Creamy Carrot Soup

Upon telling my husband that I was going to make carrot soup, he said, “Oh, I just love carrot soup!” I thought that was a rather odd thing to love so enthusiastically but anytime I can get that guy to eat vegetables, I’m not going to question it. After having made this though, I can see what he was getting at!

My mom and I got carrot soup at a restaurant the other day that tasted like baby food– yuck. It was gloppy and flavorless. I had to make a good carrot soup to remind myself that carrot soup is indeed delicious! You can spice it up in lots of different ways too. But it’s also nice as just a simple soup with some crusty bread on the side. We made it a meal with a big batch of bruschetta. Enjoy!

Creamy Carrot Soup

Makes 6 servings

1 tbs olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1.5 lbs fresh raw carrots, chopped into 1/2″ chunks

1″ piece fresh raw ginger, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried)

1″ piece fresh raw turmeric, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried)

7 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

a dash of paprika

a dash of curry powder

a dash of cayenne

1 tbs vegan butter (butter is optional, I put a lot more in husband’s and he loved it, but it’s still delicious without)

fresh minced chives for garnish

 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large sauce pan. Add the carrots and onion and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the ginger and turmeric and cook another minute. Then add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the stock and remaining spices and stir. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.

Going in batches if necessary, add the soup to a blender with the butter and blend until very smooth. You can add a little more broth if it’s too thick.

My blender keeps the soup hot as it blends but if you need to, add it back to the pan to reheat. Taste to adjust seasoning

Serve with chives sprinkled on top and maybe another dash of salt and pepper!

 

 

Deliciously Raw Summer Squash Hummus and a Mediterranean Avocado Wrap

Day 2 of my raw food cleanse and I slept like a baby. In fact, I slept in till noon (which felt fantastic, thank you!) so I skipped breakfast and went straight for lunch. First up I knew I had promised a fresh made hummus recipe yesterday, and then I thought a nice sandwich would be just the thing to go with it. How do you get a sandwich on a high raw diet? I found these amazing raw wraps at Whole Foods, made from flax, apple, and zucchini, they taste like sweet whole wheat tortillas. However if you can’t find something like this, big swiss chard leaves make the perfect wrap too.

The key to raw hummus is switching the chickpeas out for summer squash. This is great for those who don’t easily digest legumes and it also drastically reduces the calorie content. The best part is you really wouldn’t know it isn’t a chickpea-based hummus unless you were told. I love how it has a looser texture too due to the moisture in the squash, making it easier to use as a dip– no broken off chips!

The Mediterranean Avocado Wrap below looks…’too healthy to taste good’…I am aware. But, it really was a superb combo of flavors! The flatbread I used had a lot of sweetness to it, so if you are going with the chard leaves, I recommend adding a diced up date to balance the acidic and savory flavors.

Here is my detox meal plan for day 2:

Breakfast: skipped, but had some lemon water first thing

Lunch: A Mediterranean Avocado Wrap with extra sprouts

Snack: 2 cups red grapes

Dinner: A Sunny Curry Crunch Bliss Bowl without the quinoa, and add some pumpkin seeds

After dinner: 2 scoops of sun warrior protein with almond milk, (it’s like chocolate milk) 🙂

For a workout, I’ll just do some upper body weights because my legs are killing me from yesterday’s run. I like to do interval sprints when I run so it’s not just a long monotonous slog, and it leads to very sore muscles!

Ok, back to the food, here is the hummus recipe and sandwich/wrap recipe:

Deliciously Raw Summer Squash Hummus

makes about 1.5 cups

2 summer squash (either yellow crookneck squash or zucchini)

4 cloves of garlic

6 tbs tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

a big pinch each of coriander, cayenne, and cumin

salt to taste

a dash of Paprika, cold pressed olive oil, and 1 sprig of parsley for garnish

Peel the squash and chop into chunks, removing the stem. Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Taste and see if you want to add more spices, I like a lot of cayenne and coriander, but just that initial sprinkle of cumin is enough for me.

