Sides & Vegetables

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Umami Bomb Salad (V)

Today we are going to be talking about an Umami Bomb in the shape of a salad. : D

Ok, let’s start at the beginning. What is an Umami Bomb? Umami bombs are a term that chefs use to refer to a dish which has a combination of ingredients in which all add an umami flavor. The result is an umami bomb of a dish.

Which Foods Contain Umami

The umami taste present in certain foods is generally caused by glutamates within the foods. Monosodium glutamate is chemically manufactured to imitate the taste of naturally occurring glutamate, and artificially add umami flavors to food.

Not all foods contain glutamate and have an umami effect on the palate. The ones which do, are mostly foods which are notoriously flavorsome, often described as earthy, savory, hearty ect.

Meats

Some of the biggest ‘umami bringers’ are meats. Most meats contains umami flavors. This is often what vegans and vegetarians actually miss, when eradicating meat from their diet, not always the actual protein, as protein can be gotten from many plant based foods – not just from meat and dairy products.

Vegan Sources of Umami

Although meats are a primary source of umami flavors in traditional Western cooking, there are many plant based and vegan / vegetarian sources as well. Here are some examples of common plant based sources of umami flavors:

Mushrooms
Soya sauce and other fermented soya products such as tempeh
Nutritional yeast
Olives, particulary black olives
Pickled or fermented vegetables
Sea vegetables such as kelp, nori and kombu
Tomatoes

Umami Bomb Salad (V)

Why Umami Bomb Recipes are Great in a Vegetarian / Vegan Diet / Low Meat Diet

Vegetarians and vegans do not consume meat or animal based products, and a conventional Western diet without these may end up having a flavor gap when it come to savoriness and the umami factor.

Making umami bomb dishes using plant based ingredients is a great way to fill this gap. Also, many of the umami yielding ingredients which are plant based tend to have high nutritional profiles and can play a valuable role in a plant based or vegetarian diet. Nutritional yeast for example is a source of B vitamins, which makes a great addition to a plant based diet.

Making a Umami Bomb

The concept behind making an umami bomb recipe is quite simple. Combine a number of umami giving ingredients together in the same dish, and you will have yourself an umami bomb!

For this salad, I used lacto fermented pickled onions (which are probiotic!), olives, nutritional yeast, and sundried tomatoes as the umami bomb components. If you want to mix it up and add in something like a sprinkling of kelp powder, some tempeh, mushrooms etc, go ahead and experiment. It is hard to go wrong when making umami bomb combos : )

Umami Bomb Salad (V)

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Serves: 1-3 Prep Time: 10 mintues Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

3 large green and crispy lettuce leaves
1 fistful of skinny leaved rocket / arugula
1 handful of black or kalamata olives
3 tablespoons of sundried tomatoes
4 pickled onions
2-3 tablespoons of sundried tomato infused olive oil - or regular olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried and powdered cilantro seeds
Sprinkling of black pepper
Salt to taste to sprinkle on before serving
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to sprinkle on before serving
Optional: rocket flowers for garnishing

Instructions

Wash your lettuce and rocket and let drain.
De-pip your olives.
Chop the sundried tomato up into very thin slivers. They are difficult to chew, so the thinner the better.
Quarter the pickled onions.
Now chop up the lettuce roughly.
Combine all ingredients into a medium sized salad bowl.
Keep aside the vinegar and salt. You can add these right before serving, tossing to combine. If you add them earlier, the acidity and salinity can limpen the salad leaves.
Serve and enjoy.

December 7, 2017 0 comment

Cooking Hacks Fast Healthy Meals Gluten Free Sides & Vegetables Vegan Vegetarian

Quick Pesto Covered Baked Potato Wedges

written by Daniela Klein

This is so simple it can hardly be called a recipe. But it is delicious, quick, and it is a great way to change up potatoes.

I have a way of doing roasted potatoes which makes them quicker to do than if you roast them away in the over from scratch. What I do is I simple steam them until they are kind of ‘al dente’. They are cooked, but only just, still at the point where they are slightly too hard to be served.

