Jodi's Simple Vegetarian Antipasto Salad

photos by Jodi Hargreaves, used with permission.

Jodi decided to save the day here at Gingerlemongirl.com... I told her that my poor blog had been neglected the past few months and I needed some new recipes. SO she went home, made her current favorite lunch salad and took pictures. Sent them to me and said, "Here you go, I fixed it."

So here's Jodi's salad! We couldn't really figure out what to name it, but it's sort of an antipasto salad sans any meat... so it's vegetarian right? ;-)

Whatever it is... it's good!

I actually made my own version of the salad this week and used mini cucumbers and heirloom cherry tomatoes and that worked great too! However, I love the half-moon cucumbers in Jodi's salad!

And you really can't beat fresh mozzarella! Especially when it soaks up all the tomato, cucumber, and red wine vinegar goodness!

Jodi's salad is quite simply:

• a chopped tomato (or halved cherry tomatoes)
• black, seeded calamata olives
• green olives with or without the stuffed pimento
• half a cucumber, sliced (or 2 sliced mini cucumbers)
• half a ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed 
• sliced banana peppers (optional... I left these out! You can haz them Jodi!)
• whole salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 

That's it! Just mix it up, refrigerate and have for lunch! 

I used a fancy-schmancy smoked balsamic vinegar from The Olive Wagon in Raleigh, NC.  Use whatever your favorite red wine or balsamic vinegar is, use your favorite cheese, make up your own salad for a quick and easy weekday lunch! :-) Thanks for saving the day Jodes! :-)

How to make gluten-free soaked oats

I remember a few years ago the "all natural, whole foods, all organic" food blogging community went bonkers over soaked oats.  Basically all you did was add oats to a glass bowl or container, add double the amount of water (or thereabouts) possibly add some lemon juice or something acidic to help break down the oatmeal... and 8 hours later = soaked oats.

But why in the WORLD would you "soak" your oats?

Well, some nutritional experts (especially those in the Sally Fallon/ Weston Price camp) say that soaking grains is the more traditional way to prepare them for cooking. They also believe that by soaking them it breaks down the naturally occuring "phytic acids" that apparently can inhibit the body from digesting the foods properly (or something along those lines.)

I won't try to pretend to be a scientific food expert or a nutritionist... so I don't have any real idea if all the hype about phytic acid is or isn't a big deal nutritionally. All I know (as a lover of all things oatmeal) is that these oats are super tasty, probably healthy, and incredibly easy to make.

So the reason I personally soak oats... because it's so darn easy and it means I can make breakfast the night before and eat it cold or heat it up for a hot, cozy cereal! I love oats and oatmeal. I always have. I grew up eating it and while I don't eat a lot of refined carbs, I love having a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Gluten-Free Soaked Oats Recipe Template
free of gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, and soy
printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (or quick oats, or steel cut oats, etc... I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 cups water
1/3 cup honey, coconut palm sugar, blackstrap molasses, or sugar substitute of your choice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Optional: 
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, etc...
1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice, etc...

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a glass jar. Stir to combine and cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Soaked oats can be eaten cold or can be heated either on the stove or in the microwave (only takes about 90 seconds.) This recipe makes about 4 (3/4 cup) servings. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

***********************

Want more info on the reasons other people soak their oats? 
Check out these links: 

• Kath Eats Real Food, Overnight Oats http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats
• Nourished Kitchen, Soaked Oatmeal Recipe  http://nourishedkitchen.com/soaked-oatmeal-recipe/
• Kitchen Stewardship, Soak your Oats  http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/11/30/monday-mission-soak-your-oatmeal/
• The Nourishing Gourmet, Soaked Oatmeal  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/03/soaked-oatmeal-a-filling-and-frugal-start-to-the-day.html
• Passionate Homemaking, Soaked Oatmeal Breakfast  http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/09/soaked-oatmeal-breakfast.html 

Note of Curiosity: 
If you click through to some of the links listed above, a few of the recipes have wheat flour included in the soaking ingredients. Since we're gluten-free, we're definitely not adding any type of wheat flour to our soaked oats. I'm not exactly sure how the addition of wheat is supposed to "better" the soaking process... but our soaked oats are completely delicious on their own, all naturally gluten-free. 

Chocolate Cherry "Milkshake" -- a green smoothie in disguise

Basically I just wanted chocolate a few nights ago... then I wanted a milkshake... then I decided just to make a healthy version of a chocolate shake... I had frozen cherries in the freezer from a friend. I had spinach. I had raw cacao powder. I had bananas. I had almond milk. All that stuff + ice = mmmmm. Unexpectedly mmmmm.

This one's a win! It's a green smoothie in disguise. You can add more greens if you like. It's quite sweet with the stevia and fruit, so you could definitely pack in some more spinach or kale. They will never know... it's chocolate, so it's supposed to be brown... they'll never guess that's partially from the greens as well.

Michael also likes this with a few tablespoons of peanut butter thrown in for good measure. I, however... am the purist... just give me the chocolate and the cherries.

Chocolate Cherry "Milkshake" 
Gluten/Grain-Free, Dairy/Casein-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, No-Added-Sugar
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com

1/2 medium banana
1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen, pitted cherries
1-2 handfuls baby spinach
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (of course if you don't have this laying around just toss in some Hershey's cocoa powder!)
1/2 cup almond milk
3-4 ice cubes
few drops liquid vanilla stevia

Add all to high powdered blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly creamy and resembles a dark chocolate milkshake. Makes 1 large serving -or- 2 small servings.

