Autumn oat cakes

An alternative to my regular oatmeal breakfast (served with butter, coconut oil, raw honey, and raw milk) is Autumn oat cakes. Basically a fancy name for something you can do very quickly with leftover congealed oatmeal! If you've ever made your own *oatmeal and saved some of it for later, you've probably noticed that it becomes firm in the fridge. All you have to do to make these cakes is form little patties from the leftover oatmeal and fry them in a hot skillet in plenty of bacon fat, then serve with butter, maple syrup, and yogurt.

For an Autumn twist:
-first, chop half an apple and saute the pieces in butter with cinnamon (and coconut flakes and chopped almonds if desired),
-then remove from the pan and add more butter,
-fry the oat cakes,
-and serve the hot oat cakes topped with the fried apples, butter, maple syrup, and a side of creamy cold yogurt.

To make this a really seasonal dish try any local nuts you might be able to get a hold of, such as hickory nuts. Fried pears are also great served this way. I promise even oatmeal haters will be hard put to dislike this delicious breakfast!

*As always, be sure you are soaking your oats overnight with plenty of water and 2 tbsp. whey, lemon juice, or yogurt per cup of oats. This should always be done to break down the phytic acid in the oats (found in all whole grains) and make them really nutritious and able to provide you with long-lasting energy.

Quinoa-stuffed peppers

I was never a fan of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) because it always tasted a little weird to me; however, I have at last discovered that proper preparation takes care of this problem and makes quinoa absolutely delicious!

Quinoa is one of those whole grains that's considered to be really healthy by modern health-nuts (of which I am NOT one). I do not ascribe to the current brand of health-fanaticism which claims we should eat tons of whole grains all the time; this type of diet would simply be too carb-heavy for most of us humans. I think foods should be prized for their long-standing tradition, for their flavors, and also for their nourishing benefits, not simply because they are a whole grain, per se, and therefore high in dietary fiber. There is more to health than this, but enough said for now.

In some traditional cultures quinoa was prized for its health benefits, and has even enjoyed galactogogue status in South America for a very long time (a galactogogue is a food thought to increase the supply of breast milk). Interestingly enough, however, in Peru, where quinoa is an important traditional grain among the Incas and Indians, it is considered toxic if not rinsed and soaked properly. This is a truth that we find repeated over and over in many cultures: foods are beneficial to our bodies not only because of their intrinsic nature, but more importantly because of how they are prepared. Of course, proper preparation also improves the flavor and our enjoyment when eating these "healthy" foods! So you must soak the quinoa ahead of when you want to make this dish. It will take about an hour or so to prepare everything, but unless you are feeding a large family there will be plenty of leftovers which heat up beautifully in a warm oven. You may also, of course, add some type of ground meat or increase the amount of cheese to make this dish even heartier. *Special tip: if you're making bone broth (stock) during the week preceding making the peppers, you can save the cooked veggies from the stock and use them in this recipe! Carrots and celery are great re-used in this way.*

You will need:
-2 cloves garlic
-olive oil
-1 medium onion
-2-3 large carrots
-2 stalks celery
-1 large tomato
-3 cups broth (preferably homemade)
-2 cups cooked beans
-2 cups organic quinoa
-6-8 medium bell peppers
-1 cup grated raw-milk hard cheese (plus a little extra to melt on top)
-1 tbsp. cumin

To start, rinse 2 cups organic quinoa to remove the saponins (a soap-like natural pesticide). Then soak in a big bowl with plenty of water and 4 tbsp. liquid whey or lemon juice. Keep the bowl in a warm spot covered with plastic wrap for up to a week (I soak quinoa between 2-5 days); it needs at least 8 hours, but I find that longer makes it taste better. Never mind if a white surface forms on the water, or if it looks or smells weird. It's fine, just busy doing its job of breaking down the anti-nutrients in the quinoa by means of beneficial bacteria & enzymes.

Next, prepare the peppers by slicing lengthwise down the center and scraping out the seeds (you can leave the stems for a nice touch). Set aside.

