Orange, Banana, and Pineapple Frappe

Growing up in New England, I always assumed a "frappe" was synonymous with a milkshake everywhere in the world. Turns out this is one of those quirks of the Boston area, and a frappe to everyone else is a fruit-flavored smoothie, so sweet it falls somewhere between a beverage and a dessert. Whatever you decide to call it, this drink comes together in moments for a refreshing treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups banana chunks 
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup orange sections
• 1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon flaked coconut
• 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 8 ounces canned pineapple chunks, undrained

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.  The drink is best served immediately.

Note: Pretty much across the board for this recipe, I recommend organic ingredients, which won't be sweetened with bone-char sugar. That goes for the pineapple juice (try R.W. Knudsen or Lakewood), the coconut (try Woodstock Farms), the orange juice concentrate (Cascadian Farm is a good bet), and the canned pineapple (two to try: Whole Foods 365 or Native Forest).

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 177

Tasting Notes:
Amazingly sweet from the fruit, so you'll hardly believe there's no sugar or agave added. This was much like a homemade Odwalla smoothie - the same thick, richness, but fresher. Definitely use yogurt rather than a non-dairy milk - it adds an extra layer of creaminess that is the icing on the liquid cake.  Little tidbits of coconut top it all off to make you feel like you're on a tropical beach.

Rating:
3.5

Sangria

While I love a glass of (vegan) wine during the week, sangria just seems tailor-made for a Saturday night. Unlike some versions that are best made hours in advance, this one only needs about 30 minutes to chill.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 cup vegan sugar
• 1 (750 ml) bottle vegan Merlot*
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 (8 inch x 1 inch) orange rind strip
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 thinly sliced and seeded orange
• 1 thinly sliced and seeded lemon
• 2 cups club soda

1. In a pitcher or bowl, combine the orange juice, sugar, and wine, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. Press the cloves into the orange rind strip.

3. Add the strip to the wine mixture, along with the cinnamon sticks, sliced orange, and sliced lemon.  Chill at least 30 minutes.

3. Just before serving, stir in the club soda.

For the best presentation, serve in wine glasses filled with ice.

*Your options abound these days for vegan Merlot. One to try: the organic Merlot from Orleans Hill.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 cup), Calories 160 

Tasting Notes:
This sangria goes down easy, and indeed is quite sweet. If you prefer more of a kick, I recommend adding brandy to the mix, or decreasing the orange juice (or both), but as is, this would be the perfect drink for a hot summer night. The hints of cinnamon and orange are lovely, and I liked the fizz from the club soda.

Rating:
3.5

Sunrise Smoothie

A little caffeine from green tea makes this the perfect smoothie to start your day, hence the recipe's name.

Ingredients:

• 4 kiwifruit (about 12 ounces)
• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas
• 4 fruit-flavored green tea bags*
• 1 and 1/2 cups light soy milk
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar

1. Peel and cube the kiwifruit and cut the bananas into 1-inch pieces. Place the kiwifruit and banana in a large zip-top plastic bag and seal; freeze for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the tea bags in a medium bowl.  Bring the soy milk to a boil, and pour over the tea bags; steep for 3 minutes. 

Well now, here's a nice message to find on your vegan tea:

Note: I recommend bringing the soy milk to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, and stirring frequently, to prevent it from scorching on the bottom of the pan.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and discard the tea bags.  Stir in the agave and let cool.

4. In a blender, combine the kiwifruit, bananas, and tea mixture.  Process until smooth.

An extra slice of kiwifruit makes a lovely garnish.

*Any fruit-flavored green tea will work, or you can try making this smoothie several times with different flavors and seeing which you like best. This morning, I used the pomegranate green tea from Yogi Tea.

Nutrition Info:
5 servings (1/2 cup), Calories 125 

Tasting Notes:
For all the effort I took to steep the tea in the soy milk, I couldn't really taste the fruit flavors, since the kiwi and banana stole the show - though of course that's not a bad thing. If you want a simpler smoothie, consider blending the fruit with vanilla non-dairy milk and agave and leave it at that. Of course, even without the taste, you'll still get antioxidants and caffeine from the green tea method, so perhaps it's worth it after all.

