Make Mine a Mocktail!
Honestly, I had trouble with the scheduling of this post. In the face of COVID-19, “Make Mine a Mocktail” seemed at best frivolous, at worst, disrespectful. It was in the line-up to be posted in April months ago. Abandon or post? I went ahead with posting when my daughter convinced me of the value in taking the occasional, necessary time-out from feeling constantly stressed. Life stubbornly goes on bringing moments of grief and moments of renewal. New babies and birthdays. Anniversaries and holidays. It brings time to make a big deal out of a boring day especially for the little ones’ sakes. A time when a drink is…appropriate. And so I offer this post with a nod to the time when we’re once again seated around a too-small table in a crowded space with lots of friends and suffer gladly the accidental red wine that spills from the overzealous clinking of glasses onto our newly pressed shirts.
We’ve heard that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for us,—up to one drink per day for women, 2 drinks per day for men. But studies on the subject have sent mixed messages for bone health. Some health professionals are concerned with alcohol’s impact on calcium and vitamin D absorption. So more and more I find myself saying, “make mine a mocktail,” which is so much better than saying, “make mine a water with a slice of lemon,” right? And for those of us who ‘drink” with those of us who don’t, mocktails are the perfect solution for keeping that special, long into the night “cocktails” vibe from fizzing out. You could start your evening with a cocktail and move onto mocktails, or cap the night off with a stiff drink after a mocktail or two.
But can a mocktail stand up to the spirited cocktail? Ours certainly do! And they’re so easy to make. It’s all about contrast and balance. Mix mellow with tart, the bitter with the sweet. Top them off with a simple spritz of seltzer for effervescent glamour.
Mango, cucumbers and gooseberries lend a bone-friendly blast to these mocktails. Whether it’s for their vitamin C, copper content, potassium or alkalinity, they all offer beneficial stimulants for osteoblast and collagen formation. For those of you who are truly pining for a stiff drink, there’s a perfectly paired boozy add-on to spirit you away! And of course we can’t have a mocktail without a nosh to go with it, so we’ve got beautiful, bone blasting little bites to pair with them.
Mango Chile Sparkler
8-10 servings, depending on glass size
Contained within mango’s richly sweet flesh are the osteoblast energizers calcium and vitamin C, plus trace amounts of copper, good for collagen formation. A sprinkle of gochugaru, Korean chili flakes, plays well with mango’s mellow, alkalizing sweetness, exuding a gentler heat than arbol, cayenne or standard crushed red pepper. Organic apple cider vinegar adds trace amounts of bone-strengthening potassium and magnesium and a nice tang to the sweet and heat.
1-1/2 cups unsweetened mango juice
¼ cup organic apple cider vinegar
2 quarts plain seltzer
1 to 2 limes, each cut into 8 wedges
Ice cubes
A handful of tiny fresh red chiles to garnish, optional, or use lime wedges
1 tablespoon gochugaru, Korean chili flakes (if unavailable, use a dusting of red pepper flakes or cayenne)
Combine mango juice and cider vinegar in a small pitcher and stir. Keep chilled.
Pour ¼ cup mango juice mixture in a glass. Add ice cubes. Fill the rest of the way with seltzer. Skewer 2 tiny chili peppers to garnish the glasses, or alternate with lime wedges. Heat it up some more with a slight dusting of chili flakes on top if you like.
For a boozy version: Fill glass with ice cubes. Add 1 oz. rum and 1/4 cup mango juice and stir. Top with seltzer and sprinkle with a dusting of chili flakes of your choice.
Cucumber Mint Fizz
9-12 servings depending on glass size
When opposites attract there’s lots of blissful sipping to be done. Mellow cucumber and robust mint bring out the best in each other, with refreshing and nutritious results. When combined, they provide not only calcium, but bone-strengthening potassium, magnesium and vitamin K. And what about that garnish? Is it a ruffle, is it a curl, is it a crown? Who knew the humble cucumber could be so versatile!
This mocktail also boasts being friendly for palates of all ages, so kids can even get in on its sophisticated fun. We all remember the first time we were allowed to have our first “grown-up” drink. How special!
