Category: Nutrition

Kombucha – The Rant

The internet has become a “collective brain” that has spasmodic episodes when it comes to concepts and things that are rediscovered, uncovered, and moreover, currently in vogue.  Think “gone viral”.  Speaking of viral, the new popularity of Kombucha is growing in leaps and bounds. It has near legendary status as a mysterious “cure-all”.  There is nothing truly magical about this sweet tea that is fermented by a variety of yeasts and “friendly” bacteria.  This soup of helpful (versus harmful) yeast and bacteria are actually good to consume. Once they are consumed, they work in our intestinal system helping rid us of specific toxins, harmful bacteria, and supplying our system with other not-so-well-known benefits.

Scientific studies have shown that not a great amount of vitamins and minerals in the liquid.  Certainly, most of the benefits of tea are in Kombucha tea.  However, as it has been said by people very learned in the art and science of Kombucha, it is not a panacea.  The fermented tea by becoming part of the beneficial flora in your intestinal system helps to strengthen your immune system.  This happens in a natural way.  It cures nothing in particular and assists in your personal health in various ways.

When it comes to diabetes, there is still sugar in Kombucha finished tea.  Yet, the longer it ferments, the less sugar there is, but, there is still sugar.  Taking the 4 ounce intake dosage recommended by the CDC and many other authorities, you won’t be taking in much sugar. Many people drink up to 16 ounces of KT per day.  This amount won’t kill you, but the extra sugar intake could be harmful to type II diabetics.  I suggest moderation.  Besides, there is a point of diminishing returns on putting that much microflora into your system.  Everything in moderation.

The rant that I have is the commercial influx of Kombucha on the market.  Many of the commercially available brands has high sugar quantities.  Many have been pasteurized killing the beneficial bacteria that makes it a “probiotic” drink.  Therefor, it becomes quite simply a “Kombucha Flavored” drink.  This would not be so bad if a bottle were 99 cents.  But, currently, these drinks go for from $2.99 to $3.69 per 16 ounce bottle.  These prices are then compared to the more natural, personally controlled, and just as advantageous to your health homemade Kombucha.  Homemade Kombucha biggest expense is containers.  That is another reason why the commercial offerings are so expensive. The cost of tea and sugar needed for a homemade batch of KT is negligible compared to the cost of commercial offerings.

All in all, some of the commercially available brands of KT are good. GT’s Living Foods are my top pick.  I have no pecuniary interest in this, just making a blog entry.

If you love Kombucha tea, try making your own.  A great place to start is Cultures for Health.

Kombucha – The Journey

Secondary bottle conditioning of finished Kombucha tea.

Kombucha straight from the batch or container after 7-14 days tastes great as it is. The longer you wait for the SCOBY to do its thing, the more acidic or vinegary the liquid tastes. In addition, the more vinegary the taste, the less residual sugar resides in the Kombucha tea.  There is a point where the sweetness and the acidity are fairly well balanced. This is when the Kombucha is ready to be either consumed or used in a secondary fermentation.  It is my opinion that the Fermented tea should be dispensed while still a bit sweet when undertaking a secondary fermentation. The sugar is further consumed by the yeast during the secondary fermentation phase.

The secondary bottle conditioning is where the real magic happens. You can tell from the numerous posts on the internet that getting Kombucha fizzy is what a lot of people are looking for, including myself.

I find that 4 things have a large effect on getting a good carbonation on your finished Kombucha.

  1.  Use fresh fruits, fruit purees, and/or organic, as-raw-as-possible fruit juices.
  2. Temperature has a lot to do with how long you need to allow the bottle conditioning, at room temperature of 70-75 degrees F., to continue.  I have been leaving the room temperature secondary ferment to continue for up to 5 days when the temperature was at 70-71 degrees F.
  3. Use good, strong, bale-top bottles to do the secondary, bottle conditioning. Mason jars and inexpensive bale-top bottles usually made in Italy are not suitable to contain the pressure and do not maintain a good seal in order to contain the carbon dioxide.
  4. Enough yeast to consume any added sugar or fruit.  This is accomplished by agitating the yeast on the bottom of the vessel before dispensing to bottles.

Fresh fruits are the most desirable items to use to flavor finished Kombucha tea.  Strawberries, raspberries, lemons, oranges, ginger root, mangoes, pineapples – these are just a few of the many fruits that can be effectively used to flavor finished Kombucha tea. Fruit purees make a bit of a messy “sludge” which can be strained out with layers of cheesecloth but will infuse the fruit flavor into the finished tea.  Purees take more time and effort which most of us are not overeager to use.  Good, organic, pure, not-sugar added, etc. fruit juices are the most convenient way to add flavor to finished Kombucha tea. However, it is nearly impossible to beat the taste of fresh, organic fruits in the Kombucha. They just have to be strained before drinking unless you like the tart, slightly fermented taste of the fruits themselves.  In that case, go for it.

