Food

Food for Life – Sautéed Mushrooms

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The importance of yeast and leavened bread was presented in this feature last month. Yeast is used in the Bible as a symbol of the gospel and the kingdom of Christ, and it is used in this way in the writings of Ellen White too: “As leaven, or yeast, though hidden in the flour, and deposited only in one place, brings all surrounding it under its leavening process, so the working of truth continues secretly, silently, steadily, pervading all the faculties of the soul and all the kingdoms of the world.” The Home Missionary, July 1, 1897.

In addition to common bread, other foods that are commonly eaten which have been through a process of fermentation include cottage cheese or soured or clabbered milk. This is what Abraham fed to the angels, and even to the Lord (Genesis 18:2–8), and is also what Isaiah predicts that the Messiah will eat. (See Isaiah 7:15.) Also in this category of foods are sauerkraut, soy sauce, yogurt, buttermilk (these last two products can be made with soy milk for those who do not use cow’s milk or goat’s milk), and a few others.

There are some Adventists who believe that no one should eat fermented foods, but the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy do not uphold this view. In fact, many people who have a weak digestion have received benefit by ingesting cultures of helpful microorganisms either through the use of yogurt or buttermilk or, in the United States, cultured acidophilus, which is available in capsule or in a free powder form that may be mixed with various drinks. It is impossible for proper digestion to take place without some of these helpful microorganisms being present in the small intestine. Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why infants should be breastfed, because the mother’s milk, in addition to providing immune functions for the infant, helps the baby to develop a healthy flora (culture of microorganisms) in the small intestine.

Yeast is not the only kind of fungi. Mushrooms are another kind of fungi. There are over 800 varieties of mushrooms known. The domestically cultivated varieties are free of any toxic substance, as far as we know today, but because they are often grown commercially in horse manure, it is best to eat them only after they are cooked. However, there are poisonous species of mushrooms that should never be eaten. Some of the poisonous varieties so much resemble the safe varieties of wild mushrooms that, unless you are an expert in identifying mushrooms, it is not safe to collect wild mushrooms and eat them. Some of these wild mushrooms are poisonous enough to cause death, which is often preceded by convulsions and coma. There is no effective antidote for these poisonous mushrooms.

Dr. John J. Grosboll, Director of Steps to Life, is also trained in the field of nutrition, having earned a Doctor’s Degree in Health Science and a Master of Public Health degree in Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.

Recipe – Sautéed Mushrooms

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1/2 cup olive oil

7 fresh garlic cloves, crushed

3 Tablespoons garlic-herb seasoning

1 pound large, whole mushrooms

Wash and quarter the mushrooms. Mix remaining three ingredients to make a marinade, increasing the amounts of each as needed. Toss mushrooms with marinade and marinate overnight. Place mushrooms with oil in a glass or stainless steel baking dish. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the sautéed mushrooms as they brown. Serve hot.

Mark Royer owns a construction company in Walsenburg, Colorado. He may be contacted by e-mail at: markyroyer@aol.com, or by telephone at: 719-738-2360.

Recipe – Rosemary Potatoes and Tea

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Rosemary Tea

1-2 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried). Pour 1 cup of boiling water over leaves and steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink tea.

 

Rosemary Potatoes

Cut the amount of potatoes you want in half or quarters and place in a bowl. Pour on some olive oil, salt, garlic (2–3 minced cloves) and fresh, chopped rosemary. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour at 400 degrees or until browned and crisp. Turn them a couple of times for even baking.

Food – Rosemary, the Boost You May Need

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Rosemary was traditionally used to help alleviate muscle pain, improve memory, boost the immune and circulatory system, and promote hair growth. Rosemary is a perennial plant (it lives more than 2 years). Dr. Keith Scott, in his book states the following:

“The leaves of this hardy Mediterranean plant are used to flavor a variety of dishes and beverages, and are added to some cosmetics. … It has gained an important place in traditional medicine, including its use as an antiseptic and as a treatment for respiratory problems, stomach cramps and arthritic pain. Rosemary is also believed to enhance the memory.”

