I Made Sauerkraut!

I actually made it. I didn't open a jar from the store and have it all ready. I made it from scratch! How cool is that?

I am a member of a couple of FaceBook pages.  I so love meeting people in these FaceBook Groups that I can relate to and enjoy. This is especially true when it comes to my passion for raw food and a vegan lifestyle. I have learned so much from the experiences of others, and it has also contributed to my addiction of buying kitchen gadgets! And if you know me, you know I love kitchen gadgets!!!!

Here is the result of one such FaceBook post:

It's a sauerkraut maker. Who knew they even made them? I sure didn't. I didn't even know you could make your own sauerkraut! My Facebook friend Lucy from Maryland, or as she says, "Merry-land," did a post about making sauerkraut and I was instantly intrigued. So yes, I had to buy one! I got mine from Mike at therawdiet.com. 

And I couldn't wait to make some. So here is how it went.

The ingredients.

The tools needed.

To begin, I dissolved the probiotic in water. This adds all those good bacteria to the sauerkraut and speeds up the fermentation process. Speaking of fermented food, do you know how good fermented food is for you? Check out this article on Huff Post.

Now for the real work. Shredding the cabbage. This was the hardest part of the whole process. And since I used a food processor, it was not hard at all!!!

I used organic cabbage. Organic is VERY important to me. I cut the cabbage into large chunks.

I fed it into the food processor using my slicing blade on the thinnest setting. I love that I can adjust the thickness of the slice on this food processor. This is one of my favorite gadgets in my kitchen.

The shredded cabbage, combined with the celtic sea salt was mixed together in a really big bowl.

Remember the probiotic that we mixed at the beginning of the blog? Well, now it is time to use it. I took about 2 or 3 cups of the cabbage and put it in my Blendtec, which is WAY HIGH up on the favorite gadget list, and added the probiotic. Blend. Blend. Blend. And then I added it to the big bowl of shredded cabbage and stirred it all together.

Now it is time to pack the sauerkraut maker with the cabbage mix. Which, by the way has been making it's own liquid in the bowl, in addition to the probiotic just added. I keep using this word, probiotic. Do you know what it is? Here's a cute short little YouTube that explains probiotics well.

Back to what we are doing here, packing the big jar with the cabbage. The goal is to pack it really tightly in the big glass jar so there is no air.

I used a cup to really pack it down.

Once it is full to the brim the cap and top are added and then it does it's magic. As it ferments liquid is released, therefore, it is important to set the container in a bowl, on a tray, or in this case, in a pie dish. For the first two days the liquid seeped out. And then it quit. On the fourth day it was done. The sauerkraut was born!

I took it out of the giant jar and filled smaller more manageable jars. It will keep in the refrigerator for months.

It is great to just eat by itself. But I can't wait to use it in my Reuben Salad. Right now I have eggplant bacon happening in the dehydrator to go on the Reuben Salad with the sauerkraut. But now, that's another post.

If you are so inclined, give this a try. Mike has a great article with all kinds of information and recipes that you might find really helpful on his website: www.therawdiet.com.   

It was really an interesting process. Next I am making kimchee, which uses a variety of veggies. 

Here's to your health and mine!

(Confession: I bought another gadget. It's a Perfect Pickler.  And again it was because of a FaceBook post. Thanks Edda! Well, come on, I need to do something with all those cucumbers from the Farmer's Market!)

Attitude Soup

"Now this soup has an attitude," said the fire breathing lady. "Oh, wow." Yet she couldn't stop eating it! The combination of flavors were doing a dance on her tongue and the music wasn't stopping.

Just take a look at this presentation. It begs to be eaten.

"What is it?" you ask.

It is a raw soup that can warm you up like one that has been boiling on the stove. The difference is that all the nutrients have been saved by not cooking it. It has a chunky texture, and with the garnishes on top, there is plenty to bite into. It is rich and filling. And it will make your sinuses drain even if you didn't think they needed to! The attitude is the cayenne pepper. I have learned to really like this spice. Did you know it has amazing health benefits too?

I have been making a raw blended soup almost daily for a couple of weeks now. I joined a group, Cleanse America, to do a 10 day cleanse. The cleanse choices were liquid (smoothies, juices, blended soups), raw food, and or a combination of both. I decided to do liquids and it has gone so well I am on day 22! I am transitioning to raw solids and that is why I selected this chowder because of the garnishes on it. I feel amazing. My energy levels are up, I lost weight, my skin feels so soft and smooth, and there is a different kind of clarity and calm that I experience. I have not been hungry once and have totally enjoyed the ease of eating this way.

I have adapted this recipe from Nouveau Raw. Aime Sue creates amazing recipes of which I have made many. This is her Sun-dried Tomato Corn Chowder. Whether you eat a raw diet, like an occasional raw dish, or just might be curious, I would really encourage you to try this recipe.

After all, who wouldn't want a dance happening on their tongue?

(Wow, I haven't blogged since May???? What the heck have I been doing???)