Yummy Vegan Milk Recipe using our Creamy Plant Protein Base

Try our smooth textured, mild tasting, and easily digested Vegan Milk.

Here is a recipe for a fortified vegan milk that uses our Creamy Plant Protein Base formula.

We like this recipe because it makes a creamy milk that is higher in protein, as well as fiber.

Having a jar of already prepared Creamy Plant Protein Base in your refrigerator makes whipping together a batch of delicious vegan milk much easier. This creamy base replaces the whey protein powder called for in our Rich Lactose-Free Milk recipe posted earlier.

You can always just mix in your favorite plant protein powder blend (as is) if you are in a hurry - but your finished milk won't be so smooth and creamy, and the flavor of the protein will be stronger. You will make a nicer milk when using the prepared creamy protein base.

This is a very versatile recipe. You can sweeten the milk a little, or not, depending on what you intend to use it for. We use healthy sugar-free sweeteners in our milks, as we don't want the extra calories from sugar.

We especially like a combo of almond milk and coconut milk or coconut cream mixed in with our Creamy Plant Protein Base. Try combining your favorite seed milk with coconut milk, we think you will like it. You can easily make a quick coconut milk by pureeing dried unsweetened coconut with a little warm water in a VitaMix, and then squeezing it through a fine cloth.

Mom's Rich Vegan Milk Recipe:

1 quart lactose free milk *
2 to 3 T. Creamy Plant Protein Base, or more to taste
1/8 to 1/4 t. BioSalt, to taste
2 to 4 T. coconut milk powder (for a creamier taste), optional
1/4 t. stevia glycerite, to taste
A few drops of real vanilla extract
A few drops almond extract, optional


Method:

Place the 1 quart lactose-free milk of choice into a blender container.
Add the prepared Creamy Plant Protein Base. Blend to combine well.
Add the flavoring. (Vanilla and/or almond extract is especially good with coconut milk.)
Add the salt to taste, until the mixture does not taste "flat or watery".
Add stevia glycerite, to taste.
Chill.


* You may choose from a variety of unflavored and unsweetened lactose free milks:
Almond milk (in milk section of grocery stores)
Coconut milk (in milk section of grocery stores)
Organic Soy milk (in milk section of grocery stores)
Rice milk (in milk section of grocery stores)
Cashew milk (homemade)
Hemp seed milk (homemade)
Sesame seed milk (homemade)
Sunflower seed milk (homemade)
etc...


See our Copy-Cat Almond Breeze Recipe for an example of how to make your own nut milk.

Notes: 

You can make this milk rich and sweet enough to be similar to Half & Half.

You may add 1/4 t. non-GMO liquid lecithin to this vegan milk, particularly when using coconut milk - It helps emulsify the fat, and adds wonderful nutrition for the nerves. Lecithin also makes the milk taste even creamier and richer.

Almond extract is the best thing we have found for complimenting the flavor of coconut, in fact going so far as to partially neutralize the coconut taste for people who do not like the taste of coconut milk.

This milk is wonderful used in many ways:

Added to hot cocoa mix
Poured over hot cereal like oatmeal
Used as a base for smoothies
Used as an ice cream base
Chilled for drinking a tall cold glass along with a side of cookies


Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Creamy Base for Smoothies, Protein Drinks & Milks (several vegetarian & vegan options)

Make this rich and creamy protein smoothie base ahead of time for quick healthy morning smoothies or dairy-free milk. 

Creamy Plant Protein Base

We have several ingredient options listed here, to fit just about any dietary need out there. We like keeping a mason jar full of this creamy protein base in our refrigerator. 

Add a bit of this base to your favorite smoothie recipe to up the protein and fiber content. We also use this Creamy Base recipe in our Yummy Vegan Milk Recipe post.

We highly recommend that the plant proteins be prepared ahead of time as a "Base". This results in a smoothie or milk with a smoother texture, milder flavor, and easier digestibility. Some people have an easier time digesting this gently heated plant protein base verses the raw form of the plant protein.

