Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits

After making another batch of creamy almond milk, I had about a cup of left-over almond pulp. I usually dry this out (in the sun; an oven set at its lowest temperature; or the dehydrator) to make my own almond flour, but I decided to use the almond pulp in something straight away. (The almond pulp will last in a container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The pulp and also the milk made with the nuts, will last even 4 or 5 days if one slips the peels off the nuts. This should be easy to do once the nuts were soaked overnight. If the peels still do not slip off, strain the nuts, and pour boiling water over, wait 1 minute and drain. The nuts haven't spoiled and are still considered raw.) By intuitively mixing and adding a few of my favourite ingredients together, I came up with these crunchy, almond biscuits. Anyone who hasn't tasted raw biscuits yet, will not believe these weren't baked in the oven!

The biscuits below are raw, sugar-free and gluten-free. If you prefer the biscuits sweeter, you can always add some more syrup. Since the dough will be wetter in such a case, you just need to dehydrate the biscuits for a little longer. Any biscuits that also loose their crunchiness can be made nice and brittle again by popping them back into the dehydrator or low oven.

Ingredients

10 Tbsp wet almond pulp *
8 Tbsp yellow flaxseeds
12 ml sun-dried or dehydrated orange zest
4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, untoasted
1 small red apple, unpeeled
3 Tbsp liquid sweetener: maple or apple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond essence

Method
Place the almond pulp in a mixing bowl.Grind the flaxseeds and orange zest to a powder. Add to the mixing bowl.Crush the buckwheat seeds until coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle. Add to the mixing bowl.Place the rest of the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir well.Transfer the dough to a dehydrator tray lined with a Paraflexx sheet. Using an off-set spatula that you dip in water now and then, spread the mixture to cover the sheet in a thin layer. Make wavy patterns on the dough with a large pronged fork.Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry for 2 hours at 115 F (46 C). Set the temperature down to 105 F (41 C) and dehydrate for 8 hours until the biscuits are dry.Store in a tightly sealed cookie jar (preferable a see-through one that everyone in the household can see your effort!)

Extra ideas: use additionally to the above recipe a tablespoon of ground pistachios (which still ties in with the Greek theme); or use orange zest, and for a spice try ground ginger, ground star aniseed or even a pinch of curry for an altogether different flavour. You can also use the pulp of other nuts - cashew or even brazil nut will be equally delicious.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

What Is Greek Yogurt - How to Make Greek Yogurt At Home

We know that there are several types of yogurts which come in different tastes and flavors. But what is Greek Yogurt and how does it differ from regular yogurt? Well, Greek Yogurt is made by straining plain yogurt in a muslin cloth or paper filter to remove the whey from the yogurt. This type of yogurt therefore has a thicker consistency between that of regular yogurt and cheese, although it retains the distinct sour taste of plain yogurt.

The milk from which the yogurt is prepared is normally boiled thoroughly to extract some of the water. The milk is also made thicker by adding thickening agents if required. This yogurt normally has a higher content of live and active culture present in it than regular yogurt.

How to Make Greek Yogurt At Home

You can prepare Greek Yogurt at home with the normal ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

1. Take two cups of low-fat, plain yogurt.

2. Strain the yogurt using cheese cloth or paper towels for about two to three hours.

3. After straining, add vanilla and sweetener to the mix. Use maple syrup or honey as sweetener.

4. Store in a refrigerator. It stays fresh for several days.

5. Serve the yogurt as topping for fresh fruit. Add cocoa or cinnamon for flavor.

Starting with two cups of yogurt, you can have about 8 servings. This is a much healthier alternative as a tasty topping when compared to whipped cream. If you want a swirly topping, add chocolate or strawberry sauce and mix it a little.

If you wish to have a good energy breakfast, granola and Greek Yogurt are a great combination. If you want a tasty dipping sauce for citrus fruits, strawberries or your chocolate cookies, you can again use homemade yogurt. Another great morning or evening meal is yogurt mixed with three pairs of walnut halves and one tablespoon of natural honey.

For people on a weight loss regimen, Greek Yogurt is a great choice. It comes packed with proteins and keeps you feeling full, helping you cut down on the quantity of food intake. It also has a lower fat content, which again helps greatly in cutting down weight.

Making Greek Yogurt a regular part of your diet can make you stay healthy and lose excess weight. It also provides you with a long list of tasty dishes to add to your repertoire.

Original article