Gluten Free Raw Berry Blueberry Pie & Pudding Recipe

I really like pudding. It was one of my favorite foods as a child and I still love it. Unfortunately most puddings are made with milk, which is a no-no. They are also usually very processed and contain ingredients that I no longer want myself or my family to eat.

I've attempted making coconut milk pudding in the past, but I wasn't able to perfect the texture and flavor. After doing a little research, I realized that chia seeds (which I had only been tossing into smoothies) can naturally thicken up a non-dairy pudding or pie filling. Chia seeds are a great natural vegetarian alternative to gelatin to create a gel-like texture to foods. They are often used in egg free baking because ground chia meal and whole chia seeds become gelatinous much like an egg white when mixed with warm or hot water. Chia seeds are a great source of super healthy soluble and non-soluble fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and are an excellent vegetarian source of protein.

I wish I had thought of creating this recipe while my nephew Christopher was visiting with us. He loves yogurt and I think I could have convinced him to eat this wonderfully healthy "pudding!" Especially if I had put it in a Dan-o-nino cup... lol...

This was my first non-smoothie experiment in my new (refurbished) Vitamix. I am so impressed that it completely pulverized the chia seeds into a beautiful & delicious pudding! (Reconditioned Vitamix's are still on sale for only $374, a STEAL compared to their regular price! They are selling out quickly so act fast if you'd like to get one at the reduced price! I don't make any money from recommending them! It's just such an amazing price, if you have been pining for a VM... now's the time!)

Purists may not consider this a raw recipe since I used simmering water mixed with the chia seeds to create the texture for the pie. I'm okay with that. I love the fact that this is such a healthy "dessert" that comes simply from berries, chia seeds, and a little agave.

I will post my almond flour pie crust later this week. I need to tweak the liquid measurements just a bit to get  a better texture. Please stay tuned for a super easy pat-in-the-pan, low glycemic, gluten free pie crust that is perfect for this berry pie!

Raw Berry Blueberry Pudding & Pie Filling
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, soy, dairy/casein, grains, eggs, granulated sugar, and yeast
Printer-friendly recipe.

1 quart fresh strawberries, tops removed
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar -or- sweetener of choice
1 prepared 9" gluten free pie crust

Directions
Heat 1/2 cup of water until it just comes to a simmer. Remove it from the heat and add the chia seeds. Stir quickly as the mixture becomes gelled. If the mixture is too stiff stir in up to 2 tablespoons additional water until it is pourable. Add sweetener to the chia mixture and stir until combined. Add chia mixture to your blender or vitamix. Add strawberries & blueberries. In the Vitamix, slowly bring up to 10 and process for 1-2 minutes until mixture is completely smooth and blended. Pour mixture into your prepared pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (and up to overnight for the best flavor and texture). Cut into slices and serve.

Enjoy!

Summer Sipping - New Ebook from Meghan Telpner with a GLG recipe!

As you know I truly heart Meghan Telpner & her blog "Making Love in the Kitchen". Meghan has just released a new e-book this week called "Summer Sipping." This is a collection of special HEALTHY summer drink recipes from smoothies to iced mochas, to mojitas, to gelatos, to lemonades, etc...

I'm thrilled that Meghan is also featuring one of my recipes for an Iced Lemon Basil Cooler!

The recipe is available exclusively in Meghan's wonderful book! I hope you'll stop by and pick up a copy. I can't wait to serve these recipes to summer guests at family barbecues & picnics!



One of the best things about summer is the amount of fresh fruits & vegetables that are available to you all season! Meghan's new ebook is a wonderful resource on how to use many fresh summer fruits, vegetables, and herbs in healthy icy drinks & desserts that will keep you nourished & hydrated all summer long!

Many thanks to Meghan for featuring my Iced Lemon Basil Cooler recipe in her new ebook! Now go get your copy today!

Meanwhile, summer is also the perfect time to make LOTS of green smoothies! Check out my series from April 2009 on Meghan's Green Smoothie Cleanse program! I think it might be time for another few days of green smoothies for me!

What's your favorite summer smoothie recipe?

Gluten Free Whole Grain Rosemary Garlic Pizza Crust Recipe

I really like easy recipes. My favorite recipes are the ones you just toss all the ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, throw it in the baking dish and you're done.

This recipe is sort of like that. A yeast-free (ie.. no rising time) gluten-free pizza crust that is very quick to throw together, shape on your baking sheet and you're good to go.

Another great thing about this crust is you can premix all the dry ingredients ahead of time and when you need a fast pizza just whip out the dry mix add the wet ingredients and in 5 minutes you have a pizza crust ready for baking.

How easy is that?

Summer calls for a fresh vegetable pizza. This pizza in particular is very vegetarian and almost raw. I guess it can't officially be a "raw" food since the crust is baked... but I think it's pretty darn close!

Eat your vegetables. Eat lots of them in the summer. Nearly all the vegetables on this pizza are from the CSA box we had last week.

My favorite way to make a veggie pizza is to simply bake the crust by itself. Then make a gluten free/dairy free "ranch" dressing, as your "pizza sauce" and then top it with fresh vegetables.

Done.

And then you can eat your vegetables for dinner! :-)



Whole Grain Rosemary Oregano Pizza Crust
(Gluten Free, Soy Free, Yeast Free, Egg Free, Vegan)
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Print-friendly version.

