bedeck imploring: 3 Perks of Coffee!

By Chef Lippe

Ok now that we have approval from Health Magazine (see article below) to drink coffee, and that it is good for you (perk 1), it makes us smarter (perk 2) and my favorite (perk 3) keeps us slim, ?I have some great recipes to share with you. ?I am one of those lucky people who can drink coffee all day long!? So any food with coffee as one of the ingredients just makes my taste buds smile.

Don?t sweat that morning cup of joe

By Sarah DiGiulio
From Health Magazine

Drinking as many as three 8-ounce cups a day has proven health benefits. But skip it if you have high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, or suffer from anxiety, says Loren Wissner Greene, MD, a professor at the New York University School of Medicine.

Perk No. 1: Coffee helps fight disease.

Caffeine may help protect brain cells from the damage that causes Parkinson?s, dementia, and Alzheimer?s. ?And the antioxidants in coffee could help prevent liver disease.

Perk No. 2: It boosts your brainpower.

Java keeps you juiced when you?re sleep-deprived, but a cup before a test can also sharpen memory and keep you alert.

If it makes you too jittery, mix regular with decaf, or drink it with breakfast. Just avoid caffeine for at least four hours before bedtime.

Perk No. 3: It keeps you slim.

The caffeine in coffee can speed up metabolism and fat-burning, which helps lower your risk of type 2 diabetes?and obesity. And black coffee is one of the lowest-calorie drink choices around.

Now for the good stuff!

Perk 1 recipe ? fighting disease:

Ultra Iced Coffee

Ingredients

9 tablespoons espresso or Italian-roast ground coffee

4 cups boiling water

? cup raw sugar

? teaspoon ground cinnamon

? cup crushed mint leaves

1 inch piece of grated peeled fresh ginger

6 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk

2 cups fat free milk

Directions

Place a 13 x 9 baking pan in the freezer. Place coffee in a French press and add the boiling water. If you are using your drip coffee maker, substitute the same amount of cold water and brew.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, mint and ginger in a medium bowl. While coffee is still hot, pour it over the sugar mixture in the bowl, stirring well until the sugar is dissolved. Let steep for flavors to combine (about 30 minutes). Strain ? of the coffee into the cold pan from the freezer and the other half into a pitcher. Return baking pan to freezer and put the pitcher into the refrigerator.

Check the pan in the freezer after about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape any frozen coffee around in the pan, continue to check and scrape the pan every hour for the next 2 hours. (Once the granite is made it may be used as needed for up to one week, keep covered with plastic wrap.

To serve ? fill a medium glass ? full of frozen coffee granite, drizzle 1 teaspoon sweetened condensed milk over ice, then fill the glass with the cold refrigerated coffee. Top with milk as desired and serve.

Perk 2 recipe ? boosting brain power:

Coffee Steaks Under The Influence Recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces heavy beer (I used Yuengling Black And Tan)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce

3 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), trimmed of fat

3 tablespoons fine ground dark roast coffee

1 tablespoon pure chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Directions:

The night before, mix the beer, Worcestershire sauce and crystal hot sauce in a large freezer sipper lock bag, add the steaks and seal it shut and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Take the steaks out of the marinade, discarding the marinade. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels damp with olive oil. Coat steaks with the spicy mix, rubbing into the steaks.

Pre-heat the grill to hot. Grill the steaks until they have a dark crust about 2 minutes per side for medium rare (depending on the thickness)

Let meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Perk 3 recipe ? Keeps me SLIM (now this one you have to repeat after each bite, keeps me slim)

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup?non-self-rising cake flour

1 teaspoon?kosher salt

12?large egg whites (at room temperature)

1 1/2 teaspoons?cream of tartar

1 cup?granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons?finely crushed coffee beans

Trifle:

2 pounds?hulled strawberries

6 tablespoons?granulated sugar, divided

2 tablespoons?espresso powder combined with 1/2 cup boiling water

2?(8-ounce) blocks 1/3 less fat cream cheese (at room temperature)

1 cup?powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons?espresso powder

1 teaspoon?pure vanilla extract

1 cup?fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup?plus 2 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites (at room temperature)

1/3 cup?unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Directions

Heat oven to 350? with a rack in the lower third. Sift the flour and salt twice; set aside.

To make cake: In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer at low speed until foamy (about 2 minutes). Add cream of tartar; beat at medium-high until fluffy and soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until eggs form a peak when beater is lifted out. Transfer egg whites to a large bowl; sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the whites. Fold in, using a rubber spatula, scraping up from the bottom of the bowl. Continue to sift and fold in the flour mixture in batches; fold in lemon zest and crushed coffee beans. Transfer mixture to a dry, ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run a knife through the mixture to remove air bubbles. Bake until top is just golden and a small knife inserted into the cake comes out clean (about 45 minutes). Invert the pan upside down to cool.

Run a knife around the edges and the middle of the pan; remove cake. Cut cake horizontally into thirds; set aside.

Cut 1/2 of the strawberries into thirds or halves, depending on their size. Transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; toss and reserve. Chop the remaining strawberries into medium pieces; transfer to a second bowl, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of the espresso powder mixture. Toss and reserve.

To make espresso cream: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed (preferably with paddle attachment) until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar at low speed, adding espresso powder and vanilla. Transfer cream cheese mixture to a medium bowl; stir in sour cream by hand. Reserve espresso cream at room temperature.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites on low until foamy (about 2 minutes). Increase speed to medium-high, and gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Beat until egg whites are shiny and hold stiff peaks; reserve.

To assemble: Arrange 1/3 of the cut cake in the bottom of a large glass serving dish. Brush the cake well with the espresso powder mixture. Spread 1/3 of the espresso cream over the cake followed by 1/2 of the egg white mixture. Cover with 1/3 of the chopped strawberries and their liquid and 1/3 of the sliced strawberries; dust lightly with cocoa powder. Repeat with a second layer. For top layer, brush final cake layer with remaining espresso powder mixture, and top with remaining espresso cream mixture, chopped and sliced strawberries, and remaining liquid; dust with cocoa powder. (Trifle may be served right away or covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, up to 6 hours.)

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Source: http://cheflippe.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/3-perks-of-coffee/

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