Homemade Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin+Spice

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 5-15 MIN

Pumpkin spice is one of the flavors most strongly associated with the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. It is commonly added to lattes, pumpkin breads and soups. Pumpkin spice is very easy to make at home and takes just 5-15 minutes, depending on whether you are starting with whole spices or ground spices.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

  • 2 tsp. ground ginger

  • 1 tsp. ground cloves

  • 1 tsp. ground allspice

  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients into a small bowl. If necessary, use a coffee grinder to grind whole cloves. Use a small grater to finely grate whole nutmeg. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Pumpkin spice ingredients

Pumpkin spice ingredients

Homemade Hawaiian Fruit Punch

Healthy Hawaiian Fruit Punch

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 5-10 MIN

PASSIVE PREP TIME: 30 MIN

When I was in college, I was addicted to Hawaiian Punch fruit punch. I would purchase it from the vending machine in my dormitory and drink it almost every day. Little did I know how dreadfully unhealthy this punch was – and how much refined sugar, artificial flavors and synthetic colors it contained!

Hawaiian Fruit Punch: A Nightmare Of Artificial Flavors

Here are the ingredients for Hawaiian Fruit Punch Juicy Red, the flavor that I most likely drank in the early 1990s:

Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, And Less Than 2% Of: Concentrated Juices (apple, Clarified Pineapple, Passionfruit, Orange), Fruit Purees (apricot, Papaya, Guava), Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Citric Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Pectin, Acacia Gum, Ester Gum, Red 40, Blue 1, Sucralose, Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Hexametaphosphate (preservatives).

I won’t bore you with the reasons why most of these ingredients are junk. This is just common sense.

But there is a much more sensible, healthy and consciously kosher way to make a fruit punch that is reminiscent of that treacly Hawaiian Fruit Punch Juicy Red.

Why Make Your Own Hawaiian Fruit Punch?

Homemade fruit punch is refreshing and nutritious. It is also incredibly simple to make. And it comes from a source hidden in plain view within your fridge: The overabundance of fruits that sneak up on us each week.

In my fridge this week, we’ve got apples, nectarines, peaches, even a few squishy pluots and apricots. Rather than allowing all that delicious organic fruit to ripen too much and then throwing it away, why not cook it into what the Eastern Europeans call kompot? This refreshing homemade beverage is quite popular in Eastern Europe and the Slavic countries. It is made by boiling the fruit in water, then straining and drinking the infused syrupy liquid.

What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of This Homemade Punch?

There are two major benefits to making your own Hawaiian Punch fruit punch, a.k.a. kompot:

  1. It’s a super-healthy and refreshing alternative to sodas, store-bought fruit juices, sweetened juice-like beverages and other sugary drinks

  2. It’s eco-conscious, as you avoid throwing away fruit that has gotten too ripe to eat fresh

In addition, there are various vitamins and minerals that get transferred from the fruit to the water, including vitamin C, antioxidants, magnesium and potassium. These of course will vary by the fruits that you choose to cook.

The Ingredients

The ingredients are approximate.

  • 1/2 gallon water (filtered or spring)

  • 3 large Ceylon cinnamon sticks

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves

  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice

  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 2-3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or substitute raw honey)

  • 6-10 ripe and pitted fruits, including but not limited to peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, apricots, apples (Fuji or Gala), Asian pears and strawberries

The 5 Steps To Making Homemade Hawaiian Punch Kompot

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil

  2. Pour in the coconut sugar and the spices

  3. Wash the fruit well, slice it in halves (or quarters), remove the pits and/or seeds and add the fruit to the boiling water mixture

  4. Simmer for 30-40 minutes with the lid slightly ajar, then remove from the heat and let it cool

  5. Filter the liquid from the fruit, using a fine mesh sieve

  6. Bottle the liquid and serve chilled

  7. Serve the fruit with non-dairy yogurt or parve ice cream

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By enormous contrast to the artificial Hawaiian Punch that I guzzled in college, the minimal amount of sugar in this beverage (it comes out to about a teaspoon for every cup of water) gives it some sweetness to complement the mild tartness of the infused liquid. In addition to adding some flavor, the sugar acts as a maceration agent to pull water, flavor and aroma out of the fruit. (Pickling, ceviche and vanilla extract work in much the same way.) The maceration process not only infuses the fruit with flavor from the water mixture; it also infuses the liquid with flavor and nutrients from the fruit. In this case, the result is a healthy Hawaiian Punch substitute.

