Fermented Vegetable Juice and Juicing

                                                       Isn't it a beautiful sight to see all those little Organic Labels?

I am so pleased to tell you all that this past week I had the wonderful opportunity of participating in a Fermented Vegetable Juice Giveaway hosted by Jill of the Real Food Forager Blog and I won! The giveaway featured a wonderful product called Caldwell's Organic, Raw, Cultured Vegetable Juices. I cannot even begin to explain how prompt the delivery was, I am very impressed by this companies fast shipping. It arrived in a nice styrofoam cooler with dry ice packs all around the Juice, so it was already ice cold and ready to sample!

If you are interested in reading more about the benefits of Fermented Cabbage Juice, Jill at the Real Food Forager Blog put together two beautifully detailed and well researched posts called 6 Reasons To Drink Fermented Cabbage Juice. And 8 Reasons To Add Probiotic Food To Your Diet, I found them to be very informative and I learned a lot, it's definitely worth checking them out. Definitely look into her article The Autoimmune Crisis: What To Do About It because it is very eye opening and talks about the connection between gut health and autoimmune disorders. After doing research about the benefits of Fermented Vegetables and Fermented Vegetable Juices, I am excited to incorporate these into my diet. Not only to try them and enjoy their flavors but to see if I might benefit from consuming them regularly.

My prize was a variety pack that contained five, 8oz bottles of Fermented Vegetable Juices, including Beet Juice, Daikon Juice, Carrot Juice, Sauerkraut Juice and Red Cabbage Juice. Freezing these juices is perfectly safe, so I intend on freezing four of my five flavors because it is very important to start introducing Fermented, Probiotic Rich Foods and Beverages very slowly to avoid stomach upset. I am going to look at this as somewhat of an experiment, I'll be starting out with 1 teaspoon of the Fermented Juice in a glass of Raw, Fresh Juiced Juice OR perhaps as a dressing or condiment or just added to my food once cooled, on a daily basis. I'll increase to 2 teaspoons after the first week and move up from there until I reach a daily dose of 2 tablespoons of Fermented Vegetable Juice a day.

I will then report back any changes or benefits that I note and write progress report entries for my blog so you all can read and experience it along with me. I have a multitude of stomach problems and I anxiously await the prospect of this potentially easing some of those issues. I'll be starting tomorrow, Saturday, February 11th - 2012. Coincidentally this will also be the inaugural, maiden usage of my brand new Juice Extractor, so that is also exciting. Anyway, I hope you will all join me on this journey and hopefully we will all learn something and benefit as we go.

Are you interested in purchasing some of these juices for yourself? Then I have great news for you, thanks to Jill, anyone interested in purchasing these juices can get a 10% off discount coupon and place an order simply by clicking this link for Caldwell's Raw, Cultured Vegetable Products!  Please note: This offer is valid until March 3, 2012 for orders over $50. Shipping is free to mainland USA.


Also, don't forget to stop and see my friend Jill, she has a wealth of knowledge available to read on her blog.

And feel free to leave me a comment, ask questions or share your experiences with Fermented Foods and Beverages in the comments below.

Disclaimer: I am NOT receiving any kick-backs, promotions or money for you clicking the links in this article.

Grain Free Tortillas/Crepes

Hello one and all, after doing some experimenting and long missing the wonders of burritos, my family came up with this recipe. These work well as Tortillas or Crepes and I am sure you could do many, many things with them. Simply by adding/removing or changing up seasonings, you could completely alter the way you use them. For instance, a little cumin and other seasonings would make this a perfect Tortilla for Burritos. If you were to add a little sweetener, cinnamon and other seasonings instead you could easily use this to serve cut fruit with a creamy dressing or topping like Cream Cheese or Custard or a Nut Butter.

Grain Free Tortillas/Crepes

(makes about 6 - 8 crepes)

1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 Cup Water, Milk or Milk Substitute (or combination)
2-3 Tablespoons Coconut Flour

1 Egg

Optional Seasonings

For Tacos/Burritos - 
1/8 Teaspoon Onion Powder, 1/8 Teaspoon 
Garlic Powder, 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cumin, 
a dash of Salt and a sprinkling of Italian Seasoning.
For a sweeter version - 
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg, 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon 
and 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sweetener like 
Maple Sugar.

