Fresh Coconut Water

When I first discovered the wonders of coconut water, I would buy it from a shelf at the store. But our ancestors did not drink from a shelf, they drank straight from the source.

This is where my local Flea Market comes in. If you have one in your area, I highly recommend checking it out. Mine has a man that does all the work for his customers. He cuts the coconut open, pours the water into a plastic bag, then cuts the meat out and puts it in another plastic bag. I bought five coconuts and drank one right away. When I got home, I put the remainder in these pint sized jars, and they are currently in my freezer. Now I get the convenience of those shelf stable coconut waters without the killer pasteurization!

Each coconut yields about a pint, and they are 3 dollars each. The meat can be used for milk, butter, cream, or compost.

You can thaw one out by just putting it in a water bath. It should thaw fairly quickly. Do it before your morning workout so its ready and waiting for you!

Salty Parmesan~Vegan Style

Remember the sprinkle parmesan in the Kraft container? This is WAY better, but dairy free. The recipe is too simple. Makes enough for 3 people.

Vegan Parmesan
1/2 cup whole, raw, cashews
1/4 ts salt
1/2 ts nutritional yeast

Blend in a Magic Bullet or food processor until it turns to powder. Enjoy!

Cashew Cream

Got a recipe that calls for heavy cream, but made the awesome decision to kick dairy? Have no fear, cashew cream is here. The recipe is simple.

1 cup raw, whole, organic cashews
1 cup filtered water

Blend in a Magic Bullet or high powered blender. Can it get any easier?

The Simple Things: Refried Bean Quesadilla with Green Tomatoes

Perhaps this is too simple to post, but its tasty, so who cares? Here is what you need:

1 Rudi's Spelt Tortilla (I love these because they are whole grain, but don't look like it) Edit: Just found out these have honey, FYI
1 can organic whole pinto beans
1/2 ts salt
1 Tb freshly minced garlic and serrano chiles mixed together
Green tomato slices
Avocado (optional, well everything is optional!)

Drain beans and pulse in the food processor with salt, garlic and chiles. Arrange your quesadilla, grill, and enjoy. (I used a lightly oiled panini press)

Butterscotch Pudding Choco-Chip Bars~Ooey Goey Style

I know I do this a lot (bake chocolate chip cookies/bars) but can you blame me? I'm getting more into raw foods these days, but something about baking keeps calling me back. I had a few packages of Dr. Oetker's pudding mix, so I figured why not make one of those pudding cookie recipes? I used the excuse that I was doing it for Ava, who has been doing a great job with her potty training. I let her choose the flavor of pudding, and she chose butterscotch. Here is the recipe I easily veganized.

I used Spectrum Organic Shortening for butter, but I'm sure coconut oil or any butter will do. For the eggs, 2 Tb flax plus 6 Tb water blended in the Magic Bullet. Of course, I only use organic sugar and whole wheat flour. Try it with chocolate pudding for a double chocolate treat!

Oh, and I pressed it into my special brownie pan which is 7x11in. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

Glazed Tofu

This is something I was addicted to for a while. I love it cold the next day for lunch! I also like to chop it up and put it in a salad with apples and candied walnuts. Here is how to make it a la carte. Oh, and I used a 15.5 oz package of Extra Firm Wildwood SprouTofu. It comes in a double pack. The recipe makes just enough for my husband and I.

Step 1: Press water out of the tofu. 

The sliced tofu is actually underneath this pan, between the paper towels. This is how I  get the excess water out. 

Step 2: Make the glaze

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tb agave nectar

1 ts salt

1/2 ts garlic powder

1/2 ts onion powder

1/2 ts mustard powder (optional)
lots of pepper

Step 3: Pan fry the tofu

Heat enough oil to cover the pan on medium heat

Wait till oil is shimmering and hot. It should sizzle when tofu touches the oil

Allow tofu to fry until golden underneath. Don't play with it too much. Just let it get crispy.

Flip and continue to fry the tofu until golden underneath.

Pour over the glaze and watch it bubble, bubble, toil and trouble=)

• Allow to deglaze for another ten minutes, until a sticky syrup forms.