Last week I talked about how to get more whole foods into your diet. This week I present to you a lovely way to get some sprouted grains into your diet in a sweet and delicious way.
I have been sprouting my grains quite often now and then drying and grinding them into flour to create a more nutritious and digestible flour. I’ve made other sprouted foods before- see Homemade Essene Bread and How To Sprout Sunflower Seeds. This is one of my new recipes that contain homemade sprouted wheat flour. I’m planning to post more information on sprouting and sprouted grain/seed etc recipes in the future (because they’re so easy to make!). I shared this recipe at Real Food Wednesday hosted this week by kellythekitchenkop.com and it was also shared with the Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet’s Blog.
Apple & Cinnamon Oat Cookies (with Sprouted Wheat)
Ingredients:
2 T. organic butter or coconut oil
2 T. organic maple syrup
1 egg
1 apple, puréed
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 C. whole wheat sprouts, minced (doesn’t have to be finely ground)
1/2 tsp. bicarbonate soda
1/2 C. rolled oats
1/4 tsp. ground sea salt
Directions:
Grind dry sprouts until ground.
Cream butter/coconut oil and maple syrup.
Beat in the egg till completely mixed in.
Mix in the apple and then the flour, bicarbonate soda and pinch of salt.
Stir in the oats.
Evenly dollop the mixture onto grease proof paper.
Cook in the oven at 150 C. for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
Lately I’ve been craving a creamy hot choc-type drink. But I wanted to make a dairy-free version (as sometimes I like to use ‘alternative’ milks, to get more variety in my diet) and I was planning to have this at night that meant I didn’t want to have something that would prevent me from sleeping (ie. caffeine) so I opted for the caffeine-free Carob powder. And so was the beginning of my Creamy Hot Carob & Coconut Drink recipe.
I have to say though, I definately do lovechocolate. Here are a few of my other chocolate recipes (all delicious, healthy & contain wholefoods):
So by all means you can use cacao powder instead of carob powder if you prefer. I personally do like carob for its malty-richness.
If you choose to use cacao powder rather than carob you may like to also put a piece of dark chocolate in your drink once you’ve heated the milk so it slowly melts (which is really yummy!) This would also be delicious served with a small meringue on top (if you can be bothered making one)! This drink also haves to me dairy-free & refined sugar free! So enjoy!
Creamy Hot Carob & Coconut Drink
Ingredients:
coconut milk, enough for two people (if its too thick add a bit of water to thin it out)
2 tablespoons of carob powder (or cacao powder)
water, to dissolve the carob powder
a pinch of sea salt
maple syrup, sweeten to taste
a pinch of cinnamonn, to serve
Directions:
In a glass jar mix the water and carob till it becomes a smooth paste. Add the coconut milk, sea salt and stir to combine.
Heat the jar with the carob-coconut liquid in a small saucepan half-filled until your drink is frothy and hot.
Pour the hot drink into cups and sweeten with maple syrup and a pinch of
In a recent meta-analysis study by Krauss (et al. 2010) the association of dietary saturatedfat with risk of coronary heart disease aswell as stroke and cardiovasculardisease in prospective epidemiologicstudies were summarized from 21 studies.
Of the 347, 747 subjects that were looked at in the study over a time period of 5-23 years, 11,006 developed coronary heart disease or stroke. The study goes onto say that the consumption of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke or cardiovascular disease! (Makes me wonder what those 11, 000+ people were eating/drinking if not saturated fats-refined oils? fake foods?)
They concluded that more data needed to be gathered to see whether cardiovascular diseaserisks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrientsused to replace saturated fat.
This week I’m going to let you in on some secrets of how to get more whole foods in your diet and how to make it easier (and maybe a bit budget friendly) to do so. So how can we get more of these nutritious foods into our diets? Here are some ways to Get More Whole (and Nourishing) Foods Into Our Diets!
