Tag Archives: how to

A Month Without Coffee

1 Feb

Do you know those scenes from a movie, in which a person who has only recently given up cigarettes asks a smoker to blow smoke in her face?  That’s the way that I felt today going to a coffee shop with my husband.  He was getting an afternoon jolt, and I was trying to get a contact high, breathing in the smells of brewing coffee in the air – the deep roasted aroma, the rich and satisfying smells…  After a month without coffee, I needed a secondhand sniff.

Giving up coffee was something I never thought I’d do.  I loved everything about it – the sound of the beans grinding, the smells emanating from the kitchen while it brewed, the warm feeling of the mug in my hands, and the taste of those first heavenly sips.  Better than all of that was the feeling that it gave me – as if I were being catapulted into the day.  I went from groggy and heavy to levitating off the kitchen floor, dancing and singing in a matter of 20 minutes.  (I’m glad that coffee drinking Cadry wasn’t with me on those first few days without caffeine, I don’t think I could have tolerated her enthusiasm.  Of course, if I’ve learned anything from Dr. Who, I know that having both of us there would have caused some kind of time rift in the continuum, but that’s neither here nor there.)

With a lift from coffee in the morning, I was a professional skier sliding up and over a ramp – nothing but wind in my face and a feeling I could get it all done in no time at all.  Despite this devotion, I’d kept my intake on the lower end.  I’d have a mug and a half in the morning.  In the afternoons, I’d often have a cup of caffeinated tea.  Maybe once a week I’d pick up coffee at a coffee shop.  I stopped drinking caffeine by three or four.  I never drank soda.

It wasn’t always that way.  In my life I hardly remember a time when I wasn’t taking in caffeine.  As a kid I was a fan of bubbly cola.  As a teenager I drank 5 or 6 cans a day.  By the time I got to college, I’d wake up with soda and fall asleep with soda.  Once I was out in the working world, I’d noticed a creep in my pant size and moved to diet soda instead.  I drank that for a year or so, and then decided to drop it because of the aspartame.  At that point, I said goodbye to soda and hello to coffee.  So why give it up now?

(more…)

Claymation cooking demonstration and Top tips for great smoothies

23 Jan

It’s time for another cooking video!  This time I’ve enlisted the help of a certain clay dinosaur, who my husband has been animating via claymation since he was a boy with a Super 8 camera.  Over the years Gulp has had many adventures and swallowed many Lego blocks and Matchbox cars, but this is his first introduction to the joys of green smoothies and my Cashew Kale Shake.  (Eating cars may be one way to get your iron, but iron-rich kale is a heck of a lot easier on the teeth.)  With the help of my favorite hungry dinosaur, I demonstrate how easy it is to make your green smoothie dreams come true, even if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Smoothies are such a delicious and simple way of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into a person’s diet.  I often enjoy them for breakfast, and it makes me feel good to kick start the day knowing that I’ve already had several servings of raw fruits and vegetables.  It sets a great tone and gives me a hit of wide-awake energy.  Hit a lull around 3 pm?  A smoothie also makes a tasty snack.

These are my top tips for taking a smoothie from good to great:

Frozen bananas are key.  First of all, bananas bring a pleasant mellowness to smoothies that otherwise might be overly sweet (like a tropical, orange, or berry smoothie) or bitter (like a smoothie with kale or collard greens).  Most importantly, frozen bananas give a thick, creamy texture that leans more towards a shake than a smoothie.

Always add ground flax seed.  It seems that every other article on health and wellness pages is about how the modern American diet is overloaded with omega 6’s while deficient on omega 3’s, creating an unhealthy imbalance.  An easy way to get omega 3’s into one’s diet is by adding a tablespoon of ground flax seed to a smoothie.  Outside of a vague nuttiness, it doesn’t add a lot in terms of flavor, but it gives the smoothie a fuller viscosity.  I like to grind whole flax seed in a coffee grinder as needed, but you could also use ground flax seed.  You’ll want to keep the open package in the freezer or refrigerator to avoid rancidity.  (Want to add raw cashews for a creamier smoothie?  While you’re grinding the flax seed, add in raw cashews as well and grind until they take on the consistency of flour.)

Blend tough greens first.  I almost never make a smoothie without greens.  It just seems like a wasted opportunity.  But without a high-speed blender, getting greens fully blended can be difficult.  The key to completely smooth green smoothies is blending hearty, fibrous greens first.  A bright green drink can already be a difficult sell to the uninitiated.  Add in chewy bits of tough kale and it’s even more of an obstacle.

Blend the greens with whatever liquid you’ll be using and continue until completely smooth before adding other ingredients.  The blender will probably need a hand with it, and so be sure to stop and scrape down the sides regularly to move the process along.  (Secret tip:  The circular handle on the lid of my non-high speed blender can be removed, leaving a small hole, and I sometimes stir the top portion of the greens while the blender is in motion.  It helps the momentum of the greens. Of course, it’s important to be careful that the spoon doesn’t come into contact with the blade, and it could be a splatter hazard if the liquid is too high.)

Vanilla soymilk adds dimension and balance.  For a long time I only used water in my smoothies.  With all of the nutrition and taste in the fruits and vegetables in the ingredient list, I didn’t think it needed anything else.  However, my feelings on this have changed.  A hint of vanilla in the background adds something special to a smoothie.  Now when I make it without, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights.

