By Jasmin Schellenberg –
HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY
Red Lentil Dosas
3/4 cup long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
1/4 cup red lentils
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
lard for frying and butter for drizzling
Place rice, lentils, and water in a bowl. Cover and allow mixture to soak for 8-12 hours at room temperature. Drain, reserving the soaking water. Place rice and lentils in food processor; blend until smooth. Add reserved soaking water and blend. Place the puree into a Tupperware container, cover, and lock lid. Allow batter to ferment for 12 hours at room temperature. Stir in salt, turmeric, pepper, and cilantro. Heat a cast iron tortilla flat pan and brush on a thick layer of lard. When water bounces across the surface, you’re ready to cook dosas. With a 1/4-cup ladle, spoon dosa batter onto hot pan, using the back of the ladle to spread a 6-inch diameter. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Carefully turn and cook another minute. Drizzle the top with melted butter. Keep warm in a low oven over simmering water, while cooking the remainder of the dosas.
Tip: Multiply the recipe. The batter keeps well over two weeks in the fridge.
NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL
Split Pea Soup (serves 6)
2 cups/340 grams split green peas
1.250 kg hocks (bone in) preferably smoked
8 cups/2 litres bone broth or water
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup/150 grams carrots, chopped
1 cup/150 grams celery, chopped
½ cup/75 grams potatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon basil
zest ¼ lemon rind
Soak peas in water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Leave over night, then rinse. Cover hocks with bone broth or water and cook for 2 hours with spices. Then cut meat into morsels. Add peas and lemon zest and cook another ½ hour. Add sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender—about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
MYTHS UNVEILED
Hippocrates once said, “all disease begins in the gut,” and the more we learn, the more accurate that statement becomes.
Your immune system, mood, emotions, allergies, anxiety, and most diseases start from within yourselves (the gut) and only you can control what you eat or what you feed your children.
Helping you convert your gut flora could be as easy as drinking 1–2 teaspoons of raw, organic apple-cider vinegar (good quality like Bragg) in a glass of water three times a day before meals. Apple-cider vinegar is known for it’s powerful cleansing and healing properties. It balances PH levels, helps to reduce blood sugar spikes in diabetes, relieves joint and muscle pain, assists in weight loss and better digestion, boosts the immune system, contributes to heart health, and much more.
Apple-cider vinegar has antimicrobial properties that kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, and is high in antioxidant helping to fight free radicals. Acetic acid in vinegar combats blood sugar levels in diabetes, is high in polyphenols, and may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Apple-cider vinegar can relieve heartburn and increases the body’s ability to absorb important food minerals. It contains potassium and enzymes banishing fatigue and boosting your energy.
Only raw organic apple-cider vinegar has natural enzymes, minerals, and nutrients that would otherwise be destroyed if distilled.
Other uses of apple-cider vinegar are sore throat, sinus congestion, skin irritation, facial toner, deodorant, hair rinse, and natural house cleaning agent.
Naturally, all other fermented foods are highly recommended to restore a better gut flora such as sauerkraut (see previous articles of mine for recipes); also, kefir and yogurt will help as well as kombucha and water kefir.
A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY
GET RID OF: White distilled artificial vinegar.
REPLACE WITH: Good quality raw, organic apple-cider vinegar. It’s normal to have sediments; in fact, if it doesn’t, it’s not raw.
Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg
Inspired by and resourced from “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon, www.westonaprice.org, and www.mercola.com.
For “Nourishing our Children” newsletters of the past visit www.thegreengazette.ca
