January 14th, 2014
This winter has already tested many of us with unusually low temperatures and snow blizzards. We’ve definitely had our share, dealing with very delayed flights and freezing temperatures (NYC the other week anyone?) Even back home in sunny Florida, there are plenty of chilly days when I crave rich and warming drinks, especially hot chocolate. I like to prepare it with nourishing ingredients, and this time I wanted to experiment with making it white.
I liked the results so much that I decided to make a cold milkshake version. Quite honestly, I can’t pick which one I prefer more, both are exactly what I want to be drinking right now.
If you’ve been visiting Golubka for a while, you might have noticed how much we love to infuse our sweets with fresh herbs and spices. Rosemary is one of the herbs that I probably utilize more in desserts than savory dishes. A word of warning – you have to love rosemary to enjoy these drinks. Since we photographed and prepared this post, I’ve spotted a couple of more amazing-looking rosemary infused drinks around, here and here.
Today we also have a giveaway that I’m very excited about, a new product from our friend Elena Bensonoff of Wholistic. A while back, we did a giveaway of her Rose Mist, and now she is giving away a Wholistic Chakra System set – a beautiful collection of seven carefully selected blends of the purest crystal infused essential oils.
The oils within the boxed set are arranged according to the chakra system. In short, its purpose is to bring balance and help improve energy flow for emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing through aromatherapy. Each blend is accompanied by a colour coded card, which indicates the corresponding yoga pose and sound to practice while applying the oils. You can also find an affirmation, description of the location of the chakra and related organs, as well as the specific juice recipe that can enhance the balancing property of each blend. The bottles have roll-on applicators for convenience and you can find the detailed instructions about proper use of the system in the box. The experience of using the system is very zen and personally speaking, we’ve had some great results dealing with my husband’s occasional sleeping difficulties with this system. I always keep the box close by for meditation breaks or for use before bedtime. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here by January 27th 6 p.m. EST. The winner will be chosen at random.
Update: Thank you everyone for participating in the giveaway, it has now been closed and the winner has been emailed.
Rosemary Hot White Chocolate
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon green tea leaves
2-3 sprigs rosemary – lightly bruised with the back of a chef’s knife
1 vanilla bean – seeds scraped out
1/2 cup raw cacao butter – shredded
2 tablespoons maca powder (optional, but great here)
1 cup cashews – soaked in water for 4 hours
4 soft dates – pits removed and chopped
ground cinnamon and/or nutmeg, or cocoa powder for sprinkling on top – optional
1. Place almond milk, green tea leaves (use a small mesh ball or strainer for the tea leaves), rosemary, vanilla seeds and bean into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the mesh ball/strainer in 10 minutes.
2. Gently melt the cacao butter on a double-boiler, making not to overheat it to keep all the good stuff intact. Add in the maca powder and mix thoroughly to incorporate.
3. Strain the almond milk mixture and pour into a high-speed blender. Drain and rinse the cashews, add them to a blender along with dates and blend everything until very smooth.
4. Slowly pour the milky mixture into the melted cocoa butter, whisking constantly until completely blended. Gently warm more, if desired, on a double-boiler, but don’t overheat. Pour into cups, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder and enjoy.
Rosemary Green Tea Milkshake
1 1/3 cup (300 g) full fat coconut milk
2 rosemary sprigs – lightly bruised with the back of a chef’s knife
1 tablespoon green tea leaves
1/2 vanilla bean – seeds scraped out
3/4 cup cashews – soaked in water for 4 hours
1 cup purified water, plus more for soaking the cashews
2-3 soft dates – pitted and chopped
about 6 ice-cubes, more if needed
1. Place coconut milk, green tea leaves (use a small mesh ball or strainer for the tea leaves), rosemary, vanilla seeds and bean into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the mesh ball/strainer in 10 minutes. Strain the milk and let cool completely in the refrigerator.
2. Drain and rinse the cashews, add them to a high-speed blender along with water and dates. Blend until very smooth.
3. Add the chilled infused coconut milk and ice and blend for about 30 seconds into a creamy, foamy milkshake. Add your favorite vanilla ice-cream for a thicker, more indulgent shake if you wish.
