ENJOY SOME VEGAN HEAVEN WITH A SIP OF CREAMY NOG!

 CHEF AJ’S HOLIDAY NOG After experiencing excellent health on a vegan diet for over 36 years, Chef AJ began developing delicious vegan and raw desserts for local Los Angeles restaurants. When people began asking for her recipes, she answered the call by teaching vegan cooking classes with a focus on from-scratch, low fat, no salt, no sugar, and no refined flour recipes.

Chef AJ’s healthy cooking classes developed into the sensational Healthy Taste of LA (HTLA) all-day programs featuring well-known speakers like Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Michael Greger, and Dr. Neal Barnard along with cooking demonstrations by nationally known chefs: Eric Tucker from Millennium, Ann Gentry of Real Food Daily, Eric LeChasseur and Sanae Suzuki from Seed Kitchen, and many more.

To find more information about HTLA visit http://www.chefajshealthykitchen.com

This busy chef travels across the country speaking and doing cooking demonstrations to promote the health benefits of a plant-based diet. She is also known for the zesty, short video presentations she does with Julieanna Hever, RD–The Chef and the Dietitian. AJ’s cookbook Unprocessed created with Glen Merzer features many of the recipes she formulated to teach her cooking classes.

 CHEF AJ’S HOLIDAY NOG

Chef AJ shares her ultra thick, rich, and creamy nog that makes the ideal welcome beverage for a holiday gathering. This delicious nog is also decadent enough to be served as dessert or as an accompaniment to dessert. Make it ahead and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Then, just before serving, give the nog a brief whirl in the blender to make it pleasantly airy.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups or 6 to 8 servings

3 cups almond milk

1 cup cashews

3/4 cup pitted dates, snipped in half

1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla

3/4 teaspoon rum extract

Ground nutmeg for garnish

6 to 8 three-inch cinnamon sticks

Mix in blender. Pour into serving cups and sprinkle a dash of nutmeg into each cup. Finish with a cinnamon stick in each cup. Put the nog-filled cups on an attractive tray and serve.