July 20th, 2015
Cooking with edible flowers has been one of my greatest pleasures in the kitchen. Floral infusions provide amazing flavor and can add beneficial, healing properties to any dish or drink. My favorite was the Rose Ice Cream and Rose Petal Mille Feuille I made a few years ago with organic rose petals and the purest essential rose oil from my perfume maker friend. The oil was so concentrated that a tiny drop turned a portion of ice cream into a magical bowl of aromatherapy.
Here are two refreshing drinks we’ve been enjoying this summer, featuring some of the most loved, calming culinary flowers – lavender and chamomile.
Chamomile is an amazing little flower, and its oils are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antiallergenic. It has long been used as a sleep aid all over the world. Having a cup of chamomile tea before bed has become one of my daily rituals – it really does the job of getting me ready for some wholesome rest.
Lately, I’ve been loving this creamy chamomile latte. My favorite way to enjoy it this summer is cold, but it also makes for a comforting warm drink for the cooler parts of the year.
Lavender, with its own share of antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, is king of the aromatherapy world – even the smallest whiff sends a relaxation signal to the mind. This milkshake combines lavender and blueberries, as the two are a match made in heaven. Drink it as a refreshing mid-afternoon snack after some time in the sun or even as dessert after dinner.
The most important variable when cooking with dried edible flowers is their freshness. If a flower is freshly dried, a little of it will go a long way, while older dried flowers have likely lost their potency. It’s also important to remember that the best way to extract the beneficial oils from herbs such as chamomile and lavender is gently heating them in a double boiler for longer periods of time. Directly pouring boiling water over the herbs is a harsher method, which kills off many of their benefits.
We are off to Sochi for the last stretch of our Russian vacation. Black Sea, here we come.
Chamomile Latte
serves 2
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons dried German chamomile flowers – make sure to get them from a store with a good rotation (I get mine here)
1/2 cup almond milk (I like homemade unsweetened)
honey to taste – optional
Combine water with chamomile in a small, heatproof bowl. Place the bowl into a heavy bottomed pot or pan. Add water to the pan, making sure that water level in the pan is lower than the bowl. Bring water in the pan to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool enough for safe handling. Strain chamomile tea, mix with almond milk and honey, if using. For an extra creamy and foamy consistency, blend the tea and almond milk in a blender. Drink warm or chilled in the fridge. I like it best cold and unsweetened.
Lavender Milkshake
serves 2
1 1/2 cups almond milk or other plant milk (I like homemade unsweetened almond milk)
1 tablespoon edible dried lavender flowers (make sure to get them from a store with a good rotation – flowers should be lavender, rather then grey in color, with a fresh, strong aroma – I get mine here)
6-8 scoops of your favorite vanilla, blueberry or lavender ice-cream
handful of fresh or frozen blueberries – optional, for color
handful of ice cubes – optional, for smoother texture
splash of maple syrup – optional, to taste
seeds of 1 vanilla bean or splash of vanilla extract – optional
Combine almond milk and lavender flowers in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let cool. Strain and chill in the refrigerator. Combine lavender milk and the rest of ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth and thick milkshake consistency. If your lavender flowers are very fresh and aromatic, you can skip the infusion step and simply blend almond milk, 1/2 tablespoon (or to taste) lavender and blueberries, in a high speed blender until completely smooth. Then add the rest of ingredients and blend to a smooth and thick milkshake consistency.
Tags: blueberry, chamomile, drink, latte, lavender, smoothie, tea
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April 1st, 2015
I don’t mean to offend those who are passionate about their coffee by naming this drink cappuccino, but I can justify. The rich, foamy texture and deep flavor of this black sesame tea reminded me so much of all of cappuccino’s finest qualities, that I couldn’t resist giving it this name. I generally don’t drink coffee, but that changes as soon as I find myself on the other side of the Atlantic, where vacation mode and the magic of the European lifestyle make coffee into a very pleasant necessity for me. Otherwise, it’s always tea. Out of the caffeinated teas, good quality black, loose leaf tea is my drink of choice.