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour -or- millet flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoons crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with 1/3 cup hot water
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional Herbs:
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12" pizza pan with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl whisk all dry ingredients together. Add any of the optional herbs to the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until you have a slightly sticky dough. Spread pizza dough in a large 12" circle using a spatula that's been spritzed with olive oil.

For a Traditional Pizza: Bake the crust alone for 10 minutes if you are adding traditional pizza ingredients. Remove from the oven. Add pizza sauce & toppings and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Yum!

For a Veggie Pizza: Bake crust for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes and then add whatever type of sauce you want to use. Add veggies on top. Cut and serve! Yum!

Raw Apple & Banana Sauce Recipe

I used to be an applesauce fanatic. During college I constantly bought those little cups of pre-portioned apple sauce servings. It seemed like a frugal option at the time. (And hey, I always reused the cups, so I figured that justified the purchase! :-)

But especially in the last year I've become very wary of extra ingredients (either for flavor, color retention, or longer shelf life) that are added to storebought canned & jarred goods. I was reminded of this when I stopped by the grocery store today to pick up a few things for my husband who has a bad bout of the stomach flu. I looked at the jar of unsweetened applesauce and I noticed while it didn't contain added sugar, it did contain erythorbic acid, a type of ascorbic acid or in layman's terms: manufactured Vitamin C. A food additive used to preserve color in canned goods.

Vitamin C is a really good thing. Especially when you are trying to build immune health! But to get Vitamin C in the form of an extremely processed food additive isn't the best way. I worry about how this additive was manufactured. What it was made from? Where did it come from? Will it be metabolized the same way that natural Vitamin C is in our body. I don't know.

I looked at the jar of applesauce and decided I could do better than that. How hard would it be to go home and throw a regular apple in the blender and make a raw applesauce without any super processed additives? It wasn't hard at all.

From now on when I need applesauce I won't be buying it in a jar. This was so easy to prepare and so delicious!

So often we choose what we think is the faster way to make food. The easier way. The way that's most convenient. Yet, so often it can be just as easy & convenient to make at home.

If you've never made a raw applesauce (which you could also just consider an apple smoothie!) I really suggest you give it a try. I love that you don't waste any of the apple. Simply remove the seeds & core and toss in the rest, skin and all! (Note: If you have a Vitamix - you lucky duck- just toss in the whole fruit!)

Voila... instant, raw, healthy, delicious, vegan, naturally sweet & gluten free applesauce!



Raw Apple & Banana Sauce
An "unrecipe" by: Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, sugar, and a ton of other completely unnecessary things!
Printer friendly recipe.

3 large apples, any variety, preferably organic, cored & cut in large pieces
1 banana
1 pear, cored and cut into large pieces
1/2 cup water (may not be needed if you own a Vitamix)
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In your high-powered blender (or your Vitamix and I'm seriously jealous if you have one) add cut up apples, the banana, and the cup up pear pieces. With regular high powered blender: add water & blend with fruit. Blend on highest speed until smooth and the consistency of applesauce. Pour apple & banana sauce into a jar and stir in lemon juice. (The lemon juice will help to retain the light color of the sauce.)

Serve applesauce chilled with cinnamon sprinkled on top!

**In a Vitamix you MAY be able to leave out the additional water needed to help blend the sauce. In my high-end (but not a Vitamix) blender, I needed the water to help break up the fruit and blend into a smooth consistency.

Homemade Almond Cheese (Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free)

Nut cheese

Stop laughing... seriously, that's what it's called! And it's good! And you're still laughing.. ;-P

It's okay... laughing is good for you! I hope most of my posts bring a smile to you! I'm all about smiles!

So once again... today's post is about nut cheese.

I used to think it was funny when vegetarians or people who didn't eat meat, dairy, you name it.. ended up cooking and eating what I considered "fake foods." Not necessarily foods that were bad, but foods created to make up for the loss of something like say a hamburger... people ate soy burgers or bean burgers. I just thought that was plain silly. My thinking used to be "If you're not gonna eat a "real" burger, than just don't eat one... don't try to substitute, that will only make things worse."

Once again... huge foot in mouth!

Since going gluten free I have definitely learned how to make healthy and delicious substitutes. I HAD to learn how to make those foods effectively when I couldn't eat wheat. Gluten free versions of biscuits, pancakes, bread... and now? I can't even tell the difference. I understand why people need substitutes.

About a year into the gluten free diet I became aware of allergic reactions I was also having to soy products: soy sauce, edamame, tofu, soy flour, you name it and my throat would swell up. Not a pleasant feeling. I realized that by default I had been avoiding soy for months because I always reacted after eating it.

And nearly 3 months ago after eliminating foods, I realized I was also reacting to dairy and casein products. In hindsight this makes a lot of sense. It's very common for people who are sensitive to the gluten protein to also be sensitive to the proteins in dairy and soy since they are so similar in nature.

While I had trouble cutting wheat and soy out of my diet, it honestly was not as difficult as dairy and casein. I love anything dairy... and to cut out cheese, yogurt, milk, ICE CREAM? Oh my... I just was not sure I could do that.

Which is why I decided to learn how to make substitutes with nuts. Almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts... they have become close friends! ;-)

I would be lying if I told you that this almond cheese tastes exactly like real dairy cheese. It does not. But it makes a wonderful substitution and definitely fulfills a cheese craving!! This cheese reminds me in taste of a flavored cream cheese and sour cream with a touch of hummus! In texture, it's very similar to ricotta! If you miss having real cheese, it's definitely worth your while to try!