You can always mix in your favorite plant protein powder blend (as is) if you are in a hurry - but your finished smoothie or beverage won't be so smooth and creamy, and the flavor of the protein will be stronger.

Use this PLANT PROTEIN BASE formula to make our protein and fiber enriched VEGAN MILK.


Mom's "Creamy Plant Protein Base" Formula:

Put 3 cups of very hot distilled or purified water in a high powered blender (VitaMix) with a snug fitting lid.

Add 6 to 8 T. of your favorite vanilla flavored plant protein powder blend *

Put the lid on securely and then cover the top with a folded dish towel (in case some hot liquid should escape - be on your toes). Keep your hand on the towel-covered lid while processing.

Start the blender on the lowest speed and slowly increase to the highest speed, blending for at least 30 seconds - until the contents are steaming hot (120 to 160 degrees).

Set aside and allow to cool.

This is your "Creamy Plant Protein Base". It will thicken as it cools. Add desired amount of this protein base to your vegan "milk" - to taste.

My mom likes to keep a quart of this "Plant Protein Base" in her refrigerator, so that it's ready to add to "milk" or smoothies.

All of my mom's "Mylk" versions are rich and creamy, so it's easy to add a little cold water if a less rich mylk is desired.


* Vegan Protein Fortification Options:

1. Pea protein powder base (Sun Warrior "Warrior Blend").

This "Plant Protein Base" works best when using pea protein. Pea protein seems to make a smoother, creamier "base".

2. Pea plus rice protein powder (Sun Warrior "Classic")

3. Vanilla non-GMO organic soy protein blend of choice

4. Non-GMO organic Plain Soy Milk Powder.

5. "Silken Tofu" puree.

6. Rice protein powder: Using rice protein as your base is definitely not our first choice! The results with our first experiments with it were this: It did not soften with the hot water and blending on high speed, no matter how long we blended it. The rice protein stayed gritty, chalky, and gacky, unlike the pea protein that softened up nicely. We tried again with another brand of rice protein from Top Health. It was fresher and is a protein of high quality and fine texture. The taste was quite nutty and mild, and after shearing a couple of rounds on high speed in the VitaMix , the texture was acceptably smooth - and should be OK once mixed with other truly creamy milks.

6. Your other favorite vanilla flavored vegan protein "base".



Our "Plant Protein Base" conclusions: Be sure your plant based proteins are of good quality and fresh!


OVO - Vegetarian protein fortified "mylk" options:

1. Egg white powder

2. Pasteurized pure liquid egg whites

Egg white if used in moderation, is invisible in your beverages.

Do not heat any "Mylk" containing egg!


Lacto-Vegetarian Options:

1. Whey protein isolate (contains lower lactose than whey protein concentrate or regular milk).

2. Whey protein concentrate.

3. Powdered milk (cow or goat, if liked).

4. Reduced fat ricotta cheese - pureed smooth.


Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Flax Pumpkin Pie Nuggets for Health Nuts - High-Fiber, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free (with Vegan option)

This is a strange little cookie. That being said, my daughter and I eat them all the time. 

Flax Pumpkin Pie nuggets for Health Nuts

My recipe uses flax meal instead of flour, which gives these more of a pumpkin pie-like texture inside. You do taste the flax, although it is tempered by the use of the spices and almond extract. These cookies are not overly sweet either, but the chocolate chips totally save the day.

These little nuggets are best eaten warm. Then the chocolate is all oozy and delicious. This is why we warm them up for a few seconds before eating them. There is no sugar to preserve these cookies, so they must be stored in the fridge.

Why do we eat these nuggets? They are super healthy (and we are health nuts in this house). These are basically all fiber. I will eat a few of these for breakfast or a snack and they fill me up if I drink a healthy dose of water with them. These are fabulous for helping your blood sugar levels stay even, again, thank all the fiber for that. I add the protein because, well, I wanted protein in them too!

