Pear & Apple Spiced Cider

       

Helloodles lovelies!

Today is another fall fabulous recipe and it is sooooo delicious!
It came about thanks to my fall bucket list, which included 3 different fall beverages to enjoy.
The first was a yummy pumpkin spice hot chocolate, second was a spiced cider, and third was a maple chai. Usually, I am pretty lazy about making anything other than teas or a smoothie, so I end up going to one of the cafe shops and getting something a wee bit more fancy. As I have been staying away from dairy, I have had to obstain; untilmrecently that is!
I got to enjoy my white hot chocolate at Second Cup with my son, who had espresso but tasted my drink and decided it was really good. I like Second Cup's pumpkin spice white hot chocolate but their drinks are overly sugared, so I asked for half sweet and I got it with unsweetened almond milk.
It's really a treat food for me, I may have it twice a year, but I savour every drop. I was also recently introduced to Starbucks London Fog with unsweetened almond milk and that was surprisingly lovely as well. 

All those creamy, rich, drinks are nice but sometimes you want something that has a more fruit based, fall spice kick.
That's where ciders come in.
Usually they are apple based but I came across some cranberry juice recipes and then I thought to myself, "What other fruit says fall?
Pears of course! Plums too but that's a different story, or I should say, recipe, for another day.
Today, it is all about the juicy pear.
Alright, alright, it is mixed with some apple but it's mostly pear juice based. I think this recipe is better for it.
The day I made it, the temperature had started to dip after I got back from church, that got me super psyched for cozy clothes. I rumaged through my closet and was able to bust out one of my velvet sweaters I had bought for myself last winter.
That sweater felt good on levels I tell yah!
It was a huge sale (70% off!), me gift last year; that I was so happy to get.
It was purdy, different design, cool colour-I kinda get stuck on black, warm, and velvet delighfulness!
Unfortunately, I had been so unwell and swollen from the exposure to black mold, that I was unable to wear it.
Here I am months later and doing so much better. I continue to lose weight, along with major reduction in swelling. That meant, when I put it on, it finally fit and felt super comfy!     

What a difference from this time last year, see for yourself.     

There's still a ways to go but it has been remarkable, especially, the last month and a half!
I had to do a 15 day fast, along with a whole bunch of other detox stuff but it is working. Slow but steady in this race.
Will do a big post on all that another time, today you came for tasty, heart warming, pear schtuff!

Here is the recipe with helpful pics, that I know you and yours will truly enjoy:
                   

PEAR & APPLE VANILLA SPICED CIDER
Ingredients:
2 Cups Real pear & apple juice
1/4 tsp Vanilla bean paste, can use real vanilla extract instead.
1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice mix
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
4 Slices peeled ginger
1 Thick sliver lemon peel-no pith (no white part)
1 1/2 tsp Pure grade B maple syrup

Method:
-In a medium size pot add all ingredients and whisk together, turn heat up to medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
-Bring to a boil and shut off immediately.
-Allow to sit for 3 minutes, then strain into mugs.
-Drink right away & share with someone you love.
       

What is most appreciated about this cider is that it gets almost all of it's sweetness from the juice, I added very little maple syrup, to cut the slight acidity, but feel free to omit it if you would prefer.
Let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments down below, I love to hear from you & answer any questions you may have. Now go get all cozied up and enjoy this gorgeous fall weather!
                      

Take care, be well, love freely.
Chef Kiki

Carrot & Arame Salad

Hello everyone, 

It is time to discover a new way of eating with a new recipe.
I know it's got a funky ingredient, looks a bit strange, but trust me, it's good and uber healthy! 
This is a throwback to my vegetarian/macrobiotic days. Yes, I have eaten in as many healthy ways as possible. I was eating at one of my old veggie restaurants and they had this wonderful seaweed salad, it was new to me but I like to keep my heart and soul young by having new experiences, so I went on a taste bud adventure. I went nuts and returned every day for a week to indulge in it because I could not get enough! Then I went back home and recreated a version of it with a bit less Tamari and the addition of carrots, it was perfect! 
I discovered seaweed when I started researching the macrobiotic diet and reading some of Michio Kushi's books about it, along with Kristina Turner's guide. I had a bunch of other books on the subject and I grew to really appreciate the health benefits of this gift from the ocean. Here's a little background information on Arame, and if you are interested in Macrobiotic food, I am leaving links down below to help you explore. The recipe follows this short blurb, I really hope you are brave and try something new, this recipe has been a staple for 17 years now. 


