Glowing Green Juice

GREEN JUICE! A popular way to get in your greens. That’s why I like it, because although I do love salads, I don’t want to eat them everyday. And this juice I can easily have every morning.

The great thing about green juice is that you can customize it to exactly the ingredients and amounts you like. You can make it with 3 ingredients or 8! Here are some ideas for some favorite produce items you can incorporate in green juices, to name a few:

• Kale • Spinach • Cilantro • Parsley • Celery • Cucumber • Apple • Pear • Pineapple • Ginger • Lemon • Lime

There are various types of juicers out there so if you are thinking about juicing often, do some research ahead of time to see which one is best for your needs. This article by Juicing with G has some helpful tips and info on choosing a juicer. Another great resource I used when searching was Jon Kohler and his YouTube channel DiscountJuicers.com and website: www.discountjuicers.com. That is where I bought mine.

The juicer I use is the Tribest Slowstar Vertical Slow Juicer and Homogenizer (comes with an extra attachment for making nut butters and ice creams!). I really like this one because it has minimal parts which makes it very easy to clean, it extracts almost all the liquids so the pulp is almost dry, and since it is slow with higher horse-power than others you are getting all the liquid from each piece you put in it.

I also want to share some juicing tips:

1. Put in the most water rich ingredient in first (cucumber, apple, celery) so as to get the juicer wet for drier ingredients you’ll put in after (kale, ginger, etc).

2. Rotate which produce you put in at a time. It can be easier on the juicer and also mixes the juice well.

3. Wash and pre-chop all your veggies ahead of time.

4. Don’t push down hard to get food in the juicer - let the juicer take what it can and then use the tamper lightly. Although these machines are powerful, we want to be careful with them because like anything, it can break.

I plan on making this every morning now because it’s so quick and easy. Starting your day with green juice is a great way to get in healthy energy and nutrients in your body first thing.

Ready to see my favorite recipe? Scroll down, my friend!

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They’re all lining up and ready to be JUICED

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Glowing Green Juice

Ingredients

• 1 bunch curly Kale
• 1 handful Parsley
• 1 lemon (cut the rind off)
• 1-2 Apples (depends how sweet you like it - I use one)
• 1 bunch Celery
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 thumb sized piece of Ginger (peeled)

All cleaned, chopped and ready for da juicer. ^_^

Method

1. Wash all produce and chop into medium-sized strips.

2. Place each ingredient into the juicer - rotating between each one.

3. When complete, drink up! Place extra juice in a mason jar for storage up to one day.

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Recipe Stats

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Juicing Time: 10-15 minutes

Cookware Used: Juicer, Strainer, Plater, 1 knife, 1 mason jar for storage

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Results

This is a just a nice, balanced go-to juice recipe. It’s versatile for dealing with people who love getting straight to the point and getting the greens in, or for those folks who need familiar sweet to get em down the hatch. Just vary the amount of apple depending on your taste/audience, and enjoy! Feels so healthy and good for the body.

Goodness.

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Final Spiel

You know…. if you make this, you can tag us @spacenlight on Instagram, hashtag #31NYR, send us a DM showing us your creation, or comment below! We’re on Facebook as well @spacenlight.

ALOHA

– Alexa

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Recipe Credits…

Food Prep by Alexa Wyman [ig: @alexalynx]

Photography by Ryan Lewis and Mika Kirksey [ig: mika.sk]

Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Chia Pudding – Two Ways

Alexa: Today was a busy one for us! We rearranged our entire apartment, which was quite a project that took all day and will bleed into tomorrow. Truthfully though, even though it takes a lot of energy, it seems to give us a lot back. This is one of many things Ryan and I have in common: we love to change up our space frequently. It feels so good to update our environment as we grow and adapt and get clearer on our needs. It feels like you get a change of perspective, and get to have a new home in a way!

So today, since we put so much into the switch, we knew that we had to prepare an especially easy recipe to share, that wouldn’t take much effort to put together. This is a slightly different take on a new classic, chia pudding. Nothing too exotic, unless you haven’t had chia before (in that case you’re in for an even more special treat), but we grind the seeds before soaking instead of soaking them whole.

Ryan: This recipe was gathered from my wise if youthful friend, Ali Washington. She and I met during our forays into raw food community and times at the Woodstock Fruit Festival. We actually haven’t had a ton of time hanging in person, and have built most of our friendship through incredibly vast and deep remote conversations, for years now. We’ve even made a YouTube video or two together for Ali’s channel, Perception Trainers, as well as my own.

I know that this recipe has been a staple for Ali for ages, and added with her experience and passion in the kitchen, I knew it had to be good. Lex and I made it tonight, and yes I was right… it’s delicious.

Ali recommended we make it with spirulina, but since we just offered the Teal Smoothie a couple days ago, I wanted to present a variation. Two actually, as I got the idea to present a duo – vanilla and chocolate, of course.

