which are unrelated except for this picture (and certainly not meant to be consumed together), are our next topic.

They are so easy, but people ask me all the time how to grow them, so here it is. Buy seeds (alfalfa, clover, chia, broccoli, radish, etc.) and soak a tablespoon or two in water over night. From then on, rinse them twice a day and make sure they drain well so mold doesn’t grow. When they’re done growing, put them in an air-tight container in the fridge! I don’t do all the bleach-soaking, sunlight-hiding, exact timing stuff that some websites recommend. If you want detailed info about the germination time for specific seeds, google “sproutman”.

I do have fancy lids that fit on mason jars (that were my mom’s in college!!!) that make the rinsing and draining a piece of cake. However, you can achieve the same end by using a cheesecloth or clean nylon stocking to cover your jar. Sproutman also has many wonderful sprout bags for sale.

Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

I’d had some white chocolate chunks handed down from my sister ages ago that were slowly dwindling due to sugar rummagings. This was the perfect recipe to make them disappear. I was actually asked, “Those were store-bought cookies, right?” because of the square shape of the white chocolate pieces. I do suppose it makes them seem a little fancier than white chocolate chips might. I made this same recipe again for Emily B’s b-day but with chocolate chips and raisins, and it was equally delicious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/white-chocolate-chip-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies-112683

Banana “Ice Cream”

I can’t believe I’ve never tried this classic until now! A few chunks of frozen (very ripe) banana in the food processor, with a little peanut butter, vanilla, or other goodies thrown in (not necessary, but fun and delicious!) and pow, a sugar-free, vegan, amazingly sweet, creamy dessert! Not much to look at here in this picture… but trust me, it tasted divine.

Sandwich Bread

I’ve been long searching for a simple, relatively healthy recipe to make my own sandwich bread. This recipe is great in terms of speed, flexibility, and price per loaf. I feel like it could improve in the area of nutrition, but it’s still the best I’ve found so far.

http://twospoons.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/wholewheat-sandwich-bread-stripped-bare/

Carrot Pancakes

I’m still working through a giant bag of carrots, and a “fancy” Sunday breakfast was sounding good…

http://www.food.com/recipe/carrot-breakfast-pancakes-56958

My blender actually had a bit of difficulty with the batter, but pulverizing the carrots was a piece of cake. And almond milk worked just fine!

Lentil Loaf

Kelly brought over some lentil loaf made by her mother oh… maybe 2 years ago. And I am still thinking about it. So instead of asking her for the recipe again because I’m sure I already have several times and then lost it repeatedly, I searched for something that might be similar. This is what I came up with:

http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/03/15/tracys-lentil-loaf/

I stuck to the recipe pretty closely, using scallions and green (?) lentils instead of red or orange. Super easy and surprisingly flavorful.

Carrot Raisin Muffins

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/healthy-carrot-muffin-recipe/index.html

My substitutions, in equal parts:
White flour = whole wheat flour
Brown sugar = Rapadura
Wheat germ = flax seed meal
Canned pineapple = frozen pineapple chunks
…and I added about 1/2 cup raisins

Delish and very carroty. I would make them again, double the recipe, and freeze half for later.