Medicinal Properties
Cancer Rosemary contains significant quantities of several antioxidants which exhibit potent anti-tumourigenic properties.
Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids Like oregano, rosemary has cardioprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and two of its compounds directly prevent the formation of atheromatous plaques in the arteries.
Alzheimer’s Disease Rosmarinic acid has shown promising preventive and, in some cases, therapeutic effects against Alzheimer’s disease. Although its mechanisms are not fully understood, rosmarinic acid prevents the deposition of amyloid plaque in the brain.
Toxins Rosemary has specifically been shown to protect the liver from damage by environmental toxins. More broadly, potent antioxidants present in rosemary, such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, are effective scavengers of free-radical toxins and assist in the prevention of inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Allergies The traditional use of rosemary as a treatment for respiratory problems has now been validated by clinical studies investigating its anti-allergenic properties. These have demonstrated that rosemary is an effective therapy for hay fever and asthma-causing allergies.

Rosemary Tea

1-2 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried). Pour 1 cup of boiling water over leaves and steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink tea.

Rosemary Potatoes

Cut the amount of potatoes you want in half or quarters and place in a bowl. Pour on some olive oil, salt, garlic (2–3 minced cloves) and fresh, chopped rosemary. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour at 400 degrees or until browned and crisp. Turn them a couple of times for even baking.

Food for Life – Whole Wheat Bread

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In Genesis 1:29, we find the original diet for mankind, which is what we call today fruits, grains, and nuts. In Genesis 3:18, we see that, after sin entered the world, God added the green herb of the field to man’s diet. In Genesis 9, we read that God added flesh food to man’s diet. In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, it is spelled out which animals are clean and may be eaten and which animals are unclean and may not be eaten. God’s children, even in the days of Noah, did not eat unclean animals, because only two of each unclean animal were taken into the ark, and if Noah had eaten either one, then that species of animal would not be with us today. Nowhere in Leviticus is mankind forbidden to eat plants that do not bear seed.

God attempted to bring his people back to a largely vegetarian diet in Moses’ time, but they rebelled, and so it was not done. (See Numbers 11 and 14 and The Ministry of Healing, 311–317.)

We do not have information as to exactly when mankind began using milk and eggs and other foods that could not be classified as either a flesh food or a vegetable. We do know, from the biblical record, that God’s people were using these foods in Abraham’s time and in Moses’ time.

There are several kinds of foods eaten today that are in this category. First, is common bread. Bread is made with yeast. Yeast is a substance of aggregated cells of minute unicellular sac fungi. It has been debated whether these minute fungi are plants or animal. In the presence of sugar, the yeast ferments the bread dough, making alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what raises the bread. The alcohol has such a low boiling point that most of it is released into the air during baking. Ellen White calls bread the staff of life, so it is not an optional food. (Counsels on Diet and Foods, 315.)

Some years ago, there were men in the Middle East who were not reaching complete sexual maturity. An investigation revealed that they were experiencing a zinc deficiency. There is plenty of zinc in whole wheat bread, which they were eating, but the phytic acid in the bread dough was binding the zinc, so it was not being absorbed. They were not using leavened bread. When bread is leavened, the leavening action uses up some of the phytic acid, making the zinc in the wheat available for absorption. I know of no population group with a zinc deficiency, if that population group uses whole-grain, leavened bread. It is important to use leavened bread. (There are some disease processes that force a person to abstain from leavened bread, and special diets must be formulated for these people so they do not suffer from mineral deficiencies.)

Dr. John J. Grosboll, Director of Steps to Life, is also trained in the field of nutrition, having earned a Doctor’s Degree in Health Science and a Master of Public Health degree in Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.