There’s so many ways to spin this recipe, and it’d be really awesome integrated into a parfait. Anyway, more suggestions below. Let’s get into it…

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This didn’t last long.

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Chia Pudding – Two Ways

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp ground Chia Seeds
• 3 tsp Cacao or Carob powder (omit for Vanilla flavor)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1-2 tbsp Liquid Sweetener of your choice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (you’ll want this in both the plain vanilla and chocolate recipes)
• 2 cups Nut Milk of your choice (can use water too)

Method

1. Combine all dry ingredients: ground chia seed, cacao if using, cinnamon and whisk well

2. Add liquids: sweetener, vanilla, nut milk

3. Whisk well

4. Place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before eating. It will firm up and become thicker.

5. Stir before serving and enjoy!

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Notes

From Ali:

“You can modify it so much - say spirulina as an optional add in, then chili flakes to make it mexican chocolate, add ginger, cardamom and clove for chai, you can add berries, or banana, and even a pinch of really good salt!”

Healthy treats are the best.

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Recipe Stats

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Chill Time: 30-60 minutes before eating

Cookware Used: 1 bowl, 1 whisk, measuring cups and spoons, 1 spoon

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Make both flavors like we did!

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Results

I love how simple and easy this recipe is. It’s such a great dessert, and almost doubles as a palate cleanser. Compared with traditional heavy desserts that just pound you into submission, this is light and refreshing, yet sweet, creamy, and delicious. We enjoyed both flavors a lot. No surprise – chocolate FTW.

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Final Spiel

You know…. if you make this, you can tag us @spacenlight on Instagram, hashtag #31NYR, send us a DM showing us your creation, or comment below! We’re on Facebook as well @spacenlight.

ALOHA

– Alexa & Ryan

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Recipe Credits…

Dish by Ali Washington [ig: aliyah_pt | yt: The Perception Trainers PT]

Food Prep by Alexa Wyman [ig: @alexalynx]

Photography and Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Mediterranean Veggie and Tofu Bowl

This recipe came out surprisingly so delicious. It really was a “clean out the fridge” type of recipe using what we had to cook with.

I actually love the times when I don’t have a plan for a meal, but just see what I already have and create something from it. To be honest, I do it often. We can have fairly busy days sometimes, and although I love to research a meal and execute it, I also love to be able to just throw together a dish intuitively without thinking about measurements or following a specific recipe. That’s where magic happens.

We really want to encourage you to have fun experimenting with food, and not be scared to make something bad. When you use whole, fresh foods you can almost guarantee that you will create a satisfying and tasty meal.

This time I cooked with a little bit of olive oil, but you can also just use vegetable broth if you like. Ryan likes to ‘steam-sauté’ the veggies with water or broth when cooking, then dress the dish with a drizzle of oil (usually healthy ones like olive, flax, hemp, sesame, etc.) when the veggies are done. He says that the oil has more flavor and nutrition when presented raw, and I find this method tastes great and feels really good in my body.

In this blog, we want to portray a variety of meals. Yes, it’s helpful to follow a standard recipe format for certain meals, but it is also nice to get a general idea for a dish and then make it as you like. We want to offer both approaches here, depending on what feels appropriate.

I didn’t mention it below, but you can add hot sauce at the end to your bowl. I got this amazing one today from Wild Brine called Spicy Kimchi Sriracha. Holy cow, please go and try to find this in a grocery store near you, or ask them to order it. Maybe you can order it online. I’m not a huge hot sauce person, but I do like a little sometimes, and this one is next level. Flavor, spice, heat - just all around a great product. It doesn’t necessarily match the flavor profile of the dish, but I’m pretty playful when it comes to that sort of thing.

What is a condiment you like on meals, and is there a specific one you are obsessed with? Let us know and leave comment below! We have a lot of fun trying new products.

Kay, let’s go ahead and cook this now… I’m hungry!

Veggie Love <3

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Mediterranean Veggie & Tofu Bowl

Ingredients:

• Broccolini
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Onion
• Tofu
• Eggplant
• Red Bell Pepper
• Quinoa

• Italian Seasoning
• Red Chili Pepper
• Coconut Aminos / Tamari / Soy Sauce (your preference)
• Vegetable Broth
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Place little bit of olive oil in the pan, you don’t need much.

2. Add small amount of veggie broth.

3. Chop all veggies and sauté in pan until soft

4. Place quinoa and water in a pot and cook. I made 1 cup quinoa / 2 cups water, and cooked on medium for about 10-15 minutes, until the quinoa opens and you see the little sprouts come out.

5. When veggies are almost done, add spices and flavorings. This is really to your taste, so start slow add more as you like

6. Eat it up!

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Chop, cook, serve. Easy as 1, 2, 3!