As for the fruit that remains, it goes very well with plain cashew yogurt as a snack or a dessert.

A Healthy, Kosher And Refreshing Drink

Making a Hawaiian Punch-themed kompot supplants the need for soft drinks and fruit juice, both of which destroy teeth and spike blood sugar. This beverage consists of a few basic ingredients, all of which are natural. There are no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup and no fruit juice concentrates. And it’s wonderful for kids.

I wish I had known about this healthy Hawaiian Punch substitute when I was in college!

Homemade Kale Chips: Make It From Scratch

Homemade Dehydrated Kale Chips

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 15 MIN

PASSIVE PREP TIME: 10-12 HRS TO DEHYDRATE (OR 1 HR IN THE OVEN)

INTRODUCTION

One of the goals of Consciously Kosher is to encourage consumption of whole foods with minimal processing.

Kid+eating+kale+chips

However, for families with school-aged kids, finding snacks that are both nutritious and appealing can be challenging. Store-bought snacks tend to be highly-refined, ultra-processed foods with little nutritional value. These include potato chips, corn chips, crackers and pretzels.

In my experience with my own kids, I have found the perfect snack to be kale chips. When prepared correctly, they retain crunch, burst with flavor and possess an addictiveness that renders my kids capable of downing an entire head of kale in a 10-minute sitting. A side benefit is that my 6-year-old seems to think that kale chips make his nightmares go away!

These are some of the benefits of kale chips:

  • They energize you. Kale chips won’t give you a stomach ache or make you lethargic from eating too many, unlike conventional chips made from potatoes or corn.

  • They provide incredible nutrition. They are not made from empty, refined carbs and rancid oils high in omega-6 fatty acids.

  • They taste great. The nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor that kids love, while the tamari sauce and miso paste contribute the familiarity of saltiness.

  • They are functional. You can safely indulge in an entire bowl of chips while you bing-watch Shtisel on Netflix!

WHY MAKE YOUR OWN KALE CHIPS?

You could purchase store-bought kale chips. Whole Foods, Erewhon, Cooportunity and Costco all sell them. Even Trader Joe’s has gotten in on the action. They’re a fine option – but they are very expensive and there is not much in the package. Brands include:

  • Alive & Radiant $5.13 for 2.2 ounces ($2.33/ounce)

  • Brad’s Raw Crunchy Kale $4.99 for 2 ounces ($2.00/ounce)

  • Made in Nature $5.99 for 2.2 ounces ($3.00/ounce)

  • Rhythm Superfoods $4.50 for 2 ounces ($1.25/ounce)

  • Trader Joe’s $3.99 for 2 ounces ($2.00/ounce)

On the other hand, you can sometimes find raw, organic kale at Ralph’s for $0.99 per head, or buy it super-fresh at Underwood Farms for $1.75 per head at several L.A.-area farmer’s markets. Sprouts Market also carries it for a similarly low price. With the addition of a few common ingredients, you can make your own kale chips.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

Kale was first cultivated in the Mediterranean during Roman times. It was a staple food in Europe for about 1,500 years.

Nutritionally, kale 🥬 is an exceptional source of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese and copper. It contains ample amounts of potassium and magnesium. It also has the highest levels of the carotenoid lutein of any plant. Lutein plays an important supportive role in protecting the eye from damage by light or oxygen. In summary: it’s pretty good for you.

Eating kale confers a variety of health benefits:

  • DETOXIFICATION Kale, along with other cruciferous vegetables, plays a supporting role in the body’s detoxification system from both environmental and food-related toxins.

  • LOWER LDL CHOLESTEROL Regularly consuming kale may lead to lower LDL cholesterol levels while raising HDL levels.

  • ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES Kale’s unique set of nutrients contributes to relieving oxidative and inflammatory stress. Kale is a concentrated source of antioxidants (carotenoids and flavonoids) and anti-inflammatory (Omega-3/ALA, vitamin K) nutrients.