I then put them onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil – or in this case slather with pesto! – and pop them into the oven until they are slightly browned. I love this trick, because not only does it reduce the total cooking time, but it also works out more energy efficient, as one does not have to have the oven blazing away for almost an hour.

For these pesto wedges I used kale pesto. I was very pleased with the result, as the pesto ends up roasting a little and losing some of its bitterness this way. My recipe for kale pesto is already de-bittered, however there is still some residual bitterness usually, and the heat of the over really helped to tone that done even further.

If you want to use a different pesto, then by all means do so, I can almost guarantee that it will be good!

Quick Pesto Covered Baked Potato Wedges

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 mintues Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

600 - 700 grams of potatoes
1/3 cup water
1/4 -1/2 cup pesto
Olive oil to drizzle
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut up your potatoes into wedges. If they are not organically grown, then you may want to peel the skins off.
Place them into a wide based pot and add in the 1/2 cup water.
Set to steam until they are not quite cooked and are ‘al dente’. A knife should penetrate, but not with complete ease.
Set your oven to about 375 – 400 F or 190 – 200 C.
Remove potato wedges from the pot and place onto sheet pan. Spoon the pesto over as evenly as possible and drizzle a little extra olive oil on top. Sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and the salt and pepper to taste, and using an egg lifter or spatula gently turn and toss the wedges so that they pesto is more evenly distributed.
Place the pan into the oven and allow to bake until the edges are golden – about 10 – 15 minutes. I like to give the wedges a toss halfway through the baking time, as this helps to give them an even bake.
Serve hot with any appropriate sides.

November 30, 2017 0 comment

Gluten Free Sides & Vegetables Vegan Vegetarian

Za’atar Spiced Baked Potato Bites

written by Daniela Klein

More potato cubes!

I have another recipe for Spicy Sweet Potato Cubes which is very similar. I like that recipe for sweet potato so much – that I decided to tweak it for regular potatoes.

Cuz I mean potatoes are the best right. But when ever I make potatoes, I do feel like I need to do something different. I mean the average person has probably eaten boiled potatoes thousands of times during their life. How crazy is that?

Anyway, these potato bits are almost as simple to make as a boiled potato – and perhaps even quicker to make. The dominant is the moroccan spice Za’atar. There is also olive oil involved, and of course salt. And when they are done, they are spicy little cubes of flavor.

Spice Crusted Baked Potato Bites Recipe

You can make this as a side for any meal where you would have had boiled or mashed potato. This potato recipe can also be good option for a potluck meal or barbecue where you want to bring something different – but don’t have a ton of time to make a dish.

Spice Crusted Baked Potato Bites Recipe

Za'atar Spiced Baked Potato Bites

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Serves: 3-4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

6 medium sized potatoes
Olive oil
5 tablespoons za'atar spice
Salt to taste

Instructions

Peel and cube the potatoes. If they are organic, you can probably leave the skins on.
Place the cubes into a saucepan and steam until almost soft. About 5 minutes.
Push the potato cubes onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, enough to generously cover.
Sprinkle on the za’atar and toss the cubes lightly if you feel that the za’atar is unevenly distributed.
Place sheet pan into the oven and bake at a medium temperature until the cubes have browned, approximately 20 minutes.
salt to taste, serve with your meal and enjoy. : )

Spice Crusted Baked Potato Bites Recipe

November 9, 2017 0 comment

Sides & Vegetables Sneaking in the Veggies Soups Vegetarian

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup

written by Daniela Klein

I love tomato soup, but struggle sometimes to make one which is not overly acidic.

Which is why I came up with the idea of sundried tomatoe soup: D! Ok, and then I looked online and realized half the world is making it.

The final soup which you have here is a low carb team up of creamed cauliflower paired with strident sun dried tomatoes. The reason for this is…. While low carb creamed cauliflower soup may be all the rage and look just like potato soup to trick us – I often finds it tastes a little bit like… ass.

Sundried tomatoes on the other hand do not taste like ass at all, and are quite a domineering ingredient. They interrupt the cauliflower stinkyness beautifully.

To get the most out of my sundried tomatoes, I used the ones which are soaked in olive oil. I then used the olive oil in the soup to richen it up.

