Autumn Soup - Good for the Immune System

During the cold weather season, it is important to eat lots of orange vegetables.  They are rich in Vitamin A and boost the immune system.  When you make homemade soup, be sure to add sweet potato, carrots, orange bell peppers, and squash.  Throw in beans for protein.  Yummy!

mmmmMmmm, good!

Whole Grains: Yes, but...

Ah, man...just when you think you're onto something healthy, there's always some kind of glitch.  The whole grain craze is great in theory but one vital piece of information was left out.  Whole grains contain phytic acid that is explained best in the following quote from mother's favorite cookbook, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (page 452-453).

     "All grains contain phtyic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound) in the outer layer or bran.  Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption.  This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.  The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects.  Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid.  As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains.  The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.

     Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes.  The action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins, especially B vitamins.

     Scientists have learned that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest.  A diet high in unfermented whole grains, particularly high-gluten grains like wheat, puts an enormous strain on the whole digestive mechanism.  When this mechanism breaks down with age or overuse, the results take the form of allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, chronic indigestion and candida albicans overgrowth.  Recent research links gluten intolerance with multiple sclerosis.  During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.

     Grains fall into two general categories.  Those containing gluten, such as rye, barley and especially wheat, should not be consumed unless they have been soaked or fermented; buckwheat rice and millet do not contain gluten and are, on the whole more easily digested.  Whole rice and whole millet contain lower amounts of phytates than other grains so it is not absolutely necessary to soak them."

When buying bread, mother chooses sour dough because of the fermented culture that it is made with and she also looks for cracked wheat bread.  When making bread or serving grains at home, mother will soak grains or sprout grains to break down the phtyic acid.

Free Food!

Nothing tastes better, when you are on a tight budget, than free!  We are lucky enough to live in a college town with many alleys that have an abundance of fruit growing over fences.  Mother was lucky enough to find concord grapes, pears and apples.  With the economy the way it is, many homes are sitting empty with yards full of ripe fruit begging for someone to harvest them.  Many neighbors would be glad to have people harvest what is left before it turns their yards into carpets of mush.

 

Mother spent the day canning grape juice and applesauce.  Never canned before?  Well, this is a good place to start.  Let's start with super easy grape juice:

Grape Juice

Use a pot large enough to cover your canning jars with 2 inches of water.  It takes a long time to bring a huge pot of water to a boil, so I put my empty jars and lids in the pot while it is heating up.  By the time you rinse the grapes and pull them off the vines, the jars are ready to be filled.  In a separate pan, bring water and raw honey to a boil.  Remove jars and lids from pot.  Put enough grapes in the jars to fill them 3/4 full.  Pour hot water and honey mixture into jars, leaving 2 inches of headroom.  Wipe rim of jars with clean towel.  Center lids on each jar and apply rings.  Put jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  You will hear the lids start popping as they seal.  Let jars sit undisturbed until cool.  When you are ready to use your juice, just strain the fruit before serving.

Applesauce

If you have a food mill, you can chop up and use all of the apple.  Mother does not have a food mill, so she removes cores and stems.  Once the apples are cut up, you can throw them in a large pot with about a half cup of water and cook over medium heat until they get soft.  As the apples soften, stir, cover and simmer for a couple of hours until completely soft and broken down.  You can blend or mash the apples and put them in hot jars, leaving about a half inch of headroom, apply seals, rings, and boil for 5 minutes.  Having cooked the applesauce, and having it piping hot when added to jars, cuts the processing time down.

One bucket of apples yielded about 11 pints of applesauce. 

Eating Nutritious on a Budget: Beans

Not only are beans cheap but they can be very nutritious when properly prepared. Canned beans are prepared in high temperatures and pressures that reduce the amount of proteins and other nutrients.   Homemade beans taste better than canned and they are rich in minerals and B vitamins.  Beans have phytates that are hard for the body to digest.  Soaking beans in whey reduces phytate content.  For people on a casein (dairy) free diet, you can substitute whey for apple cider vinegar and achieve the same results.  