There are three main types of kale, all of which are easily encountered at a good grocery store:

  1. Flat, wide-leafed kale

  2. Dark, lacinato kale (including “dinosaur” kale)

  3. Curly leafed kale

As Kale is very fragile and its nutrients can be lost easily, proper cooking and preparation are essential. To maximize nutrient retention, minimize exposure to heat, cooking time and contact with cooking liquids. Dehydrating them at low temperatures is the best solution.

THE 5 STEPS TO MAKING HOMEMADE KALE CHIPS

Homemade kale chips may be made with as few as three or four ingredients: kale, sea salt, olive oil and nutritional yeast is a basic recipe. This recipe is a variation with more flavors and a whole lotta crunch.

  1. Wash your kale very well. I recommend soaking or dunking the kale in a bowl of lukewarm water to remove dirt and small bugs, shaking it off and then dabbing it dry with a dish towel.

  2. De-stem the kale and place into a large bowl. The easiest way to do this quickly and efficiently: hold the stem in one hand and pull up from the bottom with the other, tearing off the leaves. Discard the stems (or save them for soup stock).

  3. In a cereal-sized bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Mix well.

  4. Pour the mixture into the large bowl with the kale. Use your hands to massage the kale lightly, taking care not to break the leaves.

  5. Place the kale onto dehydrator racks. Two heads of kale typically takes up at least four racks in my Excalibur dehydrator (or two large racks in an oven). Dehydrate at 118°F for 10-12 hours so the kale remains raw.

DEHYDRATOR USERS When dehydrating, keep in mind that as the water is removed, the flavors will concentrate. Therefore, go easy on the cayenne and the Tamari sauce until you get the hang of the process.

OVEN USERS If you do not own a dehydrator (and I highly recommend getting one!), you can bake the chips in the oven at the lowest temperature setting. One hour should suffice at 185-200°F. Just be sure to turn them over once or twice.

RECIPE

2 heads kale

¼ cup chopped red onion

6 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup nutritional yeast

1½ Tbsp low-sodium Tamari sauce

½ tsp miso paste

⅛ tsp garlic powder

A pinch cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

CONCLUSION

Kale chips are an incredibly nutritious and appealing snack to make for kids. They will enjoy the crunch and the taste without the refined ingredients of store-bought potato chips and other ultra-processed snack foods. And the fresh, whole-food ingredients are surprisingly affordable.

Homemade Grape Juice for Shabbat and Holidays: Make It From Scratch

Grape Juice

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 5 MIN

Introduction

It’s almost autumn and grapes are in season again!

Drinking fresh grape juice on Shabbat is absolutely divine. I load up on the grapes starting in the late summer/early autumn when they come into season and make tons of juice. Then I freeze it in 16-ounce jars. I’ve found that drinking a cup of homemade juice is so much more pleasurable than consuming the treacly store-bought grape juice. In addition to high amounts of sugar (34g/8 oz.), the conventional Kedem grape juice contains sulfites, which I can’t tolerate. But even the organic (and sulfite-free) Kedem (35g/8 oz.) and Lakewood (36g/8 oz.) juices are intolerably sweet, although we always have a bottle or two on hand as a backup.

I switched over to homemade grape juice about two years ago. It’s tough to go back. And, like making your own Shabbat challah, it adds a lovely personal touch to the Shabbat meals that the kids look forward to each week. In contrast to the never-changing flavor of Kedem or Lakewood, making your own juice means that each batch has a slightly different flavor profile: some are more tangy, some are milder. Some are sweeter, some are lighter. You choose the grapes that you like best. Oftentimes, I let my kids decide which grapes they want in their juice.

The Nutritional Benefits of Homemade Grape Juice

Grapes on a Vineyard

Grape juice, when fresh, unsweetened and unfiltered, is incredibly nutritious: it contains high amounts of antioxidant compounds resveratrol and flavonoids, as well as providing dietary fiber via the seeds and the skin. Typically, the darker the grape, the more antioxidants are present. These factors contribute to maintaining healthy blood pressure and reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Grape juice is also a good source of vitamins B6, C and thiamin, in addition to manganese and potassium.

However, these same benefits are not conferred by store-bought grape juice. The grapes in that juice are mostly pulp, and have been filtered, with skin and seeds removed. Similarly, eating grapes is not the same as crushing them into grape juice. On the other hand, the high-speed blending process of making your own juice pulverizes the skin and crushes the seeds, releasing the flavonoids that are otherwise less likely to get properly metabolized.

