Rosemary, Thyme + Lemon Raw Cashew Cheese

I've been really fascinated by artistic, vegan cheeses for some time now. Fortunately, I failed the first time. That fueled my determination to keep trying. Intentionally, I did not go out and buy the most popular food book on the topic, but instead, collected lots of information and spent the money on good, raw, organic cashews. The result? A darn success! This cheese turned out exactly what I wanted - soft, firm, flavorful, sharp and RAW. I'm now experimenting with other seeds and nuts like sunflower and brazil nut. Recipes to come! I would recommend consuming this with a fine cracker or flatbread. It SLICES. You'll want to take advantage of this as you can also dredge it in breadcrumbs and fry it in a good butter if you want to really go hard. However, I curated this recipe as a raw, confectionary thing that is intended to be consumed cold, as such. But I still love to hear about adaptations on these recipes and certainly anything you think could improve a good thing.

You'll need some thick muslin and|or a thin dish towel or cloth napkin. It drains for a few hours. This is basically a super thick cashew cream, with the whey drained out. Similar to making Panir, a traditional whole milk Indian cheese, this uses the same method by removing the moisture, leaving the curd, which in this case is the cashew pulp, smooth and creamy. I pressed fresh herbs, lemon zest and pink sea salt into the outside when it was done to create a flavorful crust. Recommended!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw, organic cashews
1 lemon
fresh herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Oregano or Parsley
coarse pink salt such as Himalayan or Maldon, to taste
1 Tb nutritional yeast
freshly minced garlic
filtered water
cheesecloth, muslin and a thin dish towel
colander

METHOD
Soak the cashews in enough filtered water to cover them by one inch. Do this for a minimum of 4 hours, and up to 24 hours. Strain the soaking water off and rinse the cashews. Put them into a food processor or blender with a pinch of the salt, the nutritional yeast, fresh garlic and the water a tablespoon at a time until it is blended thick, creamy and smooth. You want to use the least amount of water possible but still get a completely smooth slurry. Line the colander with the cheesecloth, muslin and the dish towel. Pour the cashew cream into the middle and fold the ends over. Place this over a bowl that can catch the liquid that will drain from the cashew puree. I put a plate and a bowl on top of the towel to press more liquid out and I think that's a good way to get it really dry. Let this press for 6-12 hours or overnight, and then remove the cheese round to a cutting board. Press in your dried herbs and lemon zest or salt or pepper or jalapeño or anything that sounds good! This will keep about 5 days in the fridge, wrapped in plastic or stored in a storage container. Serve with crackers, crisp breads, on salads or breaded and fried.

ENJOY~!!!

ABC Butter

This is another super quick recipe in that same 'snack' chapter I mentioned in my last post that falls in line with our school year favorites. ABC stands for almond, brazil nut and cashew. Recently, there was a huge recall on almond butter and peanut butter sold from two popular natural distributors, Arrowhead Mills and MaraNatha Foods, due to a link between these products and salmonella contamination. These brands are household names for those who shop primarily at health food stores, and their products have been trusted for years. This case is a perfect example of an unlikely source for food poisoning. It further reiterates the increasing necessity for urban homesteading to take a step up in our kitchens. 

While time allowances always soar to the top of the list of reasons that we justify not making more things ourselves, I think it's important to consider the potential risks with the alternative. Second, always comes the price comparison. Typically, it costs less or just about the same to gather the ingredients and do the labor yourself whether it's granola, almond milk, bread, salsa, hand soap, disinfectant etc. Even as a mother who works from home, I don't always have the time to devote to doing all of these things as often as I would like to, but I do always make a few hours throughout the week to at least make two or three of them. The backbone to successful urban homesteading is to balance the ratio of the products we consume with those that we make ourselves and those that we purchase. It also makes intelligent consumers out of us while it reduces packaging waste and environmental emissions, keeping more money in our pockets instead of shelling it out to big companies. You can vote further with your dollar by spending it locally, responsibly and in the community where you live.

