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  • in Recipes

    5 Favorite Non-Alcoholic Wines

    As more people embrace sober curiosity and Dry January, non-alcoholic beverages are booming. You can now find plenty of mocktail recipes and bottled or canned non-alcoholic options that are more creative than just soda, juice, or seltzer.
    Whether you don’t drink at all or are simply abstaining from alcohol for a bit, there are a number of fun sips to try, including non-alcoholic wine.
    After tasting my way through a handful, here’s what I learned and the bottles I recommend.
    What to Expect From Non-Alcoholic Wine
    As someone who enjoys and appreciates the real deal, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from non-alcoholic wine.
    I knew I probably wouldn’t find a bottle that tasted exactly like real wine, since the wine-making process is what gives grape juice its wine-like characteristics: tannins, nuanced aromas, distinctive flavors, all of which are mostly removed through dealcoholizing.
    What I hoped to find, though, were options that could be sipped like wine, in a nice glass, that embody the feeling and some of the taste that comes from enjoying real wine.
    The most basic definition of wine is fermented grape juice, so to make non-alcoholic wine, you have two options: either bottle the grape juice before it’s fermented or let the grape juice ferment into wine and then dealcoholize it or remove the alcohol by distillation. (Note: dealcoholized wines do still have a bit of alcohol in them, about 0.5% ABV.)
    I sampled bottles that were made both ways: wine that was bottled before fermentation and dealcoholized wine. I found some nice choices, but interestingly the ones I liked the least were wines in which the alcohol was removed. None made my final list.
    Here are the five that did.

    Red Wine: Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir Grape Juice
    Family-operated Navarro Vineyards, in California’s Anderson Valley, knows how to make great wine, and it turns out they also make great non-alcoholic wine. After pressing their Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer grapes, they turn most of the juice into wine but save enough to be bottled as-is.
    I found their Pinot Noir Grape Juice to be a delightful substitute for red wine, albeit more sweet than dry. Since the juice is made from wine grapes, it’s not cloying and has more complexity than plain old grape juice.
    Unlike red wine, though, it’s best served well-chilled.
    White Wine: Alain Milliat Jus Raisin Cabernet Rose Grape Juice
    Yes, this bottle is marketed as non-alcoholic rosé, but it doesn’t really pour pink; rather, I found its hue to be deep golden yellow. (I also sampled the non-alcoholic Chardonnay from this producer, but it was much too sweet and cloying to be a contender.)
    However, the French Cabernet Rose Grape Juice is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes pressed with the tannic skin from those grapes, so it has a bit of structure. But since not all the skins are used, it also has nice, bright acidity, like you’d find in white wine.
    While the color doesn’t scream white wine, it was the closest I found and a pleasant substitute!

    Sparkling Wine: TÖST
    As you can see from my favorite non-alcoholic white wine choice, there are outliers among my picks, and TÖST is another one!
    TÖST doesn’t actually contain grapes, so if you’re a stickler, you might not deem this is a substitute for sparkling wine. However, after trying a few different bubbly options, this is the bottle that came closest to the look, feel, and festivity of sparkling wine.
    TÖST is made from white tea, white cranberry, and ginger. Since its base is tea, it has the dry, tannic structure of wine, but the cranberry and ginger soften the beverage and provide flavor and intrigue. It’s lightly sweet, with crisp bubbles and a dry finish.
    Rosé Wine: Wölffer Estate Petite Rosé Verjus
    I was excited to try this pretty pink bottle because I am a fan of this New York state vineyard’s wines. Their non-alcoholic rosé is made from verjus, which is the pressed juice of unripe wine grapes.
    Since verjus is made from unripe grapes, it’s typically too tart to be sipped as-is. But there’s a touch of sweetness in the Petite Rosé Verjus, which is made from 100% Pinot Meunier grapes (one of the three traditional varietals used in Champagne production).
    When combined with water and finished off with carbon dioxide, the result is a bright, bubbly non-alcoholic rosé that’s all too easy to drink.
    Wildcard: Proteau Ludlow Red
    Even though it looks like wine in the glass, the folks at Proteau are quick to point out that their non-alcoholic drinks are not really meant to be wine substitutes, as they are complex blends of berry juice and botanicals.
    I agree. Both bottles I tried had a bit too much going on to be sipped with food, but I think they have their place as a non-alcoholic choice for those who enjoy the body and mouthfeel of wine.
    While I wasn’t a fan of the bottle made with strawberry juice, I didn’t mind the inky, dark purple bottle called Proteau Ludlow Red, with blackberry juice as its base. Extracts from chamomile, black pepper, hibiscus, and more give it an aroma and flavor all its own. I think it would make for an interesting pre- or post-dinner non-alcoholic drink. LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

    You’ll return bite after bite to this plate of Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower! The air fryer makes quick work of the cauliflower, turning it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Tossing it with buffalo sauce brings some massive flavor to the appetizer!

