3 Postum Party Cocktails (Even a Virgin One)!

Today's post is going to be some cocktail ideas for any upcoming cookouts or parties you plan on hosting. Two of the three recipes are alcoholic, however one is non-alcoholic, so I think you'll have something for everyone serving these drinks the next time you entertain guests.

In these recipes I use all three Postum flavors: Natural Coffee Flavor, Postum Cocoa Blend, and the original Postum flavor. Feel free to substitute one for the other to suit your preference. Postum is the perfect product to swap around flavors in recipes because doing so won't ruin the recipe whatsoever. The flavors will change slightly but in such an enjoyable way, that is really what I love about using this products in my recipes: the versatility of the product as well as how tasty it is in everything that I have made so far!

Let's get to these boozy recipe! The next cookout holiday that we have here in America, will be Independence Day next month, so if you are having a party and want to serve something different and fun, you should give these cocktail recipes a try!

Postum Martinis for a Crowd (makes 4 martinis)

2 teaspoons Postum (in original flavor)
6 ounces boiling water
6 ounces vodka
Simple syrup to taste (optional)
ice

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. In a cocktail shaker, place ice, prepared Postum and give it a shake. Serve by pouring into martini glasses (without ice using the strainer lid), and enjoy!

There is this drink called a Tootsie Roll, that is made with coffee flavored liqueur and orange juice. It is a really tasty drink and almost does taste like a candy lolly pop. I thought that this would be the absolute best drink to make non-alcoholic, and I was right! So tasty and fun. You wouldn't have thought to mix Postum with orange juice, now would you?

Virgin Tootsie Roll (makes 2 drinks)

2 teaspoons Postum (in Natural Coffee flavor)
6 ounces boiling water
8 ounces orange juice
ice

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. In a cocktail shaker, place ice, prepared Postum, orange juice and give it a shake. Serve in glass of choice (fun with a paper umbrella for garnish) and enjoy!

Out of this World - Banana Split Cocktail (makes 1 drink)

1 teaspoon Postum (in Cocoa Blend flavor)
4 ounces boiling water
ice
1 ounce banana liqueur
2 tablespoon vanilla soy coffee creamer
splash of pineapple juice
maraschino cherries to garnish on top (optional)

Prepare Postum by mixing it with boiling water and set aside for a few moments to cool. Fill a tall glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, place more ice, prepared Postum, banana liqueur and give it a shake. Pour contents of shaker strained into glass, then add coffee creamer and top with pineapple juice. You can garnish with cherries or whipped topping or just enjoy it the way it is!

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes. They came out awesome! And big thanks to the folks at Postum for sponsoring this recipe post and for generously supplying the product. Stay tuned for a Postum giveaway coming soon where I'll be giving away a jar of each fabulous flavor!

*As always, drink responsibly and the recipes that have alcohol in them are intended to be prepared and enjoyed by people who are 21+ and older*

This blog post was sponsored by Postum

Summer Prize Pack Flash Instagram Giveaway featuring Postum!

InstaFlash #GIVEAWAY! Winner chosen on Tuesday, just Like this post and follow me @theedirtyvegan and @wholesomepostum to #WIN this awesome #Postum #prizepack filled with both flavors, two awesome cold cup tumblers, an inflatable pool lounger and a 3-pack of inflatable beverage boats! Perfect for making the coffeeccino recipe featured on my blog and to enjoy your #iced Postum all #summer long! #vegan #whatveganseat #natural #poolside #poolparty #win #sponsoredpost

A post shared by The Dirty Vegan (@theedirtyvegan) on May 27, 2017 at 5:57pm PDT

Since my last post Postum post where I shared the most refreshingly delicious frozen iced coffee recipe, I have been getting so much positive feedback about it and so many of you are interested in trying it (here is the store locator to find Postum in your area! Or read on for a chance to win some too)! I have decided to do a flash giveaway on my Instagram. 

All the details are above, but basically just follow me and Postum on the gram and give the above post a Like! That's it! Here is the link to the instagram giveaway post in case for any reason the above image is not loading properly on your device. And since this is a flash giveaway, the winner will be chosen and announced in just a couple of days, on Tuesday!

Click here for this amazing summery recipe! And make sure to enter the giveaway, it is so quick to do, and you can score an awesome Postum prize pack (both flavors plus two sweet cold cup tumblers, an inflatable pool lounger and floating drink holders!) that you can enjoy all summer long!

