Wowwww...and shhh don't tell them it's vegan! This sauce tastes like a vision -- you're floating down the Nile, leisurely noshing on a plate of raw cashews and fresh picked medjool dates. A Viking boards your vessel carrying, from a far off land, a flask of home tapped maple syrup mixed with vanilla grog. All the ingredients mix together in your mouth and... you get the picture?

You can use this recipe as a substitute for pretty much any caramel sauce in your future, and you're going to want to have this one on hand for as a healthy spread for the littles, sweet toothed and PMSing folks in your life.

All the ingredients individually are fairly shelf stable, and the sauce will be more liquid at room temp. To make it last longer refrigerate it after you make it, and use within the month (that part won't be hard). You can re-thaw a portion out on the counter if you are looking for that melty drip...

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon grade A maple syrup
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon purified water
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
3 fresh pitted and chopped medjool dates
2 tablespoons vanilla
pinch of salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor, blend until smooth. ENJOY!

For a thicker sauce don't add the extra tablespoon of water and/or maple syrup. You can also toss in one more pitted and chopped date. If you would like to use the recipe more like a frosting or spread, add an additional 1/4 cup of cashew butter at the start.

Before I clean the blender, I like to add to the leftover drippings in the mixer barrel some tea or coffee and a little mylk to make a most delcious and healthy caramel late. Other fun ways to use your caramel spread: over a fresh tart apple to make candied apples,  spread onto a paleo German chocolate cake recipe, or make a no-bake deconstructed caramel apple pie (see below) + short video on instagram.

#raw #vegan #paleo #nectar #noms
#IngredientsForJoyAndWellness
#BodyMindGifts

Whether it is Winter or just cold in your hemisphere, this breakfast is a delicious way to warm up your day. Check out our Instagram recipe post here, and the recipe below.

WINTER SPICED BAKED OATS
Preheat oven to 350

Heat a baking dish with a dab of coconut oil. Add a diced apple with some cinnamon and 1 tsp maple syrup and bake separately for 20ish minutes.

In a separate greased baking dish add 1/2 cup gluten free oats (lightly blended) Stir in 1/4 baking powder, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp all spice, 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg. Stir in 1 tsp of Vanilla, 1/2 cup Mylk of choice. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and top with apples + homemade sugar free candied pecans.

A half cup of dry oats contain these RDI values:
Manganese: 191%
Phosphorus: 41%
Magnesium: 34%
Copper: 24%
Iron: 20%
Zinc: 20%
Folate: 11%
Vitamin B1: 39%
Vitamin B5: 10%
+ small amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 & vitamin B3.

A serving of this #superfood has 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 8 grams of fiber, but only 303 calories.

ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness

And if you want more OAT goodness, check out our No Bake Power Balls too :>

Well, it’s been about a year since I made a blog post, and wow, what a year it has been!
 
One of my common food themes this past year was a deep craving for onions. It started out with caramelizing a cast iron skillet full of onions almost weekly during the first few months of the pandemic, and sprinkling them on everything I cooked throughout the week. Then as Spring started to return here in California in late January/early February I started to make Purple Pickles (recipe coming soon) with red cabbage, red onions, and radishes.
 
Last week I found a recipe for onion marmalade, full of cane sugar, and I immediately wanted to explore making a healthy and delicious version of this recipe. You have probably experienced Onion Marmalade in dishes like your favorite pizza or veg burgers, and not even known it. You can find my version of this fan-favorite food below.
 
In addition to the upheaval we all experienced during the Covid pandemic, at the beginning of 2020 I found out I had been exposed to mold, and was in the process of “digesting” natural treatments to detox my body from what had been mysteriously effecting my health the past few years.
 
Beyond their potential immune boosting powers, it turns out that onions can be a major helper in balancing your body after mold exposure.

Like garlic, onions have a detoxifying effect on the body and are highly anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic. Another great thing about onions, they help to flush excess fluids from the body. It is common for mold and yeast victims to experience water retention. Onions also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, lower blood sugar levels, and improved bone health. Onions are nutrient-dense, meaning they are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals.

From the USDA - one cup of onions contain:
64 calories
15 grams of carbohydrate
0.16 grams of fat
2.7 grams of fibre
1.76 grams of protein
6.78 grams of sugar
12% of the daily requirement of vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and manganese
small amounts of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and the antioxidants quercetin and sulfur

Onions are one of the main dietary sources of prebiotic fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. This leads to the formation of short-chain fatty acids that have been found to improve colon health, reduce inflammation, and cut your risk of colon cancer. A diet rich in prebiotics helps improve the absorption of important minerals like calcium, which may improve bone health.