Temperature has a direct bearing on the bottle-conditioning time for the secondary Kombucha flavoring stage of Kombucha tea.  I was told by someone who has been fermenting all sorts of  things that there is a big difference between winter fermentation and summer fermentation.  Most homes are kept rather cool in the winter and much warmer in the summer months.  So, when bottle conditioning in the winter time, you need to wait longer to do the secondary, or bottle conditioning.  Summer fermentation relating to Kombucha will be new to me.  I suppose the winter bottle conditioning can take up to 5 days whereas a summer secondary condition will take more like 2-3 days before storing in the refrigerator.

Purchase or locate good quality, swing-top bottles specifically made to hold highly carbonated drinks. I initially tried several Italian made bale-top bottles for the secondary fermentation.  First of all, they don’t hold a good seal.  Second, the glass is thin and, if they held a seal, they could break from the pressure.  These are best used to contain flavored vinegars.  Mason jars are not made to hold a lot of pressure.  They are made for a vacuum seal. Also, the jar lids may or may not hold the carbon dioxide, but the danger from glass breaking is too great to chance it.  The Grolsch style bale-top bottles used in brewing beer are the best.  They do make a clear bottle which allow you to see the contents of the Kombucha which is nice.  However, the brown bottles help keep the sunlight out which is detrimental to the life of the yeasts and bacteria. So, get some good quality bale-top bottles to contain your secondary brewing of Kombucha tea and flavorings. The 32 ounce growler bottles with a flip-top sold at growler shops are very good for the secondary, bottle conditioning.  Also, Trader Joe’s sells a bale-top bottle of Ginger Ale which are a nice size as well and hold a good seal.  I cannot emphasis the fact enough that a good airtight seal is paramount to a good carbonation of Kombucha tea.

Finally, tea is a matter of taste.  I found that green tea is much lighter in taste than black tea.  Green tea also seems to sour quicker than  the darker, black tea.  I also believe, again a matter of taste, that the black tea melds better with most fruits flavors than the green does.  It really does not take a great deal of fruit to flavor your Kombucha tea. Experimentation is the name of the game when flavoring finished Kombucha tea.

Kombucha – The Beginnings

Raspberry Kombucha
Raspberry Kombucha

While at lunch on day, a coworker had a bottle of Kombucha and I asked her for a small sample.  I loved it.  Honestly, if you don’t like sour, vinegary, tart, slightly fermented flavors, I suggest you discontinue reading this piece.

I like kefir, buttermilk, sour cream, sauerkraut, sour pickles, and other food items that can be made using fermentation.  In all sincerity, most of us know that these foods were once created by natural fermentation are now processed and produced in mass quantities. Food in general is not nearly as healthy as they used to be back in the day.

So, while at Fresh Market, my wife Cat and I picked up a few bottles of commercially prepared kombucha. One was a ginger flavored bottle and the other a cranberry flavored one.  The are especially good when cooled and very effervescent.  Probiotics are all the rage now and kombucha also called “booch” by enthusiasts and are rather easy to make.  There is a little bit of SCOBY at the bottom of most bottles.  A SCOBY is a Symbiotic Culture (or Community) Of Bacteria (beneficial, of course) and Yeast.

SCOBY – Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast

When creating my most recent home brewed beer that I saw kombucha SCOBYs in the local brew supply shop.  They were in a large jar stacked together. It`s called a SCOBY Hotel (no joke). So, I ventured down to the brew shop and asked to purchase one.  I later learned that purchasing a SCOBY of size is only necessary if you wanted quicker gratification in making your own.  You can start your SCOBY from a commercial jar of plain, raw Kombucha, some black tea, non-chlorinated water, and plain white sugar.

The proportions for making 1/2 Gallon of the sweet tea are:

  • 1/2 Gallon Non-Chlorinated Water
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 4-6 Bags of Black or Green Tea (or mix is fine)

I prepared a 1/2 gallon batch of sweetened tea which cooled to room temperature.  I added the SCOBY to the tea which was in a 1/2 gallon pickle jar which I previously cleaned and rinsed in white vinegar.  I did not have any kombucha starter since this was my first batch, so I added about a 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  This is added to make the solution more acidic which inhibits undesired microbial growth.  I then added the SCOBY and a little of the kombucha liquid into the room temperature tea.  I placed a coffee filter over the top of the jar and secured it with a rubber band.  I waited 8 days tasting the tea each day after the 5th day of fermentation.  The kombucha tea can sit and ferment for up to 30 days without any negative effects on the SCOBY.  The longer you allow it to ferment, the stronger the vinegar taste and less sugar.

