Happy New Year!

2016 was an interesting year to say the least. The end of it brought a lot of heartbreak to many with all sorts of losses.

Life is a struggle and we all have to deal with the highs and lows that come with it.

It's easy to complain about things, but often we just need a change of perspective in order to appreciate the daily things that we take for granted. I will always wish for more kindness and compassion for our world. Let us banish the ignorance and enlighten more people.

Come celebrate with me by having some pansit/ noodles. Noodles signify long life; so they are always made during special occasions.

I am still cooking while I am writing this entry, but you can see the noodles and black eye pea patties that I made so far.

A special bibingka ( Filipino rice cake) and my fresh rolls made with rice paper are still in process.

I wish that I could share it all with you in person =)✨

 

Wishing you all good health, love and happiness for the new year. May our world be kinder and may we see more compassion and love for generations to come⭐

Love,

Jessica <3

Join Me for Merienda: Vegan and Gluten Free Raw Sunflower Seed CreamCheese/Ricotta/Dip/Spread/Sauce

Hello again,

I started playing around with sunflower seeds a while back, but only recently tried making more things from them because the cost of  most nuts is pretty high (and probably always will be because of how long they take to grow and how they have to be harvested etc. Vegan Cheese and cream sauces made from cashews are heavenly, but you know that it can be pricey to buy those 16oz bags, even from the discounted places. Sunflower seeds however are always usually in a good price range and readily available. I normally pay 1.99 or less for 1lb of raw sunflower seeds at my local markets. Contrast that to cashews at a cost of 7-9 dollars per pound and it quickly eats up your grocery budget. I'm not saying not to buy cashews because, c'mon cashews, as long as you're not allergic to them; they are awesome. I mean cashew nut butter, so good!!!!

Honestly, I feel fancy when I can indulge in some of that ;p

Anyway, sunflower seeds are cost effective and with a bit of finesse you can create something pretty darn delectable with them.  This is also great for any of those who are allergic to nuts or simply prefer to avoid them due to various health issues.

Garlic and Dill version atop a slice of multiseed toast

Jesscafé Vegan and Gluten Free  Raw Sunflower Seed Cream Cheese/Ricotta/Dip/Spread/Sauce 

(All of these slashes are making Guns N' Roses nervous ;p

Ingredients:

1 1/3C Soaked Raw Sunflower Seeds

1/3C or less of a neutral oil like Canola etc.

1-2tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

1Tb Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

2-3TB Cold Filtered Water

So let's get into the method:

You absolutely need to soak the sunflower seeds and the longer they soak the smoother your end product will be. My preference is at least 3 days, I usually have a glass jar in the fridge with some soaking in them; so I'm ready to make some;if need be.

After 3 days the water looks like this

Soaked and rinsed

After soaking you'll notice that the water turns kind of dark and that's normal. You need to rinse them well and remove any excess water before using them in this recipe.

I use a nutribullet to process these, with the small cup and the whipping/grinding blade attachment.

You may need to adjust depending on your equipment, but most food processors should work well.

Make sure that you do not go over the 'Max Fill Line,' of the cup or you'll have a messy problem on your hands. 

You simply put all of the ingredients into the cup, screw on the lid and shake everything around for a few seconds and then let it come together for about 30 seconds. If it seems like the blades won't mix it well enough, you'll need to add a tad bit more of the cold filtered water, shake it around with the lid on and then let it go to blend into a smoother consistency. It should take less than 3 minutes total to get everything blended well.

Right after blending

It's pretty much done, once you've blended it, but you of course can build upon this base and add in other yummy components for sweet verisons like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, chocolate or for savory verisons like garlic, nutritional yeast, scallions, red onions, sesame, dill, rosemary, oregano, mint,  roasted red peppers and so forth.

Super duper garlic, dill, smoked paprika, turmeric, black pepper with a dusting of chipotle on top

I recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight before using; so that the flavors get a chance to bloom. The following day you'll also see that the texture of it will improve and have more body to it. 

As mentioned in my long title, you can use this for a myriad of things, I even have thinned it out to make a creamy sauce for pasta ( add in some extra garlic, black pepper and a dash of nutmeg for something reminiscent of alfredo sauce flavors). It's not going to be as smooth as a cashew cream would be, but the flavor of the sunflower is subtle, still present, but it's really tasty all the same.

I hope that you'll try this out and make some awesome recipes with it.