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Recipe Stats

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes max

Total: 30-40 minutes or less

Cookware Used: 1 pan (or wok), 1 pot, 1 large stirring spoon, 1 plate and spoon per person

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Results

Honestly I started preparing this dish not exactly planning to make a post out of it, but Ryan and I brainstormed a bit and realized we could probably make something share-worthy from what we had. And, end result… we both loved this dish! It was super yummy.

It’s rare for Ryan to not use any condiments, sauces, or sides with pretty much any dish, and when I offered him hot sauce or something for this bowl, he said no, it was great as is! That’s saying something.

We love playing with flavor profiles, and the fact that we had eggplant and broccolini in our fridge steered us to make this Mediterranean inspired ‘stir fry’ so to speak. So I guess it’s sort of a fusion dish, and it was awesome, and so much fun.

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Final Spiel

Again, get comfortable playing in the kitchen. Find joy and excitement experimenting with the food that you are nourishing your brain and body with.

If you make this or your own rendition, you can tag us @spacenlight on Instagram, hashtag #31NYR, send us a DM showing us your creation, or comment below! We’re on Facebook as well @spacenlight.

See you tomorrow! I actually don’t have a specific meal planned, although I have many ideas written down, so I’d like to hear from you guys - what would you like to see or what’s one of your favorite meals / comfort foods? Maybe I will try to make it and share it!

ALOHA

– Alexa

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Recipe Credits…

Cooking and Write - Up by Alexa Wyman [ig: @alexalynx]

Photography and Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Hemp Seed Milk + Teal Smoothie

Introduction

Hemp Seed Milk

I’ve been wanting to make my own hemp milk for ages. 

For one, I know how easy it is to make most plant-based milks, and how much better they are when they’re made fresh versus the packaged kinds.

Secondly, I love hemp seeds. I love their flavor, their texture, their nutrition profile, that their subtle in presence yet packed with mana. 

I actually really like store-bought hemp milk, however they’re generally not sold unsweetened, and I generally avoid unneeded added sugar. I also don’t think milk needs to be sweet; just creamy and rich and with a nice, delicate flavor. Why does it need to taste like it’s been filtered through a kids’ breakfast cereal?

It turns out that hempseed milk is even way easier to make than other nut & seed milks, due to something that I half expected: it doesn’t have to be strained! Although I enjoy the process of squishing and squeezing every last drop out of milk out of a nut milk bag – an experience that hilariously similar to milking a cow’s udders – it can sort of messy and time-consuming process, if simplistic. But with hemp seeds, it’s all good with just the blender, because of the soft texture of the de-hulled hemp hearts. Of course, if using whole hemp seeds in the kernel, you will have to actually milk it. (Have fun! :P)

Honestly, I’d feel like I was slighting you guys if I just put a recipe up here that involves blending seeds with water and a pinch of salt, so what I did was use the hemp milk as an ingredient in our star recipe. Don’t worry, I did include the detailed recipe for hemp seed milk below as well. 

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The Teal Smoothie

The star recipe today is what I’m calling a teal smoothie. Almost everyone these days has heard of green smoothies. They’re special and good for the body in their own right, usually involving blending copious amounts of green vegetables with fruit or otherwise.

The teal smoothie is different. It uses a bright white liquid canvas in our aforementioned hemp seed milk, and brightens the scene a glorious shade of blue-green with ingredients such as BioLumina spirulina, peppermint, cilantro leaves, and frozen blueberries.

The main cause of the hue is BioLumina spirulina. You may be thinking, “Why does he keep saying this new word in front of spirulina? I’ve heard of spirulina. What is BioLumina?” Well, I’ll tell you, of course…

The best spirulina on the planet, IMO.

BioLumina Spirulina

Easily said, BioLumina is the brand name of the spirulina that I always and only use. However, it’s not just that. This particular spirulina comes from the company New Phoenix Rising in Santa Cruz, California. I’m fortunate enough to have connected with these people who – I feel certain enough to say – are offering the best spirulina on the planet. 

There are plenty of science-y reasons why it’s the best, and they’re linked here. Why I feel it is the best is through my own senses and intuition with this product, especially compared to the numerous other kinds and brands of spirulina that I have had throughout the years. It is apparent to me that this is a product and a food that is on just about the highest level of any I have interacted with. It’s color is amazing, it’s smell and flavor are special, and honestly it even makes crazy crop-circle like patterns on the inside of the jar and other things. I swear, it is definitely alive, and I suspect that it has some sort of fantastic sentience or alien information encoded within it. The first time I tried the stuff – a result of the emphatic encouragement from a very trusted friend who’s always steered me in great life directions – I swear, I felt such a high. 

Of course brands & products make promises left and right, but you can’t deny when ya just feel it.

