Sprouting beans is a fun, yummy way of enjoying beans. I always start sprouting in the spring. Here are a few tips on how to get started.

Lentil sprouts

!/2 cup dried Lentils

Spring or filtered water

Cover and soak lentils in water overnight, drain, keep on your counter out of direct sunlight, rinse and drain every 8 hours or so. Can be kept in a bowl or on a cookie sheet with a wet dishcloth underneath the beans.After about 36 hours wash gently and store in a sealed container in your fridge for up to one week.

Mung bean sprouts

2 cups dried mung beans

spring or filtered water

In a large bowl cover mung beans with about 5 inches of water and let sit overnight. Drain and rinse beans. Place in a colander and cover with a plastic bag or piece of saran wrap (Poke holes through out the top) keep in a dark place.  Rinse with water twice a day. After 12 hours you will have short tailed sprouts that are very yummy after 3-4 days they will produce the longer 3 inch tails.

Most other beans can be spouted in much the same way. Depending on the bean the time will vary.

Stir-fried lentil sprouts with ginger , onions and mustard seed

Lentil sprouts ( from the recipe above)

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 -3 1 inch slices of ginger

1/2 large onion , sliced into half moons

1 tsp mustard seeds (brown or black)

1/2 lemon

pinch of sea salt

Heat oil in a wok , over medium heat. When hot add mustard seeds, garlic, ginger and onions. Add a pinch of sea salt and stir-fry for 1-2 min till onions become limp. Add lentils and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Toss with the juice of half a lemon and serve.

Toss bean sprouts into salads or stir frys or

throw a hand full into some miso soup! Enjoy!

Step 1

Sort chickpeas and remove any debris.

Step 2

Rinse Chickpeas.

Step 3

Cover chickpeas with water and soak overnight.

Next day: Cooking

Step 4

Soak a 3-4 inch pice of Kombu for about 10 min.

Step 5

Put kombu in a large pot and place the soaked chickpeas and soaking water on top.

Step 6

Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Step 7

Scoop out the foam.

Step 8

Cover pot with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 3 hours checking to make sure there is enough water along the way.

Step 9

When beans are about 85% done add a pinch of sea salt. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Step 10

The end result.

See you all when we get back!

Kim chee is a Korean pickled vegetable dish(similar to sauerkraut) . The most common ingredient is cabbage with various spices and brine. Kim chee is rich in vitamins and aids in digestion. It is a delicious condiment and can be added to almost any dish.

Kim chee recipe

1 green cabbage, sliced into 1 inch pieces or shredded
5 green onions, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
1 small leek, tops and all, diced
1lg clove garlic, minced
1 medium daikon radish, sliced into thin half moons
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 lg carrot , grated
1-4tbsp Korean chili flakes (optional)
41/2 tbsp sea salt

Mix cabbage and4tbsp sea  salt together in a glass or ceramic bowl, place a plate and a weight (jar of water a brick etc.) on top and let sit in a warm place overnight . The next day rinse cabbage 3 times under cool water.
Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to just cover the top of the cabbage, place in bowls or jars with a cover and let sit out for 3 days in a warm place. Push cabbage down into the liquid a few times a day. After it starts to ferment keep in fridge and enjoy. Best when about a week old.

                                                Have a wonderful New Year! 

The cranberry. Great for your bladder and kidneys, high in vitamin c and helps with digestion and prevention of ulcers. Also a delicious tart festive treat!

Cranberry sauce

1 cup raw cranberries

3/4 cup apple juice or water

3 tbsp rice syrup

zest of 2 lg organic oranges

1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp kudzu

Bring juice cranberries, zest ,syrup, sea salt and raisins to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Dilute kudzu in a little water and add to the pot, stir until sauce is thickened. Pour into a bowl or mold  and allow to sit for at least an hour . Serve.

Here is a great recipe from Meredith McCarty, I made this pie for thanksgiving to everyone’s delight.

Cranberry-currant Tart

1 single crust pie shell

1/2 cup currants

11/2 cups apple juice

3 tbsp agar flakes

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

water

In a large pot, bring currants, juice,agar and salt to a boil. Simmer until agar is completely dissolved, 3-5 min.

Sort through cranberries to discard soft ones along with any stems. Rinse,drain and add cranberries to pot. Cook until tender but not mushy, 2-5 minutes more. Stir arrowroot in a little water to completely dissolve and add to the pot. Stir gently until mixture thickens slightly. Transfer filling to pie crust. Allow filling to gel before serving.

We hope you all had a wonderfull thanksgiving!

A nice cup of  tea, hot or cold is relaxing and refreshing.

Bancha Tea

Place 11/2-2 tbsp of roasted twig tea in 1 1/2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. When water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for several minutes (for a light tea 2-3 min) For a darker, stronger tea simmer for 10-15 min. To serve, place a small metal or bamboo strainer in each cup and pour out the tea. Twigs can be left to dry, saved and reused several times.

-Let tea cool, add lemon or lime slices , a little sweetener and serve chilled.

- Not ideal , but if in a pinch tea can be made in a coffee maker.

Other yummy teas.

-Green tea

-Kukicha tea

-Roasted barley tea

-Brown rice tea

-Mu tea

-Chamomile

-Dandylion

-Lemon balm

-Nettle

 The Fruits of fall

We spent many afternoons so far this fall at U-pick farms,where we picked berries, apples, pears, peaches and more. Such a great outdoor activity!  A day in the sun,fresh air and delicious fruit.

Raspberries 

Raspberry kanten

1 1/2 Cups water

1 1/2 Cups apple juice

4 tbsp agar-agar flakes

1 – 1 1/2 Cup fresh raspberries

pinch of sea salt

In a medium pot bring water and juice to a boil,add the pinch of sea salt, slowly stir in agar- agar until it dissolves. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 min.  Place raspberries into a small glass pan (casserole  style). Pour mixture  over raspberries. Refrigerate until set. About 1 hour.

Freezing Raspberries

wash, and place raspberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer. When frozen transfer raspberries into freezer bags.

Peaches

Peach Crisp

5-6 peaches, remove pits and slice thinly

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup rice syrup

—

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sesame or corn oil

1/2 cup roasted walnuts

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 Cup rolled oats

2 tbsp rice syrup

Heat oven to 375′

In a large pan, add peaches,arrowroot, sea salt ,1/2 cup rice syrup and cinnamon. Place in stove and cook slowly on low heat until peaches become soft, adding water if they stick. About 10 min. Pour peach mixture into a large baking dish.

For the topping mix all dry ingredients and  roast in a cast iron pan for 2-3 min , place in a bowl and add wet ingredients. Crumble  mixture with your hands over the peaches. Bake in oven for 20-30 min until top is crisp and fruit is bubbly.

Freezing peaches

Fill a large pot to the brim with sliced peaches ,a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of rice syrup. Bring to a boil on low heat and stir until peaches are soft. Cool and place in containers. Freeze.

Apples

Applesauce

 This recipe is for those who do not have a foley food mill.

5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1- 1 1/2 Cups water

1/4 tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 min. Make sure to stir every few min.  Turn off heat and mash any lumps with a potato masher. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chestnuts

- Prick chestnuts with a fork and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 min. The skin should be splitting and the inside a golden brown colour . Do not roast  them for too long. They can EXPLODE!

- Boil chestnuts with fennel seed in a small amount of water for 15-20 min till you can pierce easily with a fork.

-After chestnuts are cooked, peel while still warm and blend until smooth with water and a pinch of sea salt to make a puree. You can add sweetener if you like, but I find chestnuts are nice and sweet on their own.