I know that I'll probably be bringing some to the next dinner party =)

Wanna come? ;p

I'm sure that you might even be able to make some air cured and aged vegan cheese with this mixture, with the right conditions. I unfortunatley cannot test it out at this time because I don't have a great space to set it out, where it wouldn't be disturbed, but I will be sure to post and update about it; if I ever get a chance to make some.

Wishing you all good health
and happy cooking as always <3

Love,
Jessica

Join Me for Merienda: Oat Milk!!!!

A short post tonight,

I recently made oat milk for the first time.

I don't know why it took me this long to make some since it's so economical and easy to make. 

You just need 3 basic ingredients:

*Old Fashioned Oats (not instant oats)

Filtered water

Sea salt

*Use certified Gluten Free Oats to make sure

That it is celiac friendly!

I looked up a recipe on youtube and one suggested 2 Cups of Water for every 1Cup of Oats plus a pinch of sea salt ( I like to use himalyan pink sea salt).

Place everything in a blender and let it go until most of the oats are broken down and then pour everything through a fine mesh sieve ( any of the leftover particles can be eaten as is or used in recipes( and then bottle ( I reused some old kombucha bottles that I sanitized) and store in the fridge.

I played around with the water ratio before and after the fact. It seems like you can adjust the consistency to your liking. You could also add in vanilla or a natural sweetner of your choice to suit your taste.

I also added cacao to one batch and it's great =)

If you like oatmeal; then you'll probably like oat milk.

That's it!!!!

Give it a try =)

Wishing you peace and happy cooking🌟

<3 Love,

Jessica

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: V,GF- Jesscafé Nog French Toast (to a new year!) =)

       It's almost a new year and what other way to ring it in (aside from the bells, okay), but with a toast. 

How about some Jesscafé Nog French Toast? If not for tomorrow morning, how about for a new year's brunch? It's very easy; especially if you've already made a batch of Jesscafé Nog; then it's even easier to make. There are just a few additions and voila; you'll have something awesome to share with your loved ones.

Vegan and Gluten Free- Jesscafé Nog French Toast

Ingredients:

1C of Jesscafé Nog *

3 Tb of Organic Ground Flax Seed

Extra Saigon Cinnamon

A tad bit more organic cane or coconut sugar, adjust it to your taste

A few slices of toasted bread GF or Non-GF of your choice

*If starting from scratch:

 simply blend 1 cup of coconut milk beverage 

with a dash himalayan pink sea salt,cinnamon, nutmeg and 1tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and dip each piece of toast into the mixture and flip over once, being sure not to let it become overly saturated.  In a pan with perhaps a bit of coconut oil or any oil of your choice bring the pan to a medium hot temperature and cook each slice for 1-3 minutes on the first side and then flip and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. You can add a bit more sugar for serving, but that's entirely up to your taste. I didn't picture it here, but serving it alongside some fresh fruit is always nice or maybe with a nice organic marmalade or ginger syrup would be delightful too. 

Batter or Custard up?

Slices are cooking in the pan 

Happy slices on a plate.

I've also experimented with making this into a baked french toast, but I wasn't satisfied with the current version; so I'll keep working on that, but here's a photo of one of the versions with organic banana slices tucked in between the slices and on top. 

Getting dressed

Taking a bath

Sun tanned and golden?

Okay, well that's it for this year. I'll keep working on some good things for the new year. Wishing you all happiness, love, prosperity, wellness and good health for the new year and for many years to come as well!

Love,

Jessica

Join Me for Merienda: V,GF- Jesscafé Nog aka a 'Hug in a mug.'

      It's almost the end of this year and I wanted to share a hug full of love with you all. Around this time of year people are gathering and celebrating and sometimes when you have restrictions; you may not  feel like you can fully participate in all of the fun, but fear not, there are many ways to join in the festivities. I don't know how popular Egg Nog, is as a beverage these days, but when I was younger, I did enjoy having it, sparingly because it could sometimes be cloyingly sweet. At present, I've only had Egg Nog-like beverages a few times over the years since and the vegan ones that I've tried are good and I don't think that my version of Nog could replace the ones on the market, but it's definitely more economical and you can make as much or as little as you want of it.