But don’t use too much.  Err on the side of less liquid for a thicker, creamier shake.  If you absolutely have to add more for blending, add a little at a time.

Ice cubes are your friend.  After a smoothie has reached its creamy and whippy perfection, I like to add six ice cubes and blend until fully broken down.  Without the cubes, it’s more like a shake or a malt, but with the ice cubes it’s all that with pleasant icy shards and a little added crunch.

A huge thank you to my wonderful husband, David, for animating, editing, and sound designing Gulp Vs. Smoothie!  You’re the best!

Grilled Eats, Cool Drinks, and a Strawesome Giveaway!

16 Jun

I love June.  Warmer temperatures, the return of old friends and new, time for long bike rides and dinners cooked over open flames, and the two year anniversary of Cadry’s Kitchen!  What started as a month-long project became a favorite hobby, a place to explore recipes and ideas, and a fun way to meet others in the blogosphere.

To celebrate this two-year mark and the return of the summer season, I made a grilling video featuring one of my favorite tofu marinades, Lemony Rosemary Tofu.  I’ve written about this marinade before, because in winter months I slow cook it in the oven until it is tender and chewy and smells of garlic and rosemary fill the house.  Now that it’s time to keep the house cool and find another reason to stay outdoors, the tofu works beautifully on the grill.  It requires just ten minutes on each side and there’s no baking dish to soak afterwards.  For this video, I used the Tofu Xpress to press the super firm tofu.  If you don’t have one and would like to press tofu the old-fashioned way or if you don’t know why someone would want to press tofu, check out this video.


Grilled Lemon Rosemary Tofu

Serves 2 generously (Or 2 plus leftovers)

  • 1 package (14 oz.) water-packed super firm tofu, pressed and sliced into 3 wide slices (or 6 short slices)

Marinade:

  • Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup)
  • 1 Tbsp. tamari soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated with a Microplane
  • A few shakes (or grinds) black pepper, to taste

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow pie dish or small baking dish. Soak the tofu slices in marinade for 1 hour, flipping once halfway through.  Set the grill to a medium heat and grill slices for about ten minutes on each side or until they have nice, brown grill marks.  Serve with a salad, grilled vegetable skewers, barley, or on a sandwich.

Also, what would a celebration be without a gift?  I contacted the folks at Strawesome about offering one of their beautifully-crafted glass straws for a giveaway, and they were kind enough to say yes.  I try to reduce the amount of plastic in my life, especially plastic that comes into contact with my food.  Glass straws are a great way to do that.  Plus, there’s less waste to throw away, and that’s better for everyone.  Their straws come in a variety of colors and sizes, and they’re all made by a family owned and operated Michigan company started by a stay-at-home mom.  I have one of their straws in amber, and I enjoy using it with a green smoothie or tall glass of cucumber, lemon, and mint water.  I’m always a fan of products that infuse day-to-day life with a bit more fun.  One random glass straw is up for grabs to a resident of the United States or Canada.

To enter, just leave a comment below.  For an extra entry, tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment telling me that you did.  The contest ends on June 30th, and a winner will be chosen randomly and announced on July 1st.  Until then, get outside and enjoy some sunshine (unless you live in the southern hemisphere, and then you have my condolences.)  ;)

Video: Savory and Delicious Red Wine Marinated Tofu

25 Mar

After yesterday’s video demonstration of pressing tofu, it seemed only natural to follow it up with another video on making a savory red wine marinade. I’ve posted the recipe for my red wine marinated tofu in the past, and it’s still one that I enjoy for its full-bodied flavors. This tofu is a lovely main course, as an addition to a leafy green salad, and reheats well for lunch in a sandwich or wrap.

I Have Some Pressing News…

24 Mar

I was recently at the grocery store with a tween in my life. We were wandering down the produce aisles and ended up by the water-packed tofu.

“How do you use that?” she asked.

“You drain it from the package…”

“Oh, okay,” she said, thinking that was the end of the story.

“Then, you cut the tofu into slices and lay them onto a plate covered in a kitchen towel.”

“Ah.” Now her face had this expression that seemed to say, “That’s weird.”

“Then you cover the tofu slices in another kitchen towel and top that with a hard-covered book.”

At this point it was getting ridiculous. I was starting to feel like that old SNL sketch with the taco wrapped in a pizza and covered in vegetarian chili…

“Finally, you top the book with a hand weight or kettlebell.”

“Oh, my gosh,” she said, exasperated. “I would never do that!”

At this point we’re both laughing as I eek out, “Then you let it sit like that for an hour until it’s pressed and you put it into a marinade.”

Until voicing the process to her tiny ears, I’d never realized how involved the whole thing sounds. But really, it only takes a minute to do. (Just watch my three minute video and see for yourself. ;) ) And the difference it makes in terms of the way the tofu picks up flavor and the dense, chewy texture it provides make it worth the effort. (If you’ve ever had soft, mushy tofu, you probably know what I mean…)

I don’t know if that tween will be picking up a package of tofu for herself anytime soon, but if she ever asks again, maybe I’ll just point her in the direction of preparing a tofu scramble instead.

“Just drain it from the package, crumble it in a pan with vegetables, add some spices, and you’re good to go.”

Nah, I’ll just hand her a Tofutti Cutie ice cream sandwich. Everyone understands that!

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