Herbed Cream Cheese (raw)

Photo by Melissa Skelly Angersbach of Sen Institute

So many people tell me "I'd be vegan if I didn't have to forego cheese".  I understand completely, and at the same time, I feel great hope that in a matter of time they'll change their tune as I did. 

At present, I personally don't miss cheese.  It has something to do with the fact that I haven't had it in so long, and the typical alternatives are gross to me (vegan cheese slices, mostly). In addition, I'm usually not impressed by the ingredients I find in vegan cheese alternatives...they still contain things I can't pronounce and I can't bring myself to call it a "whole food".  But there might be another reason why I really don't miss cheese. 

Flashback about 2 years ago...as a "newbie" vegan, I was having some real trouble letting go of cheese (mostly since we still had it in the house). Although I was only buying about 5 slices to put on our Friday night pizza, I felt myself opening the packet before putting it in the fridge.  It also didn't fare well for the pizza, being that we were left with 3 slices! So I asked my husband for some advice (he's a certified NLP practitioner), since he works with people and addictions and overcoming psychological challenges, and the results were astounding. By way of his NLP exercises, and literally overnight, I found cheese to be absolutely unappealing to me, and I was ecstatic. I was a happy girl, since I wasn't feeling like I was missing that "something" anymore.  I felt happy in my body and happy with the choices I knew were to my benefit, without feeling deprived. More on NLP here, if you're interested (Nate).  

Right now, cheese couldn't be farther from my waking mind. But I know a lot of people still struggle with letting it go, and are unamused by the vegan alternatives found in health food stores.  It just doesn't taste like cheese.  So voila....we created a delicious "cream cheese" equivalent out of raw cashews and probiotics, which not only makes it delicious for your palate, but it's also loaded with good bacteria to keep your digestion happy. 

Indulge.  Go on, it's OK. You'll love it, sans the addiction. 

2 cups cashews, soaked 2-3 hours

1/3 cup hemp seeds

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup warm water combined with 1 heaping teaspoon probiotic powder 

(sold as is, or break open some probiotic capsules and pour out the powder)

1/4 cup chopped chives

1 teaspoon fresh dill

salt, to taste

garnish:  pink peppercorns, tarragon, rosemary, herbes de provence

Flax crackers or veggies to serve

Combine the cashews, hemp, lemon juice, water and probiotics in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag draped over a small colander to fit, twist the top closed, cover it with a towel, and weigh it down slightly with something light like an empty bowl or small plate.  Leave it to ripen.  Many recipes mention 12 hours, but I like mine a bit more tart and left it 15-24 hours. Just check it and taste it along the way so that it reaches the amount of "ripe" you desire.  Also, make note of the temperature - in high summer heat it will ripen much quicker, in cooler weather slower, so don't be afraid to play around with the recipe.  Make it as ripe as you wish (but know that 24 hours makes it pretty tart). 

When it's time, take the mixture out and scoop it in a bowl.  It might have some air pockets and might seem fluffy (this indicates that the probiotics did their job and is perfectly fine).  Add the dill and chives and season with some salt, to your taste.  

I used two little 4.5 inch removable bottomed molds, but you can use a mini spring form pan, or even just a bowl lined with plastic wrap.  Get creative! Line the mold with wax paper or plastic wrap (I feel like the plastic works better, but some may be opposed). 

Refrigerate overnight until set.  Undo the plastic wrap on the bottom, flip the cheese over on a plate, remove the bottom of the mold, and then remove the plastic wrap. Decorate with crushed pink peppercorns or a mixture of tarragon rosemary and herbes de provence.  Serve with veggies or over flax crackers.  Cheese will continue to ripen a little in the fridge, so it will turn even more tart over time.  Keep refrigerated and enjoy! 

Out Of This World Raw Korean Food

Clockwise from 1:00:  cucumber pickle, kim chi, asparagus namul, shitake namul,
lotus root, zucchini namul, center: daikon/cashew rice

My first Korean food experience was with my college room-mate Jee-Yeoung.  She brought in the most amazing food one day and I was instantly hooked (even on those little dried fish!). There are no animal food products in our home today, but my heart couldn't take it if I couldn't have Korean food, so I looked for vegan and raw options.  And then I found the perfect book by Ani Phyo named Ani's Raw Food Asia (find it here), which teaches us how to create delicious raw Asian food, with loads of Korean recipes.  I was a happy girl that day. 