Ginger Ale on left, Cranberry Apple Kombucha, then Plain Kombucha on the right

Since this was my first brew, I waited only 8 days and bottled it in flip-top bottles. I made one bottle of plain unflavored kombucha and added about 1/2 cup of apple-cranberry juice to the other bottle.  These were 1/2 liter bottles.  I place to wait 1-2 weeks before refrigerating.

Here are the next batches of 1/2 gallon Kombucha brews:

Black and Green Kombucha Tea beginning their transformation

 

Cassoulet -Casserole Recipe from the South of France

This recipe originating from the south of France, is a combination of beans, smoked sausage, and vegetables that takes no special ingredients and tastes delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ pound smoked sausage, sliced
  • 1 15-oz can of rinsed and dried kidney beans
  • 1 15-oz can of rinsed and dried white kidney beans (or Navy beans)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

When you begin, heat the oil in a large skillet, add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic, then cook and stir for a few minutes until your onion is transparent. Next, add the sausage into the skillet and cook through until the meat has turned a golden brown.

Add the beans and tomatoes, and use the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper as seasonings. Cover the top of the pan and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once everything is fully simmered, remove the bay leaves. Pair with a fresh salad and bread.

Cajun Style Beans and Rice Recipe

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1 pound pinto beans
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (vegetable oil)
1 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
(alternately use other sausages like Kielbasa)
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 12 ounces)
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 8 ounces)
4 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 8 ounces)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves

Hot sauce to taste
Cider vinegar, to taste (optional)

Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

  1. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 6 cups (1.5L) cold water. Add 2 tablespoons (30g) kosher salt and stir until dissolved. Set aside at room temperature for 8 to 16 hours. Drain and rinse.
  2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until oil shimmers.
  3. Add andouille sausage and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery.
  5. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes.
  6. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
  7. Add cayenne pepper, sage, and a generous 10 to 12 grinds of fresh black pepper.
  8. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  9. Add beans, along with enough water to cover by about 2 inches (roughly 6 to 8 cups), ham hock (if using), thyme, and bay leaves.
  10. Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook until beans are completely tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Older beans can take longer.)
  11. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened and turned creamy, about 20 minutes.
  12. If the pot starts to look dry before the stew turns creamy, add a cup of water and continue simmering. Repeat as necessary until desired level of creaminess is achieved.
  13. Discard bay leaves and thyme stems.
  14. Season to taste with hot sauce, a few teaspoons of cider vinegar (if using), and more salt and pepper.

For best texture, let cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the next day, adding a little water to loosen to desired consistency. In other words, the leftovers get better, just make some fresh cooked rice to go with.

Serve red beans over steamed white rice.

 

Camping Rice and Beans

NOTE: This recipe can be varied when it comes to what spices and added vegetables are on hand.  Basic beans and rice can work with a little salt and pepper.  Other spices that you like can be added to this to make it more flavorful. A cajun spice blend is perfect for rice and beans, for example.  The tomatoes, whether fresh, canned, or spicey Rotels and the canned chilies add some nutrition and flavor to the rice and beans; however, they are optional.  Other things can always be added if desired and on hand such as a small can of chicken, a few shrimp, pieces of cooked fish, even bits of beef jerky. use your imagination to add to this basic foodstuff.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup white rice
  • 1 cup chicken stock, chicken bouillion or water
  • Cooking oil oil – approximately 2 Tbsp.
  • 1 Tsp ground cumin (optional)
  • 1 small to medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced
  • 1 cup cooked pinto beans
  • 1 small can chopped green chilis
  • 1 small tomato, diced or small can stewed (or small can Rotel for spice)
  • Salt, as needed
  • Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Serves 2

  1. Cook the rice Cook the white rice as desired. See How to Cook Rice
  2.  Cook the aromatics and beans Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil immediately add the cumin (optional spice). Stir the cumin into the oil, let it cook until fragrant (30 seconds), add the garlic and onion and stir till the onion is translucent. Add another small amount of oil, then pour in the beans. Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, cooking off most of the liquid and letting the beans fry.
  3. Add chilies and tomatoes Add the can of chilies and tomatoes, stir, and cook for another few minutes. Salt as needed for flavor, then add in hot sauce (or cayenne) to desired level of spice.
  4. Combine and serve When the rice is done, add it to the pan of beans and stir everything together.

