Red
Alert
powder contains mostly certified organic dried berries, fruits and vegetables. Red
Alert Phytonutrient antioxidant
Energy Drink formula may help to boost energy and balance blood sugar as
well as decrease cravings and improve immune function. It supports weight management and helps alkalize
and buffer pH. Red Alert Phytonutrient
antioxidant Energy Drink provides 30 calories and 2 grams carbohydrates per
serving.
It contains a proprietary probiotic blend to aid healthy digestion. This special anti-aging formula contains no
added stimulants or sugar. Suggested usage:
Mix one level scoop (provided in the canister)
with 6-8 ounces of cold water or yogurt. Stir briskly or shake in a closed container.
Enjoy one or more times each day.
Remember,
the process of germination fundamentally changes the nutrient composition of dried
seed. Nutrients including enzymes, amino
acids and vitamins are substantially increased and become more bio-available,
allowing for more efficient absorption. The
"anti-nutrients" such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and insoluble
fibers are diminished, again encouraging increased bio-availability and
nutrient absorption.
Starting the
day with a smoothie is way to get some nutrition in first thing. It takes very little time
and will keep you going through lunch. You can power pack them with super foods
that you might find difficult to consume on their own.
When it comes to smoothies, there are no
absolute rules to follow. Combinations
are endless and you can put whatever you like and need in them. Here is a healthy smoothie idea that is full
of nutrients that will increase your wellbeing, and it is delicious.
* 2 tablespoons each of flax seeds and hempseeds that have been soaked
overnight. This releases their goodness
and makes them easier to absorb. These are packed with high quality protein, essential
fats and needed fiber essential for our physical and mental health.
* Frozen Acai berry pulp (high in
antioxidants and other powerful nutrients).
Acai berry has a similar amount of protein as a whole egg. It also has
16 identified antioxidants and phytonutrients, with more surely to be
identified. Currently, the ORAC value,
which stands for the measure of the berry’s antioxidant properties, is the
highest for all edible berries.
The fatty
acid profile of the Acai berry can be compared to olive oil and it has 10 times
as many antioxidants as grapes have! Another impressive quality of the Acai
berry is that it has up to 30 times the amount of anthocyanins that red wine
has. Anthocyanins reportedly have
anti-inflammatory qualities, so the Acai berry could potentially be helpful for
those with arthritis or inflammation of the joints. The berry has lots of vitamin E and other
vitamins, too, in addition to a low glycemic index and lots of dietary fiber.
Were the
Acai berry to be grown in the United States it would likely be similar to a
grape in nutrition and antioxidants. That
is because the harsh environment where the Acai berry grows makes it rich in
nutrients and antioxidants and those conditions are not present in the US.
* 25 Fresh
Blueberries (the age defying fruit).
* 4 frozen organic strawberries (loaded with zinc and other nutrients to make
you feel great).
* 1 banana (a gram of protein and packed with potassium; one of the best
ingredients to thicken and bulk out smoothie recipes).
* A tablespoonful of bee pollen (one of the best longevity foods, fights colds
and flu).
* Enough water to make it a nice consistency (essential to our lives).
* Sweeten smoothie naturally with fruit or low-glycemic sweeteners that will
not raise blood sugar, or use½ or less of1 small packet of Stevia.
Do’s and Don’ts in
vegetable smoothie making:
Do not use raw cruciferous vegetables,
like
cabbage, collards, kale, cauliflower, arugula, Brussels sprouts and
broccoli. Large amounts of these raw
vegetables have thyroid suppressing properties and are best eaten steamed,
lightly cooked or fermented.
Do use plenty of raw non-cruciferous
veggies and fresh garden herbs like celery, romaine
lettuce, parsley, cilantro, basil, cucumbers, green beans, sprouts, yellow
squash and zucchini. Vegetables and
herbs are packed with vitamins and minerals and provide delicious flavor for
smoothies.
Use caution with the use of beets, carrots or other root vegetables because
they become very sweet when juiced or blended into smoothies. If yeast or viral infections are under
control, you may add small amounts of these sweet tubers into smoothies if they
are well balanced with mostly alkaline-forming vegetables. It is the mineral-rich vegetables and the
fiber in the blended smoothies that helps keep smoothies more alkaline
According to Donna Gates, the
Principle of Balance between expansive and contracting foods suggests that since veggies are
slightly expansive a pinch of Himalayan Salt and/or a
dash of Wheat-Free Low Sodium Tamara (by San-J) can be used to
create more balance.
A scoop of Vitality SuperGreen with its fermented
algae, fermented green veggies and cereal grasses is a nutrient-dense addition
that alkalizes.
Do use a healthy, organic form of
fat,
like avocadoes, unrefined hempseed oil, flaxseed oil (or their soaked seeds),
cod liver oil, evening primrose or melted ghee or coconut oil. These add flavor
and body, plus fat helps keeps one’s body feeling satisfied longer.
Do add sea veggies like Wakame or Irish
moss. A small amount goes a long way but
they do provide additional proteins, iodine and other minerals that can ensure
that you start your day with extra energy and even more brain power.
Do use fermented foods and drinks
in your smoothies. Using a probiotic liquid like a few ounces of
Innergy-Biotic will add a balancing
sour taste, much like lemon juice would. The addition of beneficial microflora
to help promote your best inner ecosystem in the power center of your body,
your intestines, balances immunity! Even
adding a spoonful of cultured vegetables works really well
and has many excellent benefits.
Do not combine vegetables and
most fruits in smoothies. However,
having said that, a very sour Granny Smith apple and other sour fruits like lemons, limes, noni, acai, cranberry
and pomegranate juice concentrates may be okay for most of us. Fruits digest so quickly that they usually do
not combine well with any other foods.
Blended smoothies may be an exception. It’s a matter of finding your
uniqueness. See what your body likes best.
Do try significant amounts of a
soaked nuts or seeds or even a spoonful of any nut or seed butter that your body seems
to like. These add texture, consistency
and flavor.
Strawberry Delight (Smoothie) (1 serving)
Put all the
ingredients in a blender, mix and leave to cool and get thicker in the
refrigerator.
Green Super food Smoothie
This wonderful tasting Green Super food
Smoothie is sure to transform your morning; it's a favorite of the team members
at Food Matters! Take it first thing after drinking plenty of water and before
any solids. Try your variation for a week and see your life explode with
energy! The following recipe makes 2-3 glasses:
1
small avocado and/or 1 banana
1 handful of baby
spinach leaves or rocket leaves
1 heaping tablespoon of
barley grass powder
1 teaspoon spirulina or
blue green algae
1 tablespoon of raw
honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon of bee
pollen
1 tablespoon of raw
cacao powder
1 tablespoon of maca
powder
1 cup of ice and 2 cups
of water
All
ingredients should be as organic as possible, as local as possible and as fresh
as possible. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender and voila! http://www.foodmatters.tv/green-superfood-smoothie.html
The avocado provides beneficial monosaturated
oil if used, otherwise add 1-2teaspoonfuls of tasty cod liver oil, coconut oil,
sesame oil or soaked chia, hemp or flax seed (rich in oil and proteins that
started as one ounce dry weight).
AVOCADOS burst with
nutrients, vitamins, A, B-complex, C, E, H, K, and folic acid, plus the
minerals magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and many other trace
elements. Avocados provide all of the essential amino acids with 18 amino acids
in all, plus 7 fatty acids, including omega 3 and 6.
The avocado
is calorie dense, (one-half cup pureed flesh contains 204 calories), including
the benefits of its total beneficial fat content of 19.9grams. One-half cup of pureed avocado packs 2.4grams
of protein with 3.1grams of fiber. Using
that same quantity, the avocado contains only 8grams of carbohydrates and a
surprising 704 IU of vitamin A. It is rich in the B vitamins, especially
niacin, at 2.2mg, folic acid at 75mcg, calcium at 13mg, iron at 1.36 mg, and significant
potassium at 729mg.
Avocados
contain more protein than cow’s milk, about 2% per edible portion. Since
rapidly growing nursing infants obtain no more than 2% protein from mother’s
milk, we can safely assume that children and adults do not regularly require
foods richer in protein than avocado. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of
our protein. Cooked protein is denatured
and largely unusable, thus our protein need is far lower than what is taught by
conventional dietetics.
A small
avocado will provide more usable protein then a huge steak because well-done
protein in meat is deranged and mostly unavailable to our liver, the organ
which makes all of our body’s protein. High temperature cooked is a prime
culprit in our country’s high rate of cancer, as well as colitis, Chron’s
disease and many other syndromes. Ripe, raw organically grown avocados are
naturally pure and furnish all elements needed to build highest quality protein
in our bodies.
Water
content of avocado by weight averages 74%. Because avocado is a ripe, watery,
enzymatically-alive fruit, it ranks as the most easily digested rich source of
fats and proteins in whole food form. The ripening action of the sun
“predigests” complex proteins into simple, easily digested amino acids. The fat
content (by weight) varies from 7 to 26 % according to the variety, averaging
15%. Approximately 63% of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated
and 17% is saturated. Avocados are a perfect source of dietary fat, appetizing
in their raw state, digestible and pure.
Avocado is
an alkalinizing food. The mineral end
products of metabolism have an alkalinizing effect in the blood and other
bodily fluids. Because the human body works to maintain a slightly alkaline pH,
an alkalinizing diet is the most healthful way of eating, especially at brunch,
lunch and evening-time snacks. Meat,
dairy and most unsoaked raw nuts create acidity in the body, and are best eaten
6-8AM or 6-8PM. Especially in the
evening, eating excessive grains or animal protein causes leaching of
alkalinizing calcium from our bones to buffer the excess acidity, leading to thinning
skin, muscles and osteoporosis.
Avocado eaters
typically experience more lustrous hair, softer, smoother skin, more pliable
nails, fewer joint problems, slimmer belly, less body odor, improved mental
function and enhanced libido.
Plantains have lower water content, making them drier and
starchier than fruit bananas. Surprisingly, 80% of the bananas grown
throughout the world are of the plantain or cooking variety. To many tropical cultures, plantains are an
important part of the daily diet and are prepared in as many ways as other
cultures have devised for potatoes. The
bitter, astringent taste of unripe fresh green bananas and plantains is caused
by the high levels of free, active tannins, which also depress the digestibility
of dietary proteins
Vitamins and minerals are abundant in the
banana, offering 123 I.U. of vitamin A for the large size. A full range of B
vitamins are present with .07mg of thiamine, .15mg of riboflavin, .82mg niacin,
.88mg vitamin B6, and 29mcg of folic Acid. It even contains13.8mg of vitamin C.
On the mineral scale calcium counts in at 9.2mg, magnesium 44.1mg, along with
trace amounts of iron and zinc. Banana
is among the healthiest of fruits. Plantain, when cooked, rates slightly higher
on the nutritional scale in vitamins and minerals but similar to the banana in
protein and fiber.
Bananas
are eaten raw, either alone or cut in slices with sugar and cream, or wine and
orange juice. They are also roasted,
fried (just to a golden yellow) or boiled, and are made into fritters,
preserves, and marmalades. Panchamrutham,
banana confections that are spiced and sweetened with honey, are a favorite in
India.
Other favorites of India include Sweet Banana Lassi, a sweet cooling beverage made of
yoghurt and banana, and a sweet yoghurt cheese made with banana, pistachios and
almonds, and spiced with cardamom. Brazilians
make a dessert with mashed bananas mixed with brown sugar, grated ginger, and
cinnamon or cloves. This mixture is slowly cooked over low heat until it
thickens. When cool, it is molded into a
roll, then sliced and served cold.
Most fruits
give off an ethylene gas in the process of ripening. Because bananas release a higher concentration
of ethylene gas, they ripen quickly. If
you've bought green bananas and want to accelerate the ripening, place them
into a paper or plastic bag. Adding an
apple to the bag will encourage faster ripening. To take advantage of very ripe bargain
bananas, simply peel them, cut them into chunks, and wrap them. Tuck them into the freezer and use as needed
for smoothies, or defrost and mash them for banana ‘ice cream’ or for baking or
making fruit sauces.