Anyway, I’ll let you do your research and experimentation, but if you’re interested in trying it, you can get it here. I’m fine with transparency in saying, I am affiliated with this company, but its because that’s how their company is structured, and, I believe in it that much. I truly feel that it would be of benefit to the world to get it in more bodies more of the time. The company’s founder is the pioneer of spirulina, Christopher Hills, after all, and his work bringing the algae to relevancy as an amazingly nutritious food source is well documented.

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On another level.

The Teal Smoothie (cont.)

The recipe below is my own take of a clever creation by the same friend who introduced me to BioLumina. Her name is Jen and she’s an wizardess in the kitchen. She came up with these amazing milky creations that consist of a rich base of ingredients and a two stage process where you follow by making a sort of frappé with ice or frozen fruit. 

I’ll offer more derivations off of this template in the future, but today’s is a quick one to mark my first day making hemp milk, and to introduce you all to one of my favorite foods on the planet (again, BioLumina).

Enjoy!

And shoutout to Teal Swan! This recipe isn’t named after her per se, but after naming it I was reminded of her, and I’d say the drink matches her vibe pretty well. I’d say there’s some magic afoot…

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Behold.

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Hemp Seed Milk

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hemp Hearts
• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups Coconut Water

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Method

1. Blend all ingredients on high for about 1-minute, until smooth and incorporated.

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Notes

• The coconut water is optional. You could use water only, or coconut water only for that matter. I just wanted the subtle level of sweetness.

• If you’d like to sweeten it, use sweetener of choice. Lots of people tend to use a few dates for sweetness when making homemade nut milk. Just keep in mind, they will thicken it more. Alternatively, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, sugar, whatever you’d like.

• Vanilla hemp milk is popular. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder.

• For chocolate hemp milk, add a couple tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder

• There are all sorts of flavor possibilities. Use your imagination, and let us know if you come up with anything amazing. ;)

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This comes out a vibrant and beautiful color.

Teal Smoothie

Ingredients

In order of appearance…

• 1 cup Hemp Milk
• 1 tbs BioLumina Spirulina
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean powder
• 1/2 tbs Erythritol or Xylitol
• 1 drop Peppermint essential oil (I use doTERRA)
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 cup frozen Blueberries
• 1 tsp Chia Seeds

Method

1. Slice Place in blender: hemp milk, spirulina, vanilla, sweetener, peppermint, cilantro.

2. Blend well.

3. Add blueberries and chia seeds.

4. Pulse blend 3 or 4 times, or until loosely broken down, but still in bits.

5. Serve.

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Time

Pre-prep: 2-3 minutes
Blend time: 1 minute, each concoction
Total: 5 minutes max

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Notes

• This format works with any type of milk. Use your favorite, by all means. 

• This is a pretty healthy dose of BioLumina. They actually recommend you start slow, and work up to one tablespoon, because of its ability to pull radioactivity and other detrimental agents out of the body. Too much too soon could be hard to process. Feel free to half it if you haven’t had spirulina much before. 

• Vanilla Bean powder is a bit of a commodity. I use it here because of the high-vibe profile of this concoction. However, vanilla extract would be totally fine. 

• I love alternative sweeteners Erythritol or Xylitol. They are low-glycemic and erythritol is even calorie free, however their flavor is quite nice, not bitter or odd like lots of alternative sweeteners, and they’re processed from natural ingredients. You can use any sweetener you’d like, though just note that you may have to use more volume to achieve the same level of sweetness.

• Any source of mint is fine – peppermint spirits, whole mint leaves, or other brands of essential oil. I just know doTERRA is especially food grade and excellent quality. However it being only one drop for flavor, I think any brand would be fine. 

• I know, I know… cilantro is a divisive ingredient and some people despise it’s flavor and aroma. Actually, the first time I had it was as a kid at a family friend’s new Mexican restaurant. My dish was served with a side of cilantro rice, and I swear I’ve never been so disgusted before. But I’ve come to love it! So maybe, even if you’re one of those two types of people that steers clear, today could be the day you switch! Or… you can just leave it out. Or replace it with another herb or green leaf. Up to you!

• You can sub a different type of frozen fruit if you’d like, as well. Actually, most times I don’t even use fruit. I just use a bit extra sweetener and a big handful of ice cubes. I was out! But I’m glad… Blueberries just hammered home the nutrition of this drink.

• Chia seeds and frozen fruit / ice are added at the last stage and only pulsed, as we want them to just break down enough to still give us some of their inherent texture in the end result. 

Personalized glasses thanks to Alexa’s mother. Thanks Angela! ^_^

Results

This was the first I’ve made this particular version, and it was an instant success. I’ve made so many versions of this drink that I have a real feel for it now. I’ll probably share more in the future! There’s a sort of coffee flavor one made with Dandy Blend that is out of this world as well! Stay tuned. :)

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Final Spiel

There’s kind of a lot of information in this post. If you’ve read it all, I’m so impressed and pleased.  

Thanks as always for being a patron of this blog. We appreciate you!

