Get some cocoa powder, coconut milk, and other milk of choice on your way home from work/school/etc. because you’re going to want to celebrate…
National Hot Chocolate Day!
I heard about the holiday on twitter earlier and decided to whip up something for the special event. I actually tried googling to learn more about the holiday, but as it turns out (like it does with many of these food or at least lesser-known holidays) there are multiple National Hot Chocolate Days. But who needs a legit holiday to celebrate something as simple as hot chocolate, right?
That’s what I’m going with…
WIth my newly-found excuse to make hot chocolate, I decided to work up a recipe for something else inspired by twitter – coconut milk hot chocolate. I tried this once a year or so ago when I heard a twitter friend mention it on a particularly cold and dreary day, except I used 100% coconut milk for the recipe. As it turns out, too much of a good thing really can be…well, not so good. The full-coconut milk hot chocolate was just so-so. I found it to be too thick and rich (perhaps because I was using the canned version instead of the carton type?).
Lesson learned. This time, I followed my trick for making oatmeal with coconut milk – I went 50% coconut milk and 50% something else. When I make oatmeal, the other 50% is usually water. Today, for the hot cocoa, I decided to use some rice milk.
And since I was feeling really festive, I also whipped up (literally) some whipped cream for the top. Mmm…
Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate
It doesn’t have to be National Hot Chocolate Day for you to enjoy this cozy drink. Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate yields a tasty twist on this classic dessert beverage. As for making the drink from scratch…For most of my life I used packaged hot chocolate mixes to make hot chocolate, but from-scratch really takes very little additional effort. I made mine stovetop, but you could easily adjust the recipe to make it quicker in the microwave. Oh, and if you’re feeling particularly lazy, you can try skipping the step of mixing the cocoa powder in a separate bowl by putting it straight in the pot…however, I find that usually creates lumps making the extra step useful. And I only used 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, which I thought tasted plenty rich, true chocoholics may want to add 1-2 additional teaspoons.
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1 (but you can easily multiply for fellow chocoholics)
*Vegetarian, Vegan if you use vegan milks and whipped cream*
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (canned), or sub carton version for a lighter flavor or sub other milk of choice if you really want
- 1/2 cup rice milk, plus 1-2 tablespoons (or sub other milk of choice, but please read above story before using coconut here, too)
- 2 rounded teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- sweetener of choice, to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon of agave syrup)
- whipped cream, optional, for serving
Directions:
- Place coconut milk and 1/2 cup rice milk in a small pot over medium low heat.
- Meanwhile, place cocoa powder and extra tablespoon of rice milk in a small bowl. Whisk until a paste/thick mixture forms and powder is absorbed. Add additional tablespoon of rice milk, if needed.
- Whisk cocoa mixture into milk mixture. Heat till hot but not boiling.
- Pour into a mug and top with whipped cream, if using.
- Serve and enjoy once the drink is cool enough to safely drink.
Enjoy!
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PS: It’s the last day of Eat in Month! Gotta admit…I can’t wait to eat out again! lol
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Reader question: Are you celebrating National Hot Chocolate Day today? Do you prefer “regular” hot chocolate or a particular flavor?
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Hubby and I had a pretty low key weekend, which was great for me. I’m in serious need of more down time. We pretty much just relaxed, took care of a few things around the house, and enjoyed some good eats. We did get the chance to make it out to a neat exhibition in town – Mummies of the World. I’ve watched a couple historical shows on mummies recently, so it was interesting to see in person.
Anywho, I made something fun this weekend and wanted to share with you guys…
A Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Mmm…
I realize it’s a bit late in the season (or completely past the season…whatevs), but timing hasn’t always been one of my strong points. I had a can of pumpkin I didn’t want taking up space in my pantry till next fall, so I decided to go ahead and open it for some everyday eats.
I based the smoothie on my Blueberry Pie Smoothie with a couple simple ingredient swaps. Pumpkin was obviously the star ingredient, but I also added one of my favorite, staple smoothie ingredients – banana. I think bananas give smoothies a nice texture and add natural sweetness, so I like to include them in most smoothies I make.
Hello beta-carotene!
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Here’s a great way to use leftover (and healthful) canned pumpkin. I did a play on my Blueberry Pie Smoothie with a new flavor profile. You could add canned pumpkin to any ole smoothie, but paired with oats, cinnamon, and vanilla, you get a more pie-like flavor, which is way more fun.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk (or other non-dairy or dairy milk), sweetened (or use unsweetened milk, dairy or non-dairy – just also add a drop of vanilla and your sweetener of choice, to taste) – see notes above
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pumpkin (this will yield a light pumpkin flavor – add more to taste)
- 2 ice cubes
- dash-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste (or sub pumpkin pie spice)
Directions:
- Combine milk and oats in a medium bowl/pyrex and let rest in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
- Combine milk/oat mixture, banana, pumpkin, ice cubes, and cinnamon in a blender. Blend till ingredients are combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes, or until smoothie reaches your desired consistency.
