“This vegan take on classic holiday eggnog (nicknamed “vegnog”) uses premade nog as a shortcut. Mix in a splash of liquor and add-ins of your choice for a festive holiday drink. Try cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, orange zest or a dollop of vegan whipped cream.”
Ingredients
4 cups vegan eggnog
4 ounces brandy, bourbon or rum
Garnishes of your choice, like cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, orange zest or a dollop of vegan whipped cream
Directions
1Combine eggnog and brandy (or bourbon or rum) in a small pitcher. Divide among 8 glasses and top with garnishes, if desired.
“Not loving your green tea? This recipe may change your mind. We start by boiling cranberries and mango slices with a bit of fresh ginger, and use that hot liquid to steep the tea bags. The fruity infusion and zing of ginger will definitely have you singing this tea’s praises.”
Ingredients
4 cups water
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen mango
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
4 green tea bags
Desired sugar substitute to taste (see Tip) (optional)
Thin lemon slices
Directions
1In a medium saucepan combine water, mango, cranberries and ginger. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
2Remove tea bags and discard. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, discarding solids. If desired, sweeten tea with desired sugar substitute and float a lemon slice in each cup. Serve tea immediately.
“Blend almond milk, strawberry and pineapple for a smoothie that’s so easy you can make it on busy mornings. A bit of almond butter adds richness and filling protein. Freeze some of the almond milk for an extra-icy texture.”
Ingredients
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
¾ cup chilled unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon almond butter
Directions
1Combine strawberries, pineapple, almond milk and almond butter in a blender. Process until smooth, adding more almond milk, if needed, for desired consistency. Serve immediately.
“This play on the Derby Day favorite the mint julep uses the whole sugar snap pea plant: pea greens in the simple syrup and snap pea “juice,” plus pea blossoms for garnish, if you’re lucky enough to find them.”
Ingredients
1 cup water, divided
½ cup sugar
1 cup pea greens (pea shoots), coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
½ cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
Pinch of salt
1 cup fresh mint leaves, divided, plus more for garnish
1½ cups bourbon, divided
⅓ cup lemon juice, divided
8 cups ice cubes, divided
Pea blossoms for garnish
Directions
1Combine ½ cup water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in pea greens. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Strain into a small bowl and refrigerate the syrup until cold, about 30 minutes.
2Meanwhile, combine snap peas and the remaining ½ cup water in a blender. Blend at medium speed for 1 minute. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Season with salt. Refrigerate the juice until cold, about 30 minutes.
3To prepare each cocktail: Place 2 tablespoons mint and 1½ tablespoons of the syrup in an Old-Fashioned glass. Mash the mint with a muddler or wooden spoon until lightly bruised. Add 3 tablespoons bourbon, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the pea juice. Add ½ cup ice cubes and stir. Top with another ½ cup ice cubes. Serve garnished with pea blossoms, additional pea greens and mint, if desired.
“Crystallized ginger—also called candied ginger—is the key ingredient in this fruit-flavored drink. By soaking it with pineapple juice for at least two hours, it gives this spritzer an added zing.”
Ingredients
4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
Ice cubes
2 cups carbonated water, chilled
Skewered fresh pineapple chunks (see Tip) (optional)
Directions
1In a pitcher, combine pineapple juice and ginger. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Strain juice mixture, discarding ginger.
2For each serving, pour pineapple juice into a tall glass over ice, filling each glass about three-fourths full. Add enough carbonated water to each glass to fill. If desired, garnish with skewered fresh pineapple.
“You’ll enjoy the rich fruity pear and orange flavors in every sip of this warm tea. If you can afford the carbohydrates, stir in a little honey to take away any bitterness from the orange.”
Ingredients
1 orange
3 cups water
2 (11.3 to 12 ounce) cans pear nectar
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
4 inches stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
6 tea bags
Small orange slices, halved (optional)
Stick cinnamon (optional)
Directions
1Using a vegetable peeler, remove three wide strips of peel from the orange; set peel aside. Juice the orange into a large saucepan.
2Add the water, pear nectar and honey (if using) to orange juice in saucepan. For spice bag: Place the 4 inches of stick cinnamon, the cloves and the orange peel strips in the center of a 6-inch square of double-thickness, 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Bring corners together and tie with 100%-cotton kitchen string. Add spice bag to pear nectar mixture.
3Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and spice bag; discard. Serve in warm mugs. If desired, float orange slices on top of individual servings and serve with additional stick cinnamon.
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