    Photography Credit: Nick Evans

    I’m generally a traditionalist when it comes to chicken wings. Give me the classic, please! But if you are serving a vegetarian crowd or just want something different (and slightly healthier), this Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower has all the spicy earthy flavors you crave to get your wing fix!
    This version is a riff on my normal air fryer crispy cauliflower. To get crispy on the outside, tender on the inside cauliflower add the sauce right at the end of cooking so it doesn’t burn and then just blast the florets in the air fryer for one final short cooking session.

    Why Make Buffalo Cauliflower in an Air Fryer?
    In short, it’s easier than a full on deep fryer and definitely healthier! I was amazed at how crispy and wonderful the finished florets get. It almost seems like a cheat code.
    The buffalo sauce I used is a really classic mix of hot sauce, butter, and spices. It tastes like game day to me and goes surprisingly well with cauliflower.

    No Air Fryer? Make Buffalo Cauliflower in your Oven!
    Baking this cauliflower is absolutely an option. It takes longer and the cauliflower, honestly, doesn’t get quite as crispy, but it’ll work and turn out great.
    I recommend lining a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up and you’ll need to roast the cauliflower for at least 30 minutes at 400˚F, maybe as long as 45 minutes, to get a really crispy floret. Start checking the florets at the 30 minute mark. They are done when they are crispy on the outside, but you can easily pierce them with a fork.
    Buffalo Sauce Swaps and Substitutions
    There’s no reason you have to go with the standard for the hot sauce base. Try a more Tex-Mex style sauce by using something like Tapatio or go Thai with a Sriracha or Korean with gojuchang!

    Dips for the Buffalo Cauliflower
    Ranch dressing or blue cheese sauce is the standard here and I’m not sure I would mess with it too much. It’s a classic for a reason: it’s delicious!
    Can you make Buffalo Cauliflower in advance?
    You can absolutely prep the cauliflower and get it breaded and ready in advance and make the sauce in advance. The cooked cauliflower florets lose a lot of their pizazz though in the fridge so I would air-fry just the amount you can eat.
    Leftovers!
    If you do have leftovers, don’t toss them though! You can bring them back to life (as much as possible) either in the air fryer for a quick 2-3 minutes reheat session or in an oven for 5-6 minutes. I wouldn’t microwave the leftovers!

    More Great Air Fryer Recipes

    Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe

    If you don’t have an air fryer, you can lay out the cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast it in your oven for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Then add a light coating of sauce to the cauliflower and roast for another 5 minutes. Then serve while warm with extra sauce.

    Ingredients
    1 large head cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets
    2 eggs
    1 cup plain breadcrumbs
    Non-stick cooking spray
    1 cup Frank’s hot sauce
    1/4 cup butter, melted
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    Optional:

    Method

    1 Break apart the cauliflower: Cut the green stems back on the cauliflower head and then break or cut the head into about 1-inch florets. It’s easiest to start near the base of the cauliflower and work your way toward the center.
    2 Dip in egg wash and breadcrumbs: In a bowl large enough to hold the florets, whisk together 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of water. Add the florets to the egg mixture.
    Use a slotted spoon to stir the florets making sure each is well coated. Remove the florets from the egg mixture and add them to the breadcrumbs. Toss them around until they are well coated.

    3 Air fry the breaded cauliflower: Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Place the breaded florets in a single layer in the basket. Try not to crowd them. Set the air fryer to 350˚F and fry the cauliflower for 7 minutes. Flip each floret and fry for another 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
    Repeat this process until all the cauliflower have been fried.

    4 Make the buffalo sauce: In a small bowl, combine the hot sauce, melted butter, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.

    5 Coat the fried cauliflower: Dunk the florets of breaded and fried cauliflower one at time with a light coat of sauce. Return the pieces to the air fryer in a single layer and fry for another 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
    Repeat the frying process with all your florets.