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and melt a small bit Butter or Coconut Oil for in the pan. Use Measuring Cup or Soup Ladle to scoop out some batter. Remember, this batter will be VERY runny, like really thin Pancake Batter. Pour it into the pan to coat a thin layer or whatever desired thickness in the bottom of the pan and fry until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. You will know when they are not cooked enough as they will be very difficult to scoop and flip. If you are having a hard time with this, you may not be cooking on the first side long enough.

I am sure you can do so many things with this recipe and I would love to hear what some of you try, please post in the comments and share.

Update: I recently made a Coconut Free, Dairy Free Sweet Version of these.

1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 Cup Water
6 Tablespoons Almond Flour

1 Egg

1-2 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

Instructions are the same as above.

And they were FANTASTIC! I served them with a variety of things, for instance one was served with Cream Cheese and Cherries for my Brother who is NOT Dairy Free. Another was served spread with Creamy, Sweetened Pecan Butter and I loved it! The Creamy Sweetened Pecan Butter was made by tossing my Sweet Glazed Pecans into a food processor and processing for about 5-10 minutes. However this morning I had one filled with my French Toast Scrambled Eggs and it was a fantastic breakfast.

This post is linked to Healthy 2Day Wednesday.

Something Cookies and Cereal!

Yeah, that is kind of strange title for Cookies and Cereal isn't it? I'll tell you why I chose that name. Right after I made these cookie for the first time, I thought to myself... "Wow, that tastes just like something I used to eat before I changed to a real food diet!" - They are of course very addicting because they remind me so much of something I once loved but what was that something? I never figured it out. Even more interesting is how everyone who tasted them said a similar thing. They all said "Man, this tastes like something! but what?..."  - some had ideas or eventually figured it out but they were all different. One person said "It tastes just like a waffle cone!" and another replied "No, it tastes exactly like Cowtails!" (Those cylindrical carmel, cream filled chewy, candy sticks. Not an actual cow tail, lol.)

These cookies are super addictive and I usually end up eating half of them before I am even done baking them all. They are a thin cookie but they have a nice slightly crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside texture. I always bake these on parchment paper though because stick pretty bad, especially if you prefer to make them chewier, rather than crispier because they come off quite easily when cooked crisp but half of them tends to stay on the pan if you go for chewy. Or maybe that is just because I am always pulling them off while still warm and eating them long before they are ready, lol I am not sure. Either way, these taste great and are simply amazing and who here that has gone grain free doesn't miss cereal? ACTUAL cereal with a nice crisp texture that you toss into milk or milk substitute and eat freely? I know I have missed cereal desperately.

But now that I have experimented with my Something Cookies recipe, I have also discovered Something Cereal and it is fabulous in a bowl of Almond Milk. It's crispy, it's satisfying, it's sweet but nourishing, it's the perfect balance. I just make up a batch of Something Cereal, bake it and store in an air-tight container. Then for the next few days I can eat cereal and Almond Milk and be happy as a clam for breakfast. Well I suppose I should get to sharing the recipe, now shouldn't I?

Something Cereal before being baked.

"Something" Cookies:

We call these "Something" Cookies because everytime someone take a bite of one of these cookies for the first time they always say "This tastes just like something!" and my family has been back and forth about what they may or may not taste like but one thing is for sure, they taste absolutely amazing! and they remind

everyone of "Something"

1 cup Almond Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1 Egg OR Flax/Chia Gel if you are allergic to Eggs, though I haven't tried this, it should work.

Just throw all these ingredients into a single bowl and mix with a wooden spoon, couldn't be simpler. After it is all stirred together, you will see this is an incredibly runny cookie dough. That's okay, because you can just take a spoon or measuring spoon and spoon some out onto parchment paper lined baking pans. You may or may not want to butter or grease the parchment paper, I never do but it can stick if you don't. Smaller amounts are better because this will spread. I usually do about 1/4 of a tablespoon size cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. I know that is quite a discrepancy but it depends on how crisp you want them. I usually do 12 minutes for my cookies.

***NOTES:  The longer you bake, the more crisp they will be. The less time you bake them, the harder they will be to remove from the parchment paper. Always allow to cool for several minutes before trying to remove them. The center of cookies that are baked less will be almost caramel like. The less you bake them, the chewier they will be when they are cooled. The longer you bake them, the crispier they will be when cooled and the easier they will be to remove from the pan after cooling. These cookies come out quite thin but they make up for it in flavor.

