Cashew Cream

Posted on by
Cashew Cream

Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is easy to make, tasty and versatile. Use it to replace cream and sometimes ricotta cheese in many recipes.

The consistency can be controlled by the mount of water added when pureeing the soaked cashews.

Here’s how to do it:

Make Cashew Cream

Using raw cashews, not toasted or salted, soak the nuts over night in 2 times the water. (1 cup raw cashews to 2 cups water)

It is best to soak over night or for 3-8 hours.

Soak the cashews

Soak the cashews

Next drain the nuts, add them to a high-speed blender and process for 3-5 minutes or until the consistency is where you want it. Add clean fresh water to thin it out. If you want a ricotta consistency, use just a little water, for cream like, add a bit more.

A good high-powered blender is strongly suggested for this in order to really get the cream smooth. I used both a Vita Mix and a Ninja blender, both worked just fine. I have not tried making it in a food processor just yet.

Add water to get the desired consistency

Add water to get the desired consistency

Finish with a pinch of salt and a few drops or so of fresh lemon juice.

With the cashew cream, I made a cashew Mac and Cheese.

Take cooked pasta, toss it with cashew cream, a bit of shaved Parmesan and a few scallions and parsley. I filled a few small side dishes and warmed them in the oven and topped with fresh cheese shaving to serve.

If you wanted to keep this dish vegan, you can use vegan cheese, but to me vegan cheese isn’t “real” cheese, so I use just a touch of the real stuff.

Simple enough, huh?

Other suggestions to use Cashew Cream:

If using as a substitute for dairy cream on the stove, stay with it as it will thicken much faster than regular cream.

Make creamed corn or spinach, a creamy broccoli soup or use it thicker and add chipotle peppers to top tacos or other Mexican dishes, use it to top baked potatoes. It can even be whipped to make a cashew whipped cream.

And, if you have any left over, freeze it; or make ice cream!

It is so versatile and handy to have an alternative to real dairy cream.

Yummy! Cashew Cream!

Yummy! Cashew Cream!

Almond, Date, Cranberry and Lime “No-Bake” Cookies

Posted on by
A Morsel of Almond Date Cranberry Lime Cookie

A Morsel of Almond Date Cranberry Lime Cookie

Almond, Date, Cranberry and Lime “No-Bake” Cookies are a real treat!

They are a “no-bake” cookie which puts them in the raw category; they are no sugar, eggs or butter so they also fall into the vegan category. With all natural ingredients so they also fall into the healthy foods and nutritious category.

Personally, my favorite category for  these morsels: Delicious!

Keep in mind some people might be put off thinking they are eating a raw cookie. So change the language and present these delicious morsels.

NOTE: Don’t fall prey to marketing ploys and think that because the label claims “healthy, all-natural or nutritious” does not mean low in calories! Learn to read a nutrition label and compare information.

Here’s the recipe for the cookies. It’s pretty much put it all in a food processor and pulse until a dough forms. Have fun!

Almond, Date, Cranberry and Lime “No-Bake” Cookies

  • 1/2 cup pitted Medjool Dates
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup crunchy almond butter
  • 1 generous Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Zest and juice from 1 lime
  • Pinch of Sea Salt

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a dough forms. Leave some nuts chunky for a cookie that has some crunch.

Taste the dough and see if it need adjustment: a bit more salt? More vanilla or lime?

Form the dough into about 18 balls. Place the balls on a cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with a fork.

That’s it.

Flatten the dough balls with a fork; like you would peanut butter cookies

Flatten the dough balls with a fork; like you would peanut butter cookies

The texture is kinda like fudge but in a much better way. If you leave some nuts slightly chunky, your cookie can have a crunchy texture too, but if you want a smooth cookie, pulse until smooth.

You can choose to roll the cookies in coconut, chopped nuts or cocoa with a dash if cinnamon if desired. Use peanut butter, cashew or almond butter with cocoa in it. I guess in a pinch you could use Nutella but the point here is to avoid added sugar and processed foods in delicious ways.

(OK, so now I have to make another batch using the cocoa!!!)

Most people would never realize these are considered “raw food” but they are.

These certainly aren’t low in calories but the sure supply great nutrients: Potassium, fiber, iron, B-6 and magnesium and vitamin E.

Just a note, you can leave the coconut oil out but it adds so much, I would use it.

Oh, and don’t bake these beauties for any reason! If you try, all that will happen is the oils from the nuts will leak out and leave you with a rather unpleasant mess. So if you want  a baked cookie recipe, use another recipe, not this one.

Hopefully you make your own vanilla extract, if not, go get ya some vanilla beans and some 100 proof vodka and make some!