Sprinkle the top with paprika, drizzle with the oil, and add some fresh chopped parsley on top.

Now for the wrap!

Mediterranean Avocado Wrap

Serves 1

1 WrawP flatbread or several chard leaves, rinsed

4 tbs Deliciously Raw Summer Squash Hummus (as above)

1/2 avocado

1 handful of lettuce greens

3 slices of portobello mushroom, marinated for at least an hour or overnight in a small amount of balsamic and olive oil

5 green olives, pitted and slivered

5 cherry tomatoes, slivered

a small handful of sprouts, I used alfalfa

Sriracha for drizzling, if desired

Lay your flatbread or chard leaves out. If using chard, remove the tough ribs and lay the leaves slightly overlapping until you have roughly the area of a burrito tortilla.

Starting about an inch in from one side, spread the hummus over 3/4  of the surface.

Lay the rest of the ingredients out in little vertical rows, very close together. Then drizzle with sriracha.

Gently start rolling the bread/leaves in from one side to the other, tucking the ends in as you go like you would a burrito. The hummus acts like glue, so you might want to dap some on at the end to hold it together.

Gently cut it in half with a super sharp knife if desired.

 

 

Raw Lasagna

A couple times a year I get the urge to do some sort of bodily reset. Whether I’ve been slacking off on workouts or eating too much processed food, a good cleanse helps to get your habits and your palate back on track. Instead of doing something extreme like a 5 day juice cleanse, (which leaves you starving, cranky, and likely to stuff your face when it’s over) I like to do a week or two on a high raw diet. I eliminate everything packaged, cooked, processed, or loaded with sugar, grains, or fat. Instead, I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and yes, some cold pressed juice too. I do have 1 or 2 liquid meals a day, to give my digestive system a break and I try to drink a ton of water as well (about 75 ounces.) But unlike a juice cleanse, this allows me to ‘detox’, while still having energy to work and exercise. It’s a great boost to the immune system with all those raw vitamins and enzymes. It also helps you really appreciate whole, fresh food again, especially if you’ve been eating a lot of junk!

So for example, here is what I had today:

Breakfast: A tall glass of lemon water, a big green juice with some watermelon slices and grapes on the side.

Lunch: This fantastic ‘Rawsagna’.

Snack: Some cut up vegetables and raw hummus (recipe coming soon!)

Dinner: A big protein shake.

Dessert: A whole fruit popsicle for dessert.

This was all in all about 1200 calories, so I don’t feel deprived or starving, and I know my body is thanking me! I had plenty of energy for a 3 mile run and some chores.

Even if you don’t want to do a ‘high raw’ cleanse for a week, it’s a really good idea to make at least one meal a day from raw foods. This is quite easy to do with a smoothie for breakfast or a big salad for lunch, and I find it especially easy to do in the summertime when turning on the oven sounds like the worst idea ever.

All this week I will be posting raw recipes in case you want to join me in this detox andventure. It seems like it would get really old after a while, but you’d be surprised just how much you can do with wholesome raw food! This Rawsagna has been on my list to make for a couple years now, and it is even better tasting than I thought it would be. I got two thumbs up from the non-raw/non-vegans who tried it too!

It’s easy and surprisingly quick to put together!

Raw Lasagna

Makes 2 large servings.

1 big zucchini, peeled

1 portobello mushroom cap, thinly sliced

2 tbs cold pressed olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 big beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced

1 bunch basil

for the sauce:

2 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, soaked in water for about 1 hour

1 big beefsteak tomato, diced (or about 6 plum tomatoes)

1 sprig each of thyme, oregano, and parsley

1/2 medjool date

1 green onion, white parts removed, greens roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

for the cashew ricotta:

1.5 cups cashews, soaked in water for about 1 hour

1 tb nutritional yeast

4-5 cloves of garlic

2 medjool dates

1 pinch of nutmeg

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Start by cutting about an inch off of each end of the zucchini, (one end being the tough stem) this way you will get nice rectangular slices. Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise. Try to slice as thinly as possible, you want to get at least nine slices out of one big zucchini. Lay the slices on a paper towel to drain as you go, they release a lot of moisture.

