Sprouted Spelt Granola Waffles

I just got my order of sprouted spelt flour and soaked granola from JoshEWEa’s Garden and felt inspired to create something new this morning.  These waffles make a quick and easy breakfast.  Serve them with sausage or bacon and plenty of butter.  They are soft and chewy.  You can cool and freeze them to make toaster waffles, which will be more crispy.

Sprouted Spelt Waffles

1 cup milk or kefir

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 1/2 cups sprouted spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup soaked granola (optional)

Mix together the milk, eggs and melted butter.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  You may want to thin the batter with water or milk to your desired consistency.  Follow the directions for your particular waffle maker, greasing it with plenty of butter or lard.

http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/07/29/real-food-wednesday-july-29-2009/#comment-19891

Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes

Buckwheat is traditional for pancakes. I used brown rice flour for the sourdough starter, but you can use any other grain and even leftover porridge instead of flour and water.

Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes

1 Tablespoon sourdough starter
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup filtered water

1 cup freshly ground buckwheat flour
1 cup filtered water

2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

You will want to begin this recipe a full day ahead of time. Mix together the sourdough starter, rice flour, and water in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Don’t forget to replenish your sourdough starter. Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for at least eight hours until it is good and bubbly. Stir in the buckwheat flour and additional cup of water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper. Let it sit on your counter overnight. Preheat your griddle. Mix in the other ingredients and thin the batter with water to your desired consistency. Fry on a hot griddle, using plenty of clarified butter or lard to prevent sticking. Serve these pancakes with butter or coconut oil and real maple syrup.

Adah’s Crackers

Make small, thin pancakes and dehydrate them in your dehydrator or a 150˚ oven until they are crispy. It usually takes about four hours in the dehydrator. Store the “crackers” in the refrigerator or freezer. They turn out to be very sweet and delicious!

My Great Grandma’s Classic Pie Crust

One of my favorite hobbies is collecting old family recipes.  Some of my recipes have been handed down for several generations.  Some of them are hand written onto little cards or into notebooks.  The older the recipe, the better, as far as I am concerned.  I come from a long line of good cooks.  My Great Grandma Franke was best known for her pies.  Here is her original pie crust recipe.  While most recipes require cold ingredients and very careful mixing, this recipe uses hot water.  The result is surprisingly foolproof!  Don’t be afraid to use lard.  Real lard from pigs that have had access to the sun is a tremendous sou

rce of vitamin D.  It is also mostly a monounsaturated fat with a nice complement of saturated fat to help make it more heat stable and good for baking.  If you don’t have access to good lard, Spectrum makes a non-hydrogenated palm shortening that also works well.  I have also made this recipe using a combination of butter and lard with sprouted spelt flour instead of white flour.  It was yummy, though not a classic pie crust.

Grandma Franke’s Famous Pie Crust

¾ cup lard

¼ cup hot water

Dash of salt

2 Tablespoons milk

2 cups flour

Mash together the lard and hot water.  Add the milk and salt, beating until fluffy.  Gently stir in the flour.  Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate until you are ready to make your pie.  Grandma would also sometimes refrigerate the dough right in the pie plate for later.

Nettle Chai Tea

Home-Made Nettle Chai

There is nothing like a cup of home-made chai to start your day.  Pre-made, packaged chai is big business.  You can buy it in aseptic packages where you just add milk or even instant powder where you just add water.  These concoctions of industry are almost always highly sweetened and caffeinated.  The powdered ones contain nonfat dry milk (a source of dangerous oxidized cholesterol) and numerous sweeteners.

Fortunately, home-made chai is easy to make and can become a therapeutic addition to your morning routine.  I offer the following recipe and encourage you to experiment with your own favorite herbs and spices.

Why nettles?  Nettles are a rich source of vitamins and minerals.  Nettles are also plentiful on my parents’ farm.  They grow in low, moist areas and are a tremendous source of nutrition.  If you are harvesting your own, be sure to wear gloves.  The stinging nettle will defend itself against your attempts at harvesting.  According to my husband, they are less likely to sting you if you approach with great respect and ask permission to harvest them.  I admit that I have yet to put his idea to the test.  It is easy enough to wear some gardening gloves.

Nettles are best harvested in the morning on a dry day.  For best results, harvest young plants that haven’t begun to flower.  My favorite way to dry them is to put the tops in a paper bag with the stems hanging out.  Tie a piece of twine around the open top of the bag and the protruding stems.  Poke several holes in the bag or cut off the bottom so that air can circulate.  Hang in a dry place for about a week.  When the herbs are dry, just use your fingers to break the dry leaves off the course stems.  Then remove and discard (compost) the stems.  You can use your bare hands because the stinging abilities are greatly diminished by thorough drying.

