Okay, got a lot to catch up on, can’t believe it’s already day 5! I’m going to jump right into it and review four recipes for you this evening, YES!
First up, the Cold Brew Mocha Frappe. I’m not a usual coffee drinker, but I thought the readers would appreciate this recipe reviewed, especially in the heart of the summer. Also, I had leftover coffee from when friends were in town. And I guess i had a sudden coffee craving. So I felt like it was a no brainer. Here is my full review:
Ingredients, Preparation and Cost – I really liked the minimal ingredients on this one, although there wasn’t really a note stating that you had to start this the night before, this should be included in the preparation time at the beginning of the recipe (to make the milk cubes and to brew the coffee). It was very minimal cost which was nice as well, and you can easily make an inexpensive chocolate syrup, that is what I did. I mixed coconut oil, cocoa powder and maple syrup. I think however a store bought variety may work better as the coconut oil clumped together once it was frozen.
Time – Time was pretty accurate, and it was easy and fast to make once all the ingredients were put together
Appearance, Taste & Texture, Satiety Level – I am not sure if there were enough ice cubes in mine, I have a pretty small ice cube tray. So it wasn’t as much of a frappe as I anticipated, but it was still nice. Like I said, again a store bought syrup would help with the consistency, I did taste a bit of coconut oil in mine. However it had a great overall coffee taste, and I think you could add as much or as little syrup as you like, which is nice. Because my coffee was really strong, I would have liked it a bit sweeter, but I know preferences can vary substantially on coffee!
Longevity – This is definitely something that must be made when you want to have it, otherwise it would just make a cold mocha 🙂 But the ice cubes last in the fridge, and I can assume the cold brew lasts a while as well.
Overall, this recipe scored a 33.5 out of 40, a great score!
Next, another beverage for you, the Cherry Limeade Smoothie. I have been obsessed with cherries lately, I feel like it is the summer version of mandarin oranges. In the winter, I have a very intense craving for mandarin oranges, and eat them until I can’t eat them anymore. Summer, it’s cherries. But who cannot resist this recipe… seven ingredients, five minutes to make, packed with fresh and frozen fruit, vegan and gluten free. So here are the details:
Ingredients, Preparation and Cost – I really liked the ingredients, preparation and cost of this recipe. I had mangos in my freezer, so I used those instead of the peaches, and it turned out quite nicely. However, I would like to try it again with peaches, and will report back. Cherries are a bit expensive, especially if you buy them pitted, so that was a downside to cost (and preparation if you decide to pit them yourself!)
Time – Depending on whether you pit the cherries yourself, I think the time was accurate, and very quick! It may be more time if you have to pit them yourself. Any good tips?
Appearance, Taste & Texture, Satiety Level – The appearance was okay, it is hard to get a nice deep hue in a smoothie. I think if I did not add almond milk, and used a juice or water instead, it may have more of an impressive appearance. The taste and texture however was exquisite. Because there is minimal protein in this smoothie, I think it’s a bit lower on the filling side, but it was great as a mid morning snack, after a light breakfast.
Longevity – I think this smoothie would be best consumed within a few hours. I made it in the morning and brought it up to school with me (drinking it a couple hours later) and it was still wonderful. But fresh is always best!
Overall, this recipe scores a 31.5 out of 40
I also made the Mediterranean Wheat Berry Salad, again I had some leftover wheat berries in my cupboard, so this recipe was an easy choice. Plus, I love a great mediterranean inspired meal, kalamata olives are my weak point. I also feel like there is more room for lettuce-less salads in the world, am I right? Hearty and perfect as leftovers, this meal was a good one. Let me dive further into the details:
Ingredients, Preparation and Cost – great ingredients in this one, very light dressing but adequate amount of flavours and spices. The preparation was very straight forward (I cooked the wheat berries in a rice cooker and it worked like a charm). The cost was also low which was great.
Time – This recipe takes a little more time than some of the other recipes (50 minutes) but is still way less than a lot of recipes out there, and it makes four hearty servings, so you can live off this salad for some time!
Appearance, Taste & Texture, Satiety Level – Great appearance, with contrasting colours from the leeks, tomatoes and olives. The taste was great, like I said the dressing was light (you can easily get away with only adding half the dressing) and the recipe was nice and filling.
Longevity – I ate this salad for three days straight, I almost liked it best after the last day, when the dressing had some time to marinade the wheat berries. A great potluck salad this could be!
Overall, this recipe earned a 35.5 out of 40, great job!
Lastly, I want to review the 7 Ingredient Granola Bars with you (these are found in the detox cookbook, that is sent to you when you sign up for Minimalist Baker’s email list! I love a good plant-based granola bar, free from all those processed sugars and unnecessary added ingredients. These are great as you can leave them in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to eat them. So this is how I came up for the score for this one!:
Ingredients, Preparation and Cost – great easy list of ingredients, with a fairly low cost (and substitutions galore can be made). I opted to keep it to just the seven ingredients, however next time I think I would add chocolate chips as well.
Time – Super quick to whip together, barely took any time at all. The most amount of time it too was to wait until it hardened!
Appearance, Taste & Texture, Satiety Level – The appearance is great fresh out of the freezer. However, with time this bar tends to fall apart. Regardless it tastes wonderful at any stage! I also wish the oats were a little more ground, for some reason the texture wasn’t sitting with me as well as I would have liked, they almost seemed too large and flakey, does that make sense? This is a great snack however, the few times I’ve had them now I am full well until my next meal.
Longevity – Kept in the fridge, these last a great amount of time!
Overall score for this one? 36.5, very close to a perfect score!
So there you have it friends, four great reviews for you! I listened to the podcast today, featuring Dana of Minimalist Baker on One Part Podcast. If you are really into this Minimalist Baker challenge, I really encourage you to check it out. It made me have even more respect for Dana and John than I did before. I’m so happy to be doing this challenge!