Switchel

What is switchel? Switchel is a fermented lemon/ginger drink that is especially refreshing during the summer when working in the heat! The fermented aspect provides probiotics for the gut, the apple cider vinegar helps you be able to drink greater amounts without feeling bloated, and the lemon and ginger help hydrate you more effectively! Plus, it is simply delicious. I try to always have a few bottles brewing throughout the summer.

Ingredients for switchel:

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)

• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar

• 4 Lemons (juiced)

• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother 

• ¼ cup raw honey

• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly) 

Additional Supplies for switchel:

• ½ Gallon sized mason jar or similar vessel with a sealing lid

• Metal strainer

Directions for making switchel:

In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey. 

To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.

Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator. 

Pour over ice and enjoy!

- Hollie

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Switchel

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar
• 4 Lemons (juiced)
• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother
• ¼ cup raw honey
• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey.
2. To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.
3. Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator.
4. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

Ingredients for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

• 1 cup cream 

• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2-3 tbsp honey

• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Directions for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

1. Preheat oven to 340F

2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy. 

3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).

4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high. 

5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath. 

6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick. 

*Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

Practical uses:

• To help relieve headaches (while pregnant or not!)

• For help sleeping if you typically wake up around 1-3 am

• To help babies sleep (after you’ve introduced dairy/eggs) - for this one just omit the honey, it’s still great!

• For a pick-me-up snack in the afternoon when you might crave sugar or caffeine

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Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream
• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp honey
• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 340F
2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy.
3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).
4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high.
5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath.
6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick.
7. Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

GAPS Friendly Homemade Yogurt

Let’s make yogurt! Around here we are very into fermented and cultured foods. Not only are they delicious but they are so full of probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are easy for our bodies to utilize! 

Fermented and cultured foods can seem intimidating to those who have not made them, but once you’ve started in the world of ferments and cultures, you will see how easy, quick, and fun they are. 

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorites. We use raw milk, but you can use pasteurized milk if that is all you have access to. It will need to be whole milk, preferably organic, and grass fed, and it cannot be UHT (or ultra-high temperature) pasteurized. You’ll treat it a little differently than raw milk, so pay attention to those directions. You can also use numerous types of starters - whey, creme fraiche, another yogurt - if you have any of these on hand, you can make yogurt! Like the milk, if you are using yogurt as a starter, you can use one that you previously made, or you can use yogurt from the store. Just make sure it is whole milk, organic, plain, with no other ingredients added beside the milk and the probiotic strains. 

As far as cultured dairy products go, yogurt is high in protein versus fat. For this reason, we usually recommend it to people who are more prone to diarrhea or soft stools instead of people who are constipated (for whom we would recommend a higher fat content dairy like sour cream or creme fraiche). 

Let’s dive in! 

Ingredients for Homemade Yogurt:

• Milk

• Whey
  

Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F. 

This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.

Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.

Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)

When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

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Homemade Yogurt

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Milk
• Whey

Instructions

1. Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F.
2. This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.
3. Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.
4. Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)
5. When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

Morning Sickness Bars

Morning sickness bars are nutrient dense, and easy on the stomach. This is Hollie’s go to food when “morning sickness” lasts morning, noon and night. Morning sickness bars will nourish your body even when you do not feel like eating. This recipe is so easy and quick once the nuts/seeds are soaked and dried. Try to soak and dry nuts and seeds in bulk to have ready when a craving for a new kind of fruit pops up! These can be whipped up within 5 minutes, and even eaten before they make it to the freezer!!

Ingredients for Morning Sickness Bars:

• 2 cups dates

• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2 cup shredded coconut

• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Directions for Morning Sickness Bars:

Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds.

Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want).

Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.

Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

Enjoy, mamas!

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Morning Sickness Bars

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2 cups dates
• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Instructions

1. Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). 
2. Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds. 
3. Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture. 
4. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want). 
5. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge.
6. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.
7. Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

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Honey Fermented Garlic

What is the difference between fermented garlic and honey fermented garlic? The difference is mostly sweetness, but fermented garlic uses a saltwater brine, whereas honey garlic uses the liquid from the garlic cloves combined with the live enzymes and microbes in the honey to ferment. Both are very useful to support the immune system, but honey garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

How long does it take to ferment? Fermentation will be well on its way in about a week, but most prefer to ferment for about a month. Even in this thick honey the garlic did float, so make sure to turn it over every day to make sure the garlic stays coated while it ferments. Check the lid before, it may come loose from the gassings.

Where do I source local, raw honey? You want to get your honey from a local farmer. One, because they’re the best. Two, local honey can help with allergies. When you buy your honey, ask the following questions to see how aligned your beekeeper is with your priorities of healthy honey:

• Where are your bees located?

