Pomegranate Creme' Elixir

Looking for an elegantly luscious elixir for your New Year's soiree?

First, allow me to elaborate on why am calling this an elixir. Here is one definition from vocabulary.com:

Miraculous, magical, and maybe a little mysterious, an elixir is a sweet substance or solution that cures the problem at hand.

A few years ago in New York City, a friend from Iran introduced me to "pomegranate molasses." Its rich and sultry hue and texture captivated me. I began experimenting. One day, I added some to coconut milk and slowly stirred it in. A deep red ribbon in a pool of white and then the taste... Wow! At the time, I did not realize that molasses was loaded with sugar as some of the labels on these bottles are misleading. Discovered the sugary truth, I stopped using the red stuff. Ever since, I have been scouting for a solution to this perplexing problem.

Fast forward to a few days ago. Transplanted to California a year ago on New Year's Eve, I am coming up on a first anniversary in this grand terrain where pomegranates grow. So, they have been on my mind and plentiful in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, I fresh juiced one for the first time (see last post). It was an inspired moment of pure pleasure! Anyway, a few days ago, I happened to have a can of coconut milk, which had just opened. I suddenly saw (remembered, one might say) that red ribbon dancing in that pool of white. And so, I set to task and so, this mysterious concoction came to life. It is like life's many wonders, quite rich, so serve in portions appropriate to your occasion and inclination.

Pomegranate Creme' Elixir

1 can whole fat Coconut Milk
(Organic Native Forest  Classic, my fave)
4 to 8 oz. pomegranate juice (depending on preferred sweetness)
(see last post for juicing yourself, or buy the juice, available at many healthfood stores)
1 tsp - 1Tbsp (to your taste) Vanilla flavor
(Frontier brand, alcohol-free)
Pint-size Mason jar with lid, or a blender

Open the can of coconut milk and with a rubber spatula, carefully get all the luscious fatty coconut cream and transfer into the glass jar along with the coconut "water." Use a fork or small wire whisk to blend the two, or if have need to go electric and tools handy, can pour into a blender or use a handheld blender stick. I enjoy the old school approach of hands on. As you like...

Add the juice and vanilla. I recommend a little vanilla at a time. You can easily add more while subtracting could be a bit problematic.

Here are some delightful options:

Option 1: As is (Miraculous)
                Straight Up or On the Rocks

Option 2: Spiced (Mysterious)
                Add a dash of cardamom. Remember, a little mystery goes a long way

Option 3: Pudding (Magical)

               Add 1/4 cup chia seeds, shake or stir into the blended elixir. Wait 30minutes and watch the                    alchemy unfold before your patient eyes. Kind of like the ball slowly dropping at Times Square on New Year's Eve, only lots and lots of them . . .

Fresh Pomegranate Lime Spritzer

One evening after putting up some sparkly lights, I'm inspired and thirsty. Living now in California where the pomegranates and limes grow a' plenty, I decide to experiment. Red and green mix it up and sparkle with a touch of mineral water. The delicious blend is a wonderful way to welcome the wintry holiday season. Please feel free to adapt this recipe to whatever fruits might be a plenty at your local grocer. Tis the season!

Fresh Pomegranate Lime Spritzer (2 servings of 8oz. each)

1 medium pomegranate, outer skin removed
1 medium lime, fresh juiced (or more, to taste)
12 oz. sparkling mineral water

If you do not own a juicer, you might be able to buy pomegranate juice. That said, nothing replaces the fresh taste of freshly juiced. This time, that was an adventure fitting of the season! Read on...

With a sharp knife, carefully remove the top and bottom of the pomegranate. Now, with a flat bottom (or top, as you please), gently use the knife to remove the red, outer layer. Here's where I discovered that cutting through the luscious red fruit can be messy. The next morning, I discovered splatterings of red not only on the counter but also on the stove top beside where I had sliced away. I spent several minutes enjoying the abstract expressions ala Jackson Pollock, only in RED! Hey, that could be a movement in culinary expression or kitchen design... but I digress.

So, consider placing your cutting board and fruit with some kind of bowl or other tall-ish container. Then, slowly (splatters less) cut the peeled pom into quarters or whatever size fits your juicer. Peel the lime and cut it so will fit in your juicer. Now get ready for a gorgeous good time.

Juice the pom pieces and lime. Discard the pulp (unless you are tempted by its stunningly lovely pinkish hue and choose like I did to taste it. You might like it and want to mix it with your favorite natural sweetener and roll into little balls. Or not.

Now the chemistry begins. In each of two 6-8oz. glasses, on the rocks or straight up, pour half of the juice blend. Then slowly pour 4-6oz. sparkling mineral water in each (or to taste). I hope you experience similiar delight (while less surprise as I tell you now) when a head of pink-red foam grows as you pour. Talk about wonderful! And the taste?  Indescribably delicious.

Sip slowly and savor. You have arrived in a winter wonderland.

