Recipe: Raw Sauerkraut

Making raw sauerkraut is a great way to start experimenting with preparing your own fermented foods because it is super easy and affordable. Conventionally-prepared sauerkraut is cooked in brine, and does not contain the beneficial bacteria (learn more about probiotics) that traditionally prepared, raw sauerkraut contains. Most natural food stores sell raw sauerkraut, which is a great option, though sometimes quite pricey. Here’s a simple recipe to start you off:

Raw Sauerkraut

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 carrots, grated (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt

Directions

1.    Grate or slice thinly the cabbage and pound with mallet to release the juices. Save the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside.

2.    Shred the carrots and add to the cabbage. Mix in the ginger and salt.

3.    Place in a ceramic pot or glass container, like a large mason jar.

4.    Cover the mix with the saved outer leaves of the cabbage. Place a plate on top of the leaves. Put a 4 or 5 pound weight on the plate (a brick, a bottle of sand). Cover the container with a piece of cheesecloth and then with a loose lid.

5.     Leave at room temperature for 3-5 days, until desired taste is achieved. Then refrigerate.

6.    When ready, remove the lid and the outer leaves and discard. Store the kraut in the refrigerator in a glass jar. It can be used immediately and will continue to ferment as it ages.

When Is It Ready?

The kraut is "ready" when it suits your taste. You can let it go longer than I've indicated above, if you like a stronger flavor.  Then you discard the leaves on top, and put it an airtight jar. Refrigerating will slow, but will not completely stop the fermentation process. Sauerkraut will last a few weeks in the refrigerator.

You can put kholrabi in your sauerkraut, but you need the cabbage in as the main ingredient to get the fermentation going, since cabbage has bacteria already on it that aid in fermentation.

About Brooke

Brooke Kaufman is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant who creates customized meal plans for her clients with multiple food allergies and intolerances. She enjoys helping people eat nourishing food that is easy to prepare and tastes delicious. She believes that having food allergies and intolerances can be a positive challenge that inspires creativity, and brings a higher level of awareness when it comes to what you put in your body. Brooke believes that when we deeply nourish ourselves inside and out, we can attain optimal health…which includes healing our damaged and inflamed digestive systems.

Brooke received her nutrition education at Bauman College, and has learned through her own personal experience with food intolerances, she also works as a cleanse coach for Cleanse Organic, a 28-day, guided whole food based cleansing program. 

Find her at:  Balance Within Nutrition

My Favorite Gluten-Free Breads

As seen in Women's Lifestyle Magazine's July/August 2012 Edition. 

BREAD IS YUMMY

When I speak to people who are newly diagnosed with a gluten allergy, sensitivity, or celiac disease, they nearly all say, “I miss bread!” Bread has become a huge part of our food culture.  The gluten in bread helps make it taste really good. It lends flavor, elasticity, and general “yumminess.” Bread is a comfort, a joy. Don’t take away my bread!! But alas, we need alternatives. With multiple allergies on the rise as well, these alternatives must be creative.

WHY “GOOD” ALLERGEN-FREE BREAD IS DIFFICULT TO FIND (AND MAKE)

Pastry Chef, Kyra Bussanich is the first Gluten-free winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

She owns CRAVE BAKE SHOP in Lake Oswego, Oregon and is a guest writer for The Tender Palate. I asked Kyra why allergen-free bread is so tough to make:

There are three legs to fantastic baking: gluten, eggs, and sugar. Each contributes something to the texture and structure of the final product, and when you have already replaced one of the legs of the stool, it makes it more difficult to successfully swap out the remaining two legs without adversely affecting flavor or texture (or both).  This is why gluten-free and egg-free baking presents such a challenge.

~Kyra Bussanich, Owner of Crave Bake Shop

The good news is that you don’t have to travel to Oregon to get your comfort on. Here are a two of my favorite breads that you can get off the shelves in your ‘hood and one of my favorite sweet bread recipes that people have been loving.

