Fermented Foods Class at London’s Nutrition College

logo_CNM1On Tuesday 10th February I will be teaching a Fermented Foods class at College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM), in London.  The session will cover the techniques, processes and everything else that you need to know, to safely ferment foods at home for their beneficial bacteria content.  Learn how to make sauerkraut and other relishes.

 

fermentation, beneficial bacteria, relishes, sauerkraut, gut healing

 

The Fermented Foods class will cover three different recipes, as well as how to make a starter culture.  There will be opportunities for tasting and to ask all of your questions.  Handouts and recipe sheets will be given.

The ‘Cooking for Health’ Course
Food Fermentation is part of a six week course ‘Cooking for Health‘ on Tuesday evenings and will cover sessions on:

  • Gluten & Dairy Free Foods
  • Foods for Immunity
  • Foods for Detoxification
  • Healthy Treats
  • Healthy Foods for Vegans

There are still a few places available for the course.  The class is limited to 25 students.

beneficial bacteria, nourishing, fermented foods, biolive relishes, sauerkraut, whey, dysbiosis

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Vegetarian Recovery – A Story of Personal Transformation

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFrequently clients come to see me with a history of vegetarianism or veganism and are considering putting animal products back into their diets.  It is an interesting and sometimes challenging process for them.  Recently I have also seen insects making their first appearance in Planet Organic, people are confused by it and I have been explaining that it is seen as a more sustainable way to eat meat. Continue reading

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Blog Post: Cytoplan – Fermented Foods

430749_289481874455121_3674119_nCytoplan are leaders in the field of food-based supplementation. Their blog provides regular articles on pertinent topics including the latest research. I was asked to write for them on Fermented Foods in January 2015.

With a myriad of potential health benefits focused on gut and immune health, fermented foods are tasty, wonderfully nutritious, easy to make and ideal for the whole family…. Continue reading

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Recipe: Mango & Chilli, Coconut Kefir Ice Cream

Mango & Chilli, Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, fermented foods, beneficial bacteria, kefir cultures, probiotics,Rhythm Health, makers of the new coconut kefir, loved my Raspberry Coconut Kefir Ice Cream recipe!  So they dropped off some bottles of both their mango coconut kefir and their raw virgin coconut milk to see what I could do with them…..

 

 

raw virgin coconut milk, rhythm health, Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, fermented foods, beneficial bacteria, kefir cultures, probiotics,I love Rhythm Health‘s new coconut milk.  It is like coconut cream that comes in a tin, but it tastes so much fresher. It is raw and 100% cold pressed. Plus it literally melts in the mouth as it still has all of the coconut oil left in in it.  Yum!

Kefir is a fermented drink, traditionally made with milk, that contains beneficial microorganisms, the ones that are good for the gut.  The new coconut kefir range are an amazing option for those who prefer not to have dairy. Check out my post on the health benefits of eating bio-live fermented foods.

 

Mango & Chilli, Coconut Kefir Ice Cream
Serves 3-4
Mango kefir

Ingredients
150g mango
50g pineapple
1.5 x 126g bottles of coconut, mango & passion fruit kefir
200g Rhythm Health raw virgin coconut milk
1/8 tsp chilli flakes*

*Using chilli flakes results in slightly chewy, bursts of chilli in the ice cream.  You could use chilli powder or fresh chilli for a more infused flavour if you prefer.  Personally I like the flavour bombs!


Method
Pop all ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Add to a ice cream maker and allow to freeze.

This coconut ice cream doesn’t have any additives in and so is best eaten fresh as it will become quite icy in the freezer.  If you do freeze it then it is best to freeze in portion-size containers and allow them plenty of time to thaw out before using.

Mango & Chilli, Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, fermented foods, beneficial bacteria, kefir cultures, probiotics,

Katie Clare is available for one to one nutritional therapy consultations

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Blog Post: Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION)

Institute for Optimum Nutrition, nutritional therapyThe Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) is an independent, not for profit educational charity whose principal activity is to further the knowledge and practice of optimum nutrition.  In June they featured my article on beta carotene and vitamin A as a guest piece on their blog. Up to 55% of people may not be efficiently converting beta carotene to vitamin A due to a genetic variation.

You can see the article here

 

Keep up to date with the latest nutrition news, search for articles, join a forum, or read a blog article at ION’s Nutrition Central.