Loving Live, Moving to California

Well, to be perfectly honest, I already moved. 11 months ago actually. I arrived in the Bay area on New Year's Eve 2012/13. Auspicious one might say. Perhaps. What I remember is my first taste of the holiday season, CA style, at Cafe Gratitude, a yummy and cheery place in Berkeley.

This blog has been dormant for a while...

Until now.

Since arriving, I have started a lively little cookie biz out of my home, thanks to the California Homemade Food Act. It is called Loving Live Treats (lovinglivetreats.com). The batch shown here is "Coco Cardamon Delight." These little bundles of live energy are crafted by hand from sprouted sunflower and golden flax seeds, organic flavorings including superfoods (raw cacao in this batch), which are lightly spiced and sweetened. I eat them every day and never tire of them. Truth!

I am also a Live Change Coach. Feel free visit the coaching website to hear more on Live Change. Short version: I support folks in integrating live food and mindful eating as a way to come alive while celebrating your creativity and joi' de vivre. Did you notice how the chef jacket brings out a little Julia Child lingo in my (uh hum) repertoire?

There you have it. Live change. And a wonderful, loving lively year ahead. Let's enjoy every bite!

Lively Ambrosia

Lively Ambrosia

This recipe is fun to prepare. Choose whatever is freshly available and suits your fancy. Include complementary flavors, textures, and colors.

Seeds offer protein and crunch. Coconut milk makes it luscious! Young coconut is a treat if available. Equally delicious is mature coconut (in brown husk) or dried coconut. Another option is thawing frozen coconut, found in some Asian markets and "natural foods" stores.

If you do vary the recipe and want to post about it, feel free!

Lively Ambrosia

Ingredients:
(yields 2-4 servings)

 2 Young coconuts (or 1 cup shredded or fresh mature coconut)

1 large grapefruit

1-2 ripe bananas

1 cup  sprouted* sunflower seeds or your-fave-seed-mix
("Lydia's Organics" makes several delightful varieties)

1/4 cup whole-fat coconut milk (Native Forest brand, if available)

1 tsp Vanilla "Flavor" (alcohol-free, Frontier brand, if available)

*Sprouted sunseeds: Soaked seeds in filtered water for 6 hours. Drain and RINSE well. Use as is or wait 6 hours until tiny tails (sprouts) grow.

1. Crack the coconuts (see post "Cracking Your Coconut" for an alternative method, which seems safer  than others have seen)

 2. Pour out the "coconut water" and save (drink it as is, use it in a smoothie, or other recipes).

 3. Scoop out the coconut "meat." Use the back of a sturdy metal tablespoon to pry away the flesh from the shell. I find this safer than hacking the shell in two with a cleaver!

 4. Chop the coconut into bite-size chunks. Place in medium size bowl.

 5. Peel and chop the grapefruit and banana into bite-size chunks. Add to bowl.

 6. Add the seeds to the fruit and mix it up!

7. Pour in the coconut milk and vanilla flavor.

8. Mix it all up!

9. Adjust flavors to taste, including:
Sweetener (agave nectar or another low-glycemic, natural sweetener)
Spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ...)
Other types of seeds or fruit

10. Place in lovely bowls and enjoy!

Cracking your Coconut

By now, you might have heard about the purported health benefits of drinking young coconut water and eating the tender white "meat". Go to many "health food" stores and you'll find containers of this coconut water. Increasingly, it's also possible to find the actual young coconuts in the produce section.

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with a sizeable Asian-american community, you might find these sold from street vendors or in markets. Some might even use a big cleaver (stay out of their way!) to open it for you. It's possible that in some places, this might be equally the case for any neighborhood of immigrants, for whom the coconut is a staple. These coconuts come in varieties, depending on the country of origin. They are native to tropical places including Brazil and Thailand.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a young coconut, you might be wondering how on earth do I safely crack one? Myself, I am nervous about using a cleaver to crack a coconut, while admiring the confidence and dexterity of those who do so. I did locate a popular video from a fellow (AromaThyme is his youtube name) who shows how to do this using a Chef's knife alone. If that method works for you, fabulous!

Seeking a seemingly safer and quieter option, I experiment. Here's what works for me. Try it and see if it works for you. I'd love to hear how it goes.

Cracking a Young Thai Coconut

1. If wrapped in clear plastic wrap, remove this.

2. With sharp Chef's knife pointed away from you, cut along top pointy "crown" of the coconut and after each cut, turn the coconut, until have cut all the way around and remove this outer layer to expose the "shaved" crown.

3. Using an icepick and a hammer: Place coconut flat side down onto a square potholder (cushions and steadies it nicely). Point icepick into crown, about 1/2 to 1 inch down from top.

Holding the icepick handle in one hand as a chisel, hammer the top of that chisel until it breaks through the crown. Put the hammer down.

4. Angle the chisel and push up from below the surface of the crown as if you were trying to chisel up through a layer of ice. The goal is to make cracks in the "ice" (i.e., "coconut crown") above until a crown is cracked all the way around. Might turn the coconut as you crack along the crown.

