Making summer extra special.

Summer is nearly here, and the spring surely knows it but letting us taste some hot and sunny weather.

With all my love for cheese, I find that dairy is a bit too heavy , in summer especially. When it's hot and cooking outside, my body wants something light, refreshing, energizing. 

Here are some of my summer savers.

 

Peach Pie Popsicles:

1 Cup almond milk
1 Frozen banana, peeled chopped
2 Large peach, seeded diced
½ Teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon agave
Pinch of cinnamon

Step one:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or desired consistency.
Step Two:
Pour into popsicle tray and freeze until set (3-6 hours) enjoy.

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No-Bake Coconut Kefir Cheesecake

Cookie Crust:

10 Ounces Vegan Wafer Cookies*, to Make About 2 Cup Crumbs
6 Tablespoons Margarine or Coconut Oil, Melted
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (Optional)

Kefir Cheesecake Filling:

1 6-Ounce Container Vanilla Coconut Milk Yogurt
2 Cups Original Coconut Kefir
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Agar Agar Powder
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Arrowroot
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

{I will be adopting mine to raw in this recipe - if you are interested, I can teach you how!}

First, finely crush your cookies so that they’re about the texture of almond meal, and mixing in the cinnamon if using. I find that a food processor helps to get a better texture, but you can also smash them in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl, and stir in the melted margarine or coconut oil, making sure that you moisten all of the crumbs and leave no dry patches in the mixture. Lightly grease a 10-inch round springform pan, and press the crumb mixture into the bottom, smoothing it out evenly with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Place it in the refrigerator for the time being.

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut yogurt, coconut kefir, and coconut milk. Separately, mix together the agar, sugar, and arrowroot in a small dish, being careful to evenly distribute all of the dry ingredients. This will help to prevent lumps from forming. Slowly sprinkle this dry mixture into the saucepan while vigorously whisking, until you’re certain that it’s all been incorporated, and there are no clumps lurking on the bottom of the pan, too.

Turn on the stove to medium heat, and whisk occasionally (but don’t walk away!) as it comes up to temperature, until bubbles break on the surface and it feels significantly thickened. Turn off the heat, whisk in the vanilla, and retrieve your chilled crust. Pour the cooked filling into your springform pan, and tap it a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles and to even out the top.

Let cool COMPLETELY at room temperature before moving the cheesecake into your fridge to chill;  Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

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 Lavender Citrus Cordial 

Ingredients:

• 6 cup sugar
• Zest of 6 citrus, in large pieces of peel
• 4 cups fresh citrus juice
• 2 cup water
•  2 cups lavender or some other herb you want to cordialize.

Method:

• In a large pot bring sugar, zest, juice, and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.  Add the herbs and let the syrup infuse for at least 15 minutes.
• Meantime prepare your canning jars.
• Strain syrup through a fine sieve, squeezing out as much syrup as possible from the herb leaves before discarding them.
• Boiling water process for 10 minutes.
• *for those that are interested :  serve with vodka and a splash of soda water, or just soda water if you prefer!   {sourse}

  

I hope you love it! I know we do around here! 

DO YOU HAVE A SUMMER FAVORITE? PLEASE, DO SHARE!

PS: FEATURE: if you { or a story about someone } would like to be featured in Living Notes from NYC Live Your Dream series, please email me by Sunday.