Pear Cranberry Chai
Ingredients
Instructions
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1Combine cranberries, pears, spices, ginger and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. Let sit to infuse for at least 1 hour, I like to leave it overnight.
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2Strain, discard spices and fruit, or core and blend pears into pear sauce (use as you would apple sauce).
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3Heat the liquid once again and bring to a near boil. Remove from heat and add the tea. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain once again, discard tea leaves.
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4In the meantime, combine the milk and dates in a small saucepan and heat it up until hot to the touch. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to let the dates soften and then blend until smooth (no need to wait 10 minutes if using a high-speed blender that can break down un-soaked dates).
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5Add date milk to the hot chai, whisk to combine. Curdling may occur - to remedy this, pour mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth and frothy texture, if desired. Pour between cups, garnish with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg and enjoy.
Are you guys dressing up for Halloween? I’m not, but Paloma is going to be John Lennon circa 1974 (the rest of her friends are princesses). Yep, the Beatles obsession is as strong as ever. Right now, John is the absolute favorite. 1980 (year of his death) is the WORST number, not to be spoken in the house, and she’s been known to put on Imagine and cry to it more than a few times. And this is an otherwise cheerful, happy kid too. Crazy! Anyways, whether you are participating in this weekend’s spooky activities or not, maybe you can consider treating yourself with this seriously autumnal chai, or better yet, plan to serve it at some sort of holiday occasion. I’m confident your guests will be blown away. As far as I can recall, this is the best chai I’ve ever tried. Besides all the required, invigorating spices, this one is infused with fresh pears and cranberries, which add lovely flavor and a tiny hint of sourness. It’s a bit sweet, spicy, gingery and creamy. And if you are wondering what I do with all the leftover stewed pears, I blend them into a pear sauce and spoon it onto all kinds of dishes. There are some weekend links after the jump. Have a nice one :)
Protein, Iron, Calcium – I’ve been finding Gena’s articles about protein/iron/calcium-rich plant food combinations so helpful
Urban Moonshine – I’ve been taking these digestive bitters before almost every meal and have really noticed a difference. Highly recommended if you have any mild issues with digestion or even as a blood sugar stabilizing aid. Also, want to make this Happy Belly Seed Mix soon.
Sophie Buhai’s New Jewelry Collection – the photos!
Exceptional Advice from Anthony Bourdain’s New Book – please never change Tony
Alisa Vitti’s talk at Google – on optimizing your hormones. Seriously fascinating, must listen for women.
Kyra’s Kitchen – a breathtakingly beautiful, new to me health/wellness/recipe blog
The Chalkboard’s List of 8 Great Mind-Body Podcasts – almost all are new to me, excited to dig in
Porridge Stages a Savory Comeback
- 8 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- about 5 pears - sliced into 4-8 wedges
- 3-5 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cardamom pods - slightly crushed
- 12 cloves - slightly crushed
- roughly 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root - sliced
- 3-5 star anise (optional)
- 8 cups purified water
- 3 heaping teaspoons loose leaf Earl Grey tea/other black tea of choice
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk - coconut, almond, etc.
- 2-4 soft Medjool dates - pitted
- ground cinnamon - for garnish (optional)
- freshly ground whole nutmeg - for garnish (optional, but amazing here)
- Combine cranberries, pears, spices, ginger and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. Let sit to infuse for at least 1 hour, I like to leave it overnight.
- Strain, discard spices and fruit, or core and blend pears into pear sauce (use as you would apple sauce).
- Heat the liquid once again and bring to a near boil. Remove from heat and add the tea. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain once again, discard tea leaves.
- In the meantime, combine the milk and dates in a small saucepan and heat it up until hot to the touch. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to let the dates soften and then blend until smooth (no need to wait 10 minutes if using a high-speed blender that can break down un-soaked dates).
- Add date milk to the hot chai, whisk to combine. Curdling may occur - to remedy this, pour mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth and frothy texture, if desired. Pour between cups, garnish with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg and enjoy.
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