Rating:
3.5

Update:
If you're not a kiwifruit fan, other fruits work just as well here. I tried a strawberry version and liked it even better. The strawberries competed less with the green tea flavor, so the tea contributed more than just an antioxidant boost. This difference may also be because I used a different fruit-flavored green tea variety, the tropical green tea from Mighty Leaf:

Simply substitute 12 ounces halved strawberries for the kiwifruit above, but keep the rest of the recipe the same.

Because strawberries and kiwifruit by weight are different volumes, note that your serving sizes will change.

Banana-Mango Smoothie

Get your week off to a good start with this energizing smoothie. Adding a tablespoon of dry soy powder adds extra vitamins and calcium, but you can easily make the smoothie without it if you have none on hand. If you don't have time to freeze the mango for 1 hour in the morning, pop into the freezer in an airtight container the night before, but in that case, let stand for 15 minutes to soften slightly before adding to the blender.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peeled and cubed ripe mango
• 3/4 cup sliced ripe banana
• 2/3 cup plain non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon dry soy milk powder
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Arrange the mango cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour, until firm.

2. Transfer the frozen mango to a blender, along with all the remaining ingredients.  Process until smooth.

The smoothie alone makes an excellent breakfast if you're a light eater in the morning. For a heartier start to the day, try serving with a vegan muffin from Everyday Gourmet vegan bakery. I adore their berries-and-creme flavor.

Nutrition Info:
2 servings (1 cup), Calories 160

Tasting Notes:
So naturally sweet from the ripe mango, you'll never believe there's only one teaspoon of agave in here. In fact, I want to go back and dub this a Banana Pudding Smoothie, because it was like drinking a rich and creamy dessert - delicious! It's the perfect texture (not too thick, not too thin) and quite filling. This drink will definitely jump start your day.

Rating:
4

Update:
Have fun playing around with this basic recipe, by varying the fruit. I had a bag of frozen mixed berries, so I used that in place of the mango, keeping the rest of the recipe the same.

Although I preferred the mango version, this one came together even faster, and was just as thick and fruity.

Yum.

Hot Chocolate with Ginger

It's a beautiful snowy day outside my window, ergo the perfect day for a mug of hot chocolate. Ginger adds an extra dose of warm spice to this version.  I made the following recipe with soy milk, but any non-dairy milk will work, according to your preference. If coffee is more your hot beverage of choice, check out my post for Tahitian Coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegan sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 cups plain non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate sundae syrup (such as Santa Cruz)

1. Combine the ginger, sugar, and water in a saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and turns golden, stirring frequently.

2. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then add the milk and chocolate syrup. Return to the burner and heat over medium-low heat, stirring with a whisk.

3. Continue to cook until bubbles form around the edges, but do not boil - a candy thermometer should read about 180 degrees.  This step took quite a bit longer than I anticipated, since you are using low heat; plan on about 30 minutes.  Strain through a sieve over a bowl and discard the solids.

Serve plain, or add vegan marshmallows (I especially like the mini ones from Sweet & Sara). A dusting of cocoa powder makes a nice garnish.

This cocoa is great for a snack when you come in from the cold, but I also liked it at brunch with open-faced vegan ham-and-asparagus sandwiches on baguette.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (3/4 cup), Calories 190

Tasting Notes:
A great cup of cocoa; the ginger infused every sip, without being overpowering. Under the ginger, this is smooth and chocolatey and will warm you right up.  Definitely delicious with marshmallows, but I actually preferred it without, to savor the cocoa to the max. 

Rating:
3.5

Vegan extra:
Although cocoa is a nice indulgence, primarily I'm a coffee drinker. Coffee, of course, is vegan, but I prefer to support companies that take into account their environmental impact (including on the habitat of animals), so I always look for rainforest alliance certified brands. My favorite these days is the Espresso Sierra from Allegro, which is not only organic and fair trade, but also shade grown (helping to prevent deforestation and soil erosion).

Another great brand to check out is Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Try their "Save the Wolves" roast, another shade-grown organic option, whose name says it all.

Tahitian Coffee

I'm not sure if this recipe is actually something folks drink in Tahiti. But just as Bailey's Irish cream makes regular coffee into Irish hot coffee or Kahlua makes it into Mexican hot coffee, the addition of dark rum certainly makes this drink feel suited to a Tahitian isle.  Serve in place of spiked eggnog, mulled cider, or hot cocoa as you gather with friends and family in the next few days.