In a large pot, saute a couple cloves of chopped garlic and a chopped onion in at least 3 tbsp. olive oil (extra-virgin). Then add one chopped tomato, 2 diced carrots (cooked or raw), 2 stalks chopped celery, 2 cups cooked black beans (more if desired, any kind will do), 1 tbsp. cumin, and 3 cups chicken stock or broth (or a combination of water & broth). You will need to thoroughly rinse the quinoa and add it at this time, then simmer covered until everything is soft, most of the liquid is evaporated, and the flavors are blended (about 20 minutes). Adjust seasonings to taste, remove from heat, and stir in most of the cheese. Fill the peppers and place in an oiled oven-proof casserole dish; you can mound the rest of the filling in around them. Add about 1/4" of liquid to the bottom (cooking liquid, or broth, or water), dot the peppers all over with plenty of butter, and sprinkle the tops of the peppers with cheese. Bake covered for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. At the end, remove the lid and allow the peppers to bake about 10 minutes longer, until the tops are brown and melty.

I think these alternative-style stuffed peppers are absolutely delicious, but with one caveat: the first time I made them I followed the recipe pretty exactly (it's from the Feb. 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times), and after eating a large serving I felt weirdly hungry. I just wasn't satisfied. This time I added lots of butter, and the peppers were much more satisfying. I find that meals without much saturated fat are simply not satisfying for me, and I suspect this holds true for many other Americans. As people in this country have cut out a lot of the high-quality saturated fat in their diets over the past 30 years they have instead replaced them with lots of sugar. How often do you feel unsatisfied after a meal and reach for something sweet? You might try adding more saturated fat from grass-fed animals or coconuts (butter, lard, eggs, coconut meat & oil) and see if you notice a difference in your satiety level and if you enjoy a more satisfying flavor experience.

Bon appetit!

Beans, glorious beans!

Reader Question: Soaking beans and grains
Q: "One of the things that surprised me [on your blog] was your suggestion to add an acidic element to oats and legumes while soaking. (Actually, I didn't even know that oats needed to be soaked!) Would you mind addressing this more thoroughly for me?" -Vanessa A.

A: Great question! All whole grains (with the exception of kasha which is buckwheat groats that have already been toasted) need to be soaked with water and a little acid (whey, yogurt, or lemon juice) in order to neutralize the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that are naturally present in all forms of seeds; this process also renders them far more nutritious. Nuts should also be soaked in salty water and then toasted (see my blog entries on this), and beans should be soaked and cooked a long time to render them more digestible (some varieties also require a little whey or lemon juice added to the soaking liquid -- more on that below). [Soybeans are a special exception: they should be eaten only after they have been fermented, as in miso, tempeh, and natto. Soaking, sprouting, and cooking do not sufficiently neutralize the potent enzyme inhibitors in soybeans and can lead to reduced protein absorption, digestive problems, and amino acid deficiencies if consumed regularly.]

If you think about it, many of the healthiest things we eat are really seeds! Beans, legumes, nuts, and whole grains are all seeds that will sprout and become plants under the right conditions and provided the seed (which contains a tiny embryo) is still viable. All forms of seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid which interfere with digestion to discourage predators. Phytic acid also binds with minerals in the digestive tract and prevents absorption, leading to deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and calcium over time. As you probably know, some seeds are even toxic and can cause cyanide poisoning. So seeds have a degree of natural protection to keep us from eating them, and to keep them from sprouting under the wrong conditions.