Plantains can also be eaten uncooked if left
to ripen fully with their skins completely blackened and pulp almost mushy when
gently squeezed. Mashed ripe bananas can
be added to breads, pancakes, cakes, muffins, and cookies. One mashed ripe banana, or approximately 1/3
cup (80 ml), can take the place of one egg when baking.
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, has been used as a medicinal plant in several native cultures and bromelain has been known chemically since 1876. Bromelain is an enzyme found in the stem and fruit of the pineapple plant. It is best known as a digestive aid and for its anti-inflammatory effects in traumatic injuries and after surgery.
Bromelain
has also been used successfully to treat a number of disorders including heart
disease, arthritis, upper respiratory tract infection, and Peyronie's disease (where
the genito-urinary tract and can cause sexual dysfunction in men). It has been
used successfully to heal wounds caused by burns and increases the penetration
and effectiveness of antibiotics.
Bromelain anti-inflammatory
activity is due to a variety of physiological actions. Bromelain inhibits inflammation at the sites of injury
and is known to digest blood clots. In
soccer players suffering from ankle injuries, bromelain supplements
accelerated healing and got players back on the field about 50% faster than
athletes assigned to receive placebo.
It
can help reduce inflammation, speed healing of bruises and other tissue
injuries (including fractures) and reduce overall recovery time. In patients recovering from facial and
various reconstructive surgeries, treatment with bromelain significantly
reduced swelling, bruising and stiffness. Bromelain treats traumatic injuries,
joint inflammation and aids surgical recovery.
Known for digestive support, it also has anti-tumor activity and treats
cardiovascular disease.
Bee
Pollen is the male seed of flowers. It is
required for the fertilization of the plant. The tiny particles consist of
50/1,000-millimeter corpuscles, formed at the free end of the stamen in the
heart of the blossom. Every variety of flowers in the universe puts forth a
dusting of pollen. Many orchard fruits and agricultural food crops do so too.
Bee pollen
is the food of the young bee and it is approximately 20-40% protein. Considered
one of nature's most completely nourishing foods, it contains nearly all
nutrients required by humans. About half of its protein is in the form of free
amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body. Such highly
assimilable protein can contribute significantly to one's protein needs.
Bee pollen
contains all the essential components of life. The percentage of rejuvenating elements in bee
pollen remarkably exceeds those present in brewer's yeast and wheat germ.
Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in nature in a single
food.
Its content
of rutin alone should justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other
reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in rutin and may have
the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the
nucleic acids RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]. Bee pollen is a complete food and contains
many elements that products of animal origin do not possess. Bee pollen is richer in proteins than any
animal source. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs or cheese of equal
weight. Bee pollen is particularly
concentrated in all elements necessary for life.
Maca The nutritional value of
dried maca root is high, similar to cereal grains such as rice and wheat. It contains 60% carbohydrates, 10% protein, 8.5% dietary fiber, and
2.2% fats. Maca is rich in essential minerals,
especially selenium, calcium, magnesium and iron, and includes fatty acids linolenic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acids, 19
amino acids, as well as polysaccharides.
Maca
is consumed as an adaptogen food for humans and livestock, suggesting risk from
consumption is rather minimal. However,
maca does contain glucosinolates,
important for detoxifying proliferative steroid hormone metabolites. Glucosinolates can cause goiters when high consumption is
combined with a diet low in iodine.
Though this can happen in other foods with high levels of
glucosinolates, it is unlikely that maca consumption causes or worsens
goiter.
Maca
has also been shown to reduce enlarged prostate glands
in rats, though its effects on humans are unknown. Clinical trials performed in men have shown
that maca extracts heighten libido and
improve semen quality.
Cacao
powder is best made by cold-pressing highest
quality organic raw cacao beans into a cake, which separates the oil from the
protein and fiber, making a dark brown paste called chocolate liquor. The temperature is best never allowed to
exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit but usually only reaches 104 degrees. Some cocoa powders are exposed to temperatures
as high as 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Next,
the fat is slowly separated into cacao butter and what remains is a cake. This cake or cocoa solid is then cold-milled
to become a truly raw organic unsweetened cocoa powder. Powder allows for maximum digestion and
antioxidant absorption.
Highest levels of cocoa flavinoids are present when least
processed. Once the fat has been removed
and there are no extra ingredients added, such as sugar, it is the healthiest
form of chocolate to enjoy. Typical
cocoa powder is just ground up cacao nibs or beans. If you want whole ground cacao powder just
grind cacao nibs in a coffee/spice grinder.
The rich flavonoid content of raw cocoa is part of a large
and diverse class of phyto-chemicals called polyphenols. The flavinoids in chocolate help the body to
produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper heart function. Nitric oxide helps to increase muscularity, as
well as improve blood flow to the sex organs of women and men, including the
brain.
In addition, cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants and has 14
times more antioxidants than red wine and 21 times more antioxidants than green
tea. Resveratrol levels of cocoa powders, baking chocolates and
dark chocolate exceed levels for roasted peanuts and peanut butter per serving,
but are less than California red wine.
Nutritional Facts: Serving
Size 1 ounce (28g), 16 servings per container, Calories 137, Calories from fat
45, Total Fat 5 g (8% DV), Saturated fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 30 mg
(1% DV), Dietary Fiber 11 g (44% DV), Sugar 5 g, Protein 7 g (14% DV), and
Vitamin C 42 mg (70% DV).
DV = % Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Refrigeration or storage in a cool, dry place (out of direct sunlight) is
recommended, yet not required.
Here are some suggestions of how to enjoy your cocoa powder:
Add it to your favorite smoothies, teas, coffee mixes, protein drinks, desserts
or even sprinkle it on your salad!
Ecuadorian chocolate is available from Lindt that in candy bar form is 75% cacao sweetened with sugar and
bits of prune flavoring. It contains
4grams protein per 40gram serving, along with only 11grams total carbohydrate,
including an impressive 5grams of fiber as well as 16grams beneficial cocoa
butter and lecithin. If you eat the entire incredibly dense and rich 100gram (3
1/2ounces) chocolate candy bar, you get as much protein as two medium eggs.
With dark
chocolate candy, less is more. Eating
6.7 grams a day offers the best health benefits. This paltry 6.7 grams of chocolate amounts to
one small square of chocolate two or three times a week, which is unfortunately
less than half of a candy bar per week, when you are eating it for health
reasons.
Cool off with a frozen non-milk
shake!
2 tablespoonfuls roasted almond butter (healthier to blend soaked nuts)
2 heaping tablespoonfuls cocoa powder
1/4c. Agave nectar or maple syrup
2 c. water 1/4 teaspoonful Himalayan salt
1. Blend all ingredients except ice. 2. Blend ice.
Cocoa powder is one of the top three
nutritionally dense super foods available today!
Harnessing the sun’s power. The first fossilized bacterial cells date to approximately 3.4 billion years ago, although life likely originated several hundred million years before. Between 2.7-2.4 billion years ago, cyanobacteria, formerly known as blue-green algae, originated and were of particular evolutionary and geological importance because they excrete oxygen as a waste product during photosynthesis.
They were the first and only organisms to evolve oxygen-producing photosynthesis. All atmospheric oxygen ultimately exists because of evolution of cyanobacteria. Plants that produce oxygen today during photosynthesis derived their ability to do that from cyanobacteria. Prokaryocytes, single-celled bacteria remained the largest life form on Earth, cranking out oxygen, until about 1.6 billion years ago. At that point, a new life form shows up in the fossil record. The first jump in maximum size happens when our ancestors, the first eukaryotic organisms show up as fossils. Those fossils are approximately a million times bigger than anything that had come before on Earth. The first fossil eukaryotes were likely also single-celled organisms. Eukaryotes distinguish themselves by means of their internal structure and functioning. Instead of having the cellular processes of life take place by means of diffusion in the cell, eukaryotes have organized and convoluted membranes, with a nucleus and other cellular structures that are dedicated to specific functions in the respiratory process. Eukaryotic cells require oxygen for metabolism. Fossils indicate that a eukaryotic cell to make that first size jump. For approximately the next billion years, life on Earth stayed about the same size, with only modest increases. Then about 600 million years ago, with a second mysterious major boost in atmospheric oxygen quantity, life leaped in size again. This time, it was a million-fold size leap of multi-cellularity.
Chlorella is a perfect whole food. Ounce for ounce chlorella has three times more
protein than meat. One tablespoon of
chlorella powder contains as much food value as an ounce of steak.
Aside from
being a complete protein and containing all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin
E, and the major minerals (with zinc and iron in amounts large enough to be considered
supplementary), it has been found to improve the immune system, improve
digestion, detoxify the body, accelerate healing, protect against radiation,
aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases, help in treatment of Candida albicans, relieve arthritis pain
and, because of its nutritional content, aid in the success of numerous weight
loss programs.
Spirulina,
Chlorella, and wild blue-green (Aphanizomenon
flos-aquae) contain more chlorophyll than any other foods. Dried micro algae are the richest source of
proteins, beta-carotene, and nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and very rich source
of anti-inflammatory GLA.
Micro Algae
are single-celled organisms and simple multicellular plants that live wherever
there is water (in the sea, fresh water or moist soil). Spirulina is a blue-green alga that's a rich
source of proteins, carotenoids and other micronutrients. With strong antiviral and anticancer
properties, chlorella, a single-celled alga, has highest known levels of
chlorophyll of any plant.
Its beneficial
health effects appear to stem from a high concentration of chlorophyll and beta
carotene, as well as from its unusual cell wall. Cell walls of this alga bind with heavy
metals, pesticides, PCB, and carry these toxins safely out of the body.
It contains
Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), which strengthens immunity by improving the
activity of T- and B- cells, which defend against viruses. CGF reduces allergies and strengthens cellular
immunity by improving the activity of macrophages, which destroy cancer cells.
Chlorella growth factor indicates the density of chlorella's nucleic acids.
Nucleic
acids (RNA and DNA) in the body direct our cellular growth and repair, yet they
decline as we age, and they are depleted by stress, pollution and poor diet. The nucleus of chlorella is a good source of
RNA/DNA, which is partly why the alga is credited with strengthening immunity
including the increased activity of cellular immunity, regarding chlorella and
its antitumor effect.
A green
blood tonic and cleanser, it is helpful for anemia, and studies have shown its
ability to stimulate regeneration of tissue, accelerate wound healing and
inhibit the growth of some tumors.
Chlorella's cell wall is also a useful source of fiber and in
conjunction with chlorophyll is valuable for bowel detoxification and for
relieving constipation.
A unique plant-like property of this wall not found in any other algae, is its
ability to bind with toxic metals such as cadmium, lead or mercury as well as
pesticides and remove them from the body. However, this same fibrous quality
makes chlorella hard to digest and so it is usually broken down mechanically
during processing to enable maximum absorption.
Chlorella's protein content is around 60% and like spirulina it contains all
essential amino, fatty and nucleic acids. It is also a good source of beta
carotene and vitamin B12, which makes it useful for vegans in particular. It
can enhance the liver's detoxification processes, and consequently, it is
beneficial for hangovers!
Spirulina Just two tablespoons
(20 grams) of Spirulina
powder (an amount which contains only 78 calories) will provide 13 grams of
complete protein ... almost one-third
of the minimum daily amount small people require.
Spirulina
predigested protein provides building material soon after ingestion, without
the energy-draining side effects of meat protein; its mucopolysaccharides relax
and strengthen connective tissue while reducing the possibility of
inflammation; its’ simple carbohydrates yield immediate yet sustained energy;
its GLA fatty acids improve hormonal balance; and its protein-bonded vitamins
and minerals, as found in all whole foods, assimilate better than synthetic versions.
