Luckily(?), we’ve only had 1 power outage, so I’ve been able to whirl together all kinds of frozen drinks. My favorite so far has been a simple, 2-ingredient strawberry hibiscus tea.

To make Frozen Strawberry Hibiscus Tea, start by brewing a big batch of hibiscus flower tea. (You can use tea bags or dried hibiscus flowers. I use 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers for every 2 cups of water and steep about 10 minutes.) Once it cools, pour some of the tea into standard ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Pop the remaining tea in the fridge.

When you’re ready to be refreshed, combine 1/2 cup of cold hibiscus tea with 1 cup of fresh sliced strawberries in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hibiscus tea ice cubes and blend again until smooth and icy. If you want the drink to be more slushy, blend in a few extra cubes. Simple as that.

Adding sweetener is up to you and the sweetness of your fruit. Give it a taste and adjust as you like. Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or even grapefruit juice would be worth the effort. Play around! I’ve also made this drink with fresh raspberries- extra tart and refreshing. Peaches, you’re next on my list. Or, maybe blueberry hibiscus tea blended with extra blueberries? I’m loving the possibilities.

Stay cool everyone!

Recipe Link:

Hibiscus Flower Tea (Agua de Jamaica) from A Cozy Kitchen

Product Link:

Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code (I use a Vitamix.)

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Cucumber Tomato Salad with Za’atar Recipe
1 large slicing cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons za’atar seasoning

In a bowl combine cucumber, tomato and onion. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Srinkle with za’atar; stir to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Taste and season with additional za’atar or sea salt, if desired.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups salad

Tip: If you use an English cucumber, there is no need to peel or seed. I used a slicing cucumber with thick skin and large seeds, so opted to remove both.

Recipe Links:
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
Thai Inspired Cucumber Cashew Salad from GreenLiteBites

The post Cucumber Tomato Salad with Za’atar Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Slow Roasted Ratatouille. Inspired by my recipe for roasted tomatoes, I decided to slow roast all of the veggies in ratatouille. Nice idea. Lackluster results. The tomatoes got waaaaay too sweet and the other veggies got a bit dried out. I might try making oven ratatouille again in a hotter oven. I can ponder the recipe when I’m eating Just-OK-Ratatouille all week.

Something I have been making all summer long is fresh spring rolls (a.k.a. summer rolls). I don’t follow any certain recipe, but just wrap up whatever fresh veggies I have like cucumber, leaf lettuce or baby beet greens, avocado and fresh herbs. My favorite thing about spring rolls is that you can make just a few at a time. I think of spring roll wrappers as bread that lasts in your pantry indefinitely…just grab a few wrappers and roll up something fresh and delicious. If you’ve never made spring rolls, check out this awesome tutorial from White on Rice Couple showing How to Roll Fresh Spring Rolls.

This simple Cucumber Tomato Salad is seasoned with Za’atar. I am Za’atar obsessed. Or maybe sesame seasoning obsessed. I love just about any sesame based mix like Gomasio (used here), and Shichimi Togarashi (discovered here). I have even given bottles of Shichimi Togarashi as gifts and keep a bottle at work. Really. Obsessed.

Something I’m not obsessed with? Tempeh.

Dear tempeh- It’s just not working out. I’ve tried to learn to like you. Just this week I fried you up and glazed you in a lovely sriracha-soy sauce. You have a funky taste and texture. It’s not me. It’s you. You’ll never be to me what tofu is. We’re through.

Finally, I’ve been doing some improvised baking thanks to a poorly stocked pantry and extreme disinterest in going to the store. I was craving my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, but didn’t have any almond flour on hand. I made them with almond butter instead and had pretty good results. I’m tweaking the almond butter cookie recipe, and will post it soon(ish).

I’ve also been making fruit crisp each week. The Minnesota blueberries have been amazing this year, the best I can remember. They’re only available for a few weeks, so I tend to overbuy and come home with a huge sack of blueberries. I’ve been making blueberry crisp to use ‘em up. I’m not complaining, but do fear that my teeth with become permanently stained blue from the berries. When I get my hands on some ripe peaches, I’ll switch to this Peach Crisp. (P.S. I ran out of cinnamon, so I’ve been using Chinese 5 Spice Powder in the crisp topping. It. Tastes. Awesome.)

That’s what I’ve been making. What have you been cooking?

-Jen

The post Things I’ve been making appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

You can buy pre-mixed za’atar, but I opt to make my own so I can customize it. (Next time I may leave out the oregano or use fresh herbs rather than dried.) Either way, it’s a delicious mix that can be sprinkled on everything from cucumber salad to roasted cauliflower to hummus to Greek yogurt dip. It’s also great baked on pita chips.

Hand-Mixed Za’atar Recipe
1 tablespoon ground sumac
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Mix sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, oregano and salt. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 2 1/2 tablespoons. Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled, but I recommend making a small batch and adjusting proportions to suit your tastes.

More ways to use za’atar:
Chickpea Za’atar Salad from Green Kitchen Stories
Fattoush Salad with Za’atar from My New Roots

The post Hand-Mixed Za’atar Seasoning Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Dried hibiscus flowers can be found in Latin markets or good tea shops. I get mine from TeaSource.

Blueberry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
2 cups water, heated just to boiling
Ice
Lemon or lime slices
Natural sweetener, if desired

Add blueberries to a heatproof container. Use a muddler or spoon to gently break up blueberries. Add hibiscus flowers and heated water to container; steep, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Drain mixture; discard solids. Chill tea mixture for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice with lemon or lime slices and a few extra blueberries. Sweeten as desired.

Makes 2 cups

Tip: The best part of making your own tea is that you control the sweetness. If you enjoy drinking unsweetened iced tea, don’t add any sweetener.

Recipe Link:
Hibiscus Green Tea Soda

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