These cookies have helped me when I have set my mind to slim down a bit. They are ready for any snack attacks if I have them at the ready in my fridge. It doesn't take much time at all to bake up a new batch when we are out either.

If you hate eating flax, you may see these cookies as an improvement for flax, or you may not.

I say, live on the edge and make yourself a half-batch, and see how it goes. Warning: They grow on you (not like a fungus though).


Flax Pumpkin Pie Nuggets

1 29-0z can plain pumpkin puree
1 large egg (can omit for vegan)
1 t. real vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
3/4 t. stevia glycerite
1/2 c. erythritol
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt
3 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 t. psyllium husk powder
1 c. plain whey protein isolate (or vegan protein powder)
2 1/2 c. freshly ground flax meal
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar-free or regular)


Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone liners and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine by hand, the canned pumpkin with the other wet ingredients.

Add the eythritol, salt, spices, and psyllium husk powder and mix together very well.

Add the flax meal and combine until uniform.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Portion dough using about a 1 tablespoon sized ice cream scoop. Place close together onto the cookie sheets (the dough does not spread).

Bake for 12 minutes. the outsides will be set but the insides will remain very soft.

Remove from oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheets.

When cooled, transfer to air-tight containers and store in the refrigerator.

To serve: Place a few nuggets into a plate and microwave them 20 to 30 seconds.

I'm adding some pictures of our dog Moki because he is cuter than these cookies.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Dad's Healthified Orange Julius - with a Secret Ingredient (Copy-Cat)

So over the top good and refreshing & good for you too!

My dad comes up with killer protein drinks. Being an athlete and trainer for athletes, he drinks protein drinks a lot. You have to mix it up a little if you drink a lot of them, or YAWN....

He makes protein drinks we WANT to drink. This is one of them, and it has a unique secret ingredient... Angostura Bitters.

As a family, we have been exploring bitters and tonics. Some people use them for alcoholic drinks, but actually bitters are old fashioned remedies for digestion and general health. We like to use them to create depth of flavor in various recipes and non-alcoholic beverages, much like you would use vanilla or almond extract. As far as bitters go, Angostura Bitters is king. It is affordable and has great flavor. It is the secret ingredient in this version of an Orange Julius. Give it a try.


Dad's Orange Julius Recipe:

Makes 2 big servings:

10 ice cubes
1/4 to 1/3 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. almond milk
1 scoop (3 T.) whey protein isolate
1 pinch sea salt or BioSalt
1 pinch orange flavor powder or 1 to 2 drops tangerine essential oil
stevia glycerite, to taste
Angostura Bitters, to taste


1 big serving:

5 ice cubes
2 to 3 T. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 c. almond milk
1 1/2 T. whey protein isolate
mini-pinch sea salt or BioSalt
mini-pinch orange flavor powder or 1 drop tangerine essential oil
stevia glycerite, to taste
Angostura Bitters, to taste


Method:

Place all but stevia glycerite and bitters in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add stevia glycerite and bitters to taste, blending in well.

Serve cold.


Enjoy,

Dad.

Outrageous Santa Rosa Plum Jam - Healthy & Sugar-Free

This is an easy recipe for a beautiful fresh fruit freezer jam. 

Fragrant Santa Rosa Plum Jam

When you find ripe plums in your store or local farmer's market (their alluring perfume will find you), pick out a pound of the ripest ones and use them to make some of this lovely jam.

My dad brought a few of these delicious plums home for my mom. They were so good that my mom immediately went back to the store and hand picked some of the ripest ones to take home and make into this jam. You rarely find plums of this quality in grocery stores, so when you do, jump on it.

The only thickening used for this jam is finely ground psyllium husk powder, so it takes some time to thicken up. Let the jam sit in the refrigerator over night to thicken completely. Store the jars you are not using immediately in your freezer.


