The Holistic Kitchen

These are truly one of my favorite summer flowers – something about their sunny colors of orange and gold brighten any balcony, patio or garden spot.  They seem so happy and always bring a smile to me.

While gluten sensitivities are becoming mainstream, the gluten-free alternatives are plentiful and here’s one more you can add to your shopping cart, dinner table, breakfast bowl and snack recipes!  That’s a lot of bang for your buck, considering its teeny tiny profile.

Millet is a whole grain that offers a strong nutrient profile in the absence of gluten.  High in Magnesium, Potassium, Manganese and Trytophan, Millet is also a good source of insoluble fiber and that’s what helps to slow down the rate blood sugar enters your blood stream (an important factor in preventing spikes that lead to insulin resistance, inflammation and disease).

Studies have shown Millet’s nutrient profile offers many cellular level  health benefits, only a few of which I’ve listed here:

• Heart protective
• Reduced risk of type 2 Diabetes
• Promotes healthy cell structure throughout the body
• More, more more!

Millet is available hulled or whole grain.  Whole grain always offers more soluble fiber than the hulled version of any grain.  Choose organic, if available.  Eden, Nature's Path and Arrowhead Mills all offer organic whole grain millet.  Store it in an airtight container where it’s cool, dark and dry.  

From a culinary standpoint, Millet can be made mushy, like a porridge or fluffy like couscous or rice or it can be used in baking.

In all cases, rinse dry grains before cooking.

Fluffy Millet:  1 cup millet to 2.5 cups liquid (water, broth, combo).  Bring liquid to a boil, add rinsed grains.  Once it has returned to a boil , cover, reduce heat and simmer, approximately 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Fluff grains with a fork and season with S&P.

FluffyNutty Millet:  While waiting for the liquid to come to a boil, lightly toast dry grains in a skillet, then add to liquid, for a nutty flavor profile.

Porridge:  Cook the same as fluffy millet, EXCEPT, stir it frequently and add a bit more liquid along the way.

Baked goods:  Grind millet grains first, then sub 1/4 – 1/2 cup of flour with ground millet.  Alternatively, use ground millet in place of oats in a recipe.  If you want that nutty flavor, toast first, then grind.  Stone ground Millet has been used for thousands of years in flatbreads in many civilizations!

Fillers and batters:  Use whole or ground millet as a filler in veggie burgers, meatloaf, stuffing, or in pancake or waffle batter!

Share your questions or  favorite uses of Millet by commenting below!

I count myself a member of the majority who LOVE food.  Food is like a drug for many, myself included.  We eat to experience new tastes and we eat to comfort, with well acquainted dishes.  We eat to live (feeding our bodies) and we live to eat (feeding our souls).  We eat to celebrate and we eat to commiserate.  It is no wonder we become slaves to our beloved food, whether the selections are healthy or decadent!

But WHAT IF, those foods we love the most (usually the decadent ones) could be made with good-for-you ingredients, effectively rendering them comforting, celebratory and healthy?!

That’s what The Holistic Kitchen is all about.

There’s something about fall foods that are especially comforting.  The weather is turning and we look to heartier fare for comfort, warmth and merriment.  We also look to time tested recipes that have been handed down and embedded in our memories of holiday gatherings, in some cases because of their decadence!  Again, I ask:  WHAT IF those same delights could be made with healthier options, without sacrificing the delight?

It can be done – The Holistic Kitchen and I, Chef Nancy, exist to prove it!  Here’s a recipe for Apple Crisp, that replaces every harmful ingredient and renders a delicious, anti-inflammatory version of this classic dessert (presuming you don’t ad ice cream!)  If it ain’t Apple Crisp to you without the ice cream, make your own low glycemic coconut milk ice cream or buy the green label So Delicious Vanilla, coconut ice cream in your natural market.  OR stayed tuned for my Walnut Vanilla Bean Chantilly in my next book!

Click here for my diabetic friendly Apple Crisp……..

Even if you "don’t like coconut”, give this a chance – it’s definitely different (and divine compared with commercially prepared coconut anything)!  I never liked coconut either, until I tried the real deal.

The last time I wrote about coconut, it was about the oil.  Not long ago, a friend asked me about the dangers of coconut milk, especially canned coconut milk.  I am thrilled to share what I know about the benefits of coconut milk!

If you missed the Coconut Oil Kitchen Tips from a year ago, this information is worth repeating:

• We were told 2 or 3 decades ago that tropical oils such as coconut, were very bad for our health.  The soy and corn industry were largely responsible for scaring us into believing this hype – and that's all it was, without any scientific foundation. 
  

• It turns out that this ugly rumor has kept us from enjoying the long list of health benefits that coconuts and their Medium Chain Fatty Acids provide.  For that very long list, you can visit CoconutOil.com. 

Coconut milk is my go to substitute for milk in any situation.  The health benefits cannot be overstated!  If you don’t want the coconut flavor in your dish, that’s an easy fix.  The critical point is that not all coconut milks are created equal.  Not even all canned coconut milks are created equal.  There is only one that can be counted on, every time, to deliver the benefits without the dangers.

My research has found that most coconuts used in commercial production are grown in areas where chemicals are not used in cultivation.  However, once harvested, processing methods can and often do involve a chemical deodorization (more so with oil, thank milk).

Back to coconut milks:  Many, unless labeled “organic” are likely to have any number of additives that render the milk a manufactured “food product”.  This is definitely undesirable!  Be sure to read the ingredients!  Even one product I particularly like, So Delicious, Unsweetened Coconut Milk, has some undesirable additives, in order to make it a delicious dairy free milk substitute, just like all the other milk substitutes flooding the market today.

Even canned coconut milks that are labeled “organic” will usually have at least one additional ingredient (harmless for some people), such as guar gum, as a “stabilizer”.  Generally this is used to keep the cream and water homogenized, instead of separating.  Seems ridiculous to me that we can’t just learn to shake the can before opening!

The beauty of a canned product is that it is shelf stable until it’s opened.  The down side is the dangerous compounds (such as BPA) most all can linings are made with (Eden brand, is one exception to this rule).  It should be noted that, sadly, Eden does not offer coconut milk amongst its line of canned products.

When my friend indicated that she’d been told (canned) coconut milk should be avoided, (and since most people are not aware of the issue with can linings) I began to wonder if the high temperature a canned product is subject to, might cause a chemical change, rendering it “dangerous”. 

So I went searching.  I learned that canning temperatures “for a low acid fruit or vegetable” range from 240-250℉.  “Raw” foods, by definition, are considered “raw” if their temperature has been kept below 104-118℉.  So I guess we can agree that the lower the temperature of any produce, the more it’s natural benefits (such as enzymes and vitamins) remain viable (that is the beauty of raw).

I haven’t found any data that indicates a dangerous chemical change to coconut milk under high temperatures.  That said, if we adopt the theory that “lower temps render a more viable product” we are left with a really fun, totally delicious and ultra healthy option: 

1.  Make your own coconut milk!  (from dried, shredded unsweetened coconut meat).  Temperature:  Approximately 180℉

I, however, like to make mine from a fresh coconut, when available in the store.  Additionally, it’s a fun family adventure (caution:  sharp blades are involved) as well as a great way to take out frustrations by hammering on a coconut!

 2.  Make your own coconut milk! (from a whole coconut – Temperature:  70-100℉)*.  AND where she tells you to smash it up under a towel?  I found a better way (I ruined my towel her way) – TheCoconutTool.com and it really really works!  Cut the meat into 1-2 inch pieces and blend them up  with the reserve coconut water and some additional purified or natural spring water (4 cups total water) – you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.  Then I pour the liquid through a nut milk bag (or multiple layers of cheese cloth, but the nut milk bag is MUCH easier) with a bowl below and S Q U E E Z E, extracting as much liquid as the mass will give!

I like the idea of using a whole fresh coconut because I can blend it with room temperature water (and the ultra healthy, fresh coconut water) so my resulting milk is still raw AND I get to snack on some of the fresh meat – what a treat!!  AND I get two products from one effort because I can use the meat (that’s left over after squeezing the water out) as flour!

Either method you choose to make coconut milk, it must be refrigerated and will stay fresh only 2-4 days.  It will also separate and the great for you fat will harden, so shake it well.  And though I can’t drink a quart of milk within 2-4 days, I can make ice cream with it!  Storage solved!

*If you’re using a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, remember that the longer you blend, the warmer it gets.  If  immunity is compromised, you could use method #2 with water that's been heated to 180℉ OR let the milk blend long enough to bring it up to at least 165℉ to reduce the possibility of bacterial contamination.

Post your comments and questions below!!

About a year ago, my inaugural issue of Kitchen Tips was on Alternative ingredients, protein sources, etc.

I won’t suggest you make these part of your alternative food selection, but  I couldn’t help noting that one person’s vermin is another’s afternoon snack!

Do you keep flour in a canister on your counter top?  I used to also, but found that it either “grew bugs” or went rancid before I used it all.

Solution:  Keep your flour in the freezer, to avoid both of these unpleasant outcomes!