This was my first stab at it and I was not disappointed...the textures and flavors varied and I had a fun time massaging all of these vegetables in quintessential Asian marinades.  The rice was made out of cashews and daikon, the whole meal was complete with kim chi and even raw, simple and easy Gochujang sauce. 

Enjoy all the tastes and delights and go out and by her book! It is well worth it.

Raw Vegan and Super-simple Gochujang Sauce

Radish Flowers Anyone?

Radish flowers are a beautiful thing...something happened in the dirt this summer/spring (perhaps too much heat) and the radishes didn't grow very well.  A very very sad experience since I truly love radishes in every way and this spring I wanted to independently provide my own crop for our eating.  


Probably out of 5 square feet of land, I managed to find about 10 bulbous babies, and the rest were more fibrous inedible versions. I decided not to make it a complete washout, but rather eat the beautiful white and purple flowers that arose from the long stems of furry leaves....and they had the pungent spicy nature of the radishes themselves. Beautiful to look at, and no regret in my mind, the plant worked diligently to produce a good crop....she did work hard.  In the end, I ended up with a beautiful edible bouquet.  


Enjoy yours.  And if you don't get any radishes, pick yourself up by the boot strap, and eat the flowers.  They'll put a smile on your face. 

An adventure with a Korean Melon...

Insert the U2 song "ooh, oh, the sweetest thing" as you read this, since honestly this melon does taste like....well...the sweetest thing. 

I dedicate this post to Okee, my new pal and "Kim Chi Guru" from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, who advised me to get one (or two) at this Korean market I visited this past weekend.  I didn't know what to think, honestly.  People left and right were telling me how to judge a "good one" and what to do when I'm home...do I let it sit, do I eat it right away, do you peel it or not, can you eat the seeds? I was in a whirlwind when I left, but I followed the sage advice of my new wonderful friend Jay who led us through the store with poise and patience... the best advice ever (thank you Jay!).  I let it sit a few days, sliced it open, and took a big bite, including the seeds.  

And then a came the song.  Oh, oh, the sweetest thing.  Wow, pow, bam.  It was like a marriage of cantaloupe and honeydew and just out of this world deliciousness.  

You open it up and it's pure white with the smallest seeds...almost looks like a cucumber.  The peel is a vibrant yellow and smells sweet, and works well to indicate ripeness. I highly recommend it in any way you can get it - in smoothies, fruit salads, blended, solid, right side up, upside down, any which way.  You'll fall in love with it like I did for sure.  

I might even venture into freezing it and making a Korean melon sorbet.  Stay tuned, as I might be crazy enough to try it....

Now, walk quietly and softly towards the door, and go out and get one.  And call me in the morning...

Seriously Wicked Superfood Fudge

Photo Credit: Melissa Skelly Angersbach

If you're like me, you like your chocolate every day.  I say it's a magnesium shortage, but I'm not complaining.  And this fudge is a serious delivery system for chocolate, let me tell you.  I won't tell you it's low in fat or it will make you skinny.  But if you're going to have chocolate, it's probably the healthiest chocolate you can possibly have on this good green Earth.  No exaggeration here. 

The base is pretty simple, but you can add whatever fill ins you'd like:  cashews and grated orange rind, goji and walnuts (as seen here), mulberry pumpkin seeds, etc.  Go crazy and love every minute of it.  Keeps about a week or so in the fridge, a month in the freezer (if you can wait that long)... 

Base: 

1 cup cacao butter, melted

½ cup raw cacao powder and ½ carob powder, mixed

3 Tablespoons Hazelnut  or vanilla extract

½ Teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons yacon syrup

½ cup raw dark agave

2 Tablespoons Maca powder

1 Tablespoon Lucuma powder

1 Tablespoon Mesquite powder

1 Teaspoon Maqui powder

Fill ins:

1/3 cup walnuts and 1/3 cup goji berries mixed (reserve for last)

Mix all the base ingredients together in a strong blender until thick and blended.  I'd opt for putting hte powder on the bottom so it doesn't spray everwhere as you're blending.  In a bowl, pour out the base and add your mix ins.  Place a parchment paper in an 8x8 square pan and pour in the batter, spreading it to the corners and making a smooth top. Refrigerate until hard, about 4-5 hours or freeze for 20 minutes.  Lift with the parchment paper and cut into individual squares (1 inch or so since it's so rich). Enjoy! 