How to Make Sundried Tomato Soup

When making tomato soup with sundried tomatoes, it is important to simmer the dried tomatoes until they are soft before blending them. You could do this with all of the other soup ingredients or separately. I prefer to do this separately, as it gives more control over the cooking time of each part of the soup, and give one a chance to make a roux.

This is the method I use to make sundried tomato soup:

Steam the sun dried tomatoes until soft.
Add the cauliflower and steam. Blend.
Make a roux.
Combine the two pots and allow to simmer briefly.

Its pretty simple, but I thought I would just outline it here quickly because the recipe instructions can make this seem more complicated than it is.

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sundried tomatoes
8-9 cups water or vegetable stock
600 grams cauliflower
1-2 large tomatoes
200 grams chopped onions
50 grams butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup sun dried tomato oil
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoons dried ground rosemary
4 teaspoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

First off place your sundried tomatoes into a large pot with 3 cups of water. Simmer them until they have softened.
While the tomatoes are simmering and softening, chop the cauliflower up roughly and dice the onions, tomato and garlic.
Once the sun dried tomatoes are soft, add the chopped cauliflower to this pot and allow them to steam up until soft. Do not overcook them, as then you can get that stinky ‘overcooked cauliflower’ aroma setting in.
In a separate large pot, heat the butter and tomato oil. To this add the diced onions and fry on high. Add the diced tomatoes and continue to fry. After a few moments add the flour. Stir this through, allowing the flour to brown slightly.
Now add 3 cups of water and stir while this thickens.
Take the cauliflower pot off of the stove and blend this together with the remaining 3 cups of water.
Add the blended cauliflower and sundried tomatoes to your roux pot.
Add all other ingredients including salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer together for 1 minute. If you think that the soup should be a little richer, you can also add a little extra olive oil.

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Notes

For vegan options: Replace the butter with a generous slug of olive oil. Replace the 1 cup milk with stock or water, or a nut milk. For gluten free options: Replace the flour for thickening with cornstarch by combining 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small cup with enough cold / room temp water to make a paste. Stir this slurry until all lumps are out with a fork and add this to the soup. You will not add flour to the onions, simply fry them - add water and then add the cornstarch mix and continue with recipe.

November 8, 2017 0 comment

Fast Healthy Meals Sides & Vegetables Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Nutty Rice with Kale Pesto

written by Daniela Klein

If you like nuttyness, love pesto and easy nutritious meals – then this recipe is for you!

It really couldn’t be simpler – steam up brown rice and sunflower seeds, add dollops of pesto and voila! You have a delicious nutrient dense dish packed full of flavor.

For this recipe I used my kale pesto, but you can really use any pesto you want. Here is a recipe for regular basil pesto, and also one for chickweed pesto.

If you are wanting to make the pesto to go with the rice – I recommend the kale one! I have really been enjoying make this kale pesto. It is high in nutrients, and a great way to add in kale to anything you are making.

I read somewhere that a great way to start making changes in one’s diet is by adding a little kale to anything! Stir fry a little to add to a takeout, put it in smoothies etc. Incidentally this pesto fits right in with this strategy. : P

One last thing about the kale pesto, is that it is de-bittered. Check it out. : )

Back to nutty rice. I really really like this recipe. Not being a big fan of brown rice I was surprised at how delicious the pesto and sunflower seeds made the rice! So, even if you are hesitant about the rice part – try it.

Vegan Nutty Pesto Rice Recipe

Nutty Pesto Rice

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon salt
Water - according to packet instruction for your brown rice per cup
6 tablespoons kale pesto (or any other pesto of your choice)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for the pesto into a medium sized pot.
Bring to the boil, low the temperature and simmer with the lid off or cracked for the time specified on your rice packet – or until the water has steamed off – or until the rice has cooked. If the rice has cooked already and there is a little water left, drain that off and return to the heat for up to a minute to steam off any remaining moisture.
Add the pesto and toss to combine.
Serve hot or cold.

Vegan Nutty Pesto Rice Recipe

Notes

You can increase the pesto if desired.