Cooking beans: All dry beans should be soaked and cooked for a long time; of course, fresh is best but it's hard to tell when buying beans in the store. [You can get fresh organic dry beans (and whole grains) from Cayuga Pure Organics at the NYC Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays (or order over the phone).] Lentils, chickpeas, and black beans all require lemon juice, whey, or vinegar added to the soaking liquid: 1 tbsp. per cup of beans. Simply rinse the beans, cover them with warm water in a big bowl, add the acidic medium if necessary, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 24 hours (or longer, if you like). Then drain and rinse the beans and cook in a crockpot or on the stove on very low heat, always making sure the cooking liquid is covering the beans, and skimming off the foam when it first reaches boiling. I recommend using bone broth or stock as the cooking liquid as the gelatin in this makes the protein in the beans go further; it also makes them really delicious! I also add a hand-sized piece of dried kelp when cooking beans for extra iodine, minerals, and the tasty flavor (not fishy, but richer and more complex). Leave this on the top and simply scoop it off if you like when the beans are done if it hasn't melted into the beans (which is fine). I cook beans for about 3-4 hours or until they are very tender (the type and freshness of the beans will impact the cooking time, as well as how long they were soaked). You can add them to salads, soups, stews, rice or potato casseroles, dips, whole grain dishes, fish & meat dishes -- pretty much anything! I generally soak and cook a few different kinds of beans or legumes each week. Then we have them ready to use in our favorite dishes. At our house we love refried beans, mashed and cooked with a little lard from pasture-raised pigs (plus generous dashes of cumin and chili powder, and of course sea salt), and creamy bean dips, blended with sour cream and herbs. A super-quick meal is a baked or boiled potato topped with beans, salsa, and sour cream or cheese. It is worth mentioning that the canning process, which involves high temperatures and pressure, may overly denature the protein in beans and harm other nutrients, so it's best to use dry beans.

Cooking grains: A good rule of thumb for whole grains: soak each cup of whole grain (like quinoa or brown rice) with an equal amount of liquid and 2 tbps. liquid whey, yogurt, or lemon juice. Simply place everything in a bowl, mix, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place at least 7-24 hours or longer (quinoa soaked for 5 days becomes incredibly delicious!). The enzymes, good bacteria, and lactobacilli in the whey, yogurt, or lemon juice serve to begin the breaking-down process for you, rendering the grain delicious, nutritious, and digestible! Simply drain and rinse the grain when you're done and cook as usual, in bone broth or stock if making a savory dish, or with water. Always add some form of fat as well (lard, butter, coconut oil) to further increase the nutritional value.

*Please note: if you buy whole grains that have been rolled or cracked already (such as oats), be sure they are in airtight packages and not taken from a bin. Once the protective coat on each grain has been broken, the precious oil in the grain will have a tendency to go rancid (this doesn't necessarily affect the flavor, but rancid oils are harmful to our bodies). Once you have opened the package or ground the grains yourself, be sure to store them in the refrigerator. Beans can be stored in a cupboard away from light.

Here is a wonderful article on cooking beans:
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/cooking-legumes.html

Blueberry Pancakes al fresco

One of the most delicious ways to enjoy fresh summer blueberries (aside from just popping them into your mouth!) is to make pancakes out of them. Something about the heat of the griddle makes the blueberries fantastically sweet & oozy, and turns them deep purple.

If you're planning a yummy weekend brunch, just take a minute the night before to prepare the following, and cooking the pancakes in the morning will be a snap!

The night before:
-mix together 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour which is light & fluffy) with 2 cups buttermilk or soured milk. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it in a WARM place (the warmer the better! a little warmth helps the good bacteria get to work on breaking down the flour, and helps the pancakes rise well and be light).

In the morning, simply add the following:
-2 eggs
-1 tsp. baking soda
-2 tbsp. shortening, like melted butter, lard, or unrefined coconut oil (I generally use coconut oil for baking)
-3-4 tbsp. sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or succanat which is a healthier unrefined form of sugar)
-a pinch of sea salt
-2 cups of fresh blueberries, rinsed and very well-drained

If you have an electric griddle and a terrace or patio be sure to enjoy the pancakes al fresco! This recipe makes about 16 medium pancakes; serve with plenty of butter and maple syrup, if desired (the blueberries are sweet, so I don't find syrup necessary, but Hugo does). Bon appetit!

