fermenting – Our Earth Land

Fermented Sprouted Soy/Tofu With Veggies

Soybeans contain phytochemicals that have toxic effects on the human body. It has been linked to digestive distress, allergies and immune system breakdown. However, fermented soybeans releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into healthy nutritious food. When you consume small amounts of fermented soy foods, they help provide a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that aids in digestion and assimilation of nutrients, as well as boost immunity.
Miso neutralizes toxins and alkalizes the blood. It contains an excellent source of digestive enzymes, probiotics, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals!
‘Fermented soy in small, condimental amounts as practiced in traditional Asian cultures is the only safe way to consume this legume and even then, only for those who have healthy thyroid function because it is so extremely goitrogenic. Miso, tempeh, natto and soy sauce (If traditionally brewed) fall under this category.’ (see full article in link below)
Sources:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-sprouted-soy-is-worse-than-unsprouted-even-if-organic/
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/what-are-the-safest-nongmo-soy-products.html
http://www.wildwoodfoods.com/products/tofu
http://ourearthland.blogspot.ca/2012/06/releasing-nutrients-in-soybeans.html
http://naturalsociety.com/miso-soup-protects-against-radiation-exposure/
http://www.naturalnews.com/025513.html
http://ourearthland.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-benefits-of-barley-miso-soup.html

Fermented Green Cabbage Guacamole

Fermented foods create probiotics which are healthy bacteria that repair the gut. When we promote good bacteria, we can reverse disease because 80% of our immune system is in our gut flora! It is important to have probiotics after the use of antibiotics, although antibiotics should always be avoided! You can learn more about disease reversal, on our ‘disease‘ and ‘health‘ tabs above. Also, check out our ‘fermenting‘ label for more of our pro-biotic recipes.

A couple weeks ago, we fermented some green cabbage with leeks, celery and a hint of basil. Today, we cracked open our jar and added our fermented cabbage to some guacamole with kale! Very tasty! Check out our recipe below. Enjoy!

Fermented Green Cabbage Guacamole Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

∙ 2 organic avocados

∙ a bunch of organic cilantro

∙ organic kale with red onion (oven dehydrated for 1 hour at 120° – until softened)

∙ 2 cups of fermented green cabbage mix (green cabbage, leeks, celery, basil)

∙ organic cayenne pepper

∙ organic crushed red pepper (optional)

∙ sea salt

∙ organic black pepper

∙ slice of organic lemon (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove peel and cut avocados into pieces, then add to a large mixing bowl.

2. On a chopping board, chop cilantro place in large mixing bowl.

3. Add kale with red onion and fermented cabbage to mixing bowl. Mix well.

4. Add cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper to bowl and mix well. Taste and make adjustments.

5. Squeeze lemon juice over top and continue mixing. (optional)

6. Serve in two bowls and enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Make sure you tightly seal the lid, on the fermented veggies that are left behind in the jars, after you’ve measured out how much you will use. This will prevent mold. Also DO NOT put the jars in the refrigerator because you will kill the bacteria and you will have defeated the purpose of fermenting in the first place.

Fermenting Cabbage with Basil

It is important to have pro-biotics after the use of antibiotics, although antibiotics should always be avoided! Fermented vegetables create pro-biotics which are beneficial for the immune system because it provides healthy bacteria to the gut flora which can fight against bacteria, viruses and ‘diseases’! Fermenting foods is really simple to do. A while ago, we began fermenting some green cabbage with leeks, celery and a hint of basil. Check out our ‘fermenting’ label to see more of our previous fermented vegetables and their results.

The Benefits of Barley Miso Soup

In Japan, those affected by radiation sickness from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were treated with miso soup. Miso neutralizes toxins and alkalizes the blood. It contains an excellent source of digestive enzymes, probiotics, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals! We wanted to make miso paste from scratch but were uncertain about the exact process of fermenting. We decided to purchase some barley miso paste for now, until we can learn how to ferment it ourselves. Miso soup is very healthy and tasty! See our simple recipe below. For more information on miso and radiation sickness click here.

Barley Miso Soup Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

∙ 4 cups of spring water

∙ 2 organic leek leaves

∙ 1 organic carrot

∙ 1 organic celery stalk

∙ 2 tbsp of organic ginger root (minced)

∙ 2 pieces of organic kelp

∙ 2 tbsp of organic coconut oil

∙ 4-6 tbsp of organic barley miso paste (MAY CONTAIN GLUTEN – use gluten free miso if you have diet restrictions)

∙ sea salt (optional)

∙ organic black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and then turn down heat to medium-low.