Raw Coconut Tindora Curry

My good friend Fatima took me on a tour of an indian market yesterday and I fell in love instantly with the smells, colors, and absolutely beautiful produce...vegetables I've never laid eyes on, and when I came home, tastes I've never tasted.  Raw okra?  Tindora?  Get ready.

Before I begin, I wanted to bring up the point that I use okra in this recipe.  Yes, many people have some qualms about eating okra in general, but raw okra is something intensely different...it almost has indian spices inherently in it, since I taste a bit of mild turmeric in it.  Mild in flavor but very earthy, dense in green but not at all bitter, and I love those little seeds inside of it. It's pretty dense and hearty, but light on the palate.  


Now, if you want to omit the okra, you can definitely do so.  Some people don't enjoy the "egg white" consistency it sometimes leaves, but I don't mind it much.  Especially since you can serve this over rice, it all gets mixed up and we're not using that much anyway. But you'd still succeed at the recipe if you leave it out. 

Tindora are these little cucumber looking fellas....they actually taste a bit of a cross between cukes and zucchini, but they're water-rich, refreshing, and on the mild side.  I know they're often cooked in indian cuisine but I didn't realize how delicious they are raw.  They're the type of thing that you can eat out of a bag watching a movie on the couch.  I'm not kidding. 


I also loved these glorious long locks called long beans.  Much thinner and limper than their traditional counterparts, but I think the flavor is more concentrated.  Eat them as you would any green bean.  Although not intrinsically Indian (found in asian cuisine also), I opted to include them here. 

4-5 long beans, diced

3 okra, sliced

4-5 tindora sliced

1 medium tomato, sliced

cilantro, per your taste, chopped or whole

Coconut Curry Sauce:

1 cup home-made coconut milk (or the freshest you can find)

1/2 teaspoon each garam masala, curry powder, cumin, fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt, per your taste

1 clove garlic

1/2 inch ginger, minced

Coconut Curry Sauce

Salad before sauce

Combine sauce ingredients in a blender until well blended.  Adjust seasonings for taste.  Combine chopped veggies together and pour some of the sauce (you'll have leftovers) over the them.  Enjoy as is, or serve over some quinoa, millet, rice (to soak up the sauce), etc. 

Sweet Mint Kohlrabi Smoothie

Ah, kohlrabi, my new favorite veggie.  Here are two versions....green and purple, although the insides are the same white, water-rich and delicious...

The taste is a little bit between a radish and a broccoli stem, and once you peel the tough outer skin, the bulb mass can be sliced, diced, and used raw in salads, shredded in slaws, and in a variety of ways.  I'll be posting a kohlrabi salad next, so stay tuned.  

     The greens are also wonderful to use, so please don't toss them!  They're low in calories, high in fiber, loaded with vitamins especially vitamin C, and since it's a part of the brassica family, this veggie (bulb, leaves, and all) is especially good for cancer prevention.  
     Today, I decided to take the plunge and use them in a smoothie, and it's absolutely delicious.  Honestly, we should be seeing this veggie in every food store, and it's barely to be found...something I hope will change in the future. 
     This smoothie has the taste of summer written all over it, and it's super cooling.  This is a great way to use those kohlrabi greens I mentioned in the last post, as well as the ever growing sweet mint that ravages our gardens (to be honest, I love mint everywhere, so I think I may be the only one who doesn't mind mint taking over....which means more shakes for me!)

1/3 of the blender kohlrabi leaves

sweet mint/spearmint leaves and stems filled up to the 1/2 blender line

1 large banana

1 soft pear

frozen strawberries almost to the top of the blender

Combing all the ingredients together in the order listed, and add water to fill 1/2 the container.  Blend away and enjoy.