Raw Fermented vegetables are my staple foods. And it’s quite easy to make them.
Well, maybe the very first time, it’ll take some thoughts and preparation. But once you learn the skill, you can become a master of it.
This time, I used beets, Bok choy, and red onions. I cut the veggies, added water and apple cider vinegar and fermented for 2 days. And It was ready to eat! I served them with blended carrots and celery.
Why do I love to eat fermented veggies as often as I could?
1. Any vegetable can be fermented – even those that are too fibrous and not easy to eat raw – think of Bok Choy, dandelion greens, beets, turnips, parsnips, celery root, broccoli, cauliflower, purple cabbage, etc. Fermentation softens their tough fibers and makes them surprisingly easy to chew.
2. Taste and texture! There is nothing in the world that tastes like lacto-fermented veggies and has a similar texture! It is “umami” taste and texture – deeply satisfying and nourishing.
3. Health benefits – can I mention gut health, microbiome diversity, nutrients, antioxidants, different types of fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics? No matter what veggie combination you choose – fermentation makes them even more magical “superfoods”.
4. Easy to make. All you need is a glass jar, cut up veggies, and water. Some recipes also call for salt or apple cider vinegar.
5. Fermentation allows me to eat veggies that I wouldn’t eat otherwise. Yep!
I like this site for all information about fermenting and culturing – and they have lots of it!! @culturesforhealth
What can you share about your favorite fermented veggies?
In Health,
Nataliya
Hello! Several years ago, I learned how to make raw chocolates from scratch. I believe that it was a recipe by Any Phyo that I found in the book and wanted to give a try as the chocolate-making at home seemed to be a pretty straightforward process.
Modern herbal therapy implements Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers. The Hawthorn plant has beneficial cardiovascular effects* (Holubarsch, Colucci, & Eha, 2018).
I used to take herbal powders prepared by the Ayurvedic practitioners as a Complementary and Alternative Medical (CAM) approach for different purposes: to relieve stomach discomfort, alleviate muscle pain, improve digestion and elimination, decrease stress, and reduce congestion* (Patwardhan, 2014). I loved Ayurvedic herbal preparations! Each one smelled and tasted differently and affected my body and mind in a positive way.
Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite recipes – the quinoa pancakes.
You will need the following ingredients:
What I love about this recipe is that the pancakes have a neutral taste and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savory meals or snacks. As a sweet version, I like to serve them with berries, fruits, and coconut yogurt. For a savory twist, I serve them with veggies, salads, and dressings (taco-like style). On this image below, you can see 3 pancakes, each served with the arugula leaves, slices of tomato and red onion, and avocado cubes. In this version, the pancakes work as flatbreads or soft tacos. 
Additionally, I soaked and sprouted the quinoa seeds, which is an easy step that can improve the digestibility and nutrient availability. Moreover, soaked and sprouted quinoa gives you more pancakes if compared with those made from the unsoaked quinoa. Note that this recipe does not need any flour; the whole quinoa seeds were soaked and sprouted and blended together with banana, flax seeds, and water. Here is a full recipe, enjoy!