Fresh home-made Almond Milk (3 steps)

Almond milk is so easy and good for you. If you live the milk-free lifestyle, but still love a cold creamy glass to go with your sweets, in your smoothies or even in your coffee then almonds milk is awesome. Although be aware that almond milk shouldn't be a substitute in regards to the calcium or protein you get from a source like cow's milk. When comparing the two researchers find that almond milk has 1 gram of protein vs. cow's milk having 8 grams. Milk made from almonds is very low in calories at 60 per cup, there is no cholesterol or saturated fats it's low sodium and has lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. There isn't as much calcium as they state milk has but it does have 30% of your daily requirement. Great news for your skin in terms of Vitamin E too:) almond milk has 50% of your daily intake. While I don't truly know if this is the best idea since we ALWAYS kept it refrigerated I read an article that states it can be left at room temperature safely. Always do your own research and always have fun in the kitchen!

Here is an easy three step process to have fresh almond milk in your kitchen in less than 10 minutes!

You will need:

Blender
Cheese cloth
Container with a lid

Prep time: 24 hrs (although I forgot to soak the almonds it still works but they release more protein and are easier to blend.)

"Cook" time: 5 minutes

Servings: approx. 9 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups of raw almonds
7 cups of water (we fill the blender to the 9th cup mark)

Directions:

1. Soak almonds overnight

2. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes

3. Strain in cheese cloth (pulp included) and store in the fridge!

 To this mixture you can add a couple Tbs. of honey or agave to make it sweet. I prefer it plain, but The Hunebee likes hers with a hint of sweetness<3 We stored ours in large mason jars that have a screw on lid and put them in the fridge. This "milk" should keep for 2-3 days.

 ENJOY!

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RAW-recipe #3 part B "Mint Carob smoothie"

This peppermint oil, carob powder, almond milk and banana smoothie is another drink on our list of favorites. Next week we're going to do a step by step for fresh almond milk so stay tuned. Below is a sweet tasty treat that is low in calories, high in potassium, and low in fat. 

You can purchase carob powder at a health food store like Sprouts and if you want to cut down on time and price you can buy already made Almond milk, but it needs to be sweetened. Lastly make sure your bananas are completely frozen. 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

8 oz. almond milk
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil
2 frozen bananas
2 Tbs. carob powder

 Directions:

Fill the blender to the 8 oz. mark, add carob, frozen banana and mint. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour into a glass and garnish with fresh mint leaf, drink immediately. The consistency will be smooth but not thick, you can add more frozen banana if you prefer it to be thicker.

ENJOY!

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RAW-recipe #3 part A "Raw Margarita"

The Raw Margarita is one of the two drinks featured in tonight's RAW-recipe contribution and is made from the fresh juice of green apples, lemon and ginger with a sprinkle of cinnamon. For this recipe you will need a juicer, again one of those kitchen appliances that are mandatory. 

 We used the Jack Lalanne Power Juicer, anyone will work fine, but you do want a juicer that will separate the apple and ginger skin from the juice. That is why a blender won't work here. You don't want chucks of skin in your drink!

Prep. time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2

 Ingredients:

4 cups green apples
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. ginger root juice
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

Juice 4 cups of green apple, I large ginger root, and                                      

hand squeeze 1 large lemon. This recipe makes two 16 oz.               

drinks. In a glass combine 16 oz. or two cups

of fresh apple juice, 2 Tbs. of lemon juice and 2 tsp.

of fresh ginger juice. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top, 

stir with a spoon to mix the lemon and ginger before 

drinking!

 

ENJOY!

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RAW-berry Shortcake (raw recipe #2)

This weeks RAW-recipe was a raw take on the famous "strawberry shortcake." A recipe that was created for Cilantro Live, the Raw, Vegan restaurant Christine and I worked for, a recipe that Christine is responsible for improving upon. It has been years since either of us has attempted any of these delicious treats. Last night was a whole lot of fun not only to do, but to eat! We even got my meat and potatoes boyfriend, Tyler, to enjoy one as well! From the bottom you'll see an almond "crust," the second layer is a sweet strawberry sauce, the ice cream is a basil flavor made from cashews along with the "whipped" topping. While this dessert is a tad bit of work it's also a whole lot of fun!

