Hi Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the “official” start of summer! Here we are to the final days of June already! I trust this latest post finds all of you well! Tonight we will dive into Part Two of our “Super Substitutions” series!
Blackstrap Molasses. Blackstrap molasses is very high in minerals and iron. Add this as a source of power to your diet. The iron in blackstrap molasses is easily assimilated and is good in infant formula. Blackstrap molasses and barley malt are the two best sweeteners. Crude blackstrap molasses has been used as treatment for arthritis.
Carob. Carob is a fruit from a Mediterranean evergreen tree. It grows like a pod. It is also known as honey locust or St. John’s bread. High in calcium, B vitamins, magnesium, and pectin, it can be used in place of chocolate, which is known to be high in caffeine, in all recipes. Carob is low in fat, so it does not need preservatives like BHA and BHT, which are added to chocolate as a preservative for fats. It has little sodium and no oxalic acid and contains 8 percent protein. It comes in a variety of forms–powder, chips or drops, liquid and candy.
Cayenne Pepper. Cayenne pepper is great for circulation, the heart, respiratory system, lungs, and the colon. It makes an excellent substitute for black pepper. Remember, it is very hot, so use it sparingly.
Dried Fruit. Instead of commercial varieties of dried fruit, such as prunes and apricots, buy organically grown, unsulfured ones that contain no preservatives.
Flour. In the place of refined white flour, substitute whole wheat flour, rye flour, corn flour, oat flour, rice flour, or whole wheat pastry flour. In the milling process, white flour loses most of the nutrients the wheat originally contained, and it promotes the secretion of excess mucus that can clog up the system. Therefore, it is best to eliminate white flour from your diet entirely.
Nonfat powdered milk. If you are using milk in cooking, nonfat powdered milk is the product to use. It costs less, does not spoil, and has a natural sweetness. It can be used in make-ahead recipes for biscuit mix, pancake mix, or any other recipe that calls for milk. Soymilk also comes in a powdered form.
RECIPES:
Carob Muffins. Take 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, 1/4 cup of water, 1 cup of oat flour, 3/4 cup of coconut sugar, 1/2 cup Gluten Free all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of almond meal or flour, 1/2 cup of carob powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted, 1/4 cup of applesauce, 1 cup of almond milk and 1/4 cup of carob chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin pan or muffin cups, set aside. Mix flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl combine, oat flour, coconut sugar, gluten free all purpose flour, almond flour, carob powder, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix almond milk, applesauce, coconut oil, vanilla and flaxseed mixture. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Fold in carob chips. Divide batter evenly into the muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fork inserted into center comes out clean. Remove muffin pan from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup. Ingredients: 1 cup of soaked cashews, 4 celery ribs chopped, 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1/2 of a whole onion chopped, 4-6 garlic cloves chopped, 64 ounces of vegetable broth, 1 cup of wild rice, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, 2 whole bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms, and a 15 ounce can of white kidney beans. Soak cashews overnight if possible. Chop celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and reserve on the side. Reserve 1 cup (8 ounces of broth on the side.) Heat the rest of the vegetable broth in a large pot on medium heat. Rinse and drain your wild rice. Add wild rice, thyme, bay leaves, and salt to your hot vegetable broth. Add your veggies too. Place lid on the pot and set a 30 minute timer. Drain soaked cashews and the liquid from the kidney beans. Place cashews and beans in a blender or food processor. Add the reserved cup of vegetable broth. Blend on high for 1 minute until smooth. When your timer goes off, add the creamy mixture to your pot. Add the chopped mushrooms. Replace the lid, lower heat and set the time for 15 minutes more. When the timer goes off, check if wild rice is done. Remove bay leaves. Serve piping hot out of the pot.
Have a wonderful weekend! Next week we will be onto Part Three! “See” you then!
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”
Lemon and Rosemary 