Herbed Cashew Cheese

This is an absolutely fabulous cheesy spread to put on your wild yeast (unleavened) bread.  Just dip in and spread several tablespoons on your bread and enjoy pure satisfaction.  Or, you can add some vegetables on top and make into a sandwich.  I discovered this Herbed Cashew Cheese from my daughter at Little House of Veggies.   She makes some fabulous creations in her kitchen and they are kid tested too!!  I just taught a class on unleavened bread last night and we sampled the Herbed Cashew Cheese, a Paprika (Cashew) Cheese Ball and an Artichoke Dip on our fresh baked No-Knead Sourdough Bread, San Francisco Style Sourdough & a Sandwich Soft Sourdough Bread.  Look for my post in a few weeks with instructions on how to make your own wild yeast & how to make these fabulous healthy breads.  You will find the health information very interesting and see how beautiful and delicious these loaves turn out.

Herbed Cashew Cheese

Printable Recipe

3 cups raw unsalted cashews

1 cup water or less (start with ½ cup and add more as needed)

About 1 tsp probiotic powder (5 capsules, broken open)

Soak the cashews for at least 2 hours and rinse well.  Place cashews in a food processor or blender with the water and the probiotic powder.  Mix until very smooth.  Do not add more water than you need to make smooth. Place the cheese into a nut milk bag and then into a fine mesh strainer.  Place a weighted plate on top of the cheese and let sit overnight to drain a little of the water and also to let the cheese ferment.  In the morning, scoop the cheese that is in the nut milk bag into a bowl.  At this point add…

Juice of 1 lemon

2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

Large handful (about ¾ cup) chopped parsley

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 TBS nutritional yeast flakes

½ tsp sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Mix everything well and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Many of you have purchased a Perfect Pickler and created your own easy Kimchi in just 4 days.  Below is a delicious Kimchi Fried Rice recipe that I think you are going to absolutely love!  With sesame oil, onions, brown rice, sea salt & Kimchi, it is so delicious!  For those of you who haven't discovered the Perfect Pickler yet, click here to see my post and how to make Kimchi.  I hope you will give it a try and let me know how it turns out.  This is a great recipe to use your kimchi and enjoy a traditional korean dish.  With two Korean brothers, I will definitely be making this for them.

 Kimchi Fried Rice – Kimchi Bokumbap)

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

1 - 2 TBS toasted sesame oil

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion

Pinch of coarse salt

2 cups kimchi (the older the better), coarsely chopped

¼ cup kimchi brine

4 cups day-old cooked rice at room temperature.

Garnish with sliced scallion or chives & sesame seeds

Directions:

Sauté the onion with salt in the oil for a few minutes to soften.  Add the kimchi and juice and cook another minute.  Add the rice and mix well, cook about 5 minutes.  Serve garnished with sliced scallions & sesame seeds.

ByJean-Georges Vongerichten, the Kimchi Chronicles

Perfect Brown Rice

Printable Recipe

 

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil

2 cups filtered water

Fix brown rice by cooking in olive oil or coconut oil until lightly browned.  Quickly pour 2 cups water all at once and put on lid.  Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for about 40 minutes until all water is absorbed.

Sauerkraut, Kimchi & Tropical Fruit - OH MY!!

 I taught a super fun class tonight at the Bosch Kitchen Center.  It was a hands-on class where everyone made their very own Kimchi with the Perfect Pickler.  Everyone learned how to make Kimchi , Sauerkraut, Fermented Tropical Fruit, Herbed Cashew Cheese, Paprika Cheese Ball, Almond Yogurt and Almond Milk.  Everyone also learned how to make Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokumbap) YUMMY!! I will post pictures & recipes for all of these in the next couple of weeks.  Below are recipes for Sauerkraut, Kimchi & the Tropical Fruit Mix.  The Perfect Pickler is an amazing tool that makes fermenting vegetables and fruits fail proof.  To read more on the benefits of cultured/fermented vegetables, fruits and nuts, CLICK HERE.

Everyday Kimchi- Makes 2 quarts

Printable Recipe

3/4 pounds Napa cabbage (buy a pound, save a couple outer leaves) Cut into 1” pieces.