Spirulina
can generally be considered an appropriate food for those who exercise vigorously.
Many world-class athletes use it.
Spirulina is a very digestible natural source of high quality
protein. The digestive absorption of
each gram of protein in spirulina is much greater than the same gram of protein
in beef.
Because
spirulina grows at high altitudes in high-temperature environments, it has
increased beta-carotene, other carotenoids, enzyme systems and other biological
components to better absorb the intensified solar and cosmic radiations.
The
quality of the protein depends on the amounts of amino acids contained in a
protein. The more closely the protein matches the body’s requirements the
higher the quality. Spirulina is known as a ‘complete protein’ due to the fact
that it contains all the
essential amino acids. This allows us to get our necessary intake of protein
without subjecting our digestive system to the hard work of digesting and
processing animal protein.
Unlike
other forms of protein, the protein in Spirulina is 85-95% digestible, one of
the highest available. In fact, Spirulina is second only to a dried egg
supplement with regards to usable protein, and higher than any of the common
foods in the form in which they are usually purchased. Being composed of soft
mucopolysaccharides, Spirulina has no cellulose in its cell walls making it
easy for the body to digest and assimilate. Its amino acids are delivered to
the body for almost instant absorption.
Perhaps
the GLA found in spirulina accounts for some of the positive effects that
people experience, including better skin, diminished cravings, weight loss and
improved energy levels, especially mental energy. Many have experienced a subtle increase in
mental clarity and alertness (not a nervous, caffeine-type stimulation). Algae nucleotides subtly stimulate our nervous
systems or release certain internal neurochemicals that create this
"up" feeling.
Protein
digestibility is important for many people and especially important for people
suffering from intestinal malabsorption or digestive disorders. Typically, many older people have difficulty
digesting complex proteins and are on restricted diets. Older folks find Spirulina protein an ideal
way of ensuring they receive the nourishment needed.
Spirulina
is an effective supplement for sufferers of malnutrition diseases where the
ability of intestinal absorption has been damaged. Given to malnourished
children, it is more effective than milk powders because milk's lactic acid can
be difficult to absorb.
Four groups
of rats were fed equal amounts of food for one month. One group's chow was supplemented with
blueberries, another's with spinach and another's with spirulina, while the
control group received no supplements. After
four weeks, researchers induced an ischemic stroke in the brains of the animals.
The size of the stroke in the rats fed
blueberry or spinach supplements was half that seen in the brains of untreated
rats. Rats on spirulina-enriched diets
had stroke lesions 75% smaller than untreated counterparts.
Spirulina
complements vegetable proteins found in beans and pulses and increases their
amino acid quality.
The Aztecs scooped their wild algae directly
from the surface of Mexico's Lake Texcoco,
and made a sort of gravy, which they spooned over everything they ate.
Today, after
being harvested, these microscopic plants are dehydrated to produce a dark
bluish green algal powder that has only a slight marine smell and taste. The flavor is so mild that it blends well with
all kinds of seasonings. The powder
makes a tasty, nutritious addition to shakes, soups, dressings, dips, sauces
and juices. Green powders can also be
added to recipes for baked goods and sprinkled on salads, sandwich fillings or
casseroles.
When adding spirulina to liquids, it's best to
use a blender to insure thorough suspension of the powder. Prepare only as much as you will use in one
day. The mixture is apt to ferment if
it's left sitting around too long.
Store
spirulina powder in a dark, dry place (and in a lightproof container), since
its rich vitamin content and deep color are diminished by exposure to heat,
light and moisture.
Kyo-Green
Is organically grown barley grass and wheat grass, Pacific kelp, brown rice,
and the treasured green algae, broken cell wall chlorella. Easy to mix and clean up after, it is a tasty,
natural source of vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll. Two teaspoons provide the nutrients of a
serving of deep green leafy vegetables.
The barley and wheat grass are harvested at the peak of
their nutritional value in the fertile Nasu Highlands of Japan. Premium chlorella
is grown in natural mineral springs. The kelp is harvested from the northern
Pacific. Product is gluten free. Kyo-Green's
unique combination works better than any single component giving it an
advantage over single-ingredient products.
Ingredients of Kyo-Green:
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Suggested
Use for Kyo-Green
As a beverage, mix one teaspoon (2.5 g) of powder with 6-8 oz. (one cup) of
juice, water or in soup for a tasty refreshing drink.
Grain milk is a
milk substitute made from flour or preferably fermented grain. Grain milk is commonly made from oats, spelt, rice, rye, einkorn wheat or quinoa.
Grain
milk looks very similar to cow's milk. It
has lower protein content
and higher carbohydrate content
than cow's milk. Just as cow's milk is
often fortified with Vitamin D, which
it naturally lacks, commercial grain milks may have calcium and some vitamins
(especially cobalamin) added
to them. Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is
produced exclusively by microorganisms,
traditionally when grains are soaked and fermented. Higher plants and animals are unable to
produce B12, although their intestinal flora can.
Grain
milk is low in saturated fat and
contains no lactose, which
is beneficial for those who are lactose intolerant. Grain milk also lacks cow’s milk protein, making
it suitable for vegans and
people with milk allergies.
Flavored
grain milk can come in plain, vanilla, chocolate or a
variety of other flavors. Like
unflavored grain milk, it is often available with added nutrients. There are also grain milk cream and desserts
available. None are anywhere as
beneficial as if you make your own, fresh.
Chicha de jora is
prepared by germinating corn,
extracting the malt sugars,
boiling the wort, and then fermenting
it. In some
cultures, instead of germinating the maize to release the starches therein, the
maize is ground, moistened in the chicha
maker's mouth, and formed into small balls which are then flattened and laid
out to dry. Naturally occurring diastase enzymes in the
maker's saliva catalyze the
breakdown of starch in the
maize into maltose. (This
process of chewing grains or other starches was used in the production of
alcoholic beverages in pre-modern cultures around the world, including, for
example, sake in Japan.)
Chicha is a
Spanish word for any variety of fermented beverages. It can be made of maize, manioc root (also called yuca or cassava) or fruits
and other ingredients, fermenting it in large vessels, traditionally huge
earthenware vats, for several days.
First: Find some good dry
corn, the kind that has the "germ." Place it in a container with some water and
cover it with plastic wrap. Open a few
holes on the plastic so it can breathe and germination begins. Check it daily, shake the container a little
bit and add more water if it seems too dry. After 2-3 days it should have sprouted.
Second: Grind the corn
sprouts and place in a deep pan with water to cover. Simmer for 3-4 hours. Vigorously press the mixture through a
sieve. Then put the liquid back on a
deep pan, add molasses to taste, thin with water if it seems too thick and
simmer for 1 more hour.
Third: Let the mixture
cool to room temperature and then bottle it and serve cold.
Fourth: If, and only if, you
want to feel alcoholic tropical beat, heat up your ears a little notch, then,
leave the concoction out, covered, at room temperature to ferment a couple of
days. If you choose to ferment it, please
take note of the very important issue we address next.
Disclaimer: do not attempt to
juggle knives, ride a bicycle, or do anything important after imbibition of
this beverage. It is for nutritional use only.
The management is not responsible for any obscene and irrational behavior.
Chicha morada is not
fermented. It is usually made of ears of
purple maize (choclo morado) which
are boiled with pineapple rind, cinnamon and clove. This gives a strong purple-colored liquid
which is then mixed with sugar and lemon.
This beverage is usually taken as refreshment, but many health benefits
of purple corn have been found. Chicha Morada tends to reduce blood
pressure. Chicha de Jora is also
seen as an anti-inflammatory for the prostate.
Aguas
frescas (Spanish for
"fresh (cold) waters") are a combination of either fruits, soaked cereals or seeds, plus sugar and water, blended together to make a refreshing beverage.
Some of the most popular flavors include agua de tamarindo (made with tamarind pods), agua de jamaica (made with roselle), and agua de horchata (usually made with rice and cinnamon).
There is
some confusion in terms internationally between the drinks referred to here and
bottled soft drinks. In Guatemala and Nicaragua, these are
referred to as frescos, short for refresco which in Mexico means
soft drinks. Soft drinks in Guatemala
are called aguas, short for aguas gaseosas but easily confused
with the Mexican aguas frescas.
Another type
of aguas frescas, popular in
Caribbean islands like the Dominican Republic, is made with oatmeal and a
citrus juice. It may be made with other
ingredients, mainly with liquefied fruits: In Mexico it is common to find Aguas
Frescas in the flavors: Sweet fruits: Guava, Mamey apple, Mango, Melon, Papaya, Soursop and Watermelon. Acid fruits:
Cucumber, Lemon (squeezed with a
juicer), Lime, Orange (squeezed with a
juicer), Pineapple, Tamarind, Strawberry, or with seeds or
even flowers:
Horchata
or orxata
is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of soaked ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas). It is typically served ice cold as natural refreshment in the summer. Tigernut horchata
is also used in place of animal milk by the lactose intolerant. While in some countries the drink is usually
tan and "milky", some recipes call for milk, and others do not.
Other ingredients often include sugar,
cinnamon and vanilla. Though horchata
was once typically homemade, it is now available in less healthy ready-to-drink
(shelf-stable or refrigerated) and powdered form in grocery stores.
In the US,
rice-based or morro horchata is
served in many Mexican restaurants, and the horchata de chufas
(tigernut) is virtually unknown.
Rice-based horchata is also
sometimes available in US grocery and convenience stores, especially in Latino
neighborhoods.
In Puerto Rico, horchata is made of
powdered sesame seeds, milk, cinnamon & vanilla. The horchata found
in El Salvador is often made of a
mixture of herbs, not rice. Their horchata is typically flavored with Morro (Calabash tree) seed, ground cocoa
and cinnamon as well as sesame seeds and in some cases, is strained.
In Nicaragua and Honduras horchata refers to
the drink known as semilla de jicaro,
made from the Jicaro seeds ground up
with rice and spices. The drink is made
with cold milk and sugar and is very popular nationally. Recently Nicaragua has begun exporting
this product to the US.
Kokkoh is a rice milk of Thai
origin. Soaked germinated brown rice is its
primary and sometimes its only solid ingredient. Many kokkoh dishes, however, have other rices
and seasonings, most
commonly sweet rice, azuki bean, sesame, barley and kombu. The
term "kokkoh" may be applied to any dish in which cereals are soaked
and germinated and then diluted in water.
Kokkoh is recommended as both a substitute for
mother's milk and a means of weaning infants from it. Today the recipe now often calls only for
brown rice ground to a fine powder and water.
That does not provide complete protein and will malnourish an infant as
a primary food source.
Rice
must be fermented or germinated converting its high arginine into essential
lysine (as well as boosting calming GABA) to become a complete food, especially
before it is cooked, ground up and with kombu added, prepared as baby food. Modern Thais have forgotten the wisdom of
their great grandmothers.
Besides
its soft and easily digestible texture, kokkoh is recommended as such because
its mixture has a high and varied protein content;
combined, the amino acids in each
of the ingredients previously described include virtually all those needed for
consumption, if previously soaked and rinsed for 24-36 hours at 100 degrees or
36-48 hours or so at room temperature.
Kokkoh
is especially well suited for the growth needs of a child. When used solely for weaning, it is
recommended that kokkoh be introduced at between 8 months and a year of
age. It may be used as breast milk
substitute as early as five months, but with a larger proportion of water, in
order to further dilute the mixture.
Kokkoh
is also an important part of the macrobiotic diet, in
accordance with the diet's heavy emphasis upon soaked grains. Besides
its use for weaning infants, kokkoh is a common breakfast food
among macrobiotic eaters of all ages.
Rice milk
- use freshly cooked rice that is still hot.
1
cup rice
4
cups hot water
1
tsp vanilla
Put
all in blender, puree for about 5 minutes (until smooth).
Let
it sit for 1/2 hour.
