Natural Kitchen Blog

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naturalkitchenblog — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:06:54 +0000

Exploding Pyrex: anyone with this experience?

naturalkitchenblog — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:11:52 +0000

Warning!!!!! This not your Momma’s Pyrex!!!!!

About 5:30 PM there was a loud bang from the oven. Sylvia opened

the oven door and the Pyrex dish had shattered into a million

pieces. The roast beef (our first in many months) was peppered

with small shards of very sharp glass. Normally, I am quick to

inform Sylvia she did something stupid. However, this time she was

nowhere near the stove when it blew. I shoveled the glass and the

now mashed potatoes into a bucket with two putty knives. I then

sucked the remains with the shop vac. I let everything cool down

and then scrubbed the oven with Simple Green and some hot soapy

water. It took over an hour to clea n up the goo. Upon completion

I ran the oven empty to see if the temperature contro ller was

working okay. I suspected the oven got too hot and the dish simply

blew. This was not the case however. The oven came up to

temperature and cycled normally. We threw a disgusting frozen

pizza in the oven and it cooked okay.

What is going on?

I Googled exploding Pyrex dishes and got ten million hits.

Exploding Pyrex is very common.

Here is the story.

A long, long time ago in a country we all know and love was a

company named Corning . They made Pryex dishes. The material they

used is called borosilicate glass. This stuff is indestructible.

But like everything else, the Bottom Liners had a great idea: sell

the technology to another company. The Chinese discovered that

using soda lime glass was almost as good as borosilicate glass and

a lot cheaper. Today, Wal-Mart is the largest distributor of

Pryex products. Corning not only sold the technology to a company

called World Kitchen, they also sold the rights to the original

Pyrex logo. Seamless. The consumer will never know.

Now it seems people are getting hurt using soda lime Pyrex. We

were lucky because the dish broke while the oven was closed and the

damage was limited to the oven cavity. Others have been less

fortunate. Some dishes explode when they are lifted from the

heating rack in the oven with devastating results. Some people are

heavily scarred. World Kitchen is in denial. They say that the

dishes are another brand, not theirs. Contrary to their denials

the victims usually have more than one of these dishes and the

Pryex logo is clearly visible.

If you buy a Pryex dish beware. The label on the front says oven

safe, freezer safe, microwave safe. The instructions on the back

tell another story. You cannot move a soda lime Pyrex dish from

the freezer to the oven and expect it to survive. The fine print

goes on and on about what you are not allowed to do with the Pyrex

dish. The fine print has prevented World Kitchen from being sued

because they have warned the consumer that their Pyrex dishes are

junk from the get go. And they are the same price as the original

Corning dishes. What a bunch of losers we all are for buying this

crap.

What to do?

If you own borosilicate Pryex dishes no fear. They have to be more

than 25 years old to be sure they are indeed Corning dishes. I am

not sure if the old Pryex dishes have anything stamped in them that

indicates they are made by Corning . You may continue to use the

soda lime dishes for holding stuff. Just do not attempt to roast

or microwave with them as the hazard is very clear.

The reason the soda lime dishes let go is that over time they

develop micro-cracks. Once a few micro-cracks are present and once

some liquid finds its way into the cracks you have the bomb

situation. The liquid is like shoving a crowbar in the dish and

pulling it apart. Super heated liquids expand rapidly and it is

the super heated liquids that force the soda lime glass to shatter

into tens of thousands of shards.

Since Corning no longer makes Pyrex and Sylvia proudly holds a

large collection of the soda lime Pyrex, we decided that one bomb

in the kitchen is enough. The Pyrex dishes will go bye-bye in this

week’s trash. I do not know what we will use for cake and pie

dishes going forward . If you have some suggestions we are listening.

I strongly urge you not to use the soda lime Pyrex for the oven,

stovetop or microwave. The slightest invisible crack is all it

takes to have a mess and a possible injury.

As to World Kitchen: them and their cheap dishes. In case

you are wondering: World Kitchen is not a USA company.

Gluten-free Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

naturalkitchenblog — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:22:15 +0000

Blackberry Corn meal Muffins

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups gf flour
3/4 cup fine-grind yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1-lemon
1-cup soy milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup corn oil
1-1/2 cups blackberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease muffin pan or use a non-stick muffin pan.