The Chai Recipe

2 cups filtered water

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon dried ginger)

1 cinnamon stick

1 pinch sea salt

About 2 turns on a pepper grater of freshly cracked pepper

1 Tablespoon dried nettles

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

Honey to taste

Fresh milk (cow, goat or coconut)

Put the filtered water in a glass or stainless pan and add the ginger, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper.  Bring the water to a boil and boil for one minute.  While the tea is coming to a boil, crush your cardamom seeds with a mortar and pestle.  Be as present as you can with your task.  Enjoy the smell of the fresh cardamom and the boiling cinnamon.  Turn off the heat and add the nettles and cardamom.  You may also add black tea if you desire a caffeinated Chai.  Let the tea steep for about ten minutes.  Pour the tea through a tea strainer into your mug, leaving room for milk.  Sweeten and add milk to your own liking.  Sip, smile, relax.

Other herbs and spices you might enjoy:

Cloves

Anise

Vanilla Bean

Nutmeg

Coriander

Orange Peel

Chamomile

Red Clover

Alfalfa

Gotu Kola

Black or Green tea

How to Make the Most of Your CSA Share

Our CSA started its season this week and we are eating well. After a salad-deprived winter of only occasional lettuce from California, all of a sudden we can eat lettuce salad and leafy green things every day. Our first basket of the season included Mizuna Mustard, Beet Greens, Arugula, Asparagus and two kinds of lettuce.
I think people have a few different fears when they join a CSA. First they worry that they will get more vegetables than they can eat. In my opinion having too many vegetables is a great problem to have. If your produce drawers are teaming with fresh, colorful vegetables, you will be more likely to eat them. Have you ever heard of anyone eating too many vegetables? True, it takes a little more time to wash and chop fresh vegetables rather than open a bag or a can. We usually decide it is worth the extra few minutes in the kitchen. Fresher vegetables have more nutrition.
You can make things easier if you have just a few simple tools. I recommend a large salad spinner that operates with a pushing or pumping action. It should have a colander bowl inside a solid bowl. I like to start washing things as soon as I get my CSA box home, starting with the baby lettuce greens.
Washing and Drying your Greens:
1. Put the greens inside the inner bowl of the salad spinner.
2. Put the inner bowl into the outer solid bowl and fill the whole thing with water.
3. Swish them around with your hand to remove dirt, sand and bugs.
4. Pick up the inner bowl to drain the water off. Dump the water on your plants.
5. Repeat steps 2 – 4. I usually soak the greens in water and drain the water off about three times before spinning them dry.
6. Put the lid on and push the button several times to spin the greens. You may have to pour off the water and spin them again.
7. Next, pick out any weeds or wilted lettuce.
8. Finally, put the greens in a plastic bag and gently press out most of the air. You can also use special produce bags or vented produce containers (I got mine from Tupperware) to keep things fresh.
You can wash all of your greens in the same way, whether you have lettuce, arugula or beet greens. If you do it all right away, you save time later in the week. You also only have to wash the salad spinner once. The rest of the week you will have ready – to – serve salad and ready – to – cook greens.
Besides a salad spinner and some produce bags or vented containers, you will want to have a good peeler, a sharp knife and a cutting board. You can wash, peel and chop things like carrots, peppers and broccoli ahead of time for quick stir fries or snacks. If you plan to store some vegetables for later in the week, you may want to leave the dirt on them. Potatoes, beets and onions will all keep better in their whole (and dirty) state. I try to have one produce drawer full of greens and the other full of roots and tubers.
For salads, home-made dressing is essential. Unfortunately even the “all natural” pre-made dressings are usually based on refined vegetable oils with no nutritional value. The oils are processed and deodorized to remove the rancid tastes and smells. They may look and taste clean, but they are actually toxic. Fortunately, healthy dressing is easy to make. I take a half pint jar and fill it almost halfway with quality olive oil. I then add apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar until it is ¾ full. For flavor, a pinch of fresh or dried herbs or crushed garlic will usually do the trick. Put the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously until everything is combined.
I also have a no-fail ranch dressing recipe that uses yogurt.
“Ranch” Dressing
½ cup whole milk yogurt
¼ cup quality mayonnaise or home-made mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 pinch chili powder
Salt to taste

Mix all of the ingredients and beat with a fork until it is smooth and creamy. This dressing will keep well in the fridge without separating.
If you have already washed your lettuce, you will find it easy to add salads to your everyday fare. Even if you just brought everything home and stuffed it in your produce drawers, you can still get out the salad spinner and have salad on the table in less time than it takes to steam your peas and carrots. Wash and spin some extra lettuce for tomorrow’s lunch and you are well on your way to making fresh vegetables part of your summer routine.
Another CSA worry people have is that they won’t know how to cook so many different vegetables. While fancy recipes can be fun, we usually keep our veggie-packed meals very simple. We steam most vegetables before simply adding olive oil or butter and sea salt. A stainless steel vegetable steamer that fits inside your favorite cooking pot is a worthwhile investment. Greens like kale and Chard (staples of most CSA’s) are delicious sautéed in butter with some garlic or simply cooked in bacon grease. The fats are important because they will help provide fat soluble vitamins as well as a feeling of fullness.
Another one of my favorite ways to eat veggies is egg frittatas. You simply chop up whatever veggies you have and mix them with eggs and cheese. Put some oil in your cast iron pan and pour the egg mixture in the pan. I like to start it on top of the stove to cook the bottom. I then turn on the broiler and put the pan under the broiler to cook the top. That way I don’t even have to worry about flipping it. The result is something like a crustless quiche. It makes a great breakfast!
Another fear people have when they join a CSA is that they will get things they don’t like. This may happen. You may also get things you have never tried before. If you know you won’t eat something, you can always pass it along to a friend. Most CSA farms will try to grow several common favorites along with a few unusual items. You can shop around for a farm that you think will best meet your own tastes. I encourage you to try the unusual items. In fact, try them more than once and cooked in more than one way. For example, last year I discovered that I loved steamed kohlrabi mashed with butter. I wasn’t as fond of it as a raw vegetable. This year I am growing it in my own garden as a substitute for potatoes.