How to Cook Rice

Here are two standard methods for cooking rice:

Method 1 – Boiled Rice

  1. Per cup ( 8 oz / 200 g) of uncooked rice, bring to a boil in a large saucepan 2 cups (16 oz / 500 ml) of water
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
  3. Slowly pour rice in
  4. Then stir lightly, then cover the pot
  5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes

Method 2 – Par-Boil Rice

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of fat (such as oil or butter) in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
  2. Pour in 1 cup (8 oz / 200 g) of uncooked rice, stir around to coat, and cook until rice turns a bit transparent, about 5 minutes. (Optional: for a nuttier tasting rice, brown the kernels a bit by cooking them a bit longer until they just start to brown.)
  3. Slowly pour in 2 cups (16 oz / 500 ml) of already boiling water from the kettle, stir in 1 teaspoon of salt if desired, cover, and then cook for 15 minutes.
  • For either method:

If all the water has gone but the rice is not yet tender, add a few tablespoons of boiling water, cover and cook a bit more; if water has remained but the rice is cooked, remove cover and cook a minute or two uncovered to allow water to evaporate until the water is gone.

Miscellaneous rice cooking tips

  • Don’t stir rice while it is cooking, as stirring it will make it sticky. (Risotto is the exception: you want it sticky.)
  • The wider the mouth on your pot, the better your rice will cook.
    If you have storage space for a rice steamer, they are inexpensive, and take all the stress out of cooking rice.
  • When reheating leftover rice in a microwave, add 1 teaspoon of water per cup (150 g / 4 oz) of cooked, leftover rice.
  • To make a soup thicker, throw in a few handfuls of leftover cooked rice towards the end.

25 LBS Rice is 275 servings of cooked rice
1 Pound uncooked = 11 servings cooked

Cooking Pinto Beans

  1. Sort beans and remove discolored beans and anything other than a bean
  2. Wash the sorted beans, put in pot, cover with water and soak for 6 hours to overnight
  3. Place on heat source and bring to a boil
  4. Let boil for 10 minutes stirring occasionally
  5. Reduce to a bare simmer, partly cover pot with lid, and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours
  6. Continue stirring occasionally.
  7. Make sure the beans are soft before removing from simmer

Equivalents and Measures

1 Pound Pinto Beans = 12 half-cup servings
100 servings = 8.33 pounds on pinto beans

One pound bag of dry beans = 2 cups dry beans
One pound bag of dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans, drained
One cup of dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans, drained
½ cup cooked beans, drained = 1 serving of beans
One 15-oz. can of beans = 1.75 cups cooked beans, drained
One 15-oz. can of beans = 3.5 servings of beans

Liquid Salad

Fresh Ingredients

Run the ingredients below through a juicer for an energizing drink that you will actually feel in about 20 minutes after you drink it.  Add a lemon or lime for some extra zip.

1 Full Long Stalk Celery 4% Potassium, 2% Sodium, 5% Vitamin A, 3% Vitamin C, 1% Magnesium
1/4 Cauliflower Head 50% Potassium, 7% Sodium, 22% Protein, 472% Vitamin C, 55% Vitamin B-6, 22% Magnesium, 12% Calcium
1 Large Cucumber 12% Potassium, 4% Protein, 14% Vitamin C, 4% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 9% Magnesium, 4% Calcium
6 Carrots 5% Potassium, 1% Sodium, 1% Protein, 203% Vitamin A, 6% Vitamin C, 5% Vitamin B-6, 1% Magnesium, 2% Calcium
1 Bunch Kale 9% Potassium, 1% Sodium, 133% Vitamin A, 134% Vitamin C, 5% Iron, 10% Vitamin B-6, 7% Magnesium, 10% Calcium
1 Green Apple 5% Potassium, 1% Vitamin A, 14% Vitamin C, 1% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 2% Magnesium, 1% Calcium
3/4 Inch Fresh Ginger 1% Potassium, 1% Vitamin C, 1% Magnesium
1 Inch Fresh Turmeric 4% Potassium, 3% Vitamin C, 15% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 3% Magnesium, 1% Calcium

Makes aprox. 40 oz. (4 servings)

Percent of Daily Recommendation:

Nutrient                     40 oz                   10 oz
————-                       ———                    ——–
Potassium                   88%                   22%
Sodium                        11%                   2.8%
Vitamin A                   342%                 85.5%
Vitamin C                   631%                 157.8%
Vitamin B-6                85%                   21.25%
Magnesium                46%                   11.5%
Calcium                       21%                   5.25%
Iron                              25%                   6.25%
Protein                        23%                   6.25%

IMG_1715

Pecan Crusted Fish Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 (5 -6 ounce) fish fillets
  • 1⁄4 cup buttermilk
  • 1⁄4 cup pecans (finely ground in food processor or chop finely with knife)
  • 3⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch cayenne

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F; lightly oil a baking pan.
  2. Rinse the fish and place it in a shallow dish.
  3. Pour the buttermilk over the fillets.
    In a separate shallow dish, combine the pecans, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and cayenne.
  4. One at a time, remove the fillets from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drain off.
  5. Dredge in the pecan mixture to coat all sides.
  6. Place each coated fillet in the baking pan.
  7. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fillets, until the topping is lightly browned and the fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork.