The Peppy Mint

Name: The Peppy Mint, Herbal Tea With Cacao
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 7 min
Ingredients: 8-10 large peppermint leaves (1 sprig); 1 tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder; ¼ cup ( 2oz.) of almond milk (oat milk tastes delicious too); 16 oz of hot water

June 16, 2020 by Carol Clayton in beverages

The Peppy Mint, Herbal Tea With Cacao

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Mint is one of those magical herbs that adds bright flavor and pep to both sweet and savory dishes. It is a prolific grower and winters over well, which is great if you have an herb garden. Pair mint with chocolately cacao and you’ve got a match made in heaven. The natural stimulating effects in cacao come from the alkaloid, theobromine, which give you a longer and softer energy than its cousin, caffeine. The peppy flavor of mint combined with smooth energizing cacao make for the perfect morning beverage.

The Peppy Mint Herbal Tea with Cacao Ingredients — Ingredients

1 sprig of peppermint or spearmint (about 8-10 full sized leaves)
1 tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
¼ cup of almond milk (oat milk tastes delicious too)
16 oz of hot water
**Makes 2 servings**

The Peppy Mint Herbal Tea with Cacao Method — Method

1. First, boil 16 oz. of water in a kettle or the microwave
2. Next add 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to a small teapot
3. Pour the boiling water over the cacao and stir to dissolve
4. Add the sprig of mint and ¼ cup of almond milk
5. Wait about 5 minutes for the tea to steep and cool. Fresh mint doesn’t over steep and turn bitter the way dried mint tea leaves do, so I leave the mint sprig in my cup to taste the transformation of flavor from mild to stronger mint.
Enjoy as a refreshing, energizing hot beverage or make it an iced tea by pouring over ice cubes!

Printable Recipe Card:

The Peppy Mint, Herbal Tea With Cacao

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Carol Clayton

Prep time: 2 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 7 Min

The peppy flavor of mint combined with smooth energizing cacao make for the perfect morning beverage.

Ingredients

8-10 large peppermint leaves (1 sprig)
1 tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
¼ cup ( 2oz.) of almond milk (oat milk tastes delicious too)
16 oz of hot water

Instructions

First, boil 16 oz. of water in a kettle or the microwave
Next add 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to a small teapot
Pour the boiling water over the cacao and stir to dissolve
Add the sprig of mint and ¼ cup of almond milk
Wait about 5 minutes for the tea to steep and cool. Fresh mint doesn’t over steep and turn bitter the way dried mint tea leaves do, so I leave the mint sprig in my cup to taste the transformation of flavor from mild to stronger mint.

Calories

21.91

Fat (grams)

0.67

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.03

Carbs (grams)

3.23

Fiber (grams)

0.84

Net carbs

2.39

Sugar (grams)

0.90

Protein (grams)

0.86

Sodium (milligrams)

10.92

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

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Citrus Juice & Zest

June 02, 2020 by Carol Clayton in beverages

Citrus Juice & Zest

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Citrus zest and juice add zing, flavor and freshness to many recipes, including smoothie bowls, and with a few simple tips and tools, you will be a zesting pro in no time. The citrus fruits that lend well to zesting and juicing are lemons, limes and oranges. Choose organic fruit with unblemished, thick, pebbly skin. These will zest easier than fruit with thin skins. It’s helpful to soften lemons and limes by rolling them on the counter before juicing. First let’s juice the fruit then zest it.…here we go!

Method for making Citrus Zest & Juice

1. First, cut your rolled lemon, lime or orange in half through the middle. Place it in a hand-operated juicer, as shown in the picture, use a hand-held squeezer, or simply squeeze it by hand without using any special tools. Just be sure to fish out any seeds that get mixed into the juice. You’ll get about ¼ cup of juice from a lemon or lime and about ½ cup from an orange.

2. Now for the zesting: The advantage of zesting your citrus first is that you have a nice firm skin surface to work on. The disadvantage to zesting first is that a zested lemon, lime or orange tends to fall apart when you juice it. So let’s go with juicing before zesting.

3. The easiest way to zest is by using a microplane (see top picture) which is completely effortless and takes all the stress out of zesting. You can also use a small zester or simply cut or peel the outer colored layer of skin off the citrus and chop it up into small bits. Just be sure to avoid the white pith which is very bitter tasting. You will need to grab a juiced citrus with your palm on the outside and fingers on the inside to create a firm surface. A medium sized lemon or lime will yield around 2 teaspoons of zest and an orange about a tablespoon or more.

Citrus zest and juice freeze beautifully so you can have some on hand whenever your smoothie bowl cravings strike!

Citrus Smoothie Bowl Recipes to Enjoy:

**The Lovely Lemon Smoothie Bowl**
**The Key Lime Coconut Smoothie Bowl**
**The Orange Creamsicle Smoothie Bowl**

Printable Recipe Card:

Citrus Zest & Juice

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Carol Clayton

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Citrus zest and juice add zing, flavor, and freshness to many recipes, including smoothie bowls. With a few simple tips and tools, you will be a zesting/juicing pro in no time.

Ingredients

1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange

Instructions

First, cut your rolled lemon, lime, or orange in half through the middle. Place it in a hand-operated juicer, as shown in the picture, use a hand-held squeezer, or simply squeeze it by hand without using any special tools. Just be sure to fish out any seeds that get mixed into the juice. You’ll get about ¼ cup of juice from a lemon or lime and about ½ cup from an orange.
Now for the zesting: The advantage of zesting your citrus first is that you have a nice firm skin surface to work on. The disadvantage to zesting first is that a zested lemon, lime, or orange tends to fall apart when you juice it. So let’s go with juicing before zesting.
The easiest way to zest is by using a microplane (see picture) which is completely effortless and takes all the stress out of zesting. You can also use a small zester or simply cut or peel the outer colored layer of skin off the citrus and chop it up into small bits. Just be sure to avoid the white pith which is very bitter tasting. You will need to grab a juiced citrus with your palm on the outside and fingers on the inside to create a firm surface. A medium-sized lemon or lime will yield around 2 teaspoons of zest, and an orange about a tablespoon or more.

Calories

18.84

Fat (grams)

0.10

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.01

Carbs (grams)

5.41

Fiber (grams)

1.22

Net carbs

4.19