Vegan Product Spotlight Below is a list of ingredients that, with a few exceptions, are used in Essentials Online. Many of these ingredients are not raw, but they still may serve a valuable purpose in healthy food preparation. Most of these items can be found and purchased online if you can’t find them in your local natural foods market. Agar Agar is a sea vegetable used as a gelling agent in vegan rec- ipes in place of animal-based gelatin. It is available in blocks, flakes, or ground into powder. Agar Agar is not a raw product, and it must be cooked briefly in boiling water prior to using it in recipes. If using the block or flake, put it into the measured amount of water called for in the recipe and let it stand for a few minutes before bringing it to a boil. If using the powder, simply whisk it directly into the boiling water. Continue to whisk the mixture vigorously while it cooks, then al- low it to cool slightly before blending into the remaining ingredients. Once it has cooled and it becomes firm (about 4-6 hours), it cannot be re-blended. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of flakes, use 1 tea- spoon of ground Agar Agar, since the ratio is 1:3. To create a firm gel, it takes 1 teaspoon of Agar Agar cooked and dissolved in one cup of water to gel 4 cups of total volume. Irish Moss is a raw sea vegetable that can be used to thicken soups, gravies, jellies, creams, pie fillings, and to bind cakes. The gel is slightly softer than Agar Agar gel and can be used in conjunction with it and other gelling and binding agents. The flavor is a little “fishy” so it needs to be used sparingly. To make Irish Moss gel, rinse the Irish Moss sev- eral times to remove any salt or debris, then soak it for 8 -12 hours, and rinse it well several times. Put it in a blender with as little water as possible and blend to form a thick gel. After blending, chill at least 2 hours to set. Store the gel in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze it in ice cube trays, then remove the cubes and put them in an airtight container. They will keep frozen for 3-4 months. Agave Nectar or Agave Syrup is a mild-tasting con- centrated (not raw) sweet syrup made from the juice of the agave plant. Agave nectar is 90 percent fructose and has a much lower glycemic index than honey, maple syrup, or cane sugar. Choose light agave nectar for a mild flavor and dark agave nectar for a molasses-like taste. This is a concentrated sweetener which should be consumed sparingly. Coconut Palm Sugar and Coconut Nectar/Syrup are low-glycemic sweeteners made from the sap of the coconut palm tree. Both of these sweeteners are much lower on the glycemic index (a system that ranks foods on a scale of 1 to 100 on their effect on blood sugar levels) than table sugar. It is not raw, but is considered by many to be a nutritionally superior alternative to agave syrup and it doesn’t cause blood sugar to spike as much as many of the other sweeteners. Coconut Oil is a naturally saturated oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. Co- conut oil is great in desserts and candies because it becomes solid at room temperature and adds a wonderful mild coconut flavor. Be sure to buy virgin cold-pressed coconut oil because it hasn’t been heated at the high temperatures that destroy nutritional benefits and cause free-radical damage to cells in the body (as do all cooked oils). Carob Powder is derived from the carob pod. It is a naturally sweet fruit; low in fat, high in calcium, potassium, iron, and mag- nesium and it contains no caffeine. It has a dark brown flavor and is a common substitute for chocolate, but lacks the characteristic bitterness of chocolate. When using carob in place of cacao, re- duce the amount of sweetener in a recipe by 25%. Cacao Powder and Cacao Nibs are used in raw chocolate desserts and considered healthy alternatives to conventional co- coa. Raw cacao is a good source of antioxidants and contains an abundance of magnesium and iron. It is very stimulating and is therefore addictive in nature. Caution should be used in giving it to children or eating it late at night, as it can interfere with sleep. Chia Seeds are tiny seeds rich in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are a good source of antioxidant, fiber, and micronutrients. Chia seeds may be used like flax seeds in recipes, ei- ther soaked whole seeds or ground dry seeds. Chia seeds are nearly flavorless, making them excellent gelling and thickening agents. Mila is a proprietary blend of fractured chia seeds de- veloped as a supplement that can be enjoyed in water or juice. Dulse a coarse, edible reddish-brown seaweed is very high in iron and iodine, with a salty fla- vor reminiscent of the ocean. It can be purchased as dehydrated powder, flakes, or fronds. Dulse is used in raw food recipes to simulate the flavor of seafood and add a salty taste. Kelp is large brown seaweed with fluted leath- ery fronds containing the highest amounts of trace minerals and iodine of all seaweeds. Kelp also contains trace elements and metals naturally oc- curring in the ocean in small amounts, so while a little is good, we do not recommend using more than the recommended amount. For healthy adults, 1/32 of a teaspoon is enough, although pregnant women and people at risk of iodine de- ficiency may need more. Like dulse and other sea vegetables, kelp can used in raw food recipes to simulate the flavor of seafood. E3Live is a blue-green micro-algae, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), which is harvested in the upper Klamath Lake region of Or- egon. It contains more protein and chlorophyll than any other food source. It is said to be the most nutrient-rich food (ounce for ounce) ever created by nature. E-3 Live can be purchased fresh frozen or in capsule form. Essential Oils are suitable for culinary use as a flavoring only if they are certified food-grade. More complex than extracts, essential oils must be ob- tained through a distillation process, which requires a tremendous amount of the plant material, making them more expensive than extracts. Many essentials oils have medicinal qualities and are used to treat emotional and spiritual imbalances as well as health issues. Use essential oils sparingly in food, since these natural oils add intense flavor that may overpower other ingredients. For most oils, one drop replaces a teaspoon of a dried herb or spice. Erythritol is a nearly zero calorie sweetener that has a clean, sweet taste similar to sugar. Other nat- ural sweeteners, like stevia, can be bitter. Erythritol has not been found to affect blood sugar or insulin levels and has a zero glycemic index. In reasonable amounts, Erythritol does not cause digestive upset and diarrhea in most people, unlike other sugar al- cohols like sorbitol and xylitol. It doesn’t contribute to tooth decay and has been used as a sugar substitute in Japan for over 2 decades. In the United States, it is classified as being Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) since 1997. Evaporated Cane Juice is not raw, but is a healthier alter- native than white sugar, since it is a whole food. It has a deli- cious molasses flavor that can replace brown sugar in desserts, but the dark color and deep flavor make it an unsatisfactory substitute for many recipes that call for white sugar. It is delicious in mock graham-cracker crusts and chocolate desserts. This is a high glycemic, concentrated sweetener and should be used sparingly for special occasions. Flavor Extracts are typically made from plants using a process of either cold pressing or soaking in alcohol or other solvents in order to extract a particular flavor. Extracts can be used in recipes such as sauces and desserts. The most popular is vanilla extract, which is used in many dessert reci- pes. Other extracts, such as almond and coconut, should be used sparingly as their flavor is extreme- ly concentrated and it is easy to use too much and overtake other delicate flavors. Flax Oil is a polyunsaturated fat extracted from flaxseeds. The ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) in flax oil is helpful in reducing inflammation in the body. It is amber in color and a nutty, buttery, slightly bitter taste. Use it in salad dressing, on leafy greens and vegetables, and in sauc- es and dips, but be cautious using it in desserts—it can easily become too flavor-forward. Flax oil is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and can become rancid more easily than other oils, so it should never be used in cooking and should always be stored in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator. Flax Seeds are tiny seeds rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be used as a supplement and thickener in shakes and smoothies, or as a binder in crackers, crusts, or burgers. They can be soaked for 8-12 hours in 1-2 parts water or simply ground in a cof- fee grinder or high performance blend- er, and blended directly into smooth- ies and shakes, or added to crackers, burgers, and other dehydrated items.