Arame:
Arame Sea Vegetable is a brown algae cultivated off the shores of Ise (ee-say) Bay, Japan where it thrives in cool waters of the arctic Japan current. The sea there is surrounded by National forests and mountains and is known as the 'Ocean by Mountains' area. Rivers nourish the bay adding to a mineral rich environment. This area leads all of Japan in ecology movements. Development is forbidden to ensure future generations the legacy of this famous edible seaweed resource. Only the most tender fronds of arame are selected and hand harvested in the summer. The fronds are washed and sun dried. After drying, the fronds are then steamed for five hours to soften it and enhance its color, then finely shredded to make it easy to use and quick to prepare before naturally air drying. 

Eden Arame Eisenia bicyclis is a wavy sea vegetable with two thin, oval fronds. Each year fronds are shed and new ones develop creating a branched and feathery plant. Although, when dried and cooked arame resembles hiziki in color and appearance, it is softer, more delicate and much milder in flavor. Arame is the sweetest all the sea vegetables with a pleasing texture and appearance. These qualities make it the most appealing to those just beginning to familiarize their palate with sea vegetables.

Arame has been a traditional part of the Japanese diet since ancient times. Eden Arame is low in sodium, low calorie, and fat and cholesterol free. It is a good source of magnesium and calcium. According to the FDA, "Low fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables (foods that are low in fat and may contain dietary fiber, Vitamin A, or Vitamin C) may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors." Eden Arame is rich in dietary fiber and a good source of vitamin A. Also, "Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors."

Eden Arame may be cooked with whole grains, in soups, stir fries, vegetable dishes, homemade breads, stuffing, salads, croquettes, and in making grain, tofu and tempeh burgers. Arame doubles in size when cooked. To use, rinse quickly, soak for 5 minutes in cold water, chop if desired, and add to your recipe. Eden Arame makes an excellent side dish when cooked with sautéed sweet vegetables, seasoned with Eden Ume Plum Vinegar or Brown Rice Vinegar and Eden Shoyu Soy Sauce.

http://www.edenfoods.com/store/arame-sea-vegetable-wild-hand-harvested.html

Additional info from Wiki:

Arame is high in calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, and vitamin A as well as being a dietary source of many other minerals^. It also is harvested for alginate, fertilizer and iodide^. It contains the storage polysaccharide laminarin and the tripeptide eisenin, a peptide with immunological activity.
Lignan content in arame is noted by several sources. It also contains the phlorotannins phlorofucofuroeckol A, dioxinodehydroeckol, fucofuroeckol A, eckol, dieckol, triphloroethol A and 7-phloroethol. Extracts of this algae have been tested to combat MRSA staph infections.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arame

(I actually used Koyo brand arame for this recipe because they did not have Eden brand arame in stock. Both are great companies and their quality of arame is equally good, feel free to use either one.)

 Macrobiotic info:

http://www.kushiinstitute.org/

http://www.kushiinstitute.org/what-is-macrobiotics/

http://www.macrobiotics.co.uk/foodlist.htm

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/Macrobiotic.htm

One of my fav. Macrobiotic books for those new to this lifestyle and diet, it is fun, you can write in it, and it gives a great breakdown with simple, nourishing recipes.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Self-Healing-Cookbook-Macrobiotic/dp/0945668104

This is another great primer for Macrobiotics by the founder of it all.

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Macrobiotic-Way-Michio-Kushi/dp/1583331808

CARROT & ARAME SALAD 
(I do ask that this recipe be done with all organic ingredients, to maximize the health benefits & experience the best flavour. As always, do what you can.)

Ingredients:
8-10 Organic carrots, peeled
Handful of soaked Arame 
1/4 Cup Organic Tamari gluten free
3 Tbsp Organic Apple Cider vinegar 
1-2 tsp Organic sesame oil

Method:
-In a bowl, place a good handful of Arame and cover with water, allow to soak for 15 minutes
-Prepare your carrots by cutting into medium sized matchsticks. The pictures below show the process of getting them that size. 
-Rinse carrots in cold water and lightly pat dry, reserve(keep aside), in a bowl. 
-Grab the bowl of Arame, you will notice it has softened and really expanded. Using a mesh strainer, strain and Rinse in cold water the Arame seaweed. 
-Shake off excess water, gently mix the seaweed in with carrots. 
-Add sesame oil, vinegar, Tamari, and toss gently. 
-Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. 
-Eat as is or as a side dish, this is a great accompaniment to more heavy foods but I love it so much that I usually eat it on its own.

Enjoy, leave your comments below & don't forget to subscribe! 

Macrobiotic Cabbage & Shiitake Miso Soup

               
Good day people,

Today it's all about the Japanese Macrobiotic healing foods love.