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Vegan Nutty Kale Pesto Rice Recipe

October 24, 2017 0 comment

Sides & Vegetables Vegetarian

Buttery Apple Cider Vinegar Carrots

written by Daniela Klein

Carrots. Carrots are one of those sides that can go with also most anything. And they have so much flavor that you can simply steam them up and they are good. However a popular way to flavor steamed carrots is to add butter and lemon juice. The lemon juice makes a great contrast to the sweet flavor of the carrots, and the butter just kind of highlights everything.

The only problem with this way of doing carrots is…. that I detest squeezing out lemons. The pips just jump into everything, and if I am not very careful some poor soul ends up chewing on a bitter lemon pip during the meal.

And so I decided to supplement the traditional lemon juice with one of my favorite things – apple cider vinegar.

As I said, carrots can be served alongside all meats. They can also complement vegetarian dishes as well. And if you have lots of leftovers, you can easily turn them into a carrot soup! If you have not ever tried a carrot soup is amazingly tasty. : )

Buttery Apple Cider Vinegar Carrots Recipe

Buttery Apple Cider Vinegar Carrots

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Ingredients

400 grams carrots
1/2 cup of water
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of fresh dill (you can also use 1 teaspoon of dried dill)

Instructions

Peel the carrots. If they are baby carrots you can simply steam them whole. If they are larger carrots, you can chop them into thickish rounds.
Place the carrots into a deep pan and add the half cup of water.
Bring up to heat on the stove, then reduce the heat to very low and allow the carrots to very gently steam for about 4 minutes. You can check them along the way to make sure that they are not getting too soft. I find that they are best when cooked to ‘al dente’.
Once the carrots are done, pour off any excess water. Now add the remaining ingredients and gently roll the carrots around to coat.
Serve warm.

Notes

If there is going to be a delay between cooking and serving, undercook the carrots even more. This way you can heat them up again before serving without making them overly soft. Also, avoid cooking carrots in a cast iron pot/pan/skillet. They can stain black from the caste iron. I made this mistake when cooking the carrots for these photos. I wanted to use the caste iron pan because it is more photogenic than my aluminum one. If you look closely you can see slight markings of black.

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Buttery Apple Cider Carrots Recipe

October 19, 2017 0 comment

Cooking Hacks Fast Healthy Meals Sides & Vegetables Stir Fries Vegan Vegetarian

MSG Free Copycat Chinese Restaurant Yellow Rice

written by Daniela Klein

You know that rice that you get in non-fancy chinese takeouts? Its yellow, has the odd pea in it, maybe an egg on top, and tastes so good?

You love this rice, always order it, and at some point in your life you realize that it is probably laden with MSG. Or this is what happened to me.

Well, fortunately for my love of savory yellow rice – I had a brain wave of a cooking hack.

And this is what it consists of. You cook the rice in stock.

And you leave the msg salt in the pantry. Or in the store, depending on how much you have cleaned up your diet! (I have still have some delectable msg floating around. But it might be off. Or does MSG even go off?)

This trick is so simple, but so effective. The rice really comes out with a much more savory flavor than if it was cooked in water. The gorgeous yellow of course comes from adding the world’s newest darling superfood, turmeric. Perfect!

By the way – if any of you reading this were a part of or affected by the fires in California, we are thinking of your guys on this side of the world! The area I live in recently experienced some horrible fires, and one was creeping up pretty close to us! Nothing like California, but I have a some idea of what it must be like.

Another thing regarding fires. Recently I went to some TRE sessions. This was right after the fires, and sessions were in a town which was literally surrounded by sheet of flames, nobody could even drive away to safety because the roads were blocked. The lady who did the TRE sessions said that something like these disasters has huge long term effects on the community due to stored stress and trauma. And she said that TRE is perfect for releasing that.