Try Alternative Grains- There are many types of grains out there, rather than just wheat, rice and corn. Try adding other “grains” into your diet such as Quinoa (a pseudo-grain), Amaranth, (a psuedo-grain), Buckwheat, Spelt, Kamut, Wild Rice & Millet.
Freeze Extra Meals- If you do a bit of home-cooking, try to freeze extra left overs (if you can) and then when you need to eat it just defrost and warm up!
Use Unrefined Sugars- Sugar doesn’t always have to be completely removed from your diet. Try using Whole Cane Rapadura Sugar, Maple Syrup, Mollasses or other unrefined sugars instread of refined white sugar.
Buy 100% Whole Grain Products- There are alot of great whole grain and sprouted grain products that are actually good for you. See whats available in your area (and try to get ones with out additvies and preservaties when you can). (If you’re an Aussie have a look at my Food & Health Resource Page for suppliers).
Variety Is Key- We need a whole range of nutrients, so its best to vary your diet with different fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, grains and other healthy foods. This also helps to make your diet interesting and delicious!
Use Whole Grains In Baking- Swap white flours for whole grain and “brown” flours in your baking and you will be adding a whole lot more nutrients to your baked goods.
Try Fermented Vegetables- Culturing and Fermenting your own vegetables is easy and a great way to get beneficial bacteria into your diet and the fermented vegies last for months!
Make Fresh Berry Sauces- Making a simple sauce with berries, coconut oil and honey can make a great little dip for slices of fruit or to put on top of organic yoghurt.
Swap Meat for Veggies- Not every meal needs to contain an animal product or meat, try swapping a few meat dishes in your diet with and add in vegetables, legumes, sprouts, beans & pulses to replace it.
Have Oats (or another grain) for Breakfast- Have oats instead of a processed cereal such as corn flakes. Oats will help sustain your energy levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Soak your oats the night before, which helps to reduce cooking time and the anti-nutrients in the oats (which means better absorption of nutrients, quicker cooking time and creamier oats!).
Make Homemade Custard- Custard is really easy to make and is a real comfort food. It is a great way to get more protein in your diet (from the egg yolks) and you can use dairy or alternative milks and add a splash of cinnamon if you desire.
Make Bean Dips, Bean Burgers and add Beans to Salads- Beans add phytochemicals, protein, flavour and texture to meals (and they’re generally really cheap!) Try making a bean dip such as Hummus or make some burger patties with black beans! Beans are also a great addition to a salad.
Freeze Egg Whites- Sometimes recipes only call for an egg yolk rather than the whole egg. Worried about wasting the white? Don’t worry. Just freeze the egg yolk in an ice cube tray and then keep frozen in an airtight zip lock bag till needed later. Just leave out to defrost when needed.
Have Whole Fruit Jam Instead of White Sugar-Laden Jam- Make or buy your own whole fruit jams, which contain more health-giving properties of the whole fruit. Try my Elderberry & Blueberry Jam or Whole Lemon & Strawberry Jam Recipes!
Frozen Fruits- Snack on frozen fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. They contain less sugar than lollies but are full of essential nutrients!
Pesto- You can easily and quickly made a nutritious pesto with greens such as parsley, basil and spinach! Blend with some nice extra virgin olive oil (or maybe add some whole pitted olives aswell) and some almonds/pinenuts and blend till smooth (for a pasta) or use a bit less oil for a nice dip! This is great on whole grain crackers. Continue reading How To Get More Whole (and Nourishing) Foods Into Your Diet
The Importance Of Whole Foods (Or Why You Should Avoid Refined Foods)
Whole Spelt Berries
Wholegrains, Whole Foods and the like are big buzzwords these days. You’ll hear these words advertised on tv, radio, in print and on many packaged foods. But what are whole foods and wholegrains, why are they so important and why should you try to avoid refined/packaged foods?
In this blog post, I am going to give you a run-down on what wholefoods are, why they are important and why you should avoid their lesser counterparts, refined foods and why they are not so good for you. I’ll also give some reasoning as to why you should consume more “Whole Foods” and some examples of Whole Foods and processed foods to help give you a better understanding so you can make better informed choices.