If you make this, please please tag us @spacenlight on Instagram, hashtag #31NYR, and/or send us a DM showing us your creation! We’re on Facebook as well @spacenlight

We’ll see you tomorrow with a new recipe, and every day of January, as we continue 31 New Year Recipes! It’s been a real commitment and stretch for us, and we’re growing so much in this process. And it’s so exciting to have all of these amazing creations coming from our kitchen, hopefully to yours!

As always feel free to make it your own.

ALOHA

– Ryan

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Recipe Credits…

Recipe, Write-up, Photos, and Edit by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

Hemp Milk guidance from Minimalist Baker

Smoothie-Frappé guidance thanks to Jennifer Stickel [ig: @jennmandrews]

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Lentil Bolognese with Sourdough Garlic Bread

We have another pasta dish for you today, and it’s really, really good.

This one comes from our friend Gytis - an amazing plant-based chef, YouTuber and avid cyclist. You may have seen him on his channel, Love The Climb VLOG. There he shares his love for all things food and athletics.

He also started a business here on the Big Island making raw snacks such as flax crackers, kale chips, seasoned nuts, date balls that they sells at farmers markets and natural food stores around town.

He lives nearby us in Hilo with a group of friends. We have regular get-togethers and they’re often hosted at their house, so we are lucky enough to get to try Gytis’s amazing creations at pot-lucks and other types of gatherings. Honestly, pretty much any time we stop by Gytis has something creative he just cooked or prepped (Gytis loves raw food, too).

This past Christmas, he made a vegetable lasagna that everyone was relishing and raving about. I was especially stoked, because I grew up with a partly Italian-American family that prepared lasagna along with other Italian comfort foods during the holidays.

Then, when I went back over a few weeks ago for a UFC fight night with the gang, I geeked out that Gytis was preparing a pasta sauce with a lentil base as well as eggplant our friends’ brought over from their garden. I love recreating dishes that were past comfort foods with plant-based ingredients in a smart way, and I saw this dish has intelligent because it uses one of the foremost plant protein sources, lentils, in place of the ground meat that is in certain pasta sauces.

I recognized instantly what Gytis was going for, and really appreciated it. Fortunately he’s a super generous guy, and just like most of the things he’s whipping up when we visit, he made enough for everyone and let me help myself.

Besides the great flavor and composition of the dish, there was one big surprise. I’m into spice, but when I tasted it I realized that it was 5-alarm hot! Gytis apparently can hang when it comes to spice tolerance. Good to know…

But don’t worry, we nudged the cayenne way down here for our palates and the ‘common folk’. And of course feel free to omit it, or double it back to my man Gytis’s level. As always, up to you!

Also, modify it to your liking, and however you take your sauce, as well as choice of pasta.

We served it over traditional spaghetti, for a change, though we personally tend to prefer higher protein / gluten-free pastas.

We also made garlic bread with a sourdough loaf, and included that quick recipe below as well.

Alright, it’s about that time…

Mangiamo! (Let’s eat!)

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EDIT: Apparently, to my new knowledge, there’s a classical Neopolitan dish from Southern Italy called Pasta e Lenticchie that features a lentil-tomato pasta sauce. I wasn’t familiar with this dish, but soon after sharing the post, I realized, “Hey, Italians are amazing culinary artists, and they love lentils. Um, this has got to be a thing already. Let’s look it up…” And sure enough. So “Bolognese” may be a sort of misnomer, but to honor my former ignorance, and to bring attention to this dish, I’ll leave it for now.

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Such a pleasant texture + flavor combo.

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Lentil Bolognese

Ingredients

In order of appearance…

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 cups water
• 8 oz pasta sauce
• 1/2 eggplant chopped 
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped

• 1-lb Pasta of choice

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Method

1. In a large pot, begin by cooking lentils with the water.

2. Bring to a boil and simmer with the veggies, spices, salt, pasta sauce.

3. Mix and cook until veggies are limp.

4. Add cilantro last and after done cooking.

5. Cook pasta according to package directions. :)

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Sourdough Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of Sourdough Bread, sliced or cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup Butter (plant-based or regular, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Method

1. Slice bread or cut it lengthwise.

2. Soften butter by leaving out of refrigerator, or warming it a bit.

3. Mince garlic, and mix with softened butter.

4. Spread garlic butter on bread, and sprinkle with salt.

5. Broil or toast for about 5 minutes, until browned to your liking.

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Time

Pre-prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Total: 30-40 minutes

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The new classic breakfast.

Results

Gytis knows what he’s doing and this is an easy, nutritious, and super delicious recipe, as are all of his. If you like Italian food and traditional tomato or meat sauce, I think you’ll totally love this one, and want to make it repeatedly.

Final Spiel

I’d love to see what other ideas you have in store for this recipe and how to use it. Please tag us @spacenlight on Instagram or Facebook or message us direct at aloha@spacenlight.com.