Breakfast muffins

Since there still isn't a lot of seasonal fruit available yet I like to put plenty of chopped apple in my muffins, along with a little cinnamon. You can also use about 1/2 cup of chopped spring strawberries if you like, but make sure they are very well-drained. This recipe (adapted slightly from my cooking bible, Nourishing Traditions) will make about 8 good-sized muffins; the original recipe is twice this big, but if you don't plan on eating 16 muffins in one week you should probably make it the way I write here. Also it's okay to leave the muffins out on the countertop, provided they are in an airtight container; however, make sure they are completely cooled before storing, and transfer to the refrigerator after 2-3 days to avoid spoilage.

**Mix these first two ingredients together in a big bowl, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave out on the counter overnight (this step is important--don't skip it!):
-1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (they sell this @ Whole Foods and other places)
-1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
**The next morning add:
-1 egg
-1/4 tsp. sea salt
-2 tbsp. maple syrup
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1.5 tbsp. melted butter OR coconut oil (also sold @ Whole Foods and health food stores)
**OPTIONAL:
-1/2 apple, cored & chopped small (or 1/2 cup chopped strawberries, well-drained)
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Pour into buttered muffin tin (8 muffins in all). Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you insert it in the center of one muffin. Muffins should be golden brown on top. Let them cool a moment, then pop out of tin using a knife and cool on a plate or wire rack. Reheat in the oven by slicing, spreading butter on (always eat flour products with plenty of butter to slow the breakdown of carbs in your body!), then wrapping in tinfoil and baking at 200-250 degrees for about 10-20 minutes, just to warm them up. Be sure to eat them with something high in protein, like a serving of yogurt, hard cheese, or a handful of nuts. Also, be forewarned that these muffins are not very sweet; if you're used to really sweet stuff then you might want to try doubling the maple syrup first, and gradually decrease it each time you make the recipe.

Keep in mind that the first step of combining the flour and buttermilk/soured milk and leaving it to sit overnight is very important. This allows the time and necessary bacteria to begin the process of breaking down and neutralizing the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors present in all whole grains (including their flour form). If you include this step you will be rewarded with an exceptionally fluffy, light muffin (especially since whole wheat pastry flour tastes nearly identical to white flour). Furthermore, "soaking" the flour this way creates an end result that is far more filling and nourishing than muffins prepared the typical way -- it's as if your body is finally really extracting the nourishment from your food. See my entry on "Waffles with Staying Power".

Make whey while the sun shines

To put it very simply, whey is the watery part of milk and is rich in lactobacilli (friendly bacteria which produce lactic acid). I use it to start many food-prep processes, including soaking oatmeal, lacto-fermentation, preserving homemade mayo, and preparing raw fish. Before I started buying whey through our buyers' club, I made my own from a container of plain organic yogurt. I use Seven Stars, which worked well, but you could use any kind -- just make sure it's unflavored and full fat. As a byproduct (or really the whey is the byproduct I suppose) you will also have a sort of homemade cream cheese which is delicious spread on muffins. I take my recipe (and most of my recipes) from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. Here's what she writes:

"Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt, cover with a towel, and let stand at room temperature for about a day. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. After a day, tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cream cheese is ready. Store whey in a glass jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months."

Curried chickpeas

The other day I was planning to make a tabouli-style salad, only with kasha instead of bulgur wheat...but once I chopped the red onion, green pepper, and tomato I decided it would be much lovelier to saute them with the (soaked & cooked) chickpeas and some olive oil and spices. Well, it came out delicious! I used about a cup of chickpeas (soaked 2 days with 2 tbsp. whey and plenty of filtered water, then cooked in the crockpot for a full day until tender), and sauteed them with the veggies and lots of muchi curry, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and dried ginger. The kasha (a.k.a. toasted buckwheat -- which you should NOT soak, by the way, unlike all other whole grains) was cooked with broth I saved from the pot roast I made last week, plus a little sea salt. The kasha and chickpea dish go together pretty well...cous cous or basmati rice would probably be better, though. This makes a good hot or cool dish.

