Chick'n Sliders - a Veggie Product Review

I've written several times how I think the Gardein soy and grain based meat substitutes are the best of what's out there, not containing ingredients you need a  science degree to understand. For my new readers, I'm NOT a vegetarian, but try and eat vegetarian style meals each week, as I have ethical issues with factory farming, and I don't personally do well (digestion wise) eating dairy or a lot of fatty meat.

A couple of days ago I saw a new one.  Chicken Sliders.  I love the  seven grain chicken tenders so I had to try these.

I have to say they were really tasty with 11 grams protein EACH, but each tiny slider is 180 calories, so even if two only set me back 360 calories, it was almost 700 mg. in sodium, and 12 grams fat. Note to self, do NOT eat two.

Yes, they would have been prettier with some tomato and lettuce but after an hour and 15 of cardio and weights I was HUNGRY.

I enjoyed them very much as they had a crisp coating (even after microwave prep), a taste and texture just like chicken, and a nice seasoning, but they would be best suited for a snack (with just one) or paired with something else for a light meal.  Eating two of  them after workout with beautiful German personal trainer was NOT a good idea, sodium wise.

Have a "cuppa"

 What's the checklist for?  Well, I spent quite a few years flying for the US Government and an airline, before watching too many crime shows on TV, and getting a Ph.D. and doing a complete career change, but checklists are something all pilots use and my husband knew it would make me smile..

It was a tea set (the Scot flag was a nice touch as I recently had my sealed birth certificate opened (I was adopted) and found out there was some Scot blood in my lineage a couple of generations back.

But the tea is a marvelous idea if you're trying to lose, or maintain weight. In the afternoon when one can get either bored or stressed (or both which is possible) it's easy to grab some chips or candy.

I found having a single plain Biscuit with a couple of cups of tea really made me feel better and kept me from grabbing a chocolate bar at 3:30 PM.

I get my biscuits from a great family owned store in Lawrence Kansas called Brits (www.britsusa.com) that has the BEST selection and personal service  and my husband found the lovely tea and teapot at http://www.englishteastore.com/

So unwind and have a "cuppa", and you may find a new habit that's quite soothing and much more healthy than that bag of sweets.

NO "Yeast" Bread

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” --Matthew 4:4.

I read about this product on a number of blogs while researching an easy way to make healthier bread in bulk each week (for our family and I also make extra for friends or colleagues that could use a casserole and a bag of bread when life gets difficult.  What I found was  "Bread for Life" sourdough starter for making bread from Azure Standard. I had at that point already been on a quest to incorporate more cultured/fermented foods and beverages into our diet, so this was a blessing to find. This starter is yeast-free and works great with Einkorn flour. Plus - it bakes bread for about 10% of what it costs to buy specialty bread at the store and you won't have to buy commercial yeast ever again.

No doubt, we have all heard of increasing numbers of people suffering from gluten intolerance and other gut-related ailments. Grains in particular have been getting a bad reputation. On the other hand, the Bible speaks very highly of bread, and the Lord's prayer teaches us to ask for "daily bread." So what is the best way to eat if we don't have Celiac but find that eating too much yeasted bread causes other issues with our health?

Enter naturally leavened bread in the form of sourdough. Unlike bread made from fresh, non-fermented, and/or non-sprouted flour, it is very gentle on the body, while having a much higher nutrient content thanks to the living enzymes, plus a whole host of other benefits. So instead of being concerned about the carbs and gluten in bread (an issue if you have Celiac disease, which I don't) I now have bread daily and embrace it as a healthy staple.

Commercial baking yeast is related to a number of health issues, especially candida growth in the body and inflammation. This natural bread starter (with no commercial yeast) is aerobic and probiotic causing carbohydrates and gluten to be predigested, turning them into a more usable form for the body.  If you don't have true Celiac but find that too much bread causes migraines, allergies, skin problems, and other issues, this is the bread for you and it's so easy to make you can make enough bread for the week in about 30 minutes, not including rising time.

Not only is sourdough bread more nutritious, but it also greatly reduces the amount of phytic acid found in whole grains. It's been noted by many health professionals that consuming large amounts of whole grains that have not first been properly prepared by either fermentation or soaking and sprouting can have detrimental health effects, mostly in the form of mineral loss, which could impact bone loss as we age.

