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Fluffy Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes

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If you follow my blog you’ll know Sunday mornings are all about pancakes in my house and over the years I’ve tested many.  This is one of our favourite’s because the texture is really light and fluffy and they make a really great batter to cook.  I use a cast iron skillet and then add chocolate avocado puddings to each layer for a really creamy chocolate sauce, recipe is here.  Try some other toppings such as banana and maple syrup or a berry compote for the perfect weekend pancake.


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Fluffy Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Pancakes
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of buckwheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of chai spice mix
  • ⅓ cup of cashew milk
  • 1 egg (or vegan version add 1 tablespoon of flax seeds to 3 tablespoons of water)
  • 1 apple
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Blend the cashew milk, egg, cored apple and melted coconut oil in a blender ( i used my vitamix but a nutribullet would work too)
  2. Put all the other ingredients in a large bowl, create a well in the centre and slowly fold in the blended egg mix a little at a time.
  3. Once all the ingredients are folded in, leave to rest for 10 minutes
  4. Heat a non-stick pan (I use a cast iron skillet) to medium temp and spoon one large tablespoon in the pan and flatten to create rounds, I usually cook 3 at a time in my pan.
  5. The pancakes will cook quite quickly and as you see a few bubbles on the surface, flip over to cook the other side.
  6. Serve with your favourite sauce, we sandwiched each pancake with chocolate avocado pudding, see recipe above but sliced bananas and a little maple syrup would also be delicious.

Chocolate, Raspberry, Orange Raw Cheesecake – vegan, paleo, no sugar

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When it comes to Christmas Day, I want to eat something really decadent but that doesn’t compromise my health.  I really love the pairing of orange and raspberry the 2 flavours taste divine and in this recipe, the raspberries are the only sweetness added, you could add a little maple syrup if you wanted but I didn’t find it necessary.

I adore chocolate but not just any chocolate, it has to be unrefined cacao, choc-full of health giving properties, full of minerals, antioxidants and iron, all of which are lost in the processing of most chocolates bought today.  Check out some of other recipes to see how else to use it, raw cacao chocolates or a cacao smoothie for breakfast.

For the base, I tried something a little different and used hazelnuts and pecans – 2 nuts that I love, it worked perfectly.

A recipe suitable for any special occasion, enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below.


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Chocolate, Raspberry, Orange Raw Cheesecake - vegan, paleo, no sugar
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup of hazelnuts
  • ½ cup of pecans
  • ½ cup of dates
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil melted
  • 3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
  • Filling
  • 1 cup of cashews
  • 1 tin of coconut milk
  • 1 cup of raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil melted
  • 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
  • 4 drops of doTERRA Wild Orange essential oil
  • Raspberries for decoration
Instructions
  1. Soak the cashews overnight but for at least 4 hours
  2. Blend the ingredients for the base in a food processor
  3. Turn out into an 8" cake base, press in firmly to create a flat base and refrigerate
  4. Press 1 cup of raspberries through a metal sieve so that you have a raspberry puree with no seeds
  5. Pour the puree into a liquidiser (I used my vitamix but any would do!) with the coconut milk but do not add the watery part and add the melted coconut oil and blend well
  6. Add in the cacao powder and blend again until all creamy and fully incorporated
  7. Pour into a glass / ceramic bowl and add 4 drops of doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil (be careful with imitations that are not safe to ingest)

If you would like more details about how to purchase doTERRA therapeutic-grade pure essential oils, you can buy them from here.

Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie

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The great thing about cacao smoothies is that you can pretty much smuggle all sorts of good stuff that kids wouldn’t otherwise eat disguised by the intense flavour of chocolate. My daughter never turns down a cacao smoothie for breakfast (actually neither do I) and she especially loves it when she gets to choose the toppings, giving her a little autonomy with her food.

If ever I attempt to say my daughter eats everything, she always corrects me and says she dislikes avocados, rhubarb and rocket leaves! Who could possible not like avocados?! Avocados, green leaves and broccoli sprouts are added to the faithful cacao smoothie now chocced full of nutrients for a happy, healthy breakfast. My daughter knows full well these foods are in the smoothie but she doesn’t care because the bowl tastes of an intense chocolate orange, sweetened with juicy raspberries!!