2. Chop leek, carrot and celery. Then add to water with ginger and simmer for about 15-20 minutes (this will be your broth).

3. Cut kelp in small pieces and set aside.

4. Chop leeks. Set aside.

5. Once broth is made, turn off heat and pour broth into a large mixing bowl (drain and discard vegetables while pouring).

6. Let broth sit for 2 minutes, then add the barley miso paste in portions, while stirring. The broth water should not be boiling hot when you add the barley miso paste.

7. Add kelp and leeks to broth and continue stirring until miso paste has completely dissolved.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Serve in 2 bowls.

10. Enjoy!

Live Curtido Salad

We’ve been fermenting lots of red cabbage to create healthy bacteria for a strong immune system! It is important to have pro-biotics after the use of anti-biotics in order to have a strong immune system! Our latest live salad recipe was created with fermented ‘curtido’ along with some fresh parsley and summer squash. Summer squash (yellow zucchini) is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C. It is also a good source of vitamin A which supports the immune system. Give it a try! (see recipe below)

Live Curtido Salad Recipe

Serves 1-2

Prep Time 5 minutes!

Ingredients:

∙ 1 organic summer squash (yellow zucchini)

∙ organic parsley

∙ 1 cup of fermented curtido (red cabbage, carrots, onions)

∙ organic cayenne pepper (optional)

∙ sea salt

∙ organic black pepper

Directions:

1. On a chopping board, dice zucchini into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Chop parsley into small pieces and add to large mixing bowl.

3. Add fermented vegetables to mixing bowl.

4. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper onto vegetables and mix ingredients.

5. Serve in two bowls and enjoy!

Spicy Live Cauliflower Salad

A little over a week ago, we prepared more vegetables to ferment. Fermenting vegetables creates pro-biotics for our gut flora! Today we cracked open our cauliflower and leek mix to make another spicy live salad. We added fresh organic tomatoes, cilantro, red cabbage, (pre-soaked) seeds and spices – very tasty! Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C and has anti inflammatory nutrients. (see recipe below)

Spicy Live Cauliflower Salad Recipe

Serves 1-2

Prep Time 5 minutes!

Ingredients:

∙ 1 large organic tomato

∙ a handful of organic cilantro

∙ 1/2 cup of organic red cabbage (shredded)

∙ 2 tbsp of organic sunflower seeds (pre-soaked over night)

∙ 2 tbsp of organic pumpkin seeds (pre-soaked over night)

∙ 1 cup of fermented organic cauliflower and leek mix

∙ organic cayenne pepper

∙ dry kale spice (optional – see recipe here) or dry kale

∙ non-treated pink sea salt

∙ organic black pepper

∙ organic crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. On a chopping board, dice tomatoes into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Chop cilantro into small pieces and add to large mixing bowl.

3. Add shredded cabbage, seeds and fermented vegetables to mixing bowl.
4. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, dry kale, salt and black pepper onto vegetables and mix ingredients.
5. Add crushed red peppers and continue mixing until all ingredients are mixed well with spices.
6. Serve in two bowls and enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Make sure you tightly seal the lid, on the fermented veggies that are left behind in the jars, after you’ve measured out how much you will use. This will prevent mold. Also DO NOT put the jars in the refrigerator because you will kill the bacteria and you will have defeated the purpose of fermenting in the first place.

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How To Make Organic Soy Milk

We made our own soy milk last week and incorporated it into a Green Tea With Ginger Latté, which was very tasty! Preparing soy for healthy consumption is time consuming but worth the effort once you taste it! A few days ago we soaked some more soy beans to prepare some milk for this week. The instructions* are below. Keep in mind that dehulling the soy beans can be tedious. A good tip we’d like to share is to sit down and set up an area where you can remove the hulls while watching one of your favorite shows, a sports event or over conversation. It will get you through it quicker and help you to not get impatient. It is important that all hulls are removed and that the process is completed properly since non fermented (or not previously soaked and hulled) beans are toxic to your health. Check out our process below and enjoy!

