This works as a yummy spread, a dip, a sauce, however you want to use it.  It is easy to make, and flexible to flavor.
The fermentation gives it a special tang, plus probiotic goodness.  You can make it without the water kefir grains, and it will still be yummy, just not fermented

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of nuts or seeds (soaked at least 8 hours)
  
• 4 Tablespoons of water kefir grains
  
• Filtered water (enough to blend everything smoothly)
  

Directions

• Blend in a high power blender (Like a Vitamix - see more here)
  
• Strain through a nut milk / Chinese soup bag
  
• Place the nut milk / Chinese soup bag in a strainer, and place the strainer in a bowl
• Put a weight on top and let is strain and ferment on the counter for 24 hours 
  


• At this point can flavor and use as a dip or spread
• Alternatively, put in a cheese mold and let dry for days in a low temperature dehydrator (less than 115  F).  You can then let it ‘age’ and get a harder ‘cheese’ to be used like a Parmesan. 

Flavor ideas
Cheesy - nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, pepper, herbs
Spicy - nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Herby - Fresh or dried herbs of your choice, salt
Fruity - Dried apricots

Hints
Try mixing your nuts or seeds!  
Macadamia and cashews
Sunflower and sesame

For this week, my Tuesday Tip over at Turf HK is all about healthy snacks at the office.

The office is a minefield.  Besides the stress of work and hours of sitting, there is often piles of junk food in the kitchen or on the counters.  That chocolate your co-worker brought back from their recent trip, the omiyage from Japan.  Oh, and the birthday cake that seems to appear at least once a week.

It’s hard to say no, especially when you are hungry.  One technique to help avoid the birthday cake offerings is to not be hungry!  The best way to stave off hunger at the office is to have healthy snacks at your finger tips.

Go over to Turf to learn some great ideas for healthy snacks at your desk!

http://www.turf.com.hk/tuesday-tips/

(Raw, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan Option)


Coconut yogurt is a healthy snack, with good fats and probiotics.  Add chia seeds and you get the added boost of fibre and omega-3!

This is one of my all time favorite breakfasts or snacks.

Ingredients

• Coconut Yogurt Kefir ** (see substitutions below***)
  
• 1-2 Tablespoons of chia seeds
  
• Slice up your favorite seasonal fruit for flavor – bananas, mangoes, berries, passion fruit, pomegranate, etc…
  
• Add some raw nuts for crunch
  
• Some cacao nibs or sweetened cacao nibs for a treat
• Sprinkle with some plain oatmeal or raw buckwheat granola

Directions

• Mix the chia seeds with the yogurt and let soak at least ten minutes before eating.  
  
• Add the rest of the ingredients, either mix or layer depending upon your preference.
  

You can either mix this up for a casual bowl, or layer it beautifully in champagne glasses for a lovely parfait.  It makes a perfect breakfast or morning snack at your desk.  It is easy to make up the night before and store in the fridge too!

** Note - Coconut yogurt is very filling, I often find just a 1/4 cup is enough for one sitting, so start small as you can always add more.

*** Substitutions – instead of coconut yogurt kefir, you could use milk kefir, whole fat plain greek yogurt or whole fat plain yogurt.  Do be sure to choose a yogurt with no added sugar.

(Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free) 

Currently, I am on a family holiday with all of my in-laws.  I am loving using all the super fresh ingredients and creating dishes the kids and adults will be willing to try, and possibly like.   These have no flour of any kind, the cheese and egg helped hold all of this together perfectly. They came out crispy and coconut oily and super yummy!

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini
  
• 2 small onions 
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 cup shredded hard cheese, I used emmental as that is what we had
  
• Pink Himalayan salt
  
• Pepper to taste
  
• Coconut oil
  
• Optional - you could use some spring onion, coriander or other herbs for color and taste

Directions

• Wash the zucchinis well and grate using a large 'holes'
  
• grate the onions very small
  
• Place a thin cotton kitchen towel or muslin cloth over a strainer sitting in a bowl ***
  
• Place grated zucchini and onion in a cheese cloth or 100% cotton kitchen towel and add about 1 tablespoon salt and mix, let it sit for 10 minutes  
  
• Meanwhile, beat 3 medium sized eggs in a bowl, add 1 cup shredded cheese, add pepper to taste, and mix well.

