Category: Recipes

Let’s Get Cultured- Introducing the Best Fermented Foods Book Yet

Gina LaVerde

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Miso Ramen
Miso Ramen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hey Bliss Bombs,

I’m so excited to share the release of this awesome new fermented foods book with you. I had the grand opportunity of contributing recipes alongside experts, health advocates and chefs like Donna Gates and Kevin Gianni.

The book, “Cultured: Make Healthy Fermented Foods at Home” boasts recipes like watermelon kimchi, homemade miso, kombucha, and the healthiest of chocolates, kefirs and MORE. Plus, this stuff seriously tastes great.

But it’s not just about recipes. This is a very user-friendly compilation of history, how-to’s and what-for’s on fermented foods, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Kevin Gianni (editor of this gorgeously delicious) book says that “Fermented Foods May Be the Healthiest, Most Affordable and Easiest to Make Superfoods on the Planet.” And, I couldn’t agree more. You know I love these foods for more than just their taste. They totally helped save our family from autism , candida, acne, seizures, acid reflux and so much more.

Please let me know if you have any questions about fermented foods and their use in healing your family. I am happy to share.

You didn’t think I’d leave you without a recipe, did ya? Never. Check out this one from the book:

Contributed by Shira Locarni (superfoods-for-superhealth.com)


Homemade Garbanzo Miso Recipe

5 cups dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight (traditional soy is used, see side note*)
1 cup sea salt
3 tbsp unpasteurized miso
5 cups koji
1 cup cooking liquid

Equipment:

A one gallon glass jar or a crock of similar size
Plate, lid or wooden disk that fits snugly inside the jar
Heavy weight or clean rock
Thick cotton cloth to cover everything

Cook the beans until soft. Strain and save 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Allow beans to cool and dry in a strainer for an hour or two. Process beans in a food processor for desired texture.

Dissolve 3/4 cup sea salt into 1 cup cooking liquid to make a brine. Mash the 3 tbsp unpasteurized miso into 1 cup brine. Mix brine (containing salt and 3 tbsp miso) with the koji.

In a big bowl, add processed beans to this brine mixture. This is your miso.

Packing for Fermentation: (I often do this part first while the garbanzos are cooling.)

Wet the sides of the jar slightly with hands dipped in water. Place some salt inside the side of jar, put the lid on or cover, and shake it around, coating all sides and bottom of jar or crock with a salt layer. Pack the miso into the crock/jar with clean hands, press down firmly. Spread a generous layer of salt over the top. Place the flat object on top and put the weight on top of that. Cover with cloth and secure well with a tight rubber band, string or tape.

You have the option to continue the fermentation process, and like with fine wine, it only gets better with time. If you decide to continue fermentation for another year it is good to test it out and repack it again with salt.

Miso years are calculated by the number of summers it has aged. So, if you have gone through one summer of fermentation, then you have one year old miso. I like to start my miso projects in the spring time, so they are ripe and ready to experience the warmer temps of summer when they tend to be more active.

*You can make this recipe using soy beans as well. Just be sure to use organic soy, since there is less chance of genetically modified contamination.

What is koji and where can I find it?

Koji is a Japanese rice on which koji mold spores have been cultivated. This process allows for the fermentation of koji rice, which is the primary ingredient in sake. Although koji spores can be bought, they usually have to be bought from specialty importers. However, fermented koji rice that has already been inoculated with the spores can be found at your local Asian grocery.

Helpful Tips:

It is important that your miso is packed tightly, free from oxidation and protected by the salt layer. The cloth will also help to keep out impurities and unwanted bacteria.

Label your crock/jar with the date. Store the jar in a cellar, basement or other cool, dark spot where it will remain undisturbed. Have patience and ferment for one year. (See “miso years” above.) Open, scrap off top layer and celebrate with family and friends… your very first batch of homemade miso!! It should smell rich and savory like tamari. Pack it in clean, glass jars with plastic lids and refrigerate or store in a cool place.

Get “Cultured” Here http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4452873.