    6 Serve: Serve the florets warm with blue cheese sauce, leftover buffalo sauce, and vegetables on the side.

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    Nick Evans
    Nick has been writing delicious recipes for the home cook for almost a decade. He lives in Denver, CO and embraces a delicate balance of diaper changing, trail running and beer drinking. His website is Macheesmo and his first book is Love Your Leftovers.
    More from Nick LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    5 Flavorful Non-Alcoholic Beers

    These alcohol-free stouts, lagers, and IPAs taste just like the real thing. Try one or all of them, especially if you’re partaking in Dry January.

    For more than 15 years, I’ve covered the craft brewing industry’s stratospheric rise in America, chronicling barrel-aged stouts, hazy IPAs, fruited sour ales, and most every beer category save for one kind: non-alcoholic.
    Why bother? Non-alcoholic beers were mainly afterthought lagers lobbed into the mainstream, as inoffensive and uninteresting as side salads at a second-rate steakhouse.
    Times and tastes have changed, though. Here are five excellent non-alcoholic beers for your next hang time, or anytime.

    The Flavorful New World of Non-Alcoholic Beer
    We’ve entered a new era of non-alcoholic beers. New-breed breweries are quickly reinventing the category and creating full-flavored, highly fragrant non-alcoholic beers.
    They’re do so by using unique yeast strains, high-tech equipment to remove alcohol via reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation, limiting or halting fermentation and the production of alcohol, and other proprietary techniques destined for a patent.
    Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all lagers.
    Today’s NA beers run the gamut from intensely hopped IPAs to stouts suited for sipping by a fire. They can deliver all the taste, aroma, and creativity that you’ve come to expect in craft beer, minus that hangover.

    For Fans of Dark Beer: Athletic Brewing All Out Stout
    Athletic Brewing cracked the code on making massively flavorful non-alcoholic beer.
    The Connecticut brewery, which was founded in 2018 and has expanded to a San Diego facility, uses a multistep proprietary process to completely ferment beer to less than .5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), helping the beers taste remarkably close to their normal-strength craft counterparts.
    The brewery’s far-ranging portfolio of non-alcoholic beers includes citrusy IPAs, Mexican lagers, tart and fruity sour ales, and this wintertime treat.
    All Out brings bittersweet cocoa and dark-roasted coffee to the table, making the beer a great pairing with rich and meaty stews or a nicely seared steak.

    For the Athlete: Bootstrap Brewing Company Strapless IPA
    Last fall the Longmont, Colorado brewery released its first non-alcoholic beer: the 100-calorie Strapless IPA.
    It’s custom-designed for the fitness-minded crowd, packed with electrolytes including potassium, magnesium, and sodium for a replenishing pick-me-up after a hike, bike ride, or your favorite exercise.
    Strapless is more than a sports drink substitute. The addition of Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops equip Strapless with a complete complement of tropical fruit fragrances that beer drinkers expect in full-strength IPAs.

    For the Calorie Conscious: Partake Brewing Blonde Ale
    If you’re curtailing your alcohol and caloric intake, look to Partake Brewing.
    The Canadian brewery uses a top-secret brewing process to create an IPA, pale ale, red ale, and more that top out at 30 calories per 12-ounce serving.
    The bright Blonde weighs in at 15 calories and just three carbs, a light ale with a sweetly refreshing malt flavor that would play well with salads, as well as roast chicken and fish.

    For Fruit Fans: BrewDog Elvis AF
    The rabble-rousing Scottish brewery built its name on bold flavors and outlandish stunts, once brewing the world’s strongest beer and stuffing the bottle inside a taxidermied squirrel.
    Now the global company, which operates a U.S. brewery in Columbus, Ohio, is expertly exploring alcohol’s lowest extremes with its AF series of beers.
    None stint on taste. Wake-Up Call is a coffee-packed jolt of a stout, while Hazy AF deploys oats, wheat, and tropical hops as a nonalcoholic stand-in for a juicy IPA.
    One of my favorite BrewDog beers is the zesty Elvis Juice IPA, a pithy celebration of grapefruit. The nonalcoholic version, Elvis AF, is a sunny and citrusy refresher that would be right at home at brunch.

