Michelle Dudash, RDN, registered dietitian, chef and author of the upcoming book, The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health, joined us today to share crave-worthy, yet easy mocktail recipes to help your Dry January efforts. Plus, they even have some health benefits.
Dry January is a movement that is now mainstream, with millions has now gone worldwide, with millions signing up, committing to going alcohol-free for 1 month, but no alcohol doesn’t have to mean switching to plain old water.
Mulled POM (1 serving)
Similar to mulled red wine, you get the same cozy spices and warmth with this drink made with POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. And you can heat it quickly in the microwave for an easy nightcap!
Dundash’s Mulled POM is a cozy, warming drink that is ready in minutes and is her current go-to weekday nightcap!
She works with POM Wonderful to help people make healthy choices. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice contains antioxidants, and studies show it contains four times the antioxidants as green tea and red wine!
POM also contains vitamin C and no added sugar. Every 8-ounce serving of POM is made by pressing two whole pomegranates, so you’re getting benefits from the arils, pith, and skin. Plus, it’s free of fillers and preservatives.
Ingredients:
- 8-ounces POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
- 2 cloves
- 1 slice fresh ginger-root
- 1/2 star anise
- 2 cardamom pods
*If you don’t have one of these spices, that’s okay, as long as you have a few to infuse flavors. Alternatively, add an herbal spiced tea bag to the POM after heating, in place of the whole spices.
Directions:
Pour POM into a microwave-safe mug or Pyrex measuring cup. Add the spices.
Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes, or until hot and steamy. Remove the spices and enjoy.
Turmeric Hot Chocolate (1 serving)
This golden hot chocolate is infused with ground turmeric spice, which adds a sweet and spicy taste.
- 1 cup milk (use your favorite kind, like cow’s milk or creamy almond milk)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Heat the milk and honey in a microwave-safe mug until steamy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa and turmeric. Garnish with nutmeg.
Bonus tips!
- Serve hot tea in a pre-warmed, proper china teacup and with a saucer.
- Add a small biscuit cookie to make it more inviting and satisfying (like Carr’s Whole Wheat Biscuit).
- Looking for cold bubbly? Support the local Circle Kombucha brand, which has 4 house flavors, plus one rotating seasonal flavor.
20-Minute (or Slow Cooker) Tikka Masala Recipe (5 servings)
Get ready for another cozy dinner idea with chef and registered dietitian Michelle Dudash, author of the upcoming The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook. Today she making Chicken Tikka Masala!
Chicken Tikka Masala is very popular dish that was created out of Indian and British cuisine influence.
Typically in this dish, the chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices first, then roasted at high heat, then simmered in a rich sauce.
Dudash has created her own 20-minute version you can make at home with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Dash Dinners Tikka Masala Meal Spice Kit
- Chicken breasts or thighs
- Tomato paste
- Canned coconut cream or heavy whipping cream
- Plain yogurt
The spices in Chicken Tikka Masala are key.
Michelle makes it super easy for you to make chicken Tikka Masala with newest spice kit flavor Dash Dinners Tikka Masala.
The spices in the dish are traditional and she uses the dried form for all of the seasonings and aromatics, with ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Plus, dried onion and garlic to save you time.
Get your Dash Dinners at dashdinners.com, Joe’s Butcher Shop & Seafood Market in Carmel, and Market Wagon.
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. Dash Dinners Tikka Masala Spice Kit
- 2 tsp. ghee or cooking oil
- 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into large chunks, patted dry
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (13.5-oz can) coconut milk
- Serve with: basmati rice, plain thick yogurt, chopped cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat large skillet on medium-high heat. Add ghee or oil.
2. Brown the chicken on one side, about 5 minutes.
3. Add spice kit and stir, reducing heat to medium.
4. Add tomato paste and stir.
5. Pour in coconut milk, using wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir well to blend tomato paste completely, using whisk if needed.
6. Simmer a few more minutes, until hot. Remove bay leaf.
Nutrition Facts (spice kit per serving): 25 calories, 0 g total fat, 350 mg sodium (15%
DV), 5 g total carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 1 g protein.
For more information visit, michelledudash.com and dashdinners.com.
Cheers to it finally being race weekend! Jacob Cantu, tasting room manager at West Fork Whiskey Co. and Ally Hall, Indiana sales manager at West Fork Whiskey Co. joined us today to share some tasty and simple recipes for the glasses you’ll be raising at home, including ready-made options.
First, they show us how to make a whiskey sour, a great summer cocktail that’s easy to make with just a few ingredients you can find in your kitchen.
They say what’s great about this cocktail is you can also make different variations for fun twists.
Then for something a tad bit easier, they also have Mint Condition Whiskey Smash canned cocktail, as well as their Cold Hamer canned cocktails.
For another option, if you want to mix your cocktail with as little effort as possible, they have ready-made cocktail mixers available where all you need to do is pour into your favorite spirit.
For more from West Fork Whiskey Co. visit their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.