Ayurveda Lemonade Raw Recipe #4

This is another very simple drink from Cilantro Live. It's a spicy lemonade sweetened with agave which so happens to make it totally vegan! This is also the drink used for the Master Cleanse which is a fast where you drink a spicy lemonade concoction, instead of agave you use grade B maple syrup, for a minimum of seven days and it is very effective in cleansing your deep tissues of toxins caused by the unnecessary elements we expose ourselves to. Christine and I have personally done the fast ourselves on a few occasions in the last 10 years. This lemonade drink is a great refreshing summer beverage, especially if you enjoy spicy flavors!

Ingredients:

fresh lemons

agave

cayenne pepper

filtered water

For a single serving:

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. Agave

1/10 tsp. cayenne

10 oz water

For a pitcher like the one above:

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup agave

1/2 tsp cayenne (although I prefer mine a lot spicier so I used a whole tsp.)

60 oz. water

I throw in the squeezed lemons and chill. This pitcher will stay good in the fridge for about a week, but it will most likely be gone in a day!

ENJOY!

  

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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 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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Looking for some great RAW Vegan recipes?

Christine, The Hunebee, and I used to work in a Raw, Vegan restaurant. I have previously mentioned this in past posts, but never specified where. Cilantro Live was a small Vegan eatery that opened up on 3rd Avenue down in the middle of Chula Vista, Ca. It was at the time one of the first restaurants of it's kind. I have to admit it was also one of the most fun jobs I have had. We learned so much and got to play around with food all day besides getting to eat it! They have since closed the doors to all of their locations which is a bummer because it was a great idea. In the end it was a lack of consistency in the ownership department. On a better note there were so many awesome recipes that Christine and I got to learn. If anyone reading this isn't familiar with a "Raw, Vegan" diet here is an excerpt from Wikipedia.com,  and since they said it so well why not let them do the work!

I am excited to say that The Hunebee and I will be feverishly working in the kitchen for the next couple weeks trying to re-create the dishes we favored like the "Lemon Coconut Dream Bar" which is a Vegan cheesecake made from baby coconut meat, vanilla bean and fresh lemon. The "pie crust" for this raw dessert consists of assorted specialty nuts, agave and a handful of our favorite baking spices. The texture of the "crust" is the best part aside from the great nutty flavor with a hint of sweet. Next to tackle will be something called "Raw-violis" which are delectable little roma tomato sandwiches stuffed with fresh pesto. These are dehydrated and are also a great reason for me to go buy the dehydrator I have been neglecting to purchase for some time now. Cilantro used to offer some great drinks and one of our favorites was a "Raw-Margarita." It's definitely not what you're thinking there is no alcohol, rather tart green apple juice, spicy ginger, fresh lime and a sprinkle of cinnamon, but a medley of perfect flavors that compliment each other perfectly. There are many other really unique items and recipes we learned, and as we go we will be sure to share!

Subscribe to this blog to receive a special "Member Only" recipe for something you would never think you could do with Cashews!

Thank you everyone for stopping by, we are still working hard at bringing you the video portion of some of my best dishes!





Cilantro Live "Sample Platter," Raw-violis, mini Pizzazas, Nori roll, Spring Roll, Pate', and small house salad.



(picture from Potatomato Blog)

Simple, RAW Pesto for 4 under $3

There is no need for cooking such a fragrant sauce. Again this is a cilantro improvisation for Kuizzy and Lazyflip's Monday Menu. It's really easy with only 6 ingredients and the 6th is cilantro. I have also made this sauce with JUST basil or basil and parsley. This is one of those meals that if I'm missing one component I can't easily adjust as long as the herbs are fresh. Usually pesto calls for "Parmigiano Reggiano" (Parmesan) but the Queso Fresco worked quite nicely. For all the Vegans, cheese can be left out completely, or you can use a vegan "cheese." Lazyflip (Angelo) is allergic to nuts so I never use them when cooking for him. pine nuts, walnuts even cashews would also work great and heavy cream can be added to make it a really rich and creamy sauce.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0
Servings: 4
Cost (including pasta): $2.64

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
2 whole cloves garlic
1/4 cup "Queso Fresco" cheese (in place of Parmesan)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. Set aside and cook pasta, mix then serve.

ENJOY!