I'm learning so many wonderful things about cultured foods from this new book I'm reading. I may or may not be going a tad overboard with it. I tend to do that when I get excited about something.
"Fermentation is an art form and each individual cultured food is, in and of itself, unique. These three foods (kefir, Kombucha and fermented veggies) each provide different good bacteria and yeasts that enhance the trillions of bacteria in the body and allow them to thrive, grow, and multiply. This allows you, the host, the opportunity to heal disease, remove pathogens, enhance digestion, make serotonin, and experience a multitude of other opportunities for healing that otherwise would not have been possible. This is what I call ~ The Trilogy"
-Donna Schwenk
-Donna Schwenk
And as far as sprouting goes:
"Sprouting is a process that germinates grains, seeds or legumes which in turn makes them more easily digested and produces additional vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B and Carotene. Another benefit to sprouting and soaking is the resulting decrease in phytic acid. Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor, which means that it blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals and can also cause poor digestion and an unhealthy gut. This may explain why many people feel bloated, gassy or intolerant of beans and grains.”
-From Gluten-Free Vegetarian
Now for the simple instructions for making this amazing concoction.
First I started with fermenting my own bell peppers in garlic and in a separate jar I did red cabbage. Also made my own Kefir. If you're new to cultured foods I would recommend starting with Kefir. It's the easiest one to make and only takes a day. All you need is milk, a glass container and some Kefir grains. You can get them HERE on Amazon. You can learn how to make all kinds of fun cultured foods from THIS book.
Then I soaked the lentils in water for a day. Rinsed them well and set out on the counter for another day (cover with a paper towel or cheese cloth to keep dirt and bugs out).
Once the lentils begin to sprout that means they are ready. Simply blend about two and a half cups of the lentils with about 1/4 cup tomato sauce (I hate measuring, I usually just eye ball it), garlic powder, salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice and one teaspoon of gluten free flour (I used brown rice four).
Heat some coconut oil in a skillet, then spoon the mixer into the pan (use the spoon to flatten and shape into patties). Cook until golden brown and flip.
KEFIR CHEESE TOPPING:
Make kefir cheese by placing a colander in a bowl. Place a coffee filter in the colander, then pour the kefir into the filter and let sit in the fridge for a few hours but for best results let sit overnight. This process will remove the liquid whey from the kefir creating a nice thick sour cream like consistency.
The Kefir whey is actually what you use to start your veggie fermentation. So save the whey in the fridge for when you're ready to begin your cultured vegetable journey.
The Kefir whey is actually what you use to start your veggie fermentation. So save the whey in the fridge for when you're ready to begin your cultured vegetable journey.
Then once you have your kefir cheese just add a little fresh dill, garlic powder and salt. AMAZING I TELL YA!!!!