Pour
into container being careful not to let the sediments settle at the bottom pour
into a new container.
Rice Milk
(requires a blender)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry white rice (soaked brown rice better)
1 quart (~ 4 cups) water
1 tbsp (up to 1/2 cup) white sugar,
xylitol, erythritol or agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1.
Add rice and water, let soak room temperature for at least 4 hours, or
overnight (then put rice & water right into the blender container!) Even better to soak brown rice 24-36 hours
with repeated rinsing or soak in antibacterial green tea, for green tea rice
milk.
2.
Blend rice and water in blender on high for about 1 minute
2.
Strain out rice from water (SAVE WATER SOLUTION!)
3.
Add sugar and flavorings (i.e. fruit), blend again.
4.
Refrigerate (we're comfortable using this within 48 hours; maybe a longer shelf
life, don't know, have not tried!)
Chocolate-Banana
'Ice Cream' (requires a food processer of some type).
Use
about 1/2 cup rice-milk with 3 frozen bananas, those have been sliced in half
and length-wise before freezing (from a refrigerator freezer NOT a deep freeze,
if you take the bananas from a 'deep' freeze, wait until they soften a bit
first or your processer may protest, loudly!) and add chocolate syrup and a
little bit of vanilla extract if desired.
Blend
in food processer until smooth but NOT melted! We find this best if eaten right
away. If the blend has been in the
freezer for a couple of days, it gets crystalline like a sherbet. OTHER THINGS
TO ADD: chocolate powder or chips, frozen fruit, green tea powder, Red Alert powder, maca or whatever you
like!
Rice Milk Variation (or use fermented rice protein powder)
2/3 c. hot rice3 c. hot water1/3 c. cashews or other nuts1 tsp. vanilla1/2 tsp. salt2 tbsp. honeyBlend all ingredients, chill and serve. Servings: 4. Horchata - Ground Rice Drink A Meso American Favorite
1 c. Long Grain Rice4 c. Milk1/2 c. Sugar (xylitol, erythritol, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar)1 tsp. Vanilla1/2 tsp. Cinnamon (or cinnamon stick)Ice Place the rice in a bowl with enough warm to hot water to cover. Let the rice sit overnight. Next day, remove the water. Place 1/2 cup of water, and 2 cups milk in a blender. Blend until rice is all ground up. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 t vanilla, 1/4 t cinnamon. Do the same with the other half of the ingredients. Strain or just let the rice settle in your blender for 10 minutes and pour carefully into a container. Some may mind gritty bits, which settle to the bottom of the cup anyway, so why bother?Soaked and ground almonds, cashews or chocolate powder can also be added. Serve over ice. Makes 6 glasses. Oat milk, a tasty low cost substitute for nut milk.
¾ cup raw oat groats enough water to fill the blender.
Soak
raw oat groats overnight. Blend with soaking water and strain through
cheesecloth. Add water to taste. You might want to start with more oat groats
because you can always add more water if it is too thick for you.
Save
the pulp to make oatmeal cookies or eat plain (or with agave nectar) for
breakfast.
Method
one: Use whole oats (most cut oats will
not sprout) instead of sprouting oats.
Soak 12 hrs instead of optimal soak + sprout cycle.
Sprouting
oats can be obtained from Glaser Farms of Miami, FL (GlaserOrganicFarms.com) at
305-238-7747or Jaffe Bros. in Valley Center, California; phone
619-749-1133. Method two: Take 1/3 cup
unhulled sprouting oats, and: 1/4 cup sprouting wheat -or- other grains/seeds,
and soak in water. Take 15 (large) - 20 (small) almonds and soak in water.
After 30-90
minutes, change almond soak water (note first water is brownish with tannic
acid). You may lose some water soluble
nutrients, but you also lose much of the tannic acid; changing the water once
gives a sweeter, final product. Note: the almonds are soaked separately from
the grains. Oats and other grains/seeds
are generally soaked and sprouted together, but they can be done separately if
desired.
At 12 hours:
Take oat/wheat or oat/rice out of soak and put in oxygen-rich sprouting environment.
Do similarly for almonds, but sprout
separately from grains. Optional: in a
container, put 1 teaspoon of flax seed, and a small amount of cardamom seed,
and plenty of water to soak.
Refrigerate. Place 10-12 lotus
seeds in a small amount of water, and refrigerate.
At 24 hours:
Rinse oats and almonds in air-rich sprouting environment.
At 36 hours:
Rinse oats again in air-rich sprouting environment. Rinse almonds and remove from sprouting
environment. Refrigerate.
Now it is
finally time to make sprout milk. Begin
by peeling the sprouted almonds. This is
made much easier if you blanch the almond sprouts by putting them in a sieve
and running hot water (from the faucet, 140 deg F, not boiling water!) over
them for about 20-30 seconds. Peel
almonds and set aside (blanch can be done earlier, at 1.5 days, if that is
easier for you). Note: if doing more than 20 almonds, blanch only 20 at a time.
If you do too many at once, they cool off and peeling becomes challenging.
Take grain
out of sprouting environment, and/or soaked flaxseed with its gel from
refrigerator. Rinse grain in sieve, put
in blender. Take 1 3/4 cups water, put
half in blender with grain. Run blender
at medium for about 60 seconds. Then add
the rest of water, run on high another 60 seconds. Then turn down to low, let run for 1 minute at
least. Strain and enjoy!
Below is a
summary of oat milk recipes tested by Thomas E. Billings, listed by
(subjective) flavor quality. Grain/seed
blends listed are approximately 50-50%, by volume. Reminder: the recipe is 1/4
cup oats (sprouted ~1.5 days) plus 1/8 cup grain/seed given below (produced as
indicated; times are for cloth method of sprouting), made using milk method
suggested below. Note that the 1/8 cup is approximate; for (shelled) nuts
below, use more to compensate for spacing of nuts in measuring cup.
Milks
Rated Excellent in Flavor
Grain/Seed Production Method Comments Almonds sprout, 1.0 day 2 Remove skins from almonds before blending; don't sprout more than 1 day, don't refrigerate almond sprouts more than 1 day; used 20 almonds in recipe. Wonderful flavor!
Sesame sprout, 1.0 days 2 Can use soaked 12 hrs instead; sprout and refrigerator time should not exceed 1.5 days, or else sprouts can turn bitter.
Wheat sprout, 1.5 days 1 Much like dairy milk; easy to make and economical!
Buckwheat sprout, 1.5 days 1 Use raw hulled buckwheat groats; soak only 15-45 minutes (add buckwheat at end of oat soak); very smooth and excellent milk; recommend immediate use as flavor can get strong in refrigerator.
Blend: Wheat/ sprout, 1.5 days 1 Comments on buckwheat apply; very
Buckwheat smooth, excellent milk.
Filberts soak 12 hrs 1 Very rich flavor! Is easier to make than other nut milks.
Brazil nuts soak 12 hrs 1 Superb flavor! Pre-shelled nuts were boiled before shelling, so are not raw; recommend using in-shell nuts that you shell by hand. Flavor gets stronger when refrigerated.
Rated Very Good in Flavor Grain/Seed Production Method Comments Pine Nuts soak 8-12 hrs 2 Do not soak pine nuts more than 12 hrs. They can get mushy. Also might want to strain milk twice. Milk is flavorful; tastes like pine nuts.
Macadamias soak 12 hrs 2 Smooth, distinctive flavor. Might want to strain out macadamia pulp -can be gritty. Soaking has little effect on macadamias.
Very good but might want to add sweetener. Recommend using organic in-shell nuts that you shell by hand, and then soak shelled nut meats. Pecans soak 8-12 hrs 2 Sweeter than walnut milk; pecans can turn mushy if soaked more than 12 hours. Use in-shell nuts that you shell by hand (pre-shelled pecans are heat treated and are technically not raw!).
Pumpkin Seeds soak 12 hrs 1 Sprouting pumpkin seeds can be difficult due to high spoilage rate. Soaking is safer, more reliable.
Raw Sesame out of jar, 2 Smooth, creamy; not as good as milk
Tahini 1-2 tablespoons made with sesame sprouts!
Blend: Wheat/ sprout, 1.5 days 1 Not as good as pure wheat; barley
Barley content reduces shelf life.
Blend: Barley/ sprout, 1.5 days 1 Comments on buckwheat and shelf life
Buckwheat of barley apply
Peanuts sprout, 1.0 day 1 method 2 can be used if desired. Remove peanut
skins before using in milk. Discard peanut sprouts if yellow mold develops. Because of mold potential, sprout peanuts and oats separately. Milk tastes like sprouted peanuts. Rated Good/Fair in Flavor Grain/Seed Production Method Comments Coconut, fresh, crack, remove 1 Straining advised of coconut meat, as otherwise milk is gritty. Can save coconut water and use in milk; gives almost too sweet milk. Milk is a bit oily. Coconut is hard to blend. Blend for at least 90 seconds.
Barley sprout, 1.5 days 1 Easy to make; has short shelf life as barley ferments (fermented barley sprouts are a major ingredient of beer).
Sunflower Seeds sprout, 3/4 day 1/2 Stronger flavor than other milks; milk has "protein” or "earthy" flavor.
Oats sprout, 1.5 days 1 Pure oat sprout milk, a bit bland, but quite drinkable!
Corn sprout, 1.5 days 1 Smooth, bland, with slightly sweet aftertaste. Suggest using 2.5 day old (field) corn sprouts for sweeter flavor. Need to use jar for 2.5 day sprouts; mold likely in cloth method.
Rice sprout, 1.0 day 1 bland, but has nice texture. To sprout short grain brown rice: soak 12 hrs, change water, soak 12 more hours. Then allow to sprout 1 day, no longer (rice sprouts can get bitter after 1 day).
Millet sprout, 1.5 days 1 smooth but bland flavor. Millet sprouts are tiny and crunchy; may need to strain twice.
Rye sprout, 1.5 days 1 has a grainy aftertaste; might be better if used 1.0 day old rye sprouts instead.
Kala Channa sprout, 1.5 days 1 Kala channa is a miniature garbanzo bean, available from (East) Indian food stores. Flavor similar to garbanzo, but is easier and more reliable to sprout. Milk has strong protein taste. One can disguise flavor by adding ginger. Not recommended due to strong flavor.
Ratings
of Oat Sprout Milks: by Thomas E. Billings.
Suggest
you do *not* use for sprout milks: by Thomas E. Billings.
Raw Almond Cheese
First, sprout
the almonds. Soak and rinse at least 2 cups of almonds at room temperature for
12-48 hours. If they are beginning to
sprout, the skins will peel off easily.
If not, bring a large pot of water to boil. Using a small metal
strainer, blanch a handful of almonds at a time for just 4-5 seconds. Rinse
blanched almonds in cool water and squeeze each one to pop the skin off.
Blend peeled
almonds on high speed with an equal amount of filtered water, until blended
fine. You may need to do this in more than one batch. Then, pour almond mixture
into a large glass bowl and cover with cheesecloth. Let the almond mix sit at
room temperature for 12 hours to ferment. It will bubble slightly and separate
into cheese and whey.
Place the
almond mixture into a fine mesh bag, such as a sprouting bag, nut milk bag or
even clean stockings. Hang the bag over the sink or a bowl if you want to catch
the whey. Let the almond cheese drain at room temperature for 8-12 more hours.
Scoop almond
cheese into a bowl and season it with herbs, spices, finely chopped vegetables,
sweetener or extracts. Try dividing it into a few different flavor preparations
for variety. Store in the refrigerator in covered glass
jars for up to 5 days. If you have no jars, plastic bags that can be securely
closed work nicely.
Seed and Nut Pâté
2 cups pumpkin or
sunflower seeds, almonds, cashew or macadamia nut
3-4 cloves garlic
1 rounded teaspoon of sea salt
4-6 ounces of lemon juice
2-4 ounces of water
One can add onion, a teaspoon of soy sauce, tamari,
turmeric, ginger or basil, sage or rosemary to change color, taste or texture. Another variation might add small a sweet
potato and carrot with parsley and celery to the mix.