Broccoli sprouts are incredible, I remember when I first read about their nutritional health benefits, I knew I needed to add them to my diet.  Broccoli sprouts have been shown to be 10-100x more powerful than eating standard broccoli and the great thing is they are super easy to sprout and can be eaten raw, preserving all the nutritional content.  There are some really interesting studies looking at cancer prevention through the removal of airborne pollutants by the sprouts in heavily polluted China. They are slightly bitter in flavour, not dissimilar to watercress so they can be an acquired taste, I personally love this kind of flavour, my daughter not so much!  My favourite ways to eat them are in smoothies, pesto and even chocolate avocado pudding – sometimes we have to be a little creative with how we add food for children!  I think it’s important for children to eat the whole vegetable so they understand the flavour and texture but when you start introducing complex bitter flavours it’s a great idea to start with adjusting their taste buds slowly. You can buy already sprouted broccoli sprouts but it is much less expensive just to grow your own and it’s super easy by following the instructions here.

I also added 1 drop of wild orange essential oil to my smoothie, I do this frequently because the added supporting health benefits are incredible and because the flavour is so intense from only 1 drop.  N.B. Be careful with citrus oils in plastic containers as they do have the ability to break down petrochemicals so always add the drop in the bowl or glass and do not use oils that are not certified to be consumed internally!  If you would like to learn more about essential oils contact me here

 

Wild Orange Essential Oil health benefits

  1. High in antioxidents for overall good health
  2. Uplifting and energising
  3. Reduces feeling of stress, tension and anxiety

A healthy, nutritious start to the day, what’s your favourite smoothie ingredient?

5.0 from 4 reviews
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Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie
Author: 
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 apple
  • ½ punnet of raspberries
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • Handful of broccoli sprouts
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon of flax seeds
  • 2 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 cup of kefir (goat or dairy) or sub for nut milk of choice
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 drop of doTERRA wild orange essential oil or sub for the grated zest of an orange
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients into your blender, you will need to half the ingredients for a nutri bullet or ninja but mine went all into my vitamix.
  2. Decorate and enjoy.

 

Blackberry Chia Jam – refined sugar free!

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I was foraging my collection of blackberries when a lovely lady said to me I’ve just made 3 jars of jam with mine.. mmmmm I haven’t had jam in years since I quit sugar but it instilled enough desire to go and make some.  Here is my refined-sugar free super quick recipe for making blackberry jam, I don’t have a very sweet tooth so I like to sharpness of these berries and you can always add a little extra raw honey if the little ones prefer it sweeter but a great recipe to convert them to some healthier options.

I was a little unsure what to eat my jam with, we don’t eat bread, one day I’ll get round to making a healthier alternative but quite honestly, I rarely find the time so we had ours dolloped on Sunday brunch pancakes which was divine.  Let me know what you pair your jam with?

If you have not used Chia seeds before they have this amazing gelling quality when used combined with liquid which is why no pectin is required for this jam.  Chia seeds are rich in fibre so great for digestion and they also contain Omega 3 fats so studies have shown they are great for balancing blood sugar and reducing inflammation.

Blackberries this time of year are Mother Nature’s gift when you live in this country, they are abundant everywhere! Free from chemicals and pesticides they are also full of vitamins when growing wild.  High levels of Vitamin C to boost immunity but low in sugar content, they are also high in Vitamins A, E, K and B Vitamins.  Their dark colour exemplifies their super high antioxidant content which scavenges free radicles within the body preventing our cells from aging but have also shown protective mechanisms against cancer. Wild blackberries have also been shown to have a neuroprotective affect, therefore great for supporting our brain health.

Warm these berries very gently so that preserve all that goodness!