Good luck!

7 Fun Things To Do With Postum!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Postum gives you a lot of "bang for your buck" since it yields 75 servings per container! I have been drinking it regularly because it is delicious, but I wanted to find other uses for it too. So here are some recipe, beauty, and other fun ideas. Enjoy!

1. Postum Granola! Make your usual granola recipe but this time, sprinkle some Postum on it to season it! It gives the granola almost a caramelized flavor, which us vegans always appreciate.

2. Postum Beauty Mask! Mix a little Postum with some apple nectar and apply to face. If you don't mix the Postum in as much and leave some granules, you'll even get some light exfoliating action going on when you wash it off your face.

3. Postum Frosting! Add Postum to your frosting, icings and glazes to make your desserts extra special!

4. Postum Art Projects! Instead of using coffee grounds in your arts and crafts, why not use Postum in your DIY projects? Especially important to keep caffeine from coffee grounds away from children and pets, where Postum is safe for most - it is just wheat and molasses.

5. Postumpourri! Add some Postum to your homemade potpourri satchels; the smell of Postum is devine!

6. Postum Topping! Use Postum as a topping for ice cream or granola by taking a very tiny amount and sprinkling it over top. Yum!

7. Postum Baked Goods! By adding Postum to your baked goods, like muffins, pancakes or breads, you get to enjoy such a beautiful flavor. All of your family and friends will be begging you for the secret to your exciting new recipes!

You must really want to try Postum now, huh? You are in luck! I am hosting a Postum giveaway on twitter where you can win a Postum prize pack! There are still a couple more days to enter! Click here to get to the giveaway tweet, then:

• RT the giveaway tweet
• Follow me on twitter 
• Follow Postum on twitter

That is it! Such an easy giveaway to enter, it literally takes only a few clicks that can be done right from the giveaway tweet! Voila!

Good luck!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

Dining in the City

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food." -W.C. Fields

Let's face it, if you are vegan like me (I've encountered plenty of this for almost a decade), or even vegetarian, you have experienced the "going out to eat crisis". Oh no, your friends, family, co-workers, etc. want to go out to eat with you but they are stressing out because you are vegetarian. Over ten years ago I was stressing out a little too, and that was just as a vegetarian, however being vegan sometimes makes it a little more difficult because restaurants seem to sneak dairy, eggs, and honey into the unlikeliest places. However, now the options are much different for vegan dining. I know a lot of us tend to dine with our veggie partners or friends and seek out veg-friendly restaurants, but today I have yet another discovery of veg-friendliness in an unexpected place; you will be pleasantly surprised.

Joe's American Bar & Grill has many locations around the United States. I had the pleasure of dining at the Providence Place location in the heart of Providence, RI. WaterFire was happening and the city was filled with personality. Joe's is located right across from WaterFire, making it a great place to eat if you plan to see the show or partake in a romantic gondola ride.

This gorgeous picture is of their Angel Hair Pasta Primavera. Just ask for it vegan with no cheese, because they normally do the vegetarian dish with Parmesan. This angel hair dish was extraordinary including fresh ingredients such as zucchini, squash, tomatoes, red peppers, basil, garlic, oil, and lemon. The flavor combinations were especially pleasing to the palate, making this primavera much better than the usual options for vegetarians at restaurants. We also had nachos to start, which were made vegan with guacamole, salsa, and veggies. I ended my meal with a nice black espresso, which was rich and had a great quality taste.

Joe's American Bar & Grill is a cosmopolitan of cuisine that works out great for everyone you may be dining with. We all know that it is highly unlikely that your entire family, friends, and social network are vegan, so it is great to find a place where you don't have to have menu anxiety and can go out and dine with others. Places like Joe's also deter you from the inevitable and awkward vegetarian conversations, with the menu versatility and atmosphere. You can order pizza with no cheese and just oil, tomato sauce, and veggies of your choosing, and many other options that are available upon request. Actually, quite a few of their menu items can be made vegetarian easily, especially since they do a lot of fresh dishes which aren't pre-made like some other eateries might do. This makes Joe's a five star with their accommodating factors. The surroundings were pretty cool also.

We had delightful sidewalk seating, directly on Providence Place. Our view was of beautiful buildings on a wonderful summer evening. The energy from WaterFire was nice also and you could even hear music from the show. The staff at Joe's American Bar & Grill were friendly and personable, even for an uber busy weekend night when the establishment and city were jam packed with crowds.

