adventures in sprouting

sprouting edible seeds seems to be all the rage right now, and rightfully so, as sprouts are plants at their greatest point of vitality and are said to be the most nutrient-rich food on earth!

what's great is sprouting can be done most anywhere, any time of year - with just a jar, some seeds and water.

the bag of fenugreek seed above cost between one and two dollars and will yield a few jars of sprouts. some farmer's markets and health food stores sell seeds for edible sprouts. seeds may also be purchased online. 

the sproutpeople say, "fenugreek has gained popularity in recent years due to research that indicates that it increases the breast size." what?! fenugreek in general is great for breast health - it's been used to increase milk production in nursing mothers for hundreds of years! there are many other therapeutic uses, including those for men, found here.

convenient sprouting kits and lids exist, but this little set-up works fine. a piece of clean nylon pantyhose or cheesecloth would also work - anything that will allow for proper drainage.

after a good rinse in a mesh strainer,

two tablespoons of seed were soaked in filtered water overnight.

another good rinsing and they're placed upside down to drain and sprout out of direct sunlight.

they were rinsed and drained every 8-12 hours.  

day 1 - soaked seeds ready for sprouting

day 2 - little tails or roots have already formed!

day 3 - tails are longer. this is when the sproutpeople would eat them - before the leaves open. i like to let my sprouts "green-up" for more nutrients, so on we sprout...

day 4 - they're ready to go! wow, that was fast!

they received a very thorough rinse and were set out to dry before storage in the fridge.

alone, fenugreek spouts are a bit on the bitter side, but i find them to be really tasty atop salad, soup, raw pizza and wraps.

after venturing into some buckwheat sprouting, apple buckwheat granola and basil pizza crusts were made.

the buckwheat groats were soaked about an hour and sprouted for a day and a half on mesh excalibur dehydrator screens.

some were saved for smoothie toppings...

others were mixed with dried coconut, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, apples, dates and maple syrup for a scrumptious cereal.

before

 after

the cereal/granola was dehydrated at 115° with cheesy kale chips (gone before i could ask "where's my camera?") and sprouted buckwheat pizza crusts.

this recipe plus basil, kale and a few tablespoons of hemp seed.

the green crusts look pretty and taste phenomenal with cashew cheeze and fenugreek sprouts.

sprout-tacular!

=)

delicious

i have to share these recipes that made our ny eve so yummy!

Vegan Bay Crab Cakes

Recipe by Cherie Soria (as printed in Purely Delicious magazine)

Serves 6 (Yields twelve 1/4 cup cakes)

1/2 C. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 1 hr, drained and diced
1 1/2 C. zucchini, spiralized
1 1/2 C. macadamia nuts, ground
1/4 C. onion, finely minced
1/4 C. celery, finely minced
2 Tbls. nutritional yeast
2 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. red bell pepper, very finely diced
2 tsp. kelp powder
2 tsp. ground golden flax seeds
1 Tbls. ground psyllium seed
1 tsp. garlic, pureed
1 tsp. red jalapeno, minced (or substitue cayenne pepper to taste)
1 tsp. Himalayan crystal salt

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the spiralized zucchini into pieces about one inch in length. (A spiral slicer and a chef's knife are perfect for this task.)
2. Combine the zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add a few drops of water, if needed, to form a firm dough.
3. Using a 1/4 C. measure, create small cakes, about one inch deep.
4. Place the cakes on a nonstick dehydrator sheet and place in dehydrator at 120 degrees for 1 hour; then turn over to dehydrate the other side for another 1-2 hours. (This temperature will not be too hot to destroy the nutrients and enzymes, since the dough has enough water to stay cool during this time.)
5. Serve with a generous serving of Cocktail Sauce and/or Creamy Dill Sauce.

kelli's notes:
i used 3/4 diced button mushrooms instead of porcini, 1/2 macadamia and 1 cup cashews, omitted the onions and psyllium powder, and served with a mixture of ketchup and wasabi. i needed to dehydrate longer, more like 6 hours. they are a bit flat (most likely due to the lack of psyllium powder), but still scrumptious! i will follow the recipe to the T next time so they look as good as they taste!


Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts
from Raw-Riffic Food's Recipe Blog

1 lb Brussels Sprouts (stems removed, and sliced thin)
1/2 cup walnuts coarsly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 T (more or less) cold pressed Hemp Oil
1/2 T cold pressed Olive Oil
2-3 drizzles of raw agave nectar (or to taste)

Preparation:
Lightly steam the Brussels Sprouts and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. This dish is a very hearty meal. Try exchanging the walnuts for chopped pecans, or dried apple pieces and raisins in place of the dried cranberries. I think you will agree that this dish is super yummy, and makes you feel cozy too! Perfect for Winter! =)

kelli's notes:
i did not have hemp oil so i added more olive oil. i sliced the brussels thin, tossed with all ingredients, and dehydrated a few hours instead of steaming. the flavors go together so well in this dish that i'm sure any way you make it will be delicious!

~*~

 

Quinoa Veggie Sushi

4 nori sheets

1/2 C. quinoa

1 C filtered water

1 small carrot

1 small zucchini or cucumber

1 avocado

agave

rice vinegar

tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

wasabi

1. rinse quinoa. bring water and quinoa to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes.

2. shred or cut veggies thin.

3. add a few drizzles each of agave, tamari, and rice vinegar to the cooked quinoa.

4. place nori sheets on sushi mat, add ingredients and roll. i've watched youtube videos to learn how to do this.

5. serve with tamari and wasabi.

6. mix leftover ingredients and top with wakame for a yummy salad!

~*~

Chocolate Pecan Pie

from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw for Dessert

altered and posted at Beautiful Living Food in Vermont

(a lovely blog i stumbled upon recently)

by Joyce

This recipe includes a few components so I’m going to list them in the order that I made them:
1 Cup of Date Paste (here’s what I used since I cut the recipe almost in half)

• 20 pitted medjool dates
• 1 1/2 cups of water (and a couple teaspoons extra)

Soak dates in the water for 20 minutes, massaging them with your hands for a minute. Drain dates but reserve the soaking water.
Place dates in food processor along with a bit over 1/4 cup of soak water and blend until smooth.
Almond Pecan Crust

• 3/4 cup of unsoaked almonds
• 3/4 cup of unsoaked pecans (recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
• 8 pitted medjool dates
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place almonds and sea salt in the food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the pecans and process until both nuts are finely ground. Add the dates and process until mixture begins to stick together. Don’t overprocess. Form a pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate or tart pan. I used a pie plate.
3/4 cup of Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup of dark agave syrup or maple syrup (I used mostly dark agave with a bit of maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup of cacao powder
• 1/3 cup of virgin coconut oil, melted (in dehydrator)
• 1/8 teaspoon plus pinch of sea salt

Blend everything in the Vitamix until smooth. Add most of it on top of the crust. Scatter 3/4 cups of pecans on top of the ganache. Press down with your hand. Put in the fridge while making the filling.
Filling

• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of agar flakes
• 1 cup of date paste from above
• 1 tablespoon of dark agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup since I live in Vermont)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place the water and agar flakes in a small saucepan on the stove and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Place the date paste, maple syrup or agave, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the agar mixture and process until blended.

Spread the date mixture evenly over the ganache and pecans with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of pecans on top, pressing them down slightly. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

kelli's notes:

i followed another blogger and used 1/2 C. melted coconut oil in place of the agar flakes. it worked wonderfully, but i think i will use a bit less coco oil next time (maybe 1/3 C). the pie was amazingly sweet and decadent, and i will definitely be making it again! 

 

sprouts a-mung us

*how to sprout your own mung beans*

you will need:
1/2- 2/3 C. mung beans
cheese cloth, nylon, or tulle
large open-mouthed jar
a rubber band

rinse and soak mung beans in cool water for at least 12 hours.


pour beans in jar and cover with cheese cloth (or a piece of unused nylon or tulle) and a rubber band.


drain, rinse, repeat.


place your jar upside down in a cool (70° -ish) low-lit area.
rinse and drain your beans every 8-12 hours.


they should begin to sprout in about 2 days. the sproutage you see pictured is after 4 days.

store sprouts in fridge.
add to salads, soups, sandwiches, or veggie rolls.
(click here for more ideas)

***

here's a yummy creation i came up with myself =)


so easy to make!
simply combine 1 C. each chickpeas, black beans, and mung sprouts with fresh mint, cilantro, olive oil, and sea salt.


serve warm, chilled, or over some grains, like red quinoa.