Outrageous Santa Rosa plum jam Recipe:

1 pound Santa Rosa type plums - sweet, tree-ripened and fragrant
3 ounces pitted black sweet cherries
1/2 c. erythritol
2 T. xylitol
1 T. fine psyllium husk powder
1/4 t. monk fruit extract, 80% strength
1/8 t. BioSalt
2 T. IMO powder (or IMO syrup) 
2 T. vegetable glycerine
stevia glycerite, to taste


Method:

Wash and pit the ripe, fragrant plums. Roughly chop and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients together well, and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the pitted cherries with the dry ingredients, vegetable glycerine and IMO syrup, if using. Stop the food processor. 

Add the chopped plums and pulse to desired texture.

Pour jam into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave to 110 degrees F., with occasional stirring. Or heat on the stove-top in a non-metallic pan to 110 degrees F., stirring until the erythritol is dissolved.

Sweeten to taste with the stevia glycerite.

Store the jam in the refrigerator overnight to allow it to fully thicken.

The next day, portion into jars for freezing and freeze.

Note: The cherries add beautiful color but do not  compete with the plum flavor.

Freshly made, before the thickening process has completed.

Plum jam now completely Thickened - So smooth and rich and exotically perfumed.

Enjoy, 

Leila & Nancy.

About Vegetable Glycerine in Sugar-Free Cooking

Here is some useful information about food grade vegetable glycerine.

We use food grade vegetable glycerine a lot here at Kitchen Cheetahs. It works wonderfully as part of sugar-free sweetening systems. We use it as the base of our home made Stevia Glycerite (a NOW brand copy-cat recipe). We use it in sugar-free syrups. in icings, salad dressings, in baked goods, among other things. We have used this basic ingredient for years and love it!

See it used here in our Super Low Carb Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce.

We highly recommend having it in your pantry, because it is in several Kitchen Cheetah recipes.

Review some of it's good features below...


FOOD GRADE VEGETABLE GLYCERINE:

* is made from coconut or palm oil (heating under pressure with water)
* is GRAS
* is approved by Health Canada
* does not affect blood sugar – perfect for diabetics
* does not cause tooth decay
* helps prevent dehydration
* enhances athletic performance
* helps prevent constipation
* used as a humectant for skin conditions, specially dry skin.
* medically used to prevent brain swelling (intravenous)
* medicaliy used to reduce pressure within the eye (intravenous)
* is an excellent food preservative
* is an excellent emulsifier
* is used in eye-drops for dry eyes (pharmaceutical grade)


VEGETABLE GLYCERINE  is classified as a "sugar alcohol"....  as is ERYTHRITOL and XYLITOL.


Stay tuned,

Leila & Nancy

The Kitchen Cheetahs

Super Low Carb Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce

This amazing secret sauce is intensely punchy & sweet & spicy & fragrant...

And here is an even lower carb version for the athlete!

Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce

Happy 4th of July! This zippy recipe is our gift to you. We thought you should have some fireworks for your mouth to go along with the exploding night sky.

My mom created this healthy sauce while living in the Fijian islands, thus the name. Many people have asked for this recipe but alas, it could not be acquired - UNTIL TODAY. Do you feel loved?

"Fiji Sauce" brings it all together.

Our original Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce is much lower in carbs and sugars than a traditional Thai sweet chili sauce and you can use our yummy sauce in much the same manner.

This lower carb version omits the ripe banana and orange juice called for in the original recipe. No xylitol is used either, because it has more carbs than erythritol.

My dad has a black belt in Judo and is an instructor as well.The many athletes he trains and coaches want this very version of our Fiji Sauce because of it's super low carb and high fiber content. It helps these athletes keep their body fat percentage down, yet allows them to have a sweet treat, usually forbidden in their strict diets. This sauce does make you feel like you are cheating, it is so delicious!

Erythritol is used as the main sweetener in this lower carb version of Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce. Stevia glycerite is used to enhance the sweetness further.