Vanilla soy milk recipe (If you want the regular recipe, follow the recipe below but do not add any vanilla):

Soy Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

∙ 1 cup of organic soy beans (pre-soaked in a sealed container with spring water and a pinch of salt for 24 hours minimum)

∙ 3-4 cups of spring water

∙ 2 tbsp of organic honey

∙ 1/2 tbsp of organic vanilla bean (powder or extract)

∙ sea salt

∙ 1/4 cup of coconut water (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain the water from the soaked beans and place them in a bowl.

2. Begin grabbing each soy bean and pinching them to remove the hulls. The hulls should remove easily. (The time consuming part is that you have to go through every single one of them.)

3. Place the dehulled soybeans in a blender, and add water. (1:3 ratio)

4. Blend the beans.

5. Strain the blended beans in a bowl or container (we use a mesh strainer).

6. Once the liquid has stopped dripping from the strainer, press down with a spoon. This will ensure that you are ‘squeezing’ all the liquid out that wasn’t easily dripping out. (Some people use cheese cloths but we find our method effective enough)

7. Save the left over pulp (okara) and store it in the fridge for later use or discard.

8. Add honey, vanilla (powder or extract) and a pinch of sea salt to the beans and heat the blended beans in a small/medium pot for about 10- 20 minutes at medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

9. Remove blended beans from heat and let cool.

10. Strain soy milk again, once cooled.

11. Add 1/4 cup of coconut water to milk (optional – for added flavor) and then pour your homemade soy milk in a glass bottle and place in the fridge.

Note: Soy milk can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days.

Good luck!

*The instructions above are based on internet research. The method we chose to follow was based on our knowledge of soy beans and our personal experience so far, from preparing them. If you would like to share your own, please do so in the comment area.

Creating Curtido

Curtido is fermented cabbage with carrots and onions, similar to coleslaw, that is common in Salvadoran cuisine. In the next week or so we’ll be having some pupusas. Pupusas are also a Salvadorean dish – a favorite of mine growing up. My (Guatemalan) mom made the best pupusas and curtido that I ever had! Pupusas are served with curtido, so we prepared two jars (below) to ferment. We also fermented a cauliflower and leek mix. We’ll be sharing the recipe for gluten free pupusas in about a week when the fermenting process is complete.

Below is a photo from today’s walk in the park. Enjoy!

Spicy Live Salad With Lentil

GoodVeg on Squidoo shares recipes, news and information relating to a healthy vegan and vegetarian diet. It’s an excellent resource to healthy information and recipes! I recently created an article that contains my latest fermenting recipe that I felt was worth sharing. We were literally counting down the days when we could crack open the fermented zucchini and onion mix! The recipe below is very tasty – give it a try and enjoy good healthy and flavorful food!

Spicy Live Salad With Lentil Recipe

Serves 1-2

Prep Time 5 minutes!

Ingredients:

∙ 1 organic tomato

∙ a handful of organic cilantro

∙ 1 cup of cooked organic French green lentils*

∙ 1/2 cup of fermented organic onion mix (red onion, leeks, garlic and celery)

∙ 1/2 cup of fermented organic zucchini mix (zucchini and cucumber)

∙ organic cayenne pepper

∙ non-treated pink sea salt

∙ organic black pepper

∙ organic crushed red pepper

*Prepare lentils ahead of time. Pre-soak lentils over night. To cook, simply boil in water until slightly tender and drain. Let cool before using for recipe. Cooking time about 20 minutes.

Directions:

1. On a chopping board, dice tomatoes into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Chop cilantro into small pieces and add to large mixing bowl. 3. Add cooked green lentils and fermented vegetables to mixing bowl.

4. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper* onto vegetables and mix ingredients.
5. Add crushed red peppers and continue mixing until all ingredients are mixed well with spices.
6. Serve in two bowls and enjoy!

*I mixed black pepper, sea salt and cayenne pepper in a small pepper shaker so it’s easier to use.

If you like this recipe, check out our ‘squidoo lense’ at Goodveg and ‘like’ it or comment on it. Thanks for your support.

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Releasing Nutrients In Soybeans

In their natural form, soybeans contain phytochemicals that have toxic effects on the human body. It has been linked to digestive distress, allergies and immune system breakdown. Fermentation releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into nutritious food. In small amounts, once fermented, they help build the intestinal system, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and boost immunity. We’re fermenting some soy beans to make miso soup this week. We’ve done some research but if anyone has any experience in fermenting soy beans please let us know. To learn more about the harmful effects of non fermented soybeans click here.

Below: Our organic soybeans fermenting – it’s been about 48 hours since we placed them in the jar.