Today's recipe once again uses almonds. I love almonds for their delicate taste and their absolute versatility in cooking and baking!! We'll make an almond-dill cheese with a few simple ingredients, a white cotton cloth or sprouting bag, and your blender!

(For a great online photo-tutorial of making nut cheese, please click here.)




Almond Dill Cheese

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked 12 hours
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons hummus
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
juice from 1-2 medium lemons
1 tablespoon dill weed
1-2 teaspoons sea salt (or more to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon pure garlic granules or (garlic seasoning of your choice)


Method:

Rinse almonds thoroughly in fresh cold water, drain and put into blender. Add 1 1/2 cups spring water. Blend on highest setting for 3-4 minutes. Stop blender, add remaining ingredients and blend until very, very smooth (an additional 3-5 minutes.)

Open and place sprout bag or cotton cloth in a large bowl or pitcher. (In the pictures below I actually used a clean white cotton pillowcase, that I also use for wringing water out of greens!)

almond cheese just beginning to drip, you can see a very small amount of whey in the pitcher

Pour the almond cheese mixture into the bag and close with drawstrings, rubber band, or a twist tie as I did. Place bag of almond cheese mixture in pitcher or bowl so that it will drip and strain for 12 hours. Place draining cheese in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours to thoroughly drip. You can also let the mixture ferment slightly (to further sour and develop the flavor) by allowing the cheese to strain on the counter for 6 hours and then moving it to the refrigerator to strain for the remaining time period.

When the cheese is ready, serve chilled with gluten free crackers (or my favorite pretzels) or carrots and celery! Enjoy!!

Store cheese in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be aware... you might get addicted to this delicious nut cheese!

almond cheese after straining for 6 hours, notice the amount of whey that has drained

Carrie's Notes:

* The leftover drained liquid is WHEY, you can still use this liquid or you can toss it. It's up to you. If you like to soak grains in Nourishing Traditions style, such as buckwheat, millet, brown rice, or even dried beans you can use some of this liquid to quicken soaking time and assist grains and beans in the sprouting process. For more information on how you can use leftover whey, click here (keep in mind most of these suggestions are using items with gluten or dairy, but you can also use whey with almost any kind of gluten free flour or food.)

* You can use all different kinds of RAW nuts in this recipe, macadamias (although I have heard not to soak them, as it can alter the taste), cashews, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc... I prefer using raw almonds because they are so mild in taste and really give a beautiful white color to the cheese.

* You can add ALL kinds of wonderful savory additions to this cheese!! Green onions, chives, parsley, garlic... you name it, you can probably add it!! Let me know what you add to your almond cheese!

* I highly recommend soaking the almonds ahead of time. It begins the sprouting process which makes the almonds more nutritious and much easier on your blender! Don't skip soaking!! ;-)

* I am thoroughly looking forward to using this nut cheese as a replacement for ricotta cheese in lasagna!! I will probably slightly change the seasonings for a ricotta/cottage cheese type sub! If you try the cheese in this manner, please let me know what you think!!

Homemade Almond Milk (Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free)

straining homemade almond milk and dill-almond "cream cheese"

I had no idea along this journey to health that I would need to give up so many traditional foods. Wheat... No problem! White sugar... No problem!!

But cheese? Milk? Butter? Those things I grew up literally loving to eat... and yet always had a tummy ache and a stuffy nose afterwards. Once I gave up gluten, although I felt SO much better... I knew there were other foods causing problems. I was just REALLY crossing my fingers that milk would not be one of them.

Yet, I realized through a process of elimination that it was. And I have to tell you dairy was NOT easy to give up.

Thankfully though, after nearly 2 months of casein free living, I've realized life is still tasty without milk!

I do not need dairy anymore.

And I am learning how to make substitutes that are SO much healthier for my body and I love being able to create these foods in my own kitchen!

One thing that I've been making a lot in the past few weeks is almond milk.

I tried to make homemade nut and rice milks in the past, but my old blender just wasn't powerful enough to effectively blend them into a delicious beverage.

Enter Meghan Telpner... again... ;-)

A few weeks ago when I followed Meghan's Green Smoothie Cleanse program, I learned a few tips from her website for making easy homemade almond milk.

Tip #1: Pre-soaking the almonds. This procedure not only creates a healthier almond milk because the nuts begin the sprouting process and therefore are able to release more nutrients, but they are also softer and easier on your blender.

Tip #2: Straining the almond milk after blending. Why I didn't think of this when I tried making it previously I will never know... sometimes the best tips are the most simple!

Once I began soaking raw almonds and straining the blended mixture to create homemade almond milk, I couldn't believe how EASY it was!! Almond milk is SO delicious and it's a snap to make at home with a good blender! It's fresh, quick, and very healthy!!

I use this easy unsweetened homemade almond milk cup for cup in any recipe calling for milk. If you prefer a sweetened milk add 1-2 tablespoons of agave nectar or honey while blending. Later this week I will post about other wonderful things you can make with fresh soaked almonds such as almond cheese, and chocolate chip cookies! The best thing about making fresh almond milk at home other than it being incredibly easy and healthy, is that it is also VERY "green." You don't have to waste or throw away any part of the almonds, the almond milk, or the leftover almond pulp. This week I'll teach you how to effectively use those raw almonds without creating any waste while making incredibly delicious and healthy foods!



