Lacto-Fermented Oatmeal

     Oats, just like any other grain, need to be fermented to break down the anti-nutrients, or phytates, that they contain. Oats also have gluten which,  like wheat, needs to be fermented to partially break it down before it enters your system. Without fermenting, oatmeal is a marginally nutritious breakfast that drains your energy and leaves you hungry an hour or two later. But with fermenting, oatmeal becomes a powerhouse meal that will digest well, keep you satisfied and full way beyond lunch time, and give you lasting energy throughout the day! Not to mention, the taste of fermented oats is far superior! All you need is a little bit of whey, the liquid in yogurt. Once you have this ingredient, you can ferment almost anything! Or you can also use plain yogurt as well, if you don't have any whey.

 Lacto-Fermented Oatmeal (breakfast porridge)

From Nourishing traditions

Ingredients:

2 cups oats, rolled or cracked
2 cups warm filtered water plus 4 TBSP whey, yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups filtered water

Directions:

 Mix oats with warm water mixture, cover and leave in a warm place overnight (7 to 24 hours). Bring
an additional 2 cups of water to a boil with sea salt. Add soaked oats , reduce heat, cover, and simmer several minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for a few minutes. Serve with plenty of butter or
cream and a natural sweetener like rapadura, date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar or raw honey.


 

Chocolate Coconut Milk Icecream

This homemade icecream is really simple, no icecream maker needed. Just mix together a few ingredients, let it freeze for a few hours, and voila! Homemade, decadent, dairy-free icecream.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream 

(Inspired by Julia MacDonald)

 Makes 4 servings


Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup, for vegans)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (Originally, I tried whisking them together in a bowl, but the blender was much more effective!)

Adjust the flavor to your taste, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Place in the freezer for 4-6 hours, or until firm.

Cacao No-Bake Cookies

     These cookies are a delicious and healthy way to satisfy that sweet tooth that demands attention on occasion! Sweetened with pure maple syrup, one of the better choices as far as sweeteners go, these cookies also have the added health benefits from cacao, which has been shown to fight free radicals (cancer-causing cells) among other things. A Cancer-fighting cookie? Can't beat that!

Cacao No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

⅔ C maple syrup

¼ C Coconut oil

5 TB Cacao powder (Cocoa works too)

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ C unsweetened Almond Butter or peanut butter

1 C rolled oats

1 tsp Vanilla

¼ C Unsweetened Coconut (optional)

Directions:

Combine maple syrup, oil, cacao, and cinnamon, and heat over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in almond butter, oats, vanilla, and coconut until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut....the word might bring up feelings of nostalgia, excitement, or even fear for you. But for me, it brings PASSION.  Sauerkraut is one of the first foods I learned to ferment, and it is still one of my favorite fermented foods, and one of the most healthy foods I have ever made. There are numerous health benefits of sauerkraut, which you can easily read about with a quick internet search. The main benefit being the digestion-promoting lactobacilli that it contains. This is the "good bacteria" that your body needs to digest food properly. Also, more than 70% of our immune system is contained in our digestive tract, another reason to keep your digestion moving and flowing with ease. Which is what this simple dish does. Added to each meal, this food will give you a boost in energy, help digest your meal, and add a richness of flavor you will learn to love.

So, what is sauerkraut? Nothing but cabbage and salt, left on your counter for a few days. Easy, right? Right. Really. If you're new to fermenting, this is the ideal place to start.

Traditional Sauerkraut

 

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 Tbsp caraway seeds (optional)

4 Tbsp whey (or another 1 TBSP salt)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix cabbage with caraway seeds, sea salt and whey. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for 5 minutes to release juices. Let sit for 5 minutes, then pound 5 more minutes. (Or let it sit for 15 minutes without any pounding.) Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover and keep at room temperature for about 3 days then transfer to cold storage. The sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age.