Old Fashioned Sauerkraut

This recipe comes from Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions.

The sauerkraut is meant to be served cold and uncooked to aid digestion of other foods, especially cooked foods, eaten at the same meal. My 20-month old son loves this sauerkraut and eats it by the handful.

The recipe says to pound the cabbage for about 10 minutes until the juices start to emerge. After a messy first go (and a very sore arm), I hoped to discover an easier way to make this scrumptious condiment. The next time, I let my Kitchen Aid mixer do the pounding. It turned out very nicely.

Sauerkraut

1 medium head Cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup Whey (see post, "Making" Whey)
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds

Chop the cabbage according to your preference. (I chop it finely so it's easier for our young muncher.) Place the cabbage in a Kitchen Aid mixer. Attach the beater and turn on to low speed.

Place the whey, sea salt and caraway seeds in a 1-quart Mason jar. Shake vigorously until sea salt is dissolved.

When the juices from the cabbage begin to emerge, add the seasoning/fermenting mixture. Continue to beat for several minutes to combine.

Place all contents in the 1-qt Mason jar, pressing down firmly until all the cabbage is added. Be sure to leave one inch of space between the cabbage and the top of the jar. This is needed as the fermentation works because of the pressure it builds. Place the lid on the jar and tighten snugly.

Place on your counter for three days. Then move to cold storage.

You can eat your sauerkraut right away, but the longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes. I recommend at least 4 weeks, but 6 weeks is optimal.

When you do finally open your first jar, it will bubble and fizz like a soft drink. Not to worry!

From what I've read, you will know immediately if something went wrong. The odor will not allow anyone to eat the contents. But if it simply smells fermented, enjoy!

"Making" Whey

In order to create lacto-fermented vegetables, you need whey in the liquid form, not the granules. I have no idea where you could buy whey. But I have an easy way to "extract" it.

Ingredients:
32 oz carton of organic, plain, whole milk yogurt

Tools:
2 large paper towels
colander
large bowl

Place the colander in the large bowl. Line the colander with a single paper towel. Pour the whole carton of yogurt into the colander. (Make sure the yogurt stays inside the paper towel.) Cover the yogurt with the second paper towel to keep it from drying out. Place everything into the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The whey will drip out of the yogurt. Check the bowl every few hours and empty the whey into a jar. This will keep the yogurt from sitting in the whey as it collects. After 24 hours, you can empty the strained yogurt into another paper-towel lined colander to keep extracting or you can put it back in its original container, depending on your preference for thick yogurt and your need for more whey.

You can use the yogurt as sour cream or just eat it plain. It's delicious!

The whey is now ready for use as a means of fermentation.

No Longer Gluten-Free

Well, it seems that Ben doesn't have a problem with gluten - just wheat - for now, anyway! So I've been experimenting with rye, and he's been okay. Both sourdough bread and bagels have turned out rather tasty, according to my dear husband. I made both with a rye sourdough starter and used gluten-free, all-purpose flour to minimize the impact of allergens on Ben's system.

I've also been playing with lacto-fermentation... and we've had some yummy sauerkraut and pickles! A couple other attempts at fermenting fruits and vegetables turned out okay, but I'm not sure how many other people would find them appetizing.

One thing that I've been finding to help with Ben's asthma is raw honey. He has it on his organic, greek-style yogurt every day, and it does seem to be participating with other remedies in keeping his airways open. I'm so grateful for God's grace in leading me to natural remedies. The drugs have such side affects that we'd like to minimize their use wherever possible.

So when I have a few more minutes, I'll post some recipes.... kefir, whey, fluffy oatmeal pancakes, sourdough bread, sourdough bagels, pickles and sauerkraut...

Pizza Crust

This recipe is neither Gluten Free nor Migraine Friendly. But most of us have occasion to cook for those without our limitations. I hope you find this as easy as I do!

2 cups warm water
2 Tbls yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
5-6 cups white flour
1 Tbls salt
1 Tbls cider vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water. Let bubble.
In mixer, combine 5 cups flour with salt, vinegar and olive oil. Add yeast mixture. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms. It won't completely pull away from the bowl. This is okay. Allow to knead in mixer for 5 minutes. Remove from bowl and knead briefly on counter to create a ball. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Allow to rise briefly (5 - 10 minutes). Spread on pizza pan (greased, if not a baking stone) and bake each crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Spread each crust with sauce and toppings. Cover with cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts.

Tomato Soup

28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 Tbls sea salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
dash freshly ground pepper

Mix all together in a stock pot over medium heat until hot. Taste. Adjust seasonings. Serve.

If you want a creamy soup, add milk (up to 2 cups) being careful not to boil.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Carrot-Ginger Soup

2 lbs fresh carrots
6 stalks celery
2 sweet potato/yam, peeled
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock

* Clean carrots, celery and sweet potato/yam. Chop all into 1-2 inch pieces. Place in 8-quart stock pot and cover with water. Place on stove and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Check periodically to make sure there is sufficient water in the pot.

* Add chicken stock and cook until soup is hot. Reduce heat to low. Add spices, salt and pepper.

* Remove from heat.

* Puree one to two cups at a time in blender. Soup should be thick and smooth.

* Serve with a dollop of cream, plain yogurt or half-n-half.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

1 1lb bag of dried black beans
4 bay leaves
2 large carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks or 2 stalks with leaves plus hearts with leaves
1 red pepper

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 lb frozen corn

Optional:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Follow directions on back of bean bag for soaking and cooking beans.
While beans soak, chop carrots, celery and red pepper into 2" chunks.
Cook beans with the bay leaves, carrots, celery and red pepper.
Cool to room temp. Puree in in small batches until smooth.
Return to pan, add seasonings and corn. Heat through.
Taste.
Adjust seasonings (more salt, pepper, etc).
If lemon juice is desired, add 1 Tbsp. Taste again, then add more.

To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Top with chopped cilantro. (for those who can indulge, add 1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt then cilantro.)

Turkey/Rice Souffle

4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 of the Baked Rice with Turkey & Vegetables

* Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
* Butter a 9x13 glass baking pan.
* Beat the eggs & milk together.
* Add the shredded cheese and mustard. Mix well, then add the Baked Rice.
* Turn into the baking dish.
* Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the center is set.

Baked Rice with Turkey & Vegetables

4 cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups chopped, cooked turkey
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 large carrots, shredded
2 stalks finely chopped celery
12 oz frozen chopped spinach
2 Tbls sea salt
2 Tbls Italian Seasonings
4 cups turkey stock
4 cups water

Combine all in large baking dish (at least 9x13). Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 2 hours, until all liquid is absorbed.