Frozen Banana and Almond Butter Sandwiches

15 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in Primal Treats, Snacks

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banana almond butter

One of my favorite snacks is a banana with almond butter. What’s better than that on a warm day? Frozen almond butter and banana sandwiches! I found the idea for these sometime last year and wonder why I never thought about this in the first place. Two of my favorite things, frozen – so simple.

There were a lot more on the tray, but my husband loves these even more than me so I had to sneak in a picture before they were all gone. Our daughter loves these too, just get ready for some messy hands. I will put her in her high chair next time to contain the mess. Lesson learned.

Here’s how to make these delicious, simple snacks with only TWO ingredients:

Bananas

Almond butter (I used Trader Joe’s Creamy and salted. Normally I buy freshly ground – either will work)

* optional: If you want to sweeten the almond butter middle a little bit, you can mash a banana and mix in with the almond butter before you make your sandwiches.  *

Simply slice the bananas into 1 inch pieces and place a little bit of almond butter and top with another banana piece. Continue until all your banana pieces are gone. Place in the freezer for a couple hours and enjoy!

What is your favorite warm weather treat? I love homemade popsicles and can’t wait to share a few of my favorites soon!

BBQ Brisket Tacos with Coleslaw

12 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in Dinner, Homemade, Lunch

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tacos 2

Yesterday my daughter and I took a much needed and joyous trip to Trader Joe’s (I never realized how much I would miss that place until we moved an hour away from one!). Luckily, there is one on the way to my OB’s office, so not only do I look forward to seeing the little growing baby in my belly, but I get to stop by Trader Joe’s AND Target! It’s the little things, ya know? I was excited to get my non chemical and food dye laden pickles and pickle relish. Can you tell I’m pregnant? Yep, I got 2 jars of each. I can’t seem to find pickles or relish anywhere that don’t have yellow 5 or 6 or high fructose corn syrup in them.  They always seem to have the best avocados too. We go through quite a few of those in our house. I also got a little “treat” for dinner. I figured our 5 year wedding anniversary was worth celebrating with some BBQ beef brisket and homemade coleslaw tacos. Yes, it was worth it.

My favorite Tex-mex restaurant is again over an hour from us, so I wanted to try and recreate their “Memphis taco”. If I do say so myself, I think I came pretty darn close if not right on. I bought a beautiful grass-fed beef brisket at our local farm this week with that memphis taco on my mind. So we splurged on flour taco shells, but inside was the real food deal.

Here’s what I used:

  • Slow cooked beef brisket – 6 hours on low in crock pot – topped with homemade BBQ sauce (recipe below)
  • shredded cabbage
  • homemade mayo – I’ve referenced this before, but if you haven’t made it yet, you definitely should, it’s SO incredibly easy and delicious. 
  • fresh ground pepper
  • avocado
  • cilantro
  • fresh lime juice
  • flour tortillas OR I’ve never tried them, but have been wanting to make them, coconut tortillas

While the brisket is cooking all day, you have plenty of time to make the homemade mayo and barbeque sauce. I’m not a huge mayonnaise fan, but this one, I love. It’s easy and best of all, I know what’s in it: egg, lemon juice, ground mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

mayo

This homemade mayonnaise is thick, creamy and delicious.

bbq and mayo

I store my homemade condiments in glass jars and label with the date.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

I used this basic recipe but instead of ketchup I used plain tomato sauce and added a little salt, garlic powder, more vinegar and less sugar.

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar 
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper 

Mix all ingredients together and you get the perfect mix of sweet and sour to go right along with your beef brisket. If you like yours more sweet or more vinegar tasting you can add or subtract some of each to suit your taste. That’s the best thing about homemade sauces – you just keep going and adding until you get what you like!

tacos

Enjoy!

My Real Food Pantry

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

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carrotsrealfoodchallenge

{photo credit}

Here is my imperfect list of ingredients that make up our real food, wheat-free, mostly grain and sugar free lifestyle. We try to eat 100% real, natural, organic, unprocessed and whole foods in our home. This way, on those few occasions that we go out to dinner or eat at a friend’s house we can do so with good conscience and enjoy the company,  not stressing so much about the ingredients of every morsel of food we put in our body.

Oils & Fats:

Grass-Fed Butter - right now I buy Kerrygold, but would love to find a good source of raw butter or even start making my own!