For some sensitive people, onions can cause unpleasant digestive symptoms. For instance, those with IBS are often prescribed to eliminate them from their diet. So, like all medicine, onions are not the right food prescription for everyone, and it is up to you to consult your health professionals to decide what is best for your overall health.

ONION MARMALADE INGREDIENTS
2 cups thinly sliced organic red onion
1 cup thinly sliced organic shallots
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon pink salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (keep whole)
½ cup granulated date sugar
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
 
INSTRUCTIONS
Add olive oil to a large skillet and warm on medium heat. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, otherwise any large pan will do. Stir in onions and keep the pan covered until the onions begin to change color. When they do, add in salt, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs and cook on medium low heat. After 20 minutes add in the date sugar, wine and vinegar and simmer until most of the liquids have evaporated and the onions are nice and soft – about 30 minutes, stirring frequently so that the mixture does not burn. When finished remove your pan from the heat, and pull out the bulky herbs. After cooling you can store your Onion Marmalade in the fridge to use for up to two weeks without canning.
 
Onion Marmalade goes great on salads, veg tacos, lentil burgers, and as a base layer on a cauliflower crust pizza.

ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness

Vegan, Gluten Free, yummy!

Makes approximately 24 protein packed healthy treats, which keep well in your fridge or freezer. They can be shaped, as above, like Bon Bons, or flattened with a spoon like cookies. Please note this recipe contains nuts.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup cacao butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup oat mylk (or other mylk of your choice)
pinch of pink salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups gluten free jumbo oats
8 tbsp cocoa powder
optional ingredients: use less cocoa and sub cinnamon and/or additional veg protein powder

Place an empty 2.5 quart heat proof bowl over a saucepan with gently simmering water in it. Add the 1st 3 ingredients (nut butter, cacao butter, maple syrup) and stir until all has melted together. Take your bowl off the heated pot then mix the next 3 ingredients in (oat milk, salt, vanilla). Fold in your oats and cocoa, and make sure all ingredients combine well.

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place around your baking sheet. Leave more space if you are going to mash them with a spoon, to shape them like cookies, or space them closer together if you are going to leave them as bon bons. You may need 2 baking sheets, depending on the size of your treats.

Place the baking sheet flat in your freezer to make them set faster, or in your fridge. Once they have set, to store them, use your parchment paper to wrap them in a bag. Can be kept in the fridge or freezer.

These treats feel really decadent to eat, and make a wonderful on the go snack during a busy day, or place them in a candy box for someone you love on Valentine's Day.

xxo

DRESSING
1 tablespoon Dijon or other artisan mustard
juice of 1/2 a large ripe Meyers Lemon (I picked one right off my tree here in SoCal)
1 tablespoon raw local honey (great for your immune system)
Blend all the ingredients above together.

SLAW
2 cups grated Green Cabbage, don’t use the core
2 Tart Green Apples, grated
1 large Shallot or 2 mediums Shallots, grated
6 Red Radishes chopped, not too thin
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
fresh cracked Pink Pepper, to taste
In a large bowl toss the SLAW ingredients with the DRESSING. Serve fresh, or chilled one hour later to increase the depth of flavors. The day after the slaw becomes more pickled which is also good!

This is Yogi Bhajan's Recipe for Yogi Tea, also known as chai. It comprises a specific combination of spices, milk, and black tea. It is Health promoting, delicious, soothing and a great coffee substitute. Yogi tea is easy to make from scratch and will warm your home with the fragrance of herbs and spices.
 
8 cups water
20 black peppercorns, purifies the blood
20 green cardamom pods, crushed, a digestive aid,
15 whole cloves, generates heat in the body, & heals the nervous system,
3 cinnamon sticks, good for your bones
5 inches ginger root, boosts the immune system, helps to fight colds, flu, physical weakness, helps digestion & increases potency
3 cups cows milk, assimilates spices & coats stomach lining (other "mylks" can be used)
1/2 tsp (a pinch) of black tea
honey to taste
 
Bring water to boil in a 3 or 4 Qt. pot.  Add cloves and boil one minute. Add other spices, boil 20-30 minutes.  Turn off heat add black tea.  Strain and serve adding milk (almond, coconut, oat or rice mylk work too) and honey to taste.

ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness

I love cooking in the abundance of harvest season when your body craves warm, spicy, & rich foods. I created this easy vegan, gluten & sugar free, pumpkin pie recipe a few years back to fulfill all those needs. It comes out tasting like a coconut milk pumpkin flan with a pecan macaroon crust! I baked it for one of the founders of Wild Woman Rachel Pringle's birthday, and she told me that it reminded her of a healthy version her father’s Jamaican Bread pudding. I'll take it!