Seaweed and Macrobiotic goodness, this recipe originally hails from Kristina Turner's Macrobiotic Self-healing Cookbook/Workbook. It's actually two decades old but is, in my opinion, one of the best introductory Macrobiotic books on the market. It is a favourite and I refer to it often, especially when I am cleansing. I feed this recipe to Macrobiotic newbs and unsuspecting meat mouths, they all really enjoy it and go back for second helpings and a doggie bag of it. I changed the original from barley to a gluten-free friendly version. It's delightful and I recommend making it a day in advance as it tastes better the second day. 

MACROBIOTIC CABBAGE & SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 tsp sesame oil

6-8 Cups water

1x 6" strip of kombu (seaweed)

2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water for an hour then chopped 

1 carrot diced

1 stalk celery with leaves

1 bay leaf

1 Cup green cabbage diced

1/2 Cup brown rice cooked

2 Tbsp Rice miso

Method:

-Place strip of kombu in a bowl and cover with water, soak 15-20 minutes. Once soaked, chop into pieces (see pics).

-In a blender, blend rice with 1 Cup water for 30 seconds, keep aside.

-In a soup pot on medium heat, heat oil and then sauté onions for a few minutes until soft.

-Add carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes stirring often.

-Add garlic cook 30 seconds then add mushrooms, kombu and water. Stir.

-Add rice water mixture, bay leaf, and stir.

-Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes.

-I will sometimes add a peeled & grated burdock root and an organic vegetarian herb stock cube but this is a personal choice. If you use one or both add it at this point, stir it well, then add cabbage and cook 15 minutes more.

-Leave on burner and turn off heat, after 15 minutes stir in the miso. Never add miso to boiling or super hot items as the heat kills off the beneficial gut bacteria and enzymes. I will often leave out the miso until the next day when I re-heat it, as I prefer the richness and intensified flavour that improves overnight.

I would not recommend freezing.

Enjoy! 

              

              Soaked & chopped kombu seaweed:

              

                    Burdock root:

               

             

           Miso only at the end:

           

          Bonne healing appetit! 

         

RAWFOOD VEGAN SESAME ALMOND CRACKERS

Yes, we are getting our raw vegan on today darlings!

The next recipe is a repost from my old blog and the 30 day healthy self-love challenge recipe I did not too long ago, if you like the nutty taste of sesame, this one is for you!

RAWFOOD VEGAN SESAME ALMOND CRACKERS

Ingredients:

1 Cup ground almond meal
1 Cup almond pulp from making almond milk (See recipe above, omit vanilla)
1/2 Cup sesame seeds
1/4 Cup ground golden flax seeds
1 tsp pink sea salt
1/4 Cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Walnut oil, organic, cold pressed
3/4-1 Cup Filtered water

Method:
-Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until forms a paste
-Line your dehydrator trays with Excalibur sheets or parchment paper
-Push cracker paste across the paper lined tray, cover with another piece of parchment paper. 
-Using a rolling pin, roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. 
-Gently remove the top parchment paper sheet. 
-Place tray in dehydrator on rawfood setting, dehydrate for 1 1/2 hours, then using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut crackers into desired shape. You can make flat bread style, square or triangular crackers. 
-Put back in the dehydrator for another 8-12 hours until they reach desired level of crispness. If you're making a bread style then it needs to be pliable, so dehydrate for less time.

 

The Best Rawfood Vegan Apple Pie Crackers Day

               

Oh my gaaaah! These are amaze bombs, like addictively good!

I cannot get enough of these and my family keeps sneaking or asking for more. Crackers that are slightly sweet, with a delectable crunch, chock full of yum scrum ingredients, and taste apple pie-esque. You had me at raw vegan baby, heheh.  

I highly recommend making a triple or even quadruple batch because they are the first to go at our house & it may well be the same in yours. Feel free to switch up the apples for strawberries, carrots or zukes.

THE BEST RAWFOOD VEGAN APPLE PIE CRACKERS

(I prefer organic ingredients for rawfood dehydrated items but do the best you can, no judgement.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Grated Large apple with no peel (I used Spartan apples, try to get organic, keep the peel if you like that sort of thing)

1 Cup Almond pulp from making raw almond milk (recipe link follows)

1/4 Cup Hemp seeds

3 Tbsp Ground golden flax

3 Tbsp Ground tiger nuts

1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Pinch pink sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla pods or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 Cup Maple syrup grade B

1 Cup Almond milk (recipe link follows)

1/4 tsp Walnut oil (DO NOT use more)

Method:

-Add all dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined.

-On a teflex or parchment lined Excalibur dehydrator tray, spread dough out to about 1 inch thickness, square off edges.

Place in dehydrator on rawfood 105 degree setting, for 2 1/2 hours, remove and score with a knife into square crackers. (See the pics down below) Put back in the dehydrator for 6 hours.

