Unity Vibrations Kombucha and other pretty things

I have been playing around with bacteria again, surprise surprise. I have been attempting to make kombucha for about 2 months now and I cannot seem to get it right! I have no idea what I'm doing wrong and it's very very frustrating. Luckily, there is a Brew-Your-Own Kombucha workshop this Thursday that I am very excited to go to (thank goodness for the Ann Arbor Free Skool...)!

Straight chillin above my fridge.

But while I wait, I am very happily sipping on Unity Vibrations Kombucha! I fell in love with this stuff last summer and the Kombucha Scare of 2010 (when all kombucha had to be taken off the shelves because the alcohol content was too high bahaha) was a very dark time in my life. Unity Vibration's kombucha is made by a couple that live in Ann Arbor (this is the cutest love story in the world) and they use local ingredients from the AA farmers' market which I am obviously in total support of!

As the kombucha started coming back on the shelves after a change in the fermentation process that prevents the formation of alcohol, I still could not find the UV kombucha for the life of me! Until 2 weeks ago. Apparently UV did not want to change their fermentation process because they believe that it  hurts the bacteria that grows in it so they instead filed to be a beer so they can keep the 1.5% alcohol content! I think that this is hilarious. It also means that they can only be sold at places that have a liquor licence. Meaning not the People's Food Co-op, but instead Everyday Wine! They don't carry my favorite flavor, Cranberry-Clementine, but I am working on that ;)

Moving on to the other pretty things...

Freezing fruit and mint in ice cubes!

Because it makes things prettier...

...and who doesn't want to make the world a little prettier?

Already gone :(

Sweet Potato Ravioli Stacks

Boy do I love playing with my food. The colors of this far from traditional lasagna makes playing way too easy.

Based off of Rawxy's Ravioli Stacks who I currently have a blog crush on.

Sweet Potato Ravioli Stacks

Ingredients:

1/2 of a sweet potato

4-5 T Goaty Seed Cheese (recipe below)

4-5 T Spinach "Ricotta" Stuffing (recipe below)

1 T salt

Directions:

Slice the sweet potato as thin as possible with a mandolin or a sharp knife and steady hand.

Dissolve the salt in water and soak the sweet potato slices for 2 hours.

Rinse the salt off of soaked slices.

Layer the cheeses between the sweet potato slices.

Garnish* as you wish and enjoy!

*Try lemon zest, pesto mixed into olive oil, chopped olives, parsley leaves...

Goaty Seed Cheese

Raw vegan and based off of Melody's recipe.

Purple from using homemade red cabbage sauerkraut!

Ingredients:
1 c raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours
1 c sauerkraut (if you don't make it yourself, make sure it's unpasteurized)
2 T miso (make sure it's unpasteurized)
2 t Dijon mustard
1 t apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Spoon into a bowl and cover with something breathable (cheesecloth, dish towel...).

Allow those lovely bacteria cultures to proliferate!

...AKA let it ferment on the counter overnight.

Spinach "Ricotta" Stuffing

Raw vegan and also from Rawxy

Ingredients:
1.5 c sunflower seeds, soaked

3-4 c packed spinach

1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water for at least 10 minutes
1 T kalamata olives

1 garlic clove, chopped
2 T nutritional yeast
1 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 T dried Italian herbs
3/4-1 c water (enough to move in blender)
sea salt to taste

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients except the water and salt in a food processor or blender.

Slowly add in enough water to create a smooth and creamy texture.

Taste and add salt to your liking.

 

Oreo-style

Sauerkraut Update

Remember how I made sauerkraut in December? Well after almost two months of fermentation, it's AMAZING.

 December 6, 2010

January 25, 2011

About 2 weeks into the process, I sampled it and it just tasted like overly salty cabbage and I was disappointed/let-down but just left it on my counter to do it's thang. I'm so happy that I did because it tastes exactly like sauerkraut should! Plus I made it myself (so gratifying) and it's not pasteurized so all that good bacteria is alive and flourishing and will soon be in my tummy.