Homemade Almond Milk
Yield: 1 quart

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked for 12 hours (rinse with fresh cold water before using!)
5 cups fresh, filtered water, divided
* 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (optional)


Method:
In your blender add almonds and 3 cups of water *If you choose to sweeten your almond milk add honey or agave nectar to blender with water and almonds. Blend/process on the highest setting for 2-3 minutes to create a thick, creamy almond milk. Using a fine metal or plastic strainer pour blended almond meal mixture through strainer and into a large bowl. Scoop the remaining almond pulp left in the strainer back into the blender and add additional 2 cups of water. Again blend mixture on high setting for several minutes and again pour mixture through strainer. Scoop remaining almond pulp out of strainer and store in refrigerator . At this point you can store the strained almond milk in a quart size glass jar in the refrigerator (for up to 10 days), or you can double-strain your milk using the instructions in the notes below.

*If you enjoy cooking demonstration videos, here is Meghan's FANTASTIC tutorial on homemade almond milk. I highly recommend watching it!





Carrie's Notes:

• I generally like to strain the almond milk a second time because my husband won't drink the milk unless it is very, very smooth!! SO, to strain a second time, I line the strainer with a thin cotton cloth, cheesecloth, or a coffee filter and strain again. The 2nd straining can take 10-15 minutes. I place the strainer over a large bowl, line the strainer with a cotton cloth or a coffee filter (in the picture above I used a coffee filter) and slowly pour in the almond milk. As the milk slowly strains, gently pour in remaining milk mixture. You can speed up the straining process by using the back of a spoon to stir and press the mixture around the strainer (as shown in Meghan's video). Once the mixture has finished straining save the remaining almond pulp in the fridge to use for other recipes.

• I personally LOVE using fine mesh plastic strainers! I have a whole set of these and I use them nearly every day in my kitchen for making things from scratch! They do not cost much, and are easy to clean and are quite durable!! They are also perfect for straining homemade coconut yogurts and other foods made with starters because they contain NO metal and therefore do not disrupt the natural fermentation process.

• Reader Sara pointed out that making homemade nut milks is MUCH easier using a cotton sprouting or nut milk bag! I couldn't agree more! You won't have to double strain the milk. I actually ordered some of these bags last week, but I haven't received them yet! They will save you a lot of time and kitchen clean up if you have them available.
  

• Soak almonds in clean fresh filtered or spring water and make sure to rinse thoroughly before using in homemade almond foods.

• You can use all different kinds of RAW nuts in this recipe, macadamias (although I have heard not to soak them, as it can alter the taste), cashews, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc... I prefer using raw almonds because they are so mild in taste and really give a beautiful white color to the milk.
  

A Simple Salad and Lessons on Eating...

As you know, I just finished Meghan's fantastic Green Smoothie Cleanse program. I have learned so many things in the past 6 days. For instance at one point today I thought I was really hungry, I just wanted to munch on something... instead of instantly grabbing for a snack, as I normally would... I stopped and thought about why I was hungry.

Was I truly hungry? Was I thirsty instead? Was I bored?

I realized I had not had very much to drink so I decided to have a glass of water. After the water I wasn't hungry anymore. This revelation is a huge accomplishment for me.

Meghan is truly onto something when she talks about conscious eating. This one concept alone could change my life. I've always been a conscious buyer, being very aware of needs and wants... yet for some reason up until now I have never applied this towards how I eat. I know that you shouldn't eat when you are stressed, bored, or thirsty... and as simple as this is, I never truly understood how to put this into practice.

I love food. I always will... I can't deny that fact or try to change it. But I can change my relationship with food. How I eat, what I eat, how much I eat, and when I choose to eat. And for that Meghan, I will always be in your debt. I cannot thank you enough for your wisdom and encouragement! You have helped me to get on the right steps towards positive, life long healthy weight goals.

I am gradually adding whole foods back into my diet. Today I had a salad for lunch. It was the first time I had eaten foods in their whole form in 3 days. It amazed me how quickly a simple salad of all vegetables with an olive oil and vinegar dressing could fill me up! And it was so satisfying.




For dinner, I decided to make a large salad with some of my produce from the past three days. I had a salad of mixed greens with the following on top:

- 1 shredded carrot
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 an apple
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium zucchini, julienned
- 1/4 of an orange, juice squeezed over the salad
- drizzle of olive oil
- drizzle of sesame oil
- drizzle of red wine vinegar
- sprinkling of black sesame seeds

This was a delicious, fast, and filling salad! It was beautiful presentation, and it was a dinner I felt great about eating. How often do you leave the dinner table with a true sense of healthy wellbeing? Tonight I felt that way. It made me smile!

For dessert? Yes I wanted something crunchy, or sweet... but decided on a simple fruit smoothie with a banana, homemade almond milk, and a few strawberries! It was simple and delicious and instantly curbed my sugar craving!! I can do this... I know I can!

Here's to your good health!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 5

Day 5 -- Green Smoothie Cleanse, Final Post

Dear Mr. Beet,
I tried. I tried you in my smoothie this evening and I'm sorry... I just can't eat you raw. I really tried and I love still you love cooked, but raw just won't cut it! But don't worry, we used your smoothie to give a nutritious boost to our newly planted azaleas, I'm sure they will reap from your nutritious benefits!!