    For the Lager Lover: Heineken 0.0
    I’ve never been the hugest fan of Heineken, favoring other European lagers and pilsners over the green-bottled Dutch beer. Then I tried the company’s nonalcoholic analogue to its flagship beer, the 69-calorie 0.0.
    Any absence typically means that you’re missing something, but 0.0 is the rare zero-alcohol beer that’s even better than its alcohol-filled analogue.
    The nonalcoholic version drinks squeaky-clean and slightly fruity, a snappy stand-in for when I want something stronger—or simply nothing at all. LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Quick Kimchi (Mak Gimchi)

    Kimchi is the name given to any number of fermented vegetables in Korea as a means to preserve the fall harvest for the cold winter months. This quick, small batch version is an easy way to learn how to make kimchi. It’s usually served as an accompaniment to other dishes providing spicy, salty, sour notes.

    It’s usually a combination of a main vegetable (like Napa cabbage or a radish), garlic, ginger, chile powder, salt, and a salted seafood or fish sauce. The most popular version is baechu kimchi, which is made from Napa cabbage, but there are nearly 200 “official” varieties in Korea!
    In this quick version, the cabbage is chopped into bite-sized pieces and mixed with the seasoning. The result is an easy kimchi with still a bit of bite, and all the salty, sour, spicy, and pungent flavors you’d expect from a vegetable pickled with fish sauce and garlic.

    My Personal Kimchi Story
    Growing up in Korea, kimchi-making was a communal affair, because each household would put up gallons of kimchi to feed their entire family for the winter.
    “Kimjang” was a neighborhood party where the ladies of the village would take turns helping each other with each household’s kimchi-making. Fall was a time for my sister and me to peel pounds and pounds of garlic for my mom’s annual kimchi.
    Lucky for us, we can make smaller batches now since we have refrigeration and don’t have to preserve an entire harvest before first snowfall.

    Why Kimchi Is Good for You
    The fermentation process of making kimchi produces probiotics, like the bacteria found in yogurt and sauerkraut.
    The probiotics promote not only good digestive health, but also support the immune system, heart health and have anti-inflammatory properties. The only downside of kimchi is its high salt content.
    Tips for Making Kimchi
    When making kimchi traditionally, I stuff individual leaves into a jar, but that takes a lot of time. For this version, I chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces and mix the vegetables and seasonings together in one go.
    It’s not only easier to make, but also convenient to eat, because it’s already pre-cut and ready to serve.
    Choose vegetables that are dense and feel heavy for their size.
    Wear gloves when making kimchi, not only because the chili powder might burn and stain your hands, but also the garlic and fish sauce is pretty pungent.
    Use quart-sized canning jars with plastic lids. The salt corrodes the metal lids, and there’s no need for sealing the jars, which means the plastic lids work well here.
    Ways to Adapt this Kimchi Recipe
    Kimchi is easy to adapt to personal dietary and taste preferences.
    Make it vegetarian: Replace the fish sauce with an equal amount of sea salt and a tablespoon of kelp powder to add that extra depth of flavor.
    Adjust the heat: Add less chili powder or make white kimchi with no chili powder at all. That’s how the royals used to eat it, because spicy food was considered too common for royal palates!
    Chile Options: It’s best to use Korean chili powder if you can find it. If not, you can use cayenne pepper, chile de arbol, or red pepper flakes.

    How Do You Know When Kimchi is Ready?
    You can eat the kimchi freshly made—sort of like a salad, sprinkled with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. However, it’s best to let it ferment for at least a day or two before eating.
    How Long Will Quick Kimchi Keep?
    Store kimchi in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. It will get more sour and stronger in flavor, even getting a little effervescent, the longer it ferments.
    What to Serve with Kimchi
    Serve on the side of any Korean meal with rice and a variety of other banchan (side dishes). It’s also nice as a condiment to spice up any meat dishes or a salad that needs a kick.
    The longer Kimchi ferments, the more sour it will become. When it becomes too sour to eat on its own, you can use it as in ingredient to make kimchi mandu (dumplings), kimchi jjigae (stew), fried rice, kimchi buchingae (flatcakes), mixed noodles, or any number of kimchi dishes.

    More Easy Recipes for Preserving Vegetables LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Old Fashioned Chocolate Cobbler

    Made with mostly pantry staples, this chocolate cobbler comes together quickly for a warm and comforting dessert. Serve with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

    Chocolate cobbler is one of those old-school recipes that has endured for decades because of its genius simplicity and seemingly magical transformation in the oven. It is also one of the most deliciously warm and comforting desserts you’ll ever find. It’s easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, but you’ll want to make it for company. It’s good any time of year, but it’s especially good to tuck into on a cold winter’s night.