****TIPS: These would make great sandwich cookies if you put frosting in the middle OR they would be excellent Grain Free/Gluten Free ice cream sandwich cookies. 

*    "Something" Cereal:

Follow the same recipe as above only put tiny drops of batter, the size you desire. I aimed for about Pea sized drops and after baking they became Dime/Nickel sized cookie bites. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes depending on taste, you really do want these crisp, so try to let them bake until thoroughly cooked crisp. When cooked crisp they slide right off the parchment paper, even without buttering or greasing the

paper. Then store in a ziplock bag or air tight container and use as cereal, in a bowl of whatever milk or milk alternative that you want. Or you could use them as bite size cookies, snacks, trail mix addition or put them on top of ice creams, custards, etc. These are great in Almond Milk!

Until next time, Happy, Healthy baking to all!

Anyone tried making these? How did they turn out? Any suggestions for what else could be done with these? Or do you have a Grain Free Cereal recipe? Feel free to share in the comments below.

I participated in the Healthy 2Day Wednesday Link-Up! and the Monday Mania Blog Carnival!

Dressing Anyone?

Okay, so I know I said I rarely exit the realm of dessert but when I came up with this recipe, I really felt the need to share. I made it for my family and I for the first time yesterday and it was AWESOME!!! So I will call this "Awesome Dressing" and it has many universal uses. This dressing is sadly not for anyone with an egg allergy, sensitivity, intolerance or egg free diet for any other reason as it contains Egg Yolk. Now if your problem is only with egg white, you could probably still partake of this seriously amazing sauce. It came to me one day while eating hard boiled eggs after a failed attempt to make Mustard. News flash.... Ground Mustard Powder and Water to make a paste of Mustard consistency is NOT for the faint of heart. However my Dressing/Sauce is universal, very customizable and delicious as all get out, so it can be enjoyed by many people. It doesn't take long to prepare, it's simple and it is versatile enough to be used in a multitude of ways.

This picture doesn't display it's deliciousness as well as I'd like but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
Awesome Dressing:

5 Hard Boiled Eggs
5 Tablespoons Water
3 Tablespoons Walnut Oil or Oil of choice but this may change the end texture if you use a solid oil.
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Mustard

Hard boil 5 very large Eggs, Jumbo if possible or maybe 7 Large Eggs. Let cool but do not allow to sit any longer than 1 hour or they will get rubbery. Remove shells and slice the Egg Whites open to remove the Egg Yolks. Reserve the cooked whites for snacking or whatever other use you can think of, I'll suggest one towards the end of this. Place the Egg Yolks in a shallow bowl and mash them with a fork, add 3 Tablespoons of Water, mixing until creamy. Put in all the seasonings and mix thoroughly. Vigorously mix in the walnut oil and then add the remaining 2 Tablespoons water and mix until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes and Suggestions:
If you cannot think of anything to do with the Egg Whites or you just really miss Egg Salad, you could easily chop the Egg Whites and mix with just enough Sauce to make Dairy Free, Mayo Free, Non-Processed, Healthy Egg Salad! You could also leave out 3 Tablespoons Water and 2 Tablespoons Oil and you'd wind up with a thicker result that you could fill the Egg Whites with, like "Deviled Eggs" without Mayo. This Dressing as is goes great over Salads, Braised Romaine Hearts or other greens. If you left out 2 Tablespoons Water and 2 Tablespoons Oil, it might make a lovely Dip for chips or crackers. You can use the dressing as is for a mayo replacement on sandwiches or rolls among many other things. With a little tweaking this could easily be turned into a simple "Hollandaise Like Sauce" - You can also feel free to change up the seasonings and spices to customize this to suit any taste or occasion, it can be made a million ways and I bet tons of them are yummy!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to comment and let me know how it turned out and/or what adjustments you made to it.

Allergen Free Pudding... Could It Be?