Olive Oil 

Coconut Oil - I buy organic, unrefined, extra-virgin and use this in everything from cooking, smoothies, body products (deodorant, lotion, chapstick, diaper cream).

Organic, Grass-Fed Lard - Our local farm or US Wellness Meats 

Bacon Fat - When we cook our bacon from our local farm, I keep a glass jar that I pour the extra bacon fat into. It’s amazing how a little dab of bacon fat can make sauteed vegetables that much better!

**To read more about healthy fats: Click here

Sweeteners: 

Raw Local Honey

Organic Sugar - I don’t use sugar for anything really, other than to occasionally put in my coffee and to have for guests.

Organic Maple Syrup

Coconut Sugar - I haven’t tried it yet, but I want to switch the small bit of sugar we have in the house to coconut sugar. Here is where I will order.

** Despite what you have been told, agave nectar is not in any way good for you. Read more here.

A few of my favorite “go-to” Seasonings: 

Italian Seasoning

Sea Salt

Fresh Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Cumin

Curry

I don’t bake much anymore as my sweet tooth is almost non-existant since switching to a real food, wheat-free diet. However, when the craving does hit, here are a few things I use:

Almond Meal or Almond Flour

Coconut Flour - Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour

Organic Cocoa powder - My main use for this is when I make my 2 minute hot chocolate.

Pure Vanilla extract - I get mine at Costco. You just want to make sure it only contains 3 ingredients: vanilla beans, water, and alcohol.

Arrowroot Powder - I use this as a 1:1 ratio for corn starch and also in all of my natural beauty products.

real food

{photo credit}

Canned, Dry or Pantry goods:

Canned Salmon - I get Bear & Wolf Wild Alaskan Salmon from Costco. I am very skeptical about where I buy my sea food, especially with the GMO salmon happening (so gross and wrong). However, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and a handful of other big grocers have made the decision to not carry GMO salmon in their stores - so I will be going to these stores!

Organic Oats - We eat a soaked oatmeal breakfast about once a week.

Albacore Tuna

Black Beans - I soak these in whey for 12-24 hours, then cook them on the stove for 4 hours. This removes most of the harmful phytic acid (substance found in grains and legumes that bind to minerals and don’t allow your body to absorb them).

Organic Quinoa - I get mine at Costco in a huge bag for a great deal. This is great as a quick side or as a great, wheat-free pizza dough alternative.

White Rice - for the occasional treat with Sesame Seed Chicken or Chicken Curry

Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes - I always have at least a few of each on hand for easy sides like; sweet potato fries, hash browns, soups or frittatas.

Winter Squash - butternut, spaghetti and acorn

Tomatoes - I LOVE any and all tomatoes and go through a lot (hence, my urgency to grow a lot this summer in our first ever garden!). I’m hoping to grow enough in our garden to can some tomatoes to last the year.

Avocados - We have at least two on hand at all times. My daughter loves “tado” as a snack. My husband and I love making guacamole or adding sliced avocado to salads or on the side with our morning eggs. I usually buy a few in different stages of ripeness.

Canned Veggies - We don’t eat a lot of canned veggies, but I try to keep organic corn, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, green beans, etc for quick soups or sides.

In the Fridge & Freezer:

Pastured Organic Local Eggs - We actually leave these out on the counter, but most people don’t so I figured I would put it in the cold category. Fresh eggs contain a natural coating called “bloom” that protects the egg from bacteria, making them fine to leave on the counter for a few weeks at a time. We simply wash the eggs right before eating them.

Grass-Fed Cheese - I would love to find a source of local raw cheese or learn to make my own (that’s on the list), but for now we buy Kerrygold Dubliner brand from Costco in the 2 pound blocks. This is actually the only cheese that my daughter will eat!

Fresh Almond Butter - I get mine at Ingles and you make it fresh right there. So much better in my opinion!

Grass-Fed, Organic, Local Meat - Chicken, ground beef, stew beef, pork chops, bacon, sausage, etc. There is an assortment at any time – whatever we are feeling in the mood for.

Organic, full-fat yogurt - This is another one on the list of things to make, but as of now we buy organic, full-fat from the store.

Raw Milk - I get it from our local farm. To find raw milk in your area, visit here. We don’t really drink that much milk, but my 18th month old daughter drinks some at night and I will occasionally find the urge to have a glass (Which tastes amazing by the way. If you’ve never had local Organic Whole Raw milk, you are missing out!).