GLUTEN FREE CRUST
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup coconut shreds
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons date sugar

In two separate pans, toast your pecans until they become fragrant and your coconut shreds until they become golden. Let them cool. Add to your food processor, and pulse until the mixture is fine. Mash into and up the sides of an un-greased 9 inch pie pan. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, until the crust is frozen solid.

SUGAR FREE VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE
3/4 cup date sugar
3 tablespoons organic non GMO cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
pinch of salt (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 oz pumpkin puree, or fresh pre-roasted pumpkin (cooled) = to 15 oz
13 oz coconut milk (can is OK, but I prefer it fresh, with out preservatives, Cream Party is one of my favorite mylks

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Slowly add in the wet ingredients and mix in well, the mixture will become smooth like a pudding. Get your crust from the freezer, and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Bake for 30 minutes then spin the back to the front and bake another 20-30 minutes, until the pie looks solid and the center no longer looks wet. Let it cool and serve slightly chilled.

If celebrating a special occasion you can decorate your cake with stevia sweetened, vegan dark chocolate chips to spell your friend's name. :)

This pie goes great with Whipped Coconut Cream on top & a cup of Yogi Chai or Vegan *Egg* Nog!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAnd Wellness
#glutenfree #vegan #paleo #keto #healthy #pumpkinpie

When the seasons are changing, and the weather begins to shift, our immune system becomes a little more vulnerable. This is the time to nip things in the bud by making subtle changes to your diet and exercise regime that positively support your body and mind. In this episode of Ingredients for Joy & Wellness Vanessa Kudrat shares with you some of her simple recipes and exercises to help raise your vitality levels throughout the year.

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness
#tulsi #elderberry #blueberry #lemon #juice plus #Kundalini #Yoga

The 8 day Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates that there was enough oil to cook in, and light the winter nights. There were no potatoes in the ancient world, and many cultures made "latkes" whether Jewish or not. The original fried treats were most likely made with barley, salty cheeses, turnips, kashi, and then in the 18th century... potatoes! Latke making season is in sync with the end of the olive oil harvest. It was not so important what they were frying, but how pure the oil was they were frying in. This was a celebration of temple quality, fresh pressed, pure olive oil and its many uses.
 
Winter season is dark, cold, and genrally a drying time of the year. It is also a great time to use fresh pressed "temple quality" oil on your skin. Organic olive, coconut, sesame or joint healing ayurvedic mahanarayan oil will help your body keep its luster through the season.

SWEET POTATO GINGER LATKES
Adapted from Plant Based Yogi's Grandma Bogart's Recipe
Ginger is the perfect flavor counterpoint to the sweet potatoes.
This recipe sings with apple sauce!
 
Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 medium), peeled
4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
non-gmo organic vegetable oil for frying
applesauce

*can be made non-dairy milk & with gluten free flour 

Shred the sweet potatoes with the shredding disk of a food processor or grate them by hand, and place in a large bowl. Stir the ginger into the potatoes. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, milk, flour, baking powder and salt; fold into the potatoes until mixed.
 
Lightly coat a nonstick cooking pan with oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles instantly when a small amount of batter is added. Drop 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter into the oil for each pancake and flatten slightly with the back of a wooden spoon, making 3-inch pancakes. Cook until golden on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. If the pancakes cook too fast or too slow, adjust the heat. Turn and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a tray lined with paper towels.
 
Serve hot, with applesauce, or reheat in a 400 degree oven until hot and crisp. Yields about 10 pancakes.

SUCCULENT ZUCCHINI LATKES
with an amazzzzing Lemon Cumin Yogurt!
 
Add a little color to your Festival of Lights with zucchini pancakes. Lighter than potato latkes, they are their Mediterranean cousins.
 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
~
3 lb zucchini
1 1/3 cups panko*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
About 1 cup non-gmo organic vegetable oil for frying

*can be made with gluten free panko
 
Prepare the yogurt suace first. Spoon yogurt to 1/2-inch thickness onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for 5 minutes. Scrape/scoop yogurt into a bowl using a rubber spatula. Combine with the next 5 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon pepper), cover and chill.

Grate zucchini using medium shredding disk of a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tsp salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Squeeze zucchini in batches in a kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, eggs, marjoram, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
 
Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Scoop 2 Tbsp mixture per latke into skillet (6 to 8 per batch). Flatten with a fork to form 2 1/2- to 3-inch pancakes. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (adding more oil as necessary).

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Makes about 36 latkes.

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness
#WinterSolstice #ritual #temple #quality #recipes

If you are like me, sensitive to processed cane sugar, you will love this recipe. It tastes so good! You can even eat it for breakfast, as it is easy to digest and doesn't give you the sugar blues. I like it with banana slices added to the bottom & top of the bowl, pouring the pudding in-between. You can also bottle the dry mix and give it away as holiday treats for your friends and loved ones. Everyone from children to adults will love this healthy treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered coconut milk
1 cup powdered date, maple, or coconut sugar
1 cup organic cornstartch
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1 3/4 cups almond milk (or more depending on how much pudding you will make)
1 banana - optional

In a large mixing bowl blend all the dry ingredients together. Seal and save for later or to give as gifts.

