Scrambled Eggs With Sprouts

SERVES 4-6

8 to 10 eggs

1/2 cup milk

4 green onions, including tops, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt or

1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce

1 cup mung bean sprouts or alfalfa sprouts

1 tablespoon of unrefined oil

Beat the eggs with the milk and seasonings. 

Stir in the sprouts. 

Heat a big skillet on medium heat. 

Add oil. 

Next add the beaten egg mixture. 

Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggs are barely set.

Season to taste.

Recipe for Sourdough Pancakes

flickr mage by Veganbaking.net

SERVES 4

Feed your starter an extra measure the night before.

2 cups sourdough starter, having the consistency of a heavy pancake batter

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons low-sodium baking powder

2 eggs

4 tablespoons unrefined oil

Dissolve the salt and honey in warm water. Add up the baking powder, then stir this mixture in the starter. Beat in the eggs and oil using a spoon until the mix is smooth. Bake on a medium hot, oiled griddle.

Sourdough on a Stick Recipe

Ready the dough. Roll pieces of dough into long thin sausages around 1/4 inch thick. Wet the green stick and heat it over the coals. Enwrap the dough on the warmed stick. Hold the dough on top of the coals until baked, turning now and then to avoid burning. Dunk the dough in a mix of melted honey, butter, and cinnamon before baking when desired.

Tips on Taking Your Sourdough to Camp

1 cup sourdough starter

Whole wheat flour — bring a lot

Knead enough flour into the starter to produce soft dough. Sprinkle the dough using more flour. Bring the dough in a plastic bag bearing a cup of dry flour. Keep the bag tightly shut. Sourdough starter should be mixed with flour because it could only be stored in liquid form in glass or ceramic containers, which are so heavy and inconvenient for camping. The starter would keep a week or more. Maintain the starter fresh by feeding and using it once a week or more.

To use this starter: put the soft dough starter in a bowl. Add 2 to 4 cups of warm water and 2 to 4 cups of flour. Put the bowl in a warm place 3 to 4 hours or overnight (close to a warm fire in the winter). Now the starter is ready to use with whatever sourdough recipe.

Making a Starter for Your Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread takes probably twice as long to rise as yeast dough, but it's in fact easier to make as well as quite tasty, based on the quality of the starter. Sourdough also makes great pancakes and rolls. A lot of campers have taken some starter with them and had a good breakfast working for them through the night.

So here's how to make your own sourdough starter:

1 /2 package dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

image credit

Dissolve yeast in water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Gradually add the flour and mix well. Put in scalded jar. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few days, till fermented and foamy. Stir thoroughly and refrigerate. Starter is now set to feed for making bread. It's best to feed starter each week or so, with an equivalent amount. If the starter ferments longer and liquid divides, just stir it back in, feed it and use it.

Feeding your sourdough starter:

1 cup of starter

2 cups warm water

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Always employ earthenware bowl to let starter rise in. Don't use metal. Beat all the ingredients together using a fork. Remove fork. Sit overnight. Bring back 1 cup of the starter to the refrigerator. This leaves around three cups of starter to use — adequate for some pancakes and two loaves of bread (see sourdough bread and pancake recipes).

Sourdough Bread Recipe

YIELD: 2 loaves

1 cup sourdough starter  (starter instructions)

2 cups warm water

1 to 4 tablespoons raw honey

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 cup unrefined oil

6 cups whole wheat flour

Feed your starter the night before. Allow it to sit overnight. Use a huge ceramic or crock bowl. Beat all the ingredients except the flour, together. Add the flour. Mix well, using your hand if necessary. Cover the dough and allow it to rise 3 to 4 hours or until doubled. In summer it could take less time. Shape the dough into 2 loaves, kneading a little bit as you are shaping them. Place in oiled loaf pans. Allow to rise 1 to 2 hours, until doubled. The bread would rise a little more when cooking. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn out on a rack to cool.