MY FAVORITE BREAD MIXES

Breads From Anna – Bread Mix (All Purpose Flour Blend)

*Free of Gluten, Yeast, Corn, Dairy, Soy, Nuts, Peanuts, Rice, and GMO

I absolutely love this bread mix. It is sensuous, tasty, and versatile. I’ve used it for open-faced sandwiches, I’ve eaten it plain, and I’ve made stuffing out of it. It is the ultimate comfort bread with or without any kind of butter. Pictured at top is Anna’s sandwich bread, which is lighter and has a bit more structure to it. The All Purpose Flour Blend is fairly dense, which I happen to like, and this is the best bean flour bread that I’ve ever tasted. A side benefit of the Breads from Anna mixes is that they are high in protein and fiber, and quite nutritious!  So pay attention if you are a carbo-loader, this bread will make things happen, if you know what I mean. The mixes are easy to make, and though a bit pricey, they are totally worth it, kids.

Though Breads for Anna has not gone for certification, each ingredient is tested prior to making it to her factory.  She has a completely gluten-free processing plant and does not process any of the top eight allergens in her factory.

 “I have Celiac Disease and Type I Diabetes.  I knew a lot of people needed this and I eat my own products. I feel a lot of responsibility to my customers. You have to be committed in this market.  When I say it’s GMO-free and Gluten-free, I mean it.”

~Anna Sobaski, Owner, Breads from Anna

Chebe – All Purpose Bread Mix

*Gluten-free, can be made Dairy-free.  Does not contain any rice, nuts*, dairy or yeast (see below for processing).

Oh, this bread is wonderful. It is a little crusty on the outside with a wonderfully soft, chewy texture in the middle. It lends such a nice flavor to the sandwich itself, and has a truly crave-worthy texture. I first used it as a hamburger bun and it even held the olives and the organic ketchup on the burger. No mess! I’ve since used it for chicken salad, turkey, and a BLT!

I first saw a Facebook advertisement for Chebe and was intrigued. I wrote to the company for a sample and they immediately sent me a few mixes. This was fantastic because I was able to make their products several times. I found it easier to work the bread with a little olive oil already on my hands.  Kneed this dough well. It will feel like normal gluteny/yeasty dough, just a little stickier. If you do not use cheese (or even if you do) brush the top with olive oil to help it brown and add a sprinkle of sea salt to the top to round out the flavor. If you don’t use all of the resulting rolls, freeze them right away and they thaw and warm beautifully.

Though they do not test for anything but gluten (and they test to 5ppm which we love!), their mixes also do not contain a whole host of other common allergens like rice, nuts, yeast, dairy, etc. So compare your allergy needs to Chebe’s processing. Their factory line does have a separate, nut-free room, for instance, but it does not have a separate nut-free factory.

MY FAVORITE SWEET RECIPE:  DUTCH CINNAMON BREAD

Copyright:  Elisabeth Veltman

*Free of gluten, dairy, soy, rice, nuts, peanuts, yeast

Dutch Cinnamon Bread

This is a great recipe to make on special occasions or to bring to a brunch. It’s flavorful, and is a sweet, soft dessert bread. I find most gluten-free breads, even the good ones, to have a slight hole in the middle of the flavor. The sweet and spicy of this recipe fills that gap deliciously.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Bread Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sunflower, safflower or similar oil (a neutral oil is best, although coconut oil would work and lend a little coconut flavor)
1 cup GF teff flour
1 cup GF buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 can Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (you need the can to include the coconut fat)

Topping / Swirling Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 T. cinnamon

(In a prep bowl, mix these together and set aside.)

Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan (use the same oil you are baking with). In a food processor or mixer, beat the egg, sugar and oil together until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and soda. Remove the coconut milk from the can into a bowl, and beat the fat into the rest of the milk. Add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture alternatively with the coconut milk until blended. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Add the rest of the batter to the pan, and then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top. Using a knife, swirl the sugar into the bread in a figure eight type pattern. Bake 1 hour. Cool for at least 30 min. then remove from the pan.  Slice and serve.  This bread freezes really well.

