June 17th, 2014
The number of amazing people I’ve met through this blog keeps growing. One that I’m very grateful for is Cathryn Fowler, a very kind and health-concious reader, who reached out to me recently about the possibility of doing some video work together. Fate’s doing, as right at that moment I was dreaming about a book trailer. Above is what we came up with – a day of meals from the book – breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
The Vibrant Table came out this past week and is now available to buy at bookstores and online. Visit this page for retailer information, a peek inside, press and reviews.
We came back from Russia last week and, without too much mercy for jet lag, I started preparing for my first book signing and cooking demo that happened this past Saturday. I’m pleased to say that everything went very well. This ‘having a book out’ business is still very surreal to me and it was hard to believe that people will come out to watch me cook. I enjoyed meeting every single reader and hearing everyone’s stories, and hope to do many more of these things in the near future.
Over that busy week, we had this quick and easy strawberry milkshake quite a bit, since the berries are gem-like and irresistibly sweet this time of year.
There is a Strawberry Milkshake recipe in Sarma Melngailis’ Living Raw Food cookbook that, in my opinion, is the best tasting milkshake on earth. It involves the meat from a young Thai coconut, cocoa nibs and strawberries, which, as you might imagine, makes for a heavenly combination.
Unfortunately, young coconut meat is not an easily obtainable ingredient for the majority of people. I have steady proof of this fact in the form of countless emails and comments with one single question – what does one substitute coconut meat with?
I found that freshly made Brazil nut milk is the next best thing after fresh coconut meat to use as a base for vegan milkshakes. It’s easy to make at home and is perfectly creamy, thick and delicious. Brazil nuts are also known to be very rich in selenium – an essential mineral to have in our diet – good to know when enjoying this milkshake.
In other news, I will be holding a free Vegetarian Summer Picnic cooking class at the St. Petersburg Rollin Oats Market on June 26th, 6:15pm. To sign up, call 727 821 6825 or email [email protected]
Hope to see you there.
Strawberry Milkshake
to make Brazil nut milk
1/2 cup Brazil nuts – soaked for 2-4 hours
2 cups purified water
Blend the nuts and water in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain through a clean nut bag or cheese cloth, disposing of the pulp. Keep refrigerated.
to make the milkshake
1 1/2 cups Brazil nut milk
2 cups chopped sweet strawberries
1 frozen banana
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
seeds of 1/2 -1 vanilla bean or a splash of a good vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maca powder – optional
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to one day.
Note: When strawberries are really sweet and fragrant, I like to omit banana. That way, the flavors of strawberries and Brazil nuts are more pronounced and the milkshake is lighter. Have your ingredients cold and/or add a few ice cubes.
If you like your milkshakes on the sweeter side, or if your strawberries are not particularly sweet, add 1-3 soft pitted dates and leave in the banana, of course.
Tags: drink, smoothie, strawberry, vegan
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May 31st, 2014
We’re in Russia, cathcing up with family and friends, and loving the abundant local springtime. Paloma’s Russian has improved very quickly, being around her grandma and cousins all the time – I’m one pleased mama.
Spring time here in the Northern Caucasus means blossoming elder trees everywhere. Seeing all this beauty, I remembered about an Elderflower Lemonade from the Vegetarian Everyday cookbook that I’ve been curisous to try.
I loved the whole process – from picking wild elderflowers, to seperating the buds from the stems – overall it was a very aesthetically satisfying process. There is lots of folklore based around the elder tree and its parts are believed to have many medicinal properties.
Elderflowers lend a subtle, perfumey and very summery flavor. For this lemonade, I used local honey, which is bright yellow in color and gave the lemonade a brilliant shade. We’ve been enjoying it in the afternoons, to cool down in a land where air conditioning is rare.
In other news, I’m doing my first cookbook signing and cooking demo at the charming Inkwood Books in Tampa. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there. Visit here for tickets and more info.
Elderflower Lemonade
about 6 elderflower heads
1 lemon – juice and zest
1 lemon – thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey or more to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 cups room temperature water
Mix all ingredients to dissolve. Cover and let infuse at room temperature for 24-48 hours. Strain the flowers and keep refrigerated.