If anyone wants to talk about TRE give me a shout. It involved no talking, just some special exercises, and releases the largest muscle in the body called the soas, which is where we store stress, tension and trauma. It’s actually quite mind blowing the effects it can have – I for one am hooked! If you want to read about my TRE experience, have a look at this post. Which also just happens to have a shakshuka recipe along with it. : )

MSG Free Yellow Rice Recipe

MSG Free Copycat Chinese Restaurant Yellow Rice

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Ingredients

Rice of your choice (for a super healthy option you can use brown or wild rice)
1 teaspoon tumeric (you can use 2 teaspoons if you are cooking a large portion of rice, say for 4-5 people)
Enough stock to cook the rice in according to the packet instructions
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
Coconut oil for frying the rice
Salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix you desired quantity of rice together with the tumeric, dry in a pot.
Add in enough stock to equal what the packet instruction in your rice call for in water.
Set the pot on the stove and cook according to packet instructions.
Once the rice is cooked, place some coconut oil in a wok and bring to heat.
Add the rice and peas and toss for about 3 minutes or until the peas are cooked (they do not take long)
While you are tossing the rice, you can add in salt and and white pepper to taste. You can also omit the salt, and use soya sauce instead if desired.
Serve!

MSG Free Yellow Rice Recipe

Notes

If desired, you can fry an egg to place a top each portion. As this is not a hard and fast chinese flavored side, you can pair it with just about anything you like.

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CHinese restaurant msg free yellow rice recipe

October 13, 2017 0 comment

Fast Healthy Meals Sides & Vegetables Vegetarian

Pumpkin, Black Bean Bechamel Bake

written by Daniela Klein

Hola! I don’t know why I am using a spanish greeting – maybe it’s thinking of all the folks in Puerto Rico who are still needing aid.

Speaking of which – shout out to everybody who has been touched by the hurricanes. Even if it was worrying from afar. Like me! My best girl friend lives in the Antilles – and she was running low on food and hiding out from looters for days on end! She is now officially my hero. Love you Mia! xxx

From hurricanes to vegetable bakes. This is a super simple vegetable bake – it is basically made up of steamed pumpkin + celery, a tin of black beans, and a saucepan of Bechamel sauce. : )

I really like the way that bechamel sauce goes with pumpkin or butternut. The combination is very much a refined-flour-free comfort food haven. Plant based comfort food (with cheese). Just my kind of meal ; P.

The way I make this bake is I begin by steaming the pumpkin and celery. While that is on the go, I make the white / bechamel sauce. Once both of these are ready, I combine them in a baking dish with some black beans and bake.

If you want a really simple veggie based meal – then you could make just this as the main dish. A nice side could be a salad if the weather is warm, or a simple soup for a ‘starter’. If you are throwing a party, this could also simply be one of the veggie dishes.

And of course if you just want to dive into pumpkiny cheesiness – you can have the bake all on its own. And have seconds.

Pumpkin, Black Bean Bechamel Bake

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Ingredients

1 Kilogram (+- 2 pounds) peel and cubed pumpkin
1 cup chopped celery
1 can black beans
80 grams butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
200 grams grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Peel and cube the pumpkin, and chop the celery.
Place the pumpkin in a pot large enough to hold all and add 1/2 – 1 cup of water.
Steam the pumpkin until almost cooked, then add the chopped celery.
Continue to steam until both pumpkin and celery are cooked.
In the meantime, make the bechamel sauce. Place the butter into a saucepan and bring to a sizzle. Add the flour and stir until slightly browned. Add in the milk, basil and olive oil, and bring it up to a simmer, stirring regularly.
Next add the grated cheese and stir it into the bechamel sauce until fully melted / combined. Add in enough salt and pepper to flavor the whole dish. So, make it slightly saltier and ‘pepper-ier’ than you would normally.
Now combine the cooked pumpkin (drain off any water), black beans and bechamel sauce in a baking dish (I use a 9 by 9 deep dish).
Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the top has browned slightly.

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Pumpkin Black Bean Bechamel Bake

October 3, 2017 0 comment

Breakfast ideas Fast Healthy Meals Gluten Free Sides & Vegetables Vegan Vegetarian

Spice Crusted Tomato Flavored Sweet Potato Cubes

written by Daniela Klein

Hellooooo! I am posting two recipes today -a double whammy. Yesterday was supposed to be the day for this post, but the Troll and I were helping my folks plant SEVENTY SEVEN trees!! By the time we got home I was too exhausted to do anything except make this for supper. Needless to say we ate supper at 10 o clock – but it was worth the wait.

The other recipe I am posting today is Cleansing & Slimming Iron Rich Green Smoothy. I am really excited about that green smoothie – it is super good and packed with nutrients and benefits. So if you like savory green smoothies…. Go check it out: ).

But for now it is time for some nommy sweet potato cubes.

Crusty Sweet Potato Cubes

I have to admit… personally I am not a massive fan of sweet potatoes.

However I know that sweet potatoes are very good for you and should make their way onto the menu on a regular basis. So. I decided to make a hearty breakfast recipe with sweet potatoes.

You can of course eat this for lunch, or make it as a side for supper. For lunch I would side the sweet potatoes and egg with a green salad. For supper I would simply leave off the egg, and pair it with something like fish and vegetables. The cubes can also make a nice addition to a buddha bowl style meal.

For spicing I decided to go with plain old allspice. And it’s a good combo. For me this recipe is the perfect way to jazz up sweet potatoes. The allspice work very well with the sweet flavors, and the roasting just brings it all together.

Spice Crusted Sweet Potato Cubes

The Health Benefits of Allspice

Before I leave you with the recipe, I just want to quickly mention the health benefits of allspice. I used to think that allspice was a synthetic form of flavoring, similar to Aromat! Only recently did I become aware that it was a natural spice, called ‘Allspice’ because it smells and tastes like a combination of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Allspice is beneficial for:

Aiding overall digestion.
Reducing bloating.
Reducing flatulence.
Easing of constipation or diarrhea.
Elimination of pathogens.

Allspice is also contains high amounts of A, vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C.

And lastly a study has shown that allspice shows signs of being a potent cancer fighting agent.

How to Cook the Sweet Potatoes Quickly

This recipe is only takes 15-20 minutes. Similar to an English breakfast.

What I do to speed things up, is I cube the sweet potatoes, and steam them on high on the stove top. Once they are completely cooked, I then transfer them to a baking sheet, oil and spice, and pop into the oven to toast them and give them that crusty baked taste.

If you have time, then you can also simply roast the cubes. But I love this method, not only does it save cooking time, but also energy, because you do not have to use the oven for as long.

I usually do my roasted potatoes like this as well. It is just so much quicker, and I do not have to have the oven blazing away for an hour.

Anyways, if this is your type of recipe – sweet and spicy : ) – I hope you make it! xxx

Spice Crusted Sweet Potato Cubes

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Ingredients

1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup water
50 gram tomato paste
5 tablespoons allspice
1 tablespoon allspice
Salt and pepper to salt

Instructions

Wash and cube sweet potato.
Set to steam with 1/2 cup water.
Once the sweet potato is almost cooke, remove from the heat and drain off any excess water.
Add tomato paste, allspice, olive oil and salt a pepper and toss while still in the pot.
Once combined spoon onto a baking sheet.
Place baking sheet under a medium heat grill.
Remove and toss cubes every few minutes until they have browned sufficiently.
Remove from oven and serve!

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September 29, 2017 0 comment

How to Make Probiotic Lacto Fermented Vegetables

Homemade condiments How To's Sides & Vegetables Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan

How to Make Lacto Fermented Vegetables -And Why You Will Want to!

written by Daniela Klein

Did you know that most pickles used to be made using only salt and water, no vinegar? The pickles were still tart when finished, even without the addition of vinegar.

Nowadays this method of pickling is called ‘Lacto Fermentation’. And it is the rage! For good reason too..

It turns out that this is the best way to pickle, because of its health benefits! It is completely safe to do at home, and does not require the lengthy boiling and sterilizing that regular pickling does. The reason for this is that lacto fermentation harnesses bacteria to cure and keep the vegetables. This means that the pickles inside the jar and the water they are in naturally keeps out pathogens and agents of decay. They do all of the hard work for you!

All you have to do is get a few jars together and make a salt water mix. But before we get into that, let’s take a quick look at some of science behind vegetable fermentation. Its pretty interesting!

