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Liven up cocktails with coffee
(ARA) - Getting good friends together for some good food, good times and laughter is a lot of fun during the winter months.
When it comes to celebrating with drinks, use your imagination in the kitchen and incorporate ingredients that your guests won't expect, like coffee.
"Making cocktails with coffee for your parties is a great way to take it up a notch," says Anu Apte, Seattle mixologist and owner of Rob Roy bar. "Coffee is an incredibly versatile ingredient and can be paired with a variety of liquors and mixers. I save time and add coffee flavor by using single serving packets of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, a new instant coffee that allows you to mix it directly into your beverage."
Get creative and come up with your own coffee cocktails or try serving one of these delicious recipes at your next fete.
VIAtini
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces Starbucks VIA (prepared, cold)
3/4 ounce amaretto
1/2 ounce Irish cream
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake well and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Beccacino
1 ounce (30ml) bourbon, preferably Bookers
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Benedictine
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Irish Mist
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) amaretto
2 ounces (60ml) Starbucks VIA Italian Roast (prepared, cold)
1 teaspoon Orgeat Syrup
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
Stir first four ingredients together and pour into a martini glass. With a large spoon, carefully layer prepared Starbucks VIA Italian Roast over liquors. Whip Orgeat Syrup and heavy whipping cream together until slightly thickened and lines begin to form when whisk is pulled through. Gently layer on cocktail.
Colombia Coffee Fizz
1 packet Starbucks VIA Colombia (reserve a little for garnish)
1 egg white
1 ounce (30ml) heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 ounces (45ml) dark rum (Zaya Aged Rum suggested)
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Green Chartreuse
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) simple syrup*
Vanilla Dry Soda (or cream soda)
4 to 5 mint sprigs
*Combine equal parts granulated sugar and water, warm to melt into syrup.
Combine first six ingredients in a shaker and froth with a milk frother for 30 seconds. Add ice to shaker and shake well. Strain into a highball glass. Top glass off with soda, mint sprigs and reserved Starbucks VIA.
Hot Chocolate with a Kick
2 tablespoons cocoa (10 g)
2 tablespoons sugar (25 g)
1 packet Starbucks VIA
1 cup hot milk (240 ml)
Add cocoa, sugar and Starbucks VIA to a mug. Pour in hot milk and stir to dissolve.
For more delicious recipes, visit www.Starbucksvia.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Recommended Reading

Holiday Grind (Coffee House Mystery) by Cleo Coyle
Settle back with a coffee-flavored cocktail and catch up with the lastest happenings with Clare Cosi, owner of the Village Blend. All Clare wants to do is to make the best coffee in town, but solving murders seems to be her fate. She’s not nosy, she’s just concerned. Now who would want to kill a part-time Santa? Check out Holiday Grind (Coffee House Mystery)
Ingredients
4 cups/1 litre water
3 tbsp/45 mL Chicken Soup & Gravy
1 cup/250 mL diced potatoes
1/2 cup/125 mL chopped onions
1/2 cup/125 mL diced carrots
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Garlic Granules
1 can (12 fl oz/355 mL) evaporated milk
1 lb/450 g cooked, shelled shrimp ( any size)
2 tsp/10 mL Chipotle Liquid Spice
Cooking Directions
Combine water and soup base; bring to a boil. Add potatoes, onion, carrots and garlic granules. Simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 10-15 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, shrimp and Liquid Spice; simmer until shrimp are heated through. Serve with crusty bread or Oyster crackers.
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Favorite foods without the extra calories
(ARA) - During the colder season, our hunger instincts can emerge causing us to seek out the cozy foods we knew and loved as children. These days those same foods impact our waistlines, rack up thousands of calories and are high in fat. You can still nestle up with your favorite foods this winter without sacrificing flavor and compromising diet by making a few easy modifications.
"People think the words 'delicious' and 'healthy' can't be used in the same sentence, and I can hardly blame them since so many foods billed as 'good-for-you' are so disappointing in flavor and taste," says registered dietician Ellie Krieger, a New York Times best-selling author and Food Network host. "Food is such a joyful part of life. In my world, there is no fear or guilt about it, only pleasure and balance."
Children and adults alike crave foods like creamy macaroni and cheese, French fries and juicy hamburgers. Traditionally prepared, these tasty dishes are very high in calories and fat. The average side of fries contains approximately 430 calories and 22 grams of fat, while a portion of boxed mac and cheese can have more than 300 calories and 12 grams of fat.
Krieger's philosophy allows us to enjoy foods that we love, while focusing on moderation and simple adjustments that make them both nutritious and delicious. There are adjustments that can take high-fat foods and turn them into healthy, guilt-free indulgences.
One of Krieger's healthy cooking tools is T-fal's Actifry, a convenient, non-stick appliance that automatically cooks meals using no more than 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy oil to create a range of foods from golden French fries to decadent desserts. The Actifry creates healthier versions of staple meals, including mac and cheese, stir-fry, pasta and risotto by cutting out the fat and eliminating or reducing the use of oil.
Just 1 tablespoon of oil makes four servings of crispy French fries with the Actifry. To preserve the fiber and nutrients in the fries, Krieger suggests leaving the skin on and adding low-or-no calorie flavorings such as paprika, pepper or sea salt.
"It is about finding that sweet spot where healthy and delicious meet. With the right tools you can get both and the Actifry can help bring it all to your table with ease."
"We desire foods that are familiar and satisfy our immediate craving," Krieger explains. "Learning how to keep fat in check and promote healthy alternatives without giving up taste is important to improving our overall quality of life."
While the cold of winter may cause us to retreat and fall victim to some of our food cravings, Krieger believes healthy variations are easily achievable and easy to do.
"You can have it all - food that is bursting with flavor that delights your taste buds and benefits the rest of your body."
Ellie Krieger shares her lower-fat and delicious recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. For more information and recipes, visit T-falUSA.com.
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni
3/4 cup milk, divided
2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup pureed winter squash, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Directions:
Cook the macaroni "pasta al dente" according to the package directions. Drain.
Place 1/2 cup of milk, cheddar cheese, squash, Parmesan cheese, salt and the dry mustard into the Actifry pan and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook for five minutes, until the mixture is hot and the cheese is melted. Add the cooked macaroni and cook two minutes more. Add the remainder of the milk (1/4 of a cup) and cook for another two minutes.
Serves four
300 calories, 7 grams total fat per serving
Courtesy of ARAcontent
These nutty brownies are tasty and moist. They are perfect for snacking and makes a great dessert for a large crowd.
Ingredients
8 tbsp/120 mL unsalted butter
1 cup/250 mL all-purpose flour
1/4 cup/60 mL Baking Cocoa
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Baking Powder
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL salt
8 oz/225 g bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups/310 mL sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla
1 cup/250 mL walnuts (optional)
Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C degrees. Brush a 9-inch/23-cm square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch/5-cm overhand on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Melt together butter and chocolate. Add in sugar and eggs mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened. Transfer batter to baking pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhand, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Serves 16
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