Quick & Easy Super Elixirs

In the winter time I crave warm food and drink and the Magic Superfood Elixir recipe really satisfies.  But sometimes I don’t feel like going through all those intricate steps and waiting all that time … I want warm yummyness now!

So, here’s my quick and easy way to make a superfood, super herb elixir … YAY!

1. Find some super herbs you want to use.

The quick way of doing this is to browse the tea aisle of your local natural grocery store.  There’s usually a brand like Traditional Medicinals that has pre-packaged herbs and herb combinations for many different situations.  There’s stuff for memory, PMS, sinus infections, immune enhancement, etc. etc.  On the box it should say whether you can take that tea every day (like a tonic) or if you should use it for shorter periods of time (more potent or with side effects on prolonged usage).

My new favorite way to find super herbs is through my favorite online herb source: Mountain Rose Herbs.  Their herbs have always been the freshest and highest quality I’ve found.  And, they’ve got some great herbal tea blends that take the guess work out of which herbs to use for what bodily systems / symptoms.

2. Brew your tea on the stove with a couple of  additions.

Put some pure water into a pot on the stove.  Put in enough water for half of the number of cups of elixir you’ll want (the other half comes from the nut milk added later).

If your herbs are roots you’ll want to do a “decoction” which basically means you’ll want to simmer them for 10-45 minutes (depending on how long you can stand to wait).

If your herbs are leaves, you’ll want to do an “infusion” which means you’ll simmer them for 8-10 minutes.

And if you have a combination of roots and leaves, just add the leaves towards the end of the simmering time, lest their medicinal taste overpower your yummy elixir.

How much super herb to add to the pot?  Depends on the herb and how much water you’re using.  Follow the directions you get on the side of the box.

Special Additions:

To make your tea an elixir, add some chopped up goji berries and some coconut flakes to the water while you’re brewing your tea.  These count like roots, so you can add them in early in order to get the full effect.  The goji berries add a little sweetness and extra anti-oxidants to your tea.  The coconut flakes add a nice fatty undertone (coconut can handle the heat of simmering).  You could also use any other kind of berry or raisin for the sweetness and coconut oil instead of coconut flakes.

At this point you could also add in ginger root, vanilla bean shell (save the vanilla bean insides for on top!), cinnamon stick or powder, cloves or powder, or any other spices you desire.

3. Strain your tea into a mug and add nut milk

For this step I just put a little mesh strainer over my mug and pour the tea in to fill the mug half way.  Then add coconut milk, almond milk or another nut milk of your choice for the other half of the mug (leave some room at the top for more special additions).  This makes your tea more of a creamy elixir than a tea.

4. Add superfoods, sweetener and spices to your elixir

Now you get to decide if this elixir is an amped up hot chocolate, a chai tea, or some other flavor you desire.  Simply add in, a teaspoon at a time, any of these superfoods to flavor and amplify your elixir:

• Cacao Powder
• Carob Powder
• Tocotrienols (goes good with cacao powder for a creamy, frothy hot chocolate)
• Maca (super warming and “marshmellowy”)
• Mesquite Powder (chai-like flavor and goes great with chocolate flavors)
• Lucuma Powder (helps to sweeten, fruity flavor)

Be sure to add a bit more sweetener.  At this point I really like a dash of Vanilla Agave Nectar, or you could use honey or maple syrup.

If you didn’t use any spices in the tea stage, now’s a good time to sprinkle in some cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove or any other spices to your liking.

Now stir, taste to make sure the flavor is to your liking, adjust as required, and enjoy!