Super Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy and Lactation

One of my articles is featured this month at www.VegKitchen.com: Super Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy and Lactation--plus get my cashew yogurt recipe!

Very Berry Frozen Yogurt

I was planning to make a batch of Strawberry Frozen Yogurt from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love . . . but didn't have enough strawberries, so I came up with this one and it was GOOD!

Very Berry Frozen Yogurt
The berries can be fresh or frozen.
Makes 1 quart

1 (32-ounce) tub of vanilla yogurt (2 1/2 cups) -- can be dairy or nondairy yogurt
1 cups halved strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
2/3 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or agave syrup, if needed

Combine the yogurt and berries in a blender and process until smooth. Sweeten with the sugar to taste, if needed. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Get cultured-Yogurt

Listen to the first of my Get Cultured soundbytes. This one focuses on yogurt. Below is my recipe for Cashew Yogurt from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook.

Cashew Yogurt

This creamy, nondairy yogurt just takes a few seconds to mix up. The incubation period is 8 to 24 hours depending how warm you keep it.

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Place cashews in blender and grind to a coarse powder. Add water and blend until smooth. It should have a consistency of heavy cream. Pour mixture into a jar and place in warm location (70ºF to 100ºF). Cover with a light towel or napkin. Start checking the yogurt after 6 hours. First you should notice bubbles forming. When it has formed thick curd with a layer of liquid (whey) on the bottom, cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour. When ready to eat, stir the whey and yogurt together. Add a little honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, fruit, or jam if desired. Yogurt will keep refrigerated up to a week.

Makes 2 cups

Note: Choose a place where the temperature will remain constant to incubate your yogurt. I like to fill a small cooler with warm water and place the jar in the water (make sure the water is below the level of the jar). Another good place is on top of the pilot light in a gas stove. As long as the temperature in your house is at least 70ºF, you can place the jar anywhere. Keep in mind, the lower the temperature, the longer the incubation. At 70ºF, it will take about 20 hours.

Cultured Foods

Naturally cultured or lacto-fermented foods contain enzymes and bacteria that help digest food and eliminate wastes. They also build up friendly bacteria in the intestines that aids digestion, supports your immune system, and increases the propagation of vitamin B12.

For more info on these nutritious foods like yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, and lacto-fermented pickles, check out this article in VegFamily Magazine: http://vegfamily.com/whole-family/helpful-bacteria-cultured-foods.htm