Click this link: Perpetual Vanilla Extract

Please make a batch of these and let me know how you like them and how they go over with friend and family.

Raw Almond Date Cranberry Cookies Rather than "raw" let's call them "No Bake"

Raw Almond Date Cranberry Cookies
Rather than “raw” let’s call them “No Bake”

My Cooking Culture

Posted on by

george-chochran-shoot-086.jpgMy Cooking Culture

We lived all over the world, moving about every 3 years to another place on the planet. From Morocco to Spain, Canada to Japan with a few of the United States in between.

My father is an avid gardener; we used to joke about having a corn field in our back yard no matter where we lived. Fresh snow peas were the gardeners treat. They got eaten in the garden and never quite made it to the table. I used to eat snow peas instead of potato chips. After school, I would head to the garden and sneak a few off the vines then help my dad after work with weeding and tying vines to eat more.october-15-2011-farmers-market-015.jpg

To this day, I love garden grown green beans and home-grown tomatoes seem to be better than anything you can buy at a store.

My mom is Canadian; grew up in Nova Scotia where they grew a lot of their food. She fed us with garden grown fresh foods, or frozen. She tried cans on us once and we rejected them as repulsive so she didn’t try that again.

In the foreign countries, mom always managed to hire a native cook to prepare meals for us a few days a week. My parents made sure no matter what country we lived in, we learned about the culture, food and language. When we lived in Japan, the family that lived behind us was the same size. The mom there and my mom made great friends with each other. On Wednesday night, they would each prepare a full meal for the family, put it on trays; walk out the back door and swap meals. They got a traditional American/Canadian meal and we got a traditional Japanese meal. I loved it! My dad, not so much.

Imagine, from my Dad’s point of view, the aroma of pan-fried pork chops, green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy wafting through the air. Ah, the smell of the roasting garlic whetting the appetite. The coming to the table and finding plates of various sushi, rice, miso soup and tofu with cucumber seaweed salads. Surprise!

We have always eaten a ton of fresh vegetables, local meats and foods. What is horribly frustrating is seeing the decline in the quality of our food supply. In addition to the decline in quality, there is also the fact that so many people really don’t know what they’re eating, or how to eat well or make good food choices.

This is where I want to make a difference!

My dad, who is 87, still grows a garden and has the best tomatoes in the world. He also makes a terrific gyoza, thanks to “Mamasan’s” recipe.

Final Harvest!

Final Harvest!

I am one of the lucky ones. My parents didn’t take us to McDonald’s. Even though as kids we begged for it. I remember looking at the McDonald’s signs and noticing how the numbers of how many hamburgers they sold kept increasing. (Yes, they kept count in the early days!) I wondered if I would ever be lucky enough to be part of that statistic. Then came the day when the signs changed to “millions served” now it might be “billions served”. Yes, I finally got one. They must have, among other things in this category, the worst bread on the planet.

My son used to say my meals were always the same: 1 starch, 1 or two vegetables (1 always green), and a protein with a sauce of some kind. I have to admit it is a type of formula.

Today my Typical Dinner Consists of:

1 Green vegetable (1 cup)

Leafy greens, broccoli, cabbages, peas, any variety of beans, snow peas, there are so many! If you’re not familiar, pick something you don’t know, ask about it, look up recipes on the internet and play with cooking it.

Fresh picked kale

Fresh picked kale

1 Vegetable of another color (1/2 cup)

Any veg that is not green, peppers, onions, cauliflower, squashes, this is to make the plate visually interesting and it also adds a punch of nutrition!

Corn Crusted Grouper

Corn Crusted Grouper

Grain or starch of some kind (1/2 to 1 cup)

Whole grains like brown rice, exotic rice, lentils, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, barley, millet, mung beans, quinoa, farro, cous cous. I love how much the level of choice in this category has grown. There is so much more than just rice and potatoes.

1 High quality protein – not always animal based (4-6 ounces)

Guidelines for animal proteins:
  • No beef
  • No pork (but I love bacon! ) 😉
  • No farm raised fish except catfish or trout
    • No Tuna, Sea Bass or Redfish

Note: we no longer eat any fish from the Pacific ocean.

  • Organic poultry
  • Organic eggs
  • Organic Dairy

    Multi colored Carrots (I bought these!)

    Multi colored Carrots (I bought these!)

1 Sauce (1-2 ounces)

Can be made from de-glazing the pan or reserved cooking liquids or stock or vinaigrette. This provides a bit of moisture and can add another dimension of flavor. I avoid using fat and flour thickeners and cornstarch. Instead I thicken by reduction (enhances flavor), adding mustard or miso which also contribute to flavor.

