Archives: comfort food

Cinnamon hot cocoa has been my new winter drink!

YUMMY

It’s super simple to make and tastes absolutely divine. Personally, I enjoy making my own hot cocoa instead of buying it in the package – but that’s just me.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this delicious concoction:

1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk or regular milk

1 cinnamon stick

In a saucepan over medium heat – pour the milk in and heat it up for 2 minutes before adding in the rest of the ingredients. Then add the cocoa stirring well to clear up the clumps, add the agave and cinnamon stick.

Keep it in the pan until nice and hot stirring occasionally to get all the flavors to blend well together.

Then carefully pour into your mug with the cinnamon stick so you can continue to get those delicious flavors – curl up on the couch with a comfy blanket and enjoy!

With this cold weather marching through Manhattan we’ve decided to make a yummy, comforting meal for dinner tonight.

Brisket! Yes it really is delicious and I highly recommend trying it.

This dish works really well in a slow cooker. You can prepare it in the morning before work, leave it on all day (8 hours) then your cooker should automatically turn to warm and your all set for din din.

For a side dish to go along with it we haven’t decided if we’re making a bean dish or sweet potatoes. Tough call… You can also make a grain of your choice. Be creative.

Here’s the recipe.

1 package of grass fed beef brisket from your local farmers market, or supermarket

1 yellow onion

1 clove of garlic

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

4-5 tomatoes depending on their size (if very large then only 1-2 tomatoes)

½ cup tomato sauce of your choice (I like Cucina Antica because there’s no added junk)

2 cups red wine (Anything that you’ve got lying around BUT it should be something that you would drink in a glass)(If you don’t have enough wine you can add 1 cup vegetable broth instead – that’s what I had to do – still yummy!)

10 olives (I like the Greek olives but you can use any that you like)

Start by cutting any fat off your meat. Wash it off and then lightly coat both sides with olive oil. Place the meat in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Finely slice the onion and put that in the cooker. Grate the garlic clove right over the cooker. Peel and chop the carrots, then place them in the cooker as well. Wash your celery and then chop in small pieces then add to the cooker. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces and add them as well as the juice from them into the cooker. Then add the tomato sauce, red wine and place the olives on top.

Turn your cooker on low for 8 hours and enjoy a delicious meal when it’s all done.

I’ll post a picture when mine is finished cooking. Enjoy!