Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Almond Milk

Wondering how to create Almond Milk at home!


Easy recipe, only need to soak the almonds for 8 hours the night before. Use a vitamix, and it's ready!

Need to prepare:
1 cup Almonds soaked for 8 hours
1 1/2 cups of water
Bag strainer to filter the milk
Vitamix

Put the soaked Almonds (rinse them and throw the water) in the Vitamix with water covering the Almonds.
Filter the milk using the strainer. The residue from the Almond milk can be used in other ingredients (Choco-Extacy)

Bon Appétit!

La Reina



I am back!

Sitting down in my dinning room, looking through the window, overseeing the clouds, fog and rain, on this Irish weather day, with my Mac open on my blog page, while sipping my 2nd Spicy Vegan Hot Chocolate. Tasting Yummy of course! Missing the fact of writing, sharing, and going back on track of what I have left for almost a month.

Looking back through the past stressful three weeks, overloaded with project preparations and handling, and remembering waking up this morning, on my favorite month of the year, the 1st of May, wondering what is going to be my new challenge. 

For instance I felt my life was out of track, focusing on one of my important projects of the year and leaving parts of my life aside.

Started my day with what we call spring cleaning, as for me, my life will get back in line if my personal stuff, closet, papers, etc… are well organized and in place.

Right now, I am feeling so relaxed just with the idea and the act that I am writing. This sensation is awesome, putting my words out; my mind, and getting connected with my readers give me this upper lifting feeling, which I cannot describe.

I realized that I do miss writing, and it is not because of an obligation, on the contrary, it really flourish my internal senses, and helps me craft my words and sentences to share and feel the freedom of thoughts, leaving the stress away.
A lot of things I would love to share with you, new recipes, quotes, arts, life experiences, and a lot more… How exciting, can’t wait for the day to script all of this and share it with you!

Speaking about vegan hot chocolate, I am sure you would love to get the recipe. 
Spicy Hot Chocolate

Prepare these ingredients:
30g (1/4 cup) Cocoa Powder
35g (1/4 cup) Coconut butter
4 pitted dates
40g (1/4 cup) Cashew nuts
500ml (2 cups) Hot water

Cocoa Powder
Cashew Nuts

Coconut Butter
 











To make it spicy like I did, add the below:
1.8 t.s. Cayenne pepper
1.8 t.s. Ginger, grounded
1.8 t.s. Cinnamons, grounded
1.8 t.s. Clove, grounded
1.8 t.s. Anis, grounded (didn't add any in mine)

Equipment:

Put all the ingredients in the Vitamix, and blend!

Savor the hot taste of spicy chocolate!

Bon Appétit!

La Reina
Recipe from: Crudessence Recipe Book




Monday, April 23, 2012

The Delicious Raw Tiramisu

Yesterday morning, my parents were so eager to try some new desserts, and my mother specially, who is a marvelous cook and adores all kinds of desserts... so when it comes to raw... she just indulge in its preparation and invites friends and family to try it.

That Sunday morning, she decided to do the Tiramisu, which came up to be super delicious, and she has received really remarkable comments from our relatives who were visiting that evening.

Me, personally, been having an overloaded month, full with preparations of projects and presentations, so been kind of late on my blog and follow ups... though promise that won't last long... for so, and in order not to let this super outstanding Tiramisu get out of the way, both my mother and father together have helped in the preparation and shooting the pictures, so I can share it with you live on raw love recipes.

Tiramisu "Made with Parents' Love"


Make sure to prepare the following raw ingredients:
Nuts:
Cashew nuts
Almonds

Sweetener:
Date paste
Agave nectar
Vanilla essence
Oil:
Coconut oil, melted
Others:
Espresso Coffee, ground
Sea salt
Cacao powder
Lecithine de soya (we used lecithine de tournesol)
Agar-Agar
The whole Tiramisu
Soaking: 8 hours + 4 hours
Preparation 50 minutes
Portions: 12
Equipment: a blender (Vitamix)
Preparation of the day before:
80g (1/2 cup) Almonds
1 t.s. of espresso coffee beans, ground very fine
In a container, soak for 8 hours the almonds In a second container, infuse the ground espresso in 60ml (1/4 cup) of water for 8 hours.
Preparation of the same day: 
Check below at the glaçage (frost) section --- need to soak additional cashew nuts for 4 hours.

For the soaked items of the day before:
Rinse well the cashews and almonds. Discard the soaking water. 
Filter coffee, keep the infusion and throw the powder. keep the infused coffee water aside.

Make the Almond milk with soaked almonds and 500ml (2 cups) of water (check the sesame milk, use the same steps but with Almonds instead of sesame)

The cake:
The Cake
135g (1/4 cup) ground Almonds
100g (1/3 cup) Date paste
1 t.s. Vanilla essence without alcohol
1/8 t.s. sea salt
2 tb.s. Coconut Oil, melted

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients of the cake and 2 tb.s almond milk until obtaining a uniform paste.
Spread this mixture in a small cake mold of 20cm (8in) in diameter. Place in Freezer preparing the mocha
 
The Moka:
30g (1 1/2 tb.s.) Date Paste
The Moka
2 tb.s. Agave Nectar
10g (1 1/2 tb.s.) Cacao Powder
2 1/4 t.s. Vanilla essence without alcohol
1/8 t.s. sea salt
2 tb.s. Coconut Oil, melted
1 1/2 t.s. Lecithine de soya (we used lecithine de tournesol)
2 t.s. water
3/4 tb.s. Agar-Agar
Put all the Moka ingredients in a blender (Vitamix), except for the water and the Agar-Agar. Add the infusion of coffee and 125ml (1/2 cup)  of almond milk. Mix in a homogeneous liquid.