Marinate the sliced mushroom with the oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Set the bowl out in a sunny spot so that the mushrooms can ‘super charge’. (They will absorb a large amount of vitamin D this way, just like us. Cool huh?)

Next put all the ingredients for the tomato sauce into a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Then do the same for the cashew ricotta mixture: blend until smooth and set aside.

Now comes time for the assembly: Start by laying three zucchini slices on a plate, overlapping just slightly. Take a couple spoonfuls of tomato sauce and spread it over the slices. Add a few slices of tomato and then some basil leaves. Then layer on some sliced mushroom and finish with some big dollops of cashew ricotta, smoothed out over the mushrooms. Add another layer of 3 zucchini slices, in the opposite direction as the first layer. Then repeat the same steps: tomato sauce, tomato slices, basil leaves, mushroom slices, cashew ricotta, and one last layer of zucchini slices. Top those with a little more tomato sauce and ricotta cheese and voila! Lunch is ready.

If you have any of the ricotta and tomato sauce left over, you can combine them to make a delicious pink cream sauce to use for something else. For example, you can spiralize another zucchini and have a delicious angel hair pasta with tomato cream sauce.

This Rawsagna is so filling, I couldn’t even finish a whole piece! I hope you’ll give it a try 🙂

Can’t fathom the idea of a raw lasagna? Try this traditional roasted vegetable lasagna recipe instead.

Lemony Grilled Artichokes

Summer is finally here! Pool parties, beach days, teeny bikinis, fireworks, barbecues! I live for summertime. Last weekend was Memorial Day and we had a lovely time feasting and playing a German card game called Schnautz with our friends on the back deck. A very lazy day. I wanted to make something out of the ordinary for our barbecue, so I went with these grilled artichokes. As my mom always told me, eating an artichoke first makes everything else taste better. I thought it was just a ploy to get me to eat my vegetables, but it turns out to be true! One of the chemical compounds in artichokes, Cynarine, leaves a sweet taste in your mouth.The perfect appetizer! Artichokes have some of the highest antioxidant content of any vegetable. They can help lower your cholesterol and aid digestion. If you have never cooked an artichoke before, don’t worry, it’s really easy!

 

Lemony Grilled Artichokes

makes 4 servings

2 big artichokes

3 lemons

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

a dash of red chili flakes

Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add the juice from 1 lemon.

Using a pair of scissors, cut the thorny tip off of each of the artichokes leaves, then cut the artichokes into quarters, lengthwise (see pictures.)

Drop the quartered artichokes into the boiling water and boil for 20 minutes.

Pull them out with tongs and set aside.

After they have cooled enough to touch them, gently scrape out the furry little centers with a spoon.

Heat a grill to high heat.

Combine the juice from 2 lemons, olive oil, and garlic. Using a brush, coat the artichokes in the lemon mixture, all over.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and chili flakes.

Using tongs, lay the artichokes on the hot grill and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until lightly charred. Continue basting with the lemon mixture while they grill.

Serve immediately.

These are great as they are, but I had a little of the lemon mixture left over, and you can mix in a couple tablespoons of vegan mayo to use as a dipping sauce for the leaves.

Happy Grilling!