• How do you process your honey?

• Is it cold pressed or raw?

Their answers will give you an idea how close they are to pesticide areas and will give you an idea if your beekeeper is trying to avoid pesticide areas. The process they describe should include harvesting their honey, putting it in a cold spinner, and spinning the honey while filtering out pieces of beeswax and bee parts with a mesh filter. The honey then goes into buckets and is divided into the containers that you purchase. You want to find honey that is processed with no heat, and only the basic filtering. Most people who do this process will do only small batches, which is ideal.

Ingredients for Honey Fermented Garlic:

• Garlic, peeled

• Raw Honey

Directions for Honey Fermented Garlic:

Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.

Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.

Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished. 

A few notes:

• Garlic cloves can turn blue or green while fermenting. Not to worry, this is related to the sulfur content in the garlic.

• Honey Fermented Garlic can be stored for long periods of time in a cool dark place.

• The longer you ferment, the milder the flavor. 

To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

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Honey Fermented Garlic

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Fermented Garlic is very useful to support the immune system, and honey fermented garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

Ingredients

• Garlic, peeled
• Raw Honey

Instructions

1. Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.
2. Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.
3. Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished.
4. To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

Preparing and Cooking Sweetbreads

GAPS LEGAL stage 4 and up

I am on a quest to get more organ meats into my diet. Organ meats have been lost to our culture but they are so important to having a healthy body, healthy pregnancy and healthy children. There has been a stigma for literally hundreds of years in western cultures that organ meats are eaten only by those who can’t afford the pricier cuts of meat or are “forced” to eat the entirety of their animals and therefore should generally be avoided. In countries where that stigma doesn’t exist, organ meats are prized for their nutritional value and are the most desired cuts of meat. Because organ meats are so dense nutritionally, I encourage you to join me in finding recipes to regularly bring organ meats to your family’s table as well

I’ve done lots of liver recipes so far and now I’m branching out to other organ meats. Try liver in liver pate, liver meatballs, bacon wrapped liver, jalapeno liver poppers, and simple liver shots.

Sweetbread is the thymus gland of an animal, traditionally a young calf. They do not have a strong flavor like other organ meats, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. The thymus gland is involved in the immune regulation systems. It’s primarily connected to lymph tissue and it plays in a role in adaptive immunity, which is immunity where the body learns, grows, and retains information from alien (outside of the body) microbes. 

There were quite a few butchers who sold sweetbread online. Some of those were organically raised but I was happy to find sweetbreads from a person I trust at Fields of Athenry Farm.  

This recipe is based on Nourishing Traditions.

Ingredients for Preparation:

• 1 lb Sweetbread

• Filtered Water

• 6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tsp Salt

Directions for Preparing Sweetbreads:

Rinse your sweetbread with filtered water.

Add to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.

Allow to sit for 2 hours, changing the water once or twice and adding new vinegar.
Rinse after 2 hours. Put in a sauce pan and cover with filtered water. Add 1 tsp salt.

Parboil for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid. The liquid can be reused if you are doing more than one sweetbread.

Cool and then remove all loose skin, tissue, fat, and membranes. 

Put between unbleached parchment paper. Place a weighted plate or cookie sheet on top and keep in the fridge overnight.

Cooking Sweetbread:

Multiple different recipes that you can find in the nourishing traditions cookbook and other sources of how to cook your sweetbread once it's been prepared. The most popular way to eat sweetbreads is breaded. If you are able to tolerate breading, and want to use a traditional flour, I would recommend using einkorn flour, I get mine from Jovial.

The recipe I am preparing here today is a non-floured preparation. Modification on Sally Fallon’s sweetbread with pearl onions. I always have yellow onions on-hand, so that is what I use for this recipe. Pearl onions add a lot of flavor, so they would add a lot to this dish. Next time I remember to buy pearl onions, I will try the recipe with them. The taste is unique, although not too unlike other meats. Not as strong as liver or kidney meats. I enjoy these simply fried without the breading, and serve them alongside either a main dish a portion of scrambled eggs or over top of caramelized onions. The thymus glad is an immune organ, so eating this on top of caramelized onion will give a good boost to the immune system. The thymus gland regulates a lot of functions in the immune system, and as a general principle it is good to eat the organ of the organ that is struggling. It makes sense to consume the thymus gland which would give you the vitamins, minerals and other co-factors contained in that organ and needed for that organ as well as the photomorphogenic information and support contained in the DNA of the thymus cells. 