 

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Blackberry Chia Jam - refined sugar free!
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups of blackberries
  • 1 tablespoon of raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Put 1 cup of the blackberries into a wide bottomed pan and warm gently while pressing with a potato masher to release the juices for about 5 minutes
  2. Press the blackberries through a sieve with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds
  3. Pour the pureed blackberries back into the pan and add the other ½ cup of berries, mash these remaining berries and leave in the mixture for more texture
  4. Finally turn off the heat and stir in the raw honey and chia seeds
  5. Combine well and pour into your jam jar of choice
  6. Place in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to absorb the juice and gel
  7. Serve with paleo bread / crackers or we love it with some coconut yoghurt as a dessert

 

 

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Crispy Paleo Smoked Paprika Chicken

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Sometimes you have to recreate a childhood classic, this is my favourite recipe to make for when children come to dinner because who doesn’t like crispy chicken!  This might also be the recipe to convert some of family members that aren’t quite Paleo yet.  My daughter loves dipping her chicken in the homemade ketchup too.
This is great recipe to make with children too because you can get a little messy dipping the chicken in the egg and coconut flour.

We don’t eat a lot of meat these days, when we do I choose to buy organically and free-range.  This is kinder to the animal but also to the chickens who have to be outside for a % of time and therefore they can roam in the sunlight and peck at the grass, leaves and bugs eating them.  This means that you are naturally providing your body with the essential fatty acid Omega 3 in a more balanced ratio to Omega 6 than in conventional chicken.  Conventional chickens are usually fed what is cheap and available so usually GMO corn and soy, they can be caged their entire miserable lives without sunlight too.

If organic seems expensive, we balance our budget by making sure our plate is full of beautiful organic vegetables like the spiralized ones here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.0 from 6 reviews
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Crispy Paleo Smoked Paprika Chicken
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 egg
  • 2 free range organic chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup of coconut flour (buy here)
  • ¼ cup of almond flour (buy here)
  • ½ cup of desiccated coconut without additives(buy here)
  • 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. Put the coconut flour in a bowl
  2. Beat the egg in another bowl
  3. Add the final ingredients to a third bowl
  4. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and dip into the flour, then beaten egg and then roll in the coconut mixture
  5. Place onto a pan covered with grease-proof paper and cook on 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes
  6. Serve with a huge salad and homemade ketchup or make up some sweet potato wedges, enjoy!

 

Chocolate Celebration Cake

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It was my sister’s baby shower this weekend, I’m so excited to by Aunty Vanessa for the first time very soon.  In case you couldn’t guess it’s a girl, we haven’t quite embraced the gender neutral philosophy, because, well.. we love PINK!  We had four gluten sensitive attendees which gave me an excuse to go to town and bake – catering for others and not just Scarlett and I.  That being said, everyone had a slice and they all wanted the recipe so here it is…

I made a similar cake for my daughter’s birthday party, see the picture below, she had a Forrest School party in November and wanted a pink cake.  My daughter is gluten sensitive and I wanted her to be able to have a party where she could eat everything, we also don’t eat sugar (I’ll leave that for a whole other post) but I don’t believe eating healthily means deprivation and so this cake is for all those striving to eat in a healthier way but still want to be able to celebrate with everyone else. Cake fits into my 80/20 philosophy, I use healthier ingredients but I don’t eat cake every day, cake is my 20% indulgence!

The buttercream (frosting) I tried to keep quite authentic to how a real cake tastes. Although neither Scarlett or I tolerate dairy very well, butter and ghee seems to be fine for us so I make the icing with butter but you could use ghee (butter with the problematic proteins removed).  You could use palm shortening which is often used in paleo baking but please make sure it is sustainably sourcd as many rain forests are being destroyed for this product.

The cake has a chocolate buttercream centre and if you don’t want a pink cake you could cover it in the chocolate buttercream all over.

If you like pink like us, you can alter the different shades of pink with the amount of beetroot powder you use, I used 1 teaspoon for my daughter’s cake and nearer 1 tablespoon for the main picture cake.

Any leftover cake, I find freezes really well and I take out a slice for my daughter to have at other celebrations.

