A decadent cardamom date almond milk, a spinach and feta egg scramble, and homemade New York style bagels.

Plus, a new end of the month playlist.

Cardamom Date Almond Milk

I just discovered a new method for making a quick, creamy, flavorful almond milk. It's perfect when you forget to soak the almonds the day before, and the hot water infuses the milk with a richer flavor of cardamom and vanilla. It's decadent and delicious and so good with a matcha latte!

CARDAMOM DATE ALMOND MILK

• 1 cup of raw almonds

• 2 dates

• 2 cardamom pods

• 1/2 a vanilla bean

• Pinch of sea salt

• 4 cups boiling water

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, place the almonds in a medium-sized, heatproof bowl. Remove the pits from the dates, discard the pits, and add the dates to the bowl. Next, carefully smash the cardamom pods and peel away the pod. Add the cardamom seeds to the bowl and discard the pods. Then, slice the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the bowl. Finally, add a pinch of sea salt.

Once the water is boiling, remove it from the heat and pour it into the bowl over the almonds and other ingredients. Let this sit and cool until it is room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled, remove the vanilla bean pod and discard. Next, pour everything into a blender and blend on high until creamy and frothy.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and line it with a thin cloth, a few layers of cheesecloth, or you can use a nut milk bag. Pour the almond mixture into the lined strainer or nut milk bag and strain the milk. Once it looks like most of the liquid has strained, gather the sides of the cloth and gently wring out the rest of the liquid. Discard the pulp. Pour the almond milk into a container and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.

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Spinach and Feta Egg Scramble

Morning scrambles have been a great post-workout meal and an easy way to get a decent amount of protein in one sitting. They're also a good way to use up the last bits and ends of things like veggies, herbs, and cheese lying around in the fridge. Spinach wilts quickly, so it's a nice green to add to eggs when you want something fast yet still nutritious.

SPINACH AND FETA EGG SCRAMBLE

Serves 2

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small shallot, peeled and sliced into rounds

• 4 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed

• 4 eggs, whisked

• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat in a small nonstick pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes or until the shallots get golden. Add the spinach and a pinch of sea salt, stir to coat, and cook until the spinach has wilted. Add a pinch of sea salt to the whisked eggs and pour them into the pan. Cook until the eggs are scrambled to your liking. Remove the eggs from the pan and divide them between two places. Top with crumbled feta, fresh dill, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Homemade Bagels

During the beginning of the Covid lockdown, when we were living in Denver, bagels were one of the first things I started making batches of at home to bring comfort and joy to our days. Although the bagel-making process has multiple steps, they are actually quite easy to make if you have the time. Costa has been talking about bagels recently, as he is constantly tormented by seeing Philadelphia cream cheese in the grocery stores in Rome, yet there are no bagels in sight to enjoy it with. So, it was about time we got back to making some batches of our own.

This recipe is for a homemade New York-style bagel (Andre wouldn't have it any other way!), which is larger, chewier, and has a slightly tangier taste due to the use of malt syrup (or honey if that is all you can find) in the boiling water. They are typically baked in a high-temperature oven for a crisp, golden crust. One of my favorite bites is a toasted sesame bagel slathered with cream cheese and topped with thinly sliced cucumber, fresh dill, flakey sea salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Heaven!