The wall out front of Joe's opens and you can see inside from the sidewalk seating. The atmosphere was cool and fun!

The next time you are in Providence, do not overlook fine American cuisine like that of Joe's American Bar & Grill. They are definitely down with the vegetarians and vegans!

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Dirty Cocktails

"Be careful to trust a person who does not like wine." -Karl Marx

What's not to love about a cocktail party...or any occasion where you can enjoy a nice alcoholic beverage? Mixed drinks can be fun, elegant, classy, naughty, or even a form of artistic expression. The following cocktails that I have created are a little bit of everything, so hopefully one will be perfect for you!

As always...


NEVER drink and drive. 


Please, always drink responsibly. 


It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Anytime is appropriate to drink, unless its on the job (please don't drink on the job and tell them that the Dirty Vegan told you to do it. That will not get you out of trouble, not yet anyways). 


Finally, for my underage readers, please enjoy these drinks as non-alcoholic and virgin style (believe me, you've got plenty of time in your future to be enjoying cocktails, spare your liver and save the drinks for the more difficult times ahead when you will need them - with age comes great responsibilities...arrrgggh).

To get the scoop on what liquor and beer is vegan friendly or not, I visit the Barnivore website and I also follow them on Twitter!

BreakfasTini


1 shot vanilla vodka 
1 shot coffee liquor
1 ounce strong coffee or espresso
splash of vegan coffee creamer (I like SoDelicious or Silk in their Vanilla and Hazelnut flavors)


Shake in ice filled shaker and poor into martini glass. Doing a little dancing while you shake is optional...that's just what I do. Garnish with a cocktail pick that has cereal puffs on it.

the Dirty Vegan Martini


2 ounces vodka
1 ounce fruity flavored liquor
splash of pineapple juice


Shake in ice filled shaker and poor into martini glass. Doing a little dancing while you shake is optional...that's just what I do. Garnish with fruit on a cocktail pick and drop a cherry in the glass!

The Purple Vegan


2 ounces grape flavored vodka
1.5 ounces fruit juice
splash of fresh lemon juice
big splash of fresh orange juice


Shake in ice filled shaker and poor into martini glass. Doing a little dancing while you shake is optional...that's just what I do. Garnish with citrus slices!

I hope you enjoy these fun and Naughty drinks! Have a Dirty day! Cheers!



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Easy 3 Course Meal

This is an easy 3 course meal that can be made in advance or any way that works best for you. I marinated the tofu "scallops" first, then made the salad dressing and put it in a container, made the truffles and refrigerated them, then prepared the tofu and Brussels sprouts when it was time to prepare and eat the meal. Read on to see the complete meal, recipes, and how you too can make a hearty, delicious, gourmet-style, easy 3 course meal!

Tofu "Scallops" and Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts over a bed of brown rice

Coconut Coffee House Truffles

1st Course - Salad:

Prepare salad greens in bowls. Slice tomato and/ or other vegetables that you would like on your salad. If you have a favorite salad dressing, you can skip this step. If you would like to try mine, use this recipe:

Sweet Peanut Onion Dressing

-1/2 cup canola or olive oil

-1/4 cup peanut butter

-2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce

-1.5 tbsp onion powder

-1 tsp garlic powder

-3 tbsp maple syrup

-sea salt and pepper to taste 

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container until use.

2nd Course - Tofu "Scallops", Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts, and Brown Rice:

Prepare brown rice according to  package instructions. Minute kind works best for this meal plan. You can serve the "scallops" with their sauce, and Brussels Sprouts over the brown rice, if you wish.

Tofu "Scallops"

-1 container of tofu

-2 tbsp oil

Marinade

-1 sheet of nori, crumbled up

-1 veggie bouillon cube (I used Edward & Sons brand)

-1 cup warm water

-1 tbsp powdered dulse

-2 tbsp sweet miso paste

-1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

-sea salt and pepper to taste

Sauce (what will be added to marinade later to make a sauce)

-3 tbsp vegan buttery spread (I used Earth Balance brand)

-3 tbsp wheat flour

-3 tbsp white wine

Cut block of tofu in half vertically. Then cut out tiny circles with these two thinner "sheets" of tofu to make "scallops" (you can use a small round cookie cutter, a tea ball, or carefully create circles with a butter knife). Place tofu circles in a container. Combine marinade ingredients together and then pour into the container of tofu circles. Let marinade in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (the more time, the better to flavor the tofu).

