Buckwheat Soba Noodle SaladVegan And Gluten Free

Here's a great dish for your 4th of July celebration!

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest.

Perfect for Guests
If you are going to a potluck, picnic, or entertaining at home this 4th of July, this salad is sure to please your guests. Besides being delicious, it's gluten and dairy free. It's also served at room temperature so no worries about making it at the last minute or heating it up. I know the dressing has a lot of ingredients, but it really is quite easy to put together. You can also make the dressing ahead of time.

Buckwheat is rich in high quality protein.It's also high in dietary fiber and is a good source of iron, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and potassium. It also provides a good amount of B vitamins.

If you are gluten intolerant, make sure the package says 100% buckwheat as some brands mix buckwheat with wheat.

                *                          *                         *

Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 6 to 8 servings]

Ingredients
For the dressing:
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free Tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions plus some for garnish
1/4 cup chopped herbs (parsley and cilantro)
For the salad
8 ounces 100% buckwheat noodles
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Directions
To make the dressing, mix the ginger, garlic, and tahini into a paste and slowly mix in the oils, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Add the pepper flakes, scallions, and parsley and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Do not overcook and rinse well with cold water.

Drain the noodles well and place in a salad bowl. Add the grated carrot and seeds, saving some black sesame seeds for garnish. Toss with the dressing, garnish with a few sliced scallions and black sesame seeds and serve.

Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts And Carrots

Cooking veggies in an Instant Pot can be tricky.

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest.

Instant Pot and Veggies
Once you have an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you almost forget you've got other pots and pans, even though it's sometimes just as easy to cook something in your normal repertoire of pots and pans. 

One of the biggest challenges for me, with my Instant Pot, is cooking vegetables. If you get the timing wrong, your crisp veggies can easily turn to mush. So it's a matter of experimenting and getting to know your individual pot and each individual vegetable.

I suggest you keep a little notebook and experiment with different dishes (this goes for grains and beans too). Once you've perfected the timing for each of your favorite vegetable, you can then attempt to cook several of them together.

The easiest pairings are those foods that aren't that picky, like mushrooms. You can throw them in with anything and they will be just fine. But other veggies are a bit more tricky.

For example, Brussels sprouts and carrots. Brussels sprouts take a bit longer to cook than carrots but if you cut the Brussels sprouts in half and cut the carrots in larger slices, you can cook them together in 2 minutes. And if, after your cooking time, the veggies aren't cooked enough, don't turn the pot back on - just place the lid over the pot and wait a few minutes. 

But the key is experimentation. I have watched broccoli turn to mush in a single minute because I cut the florets too small so now I leave them in bigger pieces and only cook them for one minute. You can also play with the pressure, cooking them on lower pressure instead of higher pressure.

           *                             *                            *                            *

Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Vegan or Vegetarian, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
4 large carrots
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Earth Balance or ghee*

*ghee is not vegan but is lactose and casein free.

Directions
Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Rinse and place in the Instant Pot.

Peel the carrots and cut thick slices on the diagonal. Place them into the Instant Pot together with the remaining ingredients and stir.

Hit the "Manual" button and set for 2 minutes at high pressure. When done, hit quick release and carefully open the lid. If the vegetables are not yet cooked, just set the lid back on top and wait a minute or two.

Stir and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 73 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 112 mg omega-3 and 100 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, and 160 mg sodium.

Make Your Own SauerkrautLatin American Curtido KrautRecipe By Cynthia Lair

Cynthia Lair taught us how to make our own fermented foods.

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest.
Check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Making Your Own Fermented Foods

Last week I wrote about the 5 Changes I Made Immediately After Attending the 2015 Health and Nutrition Conference.  The first one was to eat and make more fermented foods as it is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Hands down, the most fun and entertaining presentation at the conference was by Cynthia Lair. I had never made sauerkraut before and, quite honestly, I was intimidated by the entire process. I pictured big ceramic crocks filled with smelly cabbage being pressed down with plates weighed down with rocks. But Cynthia's process was so easy I couldn't wait to try it.

Cynthia Lair
Watch her web cooking show,
cookusinterruptus.com

Latin American Curtido Kraut

by Cynthia Lair

Raw Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free

Makes 4 to 6 cups

Requires 2 wide-mouth quart jars and 2 (1/2-pint) jars with lids.

Ingredients

1 (2-lb) head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced*

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 medium white onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 large or 2 medium carrots, grated on large holes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh oregano (optional)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, chopped finely

Note: The weight of the cabbage will determine the amount of salt. Cynthia recommends using 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for every 1/2 pound of whole cabbage. I love this recipe because it uses much less salt than other sauerkraut recipes.

Directions

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Set aside to "weep" while preparing the other vegetables. Do not add the other vegetables yet.

The salt will cause the cabbage to "weep" or release water.