Do you use bleach in your home, to disinfect bacterial bugs from surfaces?  I used to also, but learned how harmful it is to breath that and other cleaning chemicals.

Solution:  Use all natural compounds like orange or lemon oil for de-greasing and thyme and clove oil for sanitizing.

Do you have a parade of ants in your kitchen?  I have had also, but disliked using deadly substances on my counter tops and floors where my beloved pet lives.

Solution:  Essential oil of peppermint placed at ports of entry should halt their march into your territory.

Do you use Comet or Ajax cleansers in your kitchen sink?  I used to also, but again, those harsh chemicals went straight into my lungs!

Solution:  Baking soda makes a great scouring agent that pulls up stains too.  Use it plain or add antibacterial essential oils such as lavender, lemongrass, tea tree, thyme or clove, to name a few.

Please share your tried and true natural remedies for keeping bugs out of the kitchen!

We have come to call it a gluten free grain, but ancient amaranth (cultivated as a grain for some 8,000 years), is actually the seeds from an herb. 

In many places around the globe, the leaves and roots of amaranth are eaten as vegetables.  It was also widely used by the Chinese for its healing chemicals, curing illnesses such as infections, rashes, and migraines¹.  I’m just talking seeds here, as a gluten free baking option.

And since the Hopi are my neighbors, I thought it interesting to note: “The flowers of the 'Hopi Red Dye' amaranth were used by the Hopi (a [Native American] tribe in the western United States) as the source of a deep red dye. There is also a synthetic dye that has been named "amaranth" for its similarity in color to the natural amaranth … known as Red No. 2 in North America”²

I digress.  I want to tell you about using amaranth (the seed) as a gluten free grain, but did you know that amaranth contains Lysine, an essential amino acid not present in most grains?  Lysine helps to quell herpes simplex outbreaks, including cold sores and shingles.

The bad news:  Apparently there is strong evidence that some strains of amaranth contain “anti-nutritional and toxic factors” but that “thermal processing in a moist environment” (my translation:  cooking) “may be a promising way to reduce the adverse effects of amaranth's anti-nutritional and toxic factors”. ³  Yikes!  More evidence that a diet should consist of a broad range of whole foods, rather than relying heavily on a few fall backs!

The good news:  Studies have shown that regular consumption of amaranth (the seed – and presuming it's been cooked) reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels!

Here’s a a great resource for more info and a list of ways you can use amaranth in your kitchen:

• Toasted or popped, then added to salads or used as a gluten free “breading”
• Polenta  or porridge style
• As a flour
• In soups

I’m going to the test kitchen right now, to try a batch of Amaranth Ginger Muffins!  Look – there they are!            

How about you?  Have you had amaranth?  How have you prepared it – breakfast cereal, flour substitute, others?   Please add your comments below!

^{1,2 & 3} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth

Though the name implies “little tomato”, a tomatillo is really a cousin of the Cape Gooseberry. It is a fruit, like the tomato and it is also a member of the nightshade family, like a tomato, but that’s about where the relationship ends.

• 1 pounds tomatillos, husked
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 qt. Pacific Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 dash black pepper
• 1 dash clove
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (omit chipotle for a milder salsa with a gentle flavor)
  
• sea salt to taste
• 1 drop pure maple syrup (optional)

1. Place tomatillos, jalapeno, and garlic in a large pot. Pour in just enough broth to cover the tomatillos; they will float, so press them down as you add the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer until the color of the tomatillos lightens to yellow, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Strain the solids, reserving the liquid. Place the tomatillo mixture into a Cuisinart or blender; add the cumin, pepper, cloves and chipotle and puree until smooth. Use the reserved liquid as needed, to adjust the consistency.  
3. Season to taste with sea salt and a drop or two of maple syrup (to smooth the acid and heat of chipotle).

Salt is our friend!

Sea salt, that is, as long as it is unrefined.  Unrefined sea salt contains many natural trace minerals that Morton's table salt does not* and Morton's contains more sodium. 

Natural, unprocessed sea salts, whether sun-dried in the coastal marshes of France or mined from long dried sea beds in the Himalayas, have a wide range of good-for-you minerals, including iodine.

1. Politely suggest/request they taste before adjusting.
2. Offer sea salt at the table – it's available in a finer grind, so it can be sprinkled from a shaker or you can offer it freshly ground from something akin to a pepper grinder. 
3. Get old fashioned (I seem to say that a lot):  Offer coarse sea salt from tiny "salts" (individual salt dishes, once a part of formal place settings) with a tiny salt spoons.

Fun exercise:  go on an antiquing expedition to round up a "salt" or two and accompanying salt spoons – I found one (spoon) that was made into a pin!