1 Side dish of raw vegetable salad (1/4 -1/2 cup)

This can be a green salad, carrot salad, cucumber, onion, Caesar, or lightly blanched vegetable and may contain a fermented/ pickled vegetable like pickled beets, cauliflower or onions. A homemade vinaigrette dressing, sometimes lemon juice and olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Anaida's Beans

Anaida’s Beans

This side does not need to be a big portion. 1/4 to 1/2 cup is a typical serving.  It can be used as a palate cleanser between tastes on the main plate.

Lunches:

Sandwiches with a chip and pickle of some kind. I’m working on improving the chip option but I really am fond of a handful of chips with a sandwich. I’m trying nori chips and kale chips. . . I may still go back to potato once in a while.

Light bits of left over dinner

Soup with good bread (I’ve made the bread we eat in the house for the past 10+ years)

Noodle stir fry

Grill pan dinner“Ploughman’s lunches” using what we have on hand

Vegetable Sushi

Breakfast:

On our own for breakfast. Most of the time I’ll grab something with protein.

This meal is usually quick , easy and light. Unless it’s oatmeal.

What we always have on hand:

Buy Organic whenever possible

Chicken stock, 1/2 & 1/2 for morning beverages and sometimes chai, fat-free milk, fresh greens, eggs, fruit, tetra-pac tomatoes, variety of beans, canned and dried, various rice and grains, legumes and potatoes. We will keep a stock of chicken and sometimes fish in the freezer for meals during the week.

I shop whenever we need fresh vegetables; I try to use fresh vegetables over frozen.

I leave processed foods on the shelf and process my own condiments, pickles and breads.

That’s it! My cooking culture, in a nutshell. A bit of many cultures rolled into a multitude of meals.

I believe everyone should be able to make healthy food choices and healthy food should be affordable and available to all.

Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Hemp Seed Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Hemp Seed Crisp

Miso Vegetable Soup

Posted on by

There are times when a nice warm bowl of miso vegetable soup is just the right thing.

Fresh organic veggies for miso soup

Fresh organic veggies for miso soup

This soup is very easy to make and is delicious through and through. I find the warming earthy flavor of miso to be comforting on a very deep level. Sipping the broth just feels nourishing to the core!

Miso Vegetable Soup

  • 1 quart organic chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped cabbage
  • 1 carrot, shredded or sliced
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • 2 broccoli florets
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 radish, cut into thin matchstick like pieces
  • 1 scallion, sliced
  • 1-2 tablespoons organic miso

Finely chop the vegetables. I find this size is most compatible with this soup.

Bring the broth to a boil, add the finely chopped vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Stir in miso until dissolved. Top with sliced scallions and serve.

A spoonful of organic white miso

A spoonful of organic white miso

Re-heat soup gently, as miso will lose many of the wonderful properties  it provides under high heat. Typically, I make just what I want so there are no left overs.

A word about miso: There are many varieties of miso. I prefer the white one which has fewer soy beans ans is mild in flavor.

Miso provides great probiotics which promote a healthy gut, is a source for vitamin B-12 and has all the essential amino acids which makes it a complete protein. However due to the salt level, it is not a great source of protein.

Because miso contains beneficial living organisms, high heat will kill them so stir the miso into the soup just before serving.

Watch for more recipes using miso!

Here is a video all about the making of South River Miso, fascinating to watch and learn.

What I love the most is how they do the process.

Ciabatta Rolls

Posted on by

I’m  sucker for good bread and these easy ciabatta rolls are simple and delicious, soft and chewy too!

This is a two-step recipe: one for a “biga” and the second step is making the dough using the biga.

The day before you want the bread is the time to start as the biga needs to ferment overnight.

Ciabatta Bread

Ciabatta Bread

Easy Ciabatta Rolls

For the Biga:

  • 1- 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 /8 teaspoon yeast

Mix these ingredients into a bowl, cover and let sit in a warm area for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours. the mixture will be wet and bubbly.

The Biga when ready to use

The Biga when ready to use

Transfer the entire biga to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer then add:

For the dough:

  • All of the biga
  • 2-1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon yeast

Mix all of the ingredients in a mixer on low-speed until well incorporated. Knead on low-speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and knead for an additional 4 minutes.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours. Once the dough is risen, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 6″ x 12″.

Use a serrated knife or pizza wheel to cut the rectangle into 8 equal portions.

Ciabatta rolls ready to rise on a peel

Ciabatta rolls ready to rise on a peel

Place the rolls, flour side up onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Let rise for 45 minutes.