Sourdough Batter Bread Recipe

image via Wikipedia

YIELD: 1 loaf

2 cups sourdough starter

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 tablespoon unrefined oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons soy flour

3 to 4 cups whole flour

Feed the starter the night before. Mix all ingredients together except the flours. Mix dry ingredients and gradually beat into the batter. Beat for about 5 minutes. Place batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise until batter is just over rim of pan. Bake for at least 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Here's How to Make Sourdough Starter

How to Make Yogurt At Home

image via Wikipedia

The greatest use of milk, whether it's coming from the cow or goat, is to turn it into yogurt, except, naturally, for an infant that cannot get enough milk at its mother's breast. Yogurt is readily digestible, and the beneficial bacteria in it reproduce at body temperature, creating B vitamins and overcoming a lot of mild stomach upsets. Yogurt is particularly important to rejuvenate intestinal flora after use of antibiotics. It can be consumed plain or with fruit or honey. It could be used in place of sour cream dressing for a lot of uses. Granola and yogurt go great together.

How to make your own yogurt:

1 quart fresh milk

3 tablespoons or more of yogurt

Make sure all utensils are scalded. Heat the milk to scalding. Cool to lukewarm. Mix in a little non-instant milk powder if thicker yogurt is desired (optional). Stir yogurt into the lukewarm milk. Pour the mixture into scalded glasses or jars. Place jars in huge pan of warm water. Maintain at about 110 degrees for 3 to 5 hours till the new yogurt thickens. Refrigerate until used.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Benefits of Sprouting Your Grains, Beans, and Seeds

How to Sprout Beans and Grains

To get the maximum benefit of the living foods known as grains, beans and seeds, anyone can sprout them according to the following chart. There is an increase in vitamin content, as well as enzymes activated which would give good health along with only a few other foods. It is crucial that the grains, beans, or seeds be cleansed thoroughly.

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A wide-mouthed glass jar is appropriate for sprouting. One tablespoon of seed in a pint jar covered with water for 12 hours or so gets you started up. Next, put a piece of cheesecloth or nylon netting covering the mouth and fasten it with a rubber band. You could then drain off the soaking water, rinse using warm rinse water, drain well, and leave jar tilted with its mouth down. Room temperature and indirect light works very well. Rinse and drain every morning and evening — and do it more often when humidity is exceedingly low.

 

Later on, when the sprouts have achieved the desired length, put in direct sunlight for a couple of hours to produce chlorophyll, rinse using cold water, drain and keep tightly covered in refrigerator. Eat them as soon as possible, ideally within 2 or 3 days. Sprout just enough seeds for this usage, and you could be setting forth a new batch each day or so. Be sure seeds are found from a reputable company and haven't been treated. Don't eat potato sprouts since they are toxic. Sprouting is an excellent activity for children. You'll be surprised at how much life can come up from these small seeds. Here are the sprouting times and the optimal length of sprout in inches for each of the seeds commonly sprouted for food:

Though most of the above seeds are quite easy to sprout properly, soybeans become moldy readily. It is crucial to rinse them very well every time, drain them thoroughly, and not crowd them in the jar. Soybeans sprouts and Garbanzo sprouts are best cooked as they're still big and tough.

 

Sprouts can be added to salads, casseroles, soups, sandwiches — or munched on as is. They can be ground and used in bread recipes or cooked with vegetables or eggs. They'll accelerate the leavening action of yeast breads and assist unleavened breads to rise. Most significantly, they'll improve the nutrition of any meal. If a person had to endure a year on, say, 300 pounds of food — grains, beans and seeds for sprouting will make up most of the supply list for the survival. Do they taste good, too? Alfalfa sprouts are excellent in salads and sandwiches. The heavier bean sprouts are truly tasty when sautéed with onions and other vegetables.

© Athena Goodlight

Swordfish in Tomatillo and Cilantro Sauce

flickr image by comprock

Swordfish is among the favorites of both first timers and seasoned seafood eaters. It can be broiled, grilled, 

poached, baked, or kabobed.  Its meaty texture and mild flavor are two of the reasons why swordfish is so popular. Apart from its good taste, swordfish is a low-fat, low-calorie food choice. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals.

Swordfish in Tomatillo and Cilantro Sauce

2 lbs                 tomatillos

1 large              jalapeno chili

3 -4 gloves       garlic, minced

3                      shallots or ¼  onion

1 cube              chicken bouillon

1/3 cup             cilantro, chopped

12                    mint leaves (optional)

6pcs                  4-oz swordfish steaks

1 Tbsp             oil

Fresh ground pepper

• Wash and peel tomatillos.
• In toaster oven, roast first four ingredients for 15 minutes, or until tomatillos are tender.
• Remove seeds from chili.
• In a blender, puree roasted ingredients with bouillon, cilantro and mint (if desired).
• Pour into a saucepan, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• In large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Sauté fish for one minute on each side.
•  Pour sauce over steaks, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness.
• Season with pepper.