The Science Behind Lacto Fermented Vegetables

The reason why vegetable ferments do not go off is because the heavily alkaline environment from the salt inhibits the development of decay causing bacteria. At the same time – in this ‘space’ – a different set of microbes develop. These are called lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria are part of the colony of bacteria which make up the probiotic bacteria in our gut. These probiotic lactic acid bacteria also produce lactic acid, which is what makes pickles taste tart.

Besides curing the vegetables via fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria present in fermented vegetables are also a powerful probiotic.

Probiotic Power of Lacto Fermented Vegetables (Old fashioned pickles)

As mentioned aboved, when pickles are made this way, without vinegar – just salt water – they ended up becoming a veritable powerhouse of probiotic bacteria.

So much so that Dr Mercola stated the one teaspoon of sauerkraut (traditional sauerkraut is an example of a lacto fermented vegetables) contains more probiotics than a whole bottle of of probiotic capsules.

The Importance of Probiotic Bacteria in Our Bodies

While they used to be prescribed only after courses of antibiotics, studies are now suggesting that healthy levels of probiotics are vital to all over body health. This might sound crazy, but it makes a lot of sense once you take a close look at it.

Better Digestion

Probiotics play a massive role in the uptake of food and nutrients. The are like the software of the gut, and are responsible for facilitating the exchange of substances into the body. The are like the workers, and the gut is the walls of the processing plant.

Proper uptake of nutrients is a huge part of good health. It does not matter how many superfoods we eat, if we are not absorbing the nutrition – it’s pointless! On the other hand, if we are taking up our food fully, this means that there are more building blocks and nutrient for the body to health and maintain itself with.

Detoxification

Probiotic bacteria also do a lot of the work involved for the body to carry out proper elimination and detoxification. Probiotic bacteria assist in making sure that waste such as faeces is excreted smoothly without conditions like as diarrhea or constipation developing. Certain probiotic bacteria also have the ability to grab hold of toxins and contaminants such as heavy metals and thereby excrete them out of them body via the faeces.

Probiotics Gut Bacteria Make up 80% of Our Immune System

Not only do probiotic gut bacteria make do most of the work when it comes to digestion and detoxification – they are also the largest component of the immune system. They protect us from ingested or inhaled pathogens by crowding them out from taking hold on our digestive tract walls. By doing so they protect us from viral infections, parasites, Candida overgrowth etc.

I always thought that the immune system was located under one’s armpits for some reason….! lol

Probiotic Gut Bacteria Produce Neurochemicals….

Yes, probiotic bacteria produce some of our brain chemicals. Like serotonin. Because of this having good levels of probiotic bacteria in our gut is essential for proper brain functioning and mood regulation.

This research is very new, but there are published studies available now, which are getting everybody very excited about this new scientific link between the gut and the brain!

Other

There are many other areas which science is showing can benefit by probiotics such and cancer, heart disease, overly high cholesterol and allergies.

So…How Difficult Are These Things to Make?

Ok ok, that is all great – but how complicated is it to make probiotic fermented vegetables?

Answer: It is dead easy.
The basics are as follows: All you need to do is submerge your veggies in salt water and let them cure.

Yes. That is it. There are some guidelines to success, which I have listed below – but in essence it is that simple. Vegetables, jar and salt water!

Best Way Ever to Use Up Excess Veg

And the cherry tomato (pickled of course) on top is – this is one of the simplest ways to use up excess veg. If you have a garden and are experiencing excessive yields, or have bought too much at the farmer’s market and are feeling guilty because you won’t get to eat it all – simply seal the vegetables in salt water.

Making lacto fermented vegetables is ridiculously easy, and really the ultimate way to process excess produce. And of course, the end result of your bottling is a jar full of powerful probiotic veggies!

Do’s For Safe Bottling

While making lacto fermented vegetables is incredibly simple – there are some ‘good practices’.

Use fresh vegetables
Wash your jars beforehand
Seal your jars with a lid
Use a pickle pebble or regular stone to keep the vegetables submerged
Open the lid once a day for the first week or two

I like to use a pebble from the garden to keep the tops of my vegetables from bobbing above the brine. If they do bob, it it is not a catastrophe. However they then tend to discolor on the tops. If you are selecting a pebble from the beach or your garden, make sure that it is a shiny and hard kind. Porous stones tend to chalk off into your ferment. This is thanks to your lactic acid produced by the bacteria.