Making your own nut butters takes about 10 minutes with a food processor. It's fresh and delicious! The risk of contaminating your own is pretty much a non-issue. Buy raw, organic nuts and experiment with combinations of them, like this one. I usuallly make plain almond butter with a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of almond oil for the smooth consistency lovers in my house. But you can make traditional peanut butter or sunflower butter for someone with a nut allergy. Use a combination of hazelnuts and cacao powder and a little maple syrup for a far superior version of Nutella, which is actually just a glorified, sugary spread made with palm oil. When the first ingredient is sugar, it's an immediate red flag to steer clear. It will spike insulin levels, over stimulate the nervous system, depress immune response and acidify the body at an alarming rate, while soaring to the very top of the glycemic index. 

There are healthy ways to replace products that we like with those are actually nutritious for our bodies and save money doing it. Try making a simple nut butter today and see what you think!

Here's a brief overview of the benefits of these RAW nuts:

• Almonds - demulcent, emollient, strengths bones, nerves and the reproductive system, antiviral
• Brazil Nuts - very high in protein and healthy oils, energy source, amino acids
• Cashews - good for teeth and gums, energy levels, and building healthy fats in the body

Though delicious, peanuts are one of the most adulterated crops on the planet and the fields are commonly rotated with cotton. Since it's a non-food crop, the soil is often treated with chemicals that are too toxic to be allowed into consumable products. The residues are absorbed systemically and the imprint leaves residues in the body much the same way. Peanuts are also susceptible to the fungal toxin, Aspergillis flavus, which one of the most powerful carcinogens known to the liver. The fungus is sustainable in the raw form of the peanut and frankly, it's the most nutritionally devoid nut on the planet. They slow metabolic rate and are highly acidic. A lightly salted almond butter is nutritionally sound and equally as satisfying!

BASIC NUT BUTTER

Choose your nuts and make sure they are raw. You don't need to use a roasted, salted one because you can adjust the salt yourself and roasted nuts have been stripped of the essential oils that are the primary medicine you want from the consumption of nuts. Put about a cup into your food processor and process for about 5 minutes. It will be coarse and crumbly just before the oil is released and it turns into butter. Add a pinch of salt or honey or maple syrup if you like it sweetened and a drizzle of almond, grapeseed, sunflower or safflower oil will help it get to a smooth consistency. Process another few minutes until you achieve the texture you like. That's it! Store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Reuse one of your old nut butter jars and start experimenting with your recipes and desserts.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cereal Bars

The new school year is in session and that means rolling out all of my favorite lunch box recipes for the kids. I have an entire chapter of my book dedicated to healthy snacks and treats that are quick and easy for road trips, picnics and play dates. This classroom favorite is loaded with healthy fats, plant based protein, fiber, antioxidants and trace minerals. Sweetened with dark chocolate and a little maple syrup, they score low on the glycemic index while keeping little bodies full of energy. 

Nuts and seeds are high in essential fatty acids which are shown to improve brain function, stimulate immune response, lower cholesterol and inhibit cancer cell reproduction just to name a few benefits. Naturally abundant in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, these powerhouses are essential to a healthy body. They also stabilize mood and calm the nerves.

Nurturing my family from the table is my primary focus when it comes to maintaining the quality of their health. Starting from the feet up is our method. Garden to table philosophy teaches so many primary lessons about life. It allows us to share the rewards of hard work together as we learn about the importance of taking care of our bodies and nourishing them with healthy food choices. It teaches responsibility and creates awareness about the environment and the relationships between all living things. It teaches respect as a virtue. We cultivate our lives around us and it shows. Some of our best discussions are at the dinner table as we reflect on our day and all of the beautiful food in front of us that we grew together, as a family, deeply connected by the ecology.

INGREDIENTS

1 1|4 c whole oats

1|2 c diced walnuts or almonds

1|4 c chopped cashews

1|4 c chopped sunflower seeds

1|2 c maple syrup

1|2 c crisp rice cereal 

( I used a gluten free chia|flax version)

1|2 c crushed cereal flakes

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

1|2 c almond flour

1|2 c chocolate chips or dried fruit

1 T water 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toast the first 4 ingredients on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix the remaining ingredients into a large bowl then add the cooled oats and nuts. Combine thoroughly then press it into an 8x8 inch square pan lined with parchment. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. Allow the block to cool before cutting into bars or squares. These are perfect for breakfast and snacks or crumbled over fresh yogurt or with almond milk. They will keep a few days at room temperature and will remain chewy. If you want them firmer, refrigerate. You can wrap them individually in parchment paper and tie them with a string for a cute little presentation and so that they are easy to grab on the go.

ENJOY!!