Eggplants Around the World: Moroccan Zaalouk

Aubergine, brinjal, melongene, garden egg, guinea squash, baingan, melanzana… whatever name you call them, eggplants are awesome. Wikipedia tells me that eggplants, being the night shades that they are, are a relative of the tobacco plant, which might explain my addiction to them (although you’d need to eat thirty pounds in order to get the nicotine equivalent of one cigarette, I still think they are crave-worthy, and certainly better for you!) I was looking for a new eggplant recipe to try and came upon a few really cool dishes from other cultures, so this week I’m going to do three posts about eggplant recipes from different ethnic cuisines. It seems that just about every corner of the globe has their own signature dish to showcase the giant purple berry. First up is a tomato/eggplant dip from Morocco, which can be eaten hot or cold. It’s spicy and rich, perfect for scooping onto pita chips or flatbreads. You can also serve it hot over some rice, or rolled up in a lavash wrap with some shredded cabbage for a quick meal. One generous serving of this yummy spread is about 150 calories.

Moroccan Zaalouk

Makes 3 meal sized servings, 6 appetizer sized servings

1tbs olive oil

1 eggplant

3 large ripe tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp harissa

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin 

1/8 tsp cayenne

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro and parsley, mixed

Juice from 1 lemon wedge

3/4 cup water

Peel the eggplant and tomatoes and chop them up. 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium/high heat and add the eggplant, tomatoes, and spices, stirring occasionally.

After about 20 minutes, add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring. If the mixture starts to stick and dry out, add a splash of water, only 1/4 cup at a time as needed. 

After another 15 minutes, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon and cook for 5 more minutes. Smash the eggpplant and tomoto a bit with the back of a fork or potato masher to break them down. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Garnish with a little olive oil and fresh chopped parsley if desired. It would also make a complimentary side dish to Moroccan Spiced Stew.

French Lentil, Arugula, and Avocado Salad with Pecan Pesto

It’s Earth Day tomorrow! Well, really everyday is Earth Day am I right? Eh? But tomorrow’s the official one. My friends and I did a beach clean up this weekend, and tomorrow, I’m going to plant some herbs and vegetables in the yard. One of the easiest ways you can honor Earth Day is to try a plant-based diet, even if it’s just for the day.(Actually did you know that it’a also Earth Month? Just throwing that out there!)  Especially if you are in the drought-stricken state of California like me, it’s so important for us all to actively find solutions and make little sacrifices to better our environment. A salad is the perfect place to start.

To be honest, I stole this salad recipe from the Le Pain Quotidien menu, because I really loved the combination of ingredients, but I can make it at home for a whole lot less money. The thing I like about this salad is that it contains a couple things that I’m not generally fond of (radishes, fennel, yuck) but somehow when it’s all mixed together the flavors are fantastic! This salad has more than 12 different vegetables and herbs, so it’s a nutrient powerhouse. Plus the lentils contribute tons of protein, fiber, and iron.

I used a mandolin to slice the radishes, fennel, and cucumber into paper thin shavings, and I’d like to take a moment to remind you that cooking is dangerous! There’s fire, sharp objects, scalding oil– you have to be very careful. Or else, you end up like me and slice your finger open on the mandolin and have to prepare the rest of your meal with one hand. And type with one hand. And where a rubber glove to wash your hair. So yeah, don’t cut your fingers open like I do, it hurts a lot.

French Lentil, Arugula, and Avocado Salad

Makes 2 entree salads or 4 small salads

4 cups arugula

6 grape tomatoes, diced

4 tbs finely diced red bell pepper

3 green onions, sliced

1 sprig dill, finely chopped

1/3 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced

1 radish, thinly sliced

1/3 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated with a fine cheese grater

1 cup cooked French green lentils

1 avocado, sliced

Pecan Pesto Dressing:

1/3 cup raw pecans

1/2 cup first cold pressed olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

5 cloves garlic

a generous sprinkling of salt

1 bunch basil leaves

Combine all salad ingredients in a big bowl. Put all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. I sometimes replace half the oil with water, just to make it a little lighter, but the oil tastes richer, naturally. Poor the dressing on and toss. This would also be great with some toasted sunflower seeds on top. Happy Earth Day!