Very Sincerely,
Carrie @ GingerLemonGirl.com

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It is the last official day of the Green Smoothie Cleanse! This is my last post in the series and I did it!! I made it through 3 entire days of all green smoothies! I feel healthier and I'm really glad I did this for my body... but I'd also really like something to eat.. something crunchy! ;-)

Three days was a great length of time for this cleanse! It's just enough time to allow yourself to stop bad habits and learn new healthy ones. Tomorrow I will have raw foods such as a green leaf salad with carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, cucumber, and oil and vinegar for dressing. Thursday I'll add cooked vegetables back into the menu, and Friday I'll reintroduce healthy lean meats and whole gluten free grains in very small portions.

Today I wanted to make an all veggie V8 type smoothie for dinner, minus the tomatoes. And well, as you read above, it didn't really work out. In the colorful smoothie, I used a small beet with the greens, 2 shredded carrots, red cabbage, celery, spinach, kale, and parsley. I was a brave Ginger Lemon Girl and tried to chug it down... but soon gave up. I'm sorry. I just didn't like it. No offense Mr. Beet.

So instead of a V8 smoothie, I opted for something a bit sweeter. What can I say... sweets are indeed my weakness, but at least this would be a healthy, natural sweet treat!

I decided to use shredded carrots, an apple, a handful of peaches, and of course greens.

At the last minute I tossed in some cinnamon and some fresh vanilla bean and voila... a carrot cake smoothie! It's very tasty and just slightly sweet! The cinnamon adds a lovely hint of natural sweetness and I love the fresh vanilla!

Enjoy!



Carrot Cake Smoothie

2 carrots, shredded
1 apple, cored
1/2 cup frozen peaches
2 tablespoons soaked almonds
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1 cup collards
2 tablespoons gogi berries
1/4 cup coconut (I used whole pieces of fresh coconut)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 of a vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped from pod into blender
2 cups water
1 cup ice

Add all to blender and pulse until very smooth. Add more water if necessary. Serve immediately!

Many thanks to Meghan Telpner for her constant support, positive encouragement, and her wonderful green smoothie cleanse program and information. Please visit her site for excellent resources on whole foods nutrition and healthy living!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 4

Day 4 of the Spring Green Smoothie Challenge!

I have to say I'm proud of myself for sticking this out! We're halfway done! Tomorrow will be last full day of the cleanse and then I will take 3 days to slowly transition back to eating healthy meals.

This has been a great challenge to me in so many ways! I'm proud of what I have learned during this process and I'm proud of myself for having the discipline to stick with this program. It is 9 days total from the first day of transition to the last. I slowly entered into the program and I will slowly transition back to whole, nourishing, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free foods!




A few things I've observed while doing this program:

- I feel really healthy and I like that feeling!!
- I am learning what it means to be a conscious eater -- a true accomplishment for this girl who will eat when stressed, bored, or ill-at-ease.
- I have learned that I do not "need" a full course meal (especially for every meal) to make my tummy happy.
- I am learning how to recognize when I want a type of food simply because I have fond memories for it, not because it is healthy or good for my body.
- I am starting to enjoy exercising just for the sake of exercising, not necessarily to accomplish a forced goal!
- I feel like smiling more often when my body feels well!
- I have more confidence in myself and what I believe I can do!

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Speaking of conscious eating and comfort foods...

Tonight's smoothie is probably my absolute favorite so far in the program! On the way home I thought about the smoothie I would like to have for dinner. It's amazing the things your body will crave during programs like this ;-) ... do you know what I wanted all day today? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Heavy on the peanut butter, light on the jelly.

How could I make a smoothie that *might* taste similar? My favorite jam is strawberry, so I knew strawberries would go in. And with strawberries... a banana always makes a happy companion! For the "peanut butter" part, I settled on almond butter since we are not eating peanuts during this cleanse to avoid mold.

Here's my smoothie. Compared to other smoothies I have made so far, this one is very filling due to the high protein content of the almond butter. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your taste and calorie consumption!

Carrie's Strawberry Almond Protein Smoothie


2 cups collards
3-4 leaves romaine lettuce, stems removed
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon bee pollen
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup ice
*swirl of agave nectar -or- pinch stevia to sweeten, if necessary (I didn't need additional sweetness!)

Add all to blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately Makes around 1.5 pints depending on how much liquid you add. This is one smoothie I'll definitely be making on a regular basis!


Carrie's Notes:

- I was surprised at how well the collards are blended into this smoothie! The primary flavors are a mixture of strawberry, banana, and almonds, even though there are substantial greens! It was a nice break in the routine of very, very green smoothies!

- I loved added the bee pollen to this smoothie because it reminded me even more of peanut butter and jelly, or honey in this case! It's very healthy and a great source of natural sweetness!

- I bough very very ripe bananas at the grocery store today. I find that overripe bananas are wonderful in smoothies because of the serious natural sweetness! The lady in line behind me asked why in the world I would buy such ripe bananas! I told her that I peeled them, froze them, and added them to smoothies. She was genuinely delighted. She smiled and said, "Wow, I never would have thought to do that. What a smart shopper you are!" It made my day!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 3

Day 3... which is actually day 1 of the beginning of ALL green smoothies, for all three meals, for three consecutive days. I transitioned into the 3 day green smoothie cleanse by going from one green smoothie meal to today, 3 smoothie meals.

