V-10 Juice: Hangover Helper?

I'd like to apologize for not being a super blogger lately. Although off to a good start, with no plans of slowing down, it is difficult for me in these last days of preparing for my next veggie voyage to cook, take notes, photograph food, etc. Or even to find time to write about my favorite thing in the world.

Last weekend we went to a wedding for a dear friend who is very active in the locally sourced, organic, sustainable food movement. His bride is a perfect match for him and the food at their wedding was appropriately delicious, local, organic and free from genetic modification. So was the booze, and the day after the wedding, I had one of my rare once-a-year hangovers. This did not fit into my busy schedule of getting ready. I had to cancel all plans for the day and spend it, instead, nursing a wicked headache and feeling sorry for myself. There is a reason I don't like getting drunk at all (this is not to be confused with the glass of wine with dinner, which I have regularly). Sometimes you just have to remind yourself why you don't like something by doing it, right? (Why does this always seem to happen to me at weddings?)

I was on the phone with my friend, lamenting my state of mind and she told me to go and eat a couple of tomatoes, that they are known to replace all the stuff you lose when you get schnockered. I took her advice to heart and promptly went down and prepared my favorite vegetable juice, the recipe of which I will give you shortly. I drank about 3 glasses of the stuff and put myself back to bed. Although the headache didn't go away until the next day, I did feel better. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C, beta-carotene, and the antioxidant lycopene. I can't say whether tomatoes are a cure all for the hung-over...but even if you don't have this particular problem I wholeheartedly endorse this yummy, nutritious drink. 

V-10 JUICE
(makes 2-3 pint glasses)

• wedge of purple cabbage
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 lemon (no need to peel)
• 1 jalapeno
• 3 celery stalks
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1/2 bunch kale
• sprinkling of salt or dash of tamari
• squirt of hemp seed oil (optional)

Process through a juicer, adding the tamari and hemp seed oil at the end. If you don't have a juicer, use a blender and a paint straining bag. Start with the juicy vegetables (tomato, cucumber, lemon). Puree and strain the liquid using the bag as you would make almond milk. Pour the liquid back into the blender and add the rest of the vegetables. Blend well, restrain and add the tamari and hemp seed oil if using.

that would be the purple cabbage...

Green Lemonade

While I am on the subject of 'getting your greens', here is a drink that feels and tastes like an elixir for youth and vitality. The recipe belongs to Natalia Rose, author of  "The Raw Food Detox Diet".  This book is a great introductory read into the whys and hows of the raw food diet.

I am having another love affair with greens. I can't get enough of them, in smoothie, salad or saute form and this green juice is a refreshing and power packed way of ingesting the goodness of greens. I was inspired to have a green lemonade today after months of not having one while visiting a little market in La Mesa called Growers Direct, a local, organic produce shop on University Avenue. My dear friend Shelly (of vegetarian foodie fame) told me about the place months ago, and I finally went today.

The place is adorable, and they sell locally grown produce, eggs and juice. Everyone was very friendly and the prices affordable, definitely cheaper than Whole Foods or the co-op. I think this is a fine local family owned business that San Diego folk should conscientiously support.

Cut to the green lemonade. Here is Natalia Rose's recipe.
         
          Green Lemonade

• 1 head romaine lettuce or celery
• 5 to 6 stalks kale
• 1-2 apples
• 1 whole organic lemon (you don't have to peel it)
• 1-2 inches ginger

Process in a juicer. Or, if you don't have a juicer and do have a blender, you can make it as you would almond milk. First, blend up the apples and lemon (you might have to add more lemon juice or a little bit of water) into a puree. Then add the greens. Blend away until well pulverized and then pour into a paint straining bag over a receptacle. Squeeze and squeeze until the juice is extracted and all that is left in the bag is the pulp. Worms love that stuff, by the way...