ALOHA & MAHALO

– Ryan & Alexa

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Recipe Credits…

Recipe by Gytis Litvaitis [ig: @ilovetheclimb | yt: Love The Climb VLOG]

Cooking & Write-up by Ryan Lewis & Alexa Wyman [ig: @alexalynx]

Photos by Mika Kirksey [ig: @mika.sk]

Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Matcholena Smoothie (Matcha-Turmeric-Hemp)

This is definitely not your typical smoothie. And, to be honest, this MAY be controversial… I don’t generally like smoothies all too much. It’s not like they taste bad; I just find them, on average, to be rather one-note, and uninteresting in terms of a gustatory experience.

This, however, is a beautiful, thick beverage that, sure, has a base of fruit and nut milk, but in this case it’s actually a clever application of traditional, medicinal ingredients that are the flavor stars of the show (as “boosts” or “add-ins”). 

This well-designed concoction is the creation and daily staple of my good friend & mentor, Jon Taguchi. It was made with the intention of powering his body and brain in an efficient way so he could spend more time focusing on his trades of design & woodwork.

I really encouraged that we feature it, because just like many of what Jon makes, I find it genius. It may be the only smoothie I’ve had that plays on just about every flavor. 

Lots of smoothies are sweet and tangy, and this one has those elements, too, as it uses frozen banana and mango as well as sweetened hemp milk as its base. However it also introduces a pronounced bitter element with matcha green tea and fresh turmeric (“olena” in Hawaii); spicy with fresh ginger and black pepper; astringent and umami from the matcha ; salty from hemp seeds; and even floral and smoky elements from the heavy hand of cassia cinnamon and the touch of vanilla.

In addition to this well-rounded tastebud symphony, the multi-faceted nature of this gem recipe includes the distributed profile of fat (hemp + coconut), sugar/carbohydrate (fruit, sugar in hemp milk), protein (hemp), and caffeine (matcha).

And even another layer of intelligence is in the duo of inspiration that melds quite in the middle of a matcha latte and a golden milk. I’m telling you… this guy is a master! And food isn’t even his medium!!

Okay, I’ll stop gushing now, and introduce you to the recipe so you can become a protégé, too. 

Also, Jon typed this recipe out, and I think I’ll leave it in the terms he described it so you can receive the full gift of how his brain works. ^_^ My notes in brackets…

These hands make good things. This muted golden-green smoothie, for one.

MatchOlena SmoOthie  

Ingredients

1 Huge Heaping tsp [2 tsp] - Matcha
1 Pinky [2-inch piece]- Fresh Tumeric (Olena) 
1 cc [cubic centimeter] - Fresh Ginger 
2 Small [frozen is best] Apple Bananas [equivalent of 1 large regular Banana]
1 Big handful [1 cup] Frozen Mango
1-1/2 C[up] Vanilla Hemp Milk 
5 Shakes [1 tsp] Cinnamon 
1 Pinch [1/4 tsp] Black Pepper [“3 turns on the pepper grinder”]
1/2 tsp Coconut Oil 
Not too much, but enough Water

All laid out for ya. :)

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Method

Blend well. [Up to 1-minute in a VitaMix or more in a less-powerful blender]

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Other Options: 

—splish splash of vanilla extract [or bean powder]

—sub coconut water instead of water and coconut oil [This would make it sweeter]

—add 2 heaping Tbsp raw cacao 

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Time

Pre-prep: 5 minutes
Process time: 1 minute
Total: 7 minutes

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A moment of simple satisfaction.

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Results

I haven’t had to make this myself, because, fortunately, Jon is currently my housemate, and he’s generous at heart. But I have been exposed to him tweaking the recipe to perfection and beyond, especially since I asked him if we could share it with the world on our new blog. He and I have a lot in common, and one is that we like to tinker with our projects probably way passed what is necessary. I’d like to think there is at least a little magic to that…

Well, this post is winding down but don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of Jon and his handy work. I hope to feature his inspirations regularly here, as he is indeed part of the extended Space & Light team.

Final Spiel

Thanks for tuning in!

I want to give big kudos and appreciation to all of you guys who have made our recipes and sent em our way. Please keep doing that! It fuels our fire.

If you share our recipes or your own creations inspired by our posts, please tag us! @spacenlight and/or #31NYR on Instagram/Facebook.

Comment below, and tell us…
What recipe would you love to learn to make at home that is too daunting to face?
Maybe we can simplify it for you!

For other types of inquiries, hit us up direct at aloha@spacenlight.com

Love ya bye!