2 seedless, unwaxed cucumbers
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
2 quarts plain seltzer
1 bunch fresh mint, washed, and divided
Peel 1 cucumber. (To keep the nutrients found in the peel you can leave on, but do make sure your cucumber is unwaxed! Your fizz will then have a darker hue than the one photographed.) Place in a blender with lemon juice and honey. Puree till smooth. Pour into a pitcher. Bruise half the mint by pounding the leaves and stems with the back (dull) edge of a knife or with a mortar and pestle to release its oils. It will smell heavenly! Add the bruised mint to the pitcher of cucumber puree and give a gentle stir to marry the flavors. Chill till ready to serve.
To serve, pour 1/3 cup of the minty cucumber mixture into your glass. Fill with ice cubes then top off with seltzer. Garnish with the skewered cucumber. You can garnish with a nice sprig from the leftover mint if you prefer, but really, who could resist those adorable cucumber curls?
Turn into a refreshing wine spritzer by pouring up to 1/4 cup blended mixture into a glass with ice. Add 3 oz. white wine or rosé and stir. Top off with seltzer.
To make the garnish
Take your second seedless cucumber and make thin, lengthwise slices on a mandoline set to a very thin 1/8 inch or so. (When making multiple drinks, stack the slices back together so they’ll stay moist.) Weave the slices onto a skewer as pictured or in another appealing way.
Gooseberry Sunset
6-8 servings depending on glass size
Here’s a mingling that’s quite intoxicating: Angostura bitters tease the sweet, tropical flavor out of vitamin C-rich gooseberries and adds a beautiful ombre effect to this smashing mocktail. Copper, manganese, and potassium round out gooseberry’s profile as a bone-blasting champion.
8oz. gooseberries (sometimes sold as golden berries)
3-4 shakes Angostura bitters
1 quart plain seltzer
Ice cubes
Place 4 or 5 gooseberries in a tall, slender glass. Mash with a muddler or back of a fork to release juices. Add the angostura bitters. Top with ice cubes, then add seltzer to fill. Thread 2 gooseberries on a simple pick for a sophisticated garnish.
For a spirited version, add 1 oz. vodka to the mashed gooseberries and stir before adding the bitters, ice and seltzer. This will maintain the beautiful color gradient in the glass.
Little Bites
Eating and drinking shouldn’t be a chore when it comes to making smart choices for optimal bone health. It should be fun, and what fun it will be to indulge in these little bites! More filling than peanuts or pretzels. More novel than wings or stuffed poblanos. These tasty bites are just right!
Salmon Mousse Cucumber Cups
Makes 18-24
I asked Leslie if she could work canned salmon into this post. With all that vitamin D, calcium and protein, how could I ignore it? Leslie, ever the fairy godmother of humble pantry foods, gave canned salmon a Cinderella-like makeover. This mousse is light and creamy and it’s got just the right amount of bite —it really is marvelous. To all of you who know in your hearts how healthy canned salmon is but can’t wrap your heads around those crunchy bones, this recipe will save you. You can spoon the mousse onto its cucumber cup, but I actually find piping on a creamy little dollop easier to do. If you’re not used to piping, don’t be intimidated! It’s very easy and will make you feel like a professional chef.
Behind-The-Shoot note: I thought I’d have leftover mousse for lunch the next day, but I ate it straight out of the container until it was all gone. I could not put my spoon down!
5-6 mini or Persian cucumbers
1 6-8 oz. can wild Alaskan salmon with skin and bones, drained thoroughly
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt/ pepper to taste
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
2 oz. salmon roe or shallot pearls* for garnish
Dill fronds for garnish
Make the cups
Cut off both stem ends from each cucumber, then slice each cucumber into 1”disks. With a small melon baller or small spoon (I liked the way my stainless steel salt spoon worked), carve a small indent into 1 side of each disk, making a cup to hold the mousse. Place on a plate or tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Snack on the cucumber scoops while you make the mousse!
Make the mousse
Combine salmon—bones and all— shallot, mustard, yogurt, cream cheese, lemon juice, pinch salt and healthy grind of pepper in a blender or food processor and puree for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl on occasion, if need be. Pulse in fresh dill at the end, just till incorporated, so it doesn't turn the mixture green.
Place the mixture in a small disposable pastry bag or zip top bag. (Make sure your zip top bag is not gusseted.) Twist the top to press out all the air, and close the bag. Secure with a rubber band and keep in the fridge ‘till ready to assemble.
Cut the tip or one bottom corner of the zip top bag and pipe the mousse into your cucumber cups. Garnish with 3 little salmon roe or shallot pearls and tiny dill fronds.