So firstly, what are Whole Foods?
Wholefoods are food in their natural whole state. They are food that have not been refined or processed- meaning that they have not been broken down physically and/or chemically into lesser parts then sold, made or eaten as just a part or fragment of the whole of the food. A common example of a wholefood is a brown rice and and its lesser refined counterpart is white rice (which has been milled to remove the bran and the germ). Brown rice only has the husk removed (so the nutrients stay intact).
I have updated the Health Food Resources Page to include many organic meats suppliers and producers, organic dairy products, health foods and supplements, raw bath milks, farmers market listings and health food shops.
If you know of any that you think should be added please email me.
Boiled Eggs, Olives and Zesty Lime & Herb Mayo on Toast
I have to admit it may not look the prettiest but this recipe is absolutely delish! The Zesty Lime & Herb Mayo is really what makes it so great. It is filling enough for lunch or dinner or have half the amt stated (one piece of toast) and serve with a light salad. This dish is full of healthy fats (from the olive oil & flax) and lecithin (a phospholipid, also a fat from the eggs) and the lime juice is alkalizing and gives the mayo a great fresh and tangy flavour. I’ve used fresh thyme and oregano- but try other herbs that you like, basil would be another great flavour to try adding.
Ingredients:
2 eggs (per person), hard-boiled then sliced
3 kalamata olives, (per person) pitted and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon zesty lime & herb mayo
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon organic unsalted butter, to spread on toast
2 pieces of wholegrain or sprouted spelt toast (per person)
How to:
Make the mayo (see recipe below) and set aside. Hard boil the eggs in cold water for 5 minutes. Take out and place immediately in iced water. Leave till cooled in the water. Peel the eggs and slice. Spread the bread with butter. Place the eggs and mayo on the bread, then top with the olives and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Zesty Lime & Herb Mayo
1 egg yolk (seperate the egg: keep the egg yolk and discard the egg white*)
1/2 teaspoon himalayan sea salt, ground
2 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, unpasturized
1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup cold pressed flaxseed oil
1 tablespoon of fresh tyme leaves
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves, sliced thinly
1/2 lime juiced, extra
4 black peppercorns, ground, to season
sea salt, to season
How to make Zesty Lime & Herb Mayo:
Add the lime and apple cider vinegar (acv) together in a small container.
In seperate glass bowl beat the egg yolks with the salt. Add half of the lime-acv mix to the yolk and continue beating.
The important part: Now slowly add the oil a drop at a time andwhisk in. You want to add the oil in as slowly as you can so the mayo develops a good emulsion.
Once you have whisked in half the oils the mayo should start to go a lighter colour and become thicker and creamy.
Keep whisking and add the rest of the lime-acv (this will make the mayo go an even lighter colour).
Then continue whisking the oil one drop at a time in a slow stream until it is all mixed in and the mayo is still thick and a light colour.
When the mayo is thick and all the oil is emulsifed into the egg yolk, add the herbs and mix in the extra lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add more lime juice if it is not ‘limey’ enough but not too much- you need to keep the emulsion of the mayo.
Put in a glass jar and refigerate for up to a week.
Optional: Put in a glass jar and leave for 4-8 hours on the counter. This is said to help reduce the risk of salmonella because of the acid (from the lime and apple cider vinegar) which helps to make it an enviroment acidic enough to help kill the bacteria.
Notes:
Raw egg may not be suitable for those with compromised immune systems, those whom are pregnant or young children, so practice good judgement when making this for anyone.
*You don’t have to throw the egg whites out, you can put them in a freezer tray and freeze them for later use.
This a really simple and tasty quick snack. The recipe is also very versatile. Try swapping the pumpkin seeds for almonds or sunflower seeds- or use all three!
Tamari & Sea Salt Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
You will need (adjust the amounts to your liking):
Soak your pumpkin seeds in the tamari for 15 minutes. Then lightly toast them either in the oven or in a pan with the tamari until they are dry and fragrant for about 5-8 minutes on medium heat. Add the sea salt, mix and serve.
