Happy New Year- Vegan Eggnog

06 Wednesday Jan 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in DIY, Drinks

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Wow where does the time go? I hope you all had a great holiday season, filled with lots of love and food. We had a relaxing indulgent one of our own. I’m glad to be back on track and excited for the new year to come. Don’t you think it’s cool that every year we are given time to reflect and plan for a better year or a better us? The funny thing is that we are given that time everyday to reflect and improve. Isn’t life awesome?!

I received two great cookbooks for Christmas and look forward to sharing some new recipes. Here’s one I made during the holidays, and I got it from one of the blogs I follow ‘Elana’s Pantry’.

It’s fun, unique and of course delicious. Enjoy.

Vegan Eggnog ( I know what your thinking, try it anyways!)

3 c. almonds

4 c. water

1 T. vanilla extract

2 T. agave nectar

2 T. yacon syrup

2 t. grated fresh, or ground nutmeg

1/4 t. cinnamon, ground

pinch cloves, ground

1. Soak almonds overnight.

2. Discard soaking water and rinse almonds in a deep bowl of water, repeat until water is clear.

3. Place soaked almonds and 4 cups of water in a vita-mix, or a blender.

4. Blend on highest speed for 90 seconds.

5. Strain milk through a fine mesh paint bag, (I used cheesecloth). Discarding solids.

6. Place almond milk in a half gallon mason jar, add vanilla, agave, yacon, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, then shake well.

7. Refrigerate until cold and serve.

Keeping it REAL and Simple- Homemade Marinara Sauce

09 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by cosmohippiechef in DIY, pasta

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pasta, seasonal, tomatoes, vegan, vegetables

So the last time I checked in was weeks ago, and I mentioned that I was in a food funk. Nothing was inspiring me nor was I even wanting to eat, my taste buds were on hiatus. Part of this was due to the Farmer’s Market coming to a close as well as the weather here in Salt Lake won’t make up it’s mind if it wants to be cold or warm. I’m certainly not complaining about the sunshine it’s just that it is throwing my wants and cravings for a bit of a loop! So I took action and I completely cleaned the kitchen and fridge from top to bottom in hopes that cleaning out my creative space would make room for the energy to flow. Is it working? Who knows only time will tell, but there’s always in the meantime. As for the meantime, I vowed to keep it simple, and get real about this present moment. All of us go through stagnic times, it’s like riding a wave – it goes up and it goes down. No worries just go with the flow, do what you can, andthe rest will catch up.

Here’s a simple Marinara Sauce I refer to often (Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis) it’s sweet an delicious and very versatile.

– Marinara Sauce-

1/4 c. olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pot

2 small onions or 1 large, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped

4-6 stalks celery, chopped (I like the leafy stalks)

2-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 jars (I use my canned tomatoes) or cans (32oz)

2 fresh bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add onions and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper, saute until soft, another 10 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer until sauce thickens about an hour. Let cool and I like to puree mine in the blender, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.