If you have a bakers peel, sprinkle it with corn meal and place the rolls on that to rise. Slide them onto the hot pizza stone after they have risen.

While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, preheat that too at this time.

Slide the rolls from the bakers peel onto the stone and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

Cool on a rack and enjoy!

These make great sandwiches and sop up soup like a champ, or slice them open for a quick pizza.

What’s your favorite way to use ciabatta rolls?

Ciabatta Bread

Ciabatta Bread

In My Kitchen February 2014

Posted on by

I was on the fence about doing an In My Kitchen post this month, I didn’t think I have time. BUT, this morning, I made time to share a few things. Thanks to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting! This is what is in my kitchen. . .

I’ve been studying herbalism the last few months. One project required making a strong lavender tea. When ever we have “spent” herbs left over from infusions, decoctions, tinctures or tea, it is recommended to compost the spent herbs. Well I adore lavender, every part of it. I couldn’t quite bring myself to bury the mass of spent lavender buds in the compost.Lavender Heart

Instead, I mixed them with a small bit of Modge-Podge and formed the flowers into a heart using a mold lined with plastic wrap. I let it dry overnight then brushed a bit more modge-podge over the surface and added a layer of dried lavender buds that weren’t spent to the outside surface. I added a bit of ribbon and a few drops of lavender essential oil and hung this lovely heart by my desk. I’ll probably place it in my lingerie drawer after a while. It is very comforting to be studying at my desk and have the lovely lavender aroma wafting by.

I’ve been consuming a lot of tea this winter! One of my favorites is Flowering Tea by Numi. Placing a hand tied tea bud into a glass pot, pouring boiling water over it provides a lovely unfolding of the tea bud. As the leaves unfold, sometimes there are tiny flowers tied inside that get released. it is quite a beautiful show for those who appreciate tea.Numi Flowering Tea Numi Flowering Tea

Monday I start a course in Integrative Nutrition! I am so excited and motivated. In my welcome box, they sent me this ever-so-cute velvet heart, filled with Lavender!

I keep an artist model on my desk. Why? Not sure but I change the poses all the time. Right now it is finding lots of ways to hold on to the heart.Mannekin and heart

One day I’ll start sketching the human body again.

In My Kitchen are these lovely bowls collected from Soup On Sunday events over the years. I think they make great small bowls for all kinds of things.Soup Bowls

This bread mold was ordered thinking it was a pate or terrine mold. I’ll be working this later today to see just how bread turns out.

Bread mold for making round bread for hors d'oeuvres

Bread mold for making round bread for hors d’oeuvre

I’ve started to drink a glass of water with lemon (no sugar!) in it not only the first thing in the morning, but all day long. I’m working on getting up to 8-10 eight ounce glasses a day.

Drink several glasses of lemon water each day

Drink several glasses of lemon water each day

The big thing with beverages is to watch the sugar content! I’d bet that most people don’t realize how much sugar they are consuming through beverages alone. How about you?refreshing lemon water

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

Posted on by

There’s been a stir lately about chia seed pudding and this recipe for Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds is one of the best I’ve tasted. Yum, Chocolate!

When I first bought the bag of chia seeds, honestly, I had no idea how I was going to use them.

I kept having flashbacks of smearing the soaked, slimy seeds over a rough damp terra-cotta pot shaped into some absurd shape. In college, my roommate and I had some; mine was an animal that grew chia fur, my roommate had a head that grew chia hair.

I think this is my favorite though:

But enough of silliness, on with the recipe! Best part is the seeds aren’t sprouted for the pudding.

The thing about chia seeds are they absorb quite a bit of liquid compared to their dried mass. This thickens products they are used in and results in a bit of an off-putting gelatinous substance. Hold your judgement.

The chia seed has good nutritional value providing omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. It’s a powerhouse of good nutrition.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

Yield: 1-1/2 cups

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup of chia seeds

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 cup non-fat milk or use almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk, use plain rather than already sweetened varieties
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • 1/4 cup toasted almonds
Method:

Mix the dry ingredients together so there are no lumps.

Mix the wet ingredients together; add a small amount of liquid to the dry ingredients. Stir this until it makes a smooth batter-like paste. Fold the rest of the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix well.

TIP:

Dry cocoa powder does not combine easily with the milk if you just add everything all at once. There could be lumps of dry cocoa in the finished pudding which would be kinda yucky. SO add just a bit of milk and stir it in to get the cocoa wet and lump free before adding all of the milk.

Cover and set aside then stir every 20 minutes 3 times.This ensures the seeds are not clumping and will hydrate correctly.

