Homemade Vinegar Drinks are Tasty Pick-Me-Ups

With summer rolling along with the hot days we’ve been experiencing I’ve been experimenting with cool drinks.  Maybe some of you have tried these new Bragg’s Vinegar Drinks.   They are quite tasty.  So I’ve come up with a few easy versions of my own and they are much cheaper to make at home.

Some people make their own sodas with cultures like whey and such.  This is easier and instant since soda takes a few days to culture from scratch.  You can play with the flavors and add your favorite juices and extracts to the mix.  

Since Bragg’s vinegar is raw it’s a great quick probiotic.   I like to add lemon juice and ginger extract to mine which makes a great pick-me-up and tonic when you need a quick energy boost.  You can sweeten it with honey, stevia, or even xylitol to your personal taste.

It would also make a great sport’s drink alternative without chemicals or any sugars.  I was using coconut water for this but it’s still relatively high in sugar if thats a concern.  It’s also just nice to have a few alternatives for variety.  

One caution with coconut water.  As wonderful and nutritious as it is I recently learned that if it sits out or goes bad you need to be very careful with it.  It can give someone a pretty bad case of food poisoning.  So bear that in mind and use care with handling it.   If it doesn’t taste fresh and sweet, throw it out immediately. 

Be sure to try this money-saving vinegar drink.  It’s a tasty alternative to all sodas and plain juices.  I like to take the leftover bottles that the Bragg’s vinegar drinks come in.  

Mix together in a bottle 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ginger extract

1-2 tablespoons raw vinegar (Bragg’s)

honey or stevia to taste

Add cold water place cap on bottle and shake vigorously.   Enjoy!

For more variety experiment with other flavored extracts, juices or even flavored stevia extracts.

Good choices would be grape, acai juice, pomegranate, strawberry or any other of your favorite choices.  Experiment with the flavors and you’ll come up with your own favorite flavor combinations.  I hope you enjoy it!

Cooking Garlic Curry Chicken in the Halogen Oven with Curry Yogurt Sauce

This recipe adapts to any chicken 2-4 pounds.  It is adapted from the directions that came with the Infrachef Halogen Oven for Roasted Chicken.  It is also inspired by Jamie Oliver.

Take a mortar and pestle and in it place,

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons olive oil (any will do)

Pinch of sea salt

3-4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed with a knife

Take this mixture and mash it to a creamy paste, doesn’t need to be smooth.

Place the fresh whole chicken breast side up on the lower rack in the halogen oven.

Run your finger between the breast and the skin of the chicken on each side of the breastbone.

Shove some of the garlic butter mixture under the skin.  Then do the other side of the breastbone.

Take a sharp knife and cut little pockets in the thighs and wings on each side of the chicken and place the rest of the garlic butter mixture in the slits you made.   Evenly distribute the mixture.  Rub your buttery hands all over the top of the breast over the skin.  You can lightly salt the skin at this point.

Now take a good quality curry powder and sprinkle it all over the breast, wings and thighs.  Doesn’t have to be perfect.  You can rub it around if you like but it is not necessary.

Now turn the chicken over so the breast is facing down.   Place lid on oven.

Set the temperature at 400F. for 25 min.  When the timer finishes, turn the chicken breast side up and cook for 30 minutes.   Open lid and let sit for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is resting take full fat yogurt and put

large spoonful of yogurt in a small bowl depending on how many people you are serving.

Sprinkle into this curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon and flower pepper or black pepper, freshly ground.  Stir and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with the chicken.