In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest.

In a separate bowl, using a fork beat together soy milk, eggs and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Stir in blackberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Kate/Effingham – 8/2009

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

naturalkitchenblog — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:44:52 +0000

This dip is being shared by Kate B. of Effingham. It is gluten-free and is even better than the Parmesean-Spinach-Artichoke dip without the sour cream and mozzarella. This one has a better taste and mouth-feel but also has more calories.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip 9/26/2009

Ingredients

2 cups shredded gf mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup gf sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated & divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 roasted garlic cloves
One 14 ounce can gf artichoke hearts (in water), drained & chopped
16 ounces gf cream cheese
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, drained & chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, pepper, garlic, artichoke hearts, cream cheese and spinach. Stir until thoroughly blended.

Spoon mixture into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

[To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut about 1/4" off top of a garlic bulb and coat bulb with olive oil. Wrap garlic bulb in foil and roast in oven for 45 minutes.]

Gluten-free Mock Graham Cracker Crust

naturalkitchenblog — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:24:18 +0000

Graham Crumb Crust [tastes like graham cracker]…submitted by Kate B. of Effingham, IL

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
3 tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10-14 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

If baking with the filling, shield edges of crust with foil to prevent over browning.

It makes 1 crust.

Oatmeal Tofu Cookies

naturalkitchenblog — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:23:48 +0000

Oatmeal Tofu Cookies. Donated by Linda; Bloomington, IN. She reports that by adding more tofu, she changed an average cookie to a very moist cookie.

11/2 cups of WW flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

11/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup any combination of walnuts, dates, apples, golden raisins

1 block firm or extra firm silken tofu

1/2 cup light olive oil or smart balance oil

1/4 cup water

1 cup light brown sugar (less works if the apples are sweet /andor if you use dates)

2 TSB pure vanilla extract

375 degree oven

sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt; stir in fruit and nuts.

Add flaxseed meal and wheat germ.

In separate bowl mash tofu; and stir in remaining ingredients.

Fold wet and dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Press down lightly with a fork

Bake cookies 10-13 minutes until edges are slightly brown.

I put warm into lock and lock and stored in refrigerator.

Note: Batter will be really wet; but cookies will be really moist.

more on cultured foods

naturalkitchenblog — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:39:38 +0000

Nutritionists recommend fermented vegetables. Not only are they durable and taste delicious, but they also prevent numerous illnesses.

Correct handling of the crockpots

The first rule is cleanliness. This does not only apply to the vegetable but also pot and lid. This is where the remarkable traits of the stoneware pay off. It can be cleaned easily and without much trouble. It only needs to be wiped, scrubbed or rinsed off and then left to dry. Since stoneware absorbs virtually no water, the formation of mold, that is common at the surface of other materials , is eliminated. Mold formation affects taste, ingredients and preservation of the fermented vegetable.

The cover stones are replacing the previous board with cloth to weigh down the fermenting vegetable. They’re made from stoneware and come as two pieces for easier handling and better contact with the fermenting vegetable’s juice. They also provide the necessary pressure on the vegetable for fermentation. The stones should be covered by one to two inches of vegetable’s juice. When there’s too little juice, add cool boiled salt water (15 g [.5 oz.] salt in 1 liter [1 qt.] water). A normal crockpot requires that one cover the vegetable with a clean, washed cloth. This is not necessary with this crockpot. Here it is sufficient to put large cabbage-, grape- or horseradish leaves under the stones.

Monitor the evaporation of water in the water groove. Close the pot with the lid. Pour water (normal tap water) into the water groove. This assures that the pot is sealed airtight, an important requirement for the pot to ferment properly. Fermentation occurs in several stages. Depending on the kind of vegetable, it takes 4 to 6 weeks. Especially in the early stages, it is extremely important that no air contacts the vegetable. The lid should therefore be opened no earlier than 2 to 3 weeks into the fermentation.