 

Herbs and Olives Tapenade

My friend Kelly had heard good things about this bakery called Gjusta, so she and I went for a sunny bike ride around Venice beach yesterday with the plan to stop there on our ride home. This bakery was really cool. So cool in fact, that they didn’t even have a sign or an address number on their plain white building, but it was bustling with patrons nonetheless. In fact, I don’t think they even have a website, bold move Gjusta. After spotting a chef in the back wearing a Gjelina hat, it all made sense. Gjusta and it’s ever-hip Abbot Kinney sister restaurant Gjelina have the same owners.  The interior was a long narrow space, the walls were lined with loafs of crusty bread and the cases were full of rustic looking pastries and cakes. It was heavenly. I got some juice and carrot cake, and Kelly got two baguettes and some olive tapenade.

This tapenade was KILLER. It was so good, I had to go straight home and try to recreate it. Which is exactly what I did.

I couldn’t tell if my tapenade was really as amazing as I thought it was, until my harshest critic (a.k.a. my husband) turned down his steak and mashed potato dinner, and ate the entire bowl of tapenade with some spicy crackers instead. Veggie power!

By the way, my friend Kelly has a pretty awesome blog herself, check it out to read about her world traveling adventures!

Herbs and Olives Tapenade

Makes about 1 3/4 cups

1.5 cups mixed black and green pitted Greek olives (not from a can!)

2 fat garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs fresh chopped parsley

2 tsp fresh chopped thyme

1/4 cup first cold pressed olive oil

a few grinds of black pepper

1 tbs capers

Mince the olives, the finer the better, but not into liquified mush. Add the other ingredients and toss to combine. Serve with some sliced baguette or crackers. Tapenade also makes a lovely condiment for sandwiches.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Homemade Ranch Dressing

This wouldn’t be a complete plant-based food blog without the ever-popular-on-pinterest Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. Not only are these super easy to make, but they taste way more authentic than you are probably expecting. I’ve actually had these at a restaurant recently that served them with legit vegan bleu cheese! I don’t know how they did that, I don’t think I’m quite up to playing around with mold, so I went with vegan ranch dressing instead- which is a great staple to have on hand anyway! It’s really nice that these are baked instead of fried, so you are not loading up on unnecessary oil. You could, however, fry them if you want to instead of baking, your call! Serve these up with some celery and carrot sticks the next time you’re in the mood for some not-so-naughty bar food. They really hit the spot. 🙂

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Makes 2 servings

1 cup flour*

1 cup beer

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small bite sized pieces

3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1 tbs Earth Balance (optional)

*You can easily use gluten-free flour and water instead of beer to make this a gluten-free treat, the taste is barely changed at all

Ranch Dressing

1 cup soaked cashews (at least 3 hours)

1/3 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh chopped dill

1 tsp fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make sure to measure the beer after the foam has subsided. Combine flour, beer, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, stir to combine. It should be the consistency of pancake batter, you might have to add a bit more beer depending. Lightly grease a baking pan, or you can use parchment paper. 

One by one, dip the cauliflower bites into the batter to coat, and then use a fork or slotted spoon to lay them on the sheet. 

Try to work quickly so the batter doesn’t have too much time to pool under the florets.

Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter if you are going to use it and mix it with the Frank’s sauce.

Also Meanwhile, combine all the ranch ingredients in a food processor and blend until super smooth, a few minutes. Taste and adjust spices as needed.

Pull the ‘wings’ out and drizzle the sauce all over them. Give them a gentle toss on the pan to really get them fully coated.

Pop them back in for about 5 more minutes so that the sauce gets heated up as well.

Serve the ‘wings’ immediately it ranch on the side. 

*Update: I think it would be nice to wash the cauliflower florets, then sprinkle some salt, pepper, and garlic powder directly onto the florets before battering them, just as you might season your chicken wings. Enjoy!

