Stuffed French Toast
I buy large jars of cultured, whole milk yoghurt for the purpose of separating the whey, which I use to ferment things like homemade ketchup and breakfast quinoa. After the whey is removed from the yoghurt, one is left with a very nice soft cheese, similar in taste and texture to commercial cream cheese. Stuffed French toast is one great way to use it up..
Liberally spread slices of sturdy bread (such as whole grain spelt) with yoghurt cheese. Add rounds of sliced banana and minced candied ginger, and press the two sides together.
Saturate the sandwich on all sides in an egg beaten with light cream. Let it get really wet, but not to point that it falls apart.
Cook the sandwich in whole butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Keep warm.
Add blueberries and maple syrup to the remaining butter and cook quickly until the berries start to pop and the syrup has thickened a little. You could flambé it with a bit of Grand Marnier if you like.
Pour the hot syrup over the diagonally cut sandwich and garnish with fresh mint.
Lacto-fermented Raisin Chutney
When I read the recipe for raisin chutney in Sally Fallon‘s Nourishing Traditions, I knew that it would be wholesome and nutritious, but I was a little doubtful about how good it would taste. Boy, was I wrong!
Star anise, ginger, coriander, fresh cilantro, plump raisins.. this stuff is seriously delicious!
1 1/2 cups organic raisins, soaked in warm filtered water for 1 hour
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon anise seeds
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons whey
1/2 cup filtered water
Place garlic and cilantro in food processor and pulse a few times. Drain raisins and add to food processor along with peppercorns, red pepper flakes, seeds and ginger. Pulse a few times until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Transfer to a pint-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down lightly with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer. Mix salt and whey with water and pour into jar. You may need to poke a few holes in the chutney to allow liquid to percolate through. Add more water if necessary to cover the chutney. The top of the chutney should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to refrigerator. The chutney should be eaten with 2 months.
What’s in the works this week
I’m sure that most of you are aware of the many benefits of fermented food. If not, I suggest that you add The Nourished Kitchen to your bookmarks.
Starting with one jar of real yoghurt separated into its component whey and yoghurt cheese..
Lacto-fermented salsa (fresh red and yellow tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, salt, spices and whey). Now, here’s the kicker.. in 3 months, lacto-fermented salsa will still look, smell and taste exactly as it did on the day it was made.
Another batch of fermented ketchup, a jar of concentrated chili base (ancho, guajillo, New Mexico, cumin, cinnamon and salt) and a jar of mango cream cheese spread (fresh mango, yoghurt cheese and salt), all for about 10 bucks.
What’s in the works this week
I’m continuing to make good progress in eliminating those expensive, processed things in the pantry and fridge in favor of those that I can make myself. I mean, who needs to spend $4 on a plastic squeeze bottle of organic ketchup that contains cane sugar? Give me a break.
Here’s what’s going on so far this week..
Coconut extract for baking, made from fresh, young coconut and triple-filtered vodka.
White and red wine vinegars,
Kimchi,
Sourdough starter,
Whey for use in fermenting stuff and the accompanying curds, destined to become paneer,
Nourishing bone stock from yesterday’s roast chicken,
Herbs drying,
Sauerkraut fermenting and
Rendered duck fat and ghee for cooking.
Compound Tomato Sauce (lacto-fermented ketchup)
Also see updated recipe here
Adapted from a recipe in The First African-American Cookbook from 1881 using a method described by Sally Fallon, this is a rich, thick fermented (rather than cooked) ketchup. I left out the high fructose corn syrup, in case you feel like calling the food police..
1 1/2 cups organic tomato paste (or make your own)
1/8 cup whey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (optional)
1/8 cup fermented fish sauce OR 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Grind dry ingredients together in a spice grinder or mortar. Add to the rest of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and stir well to combine.
Add filtered water, if necessary, to achieve the thickness that you prefer.
Transfer ketchup to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and allow to sit at room temperature for 48-72 hours before transferring to refrigerator for long-term storage.
Lacto-fermented, Sprouted Quinoa w/Maple Butter & Cream
Talk about an easy, healthy, hearty breakfast for a cold morning!
“Quinoa (KEEN-wah), the ancient grain of the Incas, has been cultivated in the Andean highlands of South America for over 7000 years.
It was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans.
Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.”
The night before, soak quinoa in an equal volume of milk (i.e., 1 cup of milk to one cup of quinoa) with a dollop of whey or active yoghurt (I leave it out on the counter, covered with a piece of cheesecloth or a thin cotton kitchen towel). Raw milk products are preferred, but you can certainly substitute non-homogenized, low-heat pasteurized products if that’s what you have.
In the morning, boil filtered water equal in volume to the milk. Notice that the grains have sprouted! Stir in the quinoa and its liquid. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Serve with milk or cream and a spoonful of maple butter.