When you are ready to prepare the "scallops", heat oil over medium heat in skillet. Remove just tofu from marinade and cook in skillet until brown on each side (about 5 minutes or more on each side). While those are browning, heat the buttery spread, flour and wine in a saucepan to make a rue. Then add marinade and simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until its a thickened sauce. 

Pour sauce over tofu "scallops" to serve.

*Note: The nori and dulse add a great "sea flavor" to the tofu "scallops". Dulse is also a great source of iodine. You can find nori, dulse, and miso paste in Whole Foods.*

Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts

-1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts

-2 tbsp garlic, minced

-3 tbsp olive oil

-sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off stems of Brussels sprouts then half them. Place in casserole dish. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or until browned, tender, and crisp, to your liking. Stir once halfway thru.

3rd Course - Coconut Coffee House Truffles:

These can be made in advance of the meal and refrigerated until serving.

Coconut Coffee House Truffles

-1/3 cup SoDelicious Coconut Hazelnut Coffee Creamer

-2.5 tbsp vegan coffee liquor

-12 oz vegan semisweet chocolate chips

To roll truffles in

-coconut shavings, chopped or grated (I used Edward & Sons brand)

-cocoa powder

-mix a little of each for another flavor option (like you see in my picture)

In a saucepan on low heat, bring creamer and liquor to a simmer. Then remove from heat and melt in the chocolate chips. Transfer to a shallow bowl and let the truffle mixture set (I had to pop it in the refrigerator for a while to get the consistency I wanted). 

Once cool, set, and at a workable consistency, form into truffle balls, and place on wax paper. Let refrigerate in the ball form for a few minutes before finishing. Then shape and smooth out lines. Roll each truffle into either cocoa, coconut, or a mixture of the two. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy making and eating these recipes! This is an easy way to enjoy a very gourmet 3 course meal!

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Sexiest Cafe in New England...

"Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere." -Mae West

The 'Veggie' wrap at Mirasol's Cafe in Dartmouth, MA - their special hummus with veggies. It's so good!

Where do I even begin? Mirasol's Cafe is one of the hippest cafes that I have been to. If you check out their website, you will find the word sexy being thrown around, but not without just cause. From Mirasol's vegetarian friendly food options, their organic coffee, their vegan milk and vegan friendly beverages, to the cool vibes and music (check out their website - link above - for sample music), I can't say enough positive things about this Latin American influenced cafe. So, of course I had to sneak in and do a review! Dirty Vegan phantom-style!

What I love most about Mirasol's is that I was able to get vegan beverages someplace other than Starbucks! The prices here are great and they are very conscious of vegetarians, organic, and natural options. They are not a full vegetarian restaurant, but offer many options for us veggie folk. Some of the things they offer are the Veggie (pictured above), Sexy Asparagus (ask them to hold the cheese to make it vegan), bagels with your vegan choice of black bean hummus or peanut butter (their website says regular or veggie cream cheese - maybe Tofutti is the veggie one? Will have to ask them next time I go), salads, some soups are vegetarian but the soup varies daily, and lots of yummy beverages that can be made with soy-milk! They feature Jim's Organic Coffees, a variety of teas, smoothies, specialty drinks, and lattes. I love that I can get a vegan latte and a Veggie wrap, and just chill in a relaxing, casual environment. The beverage pictured above with my Veggie, is their Acai Iced Tea; very refreshing and deeeelish! 

I really love that Mirasol's Cafe pays attention to their veggie and natural-foods-seeking customers; it means a lot to us. And I really just love the fact that they say things like " super sexy" and "stud-liest" to describe their offerings. Me likey, likey. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off.

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Espresso yourself!

“Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep.” -Fran Drescher

Caffè Mocha Ooh La La!

Ingredients:

1 cup strong (caffeinated or decaffeinated) coffee

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp turbinado sugar

2 tbsp almond milk

What to do:

Brew coffee. Mix coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and almond milk. Enjoy!

This definitely tastes like something extremely fancy from a coffee house, but as you can see it is simple and most people have these ingredients on hand in their house. This is also an inexpensive way to get specialty coffee taste and not break the bank. Spero che godiate del vostro caffè!