You will need to have 3 major appliances for this recipe: 1. a food processor, 2. ice cream machine and 3. a blender. Without those 3 things this will be almost, no, it will be impossible so it's a good idea to make sure you have them. I purchased a great Sunbeam brand, electric, 4 quart ice cream machine the only down side is it does require ice and salt, but was actually pretty quick from start to finish. I received from Tyler, for my birthday/mother's day, a 7 cup Cuisinart food processor that we used for the "crust" and strawberry sauce. The blender is vital for the ice cream and "whipped" topping, and even though the cashews are soaked over night they still need to be blended until they are the consistency of "cream." 

Prep. time: 24 hours

"Cook" time: 1-1 1/2 

Servings: 6

Cost per serving: $3.75

 Ingredients:

(ice cream)

1 1/4 cup cashews (soaked in water, over night in the fridge)

1/4 basil

1/2 agave

Pinch of salt

Water up to 4 cup mark

(whipped topping)

3/4 cup cashews

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 cup agave

1 tbs. water (Blend until creamy, if it's too thick add 1 Tbs. water)

Directions:
(start the ice cream first)

Soak the cashew in a bowl of water over night in the refrigerator. Drain the water and measure out 1 1/4 cup. Add the cashews, 1/4 cup whole basil leaves, 1/2 cup of agave and a pinch of salt into the blender. Fill the blender up to the "4 cup" mark and blend on "HIGH" for 2-3 minutes or until you have a frothy, light green "cream."

Pour into your ice cream maker and  turn on, and work on other components while the ice cream comes together. The ice cream should take 45 minutes to an hour to finish.

Ingredients:
(strawberry sauce)

1 cup chopped strawberries (save 4-6 fresh whole berries for the garnish)
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/8 cup agave
Pinch of salt

Directions:

In the food processor add 1 cup of fresh strawberries, 1 1/2 tsp. of fresh lime juice, 1/8 cup of agave and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the berries are smooth and set aside in a smaller bowl for your next step; the "crust."

Ingredients:
(crust)

1 cups peeled almonds
1 tsp lime zest
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2  tsp. water
Pinch of salt

 Directions:

Slightly boil water and pour over raw almonds, let it sit for 20-30 minutes, once the water has turned a brown color and the skins feel "loosened" you can pop the almond out of it's casing. Discard the casings and drain the water. Measure out 1 cup of peeled almonds add to the processor with 1 tsp. lime zest, 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice, 1 1/2 tsp. water and a pinch of salt.

(directions cont.)

The consistency of the almond "crust" should be a loose paste and you should be able to pack it into your hand, but it shouldn't be overly moist.

To assemble your dessert start by packing 2 Tbs. of the almond "crust" into a shallow container, or small parfait cup(that is what we used at the restaurant).

On top of the "crust" add 2 Tbs. of strawberry sauce and remember to save some fresh strawberries for garnishing. We sliced them and added 4-5 fresh pieces to each dessert cup.

To finish add two scoops of the basil ice cream, 

 dollop of the whipped topping, a sprig of basil leaf

 and fresh strawberry slices!

ENJOY!

  

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Health Benefits of "HOT" Peppers.

"Hotter is better

Although the chemical compound capsaicin itself is colorless and odorless, it is generally associated with hot peppers. Hot peppers like the ghost pepper and the newly crowned Smokin' Ed's Carolina Reaper contain some of the highest amounts of capsaicin found naturally. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper is measured using the Scoville index, where pure capsaicin is rated at 16,000,000. The hottest peppers in the world only measure up to 1.5-1.6 million Scovilles. Jalapenos and cayenne pepper come in at around 8,000 and 50,000, respectively. For beginners to spicy food, start small and add more heat as tolerance increases, you can always add more, and you don't want to ruin a meal with too much."
(Source: Natural News by Dr. Daniel Zagst)