This is another recipe from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon.  In the cookbook, the author talks about the reasoning behind careful preparation of beans, "Traditional societies whose cuisines are based on legumes prepare them with great care.  Beans are soaked for long periods before they are cooked.  The soaking water is poured off, the beans are rinsed and the skins picked off.  As the legumes cook, all foam that rises to the top of the cooking water is carefully skimmed off.  Sometimes water is replaced midway during the cooking process.  Such care in preparation ensures that legumes will be thoroughly digestible, and all the nutrients they provide well assimilated because such careful preparation neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and breaks down difficult-to-digest complex sugars."

Mother makes a large batch on "cooking day" (Sunday).  They can be frozen and taken out the night before needed.  Eat them with celtic sea salt and cheese, use them for tacos or burritos, or mash them up for refried beans.   

Basic Beans

2 Cups Beans (kidney, pinto, black, or white)

2 Tbl Whey (or apple cider vinegar)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed (optional)

Celtic sea salt and pepper

Cover beans with warm water.  Stir in whey (or apple cider vinegar) and leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours depending on the size of the bean.  Drain, rinse, place in a large pot and add water to cover beans.  Bring to a boil and skim off foam.  Reduce heat and add optional garlic.  Simmer, covered, for 4-8 hours.  Check occasionally and add more water as necessary.  Season with salt and pepper.  Note: do not add salt during cooking process as it will make the skins tough.

Muesli (aka Yummy Oatmeal with Stuff in it)

This tasty treat doesn't come our way often but mother makes a really yummy muesli for breakfast.  Growing up, mother couldn't stand oatmeal and its weird texture but when times are tough it is very economical and (when prepared properly) extremely nutritious meal.

Muesli

• 1  Cup Rolled Oats (See note below for GF/CF)
• 1/4  Cup Almond Slivers (Optional)
• 1/4  Cup Dried Unsweetened Coconut (Optional - see note below)
• 2 Tbl  Fresh Whey  (GF/CF can substitute 2 Tbl Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon - see note below) 
• 1 1/2  Cups Filtered Water

Combine all ingredients, cover and let soak for 7 to 24 hours (I make mine before I go to bed).  

• 1 Can Coconut Milk (or your favorite milk/milk substitute - see note below)
• Strainer or Large Sieve

The next morning, take a strainer lined with cheesecloth (or a large sieve) and rinse the oatmeal mixture.  Put the ingredients back in the pan, add coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Once it starts to bubble, cover and turn the burner off.  Let sit 3 minutes while preparing toppings:

• Coconut (see note below)
• Chopped pecans
• Chocolate chips (Look for GF/CF)
• Pure Maple Syrup

Have fun with the toppings.  Papa is the one who came up with the toppings listed here and it tastes just like a cookie.  It was the only way to get mother to eat it!

Mother used to practice the GF/CF diet and, back in those days, oatmeal was on the "cannot have" list.  Today, oats have been approved for the GF/CF diet, so long as the oats are guaranteed by the manufacturer not to be cross contaminated by gluten.








 The following recipe uses whey.  For people on a strict Casein Free (Milk Proteins) diet, this recipe can be used with apple cider vinegar or lemon as noted in recipe (Apple cider vinegar is mothers favorite.  If you haven't read it yet, check out my post "An Apple A Day..."). 






This recipe includes coconut and coconut milk.  Coconut has saturated fat but being a medium chain fatty acid, the body utilizes it right away vs. storing it in fat cells.  

It took mother a while to find unsweetened natural coconut but it can be done.  Mother stores it in the fridge to extend the shelf life.  

note:  Mother's son hates shredded coconut, so she doesn't put it in unless he is at grandma's; however, she does still use the coconut milk and he doesn't even know it!  If you or your child hates shredded coconut, try omitting it and try using the coconut milk.  If it doesn't work, you can use your favorite milk substitute.

 

Trying to find coconut milk with simple ingredients was a challenge but it can be done.  The ingredients in "A Taste of Thai" are:  coconut, water, and guar gum. 

If you are wondering why the oats are soaked overnight, there are two reasons for this.  The first, is that the oatmeal cooks faster and the second is best explained in a direct quote from Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions":
      "Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phtyic acid.  As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains.  The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.
     Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes.  The action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins, especially B vitamins".