IMPORTANT Safety Precaution

The last point above is very important. Once you have bottled your vegetables, you must be sure to crack the lids once a day. The reason for this is that as the lactic acid bacteria do their good work they produce carbon dioxide. This creates a buildup of pressure in the bottle.

If left uncracked, the bottles can build up enough pressure to the point that they can explode! Needless to say this can be very dangerous. So crack those bottles!

Kahm Yeast

Sometimes when making your own fermented vegetables, a white film develops on top of the salt water. I researched it, and this is called kahm yeast. It is non toxic (in fact probiotic as well!) and completely safe to ingest. However it has an odd smell and I finds makes the ferment unappetising.

Kahm yeast is not a regular brewing occurrence – instead there are two factors which directly influence the chance of developing kahm yeast. Those are:

Freshness of vegetables
Amount of exposure to fresh air while fermenting

If your vegetables are slightly old, there is a chance that your ferment might develop kahm yeast. So try to bottle any excess veg before it loses all of its freshness.

And as far as exposure to air goes, if you do not seal your ferment this can also increase chances of kahm yeast. There are different ways that people seal their fermented vegetables, here is a breakdown of the three main ones.

Different Ways to Bottle

I always use a regular jar with a lid that seals nicely. Bail wire jars work great, but so do normal salsa jars.

Ordinary jar with lid (with daily cracking)
Lid with airlock
Open ferment (no lid, just a cloth cover)

The first option is the simplest, all you need is a bottle or jar with a well sealing lid. I personally find this method to work well.

The second method with the airlocks is recommended for those who want to do lots of fermenting on a regular basis. The airlock releases any pressure buildup, so no daily cracking. It can also prevent the build up of kahm yeast. Have an airlock on your ferments is great, but not a requirement.

The third bottling method is one where you leave off any type of lid, and simply cover the top of your jar with a cloth and rubber band to keep out dust and bugs. It is highly recommended by some people, but I find that this method heightens the chance of kahm yeast developing. Almost every ferment I did this way got kahm yeast.

How to Make Probiotic Lacto Fermented Vegetables

Below you will find my exact process for how I make my fermented vegetables There are lots of guidelines out there for fermenting vegetables, many varying slightly in instructions. This is what I do, and I find it works great.

As far as what vegetables to use, most vegetables work great. Softer vegetables will go even softer, which is why people often stick to harder types like onions, carrots, beans, etc. However the options are endless, and you can even do things like fermented salsa by simple blending softened fermented tomato and peppers together after they have cultured.

If you are wondering if a certain type of vegetable will work – give me a shout in the comments and we can chat. : )

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Ingredients

Vegetables of your choice
Jars enough to hold them
Salt
Pure water (do not use chlorinated water, rainwater or filtered water is preferable)
Pebbles to keep down the veggies (optional)

Instructions

Salt to Water Ratio

Before starting, the most important point is your salt to water ratio. This does not have to be excruciatingly exact, but it does have to be salty enough so that the vegetables preserve properly, and not so salty the you can eat the stuff later.

The standard salt:water ratio is 1.5 tablespoon salt:4 cups of water or 0.3 tablespoon salt:1 cup water

Instructions:

Wash your jars with some hot water and vinegar.
Fill them with the vegetables.
Pour in water, until it almost reaches the brim.
Then pour this water off into a measuring jug.
Add the required amount of sea salt for the amount of water you have.
Stir to dissolve.
Pour back into the jars over the veg.
Place a pebble on top to keep the vegetables submerged.
Screw on the lid!
Crack everyday.

Spicing

You can also flavor and spice your jars. Pickling spices work well, or you can use things like whole garlic or chilies. To spice, simply add the extra ingredient(s) in after you have poured the salt water into the jars.

You can give your pickling vegetables a taste every so often to see how they are getting on. You can eat them at any point that you feel that are ready for your liking. To stall the culturing process (and to stop them getting more tart) you can refrigerate. However you can also store the bottles at room temperature. They will get more potent this way.

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September 3, 2017 2 comments

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