Vegan Recipe: Tame Tepache

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Tepache Recipe

 

For those of you who don't know what traditional tepache is, let me break it down for you. Tepache is essentially a type of Mexican "agua fresca" ...which is basically a juice beverage. I compare the taste of tepache to a pineapple version of apple cider. It is a very sweet, very spicy (as in spices, not spicy like hot peppers), very fruity drink. A traditional tepache recipe usually calls for fermentation of the beverage, causing it to become slightly alcoholic. It is then usually served iced and sometimes mixed with beer. My version is a bit different. Instead of fermenting it and serving it with ice, I prefer mine made more like a cider. It's served hot, in a mug, and non-fermented.

 

The recipe itself is very simple, assuming you have the ingredients available to you.

 

My recipe calls for:

 

.1 ripe, whole pineapple

.2 cones of piloncillo

.whole cinnamon sticks

.whole star anise

.whole allspice

.whole cloves

.water

.1 or 2 limes

 

Fill a big pot with water, about 3/4 of the way full. Add in all the spices and piloncillo. Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice into the pot, then add the limes in as well. Wash the outside of the pineapple very well. Cut the leafy part off, discarding it. Now cut the rind of the pineapple from the flesh. Put the flesh aside for eating later... you won't be using it in the recipe! Add all of the pineapple rinds into the pot. Give the pot a good stir if you'd like. Set the stove to high, and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the brew to boil. Once the brew is boiling, turn the stove down to low/medium. Allow the brew to cook like this for at least two hours. The longer the brew cooks, the stronger the flavors. Make sure you taste test the brew as you go. Once the flavor is to your liking, pull it off the heat, strain it, and serve it hot like apple cider!

 

 

 

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS/ALTERATIONS:

 

.If you don't have piloncillo or can't find it, regular dark brown sugar will work just as well. Piloncillo is basically just a Mexican version of dark brown sugar. You can find piloncillo at Vallarta or any other Mexican grocery store.

 

.There are a few extra things I like to add to my tepache to change the taste slightly. You can also add cut up apples, apple sauce, and apple juice to sweeten the brew. I find that the extra sweetness goes great with the pineapples and spices.

 

.Whole spices really are a must in this recipe because you have to be able to strain them easily. I would not recommend using ground spices. I found mine at Vallarta, and they'd be easily found at any other Mexican grocery store. You can sometimes find whole spices in regular grocery stores too if you look hard enough/ask someone. Not every regular grocery store will carry whole spices.

 

 

 

 Thanks for reading!!!

 

BKL

 

Vegan Recipe: Creamy Basil Sauce

 

This is a lovely little recipe that I pulled out of my ass.

 

It's completely vegan and very healthy.

 

Creamy Basil Sauce:

 

1 organic avocado

5-10 fresh organic basil leaves

garlic salt

1/2 cup hemp milk

2 tbsp olive oil

pepper

blender/magic bullet/blendy thingy

 

I love this recipe because it is so incredibly easy to make! Start by cutting the avocado in half and scooping out the insides into the blender. (discarding the seed of course) Add the fresh basil, olive oil, and hemp milk. Blend until smooth. Add pepper and garlic salt to taste. I prefer a lot of garlicy goodness in mine.

 

This sauce makes a great pasta topper. I didn't bother warming my sauce before putting it on the pasta because the pasta warmed it for me, but of course you could heat your sauce in a pan over the stove top.

 

Recipe Substitutions:

 

.I used pasta made completely from whole wheat with no other added ingredients, but any vegan pasta would go great with this sauce! Quinoa pasta adds extra protein.

 

.Instead of using garlic salt, try sauteing fresh minced garlic with chopped onions in little bit of olive oil. Once golden brown, add to blender to be blended in with the rest of the ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to using garlic salt.

 

.Instead of hemp milk, any non dairy milk can be substituted. I used hemp milk because it's what I had on hand. Unsweetened soy, almond, rice milk etc would do just fine.

 

Halloween DIY (a little late)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! I know, I know... Halloween crafts on November 2nd?! Well, in my family Halloween lasts certainly through October 1st - November 5th, sometimes much longer. 

Either way, Halloween is fun! So why not enjoy it more than one day? 

Pumpkin carving/decorating is a Halloween craft classic.

In this case I chose to carve one pumpkin, and decorate two others!

The blue/purple pumpkin was extremely simple to do. It would be easy for little ones as well. You can find crafts like this one at many pumpkin patches.

You'll need Elmer's glue, water, paint brush, bowl, mini (or large) pumpkin, and many colors of tissue paper.

Mix the glue with a bit of water. You don't want it too runny.

Paint the glue onto your pumpkin and place the tissue in any fashion you desire!

The last pumpkin I did is mostly paint. 

You'll need: pumpkin, tape, red paint, black and red Sharpies, green temporary 

hair color or green spray paint

Basically you're going to use the tape to create the face you want on your pumpkin. Then you can spray your pumpkin with the paint. Make sure you let it dry completely. When  you remove the tape you'll have the perfect base for your pumpkin face. Use the other materials to add more detail!

 

 But what to do with all these pumpkin guts we just carved out?! Definitely do not throw them away!

Separate the seeds from the guts and put the seeds aside for later. 

Use the pumpkin flesh to make a fresh face mask!

You'll need the pumpkin, milk, sugar, green tea, and a blender/magic bullet type deal.

Put 2 cups worth of pumpkin guts into the blender, along with a 1/4 cup of milk and a 1/4 cup of green tea.

The pumpkin is a natural source of antioxidants and enzymes. Milk contains lactic acid, and green tea is also a source of antioxidants. 

This is why combining these ingredients into a mask is great for your face. Once you've blended it into a paste like consistency, add a cup of sugar. The sugar will act as a natural exfoliant.

I made mine on the thinner side, so it was more of a wash. The sugar exfoliated my skin perfectly.

 

 

 Now, onto the seeds! Start by prepping them in a bowl with warm water. Swish them around with your hand to loosen any pumpkin that may be left over on the seeds.

Strain the seeds and allow to dry on a paper towel for a few minutes.

Place the seeds on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Now add garlic salt, dried basil, and even fresh basil if you have some. Mix the seeds lightly together in the pan with your hand. Make sure they lay in a fine layer on the pan. You don't want them overlapping.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the seeds in. They should cook for 15 or more minutes. Stir them around on the pan every 5 minutes, checking to make sure they don't burn.

They're done when they're lightly brown in color.

 

 

Happy Halloween, (AGAIN)

Please let me know if you try any of these fun diy projects or have any questions!

Lots of love,

BKL