Ingredients for Cooking Sweetbreads:

• 1 pair of prepared sweetbreads

• ½ stick butter

• 1 lbs yellow onions, peeled, sliced and sauteed in butter

Slicing on the bias (which is diagonal to the grain). Fry the sweetbreads in butter on a stovetop and top with caramelized onions.

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Preparing and Cooking Sweetbreads

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Sweetbread is the thymus gland of an animal, traditionally a young calf. They do not have a strong flavor like other organ meats, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. The thymus gland is involved in the immune regulation systems. It’s primarily connected to lymph tissue and it plays in a role in adaptive immunity, which is immunity where the body learns, grows, and retains information from alien (outside of the body) microbes.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Preparation:

• 1 lb Sweetbreads
• Filtered Water
• 6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients for Sweetbreads:

• 1 pair of prepared sweetbreads
• ½ stick butter
• 1 lbs yellow onions, peeled, sliced and sautéed in butter

Instructions

Preparation:

1. Rinse your sweetbread with filtered water.
2. Add to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
3. Allow to sit for 2 hours, changing the water once or twice and adding new vinegar.
4. Rinse after 2 hours. Put in a sauce pan and cover with filtered water. Add 1 tsp salt.
5. Paraboil for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid. The liquid can be reused if you are doing more than one sweetbread.
6. Cool and then remove all loose skin, tissue, fat, and membranes.
7. Put between unbleached parchment paper. Place a weighted plate or cookie sheet on top and keep in the fridge overnight.

Cooking:

1. Slice your sweetbreads on the bias (which is diagonal to the grain). 
2. Then, fry the sweetbreads in butter on a stovetop and top with caramelized onions.

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Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

While you may be tempted to throw all the ingredients together, the taste is incredibly different when you follow the recipe step-by-step. I knew this experientially, but finally came fully onboard after reading many of my old recipe books and realizing how many recipes contain essentially the same ingredients but tasted completely different because of the preparation order. The difference between a good recipe and a great recipe is taking the time to prepare things in a specific order.

While this is a delicious soup for anyone, it can be very healing for anyone with a short term or long term illness. Each ingredient in this soup contains its own nourishing and healing properties. Onions are high in sulfur, read more here. Sauerkraut is predigested cabbage, link to recipe. Stock is high in easily accessible amino acids and meat contains proteins, minerals, fiber and other vitamins. Make sure to salt to taste using a good quality sea salt, adding minerals to complete this healing food. It also naturally contains copious amounts of animal fat which your body will use to heal and repair your cells as well as feed the immune system. The probiotics in the sauerkraut will be killed in the cooking process however, you still will get the benefits of predigested cabbage. There is also some evidence that even killed bacterial bodies from fermented foods has an immune benefit to your body. The lamb stock I used in the soup made for a delicious flavor. But all my taste senses were focused on the sauerkraut. Which brought a richness and layered complexity.

Ingredients for Beef and Sauerkraut Soup:

• Chuck Roast

• ½ Stick Butter

• Chopped Onions

• Salt

• 6 Cups Meat Stock (beef or lamb)

• Sauerkraut

Directions for Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

Cube by slicing perpendicular to the grain into half inch slices, then cubing from there. In this recipe, I use a chuck roast, but any cut of meat would be fine. You could also start with stew meat, but be sure to cube it down to bite-sized pieces. Stew meat is often very expensive cuts of meat that did not end up in a pretty cut, so I recommend purchasing and using stew meat to get quality, affordable meat. I often purchase stew meat to get tender cuts at affordable prices.

Melt ½ stick butter, add chopped onions, salt and cook 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

When the onions are becoming soft, add beef and brown the outside of the meat cubes to trap the flavors. Sauté for 5-7 minutes to brown the outside of the cubes to trap the flavor and moisture inside. Medium High Heat.

Drain the sauerkraut and set aside the juice. When most sides are brown-ish, add drained sauerkraut and stock. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.

This recipe is not as boring as it looks, it is actually complex and rich. Feel free to add more sauerkraut and enjoy!!

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Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

Yield: 2-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Chuck Roast
• ½ Stick Butter
• Chopped Onions
• Salt
• 6 Cups Meat Stock (beef or lamb)
• Sauerkraut

Instructions

1. Cube by slicing perpendicular to the grain into half inch slices, then cubing from there. In this recipe I use a chuck roast, but any cut of meat would be fine. You could also start with stew meat, but be sure to cube it down to bite-sized pieces. Stew meat is often very expensive cuts of meat that did not end up in a pretty cut, so I recommend purchasing and using stew meat to get quality, affordable meat. I often purchase stew meat to get tender cuts at affordable prices.
2. Melt ½ stick butter, add chopped onions, salt and cook 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to soften. 
3. When the onions are becoming soft, add beef and brown the outside of the meat cubes to trap the flavors. Sauté for 5-7 minutes on medium high heat to brown the outside of the cubes and trap the flavor and moisture inside.
4. Drain the sauerkraut and set aside the juice. When most sides are brown-ish, add drained sauerkraut and stock. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.
5. Add the sauerkraut juice and enjoy!!

