Most of us have our go-to Drinks. Whether it's coffee or tea in the morning, or even throughout the day, or soda, water, we usually go through the same drinks.
However, it's kind-of nice to add a few new drinks to the mix. To that end, check out the Lizard Lounge Tea, the Cafe de Olla, or the Ginger Tea, as well as the rest of today's offerings. Enjoy!
PEACH TEA
This is from Vallery Lomas at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Vallery wrote, "Sweetened with peaches, freshly puréed or from store-bought juice, this beverage tastes extra refreshing in warm weather. The fruit complements strongly brewed tea, and a little lemon juice further accentuates the peach flavor and helps balance the natural sweetness, which you can bolster with sugar if you’d like."
Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: About 6 cups
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022399-peach-tea. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
8 black tea bags, preferably Lipton
2 pounds ripe peaches (6 to 8), peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped, or 2 cups peach juice (see Tip)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 cup ice, plus more for serving
Granulated sugar, if needed
Fresh peach slices, for serving
Preparation
In a tea kettle or medium saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes.
While the tea steeps, purée the peaches, if using fresh fruit. Pulse in a food processor or blender until very smooth. You should have 2 cups.
Gently squeeze the concentrated tea from the bags and discard the bags. If using puréed peaches, pour the tea into the blender, add the lemon juice and purée until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher. If using peach juice, transfer the tea to a pitcher, and stir in the peach juice and lemon juice.
Add the ice to the pitcher, then taste. If it’s too sweet, add more lemon juice, a couple of teaspoons at a time. If it isn’t sweet enough, stir in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dissolved. Refrigerate until the tea is chilled throughout. Serve in a large glass filled with ice and garnished with peach slices.
Tip
Be sure to use peach juice that is 100 percent juice and has no added sugar, such as Ceres brand.
COPYCAT STARBUCKS CARAMEL FRAPPUCCINO
This is from Delish, and begins, "The caramel frappuccino is the most iconic Starbucks drink. It's sweet, strong, and drizzled with lots of caramel. The drink is easy to make at home and makes the perfect little afternoon pick me up."
Yields: 2 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 c. cold, strong-brewed coffee
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. caramel, plus more for serving
1 c. ice
Whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Blend coffee, milk, caramel, vanilla, and 1 cup of ice until smooth, thick, and icey. Add more ice, if necessary to reach desired consistency.
Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream. Drizzle with more caramel sauce.
GINGER TEA
This comes from Vegetarian Times (posted on MAY 9, 2017), and begins, “Ginger is Mother Nature’s protective cloak, shielding us from sickness on winter days. This tea is very spicy—if it tastes too strong, dilute it with more hot water and honey. Traditional advice is not to drink more than 2 cups of ginger tea a day unless you are using it as a treatment for a bad chest cold.”
2 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
12 thin slices fresh ginger, pounded with mortar or rolling pin
1 Tbs. honey
Preparation
Put ginger and 3 cups water in small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
Strain out ginger slices and discard or reserve for another use. Stir in honey, and serve hot. Tea can be reheated, if necessary.
CAFE DE OLLA
The recipe for this yummy coffee is from the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47. It starts off, “Literally 'coffee from the pot,' this recipe offers a simple way to make coffee for a crowd, with a spiced twist that no one can resist.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
4 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or 4 oz. piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar cones)
2 cups medium grind, dark roast coffee beans
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa, optional
Directions
Lightly crush cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves with mortar and pestle. Place in resealable plastic bag, and pound with rolling pin. Transfer to large saucepan, and add sugar and 8 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add coffee, and let steep 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm milk in small saucepan, and whisk until frothy.
Strain coffee through fine sieve or coffee filter into pitcher. Stir in coffee liqueur (if using). Serve with frothed milk.
nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 80; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 35 mg; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g; Gluten-Free
LIZARD LOUNGE TEA
My oldest son spent several summers traveling the country, both singly and with friends. Several times, he wound up at the Rainbow Gathering, where he hooked up with a larger group of friends. Most of them had grown up in hot areas of the country, so they nicknamed themselves lizards; their area of the camp site was the lizard lounge. They would cook up their version of iced tea, which they would barter for other commodities. They were frequently asked what their secret ingredient was.
This is a scaled down version. I found that cranberry or cranberry-apple herb tea works very nicely with this, but any herbal tea can be used.
Ingredients
1/2 gallon apple cider
4 – 5 herbal tea bags
Directions
Place cider in a large pan or teakettle and bring to a boil. Place herbal tea bags into a large container and pour the boiled cider over the tea bags. Let steep for 15-30 minutes and cool. Very good.
STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
This is from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Martha wrote, "This will taste like a strawberry shake if you use a banana that is truly ripe. Frozen strawberries will lend it a shake-like texture."
Total Time: 5 minutes; Yield: One 16-ounce or two 8-ounce servings
This was featured in "Want More Fruit? Get Out the Blender," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012542-strawberry-smoothie. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
1 medium-size or large, ripe banana
1 heaped cup fresh or frozen hulled strawberries
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
2 to 3 ice cubes
Preparation
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve right away.
Tip
Advance preparation: Smoothies should be made and drunk right away. This will thicken and lose flavor if it sits.