With clean hands, begin massaging the cabbage with a firm grip. Continue for at least 3 minutes, working your way through all the cabbage. You will notice that the cabbage will already begin wilting and shrinking.

Cabbage after massage.

Now add the onion, carrot, and oregano and massage the vegetables together until they are well combined. Mix in the jalapeño with a large spoon.

Cabbage with other ingredients mixed in.

Divide the mixed vegetables among two wide-mouth quart jars, adding a little at a time and pushing down hard after each handful of vegetables goes in. You can push down with your fist or something like the pushing device of your Vitamix (that's what I used.) You can't hurt the vegetables with the forceful pressing. It will help them release water.

Push down the veggies hard.

  

Keep pushing down until the vegetables are submerged in their own brine. Add additional compression to the top of the mixture by placing a sealed 1/2-pint jar filled with water on top of the vegetables. I actually used 33 3/4 ounce Fido Jars as the fermentation vessel and sealed pint jars for additional compression. These Fido Jars have wider mouths to accommodate pint jars and they are great for storing the kraut when it's done.

Filled and capped jars add extra compression to the kraut.

Cover with a clean dish cloth to keep out the dust but allow in air. Keep the jars visible so that you visit them a few times the first day. It's important to keep the vegetables submerged in their brine so push down if they are not. Within 8 to 10 hours, there should be enough extracted liquid in the container to cover the veggies completely. After that, they'll only need a daily greeting and push.

Cover with a clean dish towel and visit each day.

Let the kraut percolate on the counter for at least 7 days to two weeks or more, depending on how tangy you like your kraut. When done, seal in a Fido jar and place in the refrigerator.

I placed my jars in shallow bowls since they will keep fermenting.

For those of you who think sauerkraut is only for topping hotdogs, you are in for a treat. I have been topping just about everything I eat with this wonderful Curtido. I especially like it on top of Beans and Greens.

Curtido Kraut on top of beans and kale.

A BIG thank you to Cynthia Lair for allowing me to share her wonderful recipe with you. Don't forget to check out her website and cookus*interruptus web cooking show.

Easy Vegan Instant Pot Split Pea Soup With Shredded Carrots - No Blending Required

Split pea soup has never been easier using an Instant Pot.

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest.

So Easy in an Instant Pot
Split pea soup is my "go-to" meal in the winter. It's hardy and delicious and a great source of fiber and plant-based protein. At less than 300 calories per generous serving, this recipe has a whopping 21 grams of dietary fiber and 19 grams of protein.

There are many ways to make split pea soup. Traditionally you cook it until the peas start to break apart and then you place it in a blender or use an immersion blender to get a nice smooth soup. Or you serve as is in a more rustic version of the recipe. Both are excellent but require a lot of stirring and, should you decide to blend, the trouble of doing another step and having to clean up more tools. (If you don't have an Instant Pot, see my Vegan Split Pea Soup and Carrots recipe that requires a blender.)

But to my delight, I've created a way to make this awesome soup with absolutely no trouble at all. Just pop all the ingredients in an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker, set for 12 minutes, and your have a pretty smooth soup without any stirring or blending. Including the  heat-up time and a slow release time, it takes a total of about 1 hour with absolutely NO effort at all. After it cooks, I stir some shredded carrots into the hot broth and they cook almost instantly.

Here's the recipe!

            *                      *                      *

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

Requires an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
1 pound (~2 cups) dry split peas
8 cups hot water
1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube with herbs
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions
Pick through the split peas for small rocks or dirt and rinse well, in a strainer, under cold water.

Place the rinsed split peas in the Instant Pot along with all the rest of the ingredients except the carrots and lemon juice. Stir a bit to get the bouillon cube mixed into the hot water. 

I like to use water and a Rapunzel bouillon cube because it gives a nice flavor and usually provides enough salt but you can substitute the water and bouillon with veggie broth.

As a note, the olive oil is added to keep the peas from frothing and clogging up the pressure cooker. 

Place all ingredients in the pot except carrots.

Secure the lid and make sure the top vent is closed. Hit the manual button and set for 12 minutes.

When done, let the pressure release naturally. When complete, remove the lid carefully, with the steam pointed towards the back.

Add the shredded carrots immediately and stir well until the soup is smooth. It may seem a bit thin but this soup thickens as it cools. Adjust for seasonings, adding salt to taste and additional black pepper if needed. To brighten the taste, you can also stir in a tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Do not shred the carrots too thinly.

The shredded carrots will cook immediately in the hot soup.

Serve as is or over rice.

When you put the leftover soup in the refrigerator it will become solid. To reheat, you may need to add additional water. 

Nutrition
(Per serving - 6) 291 calories, 2 g total fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 70 mg omega-3 and 427 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 19 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 21 g dietary fiber, and 379 mg sodium.