Join Me for Merienda: End of the Year post: V,GF- Organic Kidney Bean and Beet Hummus

Well....

Yes, I need to catch up on these posts, again!

So, before 2015 is gone in my part of the world, here is a post that I promised someone that I'd write about, a few months ago. I first made this after my brother told me about a beet hummus that he had purchased at Trader Joe's and really enjoyed. I personally hadn't tried the beet hummus, but I like beets and I like hummus; so it would probably be a winner. 

After the first batch of this beet hummus that I made; I knew that it would be joining the ranks of the other hummus varieties that I make =)

I know that the deep magenta color may confuse some people (or even scare some of them), but encourage them to give it a try. Even the people who don't normally like beets may enjoy this one.

This is a super nutritious and delicious hummus and I hope that you will give it a try some day.

V, GF- Organic Kidney Bean and Beet Hummus

Ingredients:

1 Can of drained Organic Kidney Beans
About a 1/2C of steamed and peeled Beets

1 Clove of Garlic minced

1/4C Canola or any other neutral oil
1tsp of Tahini

Juice of half a Lemon

Himilayan Pink Sea salt to taste

A grind of fresh Black Pepper

On this batch, I topped it with some shelled hemp seeds and sesame seeds. Yummy!

Method:

Simply combine everything into your blending apparatus of choice (blender, nutribullet (just watch those 'max fill,' lines) food processor and blend until homogenized. It should take less than 2 minutes depending on your appliance.

You can serve it straight away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I would eat it within 3-5 days, but honestly it doesn't last that long in my household. Eat it with fresh cut veggies, on pita bread and crackers etc.

I wish you all a very happy new year and I hope that it will be filled with good health, wellness, love and happiness for you all. I certainly always hope for a more peaceful world and for everybody to be compassionate to one another as well as themselves.

Love,

Jessica  <3<3<3

Happy Halloween!!!!!=)

Here is a treat for all of you!

Homemade dark chocolate infused with
Peppermint, pure vanilla and filled with crunchies =)

Recipe coming soon!!!

Happy Halloween!!!
<3 Jessica

I love my dog =)

Seeley is a rescue dog, which means he was saved from a dire situation/ circumstance.
The person who rescued Seeley explained that he was left outside chained year round, sometimes with food and water, but for the most part he was just neglected. I will never understand how any person could mistreat and abuse another living being.

Seeley was under a year old when he came into my life. It had only been 3 months since I lost my previous boy Liam to bone cancer, which absolutely crushed my heart.
When they asked me if I might be able to take in Seeley; I wasn't 100 percent sure if I could, but you always have room in your heart and Seeley found his spot in mine.

I chose the name Seeley because it means a very happy person and I feel like that's what Seeley was, very happy.

On the first ride home in my car he was small enough to ride in front. He looked at me during the whole ride. At the house he met the rest of my family and then he hung out with me in the kitchen and was still getting used to his new home. I fell asleep in a chair that evening with Seeley sitting across the room, but when I woke up again he was sitting next to me. I felt like that signaled to me that he knew that this was his home and he wasn't going anywhere else.

He's an older puppy now and has those white hairs under his chin, but he's still playful and just as clever and mischievous.

Always a puppy to me

I love him for his unconditional love, the way he reminds me to slow down and enjoy the simple joys in life.

Thank you Seeley <3

=)

I love my dog =)

Seeley is a rescue dog, which means he was saved from a dire situation/ circumstance.

The person who rescued Seeley explained that he was left outside chained year round, sometimes with food and water, but for the most part he was just neglected. I will never understand how any person could mistreat and abuse another living being.

Seeley was under a year old when he came into my life. It had only been 3 months since I lost my previous boy Liam to bone cancer, which absolutely crushed my heart.
When they asked me if I might be able to take in Seeley; I wasn't 100 percent sure if I could, but you always have room in your heart and Seeley found his spot in mine.

I chose the name Seeley because it means a very happy person and I feel like that's what Seeley was, very happy.

On the first ride home in my car he was small enough to ride in front. He looked at me during the whole ride. At the house he met the rest of my family and then he hung out with me in the kitchen and was still getting used to his new home. I fell asleep in a chair that evening with Seeley sitting across the room, but when I woke up again he was sitting next to me. I felt like that signaled to me that he knew that this was his home and he wasn't going anywhere else.

He's an older puppy now and has those white hairs under his chin, but he's still playful and just as clever and mischievous.