ALOHA

– Ryan

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Recipe Credits…

Dish by Jon Taguchi [ig: @jon.taguchi]

Photos by Mika Kirksey [ig: @mika.sk]

Write-up & Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Mushroom Gravy & Poultry-Seasoned Tofu

And we’re back for day 11 of our 31 New Year Recipes! As you’ve seen, we have actually have TWO recipes today. But we’re counting it as one because they were made for each other. ^_^

We are making a mushroom gravy and poultry-seasoned tofu. Let me tell you my history with this gravy recipe, then Ryan will chime in with his tofu…

Gravy happened every holiday in my house growing up and sometimes on special occasion throughout the year. I guess because we ate it rarely, it was special for me. We usually ate the store-bought version, which was really good but when I got older I experimented in the kitchen more and I wanted to make a more wholesome version.

A lot of my recipes are culminations of dishes that I have seen and made throughout the years. I really love to play with food and make delicious creations in the kitchen. Sometimes I get inspired by other people’s recipes, other times I make up my own, and a lot of times it is a combination where I spin off of peoples ideas and add my own ‘flavors’.

This gravy has inspiration from when I was cooking a lot back at home in Maine, and also includes a new element from my more recent life in Hawai’i.

In Maine, I would love to put red wine in my gravy; just a little bit, to give it deep flavor and that something special. And now in Hawaii, I got inspiration from when I worked at Sweet Cane Cafe and we would make poi gravy there. Their recipe is great and they make it there on special occasions.

If you don’t know what poi is, let me explain… In the Polynesian islands, a starchy root vegetable called taro is a staple food. When taro root is steamed and mashed with a native tool called a “poi pounder”, it turns into a pasty substance that is cherished here. You can have it alone, as a side, on meals, or in them - like this recipe!

So if you are lucky enough to have access to it, make it with poi. And we realize that’s not likely, as poi isn’t available everywhere, but it’s ok, because it is still a solid recipe without it.

Now let’s hear Ryan’s take on this bomb new tofu recipe he just created…

Makes my belly happy too.

A lot of people roll their eyes at tofu because of its blandness, and honestly I can’t disagree. However, I think what is first seen as a weakness can be made into a strength.

My approach with this dish illustrates the fact that –since it is such a ‘neutral’ protein, similar to chicken breast – tofu is actually quite versatile.

The concept here was to make tofu have a poultry-like presence, and to give Alexa’s amazing mushroom-poi gravy the perfect subject to make shine.

I used a relatively gentle marinade that is enough to make the tofu more tasty on its own, yet subtle enough so it becomes the perfect vehicle for our light brown gravy.

In this instance I didn’t have much time to let it marinade, but it most definitely did the job with only about an hour to soak in the juices. I am excited to cook up the rest of it tomorrow after a full night absorbing flavor. And then our leftover gravy will just set it over-the-top.

Without further ado… Let’s get into it!

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So fresh.

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

In order of appearance…

• 1 small Onion
• 2 stalks Celery
• 1 1/2 cups Crimini Mushrooms
• 1/2 tbsp Oil (I used avocado oil this time)
• 1/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
• 1 tsp Tamari
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 cup Milk*
• 2 tsp Red Wine
• 1/4 cup Poi

 Suggestions:
• Again, any milk works good - I’ve use almond, macadamia, coconut

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Method

1. Dice the onion, mushrooms, and celery and sauté on the stove with oil until soft. You can add the poultry seasoning here while cooking

2. When done, add the sautéed veggies to the blender with the rest of the ingredients: tamari, salt, pepper, milk, wine, and poi, if using

3. Blend well and serve over your favorite dish!

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Time

Pre-prep: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Total: 20-30 minutes

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The paprika gives it a beautiful color and flavor. Feel free to use smoked paprika too.

Poultry Seasoned Tofu

Ingredients

In order of appearance…

• 1 cup Water
• 1 tbs White Miso
• 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
• 1 tsp Ginger Powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Spike seasoning
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1 block (16-oz.) extra super firm Tofu

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Method

1. Heat water to a near boil. 

2. Add miso and whisk until dissolved.

3. Add spices and whisk.

4. Slice tofu to desired thickness, around 1/4” – 1/2” recommended.

5. Lay tofu in one layer on dish with a rim, and pour marinade evenly overtop.

6. Let sit at least 1 hour in the fridge, flipping once halfway through. The longer it sits the more it will soak up flavor. 

7. Put a little oil or butter in a pan on medium heat, and sautée tofu until it browns.

8. Flip each piece and brown the other side.

9. Serve.

Suggestions:

• Some complementary sides include cooked or pickled vegetables, mashed potato, rice, sauerkraut.

• Also would be prime served atop a salad, or as the meat in a sandwich.

• Think of it as a chicken/turkey replacement, and you’ll figure how to use it. ;)

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Time

Pre-prep: 15-25 minutes to prep sauce and tofu (plus 1 hour for marinating tofu)
Cook time: 10-13 minutes
Total: 35-40 minutes to prep and cook, (plus 1 hour for marinade)

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Results

The gravy isn’t a special occasion type of recipe anymore. :) You can eat it any time and as often as you want; that’s what it has turned into for me. I made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas and here I am in January making it again. It’s that good.

