Hey Presto, It's Kale Pesto!!

Curly leaf

Kale is the "food of the month", more likely the decade. It's popping up everywhere in recipes from kale chips to kale smoothies. Kale is very versatile and can certainly be used in many ways in enhance many dishes.

There are 5 basic leafy varieties of kale.

• Curly-leaved (Scots Kale)
• Plain-leaved
• Rape kale
• Leaf and spear (Red Russian Kale is one example)
• Cavolo nero (also known as black cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and dinosaur kale)

Plain leaf 

My favourite (at this point, without trying them all) is the Cavolo Nero variety but I prefer to call it Tuscan Cabbage as it originates from Tuscany.

I feel the Tuscan Cabbage is quite versatile as you can use it to create kale chips, in dips, in stir fries or you can wilt into a veggie mix. The options are almost endless.

Today I thought I'd show you how to make a kale pesto. This recipe is quite delicious but you can add/swap ingredients to flavour it how you like.

Kale Pesto

Rape Kale

Equipment:

Red Russian

- Processor

- Spatula

- Jar or bowl for serving

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Tuscan Cabbage (stalks removed)

- 1 clove garlic

- 1/2 cup almond meal

- 5 Tbsp light olive oil

- Approx. 4 fresh basil leaves (depending on size)

- 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast

Method:

1. Place all ingredients except the oil into the processor and blend at high speed for 20-30 seconds.

Cavolo nero

2. Once ingredients are mixed, add most of the olive oil and blend until it forms a paste.

3. If the pesto is too dry, add the remainder of the olive oil gradually until it reaches your desired consistency.

**You can use this pesto as a dip or you can toss into a salad. There are plenty of uses for this versatile pesto.

Have fun experimenting with flavours to create your own kale pesto. Would love to hear from you with your alterations.

~AS Angel~

Vegan Chocolate Smoothie

For those chocolate lovers out there, this low starch recipe is for you. A healthy smoothie on the go to curb those chocolate cravings. This is the drink of choice for me during my Body Reboot when I want something with chocolate in it.

If you don't have the nut cream to put on top, it is also delicious without it, but it makes a lovely decoration for the top and its all about presentation. If it doesn't look good, people are less likely to try something new. Am I right? I know I'm right. It has been proven :) So let's get to the recipe.

Equipment:

- A blender

- A glass, of course

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 1/4 ripe avocado

- 2 tsp cocoa powder

- 1 medjool date

- 2 tsp chia seeds

- 1 cup of nut milk (I used almond milk)

- 1 handful of ice

The Nut Cream:

- 2 Tbsp of nut cream

- 1/2 tsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp coconut oil (melted but cool)

Method:

1. Place all smoothie ingredients, except the ice, into your blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed. The date can be a little stubborn when it comes to breaking up, so you may need to blend for a bit longer until this combines.

2. Taste mixture to determine whether or not you would like to add more cocoa or another date for a stronger/sweeter flavour.

3.Once mixture is to your liking, add the ice and blend, then pour into a glass.

4. For those including the nut cream, mix all ingredients together in a bowl, then use a spoon to roll it into a ball shape before placing on top of the smoothie. Make sure you haven't overfilled your glass or you will end up with the smoothie running down the sides of the glass when you drop the nut cream in.

**Optional Extra:

- Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.

Enjoy.

~AS Angel~

How To Skin Almonds

Most, if not all, of the recipes that call for almonds on here will require blanched almonds, meaning almonds with the skins removed. Now you could buy your almonds already blanched from the supermarket and pay the extra cost for doing so... Or you could save yourself a little cash and skin them yourself. So here's how to do it.

**I will post pictures when I take some during my next blanching expedition.**

Equipment:

- Pot of water
- Paper towels
- Colander or strainer

Ingredients:

- Raw unsalted almonds, skin on

Method:

1. Bring your pot of water to a boil.

2. Once boiling, place your almonds into the boiling water and set a timer for 60 seconds.

3. As soon as your 60 second timer goes off, drain your almonds in your strainer and immediately rinse under cold water. We don't want them to overcook and soften.