100% Pomegranate juice - I will add about 1/4 cup to a glass of water to give a little variety to my 99.9% water consumption. I also like to add a splash of this to my green tea.

Organic Spinach/Spring Mix/Romaine Lettuce - We eat a lot of salads at our house so there is always an assortment of leafy greens. If they are on sale I buy double and puree and freeze in ice cubes when it starts to go bad for later use in green smoothies.

LOTS of Vegetables - Radishes, carrots, turnips, celery, onions, kale, squash, red cabbage, etc. I really just buy whatever is in season and on sale. When I get home from the grocery store, our fridge is overflowing with veggies. I’m hoping to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program this spring-winter though, so we will be getting local, fresh vegetables!

Fruit – Organic apples, oranges, grapes and berries are a few of our favorites. Again, I buy whatever is in season.

Fresh Herbs - Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro

Frozen Peas/corn/okra - These are the staples of my frozen veggies. My daughter loves “pees” and eats them as her snack. Corn and Okra are great to throw into a quick soup or quinoa side.

Organic Frozen Berries – I use these in smoothies, yogurt

What would you add to this list? What’s in your pantry?

Healthy Sesame Seed Chicken

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in Dinner

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sesame seed chicken

The other night I was craving sesame seed chicken for some reason (well probably because I’m 4 months pregnant and cravings are hitting me all the time). I didn’t want take-out because we all know that bloated, gross feeling after eating chinese take out. I decided to make my own. I used this recipe with a little wheat-free tweaking and came up with a delicious, easy and nutritious alternative to the MSG and sugar laden sesame seed chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of chicken thighs OR 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces OR I used a pack of 5 organic chicken drumsticks since they were only $3!
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder OR talc-free corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives (optional)

Combine arrowroot powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl, add chicken and stir well to coat. Once chicken is thoroughly coated add coconut oil to a non-stick pan on medium heat and cook chicken until done throughout (roughly 5 minutes per side).

Transfer cooked chicken to a plate. Mix soy sauce and sugar in saucepan, if using, over low heat. Once sugar, if using, is mixed well into the soy sauce add sesame oil, sesame seeds, chicken and chives, if using. Mix together and serve immediately.

This dish goes well with green beans topped with toasted almonds.

Simply steam green beans over a couple inches boiling water. Melt one tablespoon of butter and add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves to cook about 3 minutes. Pour butter mixture and garlic, 1/2 of a lemon (juiced), salt, and pepper over the green beans. Top with toasted almonds. Now, you have a healthy, delicious meal you feel good about feeding your family!

First signs of Spring means Garden time!

29 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in Vegetable Garden

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garden plot

Here in the South, we are starting to see the first signs of Spring. Although we had snow a week ago, the following week was sunshine and then snow again, spring is fast approaching. All of that to say, we finally took the first steps to get our garden going! A few weeks ago, my husband cleared out a spot of land on the side of our yard that gets full sun for most of the day. The picture above is our daughter playing in the future garden plot. The area is very large, but we are going with a 10 x 25 foot garden this year. Honestly, we will probably only use half of it at most, but I’d rather start creating good soil on more space than we need than not have enough.

We are using a raised row no-till method that I’ve been following from the blog Old World Garden Farm. I found them after searching for an easy to follow, low cost gardening method. I need a step-by-step guide since I am very new to the gardening world, and they provide that! The advantage of the raised row method is that you don’t waste any space, water or compost. They recommend raised row beds 18″ wide and 10-12″ high in the center with a gradual taper off the side. There is plenty of walking space in between the rows as to not step on and weaken the root structure of the plants.

The first step in any garden is making sure you have good soil. So, their no-till method simply calls for a 3-5″ layer of chopped leaves or straw, cover with a thick black tarp and let sit over the winter or shorter depending on the time of year and how fast it decomposes. We have LOTS of leaves around us since we live in the woods, so we went with that option. They recommend chopping the leaves for faster decomposition time, but we don’t have a lawn mower (since we have no grass, just woods and pinestraw – kinda nice!) so ours weren’t chopped. I will let you know how long it takes to decompose, but I’m thinking probably more on the 2 month side.

leaves for garden

Once the leaves are down on your designated area, simply place a tarp on top of the leaves and secure with large rocks, bricks or in our case heavy wood pieces. We ended up turning the long pieces of wood sideways, but as long as the tarp won’t fly up it’s fine. This method eliminates all the grass underneath and allows for a fresh start to your garden.

tarp for gardenWe will give you an update on the garden plot after a month or two and let you know how things are looking. Next update to be on the lookout for is our composting efforts!

