Making Raw Almond Milk From Scratch

I love making my own almond milk. It's so incredibly easy. The best part is when my  two year old runs over when he sees the strainer to set things up and do his part. It lasts only 4-5 days, but it's usually all gone by then. Not only does it taste better than boxed almond milk, it doesn't have any odd additives that make you stop and think....what is that doing in my milk? Here's a great article by The Primal Parent on store bought almond milk additives. Try it, you may get addicted. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds (soaked overnight or at least 6 hours)
• 6-8 cups filtered water
• 1/2 tsp lecithin
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 drops liquid stevia (or substitute with 2 dates, pitted and soaked with almonds overnight)

Note: all ingredients after water are optional. If you don't want to have to shake your milk all the time, lecithin helps it not separate and gives it a more creamy taste. The rest are just to your taste.
Soaking is also optional, but it helps get rid of some of the phytates, helps soften them, and begins the sprouting process with can increase the digestibility and nutrient content of your milk)

Get your blender ready. I love my Ninja, it's amazing!
Dump all your ingredients in and blend on high for up to 3 minutes. I just go by the look and then strain.
Use a metal strainer placed over a funnel to strain your milk either into a bowl or directly into a jar. You can also use a mesh bag but it gets pretty messy.
After straining all your milk, dump your almond pulp onto a cookie sheet to dry or keep in a cup in the fridge. I use mine in cookies, oatmeal, etc. 

Cap your almond milk and put in fridge for up to 5 days. Having a very clean jar to begin with helps the milk last longer. Mine usually lasts anywhere from 3-5 days. Enjoy! 

Candied Mixed Nuts

I've got a big, big sweet tooth. And as hard as I try, there is no avoiding it, I just love sweets. Wold God have made things sweet if we were not supposed to enjoy and live life to it's fullest. And when you pair sweetness with nuts, I can almost convince myself that it's healthy too. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups nuts ( any kind, I used walnuts, peanuts, almonds, and cashews)
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 8 drops liquid stevia
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven at 250 degrees (not 350, like I did the first time I tried to make these). 

In a medium sized bowl, beat egg white.

Then, add in stevia first and beat well. Make sure stevia is well incorporated. 

Next, add sugar and cinnamon. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread nuts out evenly. 

Bake for 30-50 minutes or until they reach desired consistency. 

Wow, Look at That Gluten-Free Cake!

Imani Pratt, author of Give Me Gluten-Free may only be 17 years old, but she makes some of the best gluten-free deserts I've ever seen! Amazing and oh so inspiring! You have to try her Vegan Chocolate Cake with Aztec Spices. I couldn't help but think what a great wedding cake this would make. I may try it as a future birthday cake. Thanks Imani!

Wheat-Free Apple Cranberry Cake

This apple cake is surprisingly moist and tasty. It's another adaptation form The Gluten Free Goddess and well worth the prep time. Very highly kid approved as well. We had it for breakfast and then again later as a snack. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour 
• 1/4 cup tapioca four/starch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup coconut sugar

Wet ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup rice 
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons agave or honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

The Good Stuff:

2 cups peeled and chopped apples

1/2 cup fresh or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all dry ingredients up to the sugar. Then add in sugar and stir. 

Next, mix eggs, then prepare the chia/flax mixture. Grind chia and flax seeds and then mix with water until a paste is formed. (This replaces any xanthan gum.) You can grind in a hand grinder or in a coffee grinder for a finer powder. Add slurry to eggs. Add remaining ingredients to mix and combine. 

Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Now add apples and cranberries. 

Oil a 9 inch round cake pan or use oiled parchment paper to make things easier. Pour in cake batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until firm in the center. 

Nutty Mandarin Quinoa Salad

Just make it. That's all I have to say. My work is done here. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quinoa, dried
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup peanuts, toasted
• 1 can mandarin oranges, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
• a dash of toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Cook your quinoa in 4 cups boiling water, and turn down to a low simmer, cover. When all water has been absorbed, transfer quinoa to a cookie sheet and spread out until fully cooled. Toast your peanuts lightly in a frying pan and let cool as well. 

Add all your ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and toss lightly. Add some mandarin orange juice and sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy, it won't last long!

Thom Kha Gai Soup, aka. Thai Curry Coconut Soup With Shrimp

I can't get enough of this soup. It's really the best thing when the weather starts to get cold and damp. Play with the spice a bit,to your liking. This is an adaptation form My Thai Granmother's Cookbook, a must have. Don't overdoo your shrimp! 

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 2 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 1 cup unsweetened thai coconut milk
• 5 thin slices fresh ginger root (or 2 tsp ginger powder)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, using white parts only, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 2 bruised and torn kaffir lime leaves
• 8 torn mint leaves
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup sliced onion
• 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined with tails intact
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped Thai red chilies (optional)

First combine the first 4 ingredients in a cup and mix.  Combine stock, coconut milk, ginger root, lemon grass, and limes leaves and let simmer for 5 minutes until flavored. throw in mint leaves. Add veggies and curry mix and boil low for 6-7 minutes or until veggies are almost tender. 

Next, add in shrimp and boil for 1 minute. Take out so they don't overcook. Take out lemongrass, add the rest of ingredients and add shrimp back in when cool enough. 

Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie- easy pumpkin pie recipe

Amazing pie, I swear! And a great crust. On my search for the perfect gluten-free crust, I found Gluten Free Girl's slightly involved but worth it pie crust. A flaky crust the hold together well and is highly nutritious. Here's my adaptation using no gums and adding chia and flax seeds. I made a triple batch, made two pies, and froze the third for a impromptu pie.  

A note for those with celiacs disease. If you absolutely need to make sure there is no cross contamination of your oat flour, use one like Bob's Red Mill oat flour. While visiting their factory, I was very impressed at the lengths they go to insure that their gluten-free products are truly free. And I just like Bob. After our tour, we found him in the lobby playing piano to his staff during a break.

Crust: 

• 1 cup almonds 
• 2/3 cup oat flour 
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup teff flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 tsp flax seeds
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tbs cold water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt                                                                                                                
• 5 tbs cold butter (sub with all coconut oil if you want totally vegan)
• 4 tbs cold coconut oil 
• 6 to 8 tbs ice-cold water

Filling: 

• 1 can pumpkin puree 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 egg (or 1 tab flax seeds ground with 1 tbs water until frothy if needing to be more vegan!)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamon

Process almonds into a fine meal, a powder if you can. Combine all dry ingredients in medium bowl. 

Back to our recipe, use a really good food processor, or better yet, a coffee grinder to grind seeds up to a powder. Mix with cold water in a cup. After frothing occurs, add mixture to flour mixture. 

Next, cut in cold butter and coconut oil. Use your hands towards the end until you get a fine corn meal texture. Add water until you get a dough with a consistency that is moist, but not tacky. Roll up your dough ball and when you push a finger in, it should come out clean. The ball should not fall apart in flakes when you're working it. Now put in fridge for 15 minutes. 

Roll out, and roll out thin if you can onto parchment paper. Flip into pie plate and peel away paper. No mess, thank you. Piece together any part that tears and crimp edges. 

Now for the filling. Just combine all ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour into pie shell and bake for 55 minutes. Pie should be slightly jiggly, but sill firm enough. Put in fridge overnight and it help it firm up a bit. Pie is a bit less firm than most, but oh so good! Pies can be frozen as well. Enjoy!