I made Natalia's recipe, except I used one whole lemon and the juice of another, as well as the juice of an orange and about 1/4 cup water to get things moving in the blender. I also added an extra apple. I used a blend of romaine, green leaf lettuce and two kinds of kale, all courtesy of Grower's direct. Delicious, and I feel so good after one of these! I recommend it.

Home Made Almond Milk & Amazing Chocolate Cake

Almond milk, how do I love thee? Heaps of ways!

Let it suffice to say that, once you know how easy it is to make, and how delicious it is to drink, you will never go back. I make almond milk every couple of days to enjoy in coffee, with cereal, or to use in some recipe or another instead of regular milk. I think its better than milk, and far better than boxed soy or almond milk.

Almond Milk's only drawback is that you have to figure out what to do with the almond pulp after straining. Lucky for you,  I have a bunch of recipe solutions for that, too.

All you need to make this delicious drink is a blender and nutmilk bag (or a paint straining bag from the hardware store). I get mine at Home Depot, about $2 for two 1-gallon size bags (be sure not to get the 5 gallon bag). It helps to soak the almonds for a few hours before you blend, but if you don't, no big deal.

all you need (besides a blender & almonds) to make almond milk

Fresh Almond Milk*

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 6-8 cups filtered water

If possible, soak the almonds over night (soaking softens the nuts and switches off the enzyme inhibitors, making the almonds more nutritionally available and easy to digest...and creamier). Blend with the water for at least 30 seconds, until completely pulverized. Place the straining bag in a pitcher or bowl and pour the blended almonds and water through. Squeeze and strain (imagine you are milking an almond cow) until as much moisture is out of the pulp as possible. You now have fresh, delicious almond milk. I like mine plain, pure, and simple. But feel free to add sweetener, vanilla, a pinch of salt, or whatever floats your boat.

*For a slightly more viscous result, try adding a few tablespoons of chia seeds to the blender with the almonds. It makes it a little more difficult to strain, but the result is thicker. Also, if you want something more like a cream, use less water, or more almonds.

You should also know...this fresh almond milk lasts no longer than 2-3 days, so drink up! Or don't make too much.

soaked almonds, fresh almond milk, and my favorite way to enjoy: in a foamy cup of coffee

The question is, what to do with all this pulp? I used to stick it in a ziploc bag, throw it in the freezer and forget about it. Then one day I realized that I had about 7 gallons of almond pulp. These days, I try to create some kind of baked good with the pulp in order to keep up with the volume. This works out well for us here who don't eat wheat products. I make bread, muffins, and cake most often. Ryan makes pancakes and chocolate chip cookies.

what to do with almond pulp???

David Lebovitz, the Paris based food writer, wrote in The Sweet Life in Paris, "Every Frenchwoman I know loves chocolate so much she has a chocolate cake in her repetoire that she's committed to memory, one she can make on a moment's notice".  Although not French, I have taken this predilection to heart. My recipe is based on this flourless chocolate cake recipe, updated by yours truly to incorporate the almond pulp & a couple of other things. (I realize that this post is listed as 'vegan'...that would refer to the almond milk, and not this cake. Sorry, vegans.)

Amazing Chocolate Cake

• 6 oz chocolate chips (good dark chocolate)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (I suppose you could use butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar (unrefined if possible)
• 1 tsp peppermint oil (optional but delicious)
• 1 cup almond pulp
• 3 egg yolks & one egg (this makes for a very soft cake, but 3 regular eggs will also work fine)

Preheat oven to 375°.
Oil & Line 8" round pan with parchment.
Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over a double boiler. Add all other ingredients, eggs last & mix well. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until done.

Voila! This cake is seriously amazing. It is not fluffy, but rather very dense and fudgy. No need for any embellishments. Sometimes I omit the peppermint oil and add cayenne, cinnamon, and dried cherries. Or I just make it plain. Sometimes I sprinkle more chocolate chips on top before baking it. Yum!

Enjoy! More almond pulp recipes to come...