4. Once they are cool to the touch, it is time to begin skinning the almonds.

5. You will see the skins are a little shriveled. This is what we want. Take an almond between your index finger and thumb. Squeeze the almond to allow the skin to move and slip off the almond.

**Be careful not to squeeze too hard and those almonds will become airborne, shooting across the kitchen. I tend to hold my other hand where the almond is going to shoot and stop it there.

6. As you remove the skins, place the blanched almonds onto paper towel to dry.

Once they are dry, the almonds are blanched and ready to use.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

This low starch recipe is super quick and easy to make, provided you have the "nut cream" ready. If you don't have your nut cream ready, see our "Nut Milk - Quick 'n' Easy" recipe. Once you have your nut milk, you are ready to go. For this recipe I used macadamia nut cream but you can use a nut cream of your choice. I will be testing this recipe with almond cream next. I will let you know how it goes.

Equipment:

- A mini processor (for convenience)

OR

- A bowl and a fork

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of "nut cream" (wet nut pulp)

- 1/4 ripe avocado

- 2-3 tsp cocoa powder

- 2 tsp maple syrup

- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (melted but cool)

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into your processor. Blend until thoroughly mixed

**If you don't have a processor, place the nut cream and avocado into a bowl and whisk together to remove all lumps. Once combined, add the maple syrup and combine, then the cocoa powder and combine. Leave the coconut oil until last.

2. Taste mixture to determine whether or not you would like to add more cocoa or sweetener.

3.Once mixture is to your liking, place mixture into a bowl and refrigerate to solidify the coconut oil. Approx 15 mins.

**Serve with a garnish of your choice
Some options:
- strawberries
- mint leaves
- vanilla flavoured "nut cream" (mix vanilla essence with your nut cream)
- cacao nibs

If you try this recipe with a different nut (or seed) cream, or would like me to test a nut/seed cream in this recipe, please leave a comment below. I'd love to here from you.

Enjoy.

~AS Angel~

Home-made Nut Milk - Quick 'n' Easy

I remember the day I decided to remove dairy from my diet. I couldn't imagine any other milk that could go in smoothies or with tea and coffee. There weren't many options out there for me, already being grain free (no rice or oat milk) and soy free (no soy milk) so my only other option that I could see was nut milk, almond in particular. "How could someone actually make milk from an almond?", I remember thinking to myself. I ventured to the Supermarket in hopes of finding a suitable almond milk that would have no hidden extras. There aren't many out there. Most commercial nut milks have a sweetener of some kind or flavour to give it a little extra taste. It got me wondering how bad pure almond milk must taste if they have to add extra flavours to sell it. So I decided to make some myself and find out exactly what PURE almond milk tastes like. And I must admit, it tastes better than I expected. It actually tastes really good.

For this reason, I feel I need to share how I made almond milk, the quick and easy way, so we can all enjoy nut milk together.

For those on a No Starch Diet, it is advised that you use blanched almonds as the skin of almonds can be starchy. If you only have almonds with skin on, please see my "How to" article on blanching almonds before attempting this recipe.

Equipment:

- A blender
- A cheese cloth or nut milk bag (or a filter or some kind, like a coffee filter)
- Funnel
- Empty bottle approx. 1 Litre
- Large bowl

Ingredients:

- 1 cups of almonds
- 2-3 cups of water (depending on how strong you want the flavour)

Before starting this recipe:

Wash your Hands! Don't forget the soap.

Method:

1. Place your almonds and water into your blender.

2. Blend almonds and water at high speed for approximately 2 minutes, until all the almonds are sufficiently blended into the water. The liquid should now be frothy and white, similar to dairy milk.

3.Place your cloth/milk bag open into the bowl so that the bag is hanging over the sides of the bowl.

4. Pour your milk into the cloth/milk bag. You may need to do this in parts, depending on the size of your bag and/or bowl.

**For those without a cloth/milk bag, place your filter into your funnel and the funnel into your bottle. Pour your mixture through a sieve first to remove the large nut pulp then pour some of that mixture into the filter and allow the milk to drip through into the bottle. This will take time as the nut particles build up in the filter. You may need to scoop it out after a while and eventually use a new filter to speed up the process. If you have multiple filters and jars/bottles, I suggest setting up a few to speed up the process for you. But if you really can't be bothered, I highly recommend spending $10-15 on a nut milk bag.