Are you planting a garden this Spring or Summer? Are you new to gardening or a long time pro? What’s in your garden?

Quinoa Pizza Dough

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Dinner, Primal Living, Homemade

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photo_4As you’ve noticed, I’ve been a little absent in the blogging world lately. I do have a very good reason for that … for the past few months, food has not sounded appealing to me. I know, so sad. This is not normal for me, but since I’m pregnant (yep, 15 weeks along now!!) the first trimester was an attack on my taste buds. I have now entered the second trimester, my appetite has fired back up and I’m craving so many yummy things.

Right now, as with my first pregnancy, I am seriously craving tomatoes. Anything tomato: plain, sauce, diced, straight out of the can, pizza, lasagna, spaghetti (with spaghetti squash), etc. Although, I would like to tell you I ate perfectly primal during the first trimester, that is not the case. I definitely had my moments of weakness when a processed saltine cracker, piece of toast or wheat noodles with my pasta was all that sounded appetizing. However, now that I’ve entered the second leg of the pregnancy journey, I am making sure my body and my baby are getting adequate nutrition – and heck, the taste alone of real food is worth it!

Going along with my tomato craving, who doesn’t love a good pizza every once in a while? The only thing that doesn’t love pizza is my body a couple hours later. So, I went on a search to find a pizza dough alternative and came up with quinoa pizza dough. Although quinoa isn’t a staple food for the primal person, it is a good alternative when wheat will not cut it anymore. It took me two tries as the first time I tried to use pre-cooked quinoa (since I already had leftovers in the fridge), but this did not take. The dough was too sticky and did not solidify well. I still got my tomato fix, but had to eat it with knife and fork. However, the second attempt was primal pizza perfection! I got the general recipe here and did a little tweaking of my own.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa 
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • fresh pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or combination of basil, garlic and oregano
  • fresh shredded cheese (I used kerrygold grass-fed)
  • tomato sauce (with a little added salt and italian seasoning)
  • toppings as desired: tomatoes, peppers, meat, olives, onions etc.
  • *** This makes about 2 servings or one personal pan pizza. I doubled the recipe for my husband and I and we were sufficiently stuffed afterwards.

Directions

To do ahead of time: First step is to soak the quinoa for 8 hours. Very important!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. When the quinoa has been soaked for 8 hours, drain it through a small mesh strainer.

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Pulse drained quinoa, water and seasonings in a blender or magic bullet. The consistency should be like that of pancake batter.

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Pour batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet or pie pan, about 1/2″ thick (I didn’t have any parchment paper so I used well buttered aluminum foil lined in a pie pan). The next time I will make the dough a little thiner as it is very filling! Make sure not to make it too big as you will have to flip it halfway through – another mistake the first go around.

photo_2

Bake pizza dough for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Then gently flip and cook on the other side for 10 additional minutes.

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Top pizza with additional toppings and bake until cheese is melted. Mine, pictured above, was tomato sauce, kerrygold cheese, lightly cooked onion, ground beef, basil and tomato. As you can tell, I wasn’t going for presentation, but the taste was phenomenal.

Now you can have your primal, gluten free, wheat free delicious pizza – enjoy!

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Quinoa with Greens, Red Onion and Sweet Potato

11 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in Dinner, frugal primal living, Uncategorized

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Quinoa

I LOVE quinoa. Cold or hot, it doesn’t matter to me. The texture is desirable to many who have cut out wheat and grain products and offers nutritional qualities that make it a good option. Quinoa is technically not a grain, but a seed related to the family of beets, spinach and swiss chard. It is a complete protein and offers a good helping of all nine essential amino acids.  Although high in protein, quinoa still clocks in around 53 on the glycemic index which is why it’s not a regular staple at our house, but a great alternative to rice or pasta. Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple also offers this caution for those who may be more sensitive to gluten.

Quinoa is technically gluten free, [but] it does contain a protein substance that has been known to cause digestive reactions in some.