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Tapioca Pudding

This is my favorite pudding of all time & I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for years! Finally, I got around to it. Be prepared for multiple steps to make tapioca pudding. I can see why most people choose the instant food version. The real food version is absolutely worth the effort!

This recipe needs to be started the night beforehand. So, make sure to plan ahead! This also can be done days ahead of time, as it is served well chilled. So, if you are planning on serving this delicious dessert, prepare at your convenience up to a week beforehand. 

Ingredients for Tapioca Pudding

• 1 cup pearl tapioca

• 4 cups raw milk 

• 3 eggs

• ½ teaspoon sea salt + pinch

• ¾  cup date sugar

• 1 lemon, grated

Directions for Tapioca Pudding

Soak tapioca overnight in 4 cups of raw milk. 

At least 8 hours later, add to a double broiler. Cook about 45 minutes or until thick. Keep stirring it every few minutes as it cooks to prevent it from clumping. Stir constantly near the end to prevent boiling. This is a great recipe to make with your children, as the tapioca will need to be stirred almost constantly near the end. It may be a job that’s best suited for an older child. When you think the mixture is thick and done enough, test your tapioca pearl to make sure they are cooked.

In a separate bowl, blend the egg yolks, ½ tsp of sea salt, date sugar and lemon rind.

When the tapioca is thick, temper the egg mixture by adding a spoonful of the hot mixture to the eggs. Then add the warmed egg yolk to the tapioca. Cook for 5-10 minutes over the double boiler or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

Beat egg whites with sea salt until softly stiff and fold gently into the mixture.

Chill and enjoy.

The original recipe from nourishing traditions is to use rapadura. I find my body does better with fruit as a sweetener so I prefer to use date sugar. I find it to be a 1 to 1 substitution. If you choose rapadura or date sugar the end result will be off-white. 

*Eating uncooked or raw eggs or feeding raw eggs to your pets can pose a risk to your health.

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Tapioca Pudding

Yield: 3-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

This recipe needs to be started the night beforehand. Be prepared for multiple steps to make tapioca pudding. I can see why most people choose the instant food version, but the real food version is absolutely worth the effort!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl tapioca
• 4 cups raw milk
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon sea salt + pinch
• ¾ cup date sugar
• 1 lemon, grated

Instructions

1. Soak tapioca overnight in 4 cups of raw milk.
2. At least 8 hours later, add to a double broiler. Cook about 45 minutes or until thick. Keep stirring it every few minutes as it cooks to prevent it from clumping. Stir constantly near the end to prevent boiling. This is a great recipe to make with your children, as the tapioca will need to be stirred almost constantly near the end. It may be a job that’s best suited for an older child. When you think the mixture is thick and done enough, test your tapioca pearl to make sure they are cooked.
3. In a separate bowl, blend the egg yolks, ½ tsp of sea salt, date sugar and lemon rind.
4. When the tapioca is thick, temper the egg mixture by adding a spoonful of the hot mixture to the eggs. Then add the warmed egg yolk to the tapioca. Cook for 5-10 minutes over the double boiler or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
5. Beat egg whites with sea salt until softly stiff and fold gently into the mixture.
6. Chill and enjoy.
7. The original recipe from nourishing traditions is to use rapadura. I find my body does better with fruit as a sweetener so I prefer to use date sugar. I find it to be a 1 to 1 substitution. If you choose rapadura or date sugar the end result will be off-white.

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Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner. This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

*When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.

Ingredients for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup

• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish

• Pinch of salt

Directions for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.

Defrost shrimp by running them under room temperature water.

Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.

Once you have the ingredients already in your fridge, this recipe takes a quick three minutes to mix together. I am not sure how it stores, due to the how the lemon juice may interact with the other ingredients, but if you end up successfully keeping some in your fridge for a period of time, let us know.

I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal. 

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Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Yield: 2

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.
2. Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.
3. I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal.

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15 Minute Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

While not everyone’s favorite, Shrimp Fajitas are enjoyed by many. You don’t have to go to a restaurant to enjoy this delicious meal. In fact,  you can make it so quickly, this is part of our 15 Minute Meal Series. The cooking process actually takes 15 minutes itself, so be sure to leave yourself a little more time. This meal can still be thrown together when you are short on time.

