Recipes from Amanda Love
Recipes for Health
Amanda Love, The Barefoot Cook
How to create vibrant health
Heal your gut
Enhance your immune system
Boost your energy
Prevent disease
"Indeed, stock is everything in cooking . . . without it nothing can be done." Auguste Escoffier
Broth or stock as some call it is one of the most nutritious of foods. In many cultures it is consumed almost daily. Ancient cultures would not think of throwing out the bones, the place that holds the essence of the animal. They knew to slowly cook them with water and maybe other herbs and ingredients to extract the precious life giving nutrients from them. Chinese medicine says that the bones hold "jing", also thought of as our essence. Once depleted by stress and poor diet, it is hard to replenish.
Consuming things like broth on a regular basis helps to balance and replenish this. Not only does broth warm the digestive fire and ready it for more food, but it provides minerals and gelatin. Gelatin, often just thought of only for making desserts, is extremely nutritious and healing. It helps us to build strong bones, hair, teeth, and fingernails and is also very good for digestion. It is hydrophilic which helps to keep the mucosal lining of the intestines in good shape. You can use any kind of bones you have access to. The traditional bones we most commonly use to make broth are beef and chicken bones, but you may also use lamb, turkey, fish, seafood, duck, venison, buffalo or any other bones you can find.
Ingredients:
Bones – preferably soup, shank, ribs, marrow, oxtail or knuckle bones; if using chicken – try to salvage the feet and head along with the other bones for an extra rich broth; extra tough cuts of meat will give extra flavor as well. (You can also use pork bones as well as any wild game animal or fish bones.)
Filtered Cold Water to cover
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
(Optional) – Veggies like potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, rosemary, nettle or any other medicinal herb
Instructions:
You can ignore this first step to save time, but for a more robust flavor, it is best to roast the bones first. Simply place the bones in a large baking pan or casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or until browned. Then transfer to a large crock pot or stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum that will rise to the top. Turn down to a simmer or low. Add the vinegar and salt. If you can, let this broth cook for 36-72 hours. >You may need to add more water as it evaporates. The minimum amount of cooking time would be 6 hours, but overnight is best. The longer you cook the bones, the more medicinal your broth will be. Store the broth in pint or 1-quart mason jars and pour a little bit of fat on top of each jar of broth. This will help preserve the broth. Once your broth cools, it may become jelled. This means you have a gelatin rich broth. It will liquefy when heated. The broth will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator or may be frozen for several months. You can freeze glass jars as long as you leave 2 inches of air space at the top. Use to make soups, stews and sauces, to cook your grains and beans, or to drink before meals or anytime.
GREENS:
Hardy cold season greens are one of the most nutritious of vegetables. They are full of fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Try this recipe or make up your own. Eating them regularly will help prevent SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in the low light winter months. Eat greens regularly to enhance your health, cleanse your liver and colon.
Ingredients:
Seasonal Greens such as swiss chard, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion, nettles, lambs quarters, turnip greens, broccoli and cauliflower greens, sweet potato greens, spinach, arugula
Olive oil – organic, cold pressed
Umeboshi Plum Vinegar (you can get this wonderful sour, salty vinegar at the health food store), Apple Cider Vinegar, or Lemon Juice
Instructions:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium size pot. Place steamer insert into pot. Wash greens and cut center stems out. (You can cook the stems; just add them to the pot first and allow more cooking time). Place three or more leaves on top of each other and slice in long 1 inch strips. Slice once more lengthwise until all the greens are cut. Once water has come to a boil, add greens to pot and place lid on top. Steam for 1-2 minutes or until the greens are bright green and tender. When a fork or knife pokes through greens easily, the greens are ready. Remove from pot and place in bowl. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and Umeboshi plum vinegar or sour condiment to taste.
Other Options:
1. Toss the greens with butter, minced garlic and pine nuts.
2. Toss greens with sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and feta cheese.
3. Toss with organic raw cream, butter, white pepper and nutmeg.
DAIRY KEFIR AND KEFIR CREAM:
1 quart whole milk (or cream), preferably raw – you can use any kind of animal milk including cow, goat, sheep, yak or other
1 Tablespoon - ½ Cup kefir grains or 1 package kefir powder (grains are preferable)
Place milk in a 1-quart jar and bring to room temperature. Stir in kefir grains or kefir culture powder. You may cover it tightly with a lid or loosely with a towel. Leave out at room temperature overnight or until kefir reaches desired sourness. It usually takes about 24 hours when using the grains. If you are using kefir grains, strain them out with a strainer, place back in culturing jar, add more milk and repeat the process. Wash out the kefir making jar every few batches. Your grains will grow. The more grains you have in the jar, the faster your kefir will make. Eat, compost or give the grains away if you have more than you can use.
If you want to store the grains for later use, rinse grains with water and place them in a jar in the refrigerator in ½ cup milk until next use. It's best to use within a few weeks. If not, kefir grains may be frozen for several months before losing their culturing power.
Sources: Marilyn Kefirlady in Ohio www.kefirlady.com, www.culturesforhealth.com or Amazon.com; search online for other sources.