Grind nuts/seeds. Set aside. Blend other ingredients in
food processor until smooth. Blend in ground nuts/seeds. For a more digestible
version soak seeds for 4 hour or nuts for 8 hours. One may add a drop of
grapefruit seed extract to kill off any mold or bacteria. Discard soaking liquid.
To serve, spread 2 tablespoons
of pâté on collard leaves, romaine lettuce or nori sushi sheets.
Add sliced avocado, basil,
cilantro, green onions, pickles, tomatoes and roll into a tasty wrap.
This recipe was adapted from Dr.
Dean’s foster daughter’s book, “Eat for Beauty, Healthy and Pleasure” available
at…www.drcarolyndean.com/rawfood.
Garbanzos
Bean Pâté with Pistachios
This recipe
can lend itself to great diversity. With this pâté, the slices can be
cut into squares and served as an appetizer, and the large slices make a
perfect sandwich filling. The pate is great hot or cold in a pita, perfect for
a picnic, and delectable as a main course with a dollop of your favorite sauce.
Because this
special dish needs to be refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours, begin
preparation several hours ahead or the day before.
1
large onion, finely minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. crushed dried thyme
1 t. curry powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. Himalayan salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 T. tamari or soy sauce
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1
3/4 C. garbanzo bean flour
3 1/2 C. water
1/3 to 1/2 C. shelled raw pistachios
Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish
4 basil leaves or 6 arugula leaves
*Garbanzo
bean flour, also called chick pea flour, can be found in Middle Eastern or
Indian markets. It is
better to soak and mash your own chick peas.
**Lentils or green split peas also work well
in place of the garbanzo bean flour. These can be ground into flour in an
electric coffee grinder or spice grinder. For lentils or green split peas,
start with 3/4 lb dried.
|
Lentil Pâté Prep Time: 15
minutes
Cook Time: 10
minutes
Ingredients:
Preparation:
In
a large saucepan, gently sauté sweet
onion and garlic in the
butter over low heat until soft, but not browned. Season with black
pepper. Add lentils and
heat until warmed through. Pomegranate Soup Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients: Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to
drain. Melt 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add
onion. Sauté until onion is tender. Add water, drained lentils, rice,
turmeric, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer
over low heat 40 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender. Add parsley, green onions and pomegranate
juice. Simmer 15 minutes longer. Melt 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil in a
small skillet. Add mint. Sauté in butter until golden yellow. Pour over soup.
Sprinkle with raisins. White Bean Salad This is a simple and
delicious recipe, perfect for a summer picnic, or for breakfast. |
4
servings |
|
|
Time |
|
5
minutes + bean soaking + chilling |
|
Ingredients |
|
|
|
Directions |
In
large bowl, mix beans,
oregano, mozzarella, tomato and onion. Whisk the vinegar and oil in small
bowl, and then stir into the salad. Season with salt and pepper and
chill. Serve topped with
basil. |
|
|
Winter Warm White Bean Salad 4
servings |
||
|
Time |
10
minutes (more if using dried beans) |
|
|
Ingredients |
|
|
|
Directions |
Heat oil over high heat; add onion and salt, and sauté for 2
minutes. Stir carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and paprika and sauté 1
minute. Add water, cover, and cook about 2 minutes, until carrots and celery
are just tender. Remove from heat, stir in remaining
ingredients except arugula, taste, and adjust seasonings. Toss with arugula and serve warm. |
|
|
Notes |
*If
using dried beans (which is highly recommended), you will need to soak and cook them ahead of time.
Cook beans until just tender. If you
overcook them they will become mushy and ruin the texture of the salad. |
|
Pine Nut ‘Parmezan’
Soak 2 cups pine
nuts in filtered water for 7-8 hours. Rinse, drain and sprout for 8 hours. Rinse pine nuts, then place on a mesh
dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 95°-150° F for 12-36 hours, or until
thoroughly dry. Grind the pine nuts in a
coffee/nut mill. Store ‘Parmezan’ in the
fridge.
Yields a bit more than 2 cups, and keeps for up to a month in the refrigerator.
Pine Nut "Buttermilk"
1
cup sprouted pine nuts (or soak overnight)
4 tbsp. flaxseeds (soak overnight in 4 oz. water) or chia seeds in
6 oz. water
filtered water
lemon juice to taste
Soak the seeds and nuts (separately) overnight.
Next morning, put the soaked flaxseeds (which have now jelled) into the
refrigerator to be used later. Drain and
rinse the pine nuts, put them into the blender with 4 oz. of water and blend to
a fine cream. Pour the mixture through a
muslin bag or cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Save the pulp for making cookies. (Use pulp
within two days.)
Put the pine
nut liquid into a small glass jar, cover with a clean tea towel and let sit out
at room temperature all day to ferment (about 8-12 hours or 5-7 hours in hot
weather). You will end up with a pine
nut yogurt which concentrates at the top of the jar, but instead of just
using the creamy part, we are going to utilize the whey also. The whey is the liquid which settles on the
bottom of the jar.
Put the pine
nut yogurt, including the whey, into the blender, add in the flaxseeds that
have soaked overnight along with 12 oz. filtered water and blend for 20
seconds. Then pour the mixture through a
muslin bag or cloth and squeeze out all the liquid. Discard the pulp. Flavor the "buttermilk" to your
taste with a few drops of lemon juice.
Yields 1 pint, and keeps for more than a week in the refrigerator. After the third day, it becomes more tart, but
not as tart as store bought dairy buttermilk. Shake well before using.
Pine Nut Yogurt
2 cups pine nuts
8 oz. filtered water (or Rejuvelac)
additional filtered water for soaking
Soak pine nuts in filtered water for 7-8 hours. Rinse, drain and sprout for 8 hours. Rinse again. Put the nuts into a blender with
7-8 oz. filtered water or Rejuvelac and blend to a fine cream. Pour the cream
into a muslin bag and squeeze out all the liquid (about 12 oz.).
Put the
liquid into a wide-mouth glass jar, cover with cheesecloth or muslin cloth, and
let sit at room temperature for 8 hours (5-7 hours in hot weather). The whey separates from the cream, which rises
to the top. When it is done, put into
the refrigerator for about 3 hours, so the cream solidifies more. To serve, scoop out the yogurt carefully as
needed from the top, leaving the whey on the bottom of the jar. Yields about 1 cup of a very rich and tasty
yogurt, and keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Boiled
peanuts are green or
raw nuts that are boiled in salty water for hours. The shells turn soggy, and
the peanuts take on a fresh, legume flavor. A green peanut is not green in color, just
freshly harvested. It takes ninety to a hundred days to grow peanuts for
boiling, and they are available only during May through November throughout the
southern states. One of the drawbacks of boiled peanuts is that they have a very
short shelf life unless refrigerated or frozen. If you leave them out on the
kitchen counter for 3 to 4 days, they become slimy and smelly!
Boiled
peanuts have been a southern institution since at least the Civil War, when
Union General William T. Sherman led his troops on their march through Georgia.
As a result of
General Sherman's campaign in Georgia, the Confederacy was split in two and
deprived of much needed supplies. There were many complaints of lack of
bread and meat. The great concern of the
Confederate government was to feed the army. When troops of the Confederacy were without
food, peanuts became an important nutritional source. Since cooking facilities were scarce, soldiers
roasted the peanuts over campfires or boiled them. Lost in history is who thought
first of adding salt to the peanuts when boiling them.
Boiling
in salt is an ancient preservation technique. These boiled peanuts would keep
and not spoil in their kits for up to seven days. Salt works as a preservative,
and the boiling kills impurities and bacteria. This produced a high protein
ration that could be carried by the soldier. As salt was also scarce during the Civil War,
history does not tell us how the confederate soldiers had enough salt to use,
unless salt meat, a large part of the army ration, was used somehow.
Boiled
Peanuts Recipes
Judging
from the many variations on recipes for boiled peanuts, there appears to be no
wrong way to boil green peanuts, except to actually boil them. Better simmered, many tastings are needed to
determine when they are done. One must
taste test the simmered peanuts for saltiness and firmness, as some people
prefer soft nuts to firmer ones.
4
to 5 pounds green (raw) peanuts in shell
4 to 6 quarts water
1 cup plain salt
1 tablespoon hot pepper and/or Cajun spices (optional)
Wash
unshelled peanuts thoroughly in cold water until water runs clear; then soak in
cool, clean water for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking. Ideally, peanuts are soaked and rinsed four
times over 8-12 hours with water discarded before cooking.
In
a large pot, place soaked peanuts and cover completely with water. Add 1 cup of
salt per gallon of water. Simmer on low heat
at about 190-200 degrees for 4-7 hours.
The
cooking time of boiled peanuts varies according to the maturity of the peanuts
used and the variety of peanuts. The cooking time for a 'freshly pulled"
or green peanut is shorter than for a peanut that has been stored for a time.
Simmer
the peanuts for about 4 hours, then taste. Taste again in 10 minutes, both for
salt and texture. Keep cooking and tasting until the peanuts reach desired
texture (when fully cooked, the texture of the peanut should be similar to that
of a cooked dry pea or bean).
Remove
from heat and drain peanuts after cooking or they will absorb salt and become
over salted. Peanuts may be eaten hot or
at room temperature, or chilled in the refrigerator and eaten cold, shelling as
you eat them.
Boiling
dried raw peanuts in the shell creates a delicious, slightly sweet, peanutty
bean snack. Boiled, the high fat peanut is a bit easier to digest. Boil up a
batch, divide and freeze for ready to shell snacks or as tasty additions to
grain, green or bean salads. Rinse peanuts, drain and place in a large
saucepan, cover with water and add salt to taste. Adjust heat to lowest
setting, allowing water to slowly reach a very gentle simmer, stir
occasionally, and cook until tender. this will take at least 4-6 hours.
Begin
testing for tenderness (cool and shell one or two) after about 4 hours. You
want the peanut kernel to have a soft tenderness typical of canned chickpeas or
kidney beans; nut crunchy, not mushy. When the kernels reach that point remove
the peanuts from heat and drain. If the peanuts sit in the salty cooking water
they will absorb more salt as they cool. (If you'd like them to taste saltier,
let them sit in the salt water longer. If not, drain as is; if too salty,
rinse.) Handle boiled peanuts like cooked beans, serve at once or refrigerate
for up to 5 days.
Quinoa
Salad
Servings: 6-8
Preparation Time: 35-45 minutes
Salad-
1 2/3 cups dry quinoa
3 1/3 cups water
pinch of Himalayan salt
1 cup shredded carrots
¾ cups minced parsley or cilantro
1/3 cup soaked sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
4 cloves garlic, minced or another variation, use ginger
Dressing-
1/3 cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons virgin olive oil or sesame oil
3 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
· Rinse quinoa with warm water and drain through a fine strainer.
· Place quinoa in a 3-quart pot with water and salt; bring to a boil.
· Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
· Allow quinoa to sit on very low heat, uncovered, for an extra 5 minutes so it
dries out.
· Toss quinoa with a fork and let cool.
· Add carrots, parsley, seeds, and garlic to quinoa; mix thoroughly.
· Combine lemon juice, oil, and soy sauce.
· Pour over quinoa and toss well.
· Garnish with sliced black olives or tomatoes cut into wedges if desired.
|
Hearts of
Palm Salad recipe
serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Ingredients 1 14-ounce can of hearts of palm 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 medium red onion 1/2 cup chopped black olives 1 head butter lettuce 1 bottle vinaigrette Cooking Instructions 1. Drain the hearts of palm and cut crosswise into 1"
pieces. 2. Clean the lettuce, tear the leaves into large pieces
and arrange on four chilled plates. 3. Top the lettuce with the hearts of palm, tomatoes,
onion slices and olives. 4. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad.
|
Almond Nut Loaf
The ingredient list might look a bit daunting, but this is
really easy to assemble. The combination of exceptional flavor, crunchy texture
and delicate lightness make this a really special dish.