During fermentation and storage of the fermented vegetable the water groove needs to be filled with water. This prevents the following:

air coming in contact with the vegetable
yeast forming which makes the vegetable slimy
the upper portion of the vegetable turning bad
dust or vermin entering
stones or cloth turning smeary

Recipes to use with your crockpot

In general, don’t fill the crockpot all the way, since the cover stones and the carbon dioxide need room. The crockpot should be filled to no higher than 4/5 its height. When the pot is used for storage, don’t open the pot on a daily basis but rather remove a weeks amount and store it in a closed container in the refrigerator.

Sauerkraut

5-8 kg. [11-17 lbs.] Cabbage for the 10 liter pot
5-8 g [2 oz.] (max 15g [.5 oz.]) salt for 1 kg. [2.2 lbs.] Cabbage.
The better the seal, the less salt is needed.

1. Remove the outer wilted leaves of the cabbage and remove the stalk (with a special stalk-remover or a knife) and shred into a large bowl (depending
on the amount with a small vegetable f or a special cabbage shredder)
2. Weigh the salt and keep it separate from the shredded cabbage
3. Add a layer of cabbage to the pot and sprinkle some salt on it. Mash the
cabbage with a masher or fist until cellular fluid is extruded
4. Repeat until the pot is filled
5. Weigh down with the cover stones. If the stones are covered by less than
1 to 2 inches of liquid, add boiled and cooled salt water (1.5 g salt per
liter)
6. Cover the pot with the lid and add water into the water groove
7. Leave at room temperature (20-22 degrees C [68-72 degress F]) best in the the kitchen
for 2 to 3 days. Bubbling indicates the beginning of fermentation
8. Subsequently, move to a cool location (ca. 15-18TC [59-64 degress F])
9. The sauerkraut can be eaten after 4-6 weeks. Store in a cool basement
(5-15 degress C [41-59 degress F]).

You can also flavor the cabbage with spices such as juniper berries,
caraway or dill or fruits such as apples or pineapple.

Weinkraut is prepared like Sauerkraut. Instead of salt water, add 1 liter of wine and several apples (peeled and sliced). Cover with grape leaves.

You can also flavor the cabbage with spices such as juniper berries, caraway or dill or fruits such as apples or pineapple.

Weinkraut is prepared like Sauerkraut. Instead of salt water, add 1 liter of wine and several apples (peeled and sliced). Cover with grape leaves.

Russian Cabbage

White cabbage (2 kg), green tomatoes (1kg), carrots (.5 kg), rutabaga(.5 kg), celery (.5 kg), onions (.5 kg), red and yellow peppers (2 each), dill (1 bunch), tarragon (2 branches), savory (3branches), bay leaves (5), garlic (6 cloves), horseradish (sliced), mustard seed (4 tablespoons), cilantro (1 tablespoon), juniper berries (3 tablespoons), salt (5-8 g per kg vegetables)

prepare vegetables: shred cabbage, tomatoes, celery and carrots; slice peppers into strips, onions into fine rings add salt to vegetables, then add spices and herbs, mix and mash until juice becomes visible layer into the fermentation pot (up to 4/5 of height), cover with horseradish slices or cabbage leaves continue as described for Sauerkraut.
After 6 weeks the cabbage is ready. (Longer storage improves the taste.)

Blaukraut and Rotkraut (red cabbage)

Both, Blaukraut and Rotkraut (red cabbage) are prepared like Sauerkraut.
Fermentation gives the cabbage a beautiful red coloring. When prepared as a salad – with onions, marjoram, thyme and garlic – it goes well with potatoes and hot chestnuts.

Green Beans
6-7 kg beans for the 10 liter fermentation pot
5-8 g salt per kg vegetables (max. 15 g)
savory, dill, bay leaves, a bit buttermilk or sour cream as a starter

beans must be boiled before fermenting. (They contain poisonous substances
that are destroyed by heating.) Boil for ca. 5 minutes in salt water (15 g
per liter).
spread on a cloth and let cool
layer the beans with the spices in the fermentation pot (max. 4/5).
continue as described for Sauerkraut
After 3 weeks storage, the beans are ready for consumption.