MAKING WHEY AND KEFIR CHEESE:
(Makes 5 cups whey and 2 cups yogurt or kefir cheese)
2 quarts yogurt
Whey is useful in many fermentation recipes – as a starter culture for lacto-fermented vegetables and fruits, for soaking grains for proper preparation, and as a starter for many beverages. The yogurt or kefir cheese is a delicious by-product with beneficial lactic-acid-producing bacteria. You may use homemade yogurt or kefir or good quality commercial plain yogurt or kefir.
Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt or kefir, cover and let stand at room temperature for 4-8 hours. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and yogurt cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the yogurt cheese keeps for about 2-4 weeks and the whey for about 2-6 months.
BEET KVASS - LACTO-FERMENTED BEVERAGE
Makes 2 quarts
3 medium or 2 large organic beets, peeled and chopped up coarsely
¼ Cup whey
1 Tablespoon sea salt
Filtered water
This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver, and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups.
Place beets, whey, and salt in a 2-quart glass container and fill with filtered water. Stir well and cover securely. Keep at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to the refrigerator.
When most of the liquid has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature another 2 days. The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first. After the second brew, compost the beets and start again with a new batch. You may, however, reserve some of the liquid and use this as your inoculant instead of whey.
Note: Do not use grated beets in the preparation of beet tonic. When grated, beets exude too much juice resulting in too rapid of fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid.
GINGER MINT LIME LACTO-FERMENTED SODA:
Makes 2 quarts
¾ Cup ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
½ Cup fresh lime juice
½ - ¾ Cup Rapadura sugar or Organic Cane Sugar
1 ½ or 2 teaspoons sea salt (optional)
¼ Cup whey
About 2 quarts filtered water
Handful of mint leaves
This is a wonderful refreshing drink, taken in small amounts with meals and as a pick-me-up after outside work in the sun. Place all ingredients in a 2-quart jug or jar. Stir well and cover tightly. Leave at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to the refrigerator. It will make much faster if using water kefir grains. This will keep several months well-chilled. To serve, strain into a glass.
Other Nourishing Foods to Emphasize:
Grassfed Rib steak photo, John Thompson, via Wikimedia,
CC By-SA 2.0
PASTURE RAISED or WILD MEATS and SEAFOOD (Including ORGAN MEATS), EGGS, RAW DAIRY: Eat animal protein that has been pasture raised, grassfed or from the wild for the optimal amount of nutrition and to support a healthier planet. Animals only get Vitamin D if they have been raised outside and their meat contains much more amino acids if they are free range rather than grain fed. Organ meats like liver contain some of the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals.
FATS: Good vs. Bad
Good Fats: Butter, Cream, Egg Yolks, Lard, Beef Tallow, Chicken Fat, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Ghee, Olive Oil, (Flax and Cod Liver Oil – not for cooking)
Bad Fats: Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, Canola Oil and any other other rancid, liquid oils that are too high in Omega 6
OK Fats: It is ok to eat the following fats in very small amounts: sesame, peanut, safflower, sunflower oils as well as nut oils like walnut oil, pecan oil, macadamia nut oil, etc (make sure they are not rancid and kept in a cool, dark place)
SALT: Not all salt is created equal. Use unrefined salt that is from the sea, earth or mountains. Avoid salt that has been refined, bleached and has added anti caking agents (this includes most grocery store and restaurant salt). There are many 'alternative' good salts available these days including Himalayan, Celtic, Real Salt, Hawaiian Red, Premier Research Labs Salt and more. You can find most of these in health food stores or online.
CULTURED FOODS: All traditional cultures ate some kind of fermented or cultured food like sauerkraut, kim chi, sourdough bread, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, kvass, unpasteurized beer and wine, raw cheese, pickles, miso, etc. Eating some kind of fermented food with meals will add enzymes and beneficial bacteria to your gut and greatly enhance your immune system and energy.
VEGETABLES: Eat veggies!! If you can only eat one vegetable, eat something green. Emphasize vegetables that are in season and ideally grown locally and without chemicals or organically grown. Eat roasted, steamed, sautéed, grilled, raw . . .
Lifestyle Tips from The Barefoot Cook:
- Get sunlight or solar rays everyday (be outside daily)
- Breathe fresh air – take at least 10 deep breaths everyday
- Pure water – drink, bath and swim in pure water
- Put your feet on the earth daily – “grounding” reduces cortisol
- Create or acknowledge connection with higher source
- Rid your home, car and office of toxic cleaners
- Eat organic, fresh, local, seasonal foods
- Exercise daily
Statewide Resources
TOFGA – Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, WWW.TOFGA.ORG
FARFA – Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, www.farmandranchfreedom.org
Raw Milk Resources: research online at www.realmilk.com to find sources for raw milk and dairy products in your area.
Online Resources: Weston A. Price Foundation, To learn more about which foods nourished & sustained our ancestors for centuries vs. those that lead to disease and principles of healthy diets check out: www.westonaprice.org
Price Pottenger Foundation, www.PricePottenger.org
Organic Consumers Ssociation, www.organicconsumersassociation.org
Wild Fermentation, www.wildfermentation.com – info about fermenting www.cornucopia.org
Recommended Reading:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr Weston A. Price
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz
Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell McBride
Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon
Traditional Foods are Best by Ron Schmid
Notes by Amanda Love
www.thebarefootcook.com — thebarefootcook@gmail.com
1-800-250-4718 toll free
512-422-8279 local
Originally published February 19, 2011
Search Library Topics Search Newspaper Columns
