Dairy food is NOT the best and highest source of calcium. We have been led to believe we all need it daily. The majority of the world is not dependent on dairy food for their calcium needs.
Growing up, my boys had problems eating dairy foods, so I had to find alternatives. So many alternative recipes are available in my cookbook which is available here.
Leafy greens such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, bokchoy, spinach, beet tops are some of the more common greens we had daily. I added sea vegetables too (hold onto your yuck factor). Nori (think Sushi) was a common salty snack for them, and I added wakame (think miso soup) and Kombu to many dishes I cooked. All sea vegetables are high in calcium and protein and other important minerals. I added them while cooking beans, whole grains and soups.
So here is a favorite and super healthy dessert I made for them that is topped with cashew cream (dreamy and sweet). The gelatin is made from agar agar, another important high protein sea vegetable that is tasteless and odorless and will jell fruit juice within 2 hours. PS, you can get sea vegetables in any health food store these days or online. Enjoy and write to me if you need more ideas to incorporate sea vegetables (no fishy taste) into your family's meals.
Recipe:
Strawberry Gelatin
(serves 4-6)
his is a simple and healthy dessert that you can serve several times a week and feel good about serving it!
1 quart organic apple juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced (remove green stem)
4 Tbs agar agar sea vegetable
Optional: Garnish with mint leaves
In a medium size pot, bring juice to low boil, add agar agar and half of a pint of sliced strawberries. Reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until agar has melted.
Turn off the heat and add the remaining sliced strawberries. Let gelatin cool for 5 minutes.
Pour into mold or serving dishes, and allow to set in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Serving Suggestion: You can use any natural juice as a base (apple-strawberry is good too) and you can use any fresh fruit in season. I especially like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, and apples. There are so many different kinds of bottled organic fruit juices in the health food store that you can duplicate the taste of most of the commercial gelatins with much healthier ingredients.
Bites of Insight: Agar Agar is a natural, tasteless and odorless sea vegetable that will gel just about any liquid. Agar, on the other hand, is made from several varieties of seaweed that, once dissolved, will set and remain stable for some time. Commercial gelatin is made from the collagen in cow and pig bones, hooves, noses, ears and tissue. These slaughter house remains are first pre-treated with a strong acid to break it down to loosen the collagen protein. Boiling then releases the remaining collagen which is then dried into what we know as gelatin in all the popular fruit desserts.
Cashew Cream
(yields 1½ cups)
This is a very rich and delicious dairy alternative to whipped cream or ice cream. Still high in calories but a great source of fiber and good healthy fat.
1 cup presoaked raw cashews
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs agave or honey or maple syrup
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend on high until creamy, approximately 3-4 minutes. This takes some time to make sure all pieces blended smoothly. It should be smooth and creamy like real cream. Add a little more milk if necessary. This will store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will get stiffer in the refrigerator after a few hours. If it is too stiff, add a little more almond milk and stir.
Bites of Insight: Soaking nuts and seeds in water for several hours makes them easier to digests and process into a creamy product. Always use raw organic, if possible, nuts for your milks and creams. However, if you do not have the time you can make this cream without soaking. You can substitute almonds for this recipe (same quantity). At times, I have added a few raw macadamia nuts with the cashews to make it more buttery.
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