Pita chips

I will be making more pita chips today as we seem to have gone through an entire batch in just 3 days. We are lucky enough to live in an area with lots of Middle Eastern shops that carry great packaged pita bread. I try to look for a brand called Kings Pita; they make large Lebanese-style pitas that contain only bran, whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water (unlike a lot of store-bought pitas that are filled with additives and preservatives). This time I picked up 2 bags (12 large pocket pitas in all), and froze half of them. They defrost very nicely and this way we avoid the whole mold problem.

Here is what I do (using about 4-5 large pocket pitas):
-cut each pita pocket entirely open to make 2 round flat sheets
-cut each sheet into narrow wedges as if it is a pie and you are a dieter :)
-using a large tupperware or bread bag, shake the pita pieces with plenty of olive oil, sea salt, and any desired herbs/spices (I always use dried rosemary as it tastes great on pita chips)
-spread pieces in a thin layer on cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees just until slightly brown and crisp (about 10-15 min); stir them around a little during baking
-allow to dry COMPLETELY before storing tightly covered -- you don't want any heat left as they will get soggy!

I like to serve them with an eggplant dip like baba ghanoush, or with hummus or other bean dips. You will be amazed at how thin, crispy, and delicious they are! They make a surprisingly substantial snack and are great for holding hungry husbands at bay while dinner is being prepared. Of course, strictly speaking, these are not a true traditional food as the flour is not properly soaked to render it completely nutritious, but these are a great compromise snack food.

Battling Hypoglycemia -or- "Waffles with Staying Power!"

Today I had two leftover waffles with raw butter and maple syrup, plus a small bowl of raw-milk yogurt sweetened only with the cinnamon-apple juice I saved from baking apples on Saturday morning (this delicious syrup contains only water, cinnamon, and any juice the apples released during baking). I ate this meal very late, around 11:00, and am still not ready for lunch at nearly 3pm! This is not because I am a light eater -- to the contrary I have been known for needing to eat constantly throughout the day because I would get hungry all the time.

In the past, waffles and pancakes would be initially very filling for me but would make me very tired and lethargic, followed by hunger after an hour or two -- this was despite baking with whole wheat flour and using very little sweetener! Since I learned to properly prepare my baked goods from Nourishing Traditions (the cookbook I refer to with all my cooking and nutrition questions), I have been enjoying an excellent energy level for many hours after eating pancakes and waffles. The record for me was 6 hours I think: Hugo and I had a pancake brunch (I could only eat 2.5 pancakes as they were very filling), then went into the city and didn't eat again until dinner. During that whole time I felt quite good, which is an unthinkable accomplishment for me! In the past I have always carried emergency snacks because I would become hypoglycemic at the most inconvenient times and generally frequently throughout the day (despite eating very healthfully).

So by now you're wondering what the secret is, right? It's simply this: use whole wheat flour (I use organic whole wheat pastry flour which is virtually indistinguishable from white, BUT much better for you), and combine it with the liquid (buttermilk, soured milk, etc.) in your recipe, then allow this to sit overnight. This will begin breaking down the indigestible components of the whole grain flour, and will make it able to provide lasting energy. NOTE: the liquid must have an acidic quality - thus you need to use a cultured dairy product like buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or milk/cream that have soured naturally. And of course the best results will be obtained with raw dairy. Here is the recipe, adapted a little from Nourishing Traditions to make it easier:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat (or other whole grain) flour

2 cups buttermilk, soured milk/cream, or yogurt/kefir (FYI: using this will impart a slightly sour flavor)

-combine these and leave in a warm place overnight, then add the following:

2 eggs

2 tbsp. maple syrup (or other sweetener)

2 tbsp. melted butter or other shortening (I use coconut oil)

1 tsp. sea salt

+ regular or soured milk to thin to desired consistency

Cook as you would normal waffles! These are dense and filling, and very delicious.

Brown rice for breakfast?!

The past few days I have been eating leftover brown rice (from the salmon-bok choy stir-fry of Wednesday night) as a hot breakfast cereal. Besides oatmeal this is my favorite weekday breakfast. I cook the leftover rice with raw honey, butter, and milk, plus golden ground flaxseed, dried shredded coconut, and the final touch: cinnamon.

