“…Last comes the beverage of the Orient shore,
Mocha, far off, the fragrant berries bore.
Taste the dark fluid with a dainty lip,
Digestion waits on pleasure as you sip.”
~ part of the Frugality poem by Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Today is National Coffee Day. Ha! Like we need an excuse… In honor of this special occasion, the folks at So Delicious have sent us 4 coupons for free products (like their delicious coffee creamers or the new Greek yogurt due on store shelves in October) to share with some of our lucky readers. Read to the end for details.

Also in honor of this special occasion and the unseasonably warm weather that has continued into the end of September, we’re making an icy whipped mocha drink with a combination of ingredients that will knock your socks off.

The coffee concentrate and chocolate syrup that are called for can both be purchased commercially, but we’ve included some easy recipes to make your own. To our knowledge, neither of these are available as Fair Trade Certified off the grocery shelf, but making them yourself can ensure that.

The So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer comes in French Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Original flavors, all with 0 grams of fat. We think the Hazelnut is the best, so that’s what we’ve used here but take my word for it – any one of them makes a wonderful drink – and that 2 tablespoons of brandy? Well, that just makes it perfect.

Cocomocha

Serves 1
Time: 3 minutes

¼ cup coffee concentrate (see below)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (see below)
½ cup Hazelnut flavored So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer
¼ cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
½ cup ice cubes

Measure the coffee concentrate, chocolate syrup, creamer, milk, and brandy (if using) into a blender and process on high for 10 seconds. Add ice and blend on high just until the ice is chopped to your preference. Pour into a tall glass and drink while cold.

Coffee Concentrate

Makes 3 cups
Time: 3 minutes active, 12 hours to steep

1 cup ground Fair Trade coffee
3 ½ cups cold water

Measure coffee and water into a 1-quart jar. Cover and allow to rest overnight, or about 12 hours.

Pour the coffee through a fine sieve and collect in a clean jar, pressing the grounds to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be no traces of grounds in the concentrate. If there are, filter them a second time through a coffee filter.

Cover the jar tightly and store in the refrigerator. Great for recipes that call for just a tablespoon or two of strong coffee or espresso.

Chocolate Syrup

Makes 1 cup
Time: 15 minutes

½ cup Fair Trade cocoa
½ cup Fair Trade sugar
½ cup water

Measure the cocoa and sugar into a saucepan, then slowly add the water, whisking to prevent lumping. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 12 minutes to thicken slightly. Cool and store in a tightly covered jar. Use anywhere you would use a commercially prepared syrup – in drinks, drizzled over desserts, or to dip cookies.

We made some ChocolateTruffles and Sugar Plums from the Mosaic Meals cookbook to go with our Cocomocha. While you’re sipping, add a comment to this post telling us what So Delicious product you’d like to try and how you’ll use it. On Monday, October 3rd, we’ll put the names of everyone in a hat and pick out 4 coupon winners.

BONUS: If you also tell us where the name Mocha originated, we’ll put your name in the hat twice!

“Peter Piper
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers,
Where is the peck
Of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked?”
~ tongue twister poem probably written in the late 1700’s, author unknown

This is the time of year when fresh peppers are at their absolute best, and even finding their way to the grocery store a week after being picked doesn’t destroy their flavor entirely. If you are lucky, as I am, at being able to find them locally grown, all the better.

The beautiful colors that peppers come are an indication of carotenoids, which, among other things, contributes to a healthy immune system. Nice to know as we edge closer to flu season!

In the Pepper Pot stews originating in various parts of the world, it is typically the hot chili pepper that is used, as are various meats and animal organs. Since some of us are pleased by piquant peppers more than others, we’ll leave that choice up to you. We used bell peppers and the mild pablano chili, and changed up the tripe in the original Revolutionary War era Philadelphia Pepper Pot for black-eyed peas to yield a very tasty dish perfect for Meatless Monday.

Black-eyed Pea Pepper Pot

Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced pablano chili pepper, or other chili
1 cup diced sweet bell pepper – any color
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 ribs celery in ½-inch thick slices
1 cup vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can or 1 ½ cups cooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato in juice
1 tablespoon dried cilantro or oregano
½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

Soften the onion in the oil in a 3-quart pot over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peppers, potato, and celery. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 10 more minutes.

Serve while hot. We ate ours with freshly baked corn bread to make a satisfying meal. Here is our recipe, converting the one on the cornmeal box to be both dairy- and egg-free:

Special Cornbread

Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

4 teaspoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons water
1 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup sugar
¾ cup cornmeal
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons toasted shelled pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas (optional)

Preheat oven to 400° F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Measure flaxseed and water into medium bowl. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then stir in the non-dairy milk and oil.

