Super Natural Every Day (29 page)

Combine one-third of the berries along with the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Gently simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on the berry solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids and combine the syrup with the remaining uncooked berries. Stir in the ginger juice, lemon juice, and salt. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or ginger juice, if needed. The compote will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

MAKES ABOUT 340 G

A Simple Pot of Beans

Most weekends I cook a pot of beans, which I then use in various preparations throughout the week. Any I don’t foresee using, I freeze for later.

To prepare the beans, start by picking through the beans carefully, looking for small pebbles or clumps of dirt. Then, rinse thoroughly.

If you have time to soak the beans, do so—either overnight, or starting early in the morning of the day you want to cook them. The soaking will speed the cooking time and impart a beautiful fullness to each bean that you don’t always get when you skip the soaking step. To soak, put 450 g of dried beans in a large, heavy-based pot and add enough water to cover the beans by about 10 cm. Leave at room temperature overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

After soaking, drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Add fresh water in an amount roughly double or triple the volume of beans. If you like, you can add half a chopped onion (or a combination of chopped aromatic vegetables, such as onions, celery, and carrots). Bring the water in the pot to a simmer and cook the beans, uncovered, until tender. Depending on the type of bean and its freshness, the cooking time can range from 35 minutes to more than an hour. Sample regularly to gauge doneness. But be sure to taste four or five beans. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tasted a couple beans that seemed nicely cooked, and then the fourth bean wasn’t quite done.

Season with salt in the last 10–15 minutes of cooking time, when the beans are nearly ready. This gives them enough time to start absorbing some of the salt. I’ve found that salting early can sometimes result in tough beans or beans that break down more than I like them to.

Drain and enjoy your pot of beans on their own or incorporate them into your favourite bean-centric dish. Store the beans you don’t use within a day or so and freeze in small portions.

SERVES 8–10

Brown Rice

The ratio I use to cook brown rice is one part rice to (just shy of) two parts water, plus a good dose of salt. Some brown rice grains are fresher, absorb more water, or take longer to cook than other brown rice grains, but this ratio and cooking time work reliably well.

400 g brown rice, rinsed and drained

830 ml water

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the rice, water, and salt to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot. Any left-over rice can be cooled and then stored in the freezer for later use.

MAKES ABOUT 740 G

Wild Rice

	The ratio I use to cook wild rice is one part wild rice to three parts water, plus a good dose of salt. Like brown rice, wild rice is harvested using a number of different methods. I go into more detail about this in Super Natural Cooking .
The harvesting variables can affect how much water you’ll use or time you’ll need, but this recipe will get you in the ballpark.

340 g wild rice, rinsed and drained

1.5 litres water, plus more if needed

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the rice, water, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed and the bellies of most of the rice grains have split open, about 50 minutes. If you need to drain off any liquid in the end, do so. Alternatively, if you need to add a bit of water during the simmering process, do so 120 ml at a time. When finished cooking, fluff with a fork and serve hot. Any left-over rice can be cooled and then stored in the freezer for later use.

MAKES ABOUT 910 G

Wholegrain Breadcrumbs

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t play around with different types of bread here—wholemeal, spelt, oat, or sprouted. You can make breadcrumbs or croutons from any of them.

Day-old or two day-old wholegrain bread, crusts removed

Pulse the bread (in batches if necessary) in a food processor until you have textured crumbs. I sift out the fine sandy dust that collects in the base of the food processor, which leaves just the good stuff, but this is a step you don’t have to take. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard.

Toasted Nuts & Seeds

I generally toast flat nuts and seeds—pine nuts, sesame seeds, sliced almonds—and those that have been chopped, in a frying pan. Rounder nuts, such as hazelnuts, peanuts, and walnuts, go into the oven so the heat can wrap all the way around them.

IN A FRYING PAN:
Put the nuts or seeds in a single layer in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Toss them around every couple minutes, until fragrant and toasty. Don’t walk away; if you do, set a timer so you don’t forget. I’ve learned the hard way after burning countless batches of pine nuts.

IN THE OVEN:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4). Put the nuts on a rimmed baking tray so they don’t roll off and toast until they start to darken and become fragrant. Toasting time varies depending on the nut, but this usually takes just a few minutes. The nuts near the edges of the baking tray tend to brown faster, so stir the nuts or give the tray a shake once or twice during roasting.