♫ beans, beans, they're good for your heart...♫

=)

recent eats

happy autumn! september has been a busy month in the kitchen as i try to keep up with the csa and garden goodies. i'm making raw sauerkraut, freezing a lot of zucchini and bell peppers and drying some things to make our own vegetable broth powder. i've also got ginger kombucha tea brewing to give our immune systems a boost during the colder months and soon i'll be harvesting echinacea root for medicinal tea!

our meals have been simple but satisfying...lots of veggie bowls cooked in the trusty crock-pot. the first one pictured is rosemary french lentils with summer squash topped with nutritional yeast, hemp seeds and alfalfa sprouts. the second one was supposed to be red beans and rice but i stirred too much and it became risotto! still yummy though.

to be sure we're getting raw nutrition in too we're doing our smoothies a few days a week with spirulina and chlorella. some veg-loving friends and family came over and i made roasted beets, petite brussels sprouts and carrots with thyme (mmm!), a delicious loaded kale salad, and we ordered tomato pie from a local italian bakery.

dessert one night was a raw apple cobbler from sweetly raw. it was really good but we liked it warmed up a little. and that tomato sandwich was probably the best thing i've had on bread in a long time! for the spreads i used some leftover hummus and roasted eggplant and red pepper dip, then piled on raw kraut, avocado, raw eggplant bacon, and the juiciest heirloom tomato.

last but not least you see a hearty azuki bean, beet and barley stew with an assortment of baby sweet potatoes i found at natural health. the beans and barley were on sale and when i did some recipe research i learned that both are staples for a macrobiotic diet! (christina pirello healed her cancer with macrobiotics.) gotta love healing foods.

i hope you're enjoying your first official weekend of fall! the weather has been beautiful over here! today will be another busy one in the kitchen and garden, but i wouldn't have it any other way.=)

xoxoxo

healing on a budget

it's been slim pickins in the produce department. fortunately, there's a local health food store with a decent selection of reasonably priced organic vegetables. conveniently, it's just two minutes down the road from a chiropractor i've been visiting once a week, eiseman family chiropractic.

dr. eiseman is helping to alleviate the discomfort in my dominant arm as well as some pain in my neck and back, and for only $21 a visit! after just three adjustments, i'm able to crochet and type like i used to. the wiggling and cracking seems to be working. i've also been doing the dead lift exercises he suggested and consuming turmeric and celery to reduce inflammation.

it's funny, i've already been eating a lot of celery, and i've been reading about turmeric almost everyday! according to the american cancer society, "turmeric may prevent and slow the growth of a number of types of cancer. one researcher reported that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, inhibited the formation of cancer-causing enzymes in rodents." wow!

the challenge for me has been getting the turmeric in. natural health sells loose organic turmeric at a very fair price. i've been mixing it in soups, hot tea, an immunity tonic with raw apple cider vinegar, and as shown below, sprinkling it on salads.

mixed baby greens, cauliflower, carrot, homegrown fennel sprouts, raw sunflower seeds

these aren't our favorite salad components, but we've got to make do. i've come up with a quick dressing delicious enough to make any salad shine. there are no measurements; just mix olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice (i like balsamic vinegar for its sweetness) italian herbs and spices, salt, pepper and some nutritional yeast. add a splash of water or two to stretch it for your next salad. 

baby greens, button mushroom, mandolin-sliced carrot and celery and raw sunflower seeds

there are also store-bought broccoli sprouts in there. they were only $1.99 at natural health (though it's much cheaper to grow our own). while conventional stores are generally less expensive, it's possible to shop at the health food stores without breaking the budget. we are living proof of that!

the key is to be flexible and work with what is affordable. prices change with the season. if you're set on sticking to a list, expect to pay more. i had to forgo the avocado last week because it was too much. same with bananas ($1.99 a pound!), but later i found a sale on organic ($.69/pound) at our local grocery store. we also buy conventional produce if we need to.

it's been a while since i made a list for produce, but it's also been a while since i made something using a recipe. our meals have been sort of thrown together last minute. stir-fries are great for that, especially when we've got frozen bell pepper and yellow squash in the freezer.

brown rice, bell pepper, yellow squash, carrot, celery and toasted nuts

the rice was cooked in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes in a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. the sauce was a simple mix of tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) minced garlic, ginger, and a splash of agave. the nuts were lightly toasted with maple syrup, olive oil, chinese five spice powder, cayenne and black pepper. they would make a nice jar of mixed nuts for a holiday gift!

last year, i made jars of spiced mixed nuts as gifts for the the gentlemen. it was the day before madji passed. she was sick, but i was so sure she'd get better. i've been thinking about her a lot. sometimes i feel her when kati and i sit together. kati has helped heal our broken hearts, but i think i'll always have a little ache for my biggles. she was so sweet!

but so's this one. kati really wanted to go out but it was way too cold, so she figured she'd do the next best thing - lay in the plumeria pot! she cracks us up! the warm fuzzies i get from her are most conducive to my healing on all levels. just look at that face!=)