When I think about Chili Peppers I usually correlate them to ethnic cuisines. There are some really great benefits to including "spicy" peppers into your diet. I have been going through 1 pound bags of Jalapenos and Serranos' each week for a while now, and not to mention Kui and Jesse love their food spicy so they go quick. Since they have become such a constant in my food world as of late I decided to do a little research so I could share my findings. There are the really obvious things about hot peppers that we all know like they clear the sinuses and are classified as a fruit, so they have to be full of beneficial nutrients. Peppers like Jalapenos, Serranos, Habaneros, and Chili (Cayenne Peppers) have Capsaicin, which is the reason why they are so hot and should not to be confused with the Capsicum or Bell Peppers which has none.

Peppers, in general, are full of Vitamins A, C, and K. Vitamins A and C prevent cell damage, improve immune function and aging related diseases. They are also great for the reduction of inflammation found in arthritis and asthma. The Vitamin K supports healthy blood clotting, healthy bones and protection of cells.

Capsaicin has been shown to speed up a persons metabolism and we all know that a slow metabolism is a deterring factor in losing weight. Eating spicy peppers (raw mainly) with meals has also shown to help you eat less, but to consume more water which will help you feel full faster.

"Ironically, the same intense heat from capsaicin that makes hot peppers intolerable to some people also makes it an effective pain reliever. Topical capsaicin cream or ointment can be used on the skin to help relieve pain from surgery, neuralgia, shingles, cluster headaches, arthritis, psoriasis and mouth sores caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Capsaicin relieves pain by stimulating and then immediately decreasing intensity of pain signals sent to the brain. It also blocks Substance P, a neuropeptide responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain and causing swelling of nerve fibers." (source Amazing Health Benefits of Capsaicin by Jennifer LaMaire)

To further the above fact that spicy peppers clear the sinuses, the nasal passage is cleared by thinning the mucus and relieving congestion. Antibacterial properties of the peppers capsaicin fight off chronic infections and allergy symptoms. It has also been found to ease the pains associated with COPD and emphysema which are common lung complications.

Lastly for health benefits, something we all love to hear, "CANCER KILLER." The capsaicin kills cancer cells by prompting the mitochondria in the cells to go through "apoptosis," in layman's terms means cell-suicide.

"When exposed to capsaicin cancer cells are destroyed but there is no damaged to the surrounding tissue. Prostate cancer tumors shrank by 80 percent when exposed to capsaicin." (source: cont. by Dr. Zagst)

It has been really easy to integrate peppers into my diet, I slice them up raw and throw them into practically everything, soups, stews, pasta, beans, cottage cheese, they are pretty versatile. While the heat of each individual pepper can vary, if you can get used to the heat you will gain a whole lot more than a "spicy" mouth:)



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Why should you eat lemon peel? (Lemon Chicken recipe included)

On Monday of this week I included a lemon chicken and orzo for the boys, Kui, Angelo and Jesse. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate throwing things away and I'm always trying to use the most of everything I cook with, see Could've lost a "Lb." Unlike the lemon chicken recipe I grew up with as a kid, this week I cooked the lemon peel down with the chicken. It was fantastic, and had a concentrated lemon flavor with a great texture that took on the savory nature of the sauce.

I began searching for "The health benefits of lemon peels." Apparently the peel is where all the most beneficial properties of a lemon reside. Putting a slice in water has been openly done forever, but it's rare that I actually see people eating the peel, or the fruit and rind. For people who can't actually eat the fruit, the peel is a great way to get most of the lemon's benefits without the lemon's highly acidic flavor.

Lemon peel contains high levels of calcium and vitamin c that improve bone health. Polyphenol flavonoids (a class of plant secondary metabolites) in lemon peels lower cholesterol and the presence of potassium maintains blood pressure, heart related issues and diabetes. The peel is also high in antioxidants and those are good for everything!! (cited)

Lemon peels contain up to 10 times more vitamins than the juice. Don't forget about the fiber! 3.5 oz of lemon peel contains a little over 10 grams of fiber. (found here)

For bad breath or oral hygiene the peel is also great since the high levels of vitamin c and citric acid aid in repair of teeth and gum related diseases.