I am not sure if anyone will be interested in these things or not but I love to cook and bake. I love to make traditional and nutritional  foods, with a specialty in Allergen Free Cooking and Baking. Best of all, I love making all of these things DELICIOUS!  Now this pudding is a bit of work but this post is 4 recipes for the price of one and maybe you found your way here only looking for one of these recipes, whatever the case may be, if you are after a tasty, Allergen Free Pudding, this is your lucky day!

If this seems popular or gets any attention at all, I will keep posting and providing wonderful Recipes and Articles on Traditional Foods, Nutritious Eating, Health In General and Allergy Friendly Foods.

On to the recipes!

Caramel Almond Tapioca Pudding

Egg Free, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Refined Sugar Free AND Dairy Free.  Astounding!

Prepare Tapioca

Pour 1/2 cup Tapioca Pearls (Not Instant Tapioca)and 3 cups water into a 4 quart saucepan and bring to a boil,boil for 20 minutes, covered and allow to sit, covered for 30-45 minutes. Tapioca is done when all the pearls are completely translucent. Pour Tapioca into a strainer and rinse with cool water, running your hand through the Tapioca as you rinse them. Place Tapioca in a bowl and set aside.

Almond Milk

For homemade Almond Milk for the caramel, process 1/4 cup Almonds with 1/2 cup warm water and strain through a sieve or strainer. I used a coffee filter but it took so long I ended up having to "help" it along. You can then puree/process the remaining Almond Milk "Pulp" in your Almond Butter so it doesn't go to waste.

Prepare Almond Butter

1-1/2 cup Almonds 1/4 cup Maple Syrup, Honey OR Equivalent Sweetener of choice.2 Tablespoon Walnut Oil OR other oil of choice.

Pureed and processed in a food processor, until smooth and creamy.

Prepare Maple Caramel Sauce

1/2 Cup Almond Milk, Milk Substitute OR Cows Milk if you are not doing Dairy Free.

1/2 cup Maple Syrup, Honey or Equivalent Liquid Sweetener 2 Tablespoons Butter Substitute, Oil of your choice OR Butter if you are not doing Dairy Free. 2 Tablespoons Maple Sugar or Equivalent Granulated Sweetener 1/8 Teaspoon Molasses

Bring Almond Milk, Butter/Oil, Maple Sugar/Granulated Sweetener and Molasses to a low simmer over low to medium heat.

Once Milk mixture begins to simmer, add Maple Syrup and bring to a heavy simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour from saucepan into a Oiled OR Buttered dish to cool. It will thicken as it cools.

Putting Together The Pudding

In a bowl vigorously mix together all OR part of the Maple Caramel Sauce, I used 1/2 cup, with all OR part of the Home Made Almond Butter, I used 1/2 cup. Once completely mixed together, gently mix with the cooked Tapioca Pearls and you will notice it takes on a lighter, creamier color. If you prepared your Caramel Almond Tapioca Pudding with Milk Substitute and Butter Substitute, the pudding will be Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Wheat Free and Refined Sugar Free.

Suggestions

If you use only half cup of the Almond Butter Recipe, you could always use the other portion to spread on Breads, Bagels, Cookies, Buns, Rolls, Pancakes, Waffles, Crackers, etc. (Gluten Free, Wheat Free or whatever version you may need, depending on dietary needs.) I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I usually eat my remaining Almond Butter with a spoon before the day ends. You could also put it in the fridge for a bit and attempt to roll or shape it and coat or dip it in melted chocolate or carob.

The leftover Maple Caramel Sauce is AMAZING on Conventional OR Dairy Free Ice Cream, it also goes wonderful on Cinnamon Rolls, Sticky Buns, etc. OR if you are making the Almond Butter into Candy already, you could spread some melted chocolate or carob in some paper candy cups, fill with caramel and spread more melted chocolate or carob on top to make caramel cups. I am even more embarrassed to admit that the Maple Caramel Sauce is SO TASTY that I usually just drizzle little puddles into my palm and eat it straight out of my hand....

Notes

You could probably prepare this recipe with Instant Tapioca by following the cooking instructions on the box. You could also probably just use a 1/2 cup or more of store bought Almond Butter OR other nut/seed butter of choice. You could possibly substitute the Maple Caramel Sauce for plain Maple Syrup, Honey, Agave Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup or other similar syrup.

If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know what variations you used, if you followed it exactly or changed it up a bit on your own and how it turned out. Happy Allergen Free Dessert Making!