Whole Wheat Bread, Oil-Free

4 cups very warm water

3 Tablespoons yeast

1/4 cup honey

9–10 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon salt

In a large bowl, mix the first three ingredients together with a whisk. Add 3 cups flour and beat well. Add salt and enough flour to make pliable—not sticky—dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Return dough to bowl, cover with a towel, and place in a warm location until double. Knead dough again for 5 minutes; shape into loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover pans with a towel and let rise 30–45 minutes. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 50 minutes.

Food for Life – Creamy Cucumber Dressing

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When the Lord took His people from Egypt, He did not give them flesh-meat to eat till they mourned and wept in His ears, saying, ‘Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the flesh, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all beside this manna, before our eyes.’ [Numbers 11:4–6.] Then the Lord gave them flesh to eat. He sent them quails from heaven, but we read, ‘While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.’ [Verse 33.]

“The light God has given His people is that by eating the flesh and blood of dead animals, man becomes animalized. His lower passions are greatly strengthened by such a diet.

“Worldly physicians can not account for the rapid increase of disease among the human family. But we know that much of this suffering is caused by the eating of dead flesh. . . .

“Wise counsel and righteous practices are needed now, if the people of God succeed in preserving clear minds and healthy bodies. We must give close attention to eating, drinking, and dressing. The entire body of believers needs to make a decided reform. A high profession, followed by a disregard of the laws of life, shows a faithless life. Lack of fidelity, want of stability, slavery to wrong habits,—this is the sure result of such a course. Those who follow this course are not consistent Christians. Salvation means deliverance from every habit which tends to drag humanity down. Transgression of the laws of our being is transgression of the laws of God.” The Paulson Collection, 1, 2.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1 medium to large cucumber, peeled (if bitter) and diced

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dill seed

1 teaspoon salt

Grind cashews and seeds; add remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill. Great for baked potatoes, sandwich spread, salad dressing.

Judy Ann Hallingstad manages the Mail Order Services Department for Steps to Life. She and her husband, Dennis, live in Derby, Kansas.

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe you are willing to share with LandMarks’ readers? Send it to us with a photo of you, if available, and a two or three line bio. We will consider all submissions. Send to the address below or by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Food for Life – Tropical Chewies

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Sugar is not good for the stomach. It causes fermentation, and this clouds the brain and brings peevishness into the disposition. . . .

“Sugar clogs the system. It hinders the working of the living machine.

“There was one case in Montcalm County, Michigan, to which I [Ellen White] will refer. The individual was a noble man. He stood six feet, and was of fine appearance. I was called to visit him in his sickness. I had previously conversed with him in regard to his manner of living. ‘I do not like the looks of your eyes,’ said I. He was eating large quantities of sugar. I asked him why he did this. He said that he had left off meat, and did not know what would supply its place as well as sugar. His food did not satisfy him, simply because his wife did not know how to cook.

“Some of you send your daughters, who have nearly grown to womanhood, to school to learn the sciences before they know how to cook, when this should be made of the first importance. Here was a woman who did not know how to cook; she had not learned how to prepare healthful food. The wife and mother was deficient in this important branch of education; and as the result, poorly cooked food not being sufficient to sustain the demands of the system, sugar was eaten immoderately, which brought on a diseased condition of the entire system. This man’s life was sacrificed unnecessarily to bad cooking. . . .

“He died a victim to poor cooking. He tried to make sugar supply the place of good cooking, and it only made matters worse.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 327, 328.

Tropical Chewies

Cream together:

1/4 cup margarine (or oil)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Slowly add:

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup carob chips (or raisins)

Place mixture in an 11-3/4 inch x 7-1/2 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam or lightly oiled. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, also serves as Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe you are willing to share with LandMarks’ readers? Send it to us with a photo of you, if available, and a two or three line bio. We will consider all submissions. Send to the address below or by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Food for Life – Eggplant Spread

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Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures, the doing of the will of God. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. It is the privilege of all to partake of the bread of heaven by studying the Word, and thus gain spiritual sinew and muscle.

“Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed. . . . You know you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by others eating. We would starve if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and we shall lose our spiritual strength and vitality if we do not feed on spiritual bread. . . .