So the next time you think about using that peel to grind in your kitchen sink disposal STOP...and eat some instead!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Price: $15

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of lemon peel (you can include slices as I did)
1-2 Tbs. butter (you can sub. olive oil)
1/2-3/4 cup chicken bullion water (Tbs. of chicken base)
1 Tbs. garlic
pepper

Directions:

Dice chicken into bite sized pieces, mince the garlic, juice one lemon and set aside. Peel desired amount of lemon peel and also set aside. Microwave or heat 1 Tbs. of chicken base in water.
In a saute pan or skillet cook your garlic for about a minute, add your diced chicken and continue to brown on medium heat, don't forget to season your chicken. When the chicken has cooked almost through turn the heat up to med/high and de-glaze the pan with the lemon juice and chicken bullion. Add the lemon and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes on low/medium. If your sauce is a little watery, which can happen if the chicken wasn't cooked on a high enough heat, then you can remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside and turn the heat up on the sauce till it reduces and thickens. Turn the heat off and return the chicken to the sauce.

* I added lemon slices afterward for presentation*

ENJOY!

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RAW-violis (raw recipe #1)

RAWvioli - n. - The Vegan version of a flavor packed pesto ravioli. A tomato sandwich.

Tonight Christine, The Hunebee, and I started our weekly contribution to "RAW RECIPES."  This is something we have agreed to do for the next couple weeks, or for as long as we can remember the recipes we used to prepare. In the upcoming weeks you can look forward to Raw Ice cream, Raw Vegan Cheesecake, specialty drinks, and Carob candies with sweet surprises like cranberries and orange in the center. I will post one RAW recipe a week, along with my usual foods for my "Monday Menu." Thanks for stopping by to check us out!

Prep time: 20 minutes

"Cook" time: 5 hours in a dehydrator  (** I added an additional 2 hours today.)4-8-14 

Serving size: as many as you can eat! This recipe will make about 20 individual Rawviolis. 

Price: $13.00 (raw cashews are pricey!)

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh Basil

1 1/2 cups of raw Cashews (soaked in water over-night)

3 cloves of Garlic

1/2 cup of Olive oil (for the Pesto)

8 firm Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil (to dress tomatoes)

Dried sprinkle of each:

Oregano

Basil 

Rosemary 

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thin, dress in 1/2 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. 

Soak raw cashews over night in water. Drain and set aside for the Pesto. In a blender add garlic, basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt, pepper and the cashews' then blend until creamy.(no chinks)

Spoon about 1/2 - 1 full Tbs. of the Pesto onto a tomato slice and sandwich with an equal sized top. For the most even dehydrating process arrange the Rawviolis evenly on each tray or rack of your dehydrator.

For the Rawviolis to be considered "RAW" they must not go over 103 degrees. If your dehydrator doesn't specify temperature, like mine, start out on high for an hour and medium for the remaining 4 hours.

Half way through, when they start getting wilted, turn them over and continue until they hold together on their own. Christine and I prefer them slightly under-"cooked"  so they are still juicy and bursting with flavor, but traditionally they are very similar to sun dried tomatoes. It is really up to you and your preference, leave them in the dehydrator longer if you like a more firm texture.

When they are done the Rawviolis will look like tiny tomato-pesto sandwiches. You should be able to pick them up without them falling apart. At the restaurant we used to serve them on top of a mixed green salad or on an appetizer platter. Truthfully, and you will find out, they can be eaten any way you'd like and they'll blow you away!

ENJOY!