Yields 6-8 servings
2
medium onions
1 pound russet potatoes, unpeeled
1
clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 cups whole almonds, soaked preferably
1/3 cup walnuts, soaked preferably
1/3 cup pecans, soaked preferably
1 medium tomato, diced
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
Dash cayenne (optional)
1 large ripe tomato, sliced
Mushroom Cashew Walnut Patties
8.5 ounces button, cremini, or Portobello mushrooms, finely
chopped (about 4 cups)
2 cups cooked short grain or sweet brown rice
1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts
1/2 cup coarsely ground cashews
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1 tablespoon psyllium husks
To enhance the presentation of these tasty patties, spoon a
dollop of Silken Magic Sauce
onto the center of each patty and dust them with paprika or a sprinkling of
fresh herbs just before serving.
Silken ‘Magic’ Sauce
Here's a sauce that's the ultimate
in versatility. Need a topping to dress up a savory dish or steamed vegetables,
a dip for crudités, a seasoned mayonnaise sandwich spread, or a garnish to
swirl into a soup? Make this sauce often and keep it on hand.
1
12-oz. (340g) package of soft or firm silken tofu
3/4 t. Himalayan salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. garlic powder
1 to 4 T. lemon juice to taste.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and
process until smooth. Scrape down sides if needed and process until completely
blended. Refrigerate. Keeps for 1 week. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
For
a firmer sauce, use the firm silken tofu. When serving this sauce at the table,
garnish with a sprinkle of dill weed and a dash of paprika.
|
100 g Mushrooms |
1 ts Curry powder |
|
1 Green pepper |
1/4 ts Turmeric |
|
1 Onion |
1/4 ts
Chili powder |
|
1/2 ts
Himalayan salt |
50 ml
Sesame oil |
Slice
mushrooms, pepper and onion. Place in a
bowl. Add salt, curry powder, turmeric
and chili powder and mix well. Heat the oil and stir fry the mushroom mixture
for 10 minutes. If curry appears too dry, add 60 ml thick coconut milk just
prior to serving.
Stewed Mushrooms (serves 4 as a side dish)
|
A basic
mushroom dish, try shaggy parasol mushrooms or common store mushrooms.
In
a sauté pan or skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the butter until brown. Add
the sour cream and allow it to "stew" at a slow simmer on top of
the stove. If using yogurt, simmer it until just heated through. Serve
immediately. |
|
Lovers of
goat cheese will enjoy the combinations in this baked dish.
|
-
2 ounces dried porcini washed, then reconstituted in hot water 20-30 minutes,
strain and save liquid
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 5 cups (total) chicken stock/broth and strained mushroom liquid
- 3 strands Saffron, softened in 1 tablespoon water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Dr. Johanna Budwig Mix:
Put this energizing ‘cancer cure’ in your blender:
1cup Organic cottage cheese (low fat,
not too hard a one; best to make your own from raw milk) (or today, use goat’s milk yogurt, with fermentation partially digesting
heat-damaged proteins).
2-5Tbsp. of flaxseed oil.
1-3Tbsp. of freshly ground up flaxseed (coffee grinder works fine) plus
enough water to make it soft. (We prefer overnight soaked flax seeds blended
with goat yogurt and/or Green’s First powder or even Red Alert berry powder,
for a berry flavor.)
optional: little garlic
little red pepper
(cayenne)
little champagne
The
Budwig Spread Sweet energy
Place 250ml (8.5oz) flax oil into a mixer bowl and add one pound (450g) of 1%
cottage cheese (i.e. low fat e.g. Quark)
and add 4 tablespoons (60ml) of honey. Turn on the mixer and add just enough
low fat milk or water to get the contents of the bowl to blend in together. In
5 minutes, a preparation of custard consistency results that has NO taste of
the oil (and no oily 'ring' should be seen when you rinse out the bowl).
You can use yogurt instead of cottage cheese in proportions of 1oz (30g) of
yogurt to 1 tablespoon (15ml) each of flax oil and of honey and blend as
above.
When flax oil is blended like this, it does not cause diarrhea even when given
in large amounts. It reacts chemically
and emulsifies with the (sulfur) proteins of the cottage cheese or yogurt.
The Budwig Mayo (Energy fuel as mayonnaise):
Mix together 2 tablespoons (30ml) flax oil, 2 tablespoons (30ml) raw milk and 2
tablespoons (30ml) yogurt. Then add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of lemon juice (or
apple cider vinegar) and add 1 teaspoon (2.5g) prepared mustard plus some herbs
such as marjoram or dill.
Next add 2 or 3 slices of health food store pickles (no preservatives! - read
label!) Plus add a pinch of herbal salts. (The above mayonnaise plus lots of
mustard and a few bananas is very tasty!)
With a champagne vehicle, it is easier to assimilate and get someone
almost on their death-bed going again.
Fats become
water soluble and able to pass through the cell membrane only when they are
bound to protein. This is where the
cottage cheese or yogurt comes in. It is
the binding of electron rich fats from flax oil with the sulfurated protein
from cottage cheese that ushers these electrons in through cell membranes and
into the cells.
Dr. Johanna
Budwig was adamantly against the use of hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated
and polyunsaturated fats. She saw the
chemical processing of these fats as damaging to every body organ. The heart rejects these fats and they end up
as inorganic fatty deposits on heart muscle, blocking circulation, damaging
heart action, inhibiting cell renewal and disrupting normal flow of blood and
lymph fluids.
Dr. Budwig
found that when flaxseed oil is combined with highly charged protein, the three
double bonded electron clouds available in raw flaxseed oil and protein, make a
bi-polar capacitor grid which even better absorbs, stores, and transmits the
exchange of solar electrons and enhances solar resonance. She often uses a type of cottage cheese as a
high-protein food to combine with the flaxseed oil. A
nondairy person will find that bee pollen and spirulina are perfect
high-protein concentrated foods to combine with flaxseed oil.
Not only do
electron-rich live foods act as high-powered electron donors, but electron-rich
foods act as solar resonance fields in the body to attract, store and conduct
the sun’s energy in our bodies. Photons
of sunlight are attracted by the sun-like electrons resonating in our
biological systems, especially in the double bonded electron clouds found within
lipids. These sun-like electrons are
termed pi-electrons. This pi-electron
system within our molecular structure has the ability to resonantly attract and
activate sun photons.
The energy
we derive from solar photons acts as an “anti-entropy factor.” Translated into biological terms, disorder or entropy
means aging. Anti-entropy is associated
with the reversal of the aging process. In quantum physics, photons never become old;
they have the same quickness as time. Sun
photons transfer a high degree of order (anti-entropy energy) into pi-electrons
of our biological systems. The more
light we absorb into our biologic systems, the more health-restoring and anti-aging
energy we bring into our human organism.
Potato salad is a dish made from boiled potatoes (discard cooking water), and varies
throughout different regions and countries of the world. Usually classified as a side dish, it can be an
instantly-ready protein-rich backbone of a breakfast. Some people like potatoes creamy and mingled
with dressing, some like them soft and tender, and others prefer them chunky
and almost crisp.
General
versions of potato salad include:
Southern-German
potato salads are often served warm or even hot, creating high glycemic
response and metabolic stress; while some are served at room temperature,
slowing blood sugar release. In the U.S. and northern Germany
potato salads are commonly served chilled.
Cold gelled starch is slower to digest and does not significantly raise
blood sugar with the resultant stressful adrenal and pancreatic responses.
Asparagus frittata (to herald springtime): Recipe adapted from Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for
Connection by Jessica Prentice. Copyright 2006, Chelsea Green Publishing
Co.
Preheat oven to 300º.
Break off tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1” pieces on the diagonal. Slice leeks in thick rounds and put in a bowl
of cold water and mix to get the dirt out.
Melt butter in an oven-safe skillet (cast iron or stainless
steel), and when it’s hot lift the leeks out of the water in handfuls, shaking
off excess water, and put in the pan. Sauté over medium-low heat until just
soft.
Add the asparagus pieces to the pan along with about a
tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and
allow the asparagus to steam for 1-3 minutes, until just tender.
Meanwhile, mix together the eggs with cream, milk, or
combination. Add salt, pepper and
nutmeg. (egg mixture should be salty enough to taste salt, yet not overly
salty.)
Add asparagus to the pan and pour the egg mixture over, then
add in the cheese, pressing it gently into the eggs. Let cook on stovetop low heat a few minutes,
and then transfer to the oven and bake until the eggs are just coddled—this may
take as few as 4-5 minutes. (You can
also finish under a broiler, as long as the pan is not too deep and it is watched
carefully to make sure it does not crisp or burn).
Remove from oven and allow for cooling and gelling for a
minute or two. Then slice and eat. Serve with salad and good bread, and maybe a
few new potatoes.
SOUP
FOR BREAKFAST
Energy Soup is the easiest
healthiest quickest meal on earth! Energy Soup is the first step to
healing. Many people think juicing is important. But blending fresh home-grown
food is far more powerful than juicing, and far quicker! Test it for yourself.
Only if you’ve been hooked
on sugar, you know how miserable this strong addiction can make your life. One
cannot pass a store without buying a chocolate something. But with Energy Soup,
after a few months empty addictive foods lose their appeal. Candies become
sickening sweet. Cigarettes, too, become a total turn-off. It is a miracle to see each addiction go one
by one.
Blend in your blender or food
processor, using water or unpasteurized apple juice as the base:
Ann Wigmore advised it’s best to blend with home-made Rejuvelac,
instead of water (a fermented wheatberry drink – the recipe is in ‘ferments’).
The high vitamin E in rejuvelac stops nutrients from oxidizing. It's rich too
in vitamins B and C, friendly bacteria for your colon, and enzymes for
digestion.
Dr. Flora van
Orden III, long-time assistant to Ann Wigmore has her own variation on Energy
Soup:
1 tbsp flax
seeds, soaked for 10 minutes in ½ cup water
1 pkg of
organic herb salad mix, or baby kale, baby collards, wild-crafted weeds or baby
greens
6
reconstituted from dry or fresh organic figs
1 tbsp or
more rinsed dulce (for minerals including the traces)
Blend. In the morning, put ¼ of an organic diced
avocado in the mixture. Gratefully chew
30 times before each mouthful is swallowed.
In the afternoon, put 12 (soaked and rinsed for 24-48 hours) organic
almonds instead of avocado, and blend. Again,
chew 30 times before each mouthful is swallowed.
To
enhance energy, 15 minutes before eating and 2 hours after, drink a glassful of
distilled water (with 1tbsp dulce blended per 1 gallon of water). Store this improved water in a glass
container.
Increase your
morning vitality by adding an egg or two to your favorite hot soup. The egg is a sustaining crossover food for
the pure noble vegan (whose substitute is blended soaked seeds). It is possible to obtain range-fed and
organic eggs, produced with some semblance of respect to the donating animal.
An egg is a round or oval body laid by
the female of any number of different species.
It consists of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing, which acts to
nourish and protect a developing embryo and its nutrient reserves.
Most edible
eggs, including bird eggs and turtle eggs, consist of a protective, oval eggshell, the albumen (egg white), the vitellus (egg yolk) and various highly
nutritious thin membranes. Every part is
edible, although the eggshell is generally discarded. Nutritionally, eggs are
considered a good source of protein, fat soluble vitamins
and choline (acetylcholine for
memory).
The larger
end of an egg contains the air cell that forms when the contents of the egg
cool down and contract after it is laid. Chicken eggs are graded according to
the size of this air cell, measured during candling. A very fresh egg
has a small air cell and receives a grade of AA.