Serves 6

Per serving: 170 calories; 32-percent fat, 20-percent carbohydrate, 48-percent protein.

Note that this low-calorie dish is more than 30-percent fat. Try to limit your daily fat intake to 30 percent of your total calories.

Salmon Sauté Recipe

flickr image by adactio

1  tbs    olive oil

6  4-oz salmon fillets or steaks

2  cloves garlic, minced

½         red onion, chopped

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

3 tbs     fresh basil, chopped (1 ½ tbs dried)

1 tbs     capers

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.
• Sauté the salmon on each side for two to three minutes.
• Remove fish from skillet and add garlic, onion and tomatoes.
• Sauté for two minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add salmon, basil, capers and pepper;
• cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until salmon is done to taste.

Serves 6

Per serving: 170 calories; 26-percent fat, 52-percent protein, 22-percent carbohydrate.

Baked Catfish Parmesan

image credit

½  cup dry bread crumbs

2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs chopped parsley

½  tsp paprika

¼  tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp pepper

1 lb skinless catfish fillets

1/3 cup nonfat milk

2 tsp olive or vegetable oil

• Preheat oven to 450° F.
• Mix together bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, paprika, oregano, basil and pepper.
• Dip fillets into milk, then roll in bread-crumb mixture.
• Coat baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Arrange fillets in pan and drizzle with oil.
• Bake for eight to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

Serves 4

Per serving: 231 calories; 25-percent fat, 40-percent protein, 35-percent carbohydrate.

Broiled Halibut Recipe

flickr image by Charles Haynes 

This beautiful seafood dish is not only pleasing to the palate, but also a nice-looking dish that can be served on Valentine's day.

6 4-oz halibut steaks

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tbs low-calorie margarine, melted

Sauce

2 tbs low-calorie margarine

1          cup minced onion

2          red peppers, sliced in thin strips*

16-oz can tomatoes, undrained and cut into small pieces

1/8 tsp red chili pepper

1/8 tsp salt (optional)

• Sprinkle halibut with pepper; brush with margarine.
• Broil or barbecue five inches from heat for five to eight minutes.
• Turn carefully and cook for another five to eight minutes, or until fish is firm and turns from translucent to opaque.

In a saucepan, melt margarine. Add onion and red peppers, and cook until tender, about four minutes. Add tomatoes, chili pepper and salt (if desired). Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon sauce over halibut steaks.

Serves 6

Per serving: 165 calories; 27-percent fat, 51-percent protein, 22-percent carbohydrate.

*For Valentine's Day you can use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut red pepper. Use the trimmings as well.

Clams Marinara with Pasta

Flickr image by Edsel L

Here’s a low-calorie seafood pasta recipe from Southeastern USA.

1 Tbsp             olive oil

1cup                 chopped onion

2cloves             garlic, minced

8-oz can           tomato sauce

28-oz can         whole tomatoes, undrained and mashed

1 tsp                 dried basil

1 tsp                 dried thyme

1 tsp                 dried marjoram

1 tsp                 dried oregano

1                      bay leaf

1/4 tsp              fresh ground pepper

1 Tbsps            parsley, minced

1 lb                  clams, shucked and drained (16 clams in shells or 2 6V2-OZ cans,

drained)

12-oz package fettuccine noodles

• Heat oil in large saucepan.
• Add onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is tender.
• Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, spices and parsley.
• Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf and discard. Add clams; cover and simmer for five minutes.
•  Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Serve clams and sauce over noodles.

Serves 6

Per serving: 316 calories; 6-percent fat, 29-percent protein, 64-percent carbohydrate.

Scallops with Chives and Peppers

flickr image by adactio

 Here’s a low calorie seafood recipe from Northeastern USA.

½ t       olive oil

1 T       low-calorie margarine

2 pcs   dried hot chili peppers (optional)

¾ lb     fresh scallops

3 T       fresh chives, chopped

½         red pepper, thinly sliced

Pinch of ground cloves

• Heat oil and margarine in skillet.
• Add chili peppers and saute for 30 seconds.
• Add scallops and saute just long enough to heat through, about two minutes.
• Stir in chives, red pepper slices and cloves. Cook for 30 seconds more.
• Serve over pasta or rice.

Serves 4

Per serving: 115 calories; 16-percent fat, 81-percent protein, 3-percent carbohydrate.