I was inspired while at Trader Joe’s when my friend pointed out a frozen bag of quinoa with sweet potatoes that sounded amazing enough for me to put my own twist on. I’ve been using sweet potatoes a good bit, like the Frittata I posted recently or mixed in with some veggies and scrambled eggs, so I thought I’d give it a try in quinoa. I love when my food looks like a rainbow (it’s also a great way for my 16 month old daughter to eat it) so I added sauteed red cabbage, red onion and kale. To add a little fat, I cooked the veggies in coconut oil and added a couple tablespoons at the end for an extra bit of coconut goodness.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked in homemade chicken or beef broth if available
  • 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking vegetables + 2 tablespoons to stir in at the end
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 – 1/2 head of red cabbage, chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch kale or other leafy greens (collard greens, mustard greens, swiss chard, or spinach), stemmed, washed and chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  • Add coconut oil to saute pan and cook red cabbage for a couple of minutes then add sweet potatoes and onions and cook until tender. If your pan is large enough, you can add the chopped and washed greens to the pan of veggies and cook until tender. If there’s no more room in your pan simply transfer vegetables to another bowl and cook greens, about 10 minutes (you will probably need to add a little more coconut oil). 
  • Simply mix vegetables with cooked quinoa and stir in a couple more tablespoons of coconut oil and salt and pepper to taste. 

This is a great and filling meal on it’s own for a meatless night, mix in ground beef or turkey, or use as a delicious side.

What’s your favorite way to eat quinoa?

Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Sweet Potato Frittata

15 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in Breakfast, Dinner, Uncategorized

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Frittata

I’ve made many crustless quiches and frittatas, but none as hearty and tasty as this. If you are looking for a breakfast to fuel you for your busy morning, a brunch, or an easy dinner, you’ve got to try this. This frittata is packed with protein, good carbs, and nutritious leafy greens to get your day going and fill you up. My 15 month old daughter loved this too!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sausage, cooked (I used mild sausage from our local farm)
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, washed, stems removed and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced OR I used 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, cut into small 1-inch pieces
  • 8-10 eggs
  • fresh grated cheese (optional – I did not use any and it was great!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the sausage thoroughly in a large skillet. Once cooked, remove and set aside in a large bowl. Leave any remaining fat in the pan for use in cooking the sweet potato and swiss chard (I added about a tablespoon more of coconut oil). Place sweet potatoes in the pan and cook for about 5-10 minutes until potatoes are almost done, then add swiss chard. Don’t worry about overcrowding the pan, the swiss chard will cook down quickly (3-4 minutes).

2. Once sweet potatoes and swiss chard are cooked, add the garlic clove if using and saute another 1 minute.

3. Let cool for about 10 minutes and pour into bowl with sausage and mix well. Add in 8-10 beaten eggs, salt & pepper and stir. I ended up using 10 eggs and it filled my pie pan to the tip top.

4. Pour into a pie pan or other oven proof container and cook for 30-45 minutes, depending on container and oven. I used a pie pan and it took about 40 minutes.

This is great by itself for a hearty, quick breakfast OR add almond banana pancakes for a healthy brunch or dinner. Enjoy!

Soaked Oatmeal

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Breakfast

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oatmeal

Despite what you may hear from some paleo or primal influences, it is true, our ancestors did eat whole grains. However, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other quickly prepared casseroles and concoctions. They always soaked or fermented their grains before eating them. As Sally Fallon from Nourishing Traditions explains below, grains can be harmful to your body if not prepared correctly.

All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer of the bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.

Many people believe that consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran (anyone eat FiberOne lately?) will improve colon health, and while it does improve transit time at first, it may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and more adverse effects longterm. Soaking grains, allows important enzymes like lactobacilli to break down and neutralize the phytic acid. Soaking in warm water with an acid base for as little as 7 hours can vastly improve the nutritional benefits of these grains.

Soaked oatmeal is not a primal food. However, in our family as I’ve mentioned before, we use the primal diet as a framework and leave a little room for grains that have been improved through soaking, fermenting or cooking in bone broth.  Soaking partially breaks down gluten and other difficult to digest proteins into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption. If you have allergies to gluten, I would stay away from grains even if soaked because there are still traces of gluten present even after the soaking process. However, if you need a little change in your breakfast routine, soaked oatmeal can add a different and nutritious boost to your day. We usually have this breakfast once a week.

oatmeal soaking

Soaked Oatmeal (serves 4, scale up or down as needed)

  • quart sized mason jar, or other tightly sealable glass jar
  • 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
  • 1 cup warm water, enough to just cover the oats
  • 1 tablespoon acid medium (whey, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk OR if you are dairy intolerant lemon juice or vinegar)
  • walnuts, almonds (optional) I like to add a handful of walnuts as they also contain phytic acid and benefit from the soaking process. When cooked the next day, they still retain their crunchy texture.