*available in specialty food stores
Shaved Veggies on Buckwheat Toasts
Makes about 12-14
We usually talk green when it comes to bone-building veggies, but watermelon radishes (calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper) and carrots (beta carotene, potassium, vitamin K), deserve this praise as well. And shaving gives them such an elegant look. A slather of calcium-rich yogurt on the toast holds them in place. This no-yeast bread, super easy to bake, is made with an inventive kitchen hack, yielding perfect little circles to toast for canapés. Buckwheat flour contains manganese, which supports calcium absorption and helps keep connective tissue strong.
For the toasts:
2/3 cup whole grain buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
2 eggs
¼ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
Non-aerosol cooking spray*
In a small bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, baking powder and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk with a fork to combine. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut milk with a fork, then add to dry ingredients. Mix all together until just combined. Spray 2 mugs, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter, with cooking spray, then evenly divide batter between them. Microwave both mugs at the same time for 90 seconds. Test with a toothpick. If it doesn't come out clean, place back in the microwave for 20 seconds and test again. Remove one mug at a time from microwave with a dish towel (it'll be hot!), and immediately invert the bread onto a cooling rack so it doesn't steam. When cool, slice bread into 1/4-inch thick rounds using a serrated knife. These will be your “croutes,” the base for your “little bites”canapes. Toast in toaster oven, or if you’re willing to watch carefully, you can place the toasts on a flat sheet tray and broil on each side for 3-5 minutes.
*A gentle wipe of a neutral oil on a paper towel or pastry brush will do in a pinch.
Make the Topping:
For yogurt mixture
1 cup Greek yogurt, any fat content
1 lemon, zested, then juiced
Salt and white pepper to taste
In a small bowl, stir together yogurt with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
For veggie mixture
1 medium sized watermelon radish or your favorite type of radish
1 medium to large sized carrot
1 lemon zested, then juiced
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste
Wash the radish(es) and peel the outside skin off with a vegetable peeler. Shave on a mandolin set to super fine, about 1/8”or less. Place the shavings in a bowl. Peel the carrot and either shave through the mandolin as you did with the radish, or make long broad shavings with the vegetable peeler. Place in the bowl with the radish and dress all with lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
When ready to assemble
Slather each toast with yogurt mixture, pinch together a nice jumble of shaved, marinated vegetables and place on the yogurt. Garnish with lemon zest. We used a citrus zester to achieve the long strands you see photographed but a grater works just as well for flavor.
Creamy Avocado in Endive Leaves
Makes about 15-20
Don’t let size fool you. This little bite is big on bone-blasting nutrients: calcium, vitamins A, B, C, and K, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. A sweet spill of mango dice keeps the cream’s citrusy tang in check, creating a bright, fresh tase. A dash of pepper adds some unexpected zip. Endive make for the perfect, easily fillable finger food.
3 heads Belgian endive
2 perfectly ripe avocados
1- 2 limes, juiced
¼ cup diced red onion
Handful of washed cilantro, leaves and soft stems ( about 1/4 – 1/3 cup )
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Salt to taste
1 ripe mango
About 2 tablespoons fine chilli threads*, paprika or cayenne pepper
Toasted sesame seeds, to taste
Cut bottoms of Belgian endive heads and separate leaves. Lay flat on a paper or cloth towel-covered sheet tray, scoop side up. Cover with barely damp paper towel. (Wet the towel with cold water, then squeeze it out, unfold and cover endive leaves.)
Scoop the flesh from the avocados into a food processor. Add lime juice, red onion, cilantro, yogurt and salt. Puree till very smooth. Place in disposable pastry or zip top bag (make sure your zip top bag isn’t gusseted), squeezing out all air, and twist to close the bag. Secure with a rubber band. Keep chilled ‘till ready to serve.
Cut mango flesh from each side of its pit, peel and finely dice the flesh. Place in a small bowl and keep chilled.
When ready to assemble
Cut a small opening in the tip of the avocado piping bag or one bottom corner of the zip top bag. Starting at the squared off end of each endive leaf, pipe a small line of avocado mousse (just a bite’s worth), leaving the pointy end of the leaf to use as a “handle.” Top avocado with a small spill of mango dice. Garnish with the smallest pinch of chili threads, paprika or cayenne pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
*available in Asian grocery stores
Credits: Set Designer and Photographer, Francine Matalon-Degni; Food Stylist and Recipe Developer, Leslie Orlandini; Logo and Graphic Designer, Zoe Miolla; Editor, Sarah Marie Degni