And the poultry-seasoned tofu, straight winner as well. It’s delicious by itself but also very versatile for use in many ways. We will be making this again very soon. Maybe even in a sandwich or salad tomorrow…

Final Spiel

Do the thing and tag us @spacenlight on Instagram or Facebook or hit us up direct at aloha@spacenlight.com.

ALOHA

– Alexa & Ryan

Enjoy.

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Recipe Credits…

Cooking & Write-up by Alexa Wyman & Ryan Lewis [ig: @alexalynx | @rylewx]

Photos by Mika Kirksey [ig: @mika.sk]

Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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Macaroni & Cashew Cheese

This recipe is really special to me, because I grew up loving macaroni and cheese – usually the Kraft kind – but my body did not agree. Yes of course it tasted good, but it was filled with unneeded things that I could feel were doing harm to my body.

I found out that I was terribly lactose-intolerant, and unfortunately it took years for me to figure out that I had this allergy to dairy. When I ate it, I would end up in bed for hours with the really bad stomach aches and other not-so-fun symptoms. I tried switching to lactose-free milk & dairy products, but it still caused issues with my digestion and skin. 

Years later, I moved out of my parents house and went to college. This is when I finally began cooking for myself, and things actually started to change for the better. I became inspired by a class I was in called Environmental Philosophy where we talked about our impact on the Earth. I made the connection that my dietary choices were affecting me, others, and the planet. I decided overnight that I was going to become vegetarian.

It took me another week to ween off dairy, as I just had a feeling (and a desire) that it would make me feel better. It’s been over 6 years now, and I can say I truly don’t miss those things, especially when I can make or buy amazing alternatives.

When I first made the transition, it was difficult to say goodbye to my favorite foods, for sure. But, it inspired me to create them for myself, though it would have to be in new ways.

That’s how this recipe was formed…

Comfort food can be healthy too!

I am proud to say this recipe is a straight winner. I have served it many times to people with all kinds of diets, and just about everyone has thoroughly enjoyed it, many expressing their surprise, and complimenting me for this creation.

Of course, you can make the classic macaroni and cheese, like I love to do, or you can put it over vegetables, or whatever you can think of that a cheese sauce would go on. 

Okay, without further to-do, let’s get into this… Oh wait, Ryan wants to say something…

“Okay, so I just want acknowledge that there are other cashew cheeses and plant-based cheese alternatives out there, and lots of them are great, but what is really special about this one is that it is also comprised of not just healthy fats and seasoning, but whole steamed veggies in the form of onions and carrots. The flavor’s excellent, but I suspect and like to think that a big reason people react so positively to it is because it has nutritious ingredients that satisfy deeper parts of the body & soul.”

Thanks Ry :) Okay, NOW let’s get into this creamy, rich, golden goodness!

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Yummmm.

Cashew Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

In order of appearance…

• 8-16 oz Pasta (this recipe will cover 16 oz. but if you make 8 oz you’ll have some sauce leftover for other uses! We love red lentil and chickpea pastas)
• 1-2 Carrots
• 1 small Onion
• 1 cup Broth or Water (I used the broth Ryan made yesterday on the Split Pea Soup recipe)
• 1 1/2 cup Cashews
• 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
• 2-3 Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Mustard
• 1 tbps Lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• dash of Cayenne
• 1/2 cup plant-based Milk
• 1/4 cup Water

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Method

1. In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Once boiling, add pasta and cook al dente (7-8 minutes).

2. In a smaller pot, boil the chopped carrots and onion in water or broth until veggies are tender.

3. In high powered blender add cashews, nutritional yeast, turmeric powder, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, almond milk, and water

4. Add the boiled carrots and onion with cooking liquid to blender and blend on high until it becomes a smooth consistency. 

5. Pour cheese over, really whatever… Eat it by itself, I won’t judge.

Suggestions:
• Let the cashews soak in the hot carrot and onion cook water when it’s all in the blender for a small period of time to soften the cashews and make it easier to blend - a few minutes is fine.
• Really any milk works good - in the past I’ve use almond, macadamia, coconut, and hemp.

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Time

Pre-prep: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Total: 20-30 minutes

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Mmmmm cheeeesey….

Results

I personally think this is best vegan cheese you can make, and with the overwhelming feedback I’ve gotten in the past from friends and family, I know you’re going to love this.

Final Spiel

Seriously, make this. And when you do, tag us @spacenlight on Instagram or Facebook or holler at us direct at aloha@spacenlight.com.

ALOHA

–Alexa

Can you feel the pride? :P

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Recipe Credits…

Cooking & Write-up by Alexa Wyman [ig: @alexalynx]

Photos by Mika Kirksey [ig: @mika.sk]

Edits by Ryan Lewis [ig: @rylewx | yt: Rylew]

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