1/2 pound Daikon radish ( or mix of daikon and carrot) peeled, julienne slices or shredded)

3 large scallions, trimmed and cut into thin, slanted slices

Fresh garlic, 2 TBS minced

Fresh ginger, 2 TBS peeled and minced

Korean chile flakes, 1  to 3 TBS to taste. (You can adjust after fermenting)

Brine:

2 cups water to 1 rounded TBS. sea salt

Cut cabbage into 1” squares.  Add remaining  ingredients and pack into jar.  Leave 3” space at at top of jar.  Add whole cabbage leaves on top of Kimchi mixture.  Place brine overflow cup on top of mixture and carefully add brine until you just cover the top of the mixture by quarter inch or so.  You now have extra air space for expansion.  

Recipe by Bill Hettig (Creator of the Perfect Pickler)

Savory Sauerkraut – 1 qt.

Printable Recipe 

2 - 1/4  lbs cabbage (finely shredded)

Save several round pieces of cabbage cut from top as well as a 1” square chunk to place on top of kraut.
1 TBS (scant) fine sea salt

1 tsp caraway seeds

Cut round pieces out of top of cabbage to use on top of kraut mixture.  Shred cabbage and add salt.  Work cabbage with hands until you start creating a nice brine. Use a wooden kraut masher to break up cell walls of cabbage and help to form brine.  Mix cabbage with caraway seeds.  Pack tightly into qt. jar until several inches from top.  Place cabbage rounds on top of kraut mixture and then place 1” square cabbage chunk (cut from center of cabbage) on top of cabbage rounds.   Place brine cup on top of cabbage chunk and seal lid.
Recipe by Bill Hettig (Creator of the Perfect Pickler)

Rawfood101 - DVD Review & Recipe

If you are new to raw foods or confused about what steps to take,  Raw Food 101 is an awesome DVD to get you started. Tanya Alexseeva, Better Raw, lives in London and I absolutely love all that she is doing to help people live healthier lives.  Her 2 1/2 hour DVD is a complete beginners guide to raw food. The DVD is all in chapters so it is extremely easy to follow and go back and forth between the different subjects. I love being able to actually watch the recipes being created.  She starts off with the equipment she uses on a daily basis in her raw kitchen. She then goes on to green smoothies, nut milk and calcium, superfoods, the staples in her kitchen, sprouting, fermenting, dehydrating, sauces & flavors, five minute meals & desserts.  I received permission from Tanya to create one of her recipes from the DVD and I picked her delicious 'Curry in a Hurry' main dish meal. Oh my goodness this was so good with flavor plus!  My daughter dropped by and absolutely loved it too.  The cauliflower has all the properties to help build up your immune system and cleanse your body. It also has a lot of spices to help warm you up and satisfy. The recipe makes four large servings and is good for several days in the refrigerator. I highly recommend Tanya's DVD, even if you are not a beginner to raw foods.  Her recipes are excellent, nutritious and I just love her fun loving personality.  I know you will too.

In Tanya’s class (RawFood101) you will learn all the basics, such as:

◈Which equipment is necessary and which is just for fun

◈What superfoods are all about

◈ The difference between smoothies and juices

◈Why dairy is not the answer to calcium

◈Why fermenting is so important

◈What on earth a dehydrator is and what you can create in it

◈Secrets to staying raw in winter time

◈Guidelines on sprouting at home

◈Practical tips and tricks to creating easy meals and snacks in under five minutes

◈How desserts can very much be a part of your diet

◈Hear truly inspiring success stories

◈Recipes include green smoothies, nut milks, hummus, granola, crackers, sauerkraut, cheese, spaghetti bolognaise, curry, sushi, chocolate, ice cream and more!

Raw Curry in a Hurry

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

1/2 head of cauliflower (trimmed  & roughly chopped)

2 carrots (roughly chopped)

1 cup cashews (soaked until soft)

1/2 avocado

1/4 onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 inch ginger

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tomatoes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp + water

Garnish with cilantro.

Place cauliflower & carrots in food processor.  Process by pulsing until it looks about the size of rice and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add more water if needed until desired consistency.  

Place cauliflower/carrot mixture on plate and pour on sauce.  Garnish with cilantro and ENJOY!

You can follow Tanya on Facebook

Winner of The Perfect Pickler

We have our Perfect Pickler winner and it is Jenn.  CONGRATULATIONS Jenn !!! She was chosen through a computerized random drawing this evening.


I want to thank all of you for leaving comments.  I enjoyed reading them and I know everyone else did too. I will be having many more drawings for books, kitchen gadgets & food items, so I hope you will all enter them as they come up.


Please watch for my next post "Rawfood101".  I will be reviewing this DVD by Tanya Alekseeva and sharing some recipes and pictures.  I know you are going to love this!

Jenn, please send me your address so I can send the Perfect Pickler out to you - thank you.