Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (140 page)

FALAFEL

(Chick Pea Patties)
Serves 8

2 cups chickpeas

filtered water

4 tablespoons whey
Whey and Cream Cheese
or lemon juice

4 cups parsley leaves, loosely packed

4 medium onions, coarsely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon baking powder

about 1 cup extra virgin olive oil or lard

Here is yet another delicious ethnic dish in which the main ingredient is fermented—in this case the base is chickpeas. Falafel is a popular food throughout the Middle East.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour over chickpeas. Stir in 2 tablespoons whey or lemon juice and leave in a warm place for 12 hours. Pour off excess water and pour in more boiling water. Add remaining 2 tablespoons whey or lemon juice and leave in a warm place another 12 hours. Place 1 cup parsley in food processor and pulse until chopped. Add ¼ of the chickpeas, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, and ¼ teaspoon each of the remaining ingredients (except olive oil or lard) and pulse until reduced to a coarse paste. The mixture should be finely ground enough to hold together but not entirely smooth. Repeat process three more times. Mix all batches together, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Form into patties and saute in olive oil or lard. Serve with
tahini sauce
, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and pita bread.

The first phase of digestion begins in the mouth where the enzyme amylase becomes mixed with the food we are chewing and begins to digest starches. The production of saliva and the activity of amylase are considerably stimulated by. . .several spices, notably pepper, ginger, hot pepper, curry and mustard. Research on the amount of saliva produced and the total activity of amylase shows that these spices and condiments can increase their activity by as much as 20 times. Claude Aubert
Dis-Moi Comment Tu Cuisines

BASIC LENTILS

Serves 6-8

2 cups lentils, preferably green lentils

warm filtered water

2 tablespoons whey
Whey and Cream Cheese
or lemon juice

3 cups
beef stock
or
chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together

1 teaspoon dried green pepper corns, crushed

pinch dried chile flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon sea salt

juice of 1-2 lemons or 3 tablespoons
sauerkraut
juice

Lentils are excellent with sauerkraut and strongly flavored meats, such as duck, game or lamb.

Cover lentils with warm water. Stir in whey or lemon juice and leave in a warm place for about 7 hours. Drain, rinse, place in a pot and add stock. Bring to a boil and skim. Add garlic, thyme, peppercorns and chile flakes and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until liquid has completely reduced, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add lemon juice or sauerkraut juice and season to taste. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Since the beginning of civilization, the lowly lentil has nourished healthy peoples across a wide portion of the globe. Dr. Weston Price considered the lentil the most nutritious of all legumes, due to its high phosphorus content. Lentils are also rich in calcium, potassium, zinc and iron as well as vitamin B complex. Lentils have a high molybdenum content, a mineral that plays a role in protein assimilation, iron absorption, fat oxidation and normal cell function. They are low in phytates as well and thus need only be soaked a few hours rather than overnight.

American markets usually carry brown lentils. Some markets carry the pretty red lentil, which is best used only for soups as it disintegrates during cooking. The French prefer the tiny green lentil, available in gourmet markets and specialty shops. These make the most satisfactory cooked lentils as they hold their shape very well. SWF

LENTIL SALAD

Serves 4

2 cups basic green lentils, drained

1 cup carrots, grated

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

¾ cup
basic dressing

Mix all ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

LENTIL-PECAN PATTIES

Makes about 1 dozen

1 cup green or brown lentils

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

1 cup
crispy pecans
, finely ground

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon dry mustard

about 2 cups whole grain bread crumbs

about ½ cup extra virgin olive oil or lard

Sprout lentils according to directions on
Lentils
. Place in food processor and process to a paste. Saute onions in butter until soft. Mix lentil paste with onions, lemon rind, garlic, pecans, eggs and seasonings. Form into balls and roll in bread crumbs. Saute in olive oil or lard until golden. Serve with
sour cream sauce
or a fermented condiment, such as
sauerkraut
,
cortido
, or
ginger carrots
.

Modern civilization is making a tragic mistake in getting away from the natural foods that are low in energy and high in minerals and increasing the intake of the heat and energy producing foods. This energy can be quantitatively expressed by the amount of oxygen that may be utilized when modern foods are burned either by the wet process within our bodies or by the dry process in special apparatus. We speak of this in terms of calories.

Most people need from 2000 to 3000 calories a day, according to the nature of their physical activities. Similarly, we need two grams of phosphorus and one and one-half grams of calcium a day in our food in order to keep up the body's daily requirements. Our problem, then, is to get enough of the minerals and vitamins without exceeding our limit in calories. . .. It is not wise to fill the limited space with foods that are not doing our bodies any particular good. You would be interested to know that while you would have to eat 7 ½ pounds of potatoes or 11 pounds of beets or 9 ½ pounds of carrots to get the daily phosphorus requirement, all of which would provide too high a number of calories, you would obtain as much phosphorus from 1 pound of lentils. This would also provide the calcium. You would also supply the entire day's requirement of minerals from 0.8 pounds of fish or 0.6 pounds of cheese. Milk is one of the best, if not the best single food, since you obtain the minerals rapidly in proportion to the calories. The main thing is to get the daily phosphorus and calcium requirement and sufficient of the vitamins, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins. Weston Price, DDS
Letter to His Nieces and Nephews
1934

INDIAN-STYLE LENTILS

(Dal)
Serves 8

1½ cups Indian lentils (called
urad dal,
available in specialty markets)

warm filtered water

2 tablespoons whey
Whey and Cream Cheese
or lemon juice

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

¼ cup
clarified butter

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds

2 small hot red or green peppers, seeded and chopped

¹
/
₃
cup cilantro, chopped

sea salt

Cover lentils with warm water. Stir in whey or lemon juice and leave for about 7 hours in a warm place. Drain, rinse and place in a pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Skim. Add turmeric, pepper and garlic. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until lentils are very soft. Off heat, beat with a wire whisk until lentils are creamy. Meanwhile, saute cumin seeds and chiles in clarified butter until chiles are soft. Fold chile-cumin seed mixture and chopped cilantro into lentils. Season to taste.

INDIAN-STYLE DUMPLINGS

(Idli)
Serves 6-8

1 cup Indian lentils (called
urad dal,
available in specialty markets)

2 cups brown rice

warm filtered water

2 tablespoons whey
Whey and Cream Cheese
or lemon juice

2 teaspoons sea salt

These vegetarian "meatballs," cooked in an egg poacher, may be served with a variety of sauces. Wash lentils and rice well and place in separate bowls. Cover each with warm water, add 1 tablespoon whey or lemon juice to each and leave overnight in a warm place. Drain each in a colander and process separately in food processor with a little water until smooth. Blend lentil and rice dough together with salt—the dough should be rather firm. Cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. Fill well-oiled egg poaching cups with balls of rice-lentil mixture, cover and steam for 15 minutes or until a needle comes out clean. Serve hot with
curry sauce
,
yoghurt sauce
or
fruit chutney
.

Variation: Indian-Style Spicy Dumplings

Just before cooking, add
½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
and
1 teaspoon grated ginger
to dough and mix well.

Variation: Indian-Style Picant Dumplings

Just before cooking, add
1 teaspoon fried mustard seed
and
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
to dough and mix well.