As the size
of its air cell increases, and the quality of an egg decreases; the grade moves
from AA to A to B. This provides a way of testing an egg’s age. As the air cell increases in size, the egg
becomes less dense (more suitable for hard cooking) and the larger end of the
egg will rise to increasingly shallower depths when placed in water. A very old
egg will actually float and should not be eaten.
Roe and caviar are edible eggs produced by fish. Roe is the fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins. As a seafood roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient. Caviar is processed and salted roe, consumed as a delicacy.
Egg
Drop Soup to Stracciatella
Egg drop
soup is best known as
a Chinese
soup
of beaten eggs, chicken broth
and boiled water.
Condiments such as table salt, black pepper
and scallions
are typically added. The soup is finished by adding a thin stream of beaten
eggs to boiling broth, creating thin, silken strands of cooked egg that float
in the soup. If eggs are whipped, beaten
or blended without raw milk, raw cream or coconut cream, many enzymes are
oxidized and lost.
It is best to
keep eggs un-refrigerated, but in a cool place. Excessive refrigeration can
destroy vital amino acids in raw eggs and might even hide the distinctive smell
of a rotten egg. Egg white contains avidin proteins that each bind four
biotins, interfering with assimilation of this B vitamin, but nature has
compensated by making the yolk very rich in biotin. (Cooking to just 185°F denatures
and disables avidin, the biotin binder present in egg white.) The whole raw egg is a complete balanced food
and is best ingested in its entirety, yolk and white together.
When
overcooked, egg proteins change their chemical shape and become rigidly
deformed. This warping of molecules is interpreted by our gut immune response
as stress messaging, often triggering allergies. When eating raw or
lightly cooked eggs, incidence of egg allergy tends to disappear.
The nutritional value of dietary proteins depends on both the concentration and distribution pattern of their constituent amino acids and their bioavailability. The proportion of amino acids available for metabolic utilization is determined by digestion and absorption processes in the small intestine.
Raw white of
egg is somewhat difficult to digest as it slides by the acidic gastric juices too
quickly. Adding fiber in the form of
accompanying vegetables or breads or blending raw eggs with soaked seeds and/or
nuts into smoothies should slow gastric emptying, improve acid protein
denaturation and improve absorption in the alkaline small intestine.
This may be
why carnivores rip and tear flesh, then barely chew and swallow their meat in
chunks. The sphincter between the
stomach and small bowel recognizes inadequately denatured chunks and kicks them
back into the acid. When we grind or
chew meat too thoroughly, the soft mass is passed to the small bowel too
quickly, creating poorly-digested, smelly excrement. Grinding animal flesh into hamburger or
turkey burger also increases risk to food-born infection by increasing
potential surface area for spread of anerobic bacterial growth.
Protein
assimilation, gastric emptying and ileal emptying and the small bowel transit
time in ileostomy patients were compared after ingestion of cooked and raw test
meals consisting of 25 g egg protein.
In microwave cooked eggs, protein assimilation was
16.04 ± 1.00 g and in raw eggs only
6.04 ± 1.52 g.
Cooked eggs
stayed in the stomach longer, with gastric emptying occurring in about 70
minutes compared to 30 minutes in the raw group. Over 24 hours, true ileal digestibility was
91% for cooked egg versus 51% for raw.
Pickled eggs
naturally denature egg protein for enhanced digestion. Although safer stored in the refrigerator, pickled
eggs are also popular as a countertop food and with campers because they do not
require refrigeration once prepared. After eggs are hard boiled the shell is
removed and they are submerged in a solution of vinegar,
salt, spices and other seasonings.
Some folks
prefer a colorful sweet egg and add beet juice with sugar; some prefer a hot spicy
egg and add red hot chili peppers. Eggs are
left in their pickling solution for anywhere from one day to several
months. Prolonged pickling may result in
rubbery eggs (just like overcooking).
12 eggs
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-3 whole garlic cloves
3 tablespoons pickling spices
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 fresh red chili pepper (delete pepper for mild eggs)
Hard boil 12 large eggs and shell. Boil the other
ingredients for 10 minutes and let cool. Place eggs in jar and pour vinegar
mixture over the eggs. Let the eggs sit in the refrigerator for at least one
week. Keep refrigerated until served. The used vinegar is full of calcium and
trace minerals from the shells and can
be used to fortify and season salads and soups.
The fats of
the yolk are rendered more digestible by minimal warming. Soft-boiled eggs are most digestible, fueling
the body more efficiently and quickly.
Two soft-boiled eggs remain in the stomach less than two hours while two
fried eggs are passed to the intestine only after about three hours.
According to
the American Egg Board, the terms “hard-” and “soft-boiled” eggs are
really misnomers, because boiling eggs (at 212° F.) makes them tough and
rubbery. Instead, eggs best be “hard-” or “soft-cooked” in hot (still) water. Do not add salt to the water, since salt will
raise water’s boiling point tending to make the egg whites rubbery.
Poaching
generally calls for food to be fully submerged in a liquid that is kept at a
constant and moderate temperature, between 160-180°F. Keeping the temperature
constant can take a little practice. The surface of the liquid should just
shimmer with the possibility of a bubble. The liquid is generally well-flavored
stock, broth, court bouillon infused with herbs, spices or anything the
imagination can conceive. Usually the most delicate of foods, like eggs, fish,
fruit and some organ meats are poached. The food is completely submerged.
Simmering is
usually reserved for tougher cuts or items that need more time to cook and
become tender. The temperature of the liquid is usually between 185-205°F. A
simmer is sometimes called a "gentle boil." Small bubbles
periodically rise to the surface, the gentler and slower the bubbles, the lower
the temperature. The simmered item
renders a broth that can be served as the sauce with your dish.
For
soft cooked eggs, water is brought to a boil, pot moved off the heat source,
refrigerated large eggs (medium sized one minute less, and add a minute for
extra-large as well as another for jumbo) placed into the water (for room
temperature eggs, subtract one minute), lid replaced, and eggs shocked in ice
water after a set duration of time.
After
3 minutes: The thin albumen has solidified and the thick albumen is liquid but
turning white. After 4 minutes: The thin
albumen has fully solidified and the thick albumen is semi-solid. After 5 minutes (my favorite): The whites are
solid, but when tilted they still flow.
After 6 minutes: The whites are solid but not stiff (moves a bit when
the egg is tilted). The yolk has begun to thicken, but the egg still cannot be
peeled intact. After 7 minutes: The
whites are solid but not stiff. The yolk has thickened but flows well.
To get perfectly peeled hard-cooked eggs, use eggs that are at least 3-5
days old (even better over one week or older since they have more mature
membranes and more internal air). Cook
as above and wait 17 minutes until chilling.
Overcooking causes a green layer to form around the yolk. This layer is caused by a reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white. Heat speeds up this reaction, so the longer eggs cook, the greater the chance of discoloration. Immersing the egg in iced cold water after boiling is a common method of halting the cooking process to prevent this effect. Cooling also causes a slight shrinkage of the contents of the egg, easing shell removal.
Hard-boiled
eggs with intact shells can be stored in the refrigerator for days to weeks.
Elevated
serum cholesterol is a sign of excessive dietary sugars and/or that your liver
thinks it must manufacture cholesterol for detoxification, membrane repair or
to make more steroid stress or sex hormones.
Simplistically reducing dietary cholesterol and using pharmaceuticals is
like ‘shooting the messenger’ while disabling the body’s compensatory
mechanisms.
Not only is
the cholesterol in whole yolks wonderfully supportive for liver and brain
function, but certain egg proteins (as well as fish peptides) provide similar
molecular messaging to ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting
enzyme inhibitors),
prescription drugs often used to reduce high blood pressure. These peptides inhibit production of angiotensin
II, which is a powerful vasoconstrictor
that also increases blood pressure by increasing adrenal aldosterone
(anti-diuretic hormone) as well as inducing thirst.
Several
different peptides in boiled and fried eggs act as potent ACE inhibitors. Pepsin (a stomach enzyme) and pancreatin (a
mixture of enzymes found in the small intestine) act on egg proteins to create
potent ACE inhibitor activity. Several
bioactive peptides derived from egg proteins have been identified. Fried eggs demonstrate highest ACE inhibitor
activity.
In Japan,
eggs are often dropped unscrambled as the topping for tsukimi udon or
soba noodles. The moon-like appearance
of the whole yolk is literally responsible for its name, "moon
viewing". Whole organic eggs
coddled by hot porridge, noodles, stir-fry or soup barely cooks the egg protein
(while denaturing avidin) leaving it more highly digestible and preserves all
the magic of the yolk.
The yolk is
considered baby’s best first ‘solid’ food, provided near teething time,
typically at 5-7 months. As an infant
food, egg white has a higher possibility of triggering allergic response, and
is usually introduced later, near the first birthday.
Eggs and
egg-containing foods have been identified as the vehicle in roughly 80% of
known source Salmonella enteritidis
infections in the U.S. Salmonella is a sometimes dangerous
bacterium that can be transferred to humans through ingestion of raw or
undercooked eggs. Raw cookie dough and
other prepared foods containing raw eggs or undercooked eggs were found the leading cause of food
borne illness outbreaks.
It is likely
that .01-.003% of eggs in the retail market are contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, or one out of every
10,000-30,000 eggs in the U.S. Salmonella is the number one cause of
food poisoning in the U.S. The eggs
involved are almost always grade A commercial shell eggs (not organic) from a
variety of source farms and typically the eggs were served not fully
cooked. Eggs infected with Salmonella enteritidis look and taste
the same as other shell eggs.
After
cooking, contaminated eggs that are poached, soft boiled or cooked sunny-side
up still have bacteria remaining in all samples. Eggs cooked over easy/over medium (in vegetable
oil for about 2.5 minutes at 120°F.) had Salmonella
bacteria remaining in up to 56% of samples. Slow and hard to digest scrambled or hard
cooked eggs (where no visible liquid remains) are the only commercial eggs without
risk of Salmonella.
Fresh organic
eggs are not associated with outbreaks.
Organic eggs are incredibly safe and even more beneficial and digestible
when eaten raw, warmed, and soft cooked, barely coddled or lightly poached in
your current soup.
In France, le Tourin, a garlic soup, is made with egg
whites which are drizzled into the soup in much the same way as egg drop soup
is made. Cuban cuisine features a
chicken broth based garlic soup with whole room-temperature egg or two added
just before serving.
In Austria,
egg drop soup is a simple, traditional recipe generally made for very young
children or sick people. Scrambled eggs are mixed with cream and flour and then
poured into boiling soup in order to make small egg dumplings. Spices can be
added to the egg-flour mixture.
1
onion, peeled and chopped
Olive oil
8 cups of chicken broth (homemade best)
about 1 pound asparagus
1 large red pepper, washed, seeded, and chopped into small pieces
4 cups of nettles or spinach leaves
sea salt and pepper
2 large eggs
lemon juice (optional)
1-Drizzle
enough olive oil in a large soup pot to cover its bottom. When hot add onion
and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook over medium heat until the onion starts
to soften, stirring as needed.
2-Add
chicken broth. Wash asparagus and cut off woody ends. (If you have very thick
asparagus, you can peel off the fibrous outer layer on the base of the
asparagus with a vegetable peeler to leave the soft and flavorful inside
without the stringy tough outside layer). Cut into two inch pieces. Add to pot
with chopped red pepper. Cook until red pepper and asparagus have almost reached
desired tenderness.
3-Add
spinach leaves or nettles and cook just until wilted. While that is cooking,
crack 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk. Stirring soup in a circular motion, pour in
the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Simmer, undisturbed, until strands of egg
are barely cooked, about 1 minute.
4-Salt and
pepper to taste. Perhaps serve with
lemon wedges for folks to squeeze into their delicious broth.
Ingredients
2 tsp. virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 c. chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
2-3 green onions, sliced
ground black pepper to taste
2 c. frozen cut leaf spinach or frozen peas
4 large eggs
4 1-inch thick slices Toasted Italian bread (brushed with a little oil and
sprinkled with garlic and/or grated Parmigiano
cheese).