Ingredients:

• 2 and 3/4 cups hot strong brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 tablespoon vegan sugar
• 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla non-dairy ice cream
• 4 cinnamon sticks (optional for garnish)

1. In a pitcher or bowl, combine the coffee, rum, and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. Pour 3/4 cup coffee mixture into each of 4 mugs, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons ice cream (I used the soy vanilla from So Delicious).

Cinnamon sticks make a lovely garnish, plus impart a touch of cinnamon flavor to every sip.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (3/4 cup coffee, 2 tablespoons ice cream), Calories 75

Tasting Notes:
Turns out the key here is the cinnamon stick garnish; the bitter black coffee and strong dark rum would have been too much for me otherwise, but slip the cinnamon stick in and let it infuse the drink with sweet-spicy goodness and you have a fantastic holiday drink. The ice cream melts quickly to become the "cream" in this coffee. Although the initial contrast between hot coffee and frozen ice cream is yummy, the overall effect is that you soon have a tepid beverage. Instead, I recommend Soyatoo's whipped cream, so the coffee doesn't cool down so much. If you do stick with ice cream, I recommend using a full 1/4 cup per serving; the drink is quite strong and black with only 2 tablespoons. But this recipe is still a fun alternative holiday beverage.

Rating:
3

Vegan extra:
Finding great beauty tools can be a little frustrating as a vegan. Luckily, I recently discovered EcoTools, eco-conscious and 100% cruelty-free makeup brushes with no animal bristles.

You can purchase individual brushes, or a cute little set with every tool you need to apply your holiday party face. Bonus points for the adorable carrying pouch made from cotton and hemp.

Peach Cooler

Part-beverage, part-Italian ice, consider this a slushy for grown ups.  It's the perfect way to use all those super-fresh peaches you've picked up at the farmers' market.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups peeled and coarsely chopped peaches
• 1 and 1/2 cups water, divided*
• 3/4 cup vegan sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white rum

1. Combine the peaches and 1/2 cup water in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.  Transfer to a sieve, and strain into a bowl, pressing with a spatula.  Discard the solids.

Note: the 'solids' are the coarse bits of peach flesh that don't puree all the way down, so you're left with a smooth peach liquid.  The final product should have the result of a strained soup.

2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 cup water and the sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the peach mixture, lemon juice, and rum.  Pour the mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish.  Cover and freeze until firm - at last 4 hours, but you'll probably need closer to 7 or 8 hours.  The mixture should no longer be liquid, but it also shouldn't be frozen so solid that you can't remove it from your baking dish.

3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until slushy - at this point it looks like a blended daiquiri or frozen margarita.  

4. Return to the baking dish and return to the freezer for at least 3 hours.  Let stand in the fridge for 30 minutes to soften slightly before serving.  I enjoyed serving with straws for a fun presentation.

*Although it doesn't matter so much for the 1 cup water that gets boiled, I recommend using filtered water for the 1/2 cup pureed with the peaches.  Since that portion of water is never heated, you'll want to be sure it contains no impurities.  Tap water is fine, on the other hand, for 1 cup water that comes to a boil.

Nutrition Info:
8 serving (2/3 cup), Calories 109 

Tasting Notes:
Peachy keen!  Which I mean quite literally - the taste of fresh peaches shining through.  I worried this would be too sweet, and although borderline, I ended up enjoying it.  Decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup if you want a little more peach, a little less sweet.  The lemon juice gave it a nice bright note, and the rum was only slightly distinguishable, so use more if you want this to be a cocktail-hour treat.  My only real complaint was with the texture.  In retrospect, I would serve just after pureeing until slushy, instead of returning to the freeze for another 3 hours.  By then, it really is more like a granita or sorbet than a drink.

Let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes if you agree, and you'll wind up with something closer to this:

Rating:
3.5

Raspberry-Orange Sunrises

Here's the perfect beverage to pour in honor of Mom for brunch this Mother's Day weekend.  Definitely take the time to squeeze out fresh oranges for the best flavor, and serve with any brunch food - breakfast burritos, muffins and fruit, or a hearty strata are all great vegan dishes to serve.  Either way, please take a moment and remember the mother cows, mother pigs, and mother hens this Mother's Day, who don't get to keep their babies - and then kick dairy, eggs, and meat from your plate in their honor!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 and 1/2 cups sparkling wine*
• 3 orange slices (optional for garnish)

1. Combine the orange juice and raspberries in a blender and process until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl or pitcher.  Stir in the sparkling wine.