“The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we stand back, refusing bounties, and declaring, ‘He does not mean this for me?’ We used to sing a hymn that described a feast where a happy household gathered to partake of the bounties of the board at a kind father’s invitation. While the happy children gathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at the threshold. She was invited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, ‘I have no father there.’ Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in the courts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker of His rich bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a little child will find a Father there.” The Faith I Live By, 22.

Eggplant Spread  –  This is a favorite Romanian recipe.

5 to 7 large eggplants

1 large onion, finely diced

1 medium-sized bulb garlic, finely diced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, diced

Salt to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

Bake the eggplants in the oven at 350 degrees until they are very soft (45 to 60 minutes). When cooled, remove the peels. Chop the eggplant pulp very finely, until mushy. Add onion, garlic, parsley, salt to taste, and olive oil. If the flavor seems to be too strong, add mayonnaise and mix well together. Spread on bread or toast and enjoy!

Bianca Lazor, a homemaker and mother, is an English to Romanian language translator. Originally from Romania, she now lives in Hawaii with her husband, John, and son, Joshua. She may be contacted by e-mail at: paradise7@hawaiian.net, or by telephone at: 808-965-0222.

Food for Life – Sweet Potato Salad

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“God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to his original design,—that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat-eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it. I cannot think that in the practice of flesh-eating we are in harmony with the light which God has been pleased to give us. All who are connected with our health institutions especially should be educating themselves to subsist on fruits, grains, and vegetables. If we move from principle in these things, if we as Christian reformers educate our own taste, and bring our diet to God’s plan, then we may exert an influence upon others in this matter, which will be pleasing to God.

“One reason why many have become discouraged in practicing health reform is that they have not learned how to cook so that proper food, simply prepared, would supply the place of the diet to which they have been accustomed. They become disgusted with the poorly prepared dishes, and next we hear them say that they have tried the health reform, and cannot live in that way. Many attempt to follow out meager instructions in health reform, and make such sad work that it results in injury to digestion, and in discouragement to all concerned in the attempt. You profess to be health reformers, and for this very reason you should become good cooks. Those who can avail themselves of the advantages of properly conducted hygienic cooking-schools, will find it a great benefit, both in their own practice and in teaching others.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 119.

Sweet Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium green bell pepper,

diced 1 small onion, minced

1 teaspoon oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

parsley, minced

Cook potatoes in salted water for 30 minutes until they are soft, but firm. Drain and peel. Cut in cubes. Add celery, pepper, and onion. Garnish with oil mixed with lemon juice, salt, and parsley.

Marian Oluyinka Atolagbe has been a Behavioral Science teacher for 18 years. With a deep interest in healthful lifestyle and sharing, she took training in medical missionary work at Life Abundant Missionary School (Eatonville, Washington), Steps to Life Bible School (Wichita, Kansas), and spent several months observing the work at Uchee Pines Institute (Seale, Alabama). She has conducted several health seminars/vegetarian cooking classes and started a bakery and healthful store in Nigeria, West Africa. Currently, she lives in Frederick, Maryland, while taking college classes toward an Allied Health Associate degree.

Recipe – Anita’s Rice

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1 cup unpolished brown rice

1 cup coconut milk (fresh recommended)

2 medium diced onions

2 medium diced tomatoes

1 bulb garlic

1 ½ inch piece small ginger

1 ½ tsp. salt

Bay leaves, cardamom, optional

inch turmeric and cayenne pepper-optional

Small bunch of cilantro

Small bunch of mint

½ cup olive oil or water

Saute` onions, bay leaves and cardamom in olive oil or water on medium heat. Once pinkish in color, add a little turmeric and cayenne pepper. Also add finely ground ginger and garlic paste. Keep stirring over low heat till all the ingredients are nicely cooked. Then add tomatoes with the salt, finely chopped mint and cilantro. Transfer this mixture to rice, coconut milk, and ½ cup warm water and put into a rice cooker. Cook well and serve hot with gravy, or vegetable or pea curry.