• After 10 minutes, squeeze all the moisture out of the grated zucchini and onion mixture - this will take a few minutes, try squeezing in the cloth, wrapping it and pressing it into the strainer, just get as much moisture out as you can. **

• Add the mostly dry grated zucchini and onion to the egg and cheese and mix well

• Heat a pan over medium heat and put in a dollop of coconut oil
• Take a spoonful of the zucchini mix, and squeeze in your hand - this will help get even more moisture out
• Make a patty in your hand, and gently place in the oil, in the frying pan
• I found small patties worked the best, but you can experiment
• Fry until the edges are brown and crisp, then flip with a spatula 
• Place on a plate with paper towel and serve right away

Tastes great plain or dipped in fresh tomato puree, or with apple sauce (like Hanukkah potato latkes!!)

Makes 15-20 small fritters, this amount will vary based on size of ingredients and of your fritters :)

** If you are on a low salt diet, you can rinse the zucchini and onion to get the salt off before you squeeze the moisture out.

*** Use an old cloth, or one you don't care about, as the zucchini can dye the cloth a bit green.

(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, Raw)

I love wraps.  Yes, I could just eat my salad with a fork, or just put my avocado and homemade probiotic rich kraut on a cracker... but there is something really satisfying about picking up a wrap with my fingers and biting into it.

When I made this recipe, I made it two ways - as a thin wrap and as 'bread'.  After taste testing with a few friends, the wrap was the winner.  You can see the bread in the photos below for comparison.

These are super easy to make, and come out really great.  

The recipe is flexible, so you can play with the ingredients and flavors - add carrots in place of some zucchini, use more onion, add a clove of garlic, have fun trying some different ideas!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup ground chia or flax seeds seeds 
  
• 4 Tablespoons ground milk thistle or flax seeds or other seeds if you don't have these
  
• 4 zucchinis (medium size)
  
• 1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion (would be awesome with Vidalia or Walla Walla Onions!)
  
• 1/4 Cup tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes, you can use whatever you have in season)
  
• 1/4 Cup nuts or seeds** (macadamia, cashew, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed or other)
  
• Herbs and spices to flavor - I used pink Himalayan salt, sesame seeds and ground up seaweed
  

Directions

• Grind the chia seeds and milk thistle and set to the side
  
• In a food processor either grate or pulse the zucchinis, onion and tomatoes 
  
• Once grated add the nuts or seeds and pulse some more
  
• Add the flavors you want - go light as the flavor will intensify as the wraps dehydrates
  
• Now mix everything together in a large bowl - use your hands if you want!
  

• Spread 1/4 inch or thinner on your dehydrator non-stick sheets
  
• Dry at 115 Degrees F / 46 Degrees C
  
• After 6-8 or so hours, see if it is dry enough to flip over onto the mesh sheets
  
• Let dry for another 4-6 hours until it is dry, but still flexible
  
• If you want harder crackers, let it dry for a longer period of time

Store in a sealed glass or plastic container in the fridge - will last 1-2 weeks.

** Soak your nuts and seeds for 4-12 hours before using them

Related Links
Essential Living Food Raw Chia Bread 

( Fermented, Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, Sugar Free) 

What kids don't love ice pops?  Especially on a hot summer day in Hong Kong, these are a go-to snack!

I have always made homemade ice pops for my kids, usually with fruit. Watermelon and chia seeds is the all time favorite, with coconut water and mango coming in a close second.

Now our ice pops have an extra probiotic boost from kefir!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cut watermelon and strawberries or other fruit
  
• 1 cup of water kefir or milk kefir
  
• a handful of blueberries
  

Directions

• Put the fruit and water kefir or milk kefir in your blender
  
• Blend for 1 minute or until all the fruit is blended
  
• Pour into your ice pop molds
  
• Add a few blueberries to 'float' in the ice pops - my kids love the 'blueberry surprise' when they eat them!
  

