Monthly Archives: August 2017

Lemon Balm-Apple Sorbet

Ingredients:

  • 2 large apples, chopped
  • 1 cup lemon balm leaves
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup honey
  • Juice of 2 lemons

Puree apples and lemon balm in a blender or food processor. Transfer puree to a sauce pan. Add water and honey. Simmer over low heat until thick and bubbly. Strain. Add lemon juice, stir briskly, and cool. Place mixture in an ice cream maker and freeze. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze, then blend the mixture just before serving. Garnish with fresh lemon balm sprigs, and serve with scones or tea biscuits.

FREAKING DELISH!!!

Found at: Bay Witch Musings

Savory Fenugreek and Coriander Pancakes

Thin, soft Indian flat breads with a savory fenugreek and coriander flavor. These pancakes feature fresh fenugreek leaves — also known as “methi” — an annual herb that I was lucky enough to get my hands on. It is commonly used in Indian cooking and that includes the seed and ground powder from the seed. Slightly sweet, with a hint of bitterness, it is well worth using the fresh herb, but if you can’t find it — and this is sometimes a challenge — substitute about 3/4 cup dried fenugreek instead.

Most Asian and Indian grocers carry the dried leaves, seeds and powder, and often the fresh leaves. These grocers will also carry chickpea flour and chapati (or “atta”) flour, but for 1/2 cup of chapati flour you may substitute 1/3 cup sifted whole wheat flour and combine with enough pastry flour to make 1/2 cup.

Masala paste:

  • 4 to 6 green chilies (or fewer if preferred), seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1-inch fresh ginger, finely sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Pancake batter:

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup chapati (atta) flour*
  • 1/3 cup chickpea (besan) flour
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup whole fat yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, or as needed
  • 1 2/3 cup fresh fenugreek leaves (methi), roughly chopped*
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or sesame oil for frying, or as needed

Instructions:

*Substitutions: Substitute 1/2 cup chapati flour with 2 parts sifted whole wheat flour and 1 part pastry flour. Substitute fresh fenugreek leaves with 3/4 cup dried fenugreek leaves.

For the paste, combine the chilies, garlic, ginger, salt and 1 teaspoon of water in a small blender to blend into a paste. Alternately, use a mortar and pestle.

Whisk together the flours, cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, paprika, asafetida, salt and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the yogurt, 1 cup of the water to start with, and the fenugreek leaves. Stir well to combine, adding more water until the batter is pourable but fairly thick.

Line a plate with a large piece of foil.

Heat a few teaspoons of ghee or oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/2 cup of the batter into the hot pan and spread out in a circular fashion with the back of the ladle into a thin 7- or 8-inch round. Cover and let cook for a minute. With a spatula, gently flip the pancake and cook for another few minutes, until the bread is golden brown. Transfer the pancake to the plate, fold the foil over to cover, and repeat the process until all of the pancakes are cooked.

Enjoy warm or reheat them in a 175° oven. They are best when served the same day that they are made.

Makes about 10 pancakes

Recipe by Lisa Turner

Pickled Nasturtium Seeds

Use green nasturtium seeds, and in picking retain a short length of stem on each. Lay the seeds in cold salted water for two days (two tablespoons salt to one quart water), then place them in cold water for another day. Drain well and place the seeds in a glass jar, cover with vinegar heated to the boiling point, and close the jar tightly. In a few days the seeds will be ready to use. They are an excellent substitute for capers.

From: Herbal Gardens

Nasturtium Lemon Butter

This lovely butter has a mild lemon/pepper flavor and a colorful appearance. It is wonderful on fish, chicken and vegetables. This is also great on those small party breads, pumpernickel especially.

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1-2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (according to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped nasturtium blossoms

Mix all of the ingredients well until smooth and well blended. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve. Makes 3/4 cup flavored butter.

From: Herbal Gardens

Nasturtium Vinegar

Nasturtiums have a wonderful peppery flavor and add zest to any recipe.

  • 1 cup nasturtium leaves, flowers, and buds
  • 1 pint champagne or white wine vinegar

Place the ingredients in a clean clear glass jar or bottle. Tightly seal. Let sit for at least 3 weeks before using. Place a new nasturtium in the finished bottle for decoration, but you should make sure the vinegar always covers the flowers or they will mold. Makes 1 pint vinegar to use in salads, sauces and flavoring in other dishes.

From: Herbal Gardens

Coltsfoot Sorbet

Ingredients
  • 65 fresh coltsfoot flowers
  • 1 cup organic cane sugar
  • 3 1/3 cups water
  • 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 egg white
Instructions

Make sure you have only the yellow petals from 65 coltsfoot flowers. (Remove the petals by rubbing the flowers between your thumb and forefinger. Make sure there are no green sepals in with the petals.)

Place the petals, sugar and water into a pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes then remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Filter through a sieve and refrigerate the syrup until chilled. Add the egg white and whisk. Either place in an ice cream maker or in the freezer. As the sorbet churns, the egg white will trap air bubbles and this turns the sorbet white. If you have chosen the freezer method you will need to whisk briskly every five minutes for the first hour, then every fifteen minutes until the sorbet sets.

Note: For information on coltsfoot, including cautions and contraindications, visit The Encyclopedia of HerbologyColtsfoot

Source: Edible Wild Food

How To Make Sprouts

Use one part seed to at least three parts water. Soak in a wide-mouth jar. All measurements below yield one quart of ready sprouts. Half-gallon or larger jars are more convenient.

