Two New Recipes and Experimenting With Kefir
Days 35-41
This was my favorite meal of the week, a variation on a recipe from Gabriel Cousens’ book, Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine, based on spring rolls. It’s one of the most delicious raw meals I’ve had yet!
(See recipe below, Savory Spring Rolls)
First, a little about kefir – something I didn’t even know existed a few months ago.
Experimenting With Kefir
Since going raw, I’d see the word kefir on Twitter, or blogs every so often. I decided to check into this intriguing, mysterious, and difficult-to-define drink.
During the 1st month of this trial, I realized the importance of probiotics (healthy bacteria) and began taking supplements. In my research, I noticed kefir was often mentioned as a natural superfood due to its amazing health benefits from the probiotics it contains (far superior to a pill).
Kefir is a fermented food traditionally made from raw milk and kefir grains. The kefir grains are placed in a jar with fresh milk and left to ferment at room temperature for 12-24 hours, then strained. The result is a thick yogurt-like drink that can be drank plain, sweetened, or added to smoothies.
So, what are kefir grains?
I ordered kefir grains not knowing what to expect. They came wet, and are like mushy white curds. They smell like yeast. However, the yeasts in kefir grains do not cause candida (yeast overgrowth in the body).
The many benefits of kefir
Aside from yeast, kefir grains contain about 5 other beneficial bacteria that help digestive functions, prevent parasitic infections, cancer, and many gastrointestinal disorders. They prevent the growth of harmful bacterial, acting as a natural antibiotic.
Kefir grains still seem mysterious to me. In Gabriel Cousens’ book Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine he writes:
“The exact origin of kefir is unkown. Some believe it may have come from Russia, while others suggest Turkey.”
There is a myth that suggests kefir grains were given to Mohammed directly from Allah. It is like a mysterious substance that keeps procreating and is passed down from generation to generation.
The list of ailments kefir is known to heal are too numerous to include here. Some of them are: eczema, migraines, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, urinary tract infections, prostate problems, and anxiety.
A good source of kefir grains
I ordered my kefir grains from kefirlady.com. This site was recommended to me from someone on Twitter as the best source of kefir grains. They came double bagged in ziploc bags.
Cold supposedly upsets their balance. I’m sure they encounter many temperature changes in the mail, and I think they may have been in my mailbox overnight. After opening them, I immediately followed the instructions using fresh almond milk (not dairy milk). The milk separated, was very runny, and didn’t have the texture I expected at all. I’m hoping this was merely due to the stress from travel, and exposure to the cold.
I wrote the owner of kefirlady.com (Marilyn) and she replied that kefir grains will not be “happy” in almond milk. Also, they will not reproduce. Great.
There is a chapter in Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine about making kefir with nut mylks, and this is not mentioned at all.
I’m now in kefir limbo, because I must place them back into a cold environment (the refrigerator) for a 4-day weekend trip out of town. It may take many days of producing sub-par kefir to get the grains balanced again. This is trickier than I expected. I’ll update next week.
Now on to the food.
Breakfast
I’ve still been having blueberry smoothies each morning.
But first, shortly after waking each morning, I take about 2 tsp chlorella/spirulina tabs(over 3 grams of protein!) with lemon water to stave off hunger, and get an alkalizing start to my day.
Another morning favorite: raw vegan “cereal” made by crumbling crackers (or flatbread) up and serving with almond milk. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious!
Favorite snacks
Frozen blueberries w/ almond milk and stevia
Grapefruit
Sugar plum tomatoes
Celery and pistachio pesto
Best dinner of the week (new recipe #1)
This was a yummy dinner.
It is based on a recipe from the book Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine.
Savory Spring Rolls
1 small head cabbage with base cut off and soaked in warm water
Filling:
½ cup almonds soaked
1-1¼ cups walnuts (dry)
(These amounts are flexible and can be varied to taste, or other nut combinations my be used)
Process nuts in food processor until it has a crumbly texture that will stick together easily. Add the following spices and process until mixed through:
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
Carefully separate the cabbage leaves and use as wraps, placing the nut mixture inside, plus any additional veggies you like.
I also used miso & water as a condiment. You can mix a few tsp of miso with water gradually until it’s the consistency of a sauce. Then either use as a dip, or drizzle on the inside of rolls before wrapping. This is one of the most delicious meals I’ve had on the trial yet.
My 2nd new recipe this week was a variation on my kitchen sink cracker from day 18 of the trial, called Quinoa Walnut Crackers.
Quinoa Walnut Crackers
Pulp from 1 cup soaked almonds made into almond milk
1 cup walnuts soaked 1-2 hours
1/2 cup flax seeds soaked overnight in 1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sprouted quinoa
Add 3 droppersful of Stevia glycerine sweetener in flax/soak water mixture plus a splash of vanilla extract.
Put soaked flax/water, chopped walnuts, and almond pulp in food processor with about 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste).
Pulse until mixed, and walnuts are chopped to desired size.
My food processor is small, so I transfer mixture to a bowl to add the dry chia seeds, coconut, and quinoa. Mix thoroughly, and spread on teflex sheets or parchment paper on dehydrator trays, and place in dehydrator. (I have a cheap dehydrator with no temperature setting, so I just check throughout the day, rotating the trays). When the crackers are dry enough, I remove the parchment paper, and continue to dehydrate until crispy.
Don’t forget to score the batter with a knife while it is still wet! This makes the crackers easier to break apart into squares when they are dry.
These crackers are great with coconut butter, or crumbled into a bowl with almond milk.
Another favorite dinner was raw vegan “tacos.”
I served the family regular tacos, and made up some mock tacos using romaine leaves as shells. I could’ve gotten creative with a meat substitute, but I’m all about quick and easy. I slathered the leaves with tahini, then sea salt; next, freshly made pico de gallo, and topped with chunks of avocado. Easy and satisfying!
Fitness
I’ve been continuing to feel improvement in my running. I get more glimpses of endurance, and less fatigue and sluggishness. This is so encouraging. I’m excited to see what the coming weeks and months bring.
pH
My pH has been consistently 6.0 in the morning, and 6.5 at night. It should show a rise during the day (understanding how to read one’s pH readings).
Stay tuned for upcoming adventures with kefir, pH info, and distance running as a raw vegan.
Thanks for stopping by!
Comments on this entry are closed.