Food

Recipe – Spiced Potato and Lentil Curry

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1 Tablespoon oil

1 Spanish onion, diced

1 red chili, deseeded and diced

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1 Tablespoon ground turmeric

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 medium potatoes, sliced thickly

3 to 4 cups cooked lentils

2 cups vegetable stock

Place a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add onion, chili (optional), garlic, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add ground spices and potatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and vegetable stock, then simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and stock has evaporated. Serve with a green salad.

Food for Life – The Art of Cooking

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We can have a variety of good, wholesome food, cooked in a healthful manner, so that it will be palatable to all. It is of vital importance to know how to cook. Poor cooking produces disease and bad tempers; the system becomes deranged, and heavenly things cannot be discerned. There is more religion in good cooking than you have any idea of.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 157, 158.

“It is a religious duty for those who cook to learn how to prepare healthful food in different ways, so that it may be eaten with enjoyment. Mothers should teach their children how to cook. What branch of the education of a young lady can be so important as this? The eating has to do with the life. Scanty, impoverished, ill-cooked food is constantly depraving the blood, by weakening the blood-making organs. It is highly essential that the art of cookery be considered one of the most important branches of education. There are but few good cooks. Young ladies consider that it is stooping to a menial office to become a cook. This is not the case. They do not view the subject from a right stand-point.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 260.

“Food should be thoroughly cooked, nicely prepared, and appetizing. . . . It is much easier to create an unnatural appetite than to correct and reform the taste after it has become second nature.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 46.

“Cooking is no mean science and it is one of the most essential in practical life. It is a science that all women should learn, and it should be taught in a way to benefit the poorer classes. To make food appetizing and at the same time simple and nourishing, requires skill; but it can be done. Cooks should know how to prepare simple food in a simple and healthful manner, and so that it will be found more palatable, as well as more wholesome, because of its simplicity.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 257.

“We need a genuine education in the art of cooking. . . . Form classes where you may teach the people how to make good bread and how to put together ingredients to make healthful food combinations from the grains and the vegetables. Such an education will assist in creating a desire among our people to move out of the cities, to secure land in the country, where they can raise their own fruit and vegetables.” Medical Ministry, 267.

Recipe – Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

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From the kitchen of Teresa Grosboll

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon fructose

1 cup quick oats

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons trans-fat free margarine

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 slightly rounded Tablespoon active dry yeast

1−2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/3 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons gluten flour

1/4 cup fructose and 1 Tablespoon molasses

Unbleached flour to knead

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal and margarine; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; cool to lukewarm. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 Tablespoon fructose. Add the oat mixture, sugars, salt, flax meal, gluten flour, whole wheat flour, and enough unbleached flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Shape into 18 balls. Place into greased 9-inch round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire racks.

Food for Life – Importance of Quality Bread

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“It is a sacred duty for those who cook to learn how to prepare healthful food. Many souls are lost as the result of poor cookery. It takes thought and care to make good bread; but there is more religion in a loaf of good bread than many think.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 257.

“It is a religious duty for every Christian girl and woman to learn at once to make good, sweet, light bread from unbolted wheat flour. Mothers should take their daughters into the kitchen with them when very young, and teach them the art of cooking.” Ibid., 316.

“Bread is the real staff of life, and therefore every cook should excel in making it.” Ibid., 315.

“Zwieback, or twice-baked bread, is one of the most easily digested and most palatable of foods.” Ibid., 317.

“The loaves should be small, and so thoroughly baked that, as far as possible, the yeast germs shall be destroyed. When hot, or new, raised bread of any kind is difficult of digestion. It should never appear on the table.” Ibid., 316.

“Bread which is two or three days old is more healthful than new bread. Bread dried in the oven is one of the most wholesome articles of diet.” Ibid., 317.

“For use in breadmaking, the superfine white flour is not the best. Its use is neither healthful nor economical. Fine-flour bread is lacking in nutritive elements to be found in bread made from the whole wheat. It is a frequent cause of constipation and other unhealthful conditions.” Ibid., 320.