The 5 Steps to Making Homemade Grape Juice

Homemade grape juice is shockingly easy to make. It requires just three ingredients: grapes, citrus and water.

  • First, procure a good source of fresh grapes. The grapes should preferably be organic, the redder the better, with seeds, skins and even small pieces of stem. The variety doesn’t matter. I’ve used Concord, Thomcord (a hybrid of Thompson seedless and seeded Concord), Scarlet Royal, Autumn Royal, Thompson and Flame.

  • Wash about 1.5 pounds of grapes well in a glass bowl to remove all the dirt, then add the grapes to a 64-ounce high-speed blender container.

  • Toss in a Meyer lemon (preferably organic, because you will use some rind). This adds flavor and retards oxidation. Rinse the lemon well, then cut a 1/8-inch-thick slice and toss (rind and all) into the blender with the grapes.

  • Throw 1.5 cups of filtered water into the blender. The water dilutes the grapes so they aren’t so shockingly sweet. The water also makes the juice go a lot further.

  • Run the blender on high for 45-60 seconds.

The Recipe

Homemade grape juice requires just three ingredients:

  • 1.5 pounds grapes (washed well)

  • A slice of Meyer lemon (with rind)

  • 1.5 cups filtered water

Homemade Grape Juice Is Amazing for Kiddush

Grape Juice

Homemade grape juice is a guilty pleasure. Your family will love it. It will taste delicious, refreshing and fruity. And the blessing before the wine on Friday night and Saturday afternoon – “Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine” – will be more meaningful.

Have you ever made your own grape juice at home? What's your favorite grape juice blend?⁠

Revised on September 17, 2020

Going Nuts with Almonds and Walnuts

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 1 MIN
PASSIVE PREP TIME:
8 HRS TO SOAK (OVERNIGHT) + 24 HRS TO DEHYDRATE

My family and I have become connoisseurs of nuts. We eat them raw as snacks, make non-dairy milk out of them and even pulverize them into non-dairy cheeses, dips and sauces. While they are known to be not only delicious but also very nutritious, I’ve learned that there is an art to properly preparing them to unlock that nutrition.

Let’s start with almonds and walnuts.

Almonds are botanically stone fruits (like cherries, apricots and peaches), so the nut that we eat is technically the seed of the almond fruit. They are also high in monounsaturated fats, just like olive oil, which is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, among many, many other benefits.

Walnuts are true nuts (not stone fruits like almonds). They look like little brains when you crack them open! They are the only nuts that contain high amounts of omega-3 essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA).

We purchase our almonds and walnuts from Nicholas Family Farms in Orange Cove, California. They are tasty & delicious and come raw, organic and unpasteurized.

Why Does It Matter That They Are Not Pasteurized?

Almonds labeled “raw” and purchased commercially, whether at your local kosher market or supermarket chains like Trader Joe’s, will almost certainly be pasteurized. (As far as I can tell, this law does not yet apply to walnuts.) Nearly all almonds grown in the United States, Canada and Mexico are either steam heat pasteurized or fumigated with propylene oxide (PPC) gas, according to a law put into place in 2007 (sources: World’s Healthiest Foods and The Almond Board). Steam-heating almonds may result in nutrient loss due to the heat, while fumigating with PPC gas may leave residue from this probable human carcinogen. One of the two exemptions is for growers that sell almonds directly to customers at local farmer's markets, in limited quantities. So the best place to purchase truly raw almonds is by asking your local organic almond farmer if they pasteurize their nuts.

What’s The Best Way To Consume Almonds And Walnuts?

You might have come across people who soak their nuts before eating them. This is popular in Middle Eastern cultures. There is a good reason for doing this. The hull (the outer coating) of many nuts (as well as the bran of seeds and grains!) contains a substance called phytic acid. This substance functions as an “anti-nutrient” that inhibits absorption of minerals such as calcium iron and magnesium by the body because bodies lack the enzyme to metabolize it. Soaking the nuts deactivates the phytic acid and activates the nutrients.

I usually take a cup each of almonds, walnuts (and sometimes pecans), throw them in a 64-ounce Mason jar with filtered water, and soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Then I rinse and shake a few times to remove the murky brown gunk (you want to throw this away).