OTHER GLUTEN-FREE BREAD RESOURCES

Reprinted with permission from Women's Lifestyle MagazineThere is a wonderful recipe site run by Elana Amsterdam. She has Paleo Bread Recipes that I adore.
They are grain-free (made with nut flours, and high protein).  Find them at www.elanaspantry.com

I’m not able to eat these breads because of my specific allergies, but my readers often tout these brands:

Udi’s multi-grain is a consistent favorite.  Find them at www.udisglutenfree.com/

Genius Breads is a new favorite.  Find them at www.geniusglutenfree.com

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery at www.rudisglutenfree.com is another that is mentioned by readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Writer, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table. Find her at www.tenderpalate.com.

Probiotics- The “Good Guys” in Our Gut

Welcome to new Guest Blogger and Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Brooke Kaufman.  I"m super excited to have Brooke on board, her philosophy and skills will be very helpful to the Tender Foodie Community.  Read more about her at the end of her article below.

Welcome Brooke!!

~Elisabeth Veltman

What is a Probiotic?

By Brooke Kaufman, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant

The word probiotic comes from the Latin root words – for (pro) and life (bio). Probiotics are good bacteria that live in our digestive system. For many of us, the idea that there are beneficial bacteria living inside of us sounds like an oxymoron. How can bacteria be good for us? The simple fact is that life would not be possible without these beneficial microbes. Your body contains about 100 trillion bacteria – about three pounds worth – which is more than 10 times the number of cells you have in your entire body! It's now quite clear that the type and quantity of micro-organisms in your gut interact with your body in many ways, and can either prevent or encourage the development of many diseases.

Are We "Too Clean"?

We (in the western world) have falsely come to learn that health is achieved through sanitization. We pasteurize our food, wash it with harsh chemicals, and irradiate it, then wash our hands with anti-bacterial soap before we eat. We seem to be in an eternal battle with microbes. When we begin to understand how vital they are to us, we can switch the focus from all-out war to a more balanced approach. We need to learn how to support the beneficial bacteria in our bodies, and let them do the work of keeping out the “bad guys”. It seems that the more we sterilize our lives and keep microbes out of our food and digestive systems, the less the chance that beneficial bacteria will be able to flourish, and the greater the chance that the more virulent, pathogenic types of bacteria will be able to set up shop in our gut. A simple case of not enough “good guys” to keep the “bad guys” in check is likely to develop.

The Role of Good Bacteria

Intestinal bacteria play an extremely important role in our immune system and overall health. They protect us from illness, enhance peristalsis, and manufacture many vitamins, including B-complex, folic acid and vitamin K.  They also protect the integrity of the intestinal lining, help prevent the colonization of pathogens, help maintain pH balance, and aid with digestion and detoxification.  

Types of Gut Loving Foods

So how do we get more beneficial bacteria in our digestive system? One of the best ways is to incorporate probiotics into our daily diets in the form of traditionally fermented foods, such as:

•    Naturally fermented sauerkraut or Kimchee
•    Natto (Japanese fermented soy)
•    Kefir water
•    Kombucha
•    Miso
•    Yogurt made from raw, organic milk (if you’re not lactose intolerant)

Recipe:  Raw, Fermented Sauerkraut

Making raw sauerkraut is a great way to start experimenting with preparing your own fermented foods because it is super easy and affordable. Conventionally-prepared sauerkraut is cooked in brine, and does not contain the beneficial bacteria that traditionally prepared, raw sauerkraut contains. Most natural food stores sell raw sauerkraut, which is a great option, though sometimes quite pricey. Here’s a simple recipe to start you off:
Raw Sauerkraut

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 carrots, grated (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt

Directions

1.    Grate or slice thinly the cabbage and pound with mallet to release the juices. Save the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside.

2.    Shred the carrots and add to the cabbage. Mix in the ginger and salt.

3.    Place in a ceramic pot or glass container, like a large mason jar.

4.    Cover the mix with the saved outer leaves of the cabbage. Place a plate on top of the leaves. Put a 4 or 5 pound weight on the plate (a brick, a bottle of sand). Cover the container with a piece of cheesecloth and then with a loose lid.

5.     Leave at room temperature for 3-5 days, until desired taste is achieved. Then refrigerate.

6.    When ready, remove the lid and the outer leaves and discard. Store the kraut in the refrigerator in a glass jar. It can be used immediately and will continue to ferment as it ages.