- Enjoy!
You may also enjoy:
Reader question: Do you only eat pumpkin in one season or all year long?
There’s a little under a week left of Eat in Month, and I’m pretty excited about February getting here. But, I’m not letting EIM keep me from any fun.
I hadn’t seen my friend, Dana, in awhile, so when she IMed me the other day about getting dinner, I was initially really excited. Then, I remembered I was still in EIM. But my sweet friend offered to just have me over for dinner instead.
She made this delicious chicken-creole dish. It was comforting and had just the right amount of spice to it. I’ll have to ask her for the recipe.
Has anyone else been doing entertaining “in” for EIM?
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With one week left in Eat in Month, or if you are trying to slow down on your take-out splurging, I thought I’d share some TCL recipes/non-recipes you could whip up to re-create take-out in the comfort of your home.
5 Take-Out-Like Meals to Make at Home
(Most are recipes, one is a non-recipe…which is more like a tip/idea post)
1. Easy Pizza Night – the most commonly ordered take-out in our house
2. Tangy Tamari Tempeh Noodles – a favorite for lunch or dinner
3. Easy No-Marinade Chicken Fajitas – simple and made without pre-packaged seasoning
4. Whole Health Noodle Soup – reminds me of the noodle bowls I used to order during lunch all the time
5. Chana Masala – this should keep me away from the Indian buffet a bit longer
I was hoping to re-create some common take-out dishes to share the recipes with you guys, but work has been swamping me. But, even if I can’t do it for EIM, I’d like to try to re-create some take-out meals anyways. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to post them one day soon. Any requests?
Hope you’re all having a great week!
My mom has cooked many things over the years, but her beef stroganoff is a true classic in our family. I’ve been enjoying this dish for as long as I can remember. And now, hubby is a fan, too.
I’d say the recipe has remained the same over the years, but I did try to change it one time when I was about middle school age. Mom always put mushrooms in the dish, and since I wasn’t a fan of them, I often voiced my displeasure. After growing tired of my begging to remove the them, she finally told me one day (somehow very patiently) that she’d make her beef stroganoff sans mushrooms next time. I eagerly awaited the next appearance of beef stroganoff on the dinner table.
The next time it was beef stroganoff night, mom tried one last time to talk me into keeping the mushrooms as she began preparing dinner. “It really tastes better with the mushrooms in, honey.” I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t wait to taste the meal without those yucky mushrooms. I just knew it was going to be so much better. She’d see.
Once dinner was served, I eagerly dug in. I remember it a bit more animated than I’m sure it actually was. Me smiling like an overly-enthusiastic cartoon with big googley eyes. Fork raised and ready to dig in and then moving in slow motion. Fork to plate…fork to mouth…chew…chew…cheeeeeewwwww? Eyes shrinking…smile slowly disappearing. The slow realization that it tasted like crap. Ok, it didn’t taste like crap, but mom was right…it really did taste better with mushrooms.
C’est la via…lesson learned. And to this day, I always include mushrooms. Sometimes, I cut them so large they’re easy to pick out. Sometimes, I mince them so they are practically undetectable. Large or small, obvious or not, the mushrooms are always there.
Mom’s Beef Stroganoff
This is probably one of those recipes that was passed around in the 80s by all the cool moms. I’m sure there are similar ones out there, but this is our take. Oh, and if you didn’t read my story earlier in this blog post, be sure to include mushrooms (unless you’re allergic) to get the full taste. I’m not a fan, but I always add them. I like to use cremini, mostly because I enjoy the flavor and you can get them individually at the grocery store, but feel free to substitute your favorite. Anywho, this meal makes an affordable an easy meal that I gravitate towards on my busy weeknights.
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 small-medium onion, chopped
- 3 cremini mushrooms (I use just enough to get the flavor I want, but feel free to add more), sliced or minced (whichever you prefer)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 small square (like Wyler’s) or 1 large rectangle (like Knorr) beef bouillon cube
- salt & pepper, to season
- 1 small container sour cream
- cooked pasta (I like egg noodles with this) or rice for serving
- parsley, dried or fresh, optional
- paprika, optional
Directions:
- Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook till browned, about 5 minutes.
- Skim fat and then add butter, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook till beef is well browned and onions are translucent, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add water, sherry, lemon juice, bouillon cube(s). Cook till all the liquid is gone, stirring frequently. Mom’s tip: be sure to wait till all the liquid is gone before moving to the next step or the sauce will be too liquidy.
- Turn off heat, add sour cream, and stir till well combined.
- Serve over pasta or rice. Top with parsley and paprika, if using. Serve with a vegetable, too – I like steamed broccoli with a drizzle of butter.
Hope you enjoy this as much as my family has. Happy cooking!
Reader question: What classic recipes did you grow up eating?