I love him for his unconditional love, the way he reminds me to slow down and enjoy the simple joys in life.

=)

Join Me for Merienda: Malagkit na may Malunggay at Manga/ Sweet Rice Porridge infused with Malunggay (Moringa) and fresh Mango

Hello again!

I really need to stop feeling like I have to apologize for my irregular posting, but I don't think there's anything wrong with living life outside of the computer and electronic devices ;)

Anyway, here is one to tide you over for the time being. I created this dessert on a whim while preparing some other food for a family gathering that was directly after  my cousin Eileen's wedding! I made it in the wee hours of the morning when I got back from the wedding (I went ahead and made a batch of Jesscafé style Mujadara and made sure to soak the malagkit ( you should soak it overnight or at least 5 hours before using for best results). A few hours later before we had to head out, I mixed everything together and history was made ;p

I love malagkit (sweet rice), it's one of the simplest pleasures when it's freshly cooked, the texture, bite and aroma are just heavenly. It's one of those culinary chameleons that can transform into sweet or savory. In whatever shape or form, it is a gift.

I decided on this combination on a whim (like most recipes), but perhaps it was also inspired by the need to recharge from all the dancing that we did the previous night at my cousin Eileen's wedding. We burned that dancefloor down to ashes!

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate even more nutrition into my already awesome dishes and by adding in some malunggay the nutrition statistics go up exponentially. Malunggay or Moringa Oleifera is an awesome plant that grows prolifically in the Philippines as well as in many parts of Asia. One of the last times that I was visiting the Philippines, while on the way back from an open air market, my Auntie Wilma pointed out a Malunggay tree to my brother and went to get some from the branches, but ending up taking down the whole branch down by accident. She told my brother to just keep moving along, as if nothing had happened. Hehehehe.

Jesscafé Presents:

V,GF- Sweet Rice Porridge infused with 

                  Malunggay with Mango

                        A recipe dedicated to Eileen and her new husband Nick:

May your partnership together be as wonderful as the wedding and continue to strengthen and                                                prosper for many more happy years!

Here it is when I plated it at home. It is truly satisfying without being overly sweet.

Ingredients:

2 C Malagkit/Sweet Rice (Soaked for at least 5 hours and cooked*)

1/3-1/2 C Organic Coconut Sugar

1 1/2 Tb Malunggay Powder

Dash of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Optional- Splash of pure vanilla

For topping:

Slices of Ripe Mango

Toasted Organic Sesame Seeds

Optional -Toasted Organic Coconut

*Cook the soaked rice with 2 Tablespoons of Organic Coconut Oil and 3 cups of water using a rice cooker and select the 'Brown Rice,' setting. Check after 1 cycle and if still uncooked; select the 'Brown Rice,' setting once again. Mix the rice around and let it sit on the 'Warm,' function for another 10 minutes

Directions:

Mix in the organic coconut sugar, malunggay powder, himalayan pink sea salt, (optional vanilla if desired) into the cooked sweet rice. Mix thoroughly and taste and adjust sugar level; if desired. Remember that you are going to be pairing this with sweet, ripe and juicy mango slices; so you don't want it to be overly sweet, just sweet enough. 

Here it is as plated at the gathering. Not a very professional looking shot of it, but it did not affect its taste at all ;p

You can serve it immediately or serve it cold; it depends on your preference. 

I served it in bowls and then topped each one with a few slices of sweet, ripe mango and then sprinkled on some toasted organic sesame seeds. You may want to go ahead and top it with some toasted organic coconut as well, but I was pressed for time and sesame seeds never let me down =)

I knew that I would like this dessert because it has more than a few of my favorite ingredients in it, but to my delight, the other family and guests at the gathering enjoyed it as well. In particular, the new bride Eileen; so I told her that I would dedicate it to her and her new husband; so here we are now =)

You can change up this recipe slightly by modifying the ingredients; such as cacao powder with or without the malunggay (I personally would always keep the malunggay) and then top it with toasted black sesame or serve it with cooked split mungo beans. I want you to have fun with this recipe because it's super simple (granted the rice preparation time needs to be given its due diligence, but other than that it's a fast and easy recipe.

Well, I hope that you will give this recipe a try and share it with your friends and family. All of my food is made with and out of love =) 

Wishing you all good health and happy cooking!

Love,

Jessica

Join Me For Merienda: Jesscafé - V,GF- Toasted Quinoa Salad

Hello everybody!