Flavor ideas

• Water kefir + watermelon + chia seeds
  
• Water kefir + watermelon + strawberries + chia seeds
• Water kefir + berries + chia seeds
  
• Milk kefir + mango
  
• Milk kefir + strawberry 
  
• Coconut water kefir + mango
• Lemon water kefir + pineapple
• Coconut yogurt + mango
• Kefir Colada Pops

How to make Kefir - http://www.lantaumama.com/blog/kefir-the-probiotic-elixir-class-notes

Below are the exact ice pop molds we use.  We even bring them on holiday with us so we can have ice pops everywhere we go!

Silicon Ice Pop Molds - these fit great in the freezer, and are good for ages 7 and up
Rocket Ice Pop Molds - these are easy to fill, and are larger so good for ages 5 and up
Star/Flower Ice Pop Molds - these are easy to fill, and are larger so good for ages 5 and up
Ring Pop Molds - perfect size for younger kids - or bigger kids whom are not so hungry

Click on the photo below to be brought to the appropriate Amazon page.  If you buy from that link, I get a tiny tiny commission (pennies), and it doesn't cost you anything extra :)

(Gluten Free, Vegan, Raw Refined Sugar Free)

Recently, I made some fabulous homemade almond milk, which I then fermented into fermented almond milk kefir.  Super yummmmy!  It left me with a whole load of raw, slightly damp, almond meal.  

I knew just what I wanted to make - raw balls!  Then as I was rolling them, I decided to do raw brownies instead.  See, this is how I cook, or not cook in this case... I go by feel and mood, and often forget to take photos or write notes.  So most of the recipes on this site I have made numerous times taking notes, so I can share them with you.

They have two different additions to most raw balls or raw brownies:
1 - black mission figs, the only reason I used any dates at all, was that I ran out of the figs, the figs really made a difference.  I made another batch with only dates (I was out of figs) and it was good, but not as good as the batches with figs.  So in short, use figs!
2 - peppermint extract, the flavor pulled the whole taste together perfectly

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups of slightly damp almond meal OR 1.5 cups of dry almond flour
• 1/2 cup of black mission figs (ideally soaked for a couple hours)
  
• 1/2 cup of dates (ideally soaked for a couple hours)
  
• 3/4 cup of coconut flakes 
  
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds 
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder (more or less to your taste)
• dash of Himalayan pink salt
  
• 1/2 Tablespoon of peppermint extract - shhhh, this is the secret ingredient 

Directions

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until it forms a ball
  
• Taste, see if you want to add anything at this point, then add
• Scrape down the sides, smash the ball, and blend some more
  
• The less blended the more texture - if you blended it a lot, but like more texture, add some extra coconut flakes or hemp seeds right at the end.  
• If it is too dry, add some of the liquid from the soaked figs/dates
• Prepare a glass baking tray by putting a layer of coconut flakes in the bottom
  
• Press in the brownie mixture
  
• Set in freezer for 3-12 hours, then cut into very small brownie bites
  

These can then be stored in the freezer for months or in the fridge for a couple weeks - but they won't last that long!  My kids love them, and they go great with a glass of homemade almond milk kefir.

(Gluten Free, Vegan)

I love love love NY Jewish Bagels - they are both emotionally satisfying and yummy.  When I am back in the USA, I usually have one huge one every morning - a thin shmear of cream cheese, piled with lox, tomatoes, vidalia onions, pepper... and sometimes the non traditional avocado instead of cream cheese. 

In my over 20 years living away from the USA, it is the single top food I miss.  Sure I have tried bagels in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Beijing... but it's really not the same.

Since going wheat free, it made my last trips to the USA kind of painful.  I did discover that I could eat the Sprouted Spelt Bagels from Alvarado Street Bakery, so I have these when I am back in the USA and they are really excellent, but NOT gluten free. Reminder, spelt is NOT gluten free. 