I don't own a clear mug; so here is the top view from my ceramic mug. I don't think that this is the prettiest shot of the Nog, but if you could smell it through the screen; you wouldn't care either ;p

V and GF- Jesscafé Nog

Ingredients:

3C Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage

A few dashes of Saigon Cinnamon

A dash of Nutmeg

1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/3C or less of Organic Cane or Coconut Sugar

Tiny pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt

Method:

In a tall pot, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the pure vanilla extract. Carefully bring it to a simmer, stirring it constantly (it WILL boil over; if you leave it unattended). I recommend cooking it for at least 10-12 minutes. You should taste it and adjust to your liking, add in the pure vanilla extract after cooking and incorporate it well.

My version of Nog, will not have that same thick mouth feel that true nog or the commercially sold vegan nog have, but it is still tasty =)

You can modify the same ingredients for my Nog and turn it into a vegan custard mixture to make vegan french toast/bread pudding. I will post a recipe for that tomorrow because afterall, what would a new year be without a good toast? ;p

Wishing you all very happy holiday and hoping that the new year will bring you many wonderful and good things for your lives including good health and happiness <3

Love,

Jessica

Join Me for Merienda: Summer Refrescos

So, I am cutting it close right now for it will soon be August in less than an hour.

If I weren't so particular about my entries; you would already have stacks upon stacks of digital entries from me. Alas, I guess that I can dedicate this one to my family and the spirit of Mabuhay. A cousin of mine was asking me for some juicing ideas; so I've just been tagging her in my latest photo posts to my food album on the book of face. Well, pinsan ko (my cousin) here are some formal recipes for drinks or 'Summer Refrescos,' as I have been calling them in my photo posts. She asked me to make sure that they fit the criteria for her part of the world, which means using mainly things that can easily be found in the Philippines; so this project was fairly easy to accomplish. I mean, they have some absolutely amazing varieties of fruit with which to work and if I had my hands on them year round.... ooooh!  

Here are some simple ideas for drinks to help quench your thirst on a hot summer day or just a hot day in general depending on  in which part of the world you live ;) 

All of these recipes are really simple, which is the way we should try to keep everything in our lives, right?

I save a lot of money by buying whole fruit and doing the cutting, prepping and freezing of them myself.

I always have labeled bags/containers of them in my freezer at all times; so it makes it very easy to experiment with different combinations.

The further nutrition boosting items that I use in most of my blends; usually include either organic flax, organic chia, a raw nut/seed, green tea powder (Matcha), Malunggay powder (Moringa Oleifera) or other greens like organic baby kale, spinach etc. The greens I usually prep and freeze them as well for ease of use. If you freeze your items; then there's no need to add in ice.

Jesscafé's Frozen Limeade

Ingredients:

1C filtered water or if you want to make it even more spectacular; use coconut water

Juice of 1-2 limes

Handful of ice

Dash of Agave syrup or the sweetener of your choice (may I recommend anything natural over artificial? =)

*For a bit of heat; you could add in a small dash of either Powdered Smoked Chipotle or Cayenne pepper

Optional: you could add in a few leaves of mint or basil before blending for an herbal note

Method:

Simply put them in your blender or in my case a Nutribullet and blend until the ice is slushy

Pour in a glass and enjoy!

Ah, Limemade, how you quench my thirst =)

Jesscafé's Watermelon and Tamarind Chiller

Ingredients:

1C filtered water

Handful of Frozen Watermelon Chunks

1-2 Tb of pure Tamarind puree* (this can be found at Asian or Indian groceries)

1-2 tsp of ground organic flax/organic chia

Dash of Agave or any natural sweetner to taste

Optional additions: Dash of Cayenne pepper for some heat

*Tamarind adds a tangy and sour element; so adjust it to your taste

Method:

Simply put them in your blender or in my case a Nutribullet and blend until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

So slushy!

Mabuhay!

Jesscafé's Cantaloupe Whirl or Ode to Filipino Ice Candy

Ingredients:

1C filtered water

Handful of Frozen Cantaloupe Chunks

2-3 Frozen Pineapple Chunks

1-2tsp of Organic ground flax or organic chia

1tsp of Malunggay powder*

Optional: Dash of organic Agave to sweeten, but if your fruit was ripe when you initially froze it; then you won't need any additional need for sweeteners

*If you cannot find Malunggay powder; you can simply omit or substitute it with spirulina 

Method:

Simply put them in your blender or in my case a Nutribullet and blend until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

The ingredients in the Nutribullet cup before blending. I used Salba chia in this blend.

All mixed up and ready to drink!

Okay, well I am going to polish this post a bit more tomorrow, but look for more of my 'Summer Refresco, ' series. It seems to be working at the moment =)

Mabuhay! Cheers! To your Health!

Love,

Jessica