The starter after its first week at home.

All you need to get started is a "starter", unlike traditional sourdough starter, which is left out and covered on the counter, the bread for life starter stays in the refrigerator, is not nearly as temperamental and only has to be "fed" (water flour mix) every couple of days. Make sure you store it in a clean glass (periodically putting the starter in a clean bowl and give the container a nice wash and vinegar rinse, and only use a wood utensil to stir.  Do NOT use chlorinated water in less you want to kill it. You'll also want the room or oven it rises in to be at least 70 degrees (our gas oven with the pilot light on is perfect) Other than that it's pretty bulletproof.  It also has used NO oil and has a sweet light fluffy texture that's great for toast or sandwiches.  You can keep several quart mason jars going or if you bake in large amounts use a gallon jar.

• Making Sourdough Starter with Wild Yeast and Einkorn

Link to cut and paste:    https://healthfullyrootedhome.com/einkorn-flour-for-making-sourdough-starter/

Basic Loaf of Bread

Throw in a Cuisinart with a blade (or you can hand mix and knead for five minutes)

1 cup starter
1 tsp. salt (optional if on a salt-restricted diet)
1 cup pure filtered water (chlorine will kill your leavening)
2 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

I happened to have Fiji in the cupboard from a clearance sale - any non-chlorinated water is fine.

Mix for 5 minutes, put in an oiled bowl, and let rise 5-7 (yes!) hours in a warm place (70 degrees +)  Punch down and put in a lightly oiled bread pan and let rise 1-3 more hours.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes with Einkorn Flour

To make dinner and breakfast rolls that are lighter and slightly sweeter do this:

1 cup starter
1 cup milk or nut milk (at room temperature)
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 and 3/4 to 3 and 1/4 cups hard white wheat flour (not whole wheat)

Put in Cuisinart with a blade or mix and knead by hand for five minutes (should be nice and stretchy). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 5-7 hours (depending on how warm the kitchen is). You need a minimum temp. of 75 for it to raise.  80 is better.  If you don't have an oven in which you can place the dough with the lightbulb on set it on a trivet on a heating pad set on low - that kept my bowl a constant 80ish temperature which was perfect.  Form the dough into desired shapes.  Let rise 2-3 hours more hours.

Bake at 375 for around 20 minutes for buns and rolls and 40-50 minutes if you want to make a big loaf of bread, as pictured. If desired brush warm bread with butter as soon as it is removed from the oven for a soft crust and a nice sheen

Note:  Azure does not traditionally ship this refrigerated product.  They deliver via semi-truck, to a local drop-off point, acting as a middle man to connect you to independent growers and food producers, shortening the distance your food travels from farm to table.  You'll find a huge selection of products you won't find at smaller retails  If you are buying a product such as this, you place your order and put in the zip code of where you are at and they tell you where your drop-off day and time in (Mine was only a 15-minute drive).  A drop coordinator keeps you in the loop on the process.  Plus their prices on grains, whole and ground are SO good, I'm going to make it a regular source for organic goods

DIY Energy Drinks

Before I started switching my diet over to all "real food" (except for a weekly treat ) I was getting in the habit of having a daily (or two) Vitamin Water as a boost.  They're tasty with vitamins for energy (instead of caffeine like most "energy" drinks which I don't think are good for you if you're already having coffee or tea in the morning. Plus the "Zero" ones have no calories. I was a fan of everything but the price.

They're priced quite competitively with other like products but even on sale for a buck, that's about $2 per day - $60 in a month. Look, I'm not on a tight budget, but that $60 can be put to better use.

In the efforts to eat more "REAL" food, I made my own energy drinks in a quart jar, and then used a clean recycled bottle from something else to take on the go when need be. (don't reuse  drinking water plastic bottles for beverages, they can build up some nasty bacteria in them over time as the plastic breaks down).

