mylk....almond mylk.....

Something new in our household this week.
Almond Milk (or 'mylk' as we've seen it written).
No dairy, no preservatives and a brilliant alternative for anyone with lactose or gluten sensitivities.
Use it in lieu of milk, pretty much wherever you like!  We've been using it on breakfast cereals, in desserts and even drinking by the glass!
This is a 'Raw' food that is alkaline for the body (dairy increases acidity in the body during digestion) and extremely nutritious and, other than a little bit of time, super easy to make as well!

Almond Milk

*1 1/2 cups organic raw almonds  *6 Cups filtered Water  *1-2 tablespoons raw Agave (can substitute Honey if preferred  *1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Powder or Paste  
*1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder  *pinch Salt

Rinse almonds and soak in 3 cups of the water for at least 4 hours (or overnight) - this activates the enzymes in the almonds making them more nutritious and easier to digest)

Blend until creamy

Add remaining water and blend till fine and milky

Strain through muslin or a fine sieve over a jug or bowl

Keep in sealable glass bottle in fridge (we used an Elgaar 1 lt milk bottle)

Best consumed within 4 days - may separate so stir or shake before use

What we loved: the taste!  Slightly nutty, creamy and a hint of the cinnamon that just got better over a few days

The ease of substituting for cow or soy milk wherever needed

The power and glory or creating our very own milk!!!

What we didn't love: slight grainy texture when drinking by itself - we strained ours through a metal sieve, next time we will use muslin to prevent this happening again

We actually used 5 cups of water instead of the 6 stated in the recipe and found that a perfect consistency and creaminess

*recipe courtesty of 'Model Chocolate' by Abigail O'Neill

Tempting Tahini ......

Following on from our last Food for Life post - this is another recent dip into the Raw Food recipe banks....
Enjoy!

Tahini Balls

You will need:

*2 Tablespoons organic Tahini    *1 Tablespoon raw Honey    *2 Teaspoons Carob Powder

* Pinch Salt    *Sesame Seeds for rolling

Mix all ingredients (except the Carob Powder) together in a bowl by hand

Add Carob Powder and mix well.

Roll in Sesame Seeds

Will keep in Fridge for up to a week

What we loved: the nutty taste and texture

The savoury hit of salt blending with the sweetness of the honey

How you can eat more than one and still feel righteous!

What we didn't love: our Tahini was quite runny so the balls didn't come together as well as we'd like - so we added a small amount of organic almond meal to thicken enough to roll

recipe courtesy of 'Raw Food - a complete guide for every meal of the day' by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja

Food for Life

One of the challenges we've set ourselves for the new year is to be more conscious of what we put into our bodies.
As they say 'good in...good out'.
A food movement that has piqued our interest these past few months is that of Raw Food.
Basically, the premise behind a Raw Food diet is to eat fresh, uncooked meals consisting of things such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spouts and cold processed oils.  
The belief is that when we heat foods over 40-49 degrees celsius, we can destroy valuable nutrients and enzymes (that help digestion).
Whether you choose to embrace this fully or, like us, simply imcorporate Raw Food meals into your days - we don't think you can go wrong in giving your body the freshest, easiest to digest food possible!

We 'cooked' these little guys up last week.....YUM!

Every Occasion Balls

You'll need:

*Food Processor or Blender

*1 1/2 cup raw Walnuts    *3/4 cup organic Raisins    *1 tablespoon raw Honey

*1 1/2 tablespoon Carob Powder   *pinch Salt    *Coconut Flakes for rolling (optional)

Pop Walnuts into a Food Processor or Blender and pulse till finely chopped

Add Raisins and blend further till well combined

Add Honey, Carob Powder and Salt - mix well

Keep mixing till forms a dough - roll into balls and coat in Coconut Flakes

Keep in fridge for up to a week (if they last that long!!)

What we loved: the taste (especially the hint of salt amongst the sweetness)

How they made for a filling snack during a busy work day

That there was NO processed sugar!

What we didn't love: walnuts aren't our favourite nut so next time we're going to try almond or hazelnuts!

Since we love chocolate we'll also add a little more Carob Powder next time too

While some of the ingredients may not be in your pantry, we found them easily at places like Wholesome House, The Grain Grocer and Eumarrah here in Launceston.

 
*recipe courtesy of 'Raw Food - a complete guide for every meal of the day' by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja