RawFoodBlog

Do either of you happen to know if there is any low lectin grains that I
can still use for breads. Or said another way, breads I can purchase that
are low lectin?

Okay,
Here’s a great article on lectins, what they are and how to avoid them.
This guy encourages a low-lectin diet, by rotating small amounts that your
body can take, in with mostly raw foods. (his idea)
The way to destroy the lectins is to eat fermented and sprouted foods. So
you can have your grains, as long as you sprout or ferment them – as in
fermented barley.
Since you’re probably WAY overwhelmed with stuff to do, you could start by
buying Essene bread, or other sprouted breads. They’re good – not what
you’re used to, but you can get, for example, sprouted english muffins to
have warm garlic bread. I used to have it in the broiler with coconut oil
and garlic powder. mmmm
They have other sprouted bakery products, too, can’t remember them all. But
go for those to start!
You can also sprout just about any grain and make it into bread – don’t
know if you want to do that yet. You basically soak the grain for a day,
sprout it for a day, then grind and dehydrate it to make a flour.

Get your chickpeas going by soaking them in water for 12 hours, then draining the water and letting them sprout for 1 – 1 1/2 days. Check them to make sure they’re not getting moldy. Don’t let them sit too long. I like to sprout mine on a paper towel where they can spread out and get air while they’re drying/sprouting. You know they’re ready when they have a little sprout coming out of them

The real story here is the cumin vinaigrette that’s laced into every bite of this salad. It’s a heady combination of cumin seeds, black pepper, and oregano, all smashed together with garlic, good olive oil, and red wine vinegar. It’s a little bit Mediterranean, a little bit Middle Eastern, and it does wondrous things to the chickpeas. This is a stellar vegetarian meal atop a bed of baby spinach or sprouts.
Ingredients:

* For the cumin vinaigrette
* 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Mix.
* For the chickpea salad:
*1 c. sprouted chickpeas (garbanzos).
* 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise (nr)
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon slivered mint leaves
Toss. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

http://sproutpeople.org/seeds/amaranth.html

Amaranth is an ancient pseudograin which has been used for millennia for its leaf and its seed. In the sprout world we generally use it as a seed, though it can be grown into Micro-Greens as well. We don’t offer the microgreens as such because we find its flavor unpleasant.
It is a very tasty sprout with a great texture – it sorta pops like popcorn when you bite down on it. It’s a very tiny seed, which produces red-tinged sprouts whether you Soak it or not.
You can toss some Amaranth Sprouts into or onto just about anything you eat. Their size is a great visual addition to any dish.

Several studies have shown that Amaranth has a positive effect on a variety of ailments; hypertension, heart disease and cholesterol to name a few.
Seed Shelf Life at 70° 2 years
Seed To Sprout in 2-4 days
Sprout Shelf Life 1-2 weeks
Yield 1.5 to 1

Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts

Seed Prep
Measure out 2/3 Cup of seed*
Rinse your seeds to remove dust or plant debris.

Soak
Transfer your seeds – if necessary – into your Sprouter, or a bowl.
Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70 degree) water.
Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all.
Allow seeds to Soak for 20-30 minutes.
You don’t really even need to Soak Amaranth, but it speeds it up a little to do so. It will appear to be water repellant, but it will actually take in water.

Sprouting
Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary).
Drain off the soak water.
You can use it – it has nutrients in it.

Rinse thoroughly with cool (60-70°) water.
Drain thoroughly.

Always be sure to Drain very thoroughly. The most common cause of inferior sprouts is inadequate drainage.
Even the best designed Sprouting Device holds water, so pay special attention to this step.

Set your Sprouter anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses.
This is where your sprouts do their growing. We use a counter top – in the corner of our kitchen, but where the sprouter won’t get knocked over by cats, dogs, kids or us.
We don’t mind the indirect sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light, because light just does not matter much. These Sprouts will never have leaves, and a plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves. Until then light has little if any effect, so don’t hide your sprouts. Plus, they like air-circulation.

Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.
And, once more…
Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.
And, perhaps once more…
Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.
And, possibly once more…
Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.

We stop – usually sooner – but definitely no later then here. We like our sprouts small.
Typically, we sprout for just 2-3 Rinse and Drain cycles. At that point most of the seeds will have sprouted tiny (barely visible) roots.
That’s the way we like these sprouts.

Depending on your climate and the time of year you are sprouting and most importantly your personal preference – You may Rinse and Drain again at 8-12 hour intervals for several days. We Do Not recommend doing so, unless you’re doing a science experiment. Grow them for as long as you like. As long as you continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours.

Note: Amaranth can be sprouted quite a bit longer but it’s texture changes profoundly, going from a soft crunchy sprout to a very soft sprout. If you sprout it long you’ll have to use it soon as it won’t keep well. Experiment! Have Fun! It’s All Good – if occasionally inedible @;-D

As always, we suggest that you taste your crop at EVERY Rinse – including the very first – just after the Soak period. The soaked seeds are already alive and super nutritious – and – they are without enzyme inhibitors (a very good thing indeed!) so they’ll digest themselves and nourish you. So taste them often and find out for yourself when they are most delicious! That’s when they’re done.