I was getting pretty desperate to try a gluten free bagel recipe, my expectations were suitably low, I was not expecting Brooklyn Bagels... but I wanted something with a chew that was different from bread or a roll.  

I think I found it with this combination - even hubby had seconds and the kids loved them too!  Served with cream cheese, wild salmon lox, yummmmmmy.  So good in fact, I forgot to slice the tomato and onion!

Many GF bagel recipes have coconut and almond flour as the main and only flours - I make so many other things with those ingredients, and I knew bagels they would not be.  At the same time, i knew just using Bob's GF All Purpose Baking Flour would not be right either... so I combined the ideas.  

So I found this easy recipe at Bob's Red Mill and modified it.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds
• 12 Tablespoons of warm water

• 2 1/2 cups Bob's GF All Purpose Baking Flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (not needed if you use Bob's 1:1 GF Flour)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar 

• 1 cup warm water
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

For the topping:

• 2 Tablespoons of chia Seed
• 1 Tablespoons of salt and black pepper or other toppings of your choice - sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, etc...

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180 C / 375 F
• Mix the chia seeds and water in a 2 cup glass measuring cup and let sit for 10 minutes 
• Put all the dry ingredients in your food processor or mixer and blend for a few minutes
• Add the extra cup of water and olive oil to the chia and water and mix you made above
• Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients in the food processor and mix well

• Prepare a bowl with room temperature water that is big enough to put your hands in
• Prepare two baking trays covered in parchment/baking paper or a silicon mat
• You do not need a bagel/donut pan, but can opt to use one, I preferred the bagels that were not made in them.
• Wet your hands to shape the dough into bagel shapes 
• I made bagel shape, stick shape and one small 'bagel bite'

• Once you have them all laid out, you can add toppings as you desire - chia seeds, salt, garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, whatever you fancy.
• Let them sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before putting them in the oven
• Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on your oven.
• Enjoy on their own or with your favorite bagel combinations!

Helpful Hints
Form them by hand, with very wet hands.
Bake on a metal tray with parchment paper, not silicon tray.
After you bake them, once they cool, slice them and freeze them right away.
Then, when you want a yummy gluten free bagel, you can just get one from the freezer.  
This helps keep the fresh flavor for much longer.
(you can do this for bread and store bought bagels too -but ALWAYS slice first!)

(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan)

I love plain almonds.  They have been my go to snack for years.  I always have a jar at my desk, or a small container in my bag when we are out.  Filling, nutritious and natural.

Flavored almonds never did it for me - too much salt or chemicals or just too much flavor that took away the almonds' wonderful natural taste.

Then one day, I tried tamari almonds, the subtle flavor won me over, and I created this super healthy recipe to make them at home with my dehydrator!

Ingredients

• 1 1lbs bag of unsalted almonds
  
• 1/4 cup of gluten free tamari (or coconut aminos)
  
• 1-2 teaspoons of pink Himalayan salt
  

Directions

• Soak almonds overnight (12 hours) in filtered water
  
• Drain almonds, and lay on your non stick sheets on two dehydrator trays
  
• Sprinkle tamari over the almonds, and mix well
• Spread the almonds on the non stick sheets on your dehydrator trays 
  
• sprinkle with a bit of pink Himalayan salt
  
• Dehydrate at 115 F  for 24-72 or more hours until dry (time will vary) 
  

Here are some tips to making these:

• Be sure to use the non stick sheets (or parchment paper) when you first put them in
• 12-24 hours later, if they are mostly dry take away the non stick sheets and dry them the last few hours on the mesh sheets.
  
• Do have patience and try to get them as dry as possible, then let them cool before storing them in a glass jar.  We often dry then for THREE WHOLE DAYS to get them 100% dry and crunchy!
  

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can do this in an oven on low heat.

Related links
WikiHow - How to Soak Nuts - http://www.wikihow.com/Soak-Nuts
Food Matters - Why to Soak Nuts - http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds
LantauMama - Dehydrator - Dried Fruits and More - http://www.lantaumama.com/2/post/2013/12/dehydrator-dried-fruits-and-more.html