Our punchy Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce is delicious as a condiment with just about anything. It makes a great dip, topping, sauce, dressing... uhh, main dish?

My dad has some of this punchy sauce everyday with his lunch or dinner. It is a beloved staple here at Kitchen Cheetahs! The picture above shows my dad ready to dig into a plate of our favorite Chicken Bake, with a side of our Quinoa Tabouli topped with this Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce.


Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce Recipe:

10 ounces frozen raspberries
12 ounces frozen pitted cherries

Mix the fruits together and set aside to thaw to room temperature.

While the fruit is thawing make a Habanero Paste:
4 to 6 habaneros
1/2 c. granular erythritol

Wearing gloves, remove the seeds and and pith from the habanero peppers.
Finely mince habaneros and then smash with the 1/4 c. erythritol to make a very smooth paste.

Puree the above thawed fruit with:
The prepared Habanero Paste above
2 16-ounce jars of "fire roasted" red peppers and their juice
4 c. granular erythritol
1/2 c. whole psyllium husks
3/4 c. raw apple cider vinegar, or a little more (to desired tanginess)
4 T. FINELY grated frozen, peeled ginger root, to taste
1 to 3 t. fresh orange or tangerine zest, to taste (or 1 to 2 drops orange or tangerine essential oil)
3/4 t. sea salt or BioSalt, or a little more, to taste
1/2 t. turmeric powder
1/8 to 1/4 t. garlic powder, to taste

Pulse/grind into a medium smooth sauce. Do in batches to accommodate your food processor.
Put the processed mixture into a large non metallic bowl or pot.

Stir in:
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. vegetable glycerine (food grade)
Stevia glycerite to taste

Add stevia glycerite to taste. It will take quite a lot (don't be surprised) to make a very sweet sauce balanced by zip and tang.  

Gently heat and stir the sauce until it reaches 110 degrees F, to blend flavors and activate fiber.

Let sauce cool before transferring into mason jars. Put 1 jar in your fridge and freeze the rest.


Notes: 

Start with 1 t. of orange zest, stir in well and then taste the sauce. You can try adding a little more orange zest, but you dont want the sauce to taste like oranges... just be highlighted in a subtle way.
.
This sauce mellows and changes a little overnight. The heat mellows and the apple cider vinegar mellows, so make sure you use enough peppers and vinegar to give a strong punch to this sauce!

My mom prefers the flavor of our first version of Fiji sauce that used more fruit plus xylitol. She is on a super low carb diet right now and does not mind the few extra carbs in the fruitier sauce.

 Photos of the process:

Be very sure that the Habanero pieces are very fine so you don't bite down a piece of ultra-hot pepper....  This also ensures that the unique Habanero flavor is dispersed beautifully throughout the sauce.

HABANERO PEPPERS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS SAUCE ‼️(however, you may reduce  from 3  peppers down to 2 if you absolutely must)

Frozen ginger grates best! Use a very fine grater or a micro plane grater  so that the ginger is essentially powdered for Best results.

Psyllium husk's thicken the Fiji Sweet-Hot Sauce. It's a good idea to purchase organic psyllium if you can, as it is guaranteed to be clean.

Summer chicken snack: Coarsely shred chilled white chicken breast and serve with your favorite mayonnaise and a side of Fiji sweet hot sauce.It's super fast. Super quick. Super delicious!

Mayo and Fiji sauce dipped chicken

Chicken breast dipped in mayo and Fiji sauce - It doesn't get better than this.

3 1/2 quarts of Fiji sauce️️

Gorgeous birds eye view of the 3 1/2 quarts of Fiji sauce

Well, Hello Gorgeous!

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

The Secret Sauce! Our Famous Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce Recipe Now Revealed.

This amazing secret sauce is intensely punchy & sweet & spicy & fragrant!

Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce

Happy 4th of July! This zippy recipe is our gift to you. We thought you should have some fireworks for your mouth to go along with the exploding night sky.