I have to admit yesterday was harder than today. I like to chew and crunch and munch. So the lack of these comfortable motions of my mouth were really missed by yesterday afternoon. Was it hard today? Well, a little, but I kept telling myself, this is only for 3 days. You can do anything for 3 days! Today actually went quite smoothly (pardon the pun) as a matter of fact! ;-)

For the occasion my steadfast old trusty blender died. Yes, it died. Just when I needed it consistently for about 6 days! So while I couldn't buy a Vitamix, I was able to afford a nice Kitchenaid Blender. I am IN LOVE with my new blender! The shakes are VERY smooth, ice crushed perfectly, and it makes me one happy little smoothie maker! I decided to go with a Kitchenaid because I use a KA stand mixer that has lasted over 12 years, and it's still working like it's brand new! I have high hopes for the quality of this blender!

I think I have decided I'm not extremely fond of parsley in a smoothie. My morning breakfast smoothie had parsley and it was quite strong tasting. I still finished it, but decided I would use other greens for the rest of the day!

Tonight's smoothie has a little bit of protein, a few tablespoons of pineapple, and my favorite greens: spinach and kale. It has been very refreshing way to spend Sunday evening! If you try it tell me what you think!


Gentle Evening Smoothie

1/4 cup pineapple
1 Asian pear
handful of grapes
1 tablespoon gogi berries
2 tablespoons soaked almonds
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 1/2 cups kale
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/2 cups ice
1 1/2 cups water
* add stevia or agave nectar for additional sweetness

Place all in blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately.

Are you making smoothies? Do you enjoy them? What kinds of smoothies or shakes do you make in your blender? Share with me in the comments!

Until tomorrow!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 2

GOOD MORNING!!!

How are you today?

Me? I feel GREAT!

It's Day 2 of the Green Smoothie Cleanse. The Cleanse actually starts officially on Sunday, but I've already started making and drinking smoothies and getting ready for the big day!!

Today I woke up, took a 20 minute walk in the gorgeous spring sunshine, and made my morning smoothie! It was such a wonderful start to the day! I feel refreshed, energetic, and ready to go!




My smoothie this morning was based on Meghan's morning smoothie from her Green Cleanse Program. If you still want to join in the cleanse, it is not too late! You can still join in the Spring Green Cleanse here. You will NOT be disappointed!! It's going to be the best $10 you have ever spent!! Meghan has a wealth of information on healthy living and you will learn SO Much more than simply how to make smoothies! I have learned so much already!! Come join the Spring Green Smoothie Team!!

This is the wonderful smoothie I created this morning, it was so refreshing, light, and delicious! I just want to share all this great raw veggie energy with you!! I hope you'll try it this weekend and then take a nice long walk in the sunshine!!

Here's to your good health!!




Carrie's Morning Power Smoothie
(Top 8 + Gluten Free)

2 tablespoons almonds (soaked overnight)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon hemp protein powder (ground hemp seeds)
1/2 a small gala apple
1/2 cup green grapes
2 stalks celery
1-2 cups fresh spinach
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch stevia
2 cups water
2 cups ice

Add water, celery, apple, spinach, and grapes to blender. Blend until smoothie. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth! Serve immediately or store in a glass jar in the very back of your fridge to keep cold and icy until serving! Enjoy!

I had no idea celery could be SO refreshing!! It was such a beautiful and healthy way to start the morning! I loved this smoothie!! Visit Meghan's site to learn about how you can make your own green smoothies!

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Meghan also offered up a wonderful curried vegetable salad for dinner last night! She has done such a thorough job with this great program! I had no idea what to make for dinner last night that was all vegetable based! Meghan's homemade curry was fantastic! Even the picky husband ate his entire plate! I couldn't believe it!! Thanks Meghan!

Here's Meghan's recipe for this fantasic, simple, and veggie*full curry!! Enjoy!!
This recipe will be added to our meal rotation! We really loved it!

I'll keep you updated tomorrow on another yummy green smoothie from my kitchen!

Have a GREAT Saturday!!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 1

Meet Meghan, a beautiful, happy, healthy, gluten, & dairy free nutritionist! I found Meghan's blog via Ellen @ I Am Gluten Free. Ellen wrote about a 3 day "green smoothie cleanse" that she was participating in and I was very intrigued.

If you read my blog, you know I love meat...especially bacon. And that my friends, is not going to change... but I think every once in a while we do need to let our bodies recharge, refresh, and renew... eating a bunch of good raw vegetables and fruits in the form of a healthy, delicious smoothie is a great way to do that!

This spring cleanse is more than just a way of eating, it's a way to jump start daily exercise, prayer, and good health in general.

Basically beginning on Sunday, I will have three days in which I will eat "green" smoothies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an AM and PM snack in between. The smoothies will be chock-full of wonderful green veggies such as:

• raw spinach
• mustard greens
• celery
• cucumbers
• cabbage
  
• fresh parsley
• kale
• mint

I am very excited about this 3 day veggie filled body cleanse! It will be a great time to refocus on becoming healthy both inside and out!

To work my way into the cleanse I am already eating at least 1 green smoothie a day. I am going to try to share the smoothies I have with you each day on this cleanse! I hope it will inspire you to try a green smoothie for yourself! They are really healthy and a fantastic way to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet! Dust off your blender in the back of the cabinet and start making smoothies!

To get your started, here is Meghan's fantastic tutorial on how to create your own green smoothie!

