Homemade Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate

February is definitely hot chocolate weather, and although I am fine with using store-bought hot chocolate mixes, I am much more satisfied when I make it myself. It only takes a few extra minutes, but the results are so much creamier and flavorful! Plus, I can rest easy that there are no creepy additives that some store-bought brands carry. 

Now, I titled this post as "dairy-free" hot chocolate because I have almost completely switched to drinking almond milk instead of regular cows milk, unless I am making macaroni and cheese or other savory dishes. I am particularly fond of unsweetened vanilla almond milk or plain unsweetened almond milk - both are delicious. However, this recipe works just as well with cows milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.! So have no fear if the idea of drinking non-dairy milk is off-putting. Get creative and experiment with what you prefer!

Another ingredient that may come as a surprise is cornstarch. Ever wonder how some joints serve the most velvety hot chocolate? Cornstarch is an excellent way to achieve that consistency! Just a small amount does the trick, and it really does create a more unctuous texture than plain old store-bought mix. Unless I am in a pinch, I can't see myself buying cocoa mix from the store anytime soon. So here's to staying inside on cold, windy nights and sipping steaming mugs of homemade hot chocolate. Happy eating!

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate
Serves 1

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other preferred milk)
2 tbs. sugar
1 heaping tbs. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of salt

Heat the almond milk in a small sauce pan or in a microwave-safe measuring cup until very hot, or until your desired drinking temperature (mine took about 2.5 minutes in the microwave). In a large mug, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and pinch of salt. Stir in a few tablespoons of the hot milk to form a thick paste. Add half of the remaining milk, stir thoroughly, then add the rest of the milk and stir until combined. Serve warm! 

For a Mexican Hot Chocolate variation, stir 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of Ancho chili powder into the dry ingredients before adding the milk. Also try a Peppermint Hot Chocolate by adding 1/8 teaspoon (a couple drops) of peppermint extract to the milk before stirring into the dry ingredients. 

Wagamama's Chicken Ramen

London is without a doubt one of my dream destinations, and the city is overflowing with ethnic food options from every continent. Even though I have never had the chance to eat there, Wagamama restaurant is so fascinating to me, and I have been wanting to make their famous chicken ramen for ages. Wagamama is a Japanese fusion restaurant that serves heaping bowls of noodles, rice, ramen, gyoza, katsu, and tons of other Japanese dishes in minutes flat. You walk in, sit down, the waiters take your order electronically at the table, and the food is brought to you super fast. I received the restaurant's cookbook a few Christmases ago, and the recipes are fast, relatively cheap, and SO GOOD. 

Their chicken ramen apparently is the stuff of regular Wagamama patrons' dreams, and I set out to make it for lunch today. I'm on a tight budget, so making their chicken stock 1 recipe, which includes a whole chicken and tons of vegetables, was kind of out of my price range. So I improvised their chicken stock 3 recipe and used store-bought organic chicken stock, fresh ginger, leek, and carrot and boiled it all until the flavors infused. The ramen noodles were also tricky for me, and I ended up having to buy Ramen brand's chicken ramen soup packs and discard the seasoning packets (although I really, really like the seasoning packet). Everything else, the green vegetables and broiled chicken, came together fairly quickly, and I was chowin' down on chicken ramen in no time. 

The soup needed a bit more salt than I expected, but once I added a few pinches of sea salt to the bowl, all of the flavors jumped out and I did not take a break from the bowl until the last drops of soup were gone. I also added cilantro because I adore it and it brightened the soup a bit. So go on and check out the Wagamama cookbook if you're broke like me and can't afford a ticket to London town anytime soon. Happy eating!

Wagamama's Chicken Ramen (makes 2 large bowls of soup)

adapted from the Wagamama Cookbook

For chicken stock:

5 cups store-bought or homemade chicken stock 

1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 leek, washed and roughly chopped (remove large green top, slice in half vertically, and rinse out the grit thoroughly before chopping)

Assemble soup:

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and white pepper

1 package Ramen noodles, seasoning packet removed

1 baby bok choy, roughly chopped (separate leaves, rinse well, and remove the tough white part at the bottom before chopping)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

small handful fresh cilantro (optional), roughly chopped

12 pieces bamboo shoots, found in the international foods aisle 

Combine the chicken stock in a pot with the ginger, carrot, and leek. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the flavors come together. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discard vegetables. Return the stock to the heat and keep over low heat until ready to serve. 

Preheat the broiler. Rub chicken breasts with a little oil, season with salt and white pepper. Broil until fully cooked, flipping if necessary. Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing so the juices don't escape. While chicken is cooking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the ramen noodles, and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Divide the noodles between two large bowls. Top the noodles with the bok choy, ladle the stock overtop, then top with the sliced chicken, scallions, cilantro, and bamboo shoots. Serve very hot with chop sticks and a large spoon.