2. Serve over ice in juice glasses.  Cut 3 orange slices in half, and add an orange half to each glass rim as garnish if desired; the garnish reminded me of a little sun rising on the horizon.

*For the sparkling wine, it doesn't have to be true champagne: prosecco, cava, or American sparkling wines will all work just as well here.  Either way, dozens of sparkling wines are on the vegan safe-list at barnivore.com, including the ubiquitous Veuve Clicquot, so you shouldn't have much trouble.  Choose a semisweet variety (often labeled demi-sec), not one that's extra dry (brut).

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 cup), Calories 178 

Tasting Notes:
One of the most refreshing brunch cocktails I've ever had - a cross between a raspberry sorbet punch and a mimosa.  I liked that the drink was only lightly effervescent from the champagne, but didn't have the strong taste of alcohol.  Zero complaints on this one.

Rating: 
4

Mojito

Chances are, you're drinking either a margarita or a mint julep today on the combo Cinco de Mayo/Kentucky Derby.  But when it comes to minty refreshing cocktails, my favorite has always been the mojito.  Originally a Cuban drink, this quick mix of mint, sugar, and rum is simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons vegan sugar
• 10 small mint leaves
• 1/4 cup white rum
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 cup chilled club soda
• 1 mint sprig (optional for garnish)

1. Place the sugar and mint in a tall glass and crush with the back of a long-handled wooden spoon.  Fill the glass with crushed ice.

2. Add the rum, lime juice, and club soda.  An extra mint sprig makes a lovely little garnish.

This recipe makes enough for one, but repeat as needed to feed a crowd.  Mojitos are great for parties because people love to muddle together their own sugar and mint, and you can tell them to adjust the ingredient amounts according to taste. 

Nutrition Info:
1 serving (about 1 cup), Calories 169

Tasting Notes:
Super refreshing - unlike some versions I've received in a bar, this recipe has just the right touch of sweetness and a nice ratio of rum to club soda.  I didn't like filling the glass with crushed ice.  First, the ice diluted the cocktail too much, and second, because of the shape of the tall glass, the crushed ice all gathered near the top, obstructing a perfect sip of minty rum.  I solved the problem by transferring to a brandy glass, after which the mojito was excellent - thirst quenching, minty fresh, and made for a spring celebration.  The lower rating below, therefore, reflects this recipe as written, and would be higher once my suggested improvements are implemented

Rating:
3

Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie

Even vegans need a reminder every now and then to load up on fruits and veggies with antioxidants (I know you're out there, junk-food vegans).  Luckily doing so is not only delicious but easy.  This smoothie, for example, is full of vitamin C from the strawberries and kiwi. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen whole strawberries
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 peeled and halved kiwifruit
• 3 peeled and halved firm bananas

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Unlike most smoothie recipes, which are best blended right before serving, this one will benefit from a stint in the fridge to chill thoroughly (making it even more ideal for breakfast, since you can blend it up the night before).

Note: because the strawberries go into the blender frozen, they actually take the place of ice cubes in this recipe too. Thaw any remaining strawberries from the package and serve plain, or use to top cereal or stir into non-dairy yogurt.

You can try this smoothie by itself for a quick breakfast on the go, or serve with toasted whole wheat bagels smeared with peanut butter, and a cup of green tea for a leisurely, antioxidant-packed weekend breakfast.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 176 

Tasting Notes:
A thick and creamy smoothie; the trio of fruits blended nicely, but I would call this more of a strawberry-banana smoothie than a strawberry-kiwi one.  Would leave out one banana next time and add 1 or 2 more kiwifruit, since they're small.  I would also add a touch more vanilla extract - the subtle vanilla flavor got lost under the fruit.  If you prefer a slightly thinner consistency, I recommend adding a touch more soy milk.

Rating:
3

If you're looking for a few other quick antioxidant-packed snack ideas, here are just two of my favorites:

Carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower served with the non-dairy Ranch dressing from Organicville:

And of course you can't go wrong with a handful of pistachios: