Cup of Coffee
Dark Chocolate
I like coffee for the times when the mind presses on but the body is closing the eyelids. What I didn’t know is that we can turn this drink into an antioxidant powerhouse – without significantly affecting the caloric content.
The two ingredients? Coffee and cocoa. Not chocolate per se, but the bitter stuff. The cocoa butter in chocolate carries all the fat and is unnecessary (although delicious!). The higher quality the cocoa, the better… but don’t get the “Special Dark” or “dutched” cocoas. The “dutching” process removes antioxidants along with the bitterness.
So, yes, the bitterness of coffee is in no way reduced. This drink is serious… hmm, maybe espresso is the next step. There is a plus, however, and that is the smooth texture imparted by the unfiltered cocoa (add it directly to the cup before pouring the coffee). The cocoa is also a different sort of bitter which I find really complements the coffee. If the flavor is too intense, try using a mild roast coffee.
Double the caffeine, double the fun! Well, maybe not double - but a little extra doesn’t hurt, right?
Why guzzle soft drinks when you can abuse the natural stuff?
Kristin and I have been eating fresh local/regional organic fruits and veggies delivered to our door on Saturdays. It’s so convenient: set your preferences online and exchange seasonal items you don’t want. This is especially great because the Dekalb Farmer’s Market is about 40 minutes away… it takes a lot of time to get there from Midtown and then shop around.
We’ve had really good Georgia peaches, apples, Bibb lettuce, grapefruit, potatos, chard, you-name-it… (Had to learn to cook the chard: like mediterranean collards. Interesting.) This even encouraged me to eat more fruits & vegetables, which really fits in with Shawn’s sentiments: Six Tricks to Healthy Eating.
So, check out http://www.naturesgardendelivered.com.
A side note about wilting- When celery, fresh carrots, chard, or lettuce wilt (you know, without turning bad), just chop off the bottom of the stalk about 1 cm from the end, and put in a glass of water overnight. We learned this trick way-back-when with food coloring in science class. Because crispy veggies = delicious, I’ll be using this trick more often.
Half-way done!
When you can’t cook corn on the coals, just toss it in the oven – the small “toaster oven,” that is. Boiling a pot of water wastes stove-top space, the main oven may be in use for something else (and requires more energy and time to heat up), and who doesn’t love golden roasted corn anyway? So the toaster oven is a good place for side dishes (I also do sweet potatoes and personal pizzas (on pita bread disks) in the toaster oven). Unless it’s a turkey, a big roast, or pizzas, you don’t really need the big oven.
Most toaster ovens have room for 2 ears of corn. Chop the stalks off the stem ends of the corn if necessary (leaving the husk in place) to fit them inside the oven. Set the oven for 350 degrees and ~30 minutes. The husks will brown some, and they may be deceptively cool to the touch. Be careful when husking the corn, it will release a lot of steam.
NOTE: Another advantage here is that the corn is very close to the heating elements and you can get a good roast. You can try it with and without a pan underneath the corn. While in my experience this only steams the corn and browns the husk, it is possible your husks could catch on fire. That could be hilarious and/or very dangerous. Either way, I’m not responsible for the outcome – it’s your experiment! Rip off the secondary husk leaves which stick out (they could touch the heating elements).
The base:
- 1 can red kidney beans
- 2 cans chili tomatoes, diced
- 1 can Mexican tomatoes
- 3 red peppers, diced
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic (minced, pressed, doesn’t matter after 8 hours in the pot!)
- 2+ tablespoons chili powder (cumin, ground cayenne pepper, etc. use more if unseasoned tomatoes!)
- 1 tablespoon misc. ground pepper
- 1 bottle Guinness or other stout/strong black ale (just pour it in)
- salt to taste (seasoned canned tomatoes often have salt)
Favorites:
- 1.5 lb pan (or grill) seared pot roast, rubbed with seasonings similar to above
(substitute 2+ additional cans of beans)
- 3 red peppers, diced (better: sear on the grill first)
- Authentic dried Mexican hot pepper
Toppings:
- “Mexican style” shredded cheese
- Fresh cilantro
Turn the pot off and let it cool until it’s an edible temperature. The longer the ingredients sit together the better. Diffusion… Anyway, I believe the chili is best the next day, but why wait?
I accidentally made this today, and it might be my favorite.
I’ll have to guess at how much of each ingredient I used.
- First, get your rice or couscous going.
- Then, mix in a salad bowl:
2 cans of rinsed garbanzo beans
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 heaping tbsp. turmeric
1 heaping tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. dill weed
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 slice of yellow onion, diced
1 cup peeled tomatos, diced
1 tsp salt, or to taste (I know several people who have developed tolerance to salt. If you salt McDonald’s french fries… that’s a lot of salt.)
Put it over rice, and/or put it in a pita with spinach… the possibilities are endless.