My mom created this healthy sauce while living in the Fijian islands, thus the name. Many people have asked for this recipe but alas, it could not be acquired - UNTIL TODAY. Do you feel loved?

"Fiji Sauce" brings it all together.

Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce is much lower in carbs and sugars than a traditional Thai sweet chili sauce and you can use our yummy sauce in much the same manner.

There are some naturally occurring sugars from the fruits used in our sauce, but we add no additional sugar.

Erythritol is used as the main sweetener and then a little stevia glycerite is used to enhance the sweetness further. Optionally, you may also use a little xylitol too (see the notes below the recipe). We prefer the version that uses a combo of erythritol and xylitol. Xylitol has more carbohydrates than erythritol, but it is still sugar-free and enhances the sweetness nicely.

Our punchy Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce is delicious as a condiment with just about anything. It makes a great dip, topping, sauce, dressing... uhh, main dish?

My dad has some of this punchy sauce everyday with his lunch or dinner. It is a beloved staple here at Kitchen Cheetahs! The picture above shows my dad ready to dig into a plate of our favorite Chicken Bake, with a side of our Quinoa Tabouli topped with this Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce.

See an even lower carb version of our Fiji Sauce here!


Fiji Sweet Hot Sauce Recipe:

10 ounces frozen raspberries
12 ounces frozen pitted cherries
3 small "dead-ripe" (nearly black) bananas that have been frozen
4 T. frozen orange juice concentrate

Mix the fruits together and set aside to thaw.

While the fruit is thawing make a Habanero Paste:
4 to 6 habaneros
1/4 c. granular erythritol

Wearing gloves, remove the seeds and and pith from the habanero peppers.
Finely mince habaneros and then smash with the 1/4 c. erythritol to make a very smooth paste.

Puree the above thawed fruit with:
The prepared Habanero Paste above
2 16-ounce jars of "fire roasted" red peppers and their juice
3 3/4 c. granular erythritol
1/3 c. whole psyllium husks
3/4 c. raw apple cider vinegar, or a little more (to desired tanginess)
4 T. FINELY grated frozen, peeled ginger root, to taste
3/4 t. sea salt, or a little more, to taste
1/2 t. tumeric powder
1/8 to 1/4 t. garlic powder, to taste

Pulse/grind into a medium smooth sauce. Do in batches to accommodate your food processor.
Put the processed mixture into a large non metallic bowl or pot.

Stir in:
1 c. water
Stevia glycerite to taste

The sauce should be sweet and tangy.
Gently heat and stir the sauce until it reaches 110 degrees F.
Let sauce cool before transferring into mason jars. Put 1 jar in your fridge and freeze the rest.


Notes: 

Instead of the 3 3/4 c. erythritol called for you may use 3 c. erythritol plus 3/4 c. xylitol. This is our favorite sweetener blend for this sauce.

This sauce mellows and changes a little overnight. The heat mellows and the apple cider vinegar mellows, so make sure you use enough peppers and vinegar to give a strong punch to this sauce!

 Photos of the process:

Be very sure that the Habanero pieces are very fine so you don't bite down a piece of ultra-hot pepper....  This also ensures that the unique Habanero flavor is dispersed beautifully throughout the sauce.

HABANERO PEPPERS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS SAUCE ‼️(however, you may reduce  from 3  peppers down to 2 if you absolutely must)

Frozen ginger grates best! Use a very fine grater or a micro plane grater  so that the ginger is essentially powdered for Best results.

Psyllium husk's thicken the Fiji Sweet-Hot Sauce. It's a good idea to purchase organic psyllium if you can, as it is guaranteed to be clean.

Summer chicken snack: Coarsely shred chilled white chicken breast and serve with your favorite mayonnaise and a side of Fiji sweet hot sauce.It's super fast. Super quick. Super delicious!

Mayo and Fiji sauce dipped chicken

Chicken breast dipped in mayo and Fiji sauce - It doesn't get better than this.