Namaste,
Gina
Earth Day Cake: May Your Wishes All Come True

Earth Day Cake: May Your Wishes All Come True

Gina LaVerde

Happy  Healing Heart Pink Full Moon in Scorpio! It just so happens to be Earth Day and the beginning of Passover as well. So, we’ve got a lot to celebrate and a lot to “deal with” energetically. First, Have your Cake! Read more →

11 Bone and Vegan Broth Hacks for Healing a Leaky Gut

11 Bone and Vegan Broth Hacks for Healing a Leaky Gut

Gina LaVerde

It blizzard-ed this week in my sweet hometown, Chicago.  Just to be clear, a blizzard happened in April.  In the spring. The husband and I thought we could be part-time mid-westerners, because we see the irreplaceable value of our children’s grandparents and extended (crazy) family (who still lives there despite the obvious weather problems). We lasted four long cold months (end of summer through the beginning of spring). Read more →

Simple Spicy Probiotic Sunflower Seed Hummus Recipe

Simple Spicy Probiotic Sunflower Seed Hummus Recipe

Gina LaVerde

Fermented or probiotic foods are all the rage right now because we are finally recognizing their power to heal and re-establish balance in our gut bacteria.  Read more →

Magical Moon-Day Morning Mushroom Elixir 

Magical Moon-Day Morning Mushroom Elixir 

Gina LaVerde
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That’s a Reishi Mushroom to my left. ❤

Dougie and I began our Monday Moon-day celebration with a calming, warming winter drink that both supports the immune system and aids in gentle cleansing. Plus, to us… It’s pure deliciousness. Read more →

Spicy Kale Chips with a Thyroid-Loving Twist

Spicy Kale Chips with a Thyroid-Loving Twist

Gina LaVerde

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Even people who don’t Ike their vegetables seem to flip over kale chips. A tiny bag of them at the Santa Monica Co-Op is about 8 bucks. And, if you’ve ever bought them, you know you don’t really wanna share yours. These crunchy, salty bites of BLISS are all the rave in the raw food community.

Yet, with so many of us dealing with low thyroid function, it’s important to know that raw cruciferous veggies do contain goitrogens, which are thyroid inhibitors. Too many raw cruciferous vegetables like kale, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts can slow your thyroid function.

Remember that your thyroid is responsible for energy, speed of digestion, hormone balance, sex drive and more! Most people notice the effect in their depleted energy levels. They get tired. You might need a major nap after downing a handful of raw kale chips if they are slowing your thyroid.

Plenty of peeps seem to do just fine with them. But, my clients tend to be very sensitive and dealing with complicated autoimmune issues. So, I try to come up with recipes that are more easily digestible than what’s popular. Yet just as yummy.

I’ve learned that fermenting allows you to enjoy these enzyme-rich foods in their raw form without the negative effects– because the fermentation process pre-digests the vegetables. But, fermented kale chips don’t taste so great!

I believe this recipe is a little bit healthier for our ever-loving-thyroids because it gets broken down a little and then dehydrated at a higher temperature. They are delish! I’m mucho sensitive, and I can eat a whole batch with no problemo.

I’ll have more info coming up on thyroid and adrenal health as I’m going to be experimenting with balancing my own endocrine system.

Ingredients:
Lots of Kale ( we like dinosaur kale the best for chips)
1lemon per bunch of kale
Dash Apple cider vinegar
Sea salt
Italian seasonings
Curry
Cumin
Cayenne
Olive oil

Process:

We like to keep our kale leaves whole when using dinosaur kale, and we tear them apart by hand if using the more leafy kind.

Clean up your kale and cut off the fibrous stem part. Then, let it dry naturally.

Use your taste buds to help you gauge the amount of spices to use. Taste as you go. I like a lot of spice. Give your kale a good massage with lemons, apple cider vinegar, oil and the spice mixture. Then allow it to marinate overnight in a covered glass bowl or pan.

Then, line up your chips so that none are touching and air can circulate, and dehydrate these beauties at a slightly warmer temp. I do 150 degrees in my Excalibur dehydrator until crispy. It takes about 5 hours.

Or, you can line your kale up on a pizza pan or non toxic baking dish and bake at your lowest temp until crispy.

These are so delicious!

Did You Dig this article? If so, you may wanna… Check out our 3 Days to Bliss Toolkit…Free! It’s got recipes, mantras and exercises we used to heal our family!