“All wheat flour is not best for a continuous diet. A mixture of wheat, oatmeal, and rye would be more nutritious than the wheat with the nutrifying properties separated from it.” Ibid., 321.

Recipe – Mexican Beans

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5 cups pinto or black beans

15 cups water

2 large onions, chopped

1 Tablespoon onion powder

2 Tablespoons chili powder substitute

2 Tablespoons salt or to taste

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Soak beans in water for 24 hours, changing the water several times. Place in a slow cooker with enough fresh water to cover the beans. Cook on low with all of the ingredients except the salt for 24 hours or until very tender. Add salt in the last 2 to 3 hours of cooking.

Food For Life – Protein and Health: Fact Or Fantasy

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Accepted as a nutrient class in 1838, protein, it was discovered, was necessary for all forms of life. This started a fascination with protein and its role in the health and strength of man.

Protein is the building block of every cell of the body and is critical for cell growth and repair. It is essential for energy and is also needed in the manufacture of hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. In addition, it helps maintain the proper acid-alkali balance in the body. Is it any wonder that we are encouraged to eat the protein food source on our plate? The questions, though, are: How much protein do we need? Are there times our protein requirements increase? Is too much protein harmful? What is the best source of protein?

Authorities differ on how much protein is needed for the average adult. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that an individual needs 56 grams of protein a day. The United States National Research Council recommends a protein intake of one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. The World Health Organization recommends 0.45 to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight. Using these figures and an ideal weight of 150 pounds, between 31 and 55 grams of protein per day would be recommended. (It should be noted that both agencies have been adjusting the requirements for protein downward despite objections from the meat and dairy industries.) The average American is ingesting two to four times as much protein as is recommended.

There are clearly times when the protein intake needs to be increased, such as during times of growth in infancy, childhood, and pregnancy; during times of injury when the body needs to repair cells; and during times of extreme exercise when muscle cells are being built. However, many studies on health and disease have linked too much protein, especially animal-based protein, to numerous health problems.

The standard American diet provides too much protein. One of the primary reasons for this is the large consumption of meat and animal products. Many diseases are greatly reduced when the protein source is plant based. Plant-based proteins are better for the body; most are a good source of fiber and protein, and plant-based proteins are much more economical to produce. Likewise, plant-based proteins do not contain the growth hormones that are so typical in animals sold for consumption. Plant-based proteins can provide all of the essential amino acids needed by man. Even the person on a totally vegetarian diet tends to get more protein than is needed for health.

If you have not already replaced animal proteins with the more healthful plant proteins, you need to consider doing so now. The recipe below can be used alone or in combination with brown rice as the main protein source for many dishes, including tostados, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, Chimichangas, tortilla casserole, chili, and many others.

Recipe – Baked Onion Blossom

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Ingredients

  • 2-4 medium red or sweet onions
  • 2-4 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • dash salt
  • herbs/spices: dried rosemary, thyme, parsley, paprika, garlic granules or fresh minced, etc.

Process

  • Slice onion ends; peel. Using a knife, make 4 vertical cuts in each onion; cut each quarter two more times, leaving root end intact. Gently pull onion “petals” down, separating segments.
  • Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Arrange onions root end down.
  • Drizzle oil into and around onion petals. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with herbs/spices.
  • Bake at 400˚ F for about 30-40 minutes or until onions are tender and edges are crispy.
  • Delectable served as a side dish with a green salad.

 

Food – Onions

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Onions may make you cry, but they certainly don’t give you any reason to be sad. On the contrary, onions offer a bounty of health benefits along with the tears.

A member of the allium family—like garlic, leeks, and chives—the onion has been appreciated for thousands of years. Egyptian slaves building the pyramids were fed a diet that included onions, and onions were a prized food of the well-to-do in ancient China.

During the Civil War, Union general Ulysses S. Grant showed how essential onions were by sending a message to Washington that read, “I will not move my armies without onions.” He got the onions—and his side won the war.

Coincidence? Maybe not. Thanks to the powerful flavonoid quercetin and a host of sulfur compounds, onions can make anyone a winner. Onions, which also have some potassium, vitamin C, and B vitamins, kill germs, help your heart, and fight cancer. Plus, they add great flavor and a pleasant aroma to almost any dish.

Even when applied to the skin, onions have healing powers. Onions have been used to kill funguses, yeasts, and parasites, soothe the sting of insect bites, and even to ward off infection from stingray wounds.

Why the tears? Crushing the cells of an onion releases a sulfur compound. When this compound reacts with the moisture in the eyes, it turns into sulfuric acid which irritates the eyes. The eyes then produce tears to flush the sulfuric acid out.

When you think of the onion’s delicious taste and mighty health powers, the only tears you’ll cry will be tears of joy.

Eat and Heal, © 2001, 266–269.

 

Baked Onion Blossom

Ingredients

  • 2-4 medium red or sweet onions
  • 2-4 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • dash salt
  • herbs/spices: dried rosemary, thyme, parsley, paprika, garlic granules or fresh minced, etc.

Process

  • Slice onion ends; peel. Using a knife, make 4 vertical cuts in each onion; cut each quarter two more times, leaving root end intact. Gently pull onion “petals” down, separating segments.
  • Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Arrange onions root end down.
  • Drizzle oil into and around onion petals. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with herbs/spices.
  • Bake at 400˚ F for about 30-40 minutes or until onions are tender and edges are crispy.
  • Delectable served as a side dish with a green salad.

 

Recipe – Sprouted Sunflower Seed Pate

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Soak 3 cups sunflower seeds 12 to 24 hours. Make sure they are sprouted. When they are sprouted, they will look like the open beak of a bird. When sprouted, blend with

1 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos

Blend in a blender by continually pushing the mixture down into the middle of the blender. Continue to process until well blended and smooth. You may top the pate¢ with fresh parsley. Use as a bread or cracker spread or as desired. Other ingredients may be used to add variety to the flavor such as onion, tahini, cilantro, cayenne, and other herbs of choice. The possibilities are endless.

Food For Life – Sprouting and Health

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The sprouting of seeds, beans, grains, or nuts has been used as early as 3,000 b.c. in China. It has received various periods of use, growth, popularity, and disfavor.

There are many reasons why one should sprout. Sprouts are inexpensive and easy to grow. They require only a small amount of space and inexpensive “equipment.” They are an edible plant food that can be grown indoors in any climate. Unlike fruits and vegetables, which take 50 to 130 days to mature and be ready to eat, sprouts are ready to eat within a few days. They also afford the consumer one of the most concentrated but truly natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and protein.

All raw, unsprouted seeds, beans, grains, and nuts are biogenic-alive and capable of transferring their life energy to your body. When you eat sprouts, you are eating a tiny, easy-to-digest plant that is at its peak of nutritional value. The seed releases all of its stored nutrients in a burst of energy, as it attempts to become a full size plant. You then receive this energy and the nutrients when you eat the sprouts.

Several methods can be used to begin home sprouting—jars, sprout bags, trays, or an automatic sprouter. Regardless of how you grow your sprouts, there are four basics steps: the initial soaking and draining of the seeds, rinsing and caring of the growing seeds, harvesting of the seed, and using the seed as food.

To start sprouting, use the jar method, as it is the simplest and most reliable method. A wide-mouth, glass, half-gallon jar is best. In addition to the jar, you will need a lid ring or rubber bands and cheesecloth or nylon mesh to cover the jar opening yet allow air to circulate within the jar. Measure the appropriate amount of seeds into the jar, cover the jar with cheesecloth, and then fill it halfway with water. Allow the seed to soak for the required time and then invert it at a 45-degree angle, with the jar opening down. Once drained, rinse the sprouts in running tap water until the bottle overflows. This removes the waste products created by the seeds. Drain the seeds again, and then return the jar to its upright position and continue sprouting. Most seeds should be rinsed twice daily. Sprouts need to be rinsed more frequently in warm weather and will sprout quicker.