When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.

Ingredients for Shrimp Fajitas

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 2 Bell Peppers (preferably two different colors)

• Garlic

• 1 lb. Shrimp (peeled & deveined)

• 1 Tbsp. Butter

• 1 tsp. Cumin

• 1 tsp. Coriander

• 1 tsp. Chili Powder

• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

• Sourdough Tortillas

• Lime Wedges and Cilantro for garnish

Directions for Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add butter to sheet pan, and melt in the oven. While waiting, slice the peppers and onions fajita-style.

Defrost the shrimp by running them under room temperature water.

Spread your sliced peppers, onions, and defrosted shrimp on the cookie sheet or cast iron skillet with melted butter. Add seasonings and place in oven.

Stir at 15 minutes, and check for doneness. If needed, cook until shrimp are turning translucent. Garnish with lime and cilantro, and serve with fermented sourdough tortillas. Enjoy!!

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Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Yield: 2-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

This recipe is part of our 15 Minute Meal Series. The cooking process actually takes 15 minutes itself, so be sure to leave yourself a little more time. This meal can still be thrown together when you are short on time. Quick and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 Yellow Onion
• 2 Bell Peppers (preferably two different colors)
• Garlic
• 1 lb. Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Coriander
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• Sourdough Tortillas
• Lime Wedges and Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add butter to sheet pan, and melt in the oven. While waiting, slice the peppers and onions fajita-style.
2. Defrost the shrimp by running them under room temperature water.
3. Spread your sliced peppers, onions, and defrosted shrimp on the cookie sheet or cast iron skillet with melted butter. Add seasonings and place in oven.
4. Stir at 15 minutes, and check for doneness. If needed, cook until shrimp are turning translucent. Garnish with lime and cilantro, and serve with fermented sourdough tortillas. Enjoy!!

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Liver and Onions

Liver and onions are what most people think of when they think about eating liver. It seems that for decades this was the most popular modality of eating liver. Probably because it could be cooked up and served as a meal in contrast to things like liver pate which is a side to another main course.

If you are an older adult, liver and onions may be why you think you dislike liver. If that’s the case, we encourage you to try again. There is a good chance that the person cooking this dish overcooked the liver.

Liver and onions is traditionally made with cow’s liver. If you choose to use cow’s liver I recommend reading our blog on read our blog on “calming the flavor of beef liver”, before cooking, you do not necessarily need to use this preparation for more mild tasting livers such as chicken, and domesticated fowl.

Ingredients for Liver and Onions

• 2/3 Lbs Liver

• 1 Yellow Onion

• Butter

• Salt

Directions for Liver and Onions

Cut the liver into slices, making sure to cut off any membrane pieces that are some people's major objection to eating liver.

Add butter to your cast iron pan and turn the heat on low to melt the butter. While the butter is melting, slice onions and add the onions to the pan. Cook over low until your onions start to soften. The key to liver and onions is the timing. You want to add the liver when the onions only need to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Once the onions are softish, add salt to the onions. Add sliced liver to the pan and add salt to the liver as well. Turn your heat to medium-high just before adding the livers, and sauté until you have reached the desired doneness. A liver is cooked perfectly when it is still pink in the middle but not bloody.

To cover the liver flavor, you could also experiment with spices. Try adding your favorite spice and see what you think.

Liver is important for us to be eating everyday, but it can be difficult to prepare daily. Is this is the way you like liver, consider making a large batch and freezing so you can defrost and enjoy some everyday.

Do you actually love liver and onions? If so, tell us your tips and tricks!!

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Liver and Onions

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Liver and onions are what most people think of when they think about eating liver. It seems that for decades this was the most popular modality of eating liver. Probably because it could be cooked up and served as a meal in contrast to things like liver pate which is a side to another main course.

Ingredients

• 2/3 Lbs Liver
• 1 Yellow Onion
• Butter
• Salt

Instructions

1. Cut the liver into slices, making sure to cut off any membrane pieces.
2. Add butter to your cast iron pan and turn the heat on low to melt the butter.
3. Cut the onion into slices, and add the onions to the pan with melted butter.
4. Cook over low until your onions start to soften.
5. Once the onions are softish, add salt to the onions.
6. Add sliced liver to the pan and add salt to the liver as well.
7. Turn your heat to medium-high just before adding the livers, and sauté until you have reached the desired doneness.
8. A liver is cooked perfectly when it is still pink in the middle but not bloody.
9. To cover the liver flavor, you could also experiment with spices. Try adding your favorite spice and see what you think.

Created using The Recipes Generator