 

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
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Chocolate Celebration Cake
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup of coconut flour
  • 1 cup of extra virgin olive Oil
  • 9 Eggs
  • ½ cup of cacao powder
  • ¾ cup of maple syrup
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon of vanilla powder
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
  • Chocolate Buttercream for the Centre
  • ¼ cup of unsalted butter or ghee at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of cacao powder
  • Icing / Frosting
  • 1 cup of butter or ghee at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder
  • 2 teaspoons of coconut flour
  • ¼ cup of maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder
Instructions
  1. Use a hand whisk to blend the eggs
  2. Add the olive oil, maple syrup and blend further
  3. Carefully stir in the flour, cacao powder, vanilla powder, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, sea salt
  4. Take two 8" sandwich tins, (I use the tins with the release bottoms, much easier for turning out).coat in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with coconut flour ensuring it's well distributed to ensure that the cake releases easily.
  5. Divide the mixture between the tins and give them a gentle bang on the worktop to ensure the mixture is flat on top for stacking.
  6. Put in the oven at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes
  7. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cake rack.
  8. For the buttercream, whisk all the ingredients together and when the cake is cool spread evenly over the middle and then cover the cake.

 

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

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Did you know that in 15ml of your standard Heinz Ketchup there is 1 teaspoon of sugar?!  That’s a lot of unrefined sugar and most of us wouldn’t dream of giving our child a teaspoon of sugar with a main meal!

I set about making my own homemade version for my daughter’s birthday party last year, we had a forest school birthday party in the woods in November, everyone thought I was crazy but it worked beautifully.  I decided whatever the weather they needed to have warm food and for a BBQ most 6/7 year olds demand ketchup so I had to create something that would pass the young person test! With this recipe I had not a single complaint, all was gobbled up and even the adults couldn’t quite believe it wasn’t Heinz!  The best bit, I didn’t have to use a ton of sugar or salt either.

My little secret!!…. Beetroot powder, not only does it give the ketchup the most authentic colour (goodness knows how Heinz achieves it but I’m guessing it doesn’t come from tomatoes) previously a paler orange in colour but it also adds a delicious natural sweetness to the ketchup.

I make my ketchup in an enormous batch (just over 1 litre size bottle) because, honestly I don’t have the time to keep knocking up ketchup but feel free to half or quater my quantities if you want to use less tomatoes.  The ketchup has kept fresh in my fridge for a good few weeks but I have been known to ferment it too by adding some kraut juice or goat milk kefir whey, leaving it out for a few hours and then transferring to the fridge.  I prefer the kraut juice to ferment with because I don’t like the slightly effervescent texture from whey in my ketchup, in my mind, credibly ketchup should taste silky in texture.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are full of health benefits, I buy on the vine organic tomatoes, I’m sure like myself you’ve realised the superiority in taste but this also allows the tomatoes to retain more nutrients and antioxidants, otherwise they are picked very early to ripen in stores.  Tomatoes are known for the nutrient Lycopene which is shown here and here to have cancer protective capabilities.  Lycopene has been shown to increase its bio-availability through cooking and it is also fat soluble so tomatoes need to be cooked with a fat like this recipe.  Tomatoes are also known for their anti-inflammatory benefits and high levels of vitamin C boosting natural immunity.

 

5.0 from 7 reviews
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Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Author: 
Cuisine: Side
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 900g of large tomatoes chopped
  • 400g of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 2 cloves of garlic sliced
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of garam masala
  • Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of runny raw honey (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the tomatoes, red onion and celery and cook gently until soft
  2. Add the spices, salt and pepper and continue to simmer until the vegetable juice releases and the liquid halves in quantity stirring occasionally, allow this to take about 20-30 minutes
  3. Allow to cool and then blend in a liquidiser, I used my vitamix
  4. Add back to the pan and continue to simmer until the ketchup has reached the desired consistency, I like to thicken mine further
  5. Allow to cool again and add the balsamic, beetroot powder and raw honey, I shake mine in the jar to ensure it is well combined.
  6. A delicious addition to your every day meals and a firm favourite with children without the junk!