1/2 cup of elderberries fresh or dried (If using dried soak the elderberries in some warm water till soft)
1 cup of blueberries fresh or frozen (If frozen leave them out to thaw for about 10 minutes before using)
1/4 cup of water (you can use some of the soaking water if you soaked the elderberries)
1/2 cup of whole cane rapadura sugar
1 tbsp. agar agar powder or 2 kanten bars
Simmer the elderberries, bluberries, water and sugar, until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to reduce. Crush the agar into some cold water-leave to set for a few minutes- make sure it is completely dissolved (lumps of agar in jar is not very nice). Add the agar to simmering berries etc. Simmer for around half an hour until it becomes thick and jam-like. Once thick mash the mixture a bit till most of the berries are mashed, but some are still whole. Pour your hot jam in sterilsed jars and place in the fridge or use straight away.
Tip: Sterilise your jars by placing some hot water in the bottom of the jar and then placing the jar in the microwave (with the lid off!) for 2 minutes on high. Alternatively you can place them in the oven or boil them in water. Be careful when you take the jar out as it will be very hot!
Spelt Essene Bread
Making Essene Bread can be a little tricky at first, but it is really quite easy to make, especially if you have sprouted grains or seeds before.
To Sprout Spelt:
Place your spelt in a jar or bowl filled with double the amount of water to grain. Soak this for12 hours or overnight. In the morning or after the 12 hours, rinse the grain in a colander.
Now every 8 hours rinse the grain with water (or spray the water with water from a spray bottle to keep the grains in good condition to sprout). Mix the grains around a bit so all the grains get some water. Keep rinsing or spraying the grain every 8 hours for 2-3 days and you should begin to see little sprouts. When the sprouts have become 1/3- 1/2 length of the grain, its time to make your essene bread.
Note:
To Make your Essene Bread:
Yield: 1 loaf of bread.
Preheat your oven to 150 degrees celsius.
Grind your sprouted spelt in a food processor until it begins to clump together and almost form a dough. Take the mixture out and make a bread shaped ball with it. Oil a crock pot or bread tin and place the mixture into the the container to be cooked.
Cook your bread on a very low setting for 2-3 hours until the outside is firm to the touch and does not bounce back. Or you can cook your bread in a dehydrator for alot longer on an even lower setting for about 6 hours.
Notes:
This will not rise like traditional bread (unless you add a sourdough starter to it in which case it will help it to rise.
This bread also has a very dense texture much like banana bread and is a slightly moist bread.
To aid cutting the bread use a serated knife and run it under water just before cutting.
Tosca Reno’s latest cookbook is titled ‘Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook: Delicious Recipes That Will Burn Fat and Re-Shape Your Body’. Just by the slogan of the book it sounded very promising!
The book covers a range of healthy and deliciously presented meals (I really like the photography!). These include salads, soups, casseroles, meat dishes, desserts, snacks and more. The book also includes plently of tips and tricks to help you get started, prepare and have your meals the ‘Eat Clean’ way.
The Eat Clean Diet is based around having small meals of 5-6 a day and eating a diet that focuses on eating wholegrains, lean meat, plenty of vegetables, nuts and seeds and some dairy and good fats. It also aims to cut out refined sugars and flours. These are all good very things to have in a diet- The less processed and the more ‘wholefoods’ you have in your diet the better!
Tosca took the time to answer some of my questions, about her new cookbook.
Q & A with Tosca Reno:
HFL: On the cover of your cookbook, it says the recipes will ‘Burn Fat and Re-Shape Your Body’, how will your recipes help to do that?
The Health Food Lover is a 20-something from Melbourne, Australia! She likes LOVES cooking from scratch, making yummy and delicious meals, preparing foods and trying new foods!
To Contact Health Food Lover:
Email: healthfoodlover AT gmail DOT com
or post a comment on a blog post!
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for inspiration on some healthy treats! 
photo by: cantaloupealone