Measure sugar, cornmeal, flour and baking powder into the bowl with the flaxseed mixture and stir with a fork only until all ingredients are evenly moistened.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the pepitas evenly over the top if you are using them. Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes, until tester inserted into center comes out clean.

Now, where else are you going to get a dinner as healthy and flavorful as this in well under an hour?

“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones. ” ~ Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, Italian historian, humanist, and philosopher considered to be one of the founders of modern political science (1469-1527)

When dinner’s Plan A falls through, throwing together a last minute meal can be a challenge that causes us to ponder easier paths that we’d prefer to not to travel in saner moments. Face it — when we’re hungry, the perceived shortest distance between two points (the second point being a full tummy) can look mighty attractive.

Since we try really hard to avoid the fast-food option, it means we occasionally get some slightly odd meals at home. Some are not so good, and others are winners that find themselves in the first-string line-up. Mango Steak Tacos are just such a dish that makes all the other attempts worthwhile.

Part of the beauty of soft tacos is that they can be wrapped around almost any solid food. For this reason, we keep a stash of flour tortillas in the freezer at all times. They thaw out in far less time than it takes to make potatoes, rice, or pasta, and are good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, especially when they are made from whole wheat.

Homemade or some locally prepared tortillas contain far fewer ingredients than the big name brands, which can contain many shelf stabilizing chemicals. Since those made without preservatives tend to mold quickly, keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer is the best way to store them, particularly in a warm kitchen.

Wrapped around leftovers, tortillas make yesterday’s dinner into something new again, but when we do start from scratch, it is just as easy. This protein- and vitamin-rich combination of beans, mangoes, tomatoes, and wheat makes the Mango Steak Tacos a great meal to plan for Meatless Monday or any time you want something that is healthier and faster than making a take-out run.

Mango Steak Tacos

Makes 4 soft tacos
Time: 20 minutes

1 mango
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning Mix (see page 110 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook if you’d like to prepare your own)
2 cups lettuce
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
4 taco-size flour tortillas

Peel the mango and slice the fruit off the seed as thickly as possible, one piece from each side and then trimming the fruit off the sides. You want the pieces as large as possible to make them easier to grill.

Brush the mango slices with the vegetable oil and grill (using a grill pan works well if an outdoor grill is not practical) over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned lines appear and the fruit is hot. Cut the cooked mango into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the black beans and put them into a small sauce pan with the water over medium heat. Stir in the Taco Seasoning Mix and mash about ⅓ of the beans with the back of a fork. Continue cooking until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

Warm the tortillas as directed on the package so they can be gently rolled without splitting.

Divide the lettuce evenly between the tortillas, then top with the bean mixture, the mango pieces, and the tomatoes. Fold and eat while still hot.

“There are wonderful things in real jazz, the talent for improvisation, the liveliness, the being at one with the audience.” ~ Henri Matisse, French impressionist artist (1869-1974)

Happy Hour at the Mosaic Grandpa’s house is pretty important. It just might be the most significant hour of the day. A drink and a beautiful appetizer is mandatory, and the “beautiful” is the least optional of the combination, so sometimes we have to improvise.

After staring at the pantry for a few minutes this afternoon, I remembered having some sundried tomato pesto not long ago and it reminded me once again that sometimes the most elegant parts of a meal are easiest to prepare.

Here’s the thing… It doesn’t take long to move a dish from ordinary to elegant. All we have to do is throw on a topping with a contrasting flavor, color, or texture. This one fits the bill and is versatile enough that it can be served as an appetizer, or as a garnish on a soup or main course.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Serves 6
Time: 5 minutes

1 cup chopped sun dried tomato packed in olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)

Measure the sun dried tomato pieces and garlic into a food processor and whirl around on high speed until the mixture is nicely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process again for about 15 seconds, until it is chopped and mixed in well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, spoon onto thin slices of crusty bread, float a small spoonful on top of a creamy soup, or serve with a main course to amuse the mouth and eye.

Note: Here, we baked some chopped up leftovers in phyllo according to the directions for making Spinach Pies on page 94-95 of the Mosaic Meals cookbook, then topped with a little of the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. Serve with a little Cabernet Sauvignon wine and a new album by Pharoah Sanders, Village of the Pharoahs/Wisdom Through Music for a jazzy evening without a lot of effort.