-Check to see if the crackers are getting to a medium dry consistency, you need to make sure they are not too wet because they must be flipped onto a new Excalibur tray lined with the regular white tray sheet it comes with; you need the air to circulate over and around the crackers so they dry properly. 

-Place an Excalibur sheet lined tray (Do not use a teflex sheet, just the regular plastic white sheet the trays always come with) over the top of the crackers and quickly flip the tray over. You will be able to gently and slowly remove the teflex sheet or parchment paper. (Don't force it if they are not ready, place them back in if it is too hard to remove)

-The score marks will be evident, the crackers go back in the dehydrator for another 8-12 hours depending how crisp you like them. I left my crackers in for a total of 24 hours.

-Once dry, remove from the tray and gently break the crackers where the score marks are. Store in an airtight glass jar. These will keep for several weeks, if they don't all get eaten first! 

As always, pics follow below to help guide you along. Leave any questions or comments down below, I love to hear about your kitchen adventures.

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/vanilla-bean-almond-milk-rawfood.html  

                     

 Crackers all done, I stored them in glass mason jars and have been watching them fade away as they get munched away.

                            

                           

                           Mix it up!

                          

                          Dehydrator time!

                         

                         Score those bad boys!

                        

                        Break them up

                        

                        Light & crispy

                        

                       Nice because not too thick.

                       

       Enjoy darlings, and come back for more! Have a lovely & blessed day.

              

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Spice Crackers

Bonjour!

Je suis la avec des citrouilles aka I am here with ze pumpkins.

It's Tasty Tuesday and that usually means a scrumptious recipe. 

Today we explore the humble pumpkin and that lovely pumpkin pie spice that most of us have a love affair with at this time of the year. I am including this now though because it is a mostly raw recipe and I had some homemade pumpkin mash left and was going to lose it. I also had seeds and decided to make a yummy raw dehydrated cracker; what goes great with pumpkin? That's right, pumpkin spices! 

You so clevah ;P

So here you are a delightful recipe for a mildly sweet snack that I like crunching on with a tall glass of cold almond milk. 

I used Tumeric & Boabab in this recipe, both considered to be super foods; so before I go further I am going to drop some knowledge on yah. The recipe follows.

       

                

Apparently Organic Burst is one of the best on the market, I have an organic raw one I got on special at the health food store, you can see it in the pic as part of the cracker breakdown how-to. This is Organic burst's:

                                  

                             

                               

                              

           

RAW VEGAN PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 Cup pumpkin purée 

1 1/2 Cups Raw sunflower seeds soaked 6 hours, drained and well rinsed. Blend them with 3/4 Cup almond milk or coconut water.

1/2 Cup Raw sunflower seeds for sprinkling

1 Tbsp Boabab powder

1/2 Cup Date paste (Recipe link follows)

1/4 tsp Tumeric ground

1 1/2 Tbsp Spice mix of choice (I make mine but pie spice mix is great)

3 Tbsp Maple syrup grade B

1 Tbsp Tiger nuts ground

1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil cold pressed

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon ground

Method:

-Add all dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined.

-On a teflex or parchment lined Excalibur dehydrator tray, spread dough out to about 1 inch thickness, square off edges.

Place in dehydrator on rawfood 105 degree setting, for 2 1/2 hours, remove and score with a knife into square crackers. (See the pics down below) Put back in the dehydrator for 6 hours.

-Check to see if the crackers are getting to a medium dry consistency, you need to make sure they are not too wet because they must be flipped onto a new Excalibur tray lined with the regular white tray sheet it comes with; you need the air to circulate over and around the crackers so they dry properly. 

-Place an Excalibur sheet lined tray (Do not use a teflex sheet, just the regular plastic white sheet the trays always come with) over the top of the crackers and quickly flip the tray over. You will be able to gently and slowly remove the teflex sheet or parchment paper. (Don't force it if they are not ready, place them back in if it is too hard to remove)

-The score marks will be evident, the crackers go back in the dehydrator for another 8-12 hours depending how crisp you like them. I left my crackers in for a total of 24 hours.

-Once dry, remove from the tray and gently break the crackers where the score marks are. Store in an airtight glass jar. These will keep for several weeks, if they don't all get eaten first! 

As always, pics follow below to help guide you along. Leave any questions or comments down below, I love to hear about your kitchen adventures.

              

              Spread the mix evenly.

              

              Sprinkle across the top with seeds. 

              

              Score those pumpkin yummie's!

               

              Once dry you can gently break them up.

                 

              See how nice and crisped thin they are.

              

I hope you enjoy these, they taste seriously good with cold almond milk-unsweetened of course!

              

Leave your comments or questions down below, don't forget to subscribe & have a blessed day!