Tags: dessert, drink, giveaway, hot chocolate, milkshake, recipe, rosemary
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June 29th, 2013
I’m so excited to finally be sharing a recipe here, I’ve missed it so much. And what a special recipe it is – easy, nutritious, bright and perfect for breakfast during this time of year. Rhubarb Musli.
Rhubarb has been a frequent guest in our kitchen this summer, we can’t get enough of its subtle, perfumey flavour and irresistible colouring (Paloma’s favourite colour is, quite predictably, pink). And ever since discovering the magical combination of rosemary and rhubarb, I’ve had a hard time keeping those two ingredients apart – they are meant for each other.
In other news, Golubka is in the process of getting redesigned! Get ready for a new, beautiful layout and a domain name of our own – golubkakitchen.com
We are very excited for this much overdue transformation, which is coming later this summer.
Rosemary Rhubarb Musli
(serves 4-6)
Note: I’ve tried soaking the oats in just orange juice. This makes the recipe a bit easier and works very well.
1/2 lb (230 g) rhubarb
1/2 lb (230 g) fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if preferred)
4 tablespoons honey
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or to taste
1-2 apples – peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 cup yogurt (any kind you like)
coconut whipped cream – optional
chopped pistachios – optional
1. Slice the rhubarb stalks and strawberries. Take a couple of the rhubarb slices and a couple strawberries and add to a blender together with the orange juice. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over the rolled oats in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Cut the vanilla bean open, scrape the seeds out and put into a small saucepan together with the vanilla pod, honey, rosemary and the rest of the rhubarb and strawberries. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes, until rhubarb is soft. (You can make it in the evening and leave to infuse further overnight.)
3. Add the shredded apples and yogurt to the soaked oat mixture and stir to combine. Distribute between bowls. Top with the strawberry-rhubarb stew, coconut whipped cream or more yogurt, sprinkle with pistachios and fresh berries, drizzle with more honey if desired.
Tags: breakfast, gluten free, musli, recipe, rhubarb, rosemary
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August 30th, 2012
This post is also available in: French
I’ve always associated late summer with plums, seeing their speckled, dark skins as a sign of the coming of autumn. Back in Russia, we had a small plum tree at our dacha. It grew over an old shed, and the fruit often ended up falling on its roof after ripening, which is where we would gather it with the help of a ladder. The harvest was not consistent from year to year – some summers the tree would give us several buckets of plums, while sometimes there would be none. We appreciated it anyway for its small, sweet fruit.
The other day, I went to the store hoping to find some plums similar to the dark ones that grew on our tree. One of the grocers pointed me in the direction of beautiful yellow plums though, saying that they had been the sweetest they’d received this year. Right away these yellow popsicles came to mind, and I picked up some plum-coloured edible flowers to add to the aesthetics.
The combination of plums and rosemary is a long-time favourite. The herb merges beautifully with the tart and sweet notes of plum, bringing an earthy element to the table.
Thanks to everyone for participating in the Glass Dharma giveaway, the winner is Loaves and Kisses. Congrats and please contact us ohmygolubka at gmail dot com
Roasted Plum and Rosemary Popsicles
(makes about 10 pops)
1 1/2 lb ripe yellow plums – cut in halves
1 cup purified water, plus some for soaking the popsicle sticks in
1/3 cup honey or agave
4-6 rosemary sprigs, depending on how much you like the flavour of rosemary
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place 10 wooden popsicle sticks into a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak.
Combine 1 cup of water with honey/agave and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse while roasting your plums.
Place plum halves into a baking dish, cut side down. Roast for about 20 minutes or until soft. Let cool, remove pits. Strain the sweet rosemary water, discarding the sprigs. Place in a blender or food processor together with the roasted plums and lemon juice. Blend until smooth or leave small chunks if you wish.
Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, cover, and insert the soaked wooden sticks. Freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. When removing the popsicles, run the molds and lid under hot water, remove carefully and enjoy.
You can certainly leave your plums raw, adjusting the amount of sweetener to your liking.
Tags: dessert, plum, popsicles, recipe, rosemary, vegan
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