I hope that for most of you that spring has already begun and shown its signs. Over here, where I reside, it's still cold and in fact snowing at the moment =0 

The following recipe was requested a few months ago and I had it in queue, but didn't get to have all of the components to post it until now, but here we go =)

This is a multiple step recipe, but it is still a really easy one to put together, especially if you prepare some of the components in advance. It's also pretty simple because I use an electric rice cooker to get a near perfect quinoa cooked before adding in more flavorful ingredients, which create a simple dish with depth and complexity of flavor.

Jesscafé -Vegan and Gluten Free Toasted Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

2 C Toasted Organic Quinoa*
3 1/2 C Filtered Water
1 TB Good Olive Oil 

1 Bay leaf

1 TB Shawarma spice or other favorite spice blend of your choice

1 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Sumac
1 Tsp  Toasted Cumin Seeds
Dash of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to your taste

2-3 generous pinches of:

Organic- Basil, Oregano, Dill etc. (Use the herbs that you like)

Organic Dried Apricots/Cherries/Currants/Cranberries etc. (Your choice)

Toasted Sunflower Seeds/Pepitas/Sliced Almonds/Walnuts/ orPine nuts if you're feeling fancy ;p

Sauteed Vegetables-

Carmelized Red Onion

Variety of Bell Peppers chopped
Organic carrots chopped

Garlic

Vinaigrette:

1/3 C Apple Cider Vinegar

1 C  or less
Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil or any good quality oil

2-3 Tsp Good quality mustard
The rest of the herbs

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of Organic Sugar or organic fruit preserve of your choice (I have used an orange marmalade before)

* You could make this recipe without toasting the quinoa first and it will taste good, but it will not have the same nutty flavor and texture to it.

Method:

In order to expedite this recipe, you might consider making the vinaigrette, cooking the vegetables and caramelizing the onions the day before you cook the quinoa.

Caramelizing the red onions should be pretty straight forward, I cut the oinions into half moons, separate the rings, saute them in a good amount of olive oil, tossed with a tiny pinch of Himilayan pink salt and set to medium low heat and cook it down for about 20-25 minutes.

Making the vinaigrette is also fairly simple, just put everything together in a glass jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Stick it in the fridge. Done.

This is a recipe for a toasted quinoa salad, so you need to toast the quinoa first as well as the cumin seeds.I am not going to go into detail about pan toasting right now, but if you really want one in the future, I'll consider writing a future post about it. Here's a photo of the toasted quinoa:

Let the toasted quinoa cool slightly before putting it into your insert pot for the rice cooker, along with the bay leaf, toasted cumin seeds, shawarma spice, turmeric,sumac, half  the total amount of the herbs, 3 1/2 cups of filtered water, Himalayan pink Salt, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil. Stir together and then close the lid, select the 'White Rice,' setting and let it run its cycle. Once cycle is over, open up and check to see that the quinoa is done, you should be able to crush the grain easily, but it should still have some body to it (this is what the toasting lends to the quinoa, aside from a nuttier taste as well). Fluff the quinoa and then let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes more.

At this point, you could either leave the quinoa in the cooking pot or move it into another big mixing bowl.
Personally, as long as I have room and the heat doesn't bother the next components of the recipe, I'd rather keep it where it is, rather than dirtying another bowl/dish. My original toasted quinoa salad incorporated the vinaigrette, but you really could skip the vinaigrette all together and just mix in the sauteed vegetables and rest of the herbs and season to taste; if that's what you would prefer to do.

Fluff the quinoa again and then add in the vinaigrett in small increments and mix it in gently, taste the quinoa before adding in more vinaigrette. You don't want the quinoa swimming in it! Once you get it to the taste you want, you can then add in the cooked bell peppers,caroots, carmelized red onions, toasted sunflower seeds, dried fruit of your choice and add more herbs; if you desire. Keep tasting it as you're adding in the different components. Adjust your seasoning as you see fit. The residual heat of the quinoa helps the vinaigrette to be absorbed, but remember that as the quinoa cools down, the flavors will intensify.

I didn't add in any further fresh herbs to this mix because it was for a party and I wasn't sure if they enjoyed cilantro or not. You could always put some on the side as a option though =)

If you want a bit more herbal taste for the salad, you could add in some chopped flat leaf parsley/mint/cilantro (if you're not afraid of it ;p), probably an hour to 2 hours prior to serving,

You will be using a rice cooker for this recipe, but if you don't have a rice cooker, you can by all means cook it using the standard stovetop, just follow the directions on the package except for the water measurements, I would still use less than recommended. The usual ratio is for every 1 cup of Quinoa, use 2 cups of water, but in my recipe I suggest that you only use 3 1/2 cups of  filtered water for the 2 cups of dry Quinoa.