  • 1 cup aduki beans – soak 12 hours – 3 to 5 days to sprout
  • 2 tablespoons alfalfa seed – soak 6 hours – takes 5 to 6 days to sprout
  • 2 tablespoons red clover seed – soak 6 hours – takes 5 to 6 days to sprout
  • 1/2 cup fenugreek – soak 8 hours – 3 days to sprout
  • 1 cup garbanzo beans – soak 12 hours – 3 to 5 days to sprout
  • 1 cup legumes – soak 12 hours – 3 to 5 days to sprout
  • 1/2 cup lentils – soak 8 hours – 3 days to sprout
  • 1/2 cup mung beans – soak 8 hours – 3 to 5 days to sprout
  • 1/4 cup mustard seed – soak 6 hours – takes 5 to 6 days to sprout
  • 1/4 cup radish seed – soak 6 hours – takes 5 to 6 days to sprout
  • 1 cup rye – soak 12 hours – 3 days to sprout
  • 1 cup soy beans – soak 12 hours – 3 to 5 days to sprout
  • 2 cups sunflower seeds – soak 12 hours – 2 days to sprout
  • 1 cup wheat – soak 12 hours – 3 days to sprout

Instructions:

Cover the mouth of the jar with a plastic or stainless steel sprouting screen or cheesecloth, which is tied on or secured with a rubber band (sprouting jars, bags, and automatic sprouting machines are also available).

After soaking seeds for the prescribed amount of time, drain well, and keep in a warm (65 degree F) dark place. They can be covered with a cloth or bag. Sprouting time increases with more light and cooler conditions.

Rinse twice a day, ideally morning and evening. An exception is soy, which may rot if not rinsed four times daily. Keep jar tilted mouth down for better drainage. A dish drainer works well for this. Thorough rinsing and complete draining improve sprout flavor.

After three days place alfalfa, red clover, radish, and mustard sprouts in a cool place with indirect sunlight to induce chlorophyll. Continue rinsing twice daily until sprouts are ready.

Radish and mustard seed sprouts exhibit biting pungency, which adds a delightful zesty quality when mixed with other sprouts or in various dishes.

During the sprouting process, the hulls on certain seeds slough off. It is important to remove hulls from alfalfa and radish sprouts since these easily rot. Hulls from mung, aduki, and fenugreek are often removed for a lighter-tasting quality, although they can be eaten and provide fiber.

To remove the loose hulls from sprouts, place them in a large bowl of water and agitate them, further loosening and brushing them aside. Gently reach under the sprouts and lift them out of the water, without disturbing the sunken hulls, which can then be discarded.

Drain sprouts well. If refrigerated, they keep up to one week in a plastic bag or covered glass jar.

Note:

Alfalfa may not sprout in polluted tap water. Use distilled or spring water or sprout with other seeds (mung, lentil, fenugreek) in the same jar. You will have a delicious salad. Save all rinse water for cooking, watering plants, or to give your animals.

From: Healing With Whole Foods

Alfalfa Sprouts

Alfalfa is America’s favorite sprout and is considered more nutritionally concentrated than other sprouts, primarily because of its rich mineralization. The tiny alfalfa seed produces a root that can reach 100 feed into the earth, where it has access to minerals and trace elements untouched by other plants.

Alfalfa follows the doctrine of signatures: its ability to produce exceptional roots benefits our “roots,” which are often identified physiologically as our intestines and kidney/bladder functions.

Arabs were the first to discover alfalfa and found it a highly strengthening food, both for themselves and their race horses. Because of its attributes, they named it al-fal-fa, which means “father of all foods.”

From: Healing With Whole Foods

About Sprouts

Sprouts represent the point of greatest vitality in the life cycle of a plant. One clearly experiences this vitality when eating sprouts consistently. During sprouting, vitamin and enzyme content increases dramatically. At the same time starch is converted into simple sugars, protein is turned into amino acids and peptones, and crude fat is broken down into free fatty acids. Hence, the sprouting process predigests the nutrients of the seed, making it easier to assimilate and metabolize. This explains why grains and legumes, many of which are common allergens, often do not cause allergies when sprouted.

Nevertheless, the sprouting process increases the cooling attributes of the seed, which can over-cool the cold person and weaken digestion in those with low “digestive fire.” Generally if one is frail, feels cold often and/or tends toward loose stools, then sprouts must be eaten sparingly. Cooking makes sprouts more appropriate for these individuals. On the other hand, the excessive person (robust body and personality, thick tongue coating, ruddy complexion, strong radial pulse and voice) will benefit from abundant raw or lightly cooked sprouts.

In Chinese medicine, sprouts are a specific remedy for cases of stagnant liver qi (with signs such as swellings and lumps, mental depression, frustration, swollen abdomen and chest, purple-tinged or dark tongue, and/or greenish complexion).

During cold seasons, sprouts act as an excellent source of fresh vegetables. Cooking them at this time of the year balances their cooling nature. In fact, in China where sprouts have thousands of years of traditional use, they are routinely cooked. Raw sprouts have been desirable in the West because they more efficiently reduce the massive excesses occurring among the general population.

For better digestion for every type of person, large grain and legume sprouts such as aduki, lentil, corn, green peas, soy, garbanzo, and wheat can be lightly steamed and are still vital and energizing. They need to be simmered, sauteed, or steamed longer fore people who are cold or deficient.

The growth characteristics of sprouts are most appropriate for attuning one to the energetic upsurges of spring and summer.

From: Healing With Whole Foods

Explore The Posts
Subscribe
If you'd like to be informed whenever anything new is posted, you can subscribe via email:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Find Us On Facebook
Quotable
"Diet has the distinction of being the only major determinant of health that is completely under your control. You have the final say over what does and what does not go into your mouth and stomach. You cannot always control the other determinants of health, such as the quality of the air you breathe, the noise you are subjected to, or the emotional climate of your suroundings, but you can control what you eat. It is a shame to squander such a good opportunity to influence your health." ~Andrew Weil, MD
Be Merry


I think it's time to go shopping... maybe even buy some really cool stuff at my online shops!!

Visitors