Directions
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add garlic and onions and simmer over medium low
heat about one minute (until fragrant). Stir in tomatoes, broth, spinach (or
peas) and season with pepper. Barely bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce
heat and simmer.
Gently break 1 egg at a time into a bowl or cup and then gently
slide whole egg into soup. Carefully follow with remaining eggs. Simmer 3-5
minutes. Do not stir!
Place one slice of toast into individual bowls. Remove whole
coddled egg with slotted spoon carefully and place on toast. Stir soup and then
ladle into bowl. Sprinkle with Parmigiano.
This
delicious soup or sauce with a Greek name is made throughout the Mediterranean. One must be a bit careful with this soup
because it is thickened with egg, and the egg must first be tempered (that is, premixed
with a bit of warm liquid). Also, the
soup should not boil after the egg has
been added.
If the egg
is not tempered, or if the soup boils, the egg coagulates and one ends up
with egg drop soup, which, though
delicious, is not the goal. One wants to
create a thick velvety soup or sauce with a warming lemony flavor. Perfect for cold days, this delicious soup
makes an excellent starter for a hearty Mediterranean meal or a wonderful
sauce for pasta, rice, stuffed vegetables, artichokes or stews.
Accumulate:
Then run a
vegetable peeler along the lemons
from end to end to remove long wide strips of peel, avoiding the bitter white pith as best you can. Juice lemons needed for 1/4 cup juice.
Tie up the
bay leaf, cloves and lemon peel in a piece of cheesecloth.
Bring
chicken stock to a boil. Then add the
rice and cheesecloth bundle. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook till the
rice is tender, 20-45 minutes. Remove and discard the cheesecloth bundle. (If
not serving the soup right away, cool it at this point and refrigerate it. Once
the eggs have been added, the soup will not keep.)
Return the
stock to a boil. Then reduce the heat to
low. Whisk together the eggs,
yolks and lemon juice until combined.
Slowly ladle about 2 cups of
stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, till combined. (This is the
tempering process.)
Pour the
egg-stock mixture back into the pot and simmer over a low heat, stirring
constantly, until the soup thickens, about 5 minutes. Be sure to not let it
boil. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with the
scallion. Serves 8-10 as an appetizer.
This is a more frugal version of
curd, because, like the Joy of Cooking’s version, I use whole eggs instead of
just the egg yolks. However, you could substitute 6 egg yolks for the whole
eggs for a super rich curd, by
Kimi Harris.
3
large whole eggs or 6 egg yolks
1/4 -1/3 cup of honey
Grated zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or ghee or butter).
1-In a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan, whisk
together the first three ingredients until light colored.
2-Add the coconut oil, breaking it into small clumps as you
drop it into the pot for even melting. Then add the lemon juice.
3-Cook; whisking over medium heat until the coconut oil is
melted. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and you start to see a few
bubbles popping at the surface.
4-Remove from heat, and scrape into a fine sieve set over a
bowl. Strain the curd, gently stirring if needed.
5-Refrigerate
for several hours to thicken. Keeps about one week in the refrigerator.
You can
serve it simply by dolloping it over sweet fresh berries and toasted nuts, or
you can use it as part of a fancy layer cake, in tarts and thumb print cookies,
or spread between flaky scones. Oh yes, there are a lot of uses for lemon curd!
Simple and fancy!
Lemon Curd Bars (also from www.thenourishinggourmet.com)
The contrast
between the nutty, slightly salty base and the zippy lemon curd topping
provides a taste-tickling combination. This is a cross between a power bar,
because the base is high in protein (nourishing nuts and eggs) and a lemon bar,
with its delectable lemony topping. The bar is high in nutrients and flavor,
low in allergens dairy and gluten free.
It is also grain free!
Nuts
perform best when soaked and dehydrated. One can use both raw and preferably soaked
nuts with good success in this recipe.
One recipe of tangy lemon curd makes 16 bars. (Save extra zest for the cookie base).
1
cup of raw almonds
1 cup of raw cashews
1/4 cup honey (This creates very light sweetening. For sweeter bars, increase
amount.)
1/2 cup of melted virgin coconut oil
2-4 teaspoons lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees (or perhaps try 365 degrees and a bit longer time) and
make the lemon curd. Place the curd in
the refrigerator to cool.
2- Place the
almonds and the cashews in a food processor. Grind them into a medium fine
“flour”. The goal is not nut paste, so
don’t overdo it, leaving little chunks here and there.
3-Add the
rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined.
4-Evenly
spread the nut batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Place in the middle of the hot
oven. It will take 15-18 minutes to cook. It may puff up as it cooks, but don’t
worry, it won’t stay that way once you take it out of the oven. When the top is
lightly brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle, it is
done.
4-Cool
completely, then spread one recipes of lemon curd on top. Let curd set in the
refrigerator for several hours. The curd will continue to set. It is even better the next day. When ready to
serve, take them out and cut into squares (perhaps 16 bars) and serve.
Dried
peas
are a great inexpensive source of protein that stores well and if mixed with
rice provide a balanced meal. Dried peas
can be soaked and then cooked with ham hocks or soup bones to make soup.
Miso
soup is
extremely concentrated and provides an economical and excellent source of
protein. Miso is fermented soy that
contains living enzymes. One or two
tablespoons of miso paste make a whole pot of soup.
Vichyssoise is a French-inspired
soup made with potatoes and leeks. Traditionally, vichyssoise is served cold, and it may
be garnished with snipped chives or parsley. This classic soup is easy to make. Some
folks serve it hot (high glycemic and metabolically stressful) and we best
prefer the soup served classically cold (low glycemic and sustaining).
Cooks may
add lightly toasted crostini, shredded dried fish, sour cream, whole goat yogurt, or even pickled beets as garnish. The flavor of the soup can also
be adjusted with various spices, such as nutmeg for a hint of sweetness. Start by gently sautéing some
sliced leeks and onions in oil and a small amount of butter. Add loosely
chopped potatoes and chicken or vegetable stock. Boil until the ingredients are
soft before adding cream (or a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk) and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Puree
vichyssoise coarsely before serving, and garnish as desired.
Curcurmin is
a phytochemical found in the spice turmeric which is used as part of curry. It is a close relative of ginger, with its
own similar beneficent modulation of our genes.
Ginger is also commonly included in curries. (The spice "cumin" contains no curcurmin,
despite similar name). The whole herb
turmeric is less pharmacologically potent, but modulates gene expression more
symphonically creating fewer potential drug-like side effects. Curcurmin inhibits the gene that makes
inflammatory COX-2 enzymes, preventing their production. (Celebrex simply
inhibits COX-2 enzymes.) Curcurmin is
both strongly anti-inflammatory and strongly anti-oxidant.
Curcurmin
inhibits release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha. Curcurmin is a more effective anti-clotting
agent than aspirin, without the ulcer-inducing stomach irritation caused by
aspirin. It is the source of the bright
yellow of curry (often combined with cumin and red pepper). Curcurmin can scavenge peroxynitrite free-radical can prevent colon
cancer. It blocks amyloid-beta aggregation, which may
prevent Alzheimer's disease and inhibits NF-κB transcription of
proinflammatory and antiapoptotic (cancer-promoting) genes.
Curcurmin acts
against transcription factors, which like a master switch, regulate genes
needed for tumors to form. This ‘super
carrot’ also shuts down genes involved in growth and invasion of cancer cells. It also induces the formation of our
primary liver detoxification enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST). Glutathione also makes it possible to have
strong cellular immunity, which is the best control of cancer.
Serves six, each with 6 grams protein and 4
grams of fiber providing a low glycemic load.
Lime juice, raw -squeeze
Oil, peanut, salad or cooking –
Spices, mustard seed, yellow -
Simple Persian Lentil
Soup 8 servings – contains a powerfully healthy, lovely, mild
Arabesque flavor combination of ginger, cinnamon and turmeric.
You can add lots of different types
of veggies to this soup with good results. Or add potatoes to make it more
filling! If you use chicken broth, it will be even more flavorful, just make
sure to use homemade, as the salt in the store bought kind will make your lentils
not cook all the way. It is vegan without the chicken broth, and using coconut
oil or olive oil
2
cups of lentils
1/4 cup of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or whey.
10 cups of water, chicken broth, or a combination.
2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or olive oil
1 onion
4 large celery sticks
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 -1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1-The night before (or at least ten hours before you want to
start making the soup), place the lentils in a medium size bowl and cover with
water to an inch or two above the level of the lentils and add the lemon juice,
vinegar or whey. When ready to begin the
soup, drain and rinse the lentils.
2-Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion, and chop. Wash the celery, cut off the ends and cut into
1/4 inch pieces. Crush the garlic with
the side of a large chopping knife (place the flat side of the knife on the
garlic and give it a good hit to crush the clove with your fist). Peel and then slice into small slices.
3-In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until
hot. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring, until they are starting to
soften. Add the garlic and cook for a
minute or two more.
4-Add the lentils, water/broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a low
simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Add the sea salt and taste. You will probably need a little more salt.
And serve! (www.thenourishinggourmet.com)
Bone
Soups Try starting
bone soups at night. Create your broth
with various meats and soup bones, water, Himalayan salt, herbs and some green
vegetables (or green powder) along with onions and garlic. Simmer in crock pot or on top of stove on low
all night.
Early in the
evening, or even the night before begin rinsing and soaking beans or grains to
be assembled and simmered in the bone broth in the morning for a hearty
breakfast.
The Chinese
like to add dried longan to hearty soups.
A close relative of the ‘fruit of the gods,’ the lychee, the longan is a
wonderful and delicious tonic fruit seasonally available fresh in south
Florida. It is used by the Chinese as a
blood tonic, to nurture the heart and to add luster and beauty to the skin. Longan literally translated means ‘dragon’s
eye,’ which is its appearance when peeled as the dark brown seed is visible
through the caramel-colored translucent flesh..
It is
believed among the Chinese people that Longan is not only a great tonic for the
skin, but is also a fantastic sex tonic. For that reason, longan is considered as a
special tonic for women who wish to be both beautiful and sexually active. It has a 2000 year reputation as a love
tonic. It is told that the most
beautiful woman in the history of China, Yang Kuei Fed ate longan every day. Longan is equally beneficial to men. It is believed to have a calming effect and
add radiance to the eyes.
Moroccan Harira is considered one of the best soups in the world. By
custom the dish is used to break the fast in Morocco during Ramadan.
This thick, rich version is a meal in itself any other time for
anybody. Serve hot to 8 people. If they really like the tang of lemon, serve traditional little bowls of
freshly squeezed lemon juice with little spoons on the side.
When ready to serve, add the chickpeas and noodles
and cook for 5 minutes. Then, with the soup at a steady simmer, stir the lemony
eggs into the stock with a long wooden spoon. Continue stirring slowly, to
create long egg strands and to thicken the soup. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and dust with cinnamon. Include
little bowls of extra lemon juice for inveterate sour pusses.
Vegetarian
variation of Moroccan Harira soup.
1 brown onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed & diced
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch of spinach, rinsed, destalked and roughly chopped
200gs chickpeas [preferably dry and soaked overnight dry, otherwise drain]
1/2 to 1 cup red lentils
400g tin diced tomatoes (or 4-5 large tomatoes)
2 teaspoonfuls fresh coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
handful fresh chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 & 1/2 liters vegetable stock (home-made)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & cracked pepper to taste
Sauté onions in olive oil over low heat until onions are soft. Add garlic and
celery, stir in, add tomato and coriander turn heat up a bit and cook until
tomato thickens/boils down to more of a paste, add salt as necessary.
Add stock, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and chickpeas. Bring barely to boil,
stirring occasionally and add lentils.
Simmer over low heat for about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally, wash and
de-stalk spin