Tags: drink
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April 15th, 2014
Boy, do we have a treat for you today. A few weeks ago, the ladies from a Brooklyn-based juice company Jus by Julie reached out to us about their 3 day cleanse and the possibility of a giveaway. We rarely do giveaways and only when we love and believe in a product. This was certainly the case with Jus. What’s unique about these particular drinks is that they consist of blended fruit and vegetables, with fiber intact. You might be thinking smoothies, and the blended juices are smoothie-like, but much smoother and less creamy than your average shake.
We loved the cleanse – it was much more manageable than normal juice cleanses – it feels as if you are drinking whole meals made of the freshest ingredients. There are six juices a day, and they vary in flavor, which eliminates boredom, which is always my problem with cleanses. And you do feel cleansed and rejuvenated at the end.
Jus creator Julie Maleh is a certified nutritionist and we asked her a few questions:
Hi Julie! In the never ending discussion about what is better for us – juices or smoothies, you’re a big proponent of keeping all the fiber from fruit and vegetables in the glass. What is your take on it?
I strongly believe that keeping all the fiber in the juices is essential because that is what keeps you feeling full and nourished all day long. The fiber also aids in digestion and ridding your body of impurities and toxins. On the other hand, cold pressed juices remove all the fiber and are just comprised of the sugars from the fruits and vegetables, not the fiber.
When reading about the concept behind your juices, I thought they would be much more like smoothies – thick and chunky. After trying them, it turned out that they still very much resemble juice in texture and thickness, which I love. What is the special process you use for making the juice?
We use a unique industrial blender system as opposed to a traditional cold press juicing system in order to retain the fiber and pulp from the produce.
What are your most popular drinks?
Island Coconut, which is made from coconut meat and water, dates, and cinnamon. Chia Berry, made from strawberries, chia seeds, lemon, and pomegranate. And Sweet Spin, made from spinach, kale, pineapple, banana, and mango.
What is your typical day of eating like? How many of your juices do you drink every day?
I start my day with a Morning Glory juice and egg whites, which keeps me full and satisfied until lunch. For lunch, I have a salad with a lean protein such as tuna with a fiber filled carb such as brown rice or quinoa. I like to snack on fruits and veggies in between meals, like apples with almond butter or carrots with hummus. I usually drink half of an Island Coconut juice before dinner. Other half after dinner. For dinner, I have a protein with vegetables and drink the other half of my Island Coconut for dessert. If you really want to feel like you’re indulging, place the Island Coconut in the freezer for an hour or two before and it will taste like creamy, rich ice cream.
Tell us about your cleanse.
JUS by Julie’s cleanse is a good fit for anyone, young or old. Whether someone is juicing in order to detox their body or lose a few extra pounds, it benefits everyone because we don’t give our bodies enough of these nutrients. Our 3 Day cleanse provides easy access to the abundance and variety of nutrients that our bodies crave, plus the fiber needed to satiate us, while flushing out the toxins from our bodies.
And since it’s finally Spring and we’ve got this wonderful smoothie giveaway going, it’s about time to share a good smoothie recipe of our own. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with making smoothies without bananas, which I have nothing against, but really wanted to explore other possibilities. This Avocado Kiwi smoothie is very mildly sweetened and that’s what I like about it. If you prefer sweeter shakes, add any sweetener of choice like soft dates, frozen banana (eliminate ice in this case), etc. The drink is satisfying, creamy, and packed with nutrients – just look at the list of ingredients.
To enter the Jus by Julie 3 day cleanse giveaway, leave a comment here by Monday, April 21st. Update: giveaway is closed, winner – Jasmine Rivera.
And if you aren’t the one lucky winner, the ladies at Jus came up with a 20% off promo code for all Golubka readers, to be used when buying anything on the Jus website – GLBK20JUS 
Avocado Kiwi Smoothie
1 avocado
2-3 ripe, sweet kiwis
about 4 cups packed leafy greens (hard stems removed if using kale and such)
1-2 tablespoons vanilla pea or other vegetable protein
about 2 cups almond milk or more, to the consistency that you prefer
a few ice cubes
Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Tags: avocado, drink, greens, juice
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