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-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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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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