3 1/2 quarts of Fiji sauce️️

Gorgeous birds eye view of the 3 1/2 quarts of Fiji sauce

Well, Hello Gorgeous!

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

Summer Hibiscus Punch (Sugar-Free) & Hibiscus Lemon-Lime-ade

Hibiscus blossoms make a truly beautiful & thirst-quenching summer beverage.

Summer Hibiscus Punch

Hibiscus is naturally tart and makes a beautiful ruby toned beverage.You can use it alone or mix it with citrus. Here are a couple of ways that I mix hibiscus with fresh citrus juices.

You can brew bulk dried hibiscus blossoms in a french coffee press. Pour in boiling water and let it steep 15 minutes or so. Strain off into a jar. Add more boiling water to the used hibiscus blossoms in the French coffee press and let steep a while, strain off into the jar of hibiscus tea. Chill.

I like to make a strong hibiscus concentrate and keep it in the fridge for easy use. I then dilute it with water and/or other fruit juices and sweeten to taste.


Summer Hibiscus Punch (serves 1):

This is a simple cold ,drink consisting of 2 cups cold brewed hibiscus blossom tea and 1 lime juiced. I then add a few drops of stevia glycerite , to taste. Add ice, and you're good to go!

Lovely Hibiscus  Lemon-Lime-ade: 


Yield: 1 gallon.

 Mix together 2 cups of strong hibiscus tea plus the juice of 1 lemon and 2 to 3 limes, add 3/4 c. sugar and stir well to completely dissolve.. Top off with water and ice to make 1 gallon. Then add a few drops of stevia glycerite, to sweeten to taste. Garnish with 3 thin lemon slices and a few spearmint leaves.

To make sugar-free: Sweeten with 1 c. erythritol and then finish sweetening it with a bit of stevia glycerite, to taste.

Enjoy,

Leila.
 

Summer Confetti Macaroni Salad (sugar-free)

This is a colorful classic macaroni salad with a great balanced flavor.

Summer Confetti Macaroni Salad

This pretty pasta salad makes a nice side for summer picnics and celebrations. I love having more crisp, colorful vegetables in my pasta salads. I really don't want to eat just plain macaroni slathered in mayo... If you are like me, you will love this recipe. I also like that it has enough vinegar to give it a bit of zing and enough erythritol to cut the bite of the vinegar, then our BioSalt pulls it all together.

You may use gluten-free pasta, if desired. If you are going dairy-free, omit the sour cream and replace it with mayonnaise. And of course you can adjust the diced vegetables to taste.




Leila's Summer Confetti Macaroni Salad Recipe:

1 pound pasta or gluten-free pasta (macaroni, ditalini, or small shell pasta)
3/4 c. real mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream (omit if dairy-free is desired and increase the mayo to 1 cup)
3 T. white wine vinegar
3 T. erythritol
1 1/2 t. dry mustard powder
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt, to taste
1/2 t. onion salt, or more to taste
1/8 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. fresh ground pepper, to taste (about 50 grinds)
2 to 4 T. fresh minced parsley, to taste
1 c. finely diced celery (4 ribs)
1 c. finely diced red bell pepper (1 whole pepper)
1/2 c. finely diced peeled carrot (1 large carrot)
1/4 c. finely diced red onion
1/2 c. minced scallions, about 6, optional
1/4 c. diced radishes, optional

Garnish:
Paprika
Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, optional

Method:

Cook the pasta aldente, rinse and drain extremely well. Set aside to cool.
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and erythritol together, until erythritol is dissolved.
Add the mustard powder, salt, onion salt, garlic, and pepper, mixing in well.
Add the minced vegetables and then the pasta and gently mix together. Taste.
Chill overnight for the best flavor.
Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Garnish with a sprinkling of paprika. Top with tomatoes, if desired. Serve cold.

The dressing and vegetables mixed together.

Freshly mixed pasta salad.

Delicious!

Enjoy,

Leila.