 

 

Gina

Image Credit:http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=5747444&searchId=42fea9d5c59a9a017e14d85016de3795&npos=1

Gina

Simple and Delish Homemade Veggie Chips

Simple and Delish Homemade Veggie Chips

Gina LaVerde

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Whip these chips up in a jiff and have a healthier snack for your fam. Dip them in guacamole, hummus, seed cheese, or your favorite spread, and store in a paper bag. Plastic makes them all mushy. If you want to have a bunch on hand, it’s best to make extra dough and freeze until your ready to dehydrate and eat them– because they taste better this way. And they won’t last too long in the fridge.

Enjoy!

ingredients

3 large zucchini squash
3 large carrots
1/4 cup chopped green onion
½ cup fresh dill
2-3 tsp celery seed
1 tblsp. olive oil
Pinch seal salt

Process

Shred your zucchini and carrots in a food processor, add in chopped green onion, dill, celery seed and olive oil and sea salt — and process for about 1 minute. Your mixture should be slightly sticky.

Raw Method: Spoon cracker sized servings onto dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 5-6 hours. Flip your chips every two hours. I use an Excalibur dehydrator at 115 degrees.

Baked Method: Spoon cracker sized servings onto a greased pizza stone and bake on low for 2-3 hours or until crispy. Flip your chips after 1 hour.

Variations: add spinach, arugula, and vary the herbs for different flavors.

Image credit: http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=814743&searchId=e346fda7d01d80241d0305be4013e5cd&npos=35

Fermented Fig Fantasy Dressing

Fermented Fig Fantasy Dressing

Gina LaVerde

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Do you love figs? I do! And, besides eating them in the wildly delicious gluten-free newtons from the Santa Monica Co-Op, I had to figure out what else to do with the things so that my obsession didn’t get boring. Naturally, I went to fermentation. I’ve tried to ferment almost everything you can think of from green beans to chocolate to spice mixes and teas. It’s not always a success. But, this my dears…this figgy frenzy was a fermentation feat for my record book. In fact, I often serve this in my classes and bring it to parties.

Figs are full of sugar, so naturally they have what it takes to feed the healthy probiotics in the fermentation process. Leaving them to ferment for 24 hours doesn’t produce alcohol for me. So, it’s all good. The fermentation simply breaks down the sugar and makes the whole shabang easier to digest, and also offers you some healing pro-bugs for your beautious digestive tract.

Fermentation also makes the minerals and fiber more bioavailable to you. That means that your body will actually accept more nourishment from these delicious fruits in their fermented state.

Figs are very alkalizing and have the energy to help your stomach, spleen and pancreas do their jobs, and get food and fluids moving through and balanced. No wonder why I love them so. I found myself having spleen/stomach problems a while back. Sweet foods have a necessary role in health besides providing us with caloric energy and enjoyment. They can be very supportive and tonifying. Of course, the more figgy love you have, the closer to the bathroom I recommend you stay. The little guys can also be quite laxative.

If you’re on a candida cleanse or doing Body Ecology, you may feel the need to stray from all sugars. We did that for a while and it worked for us. However, when I started adding in more fermented foods and fermenting salad dressings and stuff like that– our whole family came to be able to process sugar much better. In fact, we also became able to process fats, proteins, and carbs much better too. We no longer think sugar is evil. We like it. And our adventures into fermentation have taken away all of those wicked cravings for the sugar beast.

Figgy Juice

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh figs (dried)
Coconut kefir to cover figs
Sterile Jar
Process:
Pack Figs in jar and cover with kefir.
Ferment for 24 hours
use “juice” in salad dressings
Figs can be used in desserts or dressings

Sweet Fig Dressing
Ingredients:
Handful fermented figs
splash fermented fig joose
splash ume boshi vinegar
sea salt to taste
handful, chives, cilantro, basil, parsley, sunflower seeds
olive oil

Process
Begin to blend some figs and fig juice and keep adding ingredients until you have a “salad dressing” consistency that floats your boat.

Note: you may also dig adding some fig bits to your chocolates. I do.

Tons more fermented food recipes are on their way loves.

Have a Gorgeous Day,

Gina

Image Credit: http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=607667&searchId=2767f53421c93206af49c76a7b358d77&npos=10

Have a Juicy Thanksgiving: Delicious Raw Vegan Holiday Alternatives

Gina LaVerde

 

Good Morning Loves!

Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day here in the US, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the BLISS I’ve experienced from a high raw vegan lifestyle. This is the kind of EATING that opens your MIND. In that light, we have a guest post today from Allison Brooks, who shares a mix of past info and modern science. Max Gerson was using raw juices to cure cancer in the 50s, and finally, we have modern science to support those of us on that healing path. YUM!

By Allison, Brooks

Get Juiced!

Not in the steroid sense, but sorta…

Many people today don’t understand how food really works with our bodies (or at least I didn’t). Most  of us know that there are healthy foods, processed foods, fuel foods, and then those fast-foods, but not everyone knows how those foods work with our body.

It wasn’t until the document, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, came out that I learned what phytochemicals, lycopene, and other foreign words were. But after some research I learned how these natural chemicals interact with our body to promote healthy function, and that all my “natural” foods weren’t so natural anymore.

Many of these natural mixes and chemistry-knowledge have led many naturopathic and homeopathic practitioners to produce immune boosters to help the body during its weakest times. These range from common cold remedies, to post-workout relief, and to more serious issues like cancer. This does not mean that these juices cure cancer, but instead aid the body and keep it strong during very intense conventional treatments.

Many doctors see that benefits from these natural juices and have recommended patients with a low-survivability rate cancer, such as non-hodgkin’s lymphoma or pleural mesothelioma, to practice juicing with specific recipes or take classes to learn the helpful components of each ingredient. This is not only a healthy addition for patients, but it also gives them a sense of control when life might seem out of their reach.

So today, I have listed a couple of yummy recipes to spur any cleanse, detox, immune boost, or just healthy treat for all you “Bliss Bombs.”  The best part is that the prep time is just a matter of seconds. Hope you enjoy!!

Thanksgiving-Day Treat:

This juice is a great way to stay  healthy Turkey Day, but still enjoy the yummy-ness.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups butternut squash
  •  1 large honeycrisp apple dash cinnamon

Directions:

  • Wash apple and squash well
  •  Peel squash and cut into chunks
  •  Cut apple to fit into chute of juicer
  • Juice
  • Pour over ice Sprinkle cinnamon on top of juice

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Getaway:

This juice has been studied, and used in cancer hospitals to give patients a healthy boost and delicious treat. It is rich in antioxidants and great for digestion, and its a little taste of paradise.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ Pineapple
  •  1 cup blueberries
  •  1 piece for fresh ginger (roughly ½ inch)

Directions:

  • Wash ingredients
  • Core and Peel Pineapple
  • Juice
  • Pour over or blend ice Sprinkle coconut on top for an added island feel.
Enjoy!

My name is Allison Brooks and I am a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. I earned my B.S. in Biomedical Anthropology and have continued my research to work towards a completed ethnography. I mainly focus on the effects of biomedicalization on different cultures, but I do branch off into other fields of anthropology.

 

Fermented Orange Dreams and Chocolate Dreams Come True

Fermented Orange Dreams and Chocolate Dreams Come True

Gina LaVerde
English: Orange juice. Italiano: Succo d'aranc...
English: Orange juice. Italiano: Succo d’arancia. Português: Suco de laranja. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re looking for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink to sip at parties this summer, or to simply toast to your everyday Bliss — you so have to try theses fermented recipes I just whipped up.

Orange Dream

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice (fresh is best)

1 cup fermented coconut milk kefir (just add a Body Ecology Kefir starter to 1 qt coconut milk and ferment for 24 hours at room temp in a sealed, sterile glass jar)

1/2  cup coconut kefir

1 tsp raw ginger juice

drizzle raw honey (or as much as floats your boat)

Ice ice ice

Process:

  • Stir your  honey into the O.J. with a wooden spoon
  • Add ginger juice
  • Stir in Fermented Coconut milk
  • Stir in Coconut kefir
  • Pour over ice
  • Yum!

For an even more blissful Treat, mix 1/2 cup of this chocolate shake with your Orange Dreams for a Chocolate Dream come true

The recipes will be in my upcoming book “Are You Eating Your Bugs: The Delicious Way We Conquered Autism, Seizures and learned to Trust Our Guts.” So, stay tuned for more info on that.