When Is It Ready?

The kraut is "ready" when it suits your taste. You can let it go longer than I've indicated above, if you like a stronger flavor.  Then you discard the leaves on top, and put it an airtight jar. Refrigerating will slow, but will not completely stop the fermentation process. Sauerkraut will last a few weeks in the refrigerator.

You can put kholrabi in your sauerkraut, but you need the cabbage in as the main ingredient to get the fermentation going, since cabbage has bacteria already on it that aid in fermentation.

About Brooke

Brooke Kaufman is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant who creates customized meal plans for her clients with multiple food allergies and intolerances. She enjoys helping people eat nourishing food that is easy to prepare and tastes delicious. She believes that having food allergies and intolerances can be a positive challenge that inspires creativity, and brings a higher level of awareness when it comes to what you put in your body. Brooke believes that when we deeply nourish ourselves inside and out, we can attain optimal health…which includes healing our damaged and inflamed digestive systems.

Brooke received her nutrition education at Bauman College, and has learned through her own personal experience with food intolerances, she also works as a cleanse coach for Cleanse Organic, a 28-day, guided whole food based cleansing program. 

Find her at:  Balance Within Nutrition

Sources:

http://mpkb.org/home/pathogenesis/microbiota

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22781886

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040202064023.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/probiotics.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/02/crucial-role-of-microflora-in-health.aspx

Trillium Haven Restaurant: Opening July 6

Chairs ready to unpack and set up, and some gorgeous lightThere is good news for Tender Foodies in Grand Rapids.  Another restaurant, the new Trillium Haven restaurant in the Kingsley Building (1429 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids) expects to be accommodating people with food allergies. 

But don't over run them right away, Tender Foodies.  It's always best for food allergy peops to wait a month or two before venturing into any new food joint.  Even experienced restauranteurs with the most educated staff and well-practiced systems have a pretty steep learning curve during opening weeks.  Food allergy training, and the prevention of food allergy-sized cross contamination are systems that can typically be last. So it's safest for people with food allergies to wait until any restaurant opening kinks have worked themselves out.

Executive Chef Joel Wabeke spent 5 years at six.one.six working with the fabulous, and much missed Andrew Voss.  Chef Voss is a notable talent who always showed a great deal of respect for people with food allergies, from the service at the table to the deliciousness of the cuisine on the plate, and I am excited to see the magic that Joel will create. 

Anja Mast and Michael VanderBrug are the owners of this sure-to-be favorite in Eastown.  Staff memberw will be required to do a rotation on their Trillium Haven Farm, a well known CSA in Jenison that uses organic practices.  Owning both a farm and a restaurant puts Anja and Michael in a unique position to take the farm-to-plate concept to a whole new level.  When I spoke to Anja Mast, she said, "It will be like nothing you have seen before. It will be a different kind of dining experience." The farm will now completely support the restaurant, even during the winter months. 

I had a chance to see the restaurant pre-opening, during a Green Drinks event hosted by Trillium Haven and Guy Bazzani.  Here are a few pre-opening teasers I snapped with my iPhone.  The brick, stone, steel, and wood give a wonderfully grounded feeling to the space.  I'm excited to experience it with the sounds, aromas and hustle of a working restaurant.  You can be sure a review is in the near future. 

A wine rack over the bar.

The stainless steel bar.

Light sockets hung and waiting for their bulbs.

A large, wood table ready for assembly (note: this is slated to be the "coolest" spot to dine.)

Harvest Time: From Farm to Table to Little Mouths!

 

By Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, of MyMunchBug.com

The Joy of Gardening

When I walk about my neighborhood, I love to stroll past our community garden: plot after plot of vegetables lined up in perfect order, ready for inspection.  In the cool Colorado evenings, parents and kids gather to ooh and ahh at what new plant is peeking out of the earth.  Today I saw a three year old cutting lettuce with “safety scissors” that his mom had brought especially for his little fists.