    This cobbler is made using lots of dry pantry staples, milk, and butter. Eggs are conspicuously missing, but that’s what makes this dish cobbler instead of cake. 

    If you have considerations for Veganuary (which is a popular thing, I hear!) this recipe can easily be altered. Butter could be swapped for Earth Balance ‘buttery sticks’ (margarine) and milk for oat or another plant-based milk. Also be sure your chocolate chips are a dairy-free brand such as Enjoy Life.

    The first step is easy enough and familiar to studied cobbler makers – melt the butter in the baking dish in a preheated oven. Next you’ll stir together the base ingredients predictably enough: add wet to dry. It’s the moment when you remove the dish from the oven and begin dolloping the batter over the butter that you may start to question things. 

    Yes, it’s a lot of butter.  No, you’re not doing anything wrong. My advice is to be at peace with this step and know the end result will make you happy and feed your soul. 

    Another layer, a dry mixture of sugar and cocoa is sprinkled over the batter and will help form the cobbler crust. 

    The final step before the cobbler bakes is to pour boiling water over everything in the dish, which sounds totally bananas, but it works. No stirring allowed! All of those layers will transform in the oven to a crackled, chewy crust with chocolate pudding hidden underneath.

    There will be a bit of jiggle to the cobbler when it comes out of the oven, and you don’t have to worry about the middle being underdone – remember, there are no eggs in this dish. It’s supposed to be completely ooey-gooey underneath that crackled crust.

    The cobbler will need to cool slightly before digging in. The pudding underneath will be molten and too hot to eat at first. This dish is best served warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream which cuts the richness and creates pools of cold cream over the warm chocolate pudding (swoon). If you don’t have any ice cream, then freshly whipped cream is lovely, too. 

    [click to print]
    Old Fashioned Chocolate Cobbler
    Yields 8-10 servings3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 185g) salted butter
    1 cup (120g) self-rising flour *see recipe notes
    1/2 cup (3 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
    3/4 cup (160g) packed light brown sugar, divided
    1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
    7 tablespoons (67.5g) unsweet dark cocoa powder, divided
    1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups (360 ml) boiling water
    Vanilla ice cream to servePreheat the oven to 350°F.Place the butter in an 11×7-inch baking dish (or similar size such as 8×8 square, I used a 1 1/2-quart round dish). Place the dish in the oven until the butter melts completely, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (105 g) of the brown sugar, 1/3 cup (65g) of the granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons (30g) of the cocoa. In a separate measuring pitcher with a pour spout, combine the milk and vanilla; mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until batter forms with no streaks of flour remaining.Dollop the batter over the melted butter in the pan but do not stir. The batter will sink and the butter will pool to the top.In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 5 tablespoons (37.5 g) of cocoa, 1/4 cup (55g) of brown sugar, and 2/3 cup (135g) of granulated sugar. Whisk to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the baking dish. Do not stir.Gently pour the boiling water over the layered mixture in the pan. Do not stir.Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is formed and set on top. Cobbler may jiggle a little when removed from the oven, this is normal. Let cool slightly before portioning warm cobbler to dishes; top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Re-warm bowls of cobbler in the microwave, or reheat ramekins of cobbler in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.Notes:
    If you don’t have salted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter.If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Use in place of self-rising flour in this recipe.
    link Old Fashioned Chocolate Cobbler By Heather Baird Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021Tuesday, January 12, 2021Old Fashioned Chocolate Cobbler Recipe LEGGI TUTTO

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    Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup

    Savory mushrooms, a hearty wild rice blend and a bit of herbes de Provence make this Chicken and Rice Soup special. Grab your slow cooker to have it waiting for you at dinnertime—it’s ready in 3 hours. Continue reading “Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup” » LEGGI TUTTO

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    Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Balsamic Honey Glaze

    The season of the slow cooker has arrived, and this slow cooker Balsamic Honey Pork Loin is a must-make recipe! Eat it sliced with cooking liquid spooned over the top or reduce the liquid to make a scrumptious pan sauce. It’s a bit of a flavor twist, but you will love it and keep coming back for more! Continue reading “Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Balsamic Honey Glaze” » LEGGI TUTTO