Then put the covered pudding into the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To serve, fold in toasted almonds, reserving some for the top garnish. Spoon the pudding into a small bowl or cup, sprinkle with a few toasted almonds on top, add a small mint leaf and a berry or two if you have any on hand.

About the milk and ways to modify the recipe:

You can use any milk you prefer, even half and half but that sort of defeats the “healthy” part of this recipe. If you choose coconut milk, read the label and make sure of the ingredients before you buy it.

You can add spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, use almond extract or orange or raspberry extract for flavor enhancement.

Leave the nuts out, add fruit  or nothing instead.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Almonds

I’m thinking coconut, rose-water and cardamom, or chocolate raspberry next!

Since I had to taste this while writing about it, I didn’t realize I ate the majority of the dish and now have to make more to photograph the final plate up. Duh! It’s like the time I walked into the kitchen and ate the photo shoot. I dream of having a staff to help keep things straight!

In My Kitchen, January 2014

Posted on by

Wow! A New Year already and another In My Kitchen Post for January 2014. Shout out to Celia who is the host of this wonderful series!

My kitchen was quite busy in December. This year, I decided to make Spa Baskets for the women of the family and Kitchen Baskets for the families. The spa baskets were such fun! I got to play with making bath fizzies, lip balm, body butters and lotions. I had a blast.

We went to a holiday party where they passed out bags of organic produce as we left.

Burlap potato sacs

Burlap potato sacs

The bags were made of this nifty burlap that make perfect places to store potatoes in the cabinet. I am strangely drawn to them.

Like Joanne in her January INK post, I too got some things to cook hard-boiled eggs in only this package is called “Eggies” while hers are “Easy Eggs”. It doesn’t matter but I haven’t tried them out yet.

Eggies!

Eggies!

Tyler is in my kitchen! I swear he’s grown another inch!

It’s been wonderful to have him home. He goes back to grad school Saturday; we will miss him. Tyler's in the kitchen

In November, I started taking a class on Learning Herbs.

My herbal study nook

My herbal study nook

I got to set up an area just off the kitchen to house all my new ingredients, tools, tinctures and all the great fun stuff needed for the lessons. I really like my little herbal nook.

Tinctures brewing

Tinctures brewing

Spring can’t come too early, I want to plant some herbs!

In my kitchen is an entire drawer devoted to tea.

The Tea Drawer

The Tea Drawer

Since getting the tea pots and cups out of storage, we’ve been making and drinking a lot more tea. I change teapots every week or so. We have two pots brewing almost all of the time. One for regular black tea which gets used mostly for iced tea or the occasional cuppa with a cookie or two.

The other pot is for an herbal tea, kept under a cozy to keep it warm as long as possible. Lately the tea finding its way into the herbal pot is Earl Gray. I love it with a thin slice of lemon and a small bit of sugar, in a china cup , of course. If I could find fresh bergamot, I’d be in heaven.

A student of mine and his wife took a trip to China and brought me back this lovely tin of “Fruit Tea” with the strainer.

Chinese Fruit Tea, love the label!

Chinese Fruit Tea, love the label!

Inside the tea looks like diced dried bits of various fruits and roses. It has a delicate sweet taste that is quite pleasant! I put the spent bits of tea out for the birds with their winter food. They like the fruit! Doug told me the tea was for “graceful aging.”

Since we’ve started drinking more tea, I’ve realized a new tea cozy or two would come in handy and have decided to make a couple. I haven’t started that project yet. This morning, I saw the adorable knitted tea cozy on Celia’s IMK post with knitted olives! I know I won’t be that elaborate, or even knitted but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens. I used to quilt and embroider and tailor so who knows what the tea cozies will look like!

Cozy Update: Celia tole me the knitted olive cozy belongs to Glenda! So if you want to see it, go here to check out the neatest cozy! (Sorry Glenda!)

Anyone out there ever make a tea cozy? What do yours look like? Do you have a pattern or tips you can share?

It’s about to get real cold here in the next week. Down to 8°F which to me is unthinkably cold. I’ll be staying in so maybe working on those cozies may come about.

Here’s to drinking more tea!
Chinese Fruit Tea

Chinese Fruit Tea

Keep comfortable where ever you are.

I’m ready for a great new year, how about you?

Hoppin’ John and Skipping Jenny New Years Foods

Posted on by
Hoppin John

Hoppin John

Hoppin’ John and Skipping Jenny are typical New Years food here in the American south.

In case you need a recipe, Here’s a convenient link to the post all about

Hoppin’ John and Skippin’ Jenny

Happy New Year!

My favorite breakfast

Happy New Year!