Ratatouille Spiral

As visually striking as this is, the flavors are humble, mellow, and comforting. I made this for my mom’s birthday, and was so excited to see even the veggiephobes going back for seconds. The best part is, this ratatouille spiral is easier than it looks! Well, if you have a mandolin that is, otherwise it’s still easy but will take a bit longer. We served this with lemony saffron rice, crusty french bread, sausages, and a salad of arugula, strawberries, pine nuts, and balsamic reduction. I also served the ratatouille with some homemade cashew cream sauce for drizzling over the top. Overall a nice meal and not overly rich! You could even make this in a pie crust for an extra special ratatouille pie. When choosing your vegetables, try to find ones that are pretty similar in diameter, which is why the recipe calls for a Chinese eggplant, because it is similar in size to the zucchini and yellow squash. You can use any kind of eggplant you like, but you will want to cut your slices in half or thirds to be uniform with the zucchini and yellow squash. This photo was before it went in the oven, because afterwards, it got gobbled up too fast for pictures. (And it looked about the same.)

Ratatouille Spiral

makes about 6 servings

3 tbs olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 can pureed tomatoes

2 tbs tomato paste

1 tsp Italian seasonings

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

A few fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 Chinese eggplants

2 zucchinis

2 yellow squashes

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tsp fresh thyme

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if it starts to stick. Pour sauce into the bottom of a 9” pie pan.

Next cut the woody end pieces off of all your veggies. Set the mandolin to slightly less that 1/4 inch (super duper thin!) and get to slicing- long ways.

If you don’t have a mandolin, that’s ok, just cut very thin slices with a sharp knife. This is a little more time consuming, but not really a big deal.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Now, you will start on the outermost perimeter, and layer your way in toward the center. Pick up a slice, and lay it against the inner wall of the pan, thin peel edge against the bottom. Do this all around, spiraling inward, alternating veggies as you go. They can overlap by an inch or so. The tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan helps to hold them in place.

Keep going until you get to the center, the tight and more upright the slices are, the better. For the very last one you’ll have to roll up the slice like a little cigar and stick it in the center.

Now use a pastry brush to brush the 2 tbs of olive oil all over the top, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Pop it in the oven for about 35 minutes, but keep an eye on it, it’s done when the edges start to brown, the veggies are visibly softened, and the sauce starts to bubble up between the layers.

Jade Sauce

Making sauces is awesome! A good sauce is key in plant based dishes, because it’s all about complementing the natural deliciousness of whole foods with something exciting. Since I love Thai food so much, I decided to make a ‘Flavors of Thailand’ sauce. I’ve made yellow curry sauce and peanut sauce before, but I wanted something that represented the cuisine primarily with herbs. Argentina has their Chimichurri, Italy has their Pesto, so Thailand needs this Jade Sauce. You can use it as a salad dressing, marinade, dipping sauce, or soup base (just add some coconut cream and veggies for a quick green curry.) Maybe even make some Thai inspired pizza! This is made from all vibrantly raw ingredients, and the result is an intensely bright and immune boosting condiment. It’s quite spicy, so you can go down to one chili if desired. Also, I was trying to create a low calorie sauce as an everyday salad dressing, but feel free to add some mild flavored oil or coconut cream to take it to the next level. I tried coconut oil in an earlier test, but I found that the other cool ingredients caused the oil to stiffen up and not blend well. Maybe in the summer it would be easier. Today I used it as a salad dressing on some baby greens, sliced avocado, sliced tangerines, edamame, red onion, and tomato. So much green yumminess!

Jade Sauce

Makes about 6 ounces

Juice of 1 lime

1 bunch basil

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch mint

3 cloves garlic

1 green onion

1/4 cup raw coconut water

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1 tsp coconut sugar

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp curry

1/2 tsp miso paste

2 green thai chilies (or 1/2 jalapeño)

Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and uniform. If you want it a little looser, just add a few more tablespoons of coconut water, one at a time, until desired consistency. To make it thicker, increase the amount of cashews by 1/4 cup. Keeps in the fridge about 5 days.