Finally, I place them on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 118°F for 24 hours. If you don’t own a dehydrator (which I strongly recommend purchasing; I own an Excalibur), you can use the oven at the lowest setting (ideally 150-170°F or lower) for 6-12 hours. Dehydrating at 118°F preserves the enzymes in the nuts and keeps them “raw”, while higher temperatures render them slightly “cooked”. This process is also more flavorful than unsoaked nuts.

Once they have been activated and dehydrated, they need to be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container so they don’t go rancid from the heat in your kitchen or pantry. I add Thompson raisins to the nuts to make a simple trail mix for my family to munch on while at school, at home or on a road trip.

The Health Benefits Of Preparing Your Own Snacks

Having kids at home and tending to busy work lives can make it difficult to find the time to prepare nutritious food. When you prepare your own food, though, you also gain the health and nutritional benefits that are otherwise lost through processing. Preparing nuts is a simple and effective way to shift from consuming processed snacks to going back to the source of best nutrition.

Almond Milk: Make It From Scratch

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ACTIVE PREP TIME: 10 MIN TO MAKE MILK
PASSIVE PREP TIME:
8 HRS TO SOAK NUTS (OVERNIGHT)

Why Eating Healthy Food Is Important

Every person wants to have enough energy, not get sick too often and maintain optimal functioning of the body. Unfortunately, most food in the typical Western diet – packaged foods, high-calorie, high-sugar, low-fat foods, drains the body of energy and builds toward disease. On the other hand, nutrient-dense, life-sustaining whole foods boost energy, optimize bodily function and heal the body, thus building toward health. In my own experience, I lost 20 pounds, my sinus issues became manageable, the seasonal allergies became a minor nuisance and my energy began to return.

One small example of what changed is that I stopped drinking cow’s milk about 6 years ago, gave up the heavily processed Blue Diamond and Silk almond milks and began making my own almond milk.

The Nutritional Benefits Of Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade almond milk is a refreshing drink to start the day. It doesn’t raise blood sugar. It is far less inflammatory than dairy. It contains the following vitamins and minerals:

  • High amounts of calcium, iron and magnesium, potassium, a bevy of B-vitamins and Vitamin C

  • Vitamin D, which helps in reducing and maintaining blood pressure

  • Vitamin E, an antioxidant that maintains skin health, fights free radical damage and slows the aging process

Almonds also help lower cholesterol naturally while increasing levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. And, if you add fresh turmeric root to it – this is called Golden Milk – it can play a major role in decreasing inflammation.

The Five Steps To Making Homemade Almond Milk

But a nutritional lesson on the benefits of drinking fresh almond milk is not convincing enough to just write about. It is best explained by actually doing it.

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There are five steps to making this delicious beverage at home.

  • First, soak 1 cup of the nuts. Preferably use raw and unpasteurized almonds. I purchase mine from the Sunday morning Farmer’s Market on Larchmont Blvd in Los Angeles. The purpose of soaking them is to remove the phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that binds to certain minerals and slows their absorption by the body.

  • Second, Discard the soaking water and rinse the almonds at least twice, making sure to shake well each time.

  • Third, add 4 cups of water and blend on the highest setting for 60 seconds. A high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or a Blendtec work best.

  • Fourth, strain the milk and set aside the pulp. Although the pulp is very nutritious and hearty, it does not play well in breakfast cereals, smoothies or coffee.

  • Finally, add 2 Medjool dates, 1/8 tsp salt and a teaspoon each of vanilla extract and cinnamon to the filtered liquid. Spin it up again for about 20 seconds. [If you are making this for Passover, you can swap out the vanilla extract (as it’s prohibitively expensive) and add some extra cinnamon. You can also grind your own cinnamon, which is incredibly pungent.]

The Recipe

1 cup raw, unpasteurized organic almonds

4 cups filtered water

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 heaping tsp Ceylon cinnamon

2 Medjool dates

1/8 tsp sea salt

Cooking From Scratch: An Act Of Subversion

I want to close with a quote that really speaks to me about the process of making your own food. Author Michael Pollan, in his book “In Defense Of Food”, writes that “to reclaim this much control over one’s food, to take it back from industry and science, is no small thing; indeed, in our time, cooking from scratch and growing any of your own food qualify as subversive acts.”

Take back your food from the industry! Make it from scratch. Your body and your mind will thank you.