Grain Free Rhubarb Cake

It is Real Food Wednesday and I started my day by picking rhubarb in my pajamas.  Rhubarb is a once-in-a-while spring treat for our family.  According to Rebecca Wood in The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, rhubarb is high in oxalic acid, which can interfere with calcium absorption.  Still, when used moderately, it can be a good liver tonic.  Of course, cooking helps break down the oxalic acid.

I adapted this recipe to suit my husband, who is on the GAPS Diet.  The original recipe is my grandma’s specialty and uses marshmallows and yellow cake to sweeten the rhubarb.  Mine is a little less sweet than the original and has the added surprise of dried apricots.  For the yellow cake, I adapted the recipe from Cooking With Coconut Flour by Bruce Fife.

Grain Free Rhubarb Cake

2 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped

½ cup dried apricots, snipped into small pieces

12 eggs at room temperature

¾ -1 cup honey

½ cup melted butter or ghee

¼ cup milk or coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup coconut flour, sifted

Grease a 9 X 13 glass baking pan.  Preheat the oven to 325˚.  Spread the chopped rhubarb and apricots in the bottom of the pan.  Combine the eggs, melted butter, honey, milk and vanilla with a whisk.  Sift together the salt and coconut flour.  Add the coconut flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour the cake batter over the fruit in your pan, covering well.  Bake for 45 minutes or until done.  Serve warm or cold.  It is especially good served with yogurt or ice cream.

Sprouted Spelt Animal Cookies

As the mother of a toddler, I am constantly scouring the shelves of health food stores for an acceptable graham cracker.  Most of them contain white flour, refined sugar, hydrogenated oils or soy flour.  I finally decided to make my own.  You could use Rapadura sugar or Sucanat instead of the maple sugar, but I think maple sugar gives the cookies a better flavor.  You could also use butter instead of Coconut Ghee.  I just love baking with Coconut Ghee!  Whole grain flour can be hard on little tummies.  Sprouting the spelt helps to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients in the grain.  Sometimes I sprout my own spelt and dehydrate it.  Lately I have been getting sprouted spelt flour from JoshEWEa’s Garden.

Sprouted Spelt Animal Cookies

2 ½ cups sprouted spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup Coconut Ghee from Green Pastures, melted

1/3 cup maple sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons sorghum syrup

1/3 cup milk or coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350.  Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl, thoroughly mix the wet ingredients and sweeteners.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth dough.  Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment paper.  Cut with your favorite cookie cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for six to twelve minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.  Small cookies will bake very fast.

Ingredient Sources:

Coconut Ghee http://www.greenpasture.org/products/coconut-butter/1031

Sprouted Spelt Flour http://www.josheweasgarden.com/

Maple Sugar  http://www.coombsfamilyfarms.com/

Hello world!

Once upon a time there was a young woman who saw the world in black and white, as many young women do.  Due to strong animal rights convictions, she became a vegetarian at a young age.  This diet suited her for a few years, though she cheated and ate meat a few times a year.  In time she became a strict vegan and discovered the joys of soy milk and soybean margarine.  She read only books which reinforced her belief that all she needed to do to remain healthy was avoid animal products.  Her friends rolled their eyes at her beliefs, yet loved her anyway and nicknamed her Stepha.  When they made vegan food that she could eat, they called it “stephafriendly.”  Unfortunately, the vegan diet proved to be not very friendly to this young woman.  She developed irritable bowel problems and suffered from one infection after another, including chronic yeast.   She was plagued by allergies and asthma and had to take medication for both of these conditions year round.

Eventually as she grew up, Stepha began to expand her awareness and read books that challenged her beliefs.  She discovered the cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and spent several years implementing its advice.  She learned that animal foods are the best sources of many essential vitamins and minerals.  She began to include animal products in her diet, especially when they could be obtained from humane farms.  Over time, she noticed positive changes in her health.  She learned that soy was not a healthy food, especially soy margarine.  She also found that the more real butter and pastured meat she consumed, the better she felt.  Several years later, she finds that her diet is truly stepha-friendly.  A diet based on raw or properly prepared whole foods, including plentiful animal fats has allowed her to thrive and become the wife of an extraordinary man and the mother to a happy, energetic little girl.  She now believes that there is no right diet for everyone and enjoys helping others to find their own right diets.  She is especially skilled at cooking for food allergies and special diets.

This blog is a place to share the wisdom gained from personal experience and the recipes created to truly nourish friends and family.