To make the pudding, add 1 3/4 cups almond milk + 1 cup of the dry Cacao Pudding mix to a a pot. Whisk to blend while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, or until it is the consistency of mousse or pudding, whichever you prefer.

If you want, slice one banana and add slices to the bottom of each small serving bowl, pour your pudding on top, then add banana slices to the top of each serving. Let rest 5-10 minutes or place in the fridge and let cool completely.

Pictured below is my holiday gift version of this recipe, Reindeer Mousse Pudding. I bought little red noses, eyes and pipe cleaners at the crafts store and used a hot glue gun to add in the faces. The pipe cleaners are twisted around the top with smaller pieces twisted into each antler.

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness
 #diy #vegan #milkbottle #holiday #gifts

This superfood vegan *egg* nog is sooooo simple to make, tastes delicious, is good for you, & will have your non-vegan friends begging for more. You can keep it kid friendly or add a dash of rum or cognac for your naughty friends on cozy cold winter nights. For parties I double or triple the recipe the night before, as the flavors really shine the next day. I also use it as creamer for my Immune Boosting Yogi Chai.

Ingredients:
1 cup cashews
3 cups purified water (or 2 1/2 cups purified water + 1/2 cup rum or cognac)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract, bean powder or 1 stick of vanilla
1 apple, no seeds - peeling is optional
1 pinch to a tsp each of: cinnamon, fresh ground nutmeg, & cardamom

Blend, strain (I use my nut milk bag) to make it silky smooth, sprinkle a little nutmeg over each class before serving & ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness

The surprise of this recipe is the half cup of ginger it requires, giving it quite a kick!  If you don't like spicy you could use less ginger.

ingredients:
26 cloves of garlic (roasted, unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (raw) organic butter or coconut oil
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 cup fresh ginger
1 onion sliced
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
26 cloves garlic (peeled)
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
lemon (optional)

FYI, 52 cloves of garlic is 2-4 bulbs of garlic, depending on the variety.

Preheat your oven to 350. Break apart 52 cloves of garlic.

Place 26 cloves flat with their skins in a baking dish with a lid. Sprinkle with salt plus 2 tbsp of olive oil. Cover and bake about 45 minutes, until golden and tender.. Remove, and let  cool. to the touch so you can remove the roasted garlic from the skins.

Melt butter or coconut oil in a soup pot saute onion, ginger & cayenne until onions are translucent.  Add raw (peeled) garlic plus the roasted garlic, removed from the skins and saute another 3 minutes. Add water, cover and simmer until all the garlic is soft - about 20 minutes.

Puree the garlic mixture with coconut milk in your blender. Options when you serve:, squeeze some lemon on top, add salt and pepper to taste, I was also enjoying some truffle oil on top.!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness #tistheseason for #superfoods
#recipe modified from an article found on Complete Health & Happiness

As spring sets in here in the city of Angels I find myself craving mint (like off the charts) and playing with various recipes inspired by stimulating visits to my local farmer’s market, one of which I will share with you below... Coco Cream de Mint Shake.
​
Appropriately, mint has been considered a hospitality herb in Greece and the Middle East for centuries; used to welcome people as they enter your home, served as a tea, iced or hot, or even rubbed on the table before a meal for a special guest. Mint is rich in Vitamins A and C, contains small amounts of B2 and also a wide range of minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, potassium and calcium. Mint is thought to decrease the risk of colon and rectal cancer and can aid in stimulating digestion before a meal plus improve digestion after a meal.

On a side note, if you ever find yourself in Boulder, CO – go to visit the Celestial Seasons Factory. Apparently the oils and aroma of mint leaves are so strong that they are stored behind big heavy doors in their own room, so as not to infuse all of their other teas. On the FREE factory tour, you are allowed to go into this room, and can immediately feel the deep healing properties of the mint infused air clearing your sinuses and lungs. Needless to say, that visit inspired me to want to create my own “mint room”…some day. For now, I am growing mint in the sunlight of my new patio.

COCO CREAM DE MINT SHAKE
1 freshly picked organic apple
2 heaping table spoons of fresh pressed coconut cream*
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 pieces of  kale, de-stemmed
1 large handful of freshly picked mint leaves
3 cups fresh coconut water*

Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender, like a Vitamix. Use less coconut water if you like your shakes thick. ENJOY your energizing, naturally sweet, green shake.

​ccc