try this if you love chai: turmeric spiced milk tea

i’ve read several places that turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. all that sounds pretty amazing, so i got a small bag from bulk at whole foods to try. i wasn’t sure what i was going to do with it other than use it to season chickpeas, until i got to the checkout.

the cashier was telling me that she takes turmeric every day for her knee, and that you can add it to warm milk, like a turmeric latte- and i knew i had to try this. turns out an antioxidant in turmeric called curcumin is responsible for doing the inflammation-reducing. (read more about it here, another legit source for info on complementary/alternative medicine.)

i was in even greater luck to find this recipe on Making Love in the Kitchen when i got home, as i like to actually follow a recipe when i’ve never cooked with something.

1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch each of ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water
1 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
honey

1. on the stove, simmer spices, milk, and water for 10 minutes. stir often so the milk doesn’t crust on the bottom of the pot.
2. pour through a fine mesh strainer into a mug (using my handy flour sifter until i shell out for a real strainer).
3. add honey to taste (a teaspoon is good). enjoy your first yellow tea ever.

make your own bubble tea

this recipe is adapted from one here for mango coconut bubble tea. when one bubble tea at a café is $3 to $4, and you discover that you can easily make it yourself, it’s hard to justify paying more for convenience. (yes, below that is my bubble tea in a beer stein.)

tapioca pearls (boba) can be found at asian grocery stores. i got my coconut milk there too. i always wondered what those bubbles were, and it turns out they’re a starch- that means no added sugar. unfortunately, they do have calories. mango is a higher-sugar fruit, but you could use something else. or go fruitless and do tea and/or milk. fyi, the only ingredients in the coconut milk were coconut extract and water. and i didn’t buy big straws this time, but you can just eat the pearls with a spoon if buying straws isn’t a necessity for you.

1 tea bag of your choice (i used green)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (refrigerate the rest)
1/2 cup boba if you want a generous amount of pearls, 1/4 cup otherwise
1 mango, flesh cut in chunks

1. first, prepare the tea. boil 1 cup water. pour into a mug and steep for 5 minutes. remove the bag and let cool in the fridge or freezer, depending on your time frame.
2. boil 4 cups of water. gently stir in pearls. they’ll expand. cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. remove from heat. let the pearls sit in the water for 10 minutes.
4. towards the end of those 10 minutes, in a blender, blend the mango with coconut milk and tea.
5. rinse the pearls in a strainer. (i used all of mine, so i didn’t have any leftovers, but i read that you can save them for 2-3 days if you pour a little maple syrup over them to prevent from sticking.)
6. pour desired amount of pearls into the bottom of a tall glass, and pour milk tea on top.

another pumpkin iteration: the smoothie

a friend gave me this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, and it’s a winner. it’s low-sugar, especially if you use unsweetened milk and natural nut butter. this is perfect for breakfast. i might try it again and find a way to make the pumpkin stand out more, maybe add some vanilla…

1/4 to 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 banana
a few ice cubes

make your own pumpkin spice latte

already my third pumpkin-related recipe on here. but pumpkin=comfort, and i don’t want to wait all year for it.

this is obviously not as sugary sweet as the starbucks version because you’re not using  a thick syrup, but the pumpkin itself adds the creamy thickness you would find in a good latte. and the homemade way is naturally low-sugar! i didn’t even feel like it needed my liquid stevia, but i’m sure you could add a few drops.

adapted from a recipe at the kitchn, a site from where i will surely be testing more recipes.

2 tablespoons dark ground coffee
1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
at least 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (but… i did about 4)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. brew your coffee- if you’re using a regular coffee maker, brew coffee with 1/2 cup water. you’re only going to be using 1/4 cup total of brewed coffee, but somehow it evaporates if you use only 1/4 cup water in the coffee maker to begin with. if you’re a lucky french press owner, you might need to do that, too.
2. warm milk in a pot over medium heat on the stove, whisking WELL to combine the pumpkin, vanilla, and spices.
3. pour 1/4 cup coffee into a large mug, and pour the milk mixture on top. enjoy the taste of fall year-round!