In my latest attempt to take a break from caffeine, I came across the possibility of using black sesame seeds and dates in a hot, tea-like drink. Chinese black sesame tea has long been known for its therapeutic properties. It is especially believed to nurture and restore hair strength, and is generally a great, calming whole body tonic, thanks to the overwhelming amount of nutrients in black sesame seeds.
When I made my version of black sesame seed tea for the first time, I couldn’t believe its rich taste and velvety texture. It really hit the spot and I’ve been drinking it in the morning for the past couple of weeks, not missing caffeine very much. Sesame seeds contain lots of lecithin, which, aside from helping keep your arteries flexible, accounts for the silky, creamy texture of this tea. In the absence of black sesame seeds, I’ve substituted with unhulled tan sesame seeds, which worked great as well.
I’ve included a recipe for another sesame drink I discovered while making my cappuccino. The taste of this milk reminds me of halva, one of my favorite childhood treats. This one is quick to prepare and quite satisfying in its own way.
Black Sesame Cappuccino
1 cup black sesame seeds (I like these)
2 soft dates – pitted
3 cups water
1 cup homemade almond milk or almond-sesame milk (see recipe below)
1. Combine sesame seeds, dates and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, adjust heat to a strong simmer and cook for 30 minutes, partially covered. The water volume should reduce by about 1/3. Towards the end, mash dates against the sides of the pan with a spoon, letting them further release their sweetness. Strain the liquid and collect black sesame seeds in a large strainer.
2. Pour the strained liquid back into the saucepan, add one cup of almond or almond-sesame milk and reheat gently. Add sweetener of choice, if needed (I find the subtle sweetness from dates to be enough). Optionally blend at high speed to make it foamy. Enjoy hot.
Note: Optionally, you can dry the leftover black sesame seeds for future use. To do that, spread them on a baking sheet and keep them in the oven at the lowest temperature for a couple of hours. When almost completely dried, turn off the oven and leave the seeds in until the oven is cold.
Halva Milk
2 cups homemade almond-sesame milk (see recipe below) – warmed if desired
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds – ground in a coffee grinder
any preferred sweetener – to taste.
Combine all the ingredients in a blender until well combined and frothy. Enjoy hot or cold.
Almond Sesame Milk
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
Soak almonds and sesame seeds in purified water overnight. Drain by catching the seeds in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under cold water. Combine nuts and seeds in a strong blender with 4 cups of purified water. Blend until smooth. Strain through a nut bag or cheese cloth. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Tags: almond, black sesame, drink, sesame seed
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October 23rd, 2014
I’m back from a very inspiring trip to Italy.
It seems that back home, autumn has taken over and there is no turning back. Cold season has come hand in hand with fall – everyone around is sneezing and sniffling.
I came up with this healing drink in a hurry, when my husband felt a sickness coming on a day prior to an important meeting. He drank it before bed and woke up feeling no signs of a cold, no joke! I later tried this method on myself, and it worked once again.
It goes without saying that you don’t need to be sick to enjoy this medicinal drink.
The mix of nutritionally dense goji berries, alkalizing lemon, anti-inflammatory turmeric and raw honey is sure to give your immunity a good boost. The flavor of the tea is bright, much like its color, and will have a warming effect.
When Organic Burst sent me a sampling of their pure, ethically traded super-powders, I knew what to do with their Baobab powder right away – it took this Goji Tea from very good to dynamite.
Here is a chance for Golubka readers to try the baobab powder, along with spirulina, wheatgrass, maca and other healing products from Organic Burst. Leave a comment here until November 5th, 2014 for a chance to win their Full Range set of nutritious goodies (we are giving away two).
Goji Tea
1/3 cup goji berries
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 lemon – juice
1 teaspoon honey (preferably raw)
1-2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon Baobab powder – optional
1/2 teaspoon bee pollen – optional
Place goji berries in a heat-proof dish, bowl or large mug. Pour boiling or near-boiling water over the berries, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Pour into a blender, add in the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and foamy. Pour into mugs and enjoy hot or warm.
Tags: baobab, drink, goji, turmeric
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