Put the water and agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, keep stirring often. Meanwhile, remove the cake from the freezer and set aside. 
Two minutes after the boil, put the mixture water / Agar-Agar in the blender with the other mix and let it run a few seconds.

Pour the mocha right away on the cake. Return to the freezer and let it set.


"Glaçage, Frosting"
75g (1/2 cup) Cashew Nuts 
3 tb.s.Coconut oil, melted
125ml (1/2 cup) Water 
2 tb.s. Agave Nectar
1/2 t.s. Vanilla essence without alcohol
1/8 t.s. Sea Salt
2 1/4 t.s. Lecithine de soya (we used lecithine de tournesol)
3/4 tb.s. Agar-Agar (my mom decided to add Agar-Agar) (use it the same way as you did in the Mocha)
2 t.s. water  
Pouring the glaçage

Rinse the cashews that have been soaked for 4 hours and discard the soaking water.

Place all
the glaçage ingredients in a blender. Add 250ml (1 cup) almond milk and mix until having a uniform liquid and creamy.
Put the water and agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, keep stirring often. 
Two minutes after the boil, put the mixture water / Agar-Agar in the blender with the other mix and let it run a few seconds.
Remove the cake from the freezer and ensure that the mocha has solidified before pouring the glaçage on the cake. After pouring the glaçage, put it back in the freezer and let set for 2 hours.


Cake / Moka / Glaçage
Just before serving, sprinkle with cacao powder.
* Can be conserved 10 days in the  fridge in an airtight container, or 4 months in the freezer.

The Love outcome
Bon Appétit!

La Reina
Recipe from: Crudessence Recipe Book

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Earth Day

This is for EARTH DAY:

Nature is our living source, our oxygen, and our existence. She nurtures us with all she has to offer, feed us, protect us, and give us the spirit to live, always give her back,love her, and embrace her, at the end you can never abuse your own mother - Nature is our Mother - RH

With Love
LA REINA

Smoothies - Only Fruits!

Smoothies Smoothies Smoothies, I just enjoy preparing them, fast and smooth!
Smoothies - Only Fruits!


All Fruits, "no nuts", "no nut milk" so nothing to worry about allergies, unless you have one against fruits

Ingredients:
Fruits:
Pineapple
Mango
Orange
Banana
Strawberries

Equipment:
Blender, or a Vitamix

Mix and blend all.

Bon Appétit!

La Reina

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The "Famous" Brownie

My third dessert will be the "Famous Brownie"

Lot of people are awaiting for this recipe, specially after our mini "dégustation" session last Tuesday April 17, for which I will prepare a special blog.

Now enjoy preparing this delicious recipe in your own warm place called home... remember to prepare it with LOVE like I did :-)

Brownie "Made with Love"

First the cake then the frosting.

The Cake:

"Brownie"
Preparation 25 minutes
Portions 10
Equipment: Food processor, Blender or a Vitamix, and a Cook
225g (1 1/2 cup) Dates, pitted
335g (3 cups) Pecan nuts
220g (3/4 cup)   Date Paste
90g  (3/4 cup) Cocoa powder
1 1/2 t.s. Vanilla Essence without Alcohol 
1/8 t.s. Sea Salt

Pecan nuts
Dates, pitted



Thick uniform paste

Peacan chopped in food processor


Coarsely chop the date by passing them briefly in the food processor, then put them in a big bowl.

Coarsely chop the pecan in the food processor. Then add them to the chopped dates. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix all with your hand until obtaining a thick, uniform paste.

Spread this mixture in a small square cake pan 20 cm (8 inches).  Use a spatula to equalize the mixture.



The Frost:

"Glaçage au Chocolat"

60ml (1/4 cup) Coconut oil, melted
1 t.s. Water
30g (1/4 cup) Cocoa powder
60ml (1/4 cup) Agave Nectar
1/2 t.s. Vanilla Essence without Alcohol
1/8 t.s. Sea Salt
Glacage
Frost


Reduce all the ingredients  of the glaçage in the blender excluding: the melted coconut oil. Wait until obtaining a uniform cream, then add the coconut oil until all the mix get well incorporated.

Spread the glaçage on the brownie.

Refrigerate for about 1 hour.


* Can be conserved 2 weeks in the  fridge in an airtight container, or 4 months in the freezer.

Found this Video from Crudessence, Stephanie is showing us how to prepare the brownies.

Bon Appétit!


Bon Appétit!

La Reina


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Vitamix

Fellow readers, wondering what a Vitamix is, please visit their site for more information, and a demonstration on how you can prepare your smoothies, soups, and of course desserts using this amazing equipment!

Happy Shopping!

La Reina