Raw Almond Milk

Raw Almond Milk
to be used as you would milk or soy milk!

1 cup raw almonds (soak in a bowl of water overnight, drain & rinse before using)

3 cup water

sweetener of your choice, and to your taste. choose 1 or 2:
stevia (sometimes we use vanilla flavored stevia drops!)
agave
3 - 5 soft pitted dates
honey
real maple syrup

vanilla (optional)

To make raw almond milk blend the soaked almonds with the water until smooth (give it a minute or 2, on high). Then strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or strainer into a big bowl. (we use a fine strainer) If the pulp texture is fine & soft, then you know you've gotten the most milk for you buck! Save the almond pulp in a container and put in the refrigerator for later use.... it can be used for many nummy things: add to cereal, add to cookies, eat with fresh fruit & almond milk.

Put the almond milk back into the blender, and blend in the vanilla and sweetener until smooth. (We sometimes skip this step and just add these to the blender in the first step, this way the pulp is sweetened too!) This milk will last in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Shake well before using.

Variations: Blend in a banana and nutmeg to make a festive rawnog. Blend in mango & ice for a nice mango lassi. Blend frozen papaya & fresh mint for a refreshing cooler (this is the Hawaii version) Blend frozen blueberries & fresh mint for a Pacific Northwest Cooler ;) See how much fun this can be!

Here's a tip: Raw almonds can be a pricey thing if you don't know where to shop. Organic is always best, though for more budget conscious, Costco has a great deal on a large bag of almonds (and they are raw, too!)

Raw Apple Crisp

The Green Philosophy is many things. It is reducing, reusing & recycling. It is also being green on the inside, which means feeding your body healthy foods that are environmentally responsible and feeding your mind fresh thoughts. This is the yummy side to being green!

This past Mother's Day, we hosted a picnic in the park with all homemade foods. That means no disposable containers and no prepackage blah blah blah. All homemade, right down to the sun brewed, iced tea. The favorite dish of the day was the Raw Apple Crisp. Here is the recipe.



Raw Apple Crisp


Ingredients

Please use organic and/or locally grown whenever possible, they taste better!

For the Crust:

2 c almonds, soaked for 8 hours/overnight in water
1 c figs, quartered
1/2 c raisins
1/2 t apple pie spice mix (or pumpkin spice mix)
1/4 t sea salt (optional)
1/4 t vanilla extract (optional)
water

For the Filling:


8 - 10 apples, cored & cut into fourths (leave the peels on for added color, if using organic)
1 - 2 lemons, juiced
1 - 2 T agave nectar (optional)
1/4 t apple pie spice mix


For the Edible Decoration:

slices of fig (optional)
slices of apple (if you cut the apple across it's mid section, stars will appear) (optional)
peppermint leaves (optional)
nasturtium flowers (yes, they are edible, and a little spicy!) (optional)

Kitchen Tools:


food processor w/ "S" blade & grater attachments
knife
pie dish, casserole dish, or large shallow bowl

This wonderful raw apple crisp is quick to make and healthy to eat. Make sure to soak the almonds overnight so you will be ready to create your dish when you want. The food processor is one of a raw foodies best friend. For this recipe you will need the grater attachment & the "S" blade attachment. One of the bonuses with making raw foods is that the clean up is relatively simple, no grease or baked on gunk.

Directions

First, start with the apples. Cut into fourths and cored, grate them with the food processor using the grating attachment. In a mixing bowl, mix all of the grated apples with the lemon juice, agave nectar and spice. Set aside.

No need to clean the food processor, a little apple juice will be good for the crust. This time, with the "S" blade attachment in the food processor, add all of the ingredients for the crust... the soaked almonds, figs, raisins, spice, salt & vanilla. Blend until finely ground and mixture sticks together. Add water as needed to help the blending process. Don't add so much water that you end up with a saucy crust, though I'm sure it will still taste good.

Place the apple filling in your serving dish and form the crust layer on top with your washed hands. Decorate. You choose, though, don't skip the decoration. It really completes the dessert for your eyes, and it is so much fun to do.


Enjoy. Enjoy creating, enjoy serving, enjoy sharing, enjoy tasting, and enjoy the vitality you feel after eating live food!


I've made Raw Apple Crisp many times. The ingredients & quantities I use always differ slightly, or largely, depending on what I have on hand, what is in season, and what part of the world I am in. As for instance, living in Hawaii the cost of organic apples can be quite high in the off-season, I will substitute local papayas & mangoes instead. A very yummy alternative! Another nice thing about preparing raw food dishes is that there is no baking, thus no chemistry involved. Which makes it okay to alter which ever ingredients you desire, as long as it tastes good in the process.