I bought this rice cooker (that also has a steam basket) for  a little under dollars. It's been a very good investment because I use it all the time, for a multitude of different dishes. 

My rice cooker has buttons for different settings, but you can still do this in a simpler rice cooker that only has an on/off switch, just check on it after it decides that it's 'done,' with its first cycle, if it still looks uncooked then go ahead and push the on switch again, but check it halfway during the cycle.

The flavors will keep on deepening as it sits overnight in the fridge. I would only mix in the final garnishes prior to serving at your gathering. I would also recommend letting the salad warm up a bit (not all the way to room temperature) before serving; so that all the flavors can be fully tasted.

I am sure that I may have skipped something, but I am more than happy to fill in any blanks. Please feel free to ask questions in the comment section.

May you all be well and enjoy this dish with your friends and loved ones!

Love,
Jessica

Join Me for Merienda: V and GF Homemade Dark Chocolate

Hello everybody!

So, I've been busy freezing in my region, but trying to keep warm by keeping busy by testing out recipes etc.This is a quick post and is originally derived from a post that I shared for the 21 Day- Dairy Free Challenge, group on facebook that was sponsored by So Delicious. If you follow my blog; you know already that I am Vegan; so joining the group was for fun and also a way to show support to others who are trying to change their lifestyles. It's been fun so far and helping one another in whatever capacity that we are able to do so, has always been my way of life =) 

I love dark chocolate and I do believe that dark chocolate loves me back, too! =)

I will have to keep on refining the recipe, but for now, here is a a decent one that yields a yummy and dark chocolatey bar of goodness. You can play around with the ingredient add-in's as you go along.

This one was embedded with more toasted sunflower seeds and toasted coconut

You can see the original batch has a grittier texture due to the coconut sugar, as well as the add in's of coconut and sunflower seeds.

This is the 'plain,' batch made with the 'powdered,' organic coconut sugar

This 'plain,' batch with the 'powdered,' organic coconut sugar, yielded a smoother texture

It's really easy and quick to put together as long as you have all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

Roughly a little more than 1/4C of organic coconut oil, melted

4-5Tb Cacao Powder

A Handful of organic coconut sugar (you can grind this with a mixer into a powdered sugar consistency; if you want a smoother bar, otherwise mixing it in as is, will just give you a crunchier texture)

A pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt

A tiny splash of pure vanilla

*A pinch of powdered Moringa

Toasted unsweetened coconut

Toasted unsalted sunflower seeds

*This can easily be omitted, as it may be difficult to procure in the U.S.

Method:

Melt the coconut until liquid, add in the sweetener of your choosing and dissolve to combine as much as possible. Then add in cacao combining well until fully incorporated. Next add in the Himalayan pink sea salt, pure vanilla, optional powdered Moringa and lastly a handful of the toasted coconut and sunflower seeds.

Pour the mixture into the mold of your choosing and tap it to remove excess air bubbles. Top with additional sunflower and coconut; if desired.

Place into the fridge or freezer to harden uncovered for at least 15 minutes.

I usually wrap my bars in parchment paper and then keep them in a container with a cover in the fridge. I'm sure you could freeze them, but would they really need to last that long? ;p

I love being able to make these bars from scratch because it's really economical and a fun way to satiate your creative pleasure and craving, while still being healthy.

As I mentioned earlier, you can play around with flavors and add-in's.

I tried one batch adding in some organic orange oil and it reminded me of some fruit truffles that I had enjoyed in the past. I had another batch that had some organic lavender and ground vanilla bean sugar mixed with it and it tasted lovely =)

I did try to do a batch with carob powder and it didn't taste bad, but the texture is much different than cacao based bars (as anybody who has eaten carob confections vs. chocolate confections in the past, knows!) So, I will be working on that version for the future. 

This original recipe was thrown together in a span of less than 15 minutes; so I'm sure I'll be updating it again in the future. Until then, please feel free to follow this blog and leave me comments or questions in the section below!

Wishing you all much success!!!!

Love,

Jessica <3

*P.S. : The formatting for this post was weird, but as long as you can read it, I'll be glad.
I'll come back later and change it up ;)