Mermaid Parfaits via The Ashram Cookbook
This Recipe was adapted from the THE ASHRAM COOKBOOK: The Way We Eat. I was gifted this book as a holiday present from my boss- recipes, hippy-sounding cultish health retreats, and mostly vegan ingredients - she clearly knows me well. If cults and good food also peak your interest and you perhaps also binge watched WILD WILD COUNTRY like some people I know, read this Bon Appetit article and get cooking (and doing yoga obviously).
I love this recipe for many reasons, but what initially peaked my interest was the inclusion of schisandra berries which I a) love b) have already c) have a hard time finding new ways to use. Shisandra is such a unique tasting berry and very medicinal. In Chinese Medicine it is often used, and its name in Chinese actually means “five taste fruit” because it includes all five tastes- sour, sweet, bitter, warm, and salty- seriously an interesting tasting fruit. It is an adaptogen, so it adjusts to the bodies needs of energy or relaxation and supports liver function, which can help to balance out wonky hormone levels.
This recipe was adapted from the original for personal taste, ingredients I had available and to make a larger batch as I was feeding a group of women during my latest CYCLE.Basics workshop. This serves 7-9 as a decent sized snack, so feel free to half this recipe if you’re just making it for you and…. well, maybe just you because everyone else thinks you’re very weird for eating such strange green slimy concoctions you made from a book written by some cult members ;).
***just teasing, The Ashram is not a cult, read the article
Recipe for Mermaid Parfaits
adapted from THE ASHRAM COOKBOOK: the Way We Eat
Green Coconut Cream
2 cups homemade nut milk (I used Brazil Nut)
4 packets of frozen young thai coconut (find in the smoothie packet section of the freezer section)
2 tsp raw honey
1 pinch vanilla bean powder
1 tsp good vanilla extract
2 tsp Hawaiian Spirulina
2 tbsp chia seeds
Strawberry Schisandra Sauce
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1/2 wild blueberries (or more strawberries)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp schisandra berry powder
1 tsp honey or 2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp chia seeds
To Assemble
Fresh Berries
Chocolate covered hemp seeds (or plain hemp seeds or sliced almonds would be nice)
Directions | to make the coconut cream, blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours so it thickens into a pudding like consistency. To make the Shisandra Strawberry Sauce, blend all ingredients except the chia seeds. Taste and adjust sweetness as desire by adding more honey or maple syrup. Stir in chia seeds and let sit out for 10-15 min, then stir again to prevent any large clumps from forming. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours to thicken. If it becomes too thick and clumpy, just add more lemon juice or water to thin it and allow to sit for 15 or so more minutes to even out.
To Serve | add a few berries to the bottom of a small parfait dish or bowl- something glass is nice so you can see all of the layers. Spoon on a good amount of the green cream then top with a handful of berries, a generous drizzle of the strawberry sauce, and a few chocolate hemp seeds for good measure and crunch. Enjoy!