For the highest benefits oats should be soaked overnight, a minimun of 7 hours and maximum of 24.

Once soaked spoon out into a microwavable bowl and add milk or water until you have the consistency you desire. I like a more porridge texture, so I add a good bit of milk to mine. I also mash half a banana before I place in microwave which adds just the right amount of sweetness. Cook on the stove for 5 minutes or in the microwave for 1 and half to 2 minutes and top with desired toppings. Quick and easy breakfast!

Optional toppings:

  • ground flax seed
  • chopped apples, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, etc.
  • dried dates, raisins, cherries
  • dried coconut
  • butter
  • honey

Fermented Foods: How to Make Whey and Cream Cheese

28 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in Primal Living, Uncategorized

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whey and cream cheese

I’ve written about the benefits of fermented foods and how I’m trying to incorporate more into our diet. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, especially when you really don’t know what you are doing, like me, so I am going slowly. Our first step in the fermentation process: Whey and Cream Cheese.

Whey is the liquid left over after milk has been curdled and strained. It is the starter for many cultured and fermented foods, so I thought it would be a great starter for me. Whey has been an ancient remedy for upset stomachs to aching joints for centuries. Since you simply leave the raw milk on the counter, there’s really no way I could mess it up!

photo_1

This is day one. It’s been sitting for about an hour and you can notice a layer of cream on the top about an inch thick – yum. This is why we buy full fat raw milk. You actually can’t use pasteurized milk because commercial milk spoils. However, the raw milk curdles and then turns into something you can actually eat! Nature knows what it’s doing. If you live anywhere in the North Georgia area, I know of a great farm here that sells raw milk (for pets, since it’s illegal to sell for human consumption in the state of Georgia – crazy). If you live elsewhere, visit realmillk.com to find a good source near you.

If you don’t have access to a good source of raw milk, you can use full fat organic plain yogurt or make homemade yogurt and simply start with the straining process. Here is a great tutorial on how to make your own. Homemade yogurt is my next goal. I’ve tried a couple times and I think because it was winter and we keep our house fairly cool, it didn’t work out for me. It needs a steady temperature – I’ve learned the hard way.

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Day 4. Here you can see that it has separated. The instructions were to let it sit 1-4 days until it separates. I knew mine would probably take on the longer side since we keep our house pretty cool (65-67 degrees fahrenheit).

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Next, I simply used a glass bowl with a strainer over the top and a thin clean dish towel and poured the mixture over the towel and let it sit for about 3 hours. The juice that is dripping down is the whey and the top part will be the cream cheese!

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Here is a peak at what it looked like right when I poured the fermented milk into the towel. Thick, almost like yogurt and a little chunky. Not too appetizing - yet. It actually looked very similar to this when it was finished.

whey picNext, I tied up the towel with a rubber band and hooked it on the cabinet knob and let the remaining whey drip into the bowl until it completely stopped dripping. You can also tie it to a wooden spoon over a pitcher and let it hang until the dripping has stopped.

After I let this finish dripping for a while (it took about 3 more hours) I simply poured the whey into a mason jar and stored the cream cheese in one as well (note the first picture). The “cream cheese” is more like yogurt consistency, but I think it will make a great base to a veggie or fruit dipping sauce!

I filled a quart jar with raw milk which yielded about 1 1/2 cups whey and 1 cup cream cheese.

Sweet or Savory Cream Cheese Spread (Taken from Nourishing Roots):

Sweet: Mix in 1 cup homemade fruit jam, OR 1/2 cup raw local honey, OR 1/2 pure maple syrup. You can spice it up with cinnamon, nutmeg, or get creative!

Savory: Mix in 1/4 cup finely chopped chives, 1 tablespoon onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. OR an Italian version of 1/4 cup finely chopped basil, 1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

The whey will last in the fridge for about 6 months and the cream cheese for about 1 month. My first use for whey is sauerkraut. It’s been sitting on the counter for 1 day, so it has a couple more to go – stay tuned!

Have you ever made cultured or fermented food? What is your favorite?

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