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Puttanesca Sauce $6 dinner for Four in 30 minutes from start to finish

I have made this a couple of times over the last couple months, it is especially for Kui. It's been so crazy in my kitchen that I have a hard time cooking AND taking pictures lately, but today was relatively easy and I used my time to my advantage! Here below is a step by step for this sweet, fresh and herby "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" pasta sauce. If you are a fan of Anchovies you'll love this!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20

Servings: 4

Cost: $6.00

Ingredients: 

3-4 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. garlic

1/8 cup onion

2 oz. pkg, anchovies in olive oil

Sprinkle of each: (dried)

Oregano

Sage

Thyme 

Rosemary

1 15oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes

1 cup of bullion (I used Tomato Base)

Fresh Basil and Oregano about 1/3 cup each

1/2 tsp. Sugar

Salt and Pepper

1 lb. of Pasta (I used Rotini)

Saute chopped onion, garlic and anchovies in olive, don't forget the salt and pepper. (I add the oil from the anchovies as well)

These are the brand of anchovies I used. This 2 oz package was $1.39 at a local market near my home, and normally they go on sale for just $1.00.

I just used some dried spices from my rack, but if you can find these fresh it's a plus! I add these in once the onion, garlic and anchovies have cooked down a bit.

Add the whole can and of tomatoes and crush by hand or with a potato masher. Salt and Pepper again after adding the tomatoes.

Microwave or heat 1 Tbs of bullion powder in a cup of water and add it to the sauce.

Rough chop or rip off some fresh Basil and Oregano and toss it in!

Simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Add your tsp. of sugar and continue to cook while the pasta boils. Don't forget to salt your pasta water as well.

Puttanesca is a very thin sauce and is one that is the best a day later once the flavors have had time to marinate and meld together! I normally make this sauce with Spaghetti, which is traditional, but any cut will work great. Also traditionally this is a sauce with capers so if you love those little pickled bursts of flavor go ahead and include them as well!

ENJOY!

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Thank you!

EPIC family dinner!

Last night I had the pleasure of sharing my kitchen with The Hunebee for an amazing Saturday night dinner. We drove to the other side of town so we could shop at the quaint little "Major Market." I love that place because they sell brands you've never heard of and carry products with throwback labels that make the experience of shopping much more genuine. Well an exorbitant amount of mula later we headed home to a group of hungry boys who had been waiting in bated breath. It was a plethora of all the things you could imagine being served as you sit, drink, talk and enjoy! We had everything from Mango to Kipper snacks, and two kinds of natural uncured sausages that we bought for the boys, Ty, Angelo, and Jesse. Christine and I tried for the most part to go gluten free for this meal and we had more than enough to make up for it.

The first, and the medium sized, platter was covered in Italian specialty cold-cuts. Included was Prosciutto, Capicola, Dry Salami, Peppered Salami and the night's biggest fan was the "Serrano Jamon" which wasn't nearly as spicy as it's name may lead you to believe.
 

The larger of the platters' was our Giardiniera-cheese plate. This plate consisted of persian cucumbers, pimentos, almond stuffed green olives, and pimentos stuffed, sun-dried tomatoes, mini polish pickles, artichoke hearts, peperoncini's, swiss cheese, muenster, and "Tomato Basil" feta.

There wasn't enough room on the large platter and even if there was these babies deserve their own space in the spot light! Mini water packed "Buffalo Mozzarella" balls with a chiffonade of fresh basil were the second favorite of the night!

This was our Fish plate full of tiny, delectably, salty snacks! First and foremost is the gorgeous smoked salmon that we served with Chive cream cheese. There was a mound of sweet smoked oysters next to the Kipper snacks' and capers' rolled in anchovies. Don't worry they may not be a pictured, but there was a huge plate of crackers next to this mini platter:)

While the fresh element of the table got a little lost among the glory that was "above" don't underestimate the importance of this pretty plate of watermelon and mango with basil and white balsamic, peach glaze. It added a great break to all the salty, and savory dishes that spanned the table.

There was also a bowl of marinated mushrooms that I made with garlic, parsley, a little beer, and a lemon zest, garlic, parsley aioli spread I made for the sausage buns.

The Hunebee and I decided on this menu thinking it was some how easier than something else. I'm glad we chose this and I KNOW everyone else was as well, it was delicious, fun, and comfort food at it's finest!!!