The base is Apple Cider Vinegar - NOT the heat treated kind in the cheap vinegar aisle but the Braggs natural apple cider with the "mother" (which is strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky, cobweb-like appearance).  I love Braggs vinegar, salad dressings, olive oil and seasonings, but especially love the ACV.  I found that when drink at least 3 Tablespoons a day, I have more energy, and having some before a heavy meal, I also found myself eating less.  It also has reduced my craving for "sweets". It's a "live" food, and like my kefir and homemade whole wheat sourdough bread (which is easy to digest even for some who are gluten sensitive) I try and eat some "living" food with each meal.

Wild yeast whole wheat starter (more on that tomorrow)

There are three recipes that I played with that I like, go ahead and play around with your own. Braggs does make some great pre-mixed flavored drinks with ACV, but this is for the DIY person on a budget.

Each goes into a quarter mason jar,  then fill with water and ice made from purified water  and keep in the fridge.

Berry Blast
2/3 cup organic berry juice such as concord, acai, cranberry or a mix of several
2  Tablespoons ACV (Braggs, don't use the pasteurized kind)
Stevia (optional, to taste).

Honey/Ginger

Dissolve 2 Tablespoons honey in a cup of hot water and put in quart jar
add 2 Tablespoons ACV
add a pinch of dried ginger

Lime and the Coconut
3 Tablespoons Key Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
fill jar with coconut water or sparkling water.
Stevia (optional, to taste)

Even better, these cost just pennies per serving, not one to two dollars!

Tomato Ginger Curry - Healthy Eating International Style

Part of keeping a healthy eating plan from falling into a rut is to try new dishes.  For my house, we like cuisine of other countries and cultures.  Since we eat a lot of veggie and meat free based dishes, Thai and Indian food is popular for a cheap, delicious healthy meal.  I had never had Indian food until I worked in London for six months on a project for my American employer when I was a young woman.  New friends and I went out for curry at least once a week, and I was surprised at how complex and delicate the different dishes could be, expecting all curry to be strong and/or super hot. So last night, I made a curry dish for my husband, wanting something a little different than our usual Thursday night pasta and meat sauce.  It wasn't super hot but had a nice zing to it and we both enjoyed it.

Red Tomato Curry with Ginger


You can use textured vegetable protein in place of meat, but cooked red lentils would also be really good.

1 large onion (fresh celery root may be substituted)
1 carrot finely grated

1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil

2 Tablespoons curry paste - I use Maesri Thai Red Curry paste, found on Amazon, as unlike many other Thai curry pastes, it contains no dried shrimp (I have a shellfish allergy).  Don't consider just substituting extra curry powder.  The paste contains chili pepper, lemongrass, galangal, coriander seeds, cumin and cardamon, garlic and shallot so it has a really complex taste.

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (found in the veggie section, it looks like a small thick root)

1 can (14-ish ounces I think) of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes (so worth finding and paying a few pennies extra for at the grocers).

1 teaspoon honey or white sugar if you're making a vegan version

Heat oil in large skillet on medium and cook and stir veggies in hot oil until slightly softened and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix curry paste and spices, stir into onions and cook on high, stirring constantly until the spices are fragrant (a couple of minutes).

Add tomatoes/tomato paste (if you're using, see note below) and honey, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Note:  If you'd like it extra thick as I do, replace a half cup of the tomatoes with 1/4 of a small can of tomato paste.

Add in prepared meat or TVP, heat through and serve on rice with Naan (flatbread).

Reduced Fat Banana Bread

There's no extra oil in this recipe so feel free to serve with a little pat of organic butter, or add a few chocolate chips or some chopped walnuts to the batter.

Applesauce is a great replacement for oil in recipes for quick bread and brownies. Some cooks will recommend adding extra sugar to make up for it (check your labels in the store - most "non-fat" foods have a LOT more sugar than normal). I did not increase the sugar, and honestly, with the natural sweetness of the bananas, it was not needed.

1 and 1/’2 cups all purpose flour

1/2  cup white sugar

1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg

3 very ripe bananas - mashed (banana skins should be turning black)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup sugar-free applesauce

Mix white and dry ingredients in separate bowls, combine and mix just until blended.

Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray and bake in preheated 350 F oven for 50-55 minutes. If you want to bake as muffins, bake for 18 minutes at 350.