I owe a HUGE thank you to my friend Clara of Six Food Intolerance Living for introducing me to smoothies a few weeks ago. She shared her recipe for a Kale and Pear smoothie, which started my current obsession with healthy, raw smoothies! Thanks Clara for helping me on my journey to good health!!

Here is the smoothie that I had as a dessert last night and for breakfast this morning. It is a little heavy with fruits, but since I'm working my way towards more green and less fruits it's a good start! It was absolutely delicious!

I made this smoothie last night so I would be prepared for today. To keep my smoothie "icy" I store it in the very back of my refrigerator on the first shelf. It stays icy and crisp for my morning breakfast!

photo courtesy of Chaotic Peace

Carrie's Morning Breakfast Smoothie
This smoothie is full of fiber, protein, green veggies, sweet fresh fruit, and lots of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids from the hemp protein, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds. The sweetness of the fruit really shines through in this wonderful smoothie!
*Top 8 free (soy, casein, eggs, wheat, peanuts, treenuts, fish, shellfish, + gluten)

- 1 cup mustard greens (or kale if you prefer!)
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup italian parsley
- 1/2 cup grapes
- 1/2 an apple
- 1 small pear
- 1 banana
- handful of blueberries
- handful of blackberries
- 1 1/2 cups hemp milk
- 2 tablespoons hemp protein powder (crushed hemp seeds)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 3 cups ice

Overwhelmed? Don't be! I know it's a lot of ingredients, but trust me, you'll LOVE just tossing all of these wonderful fresh foods into the blender and making yourself a delicious treat!

To make my smoothies I add the liquid first (hemp milk in this case!), and add the greens. I pulse them on high until they are very smooth and then add the other ingredients and pulse again until smooth. Lastly I add ice and once again pulse until very smooth and serve immediately or store in the back of my fridge where the smoothie will remain icy until breakfast! I would love to have a vitamix one day, but this blending technique seems to work really well in my old, run of the mill blender!

Do you have any tips or ideas on how to make a delicious green smoothie??
PLEASE share with us in the comments below!
I can't wait to hear from you!!

Stay tuned for additional Healthy Green Smoothie posts through next week!

Chocolate Brownie Bites (Gluten Free, Vegan...)

Low Carb, Soy Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Taste Free... KIDDING! These little brownie bites are so amazingly delicious, they are definitely NOT taste free!

About a month ago, I was at a grocery store and starving (not a good combination) and I found these little bars called, "Pure Bars". On the wrapper they were listed as "raw" food. In other words, not cooked, pure, organic ingredients. I thought for sure the bar would be awful! But I was hungry and the package stated that it was free of gluten it was "chocolate brownie" flavor, so I thought I would try it for the ride home.

How can you resist something that says "Like a Good Mood in a wrapper!" ;-)

Oh. My. Word.

It was amazing.

It was so good! The bar was rich and super chocolately and didn't feel the least bit healthy, even though it said on the package it was! I thought they were lying! Now, I will warn you, it does clearly state on the package that while it is free from any ingredients that contain gluten, it IS produced in a facility that processes foods made with wheat, eggs, dairy, and soy, so there is a chance of cross-contamination. The company is called Pure of Holland (USA), and they make many different kinds of "raw" vegan bars. I've tried three different kinds and they are all delicious! They are also a little bit pricey at $2 a bar, and I wondered if I could possibly make them at home.

Enter our dear friend Sea, over at Book of Yum. She recently had a wonderful little post on a shower she went to that happened to serve healthy gluten free foods! Of those foods, one thing served was a delicious little brownie, posted here.

I looked online and found variations of that recipe and other "raw" bar/brownie recipes and created my own version with ingredients I had at home. I made these brownies, not once, but several times, and they are so good! They taste very similar to that wonderful Pure Bar!!

These are deliciously, naturally, sweet little treats, super healthy, and free from refined sugars and most allergens. I love that the dates in this recipe are fully capable of working as both the binder and sweetener. The agave nectar is completely optional.

Raw Chocolate Brownie Bites
Created by Carrie Forbes

Free of gluten, soy, grain, casein/dairy, eggs

For a printer friendly version, click here

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup raw pecans or almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup chopped and/or pitted dates
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
**1 teaspoon coconut oil (not necessary, but adds moisture)
**1-2 teaspoons agave nectar (again not necessary, but adds additional moisture and sweetness)

Optional Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes, finely chopped

Directions:
Soak dates in a small bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside. In your food processor or *blender (see note below) grind pecans or almonds and walnuts until very fine. Add dates and grind into a paste. Pour into a bowl and add cocoa powder, sea salt, and any additional ingredients you desire. Stir ingredients together thoroughly. You should have a thick, shiny, chocolate dough.

For Bars: Spread dough into a small rectangular container. Flatten with spatula. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut into 8 bars.

For Mini Brownie Bites: Add roughly 1 tablespoon of dough into a candy mold or mini cupcake tin. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Makes around 16 mini brownie bites.

Brownie Bars made with almonds and walnuts

NOTES: Unfortunately I don't have a food processor. The almonds were very hard to process in the blender and now my blender isn't speaking to me! Pecans and walnuts are slightly softer than raw almonds and were much easier to process in my blender. I highly recommend using a food processor if you have one. The bars with the almonds were my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed the brownie bites made with pecans as well.

Also, you can eat these yummy bites immediately, since you do not have to cook them, but they are rather sticky if they haven't been refrigerated, especially if you used an additional sweetener such as agave nectar.