Cucumbers

4.5-5 kg cucumbers (medium size, hard), several onions, mustard seeds (2-3
tablespoons), cilantro (2-3 tablespoons), bay leaves (10-12), dill,
horseradish, tarragon, whey (1.4 liters), salt water (30 g per liter).

wash and scrub cucumbers, and puncture with a knitting needle or sharp knife
so as to facilitate the exchange of fluids.
densely pack the cucumbers and spices into the fermentation pot (max 4/5).
add whey and salt water
add the cover stones
close the lid and fill the water groove with water
leave at room temperature for 10 days, then keep cool
After 2 to 3 weeks the cucumbers are ready for consumption.

Further information regarding working with the fermentation pot, healthy
nutrition and many recipes can be found in Annelies Schoneck’s book.

White cabbage (2 kg), green tomatoes (1kg), carrots (.5 kg), rutabaga(.5
kg),
celery (.5 kg), onions (.5 kg), red and yellow peppers (2 each), dill (1
bunch), tarragon (2 branches), savory (3branches), bay leaves (5), garlic (6
cloves), horseradish (sliced), mustard seed (4 tablespoons), cilantro (1
tablespoon), juniper berries (3 tablespoons), salt (5-8 g per kg vegetables)

prepare vegetables: shred cabbage, tomatoes, celery and carrots; slice
peppers into strips, onions into fine rings
add salt to vegetables, then add spices and herbs, mix and mash until
juice
becomes visible
layer into the fermentation pot (up to 4/5 of height), cover with
horseradish
slices or cabbage leaves
continue as described for Sauerkraut
After 6 weeks the cabbage is ready. (Longer storage improves the taste.)

Blaukraut and Rotkraut (red cabbage)

Both, Blaukraut and Rotkraut (red cabbage) are prepared like Sauerkraut.
Fermentation gives the cabbage a beautiful red coloring. When prepared as a
salad – with onions, marjoram, thyme and garlic – it goes well with potatoes
and hot chestnuts.

Green Beans
6-7 kg beans for the 10 liter fermentation pot
5-8 g salt per kg vegetables (max. 15 g)
savory, dill, bay leaves, a bit buttermilk or sour cream as a starter

Cultured Vegetables

naturalkitchenblog — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:52:54 +0000

Cultured Vegetables

2 Heads of Green Cabbage
2 Bunches of Kale
1-2 bunches of Parsley
2 Red Peppers
6 Carrots
Big handful of mint
2 lemons

Shred Cabbage and Carrots in food processor. Finely chop up Kale, Parsley, Peppers and Mint. Put all in big bowl, saving some of the herbs and stalks of kale for the brine.

Brine

Kale stalks
Handful of parsley
Handful of mint
Juice of 2 lemons
About 1 cup water
3 Ancient Earth Mineral Capsules (optional)
1 scoop EcoBloom (optional)
1 pack Culture Starter (optional)

Blend all in high speed blender, mix in the minerals, ecobloom and culture starter. Then poor over chopped veggies and mix well.

Place in airtight glass containers, store at room temp for 7 days.

Finally, here is where you can find out more information about Donna Gates… www.BodyEcology.com

Food Chart

naturalkitchenblog — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:39:03 +0000

Copy and Share this Chart with everyone

Apples	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
Apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer’s	Slows aging process
Artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
Avocados	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
Bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
Beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
Blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
Broccoli	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
Cabbage	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
Carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
Cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer’s
Chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
Figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
Flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
Garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
Grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
Grapes	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
Green tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
Honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
Lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer’s
Mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
Olive oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
Onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
Oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
Peaches	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates Diverticulitis
Pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
Prunes	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
Rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
Strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
Sweet potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
Walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
Water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
Watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Wheat bran	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Yogurt	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol

Young coconut water

naturalkitchenblog — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:29:41 +0000

VitaCoco is sold in asceptic packaging through Amazon.com. This is young coconut water that has been tested for nutritional minerals and safety. There are some locations such as where I live that I can no longer go the the store and purchase young coconuts. If you have never experienced and enjoyed the energy boost of young coconut water, give it a try. It is an excellant addition to some raw food dishes. Any feedback from others will be appreciated by the visitors to this blog site.