Raw Almond Yogurt

January 24, 2013
raw-almond-yogurt

I returned yesterday from my holiday in America. It was a time of catching up with family and old friends and exploring a city that I called home for many years. I kept myself busy by going to art museums and the science center, bowling, the cinema, holding giggly babies, cooking for the family, playing games, going on long drives and even longer walks. It was a fun few weeks to say the least. Though I’m pretty jet-lagged from my travels, I have a recipe to share with you today.

As part of the Fabulous Fermentation Week, my two food blogging friends, Elenore from Earthsprout and Sarah from My New Roots, sent an email asking me to participate. I jumped with joy for the opportunity to work with these two lovely ladies. I want to celebrate Elenore and Sarah’s wonderful effort to spread the word about the great benefits of fermentation with some raw almond yogurt.

Probiotics are getting a big publicity boost in mainstream media these days. They have always been good for us, but now people seem to be talking about them more, which is a good thing. Acidophilus provides the health benefits of fermentation, the largest of which is the introduction of probiotics into our system. A balance of good bacteria is necessary for optimal immune system functioning and intestinal health. In addition, fermented foods aid our bodies in absorbing vitamins (particularly vitamins C and B12), minerals and omega-3 fatty acids from food.

Probiotics are good to have in the morning, when your body will absorb them more readily. That makes this yogurt a great breakfast. Try adding fruits such as kiwi, pineapple, banana, peaches or fresh berries. I tried mine with a sprinkle of cacao nibs and hemp seeds. Delicious.

raw-yogurt

Raw Almond Yogurt

Vegan, Raw & Gluten-free

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked in distilled water for 24 hours
  • 2 cups coconut water (or distilled water)
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 tsp. probiotic powder (or the content of 3 probiotic capsules)

Directions:

  1. First, soak your raw almonds in water for 24 hours. Soaking the nuts will activate the dormant enzymes and release the nutrients. It also makes it easier to break them down in the blender.
  2. Add soaked almonds, coconut water (or distilled water), sweetener and probiotics to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Next, using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, strain the liquid into a glass bowl.  This will remove fibers and almond skins and will help achieve a creamy texture.
  4. Cover the glass bowl with a paper towel or clean dish towel and let sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours. This will allow the probiotics to proliferate and thicken the yogurt.
  5. Serve immediately or slightly chilled. Store covered in the fridge for up to a week.

 

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Roasted Kale Salad

January 18, 2013
roasted-kale-salad

You all know I’m a huge fan of raw salads, but sometimes I crave my greens with a little warmth. For this salad I roasted the kale in the oven which gives it a nice crispy yet tender bite. Now, don’t be fooled by appearances. This salad may really only have a few ingredients, but it is a whole lotta delicious. Sometimes combining just a couple seasonal elements in a simple way, allows each ingredient to shine without a lot of fuss. For a main course, this is on the lighter side. Feel free to add some quinoa or brown rice to make it a heartier meal.

Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper and potassium. This combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients makes kale a health superstar, for real. It is also the richest source of carotenoids in the leafy-green vegetable family, making it a top cancer-fighter. The calcium in kale is more absorbable by the body than milk (and ounce for ounce, contains more calcium than milk)! This makes it an excellent choice for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, arthritis and bone loss.

I think you’ll be surprised how easy and tasty this kale preparation is! Why not give it a try this weekend?

kale-salad-roasted

Roasted Kale Salad

Ingredients:

  • large bunch of kale
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • sea salt and pepper
  • 2-3 scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (or any seed or nut you like)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Roughly chop leaves.
  3. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on to a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until the edges are crispy and browned and the centers are wilted. Remove from oven, let cool to room temp.
  4. Add scallions, parsley, sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast before serving. Enjoy!
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Veggie Sushi Bowl

January 11, 2013
veggie-sushi-bowl

This is what happened one day when we felt like making our own vegetarian sushi but were too lazy to go through the whole Japanese rice and rolls procedure. Inspired by nori rolls I’ve had at various raw food restaurants, I set out to create a flavorful veggie sushi bowl. It may not be raw, but I was craving something warm, so instead I boiled some brown rice, chopped our favorite vegetables, cut the seaweed into pieces and turned sushi into a meal. And what a meal it was! It has that sushi feeling with a more nourishing twist. We quickly realized that this dish actually had made it to our top-list of favorite dinner recipes.

Veggie Sushi Bowl
Vegan & Gluten-free

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1.5 cups of water
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 4-5 florets of broccoli, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, cut into slices or cubes
  • 1 handful bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cucumber, chopped
  • 2 sheets nori seaweed, cut into 2×2-inch squares
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Serve with: wasabi & soy sauce

Directions:

  1. Boil the rice according to the instructions on the package or combine rice and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes.  When it’s done, stir in vinegar.
  2. In two separate bowls, toss in prepped veggies, bean sprouts, nori and rice. Top off with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

January 7, 2013
whole-wheat-berry-muffins

It’s Monday morning and I’m packing my suitcase. I’m heading off to America tomorrow to spend time with my family in Iowa. You can be sure I have my warmest sweaters, scarves and mittens thrown in the mix somewhere. The entire mid-west is under a blanket of snow – a concept I’m come to forget living in Ireland. I’m eager to spend some time outdoors going sledding and chasing our dogs around in the backyard.

If you remember my post from last summer, you know I am always well prepared for long hours of traveling. I never leave home without copious amounts of food and snacks. I think these muffins will make a nice addition to the other homemade in-flight munchies I have packed.

Ever since I started making homemade almond milk, I’ve found myself with an overload of almond pulp. With a bunch of almond pulp and frozen berries in hand, it seemed like the perfect excuse to make muffins. The brilliant thing about this recipe is it works well even without the almond pulp – just replace it with one cup of any flour of your choosing.

These muffins are not monster big or heavy like the American version. They are quite small, very light and filled with a wonderful berry flavor. They totally melt in your mouth! I like that they are not overly sweet, so you could have them for breakfast as well as a snack.

whole-wheat-berry-muffins-vegan

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

Vegan

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1 cup almond pulp*
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp. flax seed + ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • zest of 1/2 an orange
  • 1 cup frozen berries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°c). Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl mix the flour, almond pulp, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. Whisk together the maple syrup, flax mixture, almond milk, olive oil and zest until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries, careful to not break up the berries too much.
  4. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 to 35 minutes.

*if not using almond pulp, replace with 1 cup of chosen flour

wholewheat-berry-muffins

I will continue to post on the blog while I’m away. In the meantime, connect with me through twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and my newsletter! Hope you all have a lovely week!

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