5. Remove the crown. Place a measuring cup evenly over the top of the coconut to cover the big hole. Over sink or bowl, quickly turn the cup+coconut upside down so water goes into the cup.

6. If you cracked a large enough crown, you can now stick a metal spoon inside and scoop out the coconut. If it's too small, repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 to make a bigger hole. This is typically easier to do now that the water is out.

Now it's time to enjoy the fruits (well, nut...) of your labor!

Green Papaya Salad

Ever wander somewhere new or familiar and discover a new ingredient, thinking, "hmm, wonder what I could do with that?"

Well. . . one day, wandering through Manhattan's Chinatown, I see what looks to be papaya, except that it isn't ripe. This in fact is green papaya. With this discovery, I go home and experiment. Wanting to make green papaya salad and aware that in "traditional" recipes, the salad is not vegan, I play with ingredients to compensate for not using shrimp or fish paste.

If you live in an area with a sizeable asian immigrant community, you might check markets for green papaya. Occasionally, other markets including large chains such as Whole Foods carry them.

Being a new recipe, I would love to hear how it tastes to you.

Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium green papaya

3 medium carrots

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or minced, as you like)

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped (Spearmint works nicely)

1/2 cup chopped almonds or filberts (optional)

juice of 3 medium limes (more if like it tangy)

agave nectar, to taste (start with 1/4 cup)

several dashes of hot sauce, to taste, or 1/2 tsp. cayenne

pinch or more of sea salt

1. Wash, then peel away the outer green skin of papaya.

Cut ends off, then cut in half, lengthwise.

2. Scoop out seeds (add to kitchen scraps pile, for composting, if available)

3. Cut into large pieces, which fit in food processor's tube compartment

4. Using shredding disc, shred papaya pieces.

5. Wash and cut off ends of carrots. Shred.

6. Place shredded papaya and carrots in large bowl. mix together with your hands. It's fun to grab handfuls, life them up then release them, allowing gravity to mix it up. Let the kids help, if they're around and want to.

7. in smaller bowl, whisk the agave nectar, lime juice, hot sauce (or cayenne), and salt

8. add dressing to the shredded veggies. Mix together. Helps to turn the bowl as you mix/fold in the dressing. Be sure to use a rubber spatula to get all the dressing sticking to the side of the bowl.

9. Add the cilantro and mint. Mix together.

10. Adjust seasonings, to taste.

When serving, might put out small bowl of the chopped nuts. For those who want to, sprinkle some nuts on top. For those such as myself who enjoy roasted nuts (not to worry if not "all raw", follow your inclination), try roasted almonds or filberts. Also, it's possible to season raw soaked nuts, then dehydrate them. But that recipe is for another time. . .

This salad pairs nicely with a cool glass of young coconut water, available widely in many "health food" markets. Or you can crack your own (soon, I'll show you how).

Blender Basics

People often ask me, "Is it really worth getting one of those high speed blenders?" Naturally, my first impulse is to say with great enthusiasm, "You betcha!" That said, brand new, these blenders, cost close to $400!!! That's not spare change for most folks.

Now I typically respond with more questions, such as, "what are you thinking of using it for?" "what's your budget?" etc. I like to encourage folks to start where you are and see what's possible with the funds, time, and energy available. Then, grow into the next step. Also, if you can visit a restaurant or store that prepares what you're thinking of preparing, it can be a helpful gauge for the investment.

With determination and patience, it sometimes is possible to find these high-speed blenders on sale or "used." Craiglist and Ebay come to mind for this as well as so-called "Raw food" or "Live food" online communities. The most common brands (to my knowledge) sold are Vitamix and Blendtec. There are many sites online, which can be helpful for assessing their capabilities.

Here are two approaches to this:

http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/blender-guide/best-blender-vitamix-vs-blendtec/

http://www.totalblender.com/vitamix-blendtec-blender-comparison-reviews.html

One cautionary note: these machines can get kinda loud. If you find someone who sells a sound-reducing enclosure for the "household" models, would you consider posting a comment or emailing me?

As for myself, for several years, I experimented delightedly with a conventional "low speed" blender. When I read "Green for Life" and discovered the many benefits of green smoothies, I did a lot of research both in the kitchen, online, and visiting restaurants and shops that make these and seeing what they use. I also visited "live food" stores, which sell equipment for preparing the food. When I visited "High Vibe" in Manhattan's East Village, proprietor and general nice guy Bob Dagger offered an education on these blenders. He sold Blendtec and after checking it out, I decided to buy it. I had saved up for the occasion and it had taken a while.

As a result, I lost no time in the kitchen trying it out. I've been having a grand time using it nearly daily ever since. At the same time, many friends use Vitamix and are delighted with these machines.

So as the saying goes, "all depends. . ."

I encourage you to explore, experiment, and enjoy, as you consider whether and when to blend the ingredients of your life. After all, you never know how it's gonna turns out.

Have fun!