Life begets Life!
That is what my first nutritional teacher taught me. So much of our food is devoid of life giving qualities. This is a time when we need to enliven our food in every way we can and give our system everything it needs to fuel as well as detoxify us. One of the best ways to do this is to put cultured fermented foods into your diet in a variety of delicious ways.
Here is a blend with cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic. Carrots and the onions add sweetness to the blend, while adding more cruciferous power.
There is so much more to fermented foods than cultured vegetable and/or sauerkraut. If you don’t like the taste of fermented veggies, then you are probably eating the wrong ones. Many people just use cabbage and perhaps some herbs and spices when making them, BUT, there are so many more veggies that can be used to make interesting flavorful blends. And, that’s not all. There are also beverages that you can easily make that are simple, delicious and fortifying.
Here is a cabbage, beet, onion, kale and ginger blend. The beets add sweetness and the ginger another digestive boost.
Take Beet Kvass, for example. This beverage is an elixir that will soothe your tummy and palate, and can be made with many different herbs for a variety of flavors. It is an excellent blood purifier and digestive aide. Every person I pour a glass for takes on a expression of surprise with their eyes lighting up while they ask for more. This incredible, easy to make tonic should be in everyone’s diet.
Beet Kvass is a blood purifying tonic made with beets, a starter (or whey) and fresh water. (add salt, ginger, turmeric and any other herb your heart desires). It is so simple, absolutely delicious, and feels great in the body.
There is more…..so many more. Let me introduce to you of my favorite fermented grains. One is Idli’s. If you have ever traveled to India, then you know what Idli’s are. The are made simple with fermented rice, water and salt. Of course there are many flavorful variations, but the basic batter is divine. I love them, as they take the place of wanting a fresh roll, piece of bread or biscuit at a meal. They have a slight sourdough flavor on on their own. So simple!
Here they are fresh from the steaming pot (like a poached egg pan). These are made with white and brown rice. Great with a meal, dipped in ghee, olive oil , or served with a chutney.
Another grain that can be fermented is millet. So many people have problems with absorbing the phytates, which actually have many nutritious compounds. Blend them dry, soak them and let them ferment to make a delicious cereal known as Ogi.
Once the millet batter has fermented for a day or two, heat it up (much like oatmeal), and serve with fresh fruit, raisins, and perhaps some kefir seed milk.
Kefir seed and oat milks milks can be easily be made from many nut and seed milks. If you are currently drinking oat milk, nut or seed milks that are store bought and pasteurized then you are drinking dead food with no life to them except some calories and very few nutrients. One can easily culture home made milks giving them, and you, life giving qualities that aide in digestion and absorption.
Here is a kefir milk made from hemp granules. All that is needed is a little maple syrup or sugar to feed the starter. What a gift these milks can give you - a little in smoothies, or a sip or two before meals, or a full glass when you want. A kefir milk can be made with oats and many other nuts or seeds. YUM!
Here I am at the Farmers Market in Maui about 8 years ago selling my Cultured Superfoods. Now you can learn all my methods for putting these great foods in your diet and life.
I am offering a Cultured Superfoods class where we will make all the foods mentioned above. We will make them together. I have found that people learn to make them when “they make them”. So, this is an experiential course where we will gather 4 weeks in a row and make them and harvest them together. Go HERE to find out more. Join us!
BONUS!
With this experiential “Cultured-Superfoods Course I am offering my complete set of “Raw, Cooked and Cultured” on line courses. This is the online course from my original 6-Set DVD series offering Raw Food Basics, How to Mix Raw & Cooked Together, along with Cultured Foods (Cultured veggies and Kefir). If you really want to learn how to make a plant based diet work for you, this course will offer valuable techniques for working with nuts and seeds to get the most value from them, how to use healthy fats for sauces and dressings rather than stir - fried or fried foods with bad fats, This is a fantastic course for anyone wanting to put more plant foods into their diet in the way that delivers simplicity and nourishment as at once. The best part is that the methods I offer are Delicious! Don’t miss out on learning how to eat foods that rock your taste buds and provide a satisfied and nourished tummy. See promo on this course HERE.