 

Easy Creamy Guacamole

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guacamole

I’m a big fan of avocado and I really love the buttery texture of guacamole but when you buy it in the shop it always seems to contain wheat, sugar, vegetable oil or if you’re really lucky.. all 3!

Guacamole takes me 5 minutes to make it and then I adore it as a side serving on salad, on scrambled eggs, topped on fish or just dipping crudites into it.

Avocado is full of healthy monounsaturated fat which has been demonised by the low-fat industry for far too long, read here.  It has been a key part of the heart healthy Mediterranean diet for decades and it is one of the most nutritionally dense fruit you can eat.  It is full of B Vitamins – great for sustaining energy levels, high in Vitamin C – boosting your immune system, keeps your skin looking glowing with Vitamin E and it is packed with minerals such as magnesium and potassium to name a few.  Avocados have even been shown to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells.

How do you like to eat guacamole?

5.0 from 5 reviews
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Easy Creamy Guacamole
Author: 
Recipe type: Sides
Prep time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ avocados
  • 1 large tomato
  • ½ red onion
  • ½ big bunch of coriander leaves (not stalks)
  • 1 drop of doTERRA Cilantro essential oil (optional)
  • juice from half a lemon
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy with a little texture
  2. Transfer to fridge

 

Green Breakfast Smoothie

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green-smoothie

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE smoothie fan!  It may be just me.. but there is something very satisfying about sending your child to school knowing that they have at least had their 5 a day for breakfast, they will have no blood sugar crash mid-morning and enough protein and healthy fats to stop them being hungry till lunch.

The conversion to eating smoothies for breakfast didn’t happen overnight but changing my diet helped me realise very quickly what whole-food nutrition could do for me and then slowly I adapted my way of thinking about what I was eating. If you want to know more about what brought me to this place with food then read about it here.  Why am I telling you this?  Like most people, I started the day with cereal or 2 pieces of toast and marmite until I learnt differently.

Starting with a smoothie bowl now helps keep me on track, it enables me to start the day with the best of intentions to exercise and eat well for the rest of the day.  I am literally flooding my body with nutrients – vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and it’s also just as quick as pouring cereal and milk in a bowl, you just have to get prepared with the right ingredients but organic delivery companies can do that for you!

I started with a Nutri Ninja and it worked out great but after a few years of abuse, I finally invested in a Vitamix, these are expensive but as I do a lot of food preparation using this blender, it has been worth the investment.

There are some important tips to a smoothie that I’ve learnt along the way..

  1. I use half an avocado every day, it gives a smoothie an amazing creamy texture as well as providing a really delicious healthy monounsaturated fats and lots of healthy fibre
  2. You need to add a protein to help keep you satiated (study) and build your immune system (study) (most protein powders are full of junk), I mostly use pea or hemp protein or sometimes a big spoonful of almond butter!
  3. Linseeds (or flax seeds as they are called in America) are a powerhouse of nutrition but they need to be freshly ground.  They are a rich source of Omega3 EFA and high in soluble and insoluble fibre so they support colon detoxification.   They do however lose their nutritional value very quickly when exposed to air so buying milled is not the same and trying to eat them whole, well, they’ll travel straight through your body undisturbed so put them in your blender and the best bit is they’ll help to thicken your smoothie and make it even creamier.
  4. Focus on smoothies rather than juices as a daily regime, they provide a great tool to detox your body but with all the fibre to help stabilise your blood sugar too.
  5. Start with the basics of whole-food nutrition before you take it to the next level with green powders, they have added nutritional influence but if you make it too complicated it wont fit into a morning routine.
  6. Unless you’re giving the smoothie to a child and you’re trying to convert them, make sure your smoothie is abundant in vegetables with a little fruit to flavour, lots of fruit can be an added burden on the liver because of the high fructose levels.  I really like adding lots of berries which are generally low glycemic index (conversion to blood sugar rates) and apples because like berries they are very high antioxidants.

If I have time, I make it look fancy but most of the time I chuck some cacao nibs on top because a) I love cacao b) it’s an amazing prebiotic that feeds your gut microbiome of healthy bacteria c) it has caffeine so it helps me kick start my day with an energy lift.

 

5.0 from 10 reviews
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Green Breakfast Smoothie
Author: 
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Sticks of celery
  • 1 apple
  • ½ an avocado
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • 1 cup of salad leaves
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 tablespoon of linseeds / flax seeds
  • 1 cup of water
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop the larger vegetables and add to your blender - nutri ninja or a bullet will do. Add more water if required and for a thicker smoothie add almond or coconut milk instead.
  2. Pour into 2 bowls and spoon in for a nutritious breakfast.
  3. Decorate to your fancy, if you have time! Here i have added goji berries, cacao nibs, bee pollen and pumpkin seeds..

 

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

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Sauerkraut is likely the simplest fermented food to make and a great place to start, it was certainly my introduction to fermentation.  I’ve always loved the taste of pickled beetroot from a young age and so I instantly fell in love with the flavour of Sauerkraut.  I particularly like making purple kraut because I love its vibrant colour but green cabbages work just as well.

Sauerkraut originates from Germany but one of the first documented cases of its nutritional power was when the English Explorer James Cook took barrels of Sauerkraut aboard his ship.  It is said that he reserved the Sauerkraut for the Officers knowing full well that the sailors would then be enticed to consume it.  This was one of the first explorations where the sailors didn’t perish from scurvy, this is because Sauerkraut is packed full of Vitamin C (far more than an orange!).  Prior to fermentation it was extremely difficult to keep food fresh with no refrigeration and near impossible aboard long boat rides. Read here for more of the health benefits of fermented foods.

kraut

The recipe below is a basic recipe for beginners but once you start, there are plenty of further delicious flavours to try:

  1. Other Vegetables – carrots, celery, squash, salad onions, garlic
  2. Add some orange rind and juice for a different flavour
  3. A little turmeric for anti-inflammatory health benefits
  4. Lemon juice and onions
  5. Chilli for an extra kick

There are so many variations, I hope you have a go and please write your creations or questions below in the comments section.

 

5.0 from 6 reviews
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Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
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Recipe type: Fermented foods
Cuisine: Fermentation
Prep time: 
Total time: 
 
Homemade sauerkraut
Ingredients
  • 2 cabbage, any kind
  • 2 tablespoon of sea salt not table salt
  • 1 grated apple
  • 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
  • A mason jar
Instructions
  1. Shred the cabbage in a food processor or using a knife and put in a bowl with the sea salt sprinkled on top.
  2. Kneed the cabbage in the bowl so that it releases some cabbage juice as it starts to break down with the salt added.
  3. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 5 hours.
  4. Pour the cabbage and juice into a mason jar and keep pushing it down until the juice comes over the top of cabbage. If it doesn't add a little water.
  5. Close jar and check on your kraut every few days
  6. You should see little bubbles rising and a foam forming on top, this is the cabbage fermenting and producing very potent probiotics.
  7. Taste kraut after 3 days if it tastes sour and to your liking it is done and if you are new to fermentation this is probably about the right strength to begin with.
  8. After 3-7 days refrigerate and consume.
  9. The sauerkraut will keep for years this way.

FAQ

My cabbage has risen above the liquid and has some mould on top, is it safe to eat?

Scrape this off and discard, taste the submerged cabbage underneath, this should be fine as it will be under the liquid but let your taste buds guide you.

How long should I ferment for?

If you are new to fermentation I suggest 3 days as this will be strong enough.  Most people will ferment for 7-10 days, I now like to ferment mine for about a month because I like it strong!

Is there anyone who shouldn’t eat sauerkraut?

It is safe for children, in fact you are helping to build their immune system but start with small amounts, add a little of the kraut juice to their food before serving.  About 1% of the population will have histermine intolerance and fermented foods contain high levels of histermine (as do many other natural foods), if you feel adverse reactions stay reduce fermented foods while you find alternative ways to balance your histermine levels.

Can I add kraut to my cooking?

Cooking will kill the probiotic rich goodness so add sauerkraut to your dishes as the condiment.