Tonight I spent about 5 minutes getting some stuff ready for tomorrow. I put spelt and kamut (two great whole grains) on to soak -- they will be going in my turkey soup; also combined soured milk with flour for what will be Yorkshire pudding for tomorrow's dinner (to go with chicken livers & shallots); and washed three Greenmarket apples to be baked with cinnamon in the morning. I plan to eat them over the next few days with raw cream...or maybe some of the ice cream we made last night! YUM

Note on soured milk: raw milk/cream etc. go sour very gently. In fact, I find that the first few days of souring are still pleasant-tasting enough to continue drinking them. Once the milk or cream (or even sour cream) have become too soured and fermented to consume, use them in baking. They are a great source of leavening power and work well in any of the baking recipes I offer here that require soaking flour ahead of time. If you cannot obtain raw dairy, you can still use regular soured dairy products for these purposes, but raw dairy from a certified small farm will provide amazing nutrition and support your local farm economy.

Planning ahead

I just referred to this week's menu, which is posted on the refrigerator, to find out if I need to prepare anything for tomorrow's meals. I am planning brown rice and baby bok choy stir-fry for dinner tomorrow night, with tamari (soy sauce), sesame oil, and about 1/3 lb. of wild Alaskan salmon (yes, shared between two people with good appetites! this is one of our ways of spreading our food dollars a little further). This meal requires defrosting the salmon, obviously, but perhaps more importantly, soaking the rice! Again, this is to neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that are naturally present in most whole grains, seeds, and nuts. Soaking and sprouting are two great ways to fix these pesky problems. Like the oatmeal, I soak my brown rice (the short grain variety, which has a nicer taste and texture for Asian dishes) with the same amount of warm water and 2 tbsp. of whey per cup of rice.

Here is my bowl of 2 cups brown rice, 2 cups water, and 4 tbsp. whey. Not much to see really. It's best to let your grains soak at least a full day, or even longer. [Not long ago I made a fantastic stuffed butternut squash dish that incorporated quinoa and lots of veggies. I put the quinoa on to soak a bit too soon and it was in the water and whey for five days! Smelled a little odd, but I rinsed and cooked it and it tasted absolutely DELICIOUS. I have never been a quinoa fan as it has always tasted funny to me, but now I know how to make it taste better! The extended soaking definitely did the trick.]

Other recent preparations for future meals includes: saving all remnants of our turkey meals (bones, skin - everything that was not consumed) for making soup later in the week. I like to pop everything into a ziploc bag or plastic container and stick it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it, just so I don't have to worry about spoiling. This makes for easy and delicious homemade stock!

Time for Monday breakfast!

I've done a few hours of work (starting at 6:30 today), and now Oliver is awake and fed, so it's time for my daily oatmeal. This has been soaking all night to neutralize the phytic acid in the oats; phytic acid is found in all whole grains and will actually pull nutrients out of your body, which is why soaking is a wise practice. Here's how I do it:

• put one cup Scottish oatmeal in a bowl (this is enough for 3 breakfasts)
• add 2 tbsp. whey (you can also use yogurt, vinegar, or lemon juice)
• mix in 1 cup warm-ish water
• cover with plastic wrap and let sit at least 12 hours or overnight

In the morning it cooks quickly, tastes delicious, and provides a wonderful array of easily-absorbed nutrients! Best of all, it also gives you lots of energy. I have a fast metabolism so I usually need to eat often (and have a tendency to hypoglycemia), but oatmeal sticks with me at least 4 hours and I feel great that whole time. I cook my oatmeal with plenty of raw butter, raw milk (or water), and usually raw honey, organic shredded coconut (unsweetened), some golden ground flaxseed, and sometimes walnuts. I like to serve it with additional butter and raw yogurt, or lots of raw milk. This is especially great for breastfeeding, as it provides lots of nutrition in the form of complex carbs, excellent fats, and plenty of protein and fiber!