Teaching kids to become more adventurous eaters begins in the garden.   When I decided to produce a children’s CD that celebrated the joy of food, I knew it had to include a garden song.  Joan Huntsberry Langford, the singer and songwriter, titled it “Harvest Time” and recreated the sensory experience of growing food in the garden, harvesting and ultimately, enjoying it together around the family table.

Healing Picky Eating Begins in the Dirt

Cucumbers curling around a trellise.Got a picky eater at home?  Learning about new foods doesn’t start with steamed broccoli sitting on their dinner plate.  It starts with a seed, or a tiny plant and most importantly, little hands in dirt.  Children love to take care of living things, and plants are no exception.  Daily watering and tending to a garden gently exposes a child to a new food until harvested, when it eventually finds its way to a lovely family dinner.  

When I work with children in the community and we are exploring a garden, I bring a clean bucket of cool water with us.  While most children love to play in dirt, some are tactilely defensive, especially picky eaters.  Having a bucket to swiftly drop a muddy carrot in or to wash tickly palms eases their uncertainty about touching something gritty.  Plus, we may get up the courage to wash that carrot right then and there and even see how loud we can crunch it!  Feeding therapists like kids to get dirty, the sensory experience is part of learning about new food.  But, if your child is particular about keeping his hands clean, child sized gardening gloves are an option.  Better yet, kid-sized tools make it twice as fun!  Ideally, larger family gardens have paths for little feet and rows of hardy crops (to ensure success) that are within easy reach for children to explore.  Smaller, raised bed gardens are perfect for any child to explore the perimeter or sit on the edge as they pick sugar snap peas or cucumbers. Have you tried growing your cucumbers up a trellis or chicken-wire fence?  Brilliant method and so easy!

My Dad & Family Gardening Love

My daughter & my Papa breaking garden ground, many moons ago.
When I was a child, my Dad kept a pocket knife in his “dungarees” when we gardened together.  My Dad is now almost 91 and this is the first year that he has not planted a garden.  One of my fondest memories of Dad was growing kohlrabi, a cabbage like veggie that has a tough, outer skin.  Dad would let the 5 year –old me tug away at the vegetable until it popped out of the dirt, almost toppling me backward.  Then he would slap it against his thigh to shatter the dirt clods, dunk it in a bucket of water (hmmm…that’s where I go that idea!) and use his pocket knife to carve away at the hard outer core.  What lie beneath was a cross between a mild radish and an apple. Similar to the texture of jicama, but not at all like jicama; well,  more like kohlrabi. 

Kohlrabi, cleaned and ready to eat.

It may be hard to describe the taste and texture of a kohlrabi, but what I remember vividly is that time with my Dad.  It was our time.  As I grew to have a family of my own, I asked my Dad to start a planting tradition with my girls.  Each summer, he would be bring over giant pumpkin seeds to plant in our horse pasture.   Daddy would dig a decent hole and hand the seeds to my daughters to drop in before he covered it, patted down a nice mound and finally handed the hose to the girls for the pumpkin seed’s first long drink. 

Gardening creates memories for your family.  Whether a pot of herbs on the kitchen window sill or an acre of corn, there is nothing quite like the experience of coming together as a family to plant and enjoy the harvest.  Best wishes to all of you during Harvest Time!

About Melanie

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLPMelanie is speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.  Her work brings her into the homes and schools of her clients, kids, who for various reasons have difficulty with food or with eating. She works with kids and their parents to develop effective strategies that help children become “more adventurous eaters”.  At least 50% of her clients have food allergies or intolerances, and for them, “adventurous eating” takes on a special meaning.  Melanie is also the author of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids” and the executive producer of “Dancing in the Kitchen.”

More Posts From Melanie

Why Children with Autism are Often Picky Eaters

Review:  The Magic of the BellyFull Kit (From the Hopeful Company)

The 12 Days of Christmas -- My Favorite Lunchtime Things (Part 1)

Tips to Help Your Food Allergic Child Belong During the Holidays

How to Talk Turkey (and Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving

How Can Parents Feel Less Stress with a Food Allergic Child in School?

Follow Your Gut:  What's Eating My Daughter's Stomach? (Part I)