Harvest
Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse.
Be sure to Drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final Rinse.
The goal during the final 8-12 hours is to minimize the surface moisture of your sprouts – they will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.

Refrigerate
Transfer your sprout crop to a plastic bag or the sealed container of your choice and put them in your refrigerator.
We offer Produce Storage Bags that will extend shelf life substantially.
Note: Amaranth – when sprouted very short – can make it in refrigeration for up to 2 weeks. When sprouted longer expect less. If you can use ‘em fresher we think you’ll like them better.

*Seed to Use

* If using Sproutpeople’s Single Harvest Pack – use the whole bag. It will produce a crop of approximately 8 ounces.

These seeds will yield approximately 1.5:1 (you get 1.5 pounds for every pound of dry seed), so in theory you can start with up to 2/3 as much dry seed, as your Sprouter has capacity.
We generally advise maxing out at 1/2 capacity, until you get used to growing a particular crop.

To watch Dorothy sprout buckwheat and make buckwheat crunchies, go to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOkTR0Ftls

Soak buckwheat for 2 hours, then drain and let sprout 1.5 days. If possible, wash every few hours, as the seeds get slimy.  I use a sprouter bag for this, not the jar. It seems easier to me. Dehydrate 105 degrees for 4-6 hours.

I do 4 cups at a time, dry them and put them in a jar, to eat as a non-fat raw snack, throw in cereals, on top of salads.

On one of the dehydrator layers of buckwheat, I sprinkle Bragg’s Amino Acids over all. Oh, my gosh, they taste so good!

What an awesome snack! I like them better than lentil party sprouts!

If beans give you flatulence, it’s because they have complex sugars that are hard to break down. But here’s great news!

Sprout the beans! Sprouting opens up the bean. You can see the little sprouts, as in mung bean sprouts, kidney bean sprouts, garbanzos etc…. When the bean is sprouted it opens up the enzymes which breaks down the bean for you!Stored proteins are broken down into component amino acids. Because the protein is predigested, sprouts are more easily assimilated and less gas-forming than dried beans. Digestibility is vastly improved.Your stomach no longer has to do the work! The sprouts are high in Vitamin C and the B vitamins.Thiamin increases five-fold and niacin content doubles. Vitamin C, E and carotene increase. In fact, the vitamin C content becomes as rich as tomatoes.They’re simple to grow. They save you money. And they taste good . Put them in your sandwiches and salads, in your green smoothies. Eat them alone!

The procedure is the same as for other sprouts/seeds:

Use a large jar, like a pickle jar.  Since most sprouts grow to five or six times their original size, cover the bottom of the jar with the beans -about two beans thick–1/4 to 1/2 inch… This will give them plenty of room to sprout. Pour warm  water over the beans to cover, plus about an additional inch of water.

Cover the bowl with a sprouting cap or  layer of cheesecloth fastened with a large rubber band around its edge (two layers of fabric netting works well, too.) The sprouts need to breathe during germination, so you must use a fabric which lets air circulate. You will rinse the beans right through the fabric.

Let  the beans and water stand overnight, during which time the beans will absorb most of the water and bulk up to about twice their original size.

The next morning, drain the beans by inverting the jar over the sink, then rinse them in tepid water–right through the cheesecloth. Place the jar in a warm, dark place (a kitchen cabinet will do) and be sure to keep them moist by rinsing them several times during the day. A room temperature of about 70 degrees F. seems optimal for growing sprouts.

Continue this procedure for about three or four days until the sprouts are tender and have grown to the desired size. Be sure to rinse the sprouts before using them. If you don’t use them right away, they will stay fresh in the produce drawer of your refrigerator for several days. Keep rinsing them every day.

What can you sprout besides mung beans?
SOYA BEANS Soya beans are considered fairly difficult for the inexperienced sportiest because they are prone to fermentation, especially during the warm weather. To overcome this problem, rinse sprouts often and remove discolored and unsprouted seeds. They are ready to eat when the root is 2 inches long. Soya bean sprouts require approximately 10 minutes for cooking. These sprouts are higher in protein than any other bean.

CHICKPEAS Commonly known as garbanzo beans.  The sprout is tender and delicious and is ready to eat when the root is between 1 1/2 and 2 inches long.

LEGUMES: Other legumes that can be sprouted successfully are lima, maro, pinto, kidney, harlot, navy, aduki and broad beans. You can also sprout black-eyed, cowgram, pidgeon and redgram peas.

Nature’s Rocket Fuel

Posted: 07 Jul 2009 04:04 AM PDT

from GrassyRootsTV.com

[This is a summary only. Click on the title of the article for the full text.]

Posted: 08 Jul 2009 12:00 AM PDT

• Nature’s Rocket Fuel
  <p>Beth Overgaauw and Dr. Jim discuss the nutritional reasons for Raw Living Foods, the issues with the Standard American Diet (SAD), and solutions to common dietary issues. They also define “Living Foods” and how to sprout your own quickly and easily in the kitchen, blenders, dehydrators and other starting items. They make Rejuvelac, energy soup, smoothies, and generally have fun making raw foods in the kitchen. Excerpts from GrassyRootsTV.com</p>