5. Once the milk is in the cloth/nut milk bag, close the bag and hold it out of the bowl. Squeeze the milk through until no more milk is coming through into the bowl. This may get a bit messy as you will be using your hands to twist and squeeze the bag tight (hence why I reminded you to wash your hands).

6. Place your funnel into your bottle and pour the contents of the bowl into the bottle.

And it's as simple as that!! You can substitute the almonds for other nuts or seeds to create any kind of nut or seed milk. Experiment and find out which is your favourite.

Please be aware that the milk has a life of approximately 3 days. You will notice a tangy taste develop and this is the indication that it is no longer usable, so make sure you get drinking once you have made it to avoid wastage.

Note: Don't throw away the almond mixture in the bag. I call this "nut cream" and you can use this in other recipes, including my Vegan Chocolate Mousse recipe.

Happy Blending.

~AS Angel~

The Journey Begins

Hi, my name is Bel and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a business owner. I run my own successful dog training, walking and minding company. I have one cat and one dog, and one love of my life living with me. I am very grateful for my life at this moment in time.

Back in 2010, after two bouts of Iritis (inflammation of the iris) within 11 months of each other, I was systematically diagnosed with a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, at the age of 23. When reading about this condition I was quite devastated, thinking I was doomed to a life of inflammation, pain and eventual immobility from spinal fusion. My husband (boyfriend at the time) helped me research the condition more and try to find ways to help limit the inflammation in my body.

In January 2012, I decided to try (what I believed to be) a no/low starch diet. After 12 months on this diet, with a few cheat days in between, I realised it wasn't working and my husband (now fiance) helped research more and find out about all the hidden starches in processed foods, fruit and vegetables, as well as the anti-inflammatory pills taken to combat the inflammation.

So January 2013, I decided to remove all root vegetables, bananas, dairy, legumes, lentils, all grains, all numbers and preservatives. I started learning new recipes and how to make dressings, sauces and marinades from scratch. A new world had been open up to me. I found a new hobby that would keep my mind active and plate full of food I could eat. I started an Instagram account to keep track of my meals (for future meal ideas when I was stuck) and to see what others with my condition were making to help improve their life with AS. #ankylosingspondylitis was showing sad results. No one else was posting food that other AS sufferers could safely eat. It became my mission to help. If others in my position couldn't come up with tasty meals how on earth were they going to avoid the foods that triggered inflammation?

After 12 months on my new "diet" (lifestyle change) with the information I had, I felt a little better, but not enough to feel like it had made a significant difference. My husband (now husband) agreed that we needed to find another solution.

After more research and joining AS support groups on Facebook, I found out at this point that there are SO many considerations when trying to avoid starch in foods. It is hidden EVERYWHERE! What I thought was safe was in fact not. Zucchini is safe when raw, but fry it up in a pan with some olive oil and it releases the starch and you are done for. I also learned that the nightshade family of vegetables, while low/no starch can cause issues for people with AS and other arthiritic conditions.

This is when I got serious...

I was sick of being in pain and irritable and moody with my husband (I'm thankful everyday that he put up with me...and still does). I wanted to feel like others without auto-immune conditions. Pain free. Healthy. Active. Happy. I was determined to find the solution to this, even if the medical professionals want us to take pills and injections. I wasn't having any of that in my body.

And so my journey as a blogger begins.

Today I am pain free, for now. I am still learning what foods I can and can't have but I want to share my incomplete journey and allow people to learn along with me and gain knowledge from my experiences so they can have a better understanding NOW about their condition before it progresses unnecessarily. Allow them the opportunity to feel pain-free the DRUG-FREE way.

I also want to share my own meal ideas and recipes that I have created on this journey to give others a boost up with their knowledge of cooking, to give them a chance to cook healthy, delicious food the RIGHT way for them without scanning 100's of recipe websites looking at food they can't have, as I did.

So come along with me on my journey. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. We will find the answers together.

~ AS Angel ~