Nutrition central, Institute for Optimum Nutrition, nutritional therapy

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Recipe: Raspberry Coconut Kefir Ice Cream

Raspberry Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, fermented foods, beneficial bacteria, kefir cultures, probiotics, vitamixI am über pleased with this recipe! Dairy-free kefir combined with low GI, antioxidant and phytonutrient-rich berries. Amazing ingredients! Plus the tart berries combined with the sour notes of the cultured coconut milk take this ice cream to the next level.  It doesn’t need any sweetener!

The method below is for a Vitamix, but you can use fresh raspberries and churn the mixture in an ice cream maker.

Ingredients
Serves 3-4

1/4 cup cashew nuts
1 x 126g Rhythm coconut kefir, original
125ml coconut milk
200g frozen raspberries (or blueberries)*

*If you are concerned about raspberry pips in the texture then use fresh raspberries; mash them first and put through a sieve before freezing them.  Or you could use blueberries.  Personally I don’t mind the pips!

Method
Boil a kettle and pour water onto the cashews to blanch them.  Set to one side, allow them to soak while they cool.  This helps to break down the fibre and creates a smoother finish.  Leave for two hours.

Drain the cashew nuts. Blend them with the coconut milk and the coconut kefir.  Then place the liquid in the fridge with a couple of ice cubes in to become as cold as possible.  You could do this before making and serving the main meal.

Get everything ready; serving bowls, any toppings, plus a container that can go in the freezer to store any excess.  It is important to move fast once the berries come out of the freezer.

Pour the coconut and cashew milk into the vitamix.  Quickly add the frozen berries and turn it on and up to 10, then high.  Use the tamper to push the berries into the blades.  Serve immediately.

You can freeze any excess but it is likely to become quite hard and icy.  Best eaten freshly made!Raspberry Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, fermented foods, beneficial bacteria, kefir cultures, probiotics, vitamix

 

Other Recipes

If you liked this recipe you might also want to check out my Water Kefir post or my Coco-Olive Spread.  I am also available for one-to-one nutritional therapy consultations, in London or via Skype.  Find out more here.

 

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Recipe: Traditional Sauerkraut

sauerkraut, fermented relishes, beneficial bacteria, dill, juniper, whey, cabbageHow do I make sauerkraut?  I am asked this quite a lot.  Probably because I am always recommending that everyone eats it! Sauerkraut is German for ‘soured cabbage’.  The beneficial bacteria in this relish do turn the plain green vegetable into an interesting, slightly sour, tangy flavour.  It’s amazing!  Everybody wants to make raw sauerkraut these days, so lets get started!

 

sauerkraut, fermented relishes, beneficial bacteria, dill, juniper, whey, cabbage Ingredients

1kg green cabbage, quartered, cored and roughly shredded.
1 tbsp. sea salt
4 tbsp. whey (or use an extra tbsp. sea salt)

plus 1 tbsp. of either caraway seeds, chopped dill or juniper berries,
or a mix, as you like.

I love adding a Granny Smith apple and juniper berries to the mix for a beautiful aqua-green sharp and sour kraut.  This recipe was recently featured by Vogue Magazine

 

Tips
If this is the first time you are making a fermented relish then first have a look at my blog post Basic Tips for Fermentation.  You may also like What are the health benefits of fermentation? These posts will help you understand the techniques involved in making sauerkraut and other relishes. Then you are free to play.

 

Method

Add the salt to the bowl of cabbage.  Using a rolling pin or a wooden hammer to pound the cabbage. It is best to time yourself and do this for six to ten minutes.  This is a really important part of the process.  Put a couple of your favourite tunes on and bash!

Add the whey, if using it, and the herbs or spices.  Mix thoroughly.

Transfer to a wide mouth jar and pack in the mixture.  This is another important step.  Keep pushing down with a rolling pin or spoon to ensure that you get all of the air out and you are submerging the vegetables in their own juices.

Leave a couple of cm space at the top.  Seal the jar and leave out for three weeks.  You will need to release the gas from the jar by slightly opening the lid, every day or so for the first week.

Flavour Variations
The recipe above is for a basic, traditional relish.  Once you understand the process you can start to add all sorts of other vegetables.  The relish below is Cabbage, Red Cabbage and Purple Radish.

You might also like to try out my recipes for:

Kimchi – spicy Korean relish

Tomato Pepper Relish

 

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Recipe: Coco Olive Spread

Coco Olive Spread, healthy fats and oils, coconut oil, recipe, olive oil, nutrition, margarine, trans fatsThe low-fat era is over!  We now know that the type of fat we eat is more important than how much fat we eat.  One place where my clients often get stuck is that they like the convenience of margarine, being able to spread it straight from the fridge. Ingeniously Coco Olive Spread solves this problem, and it is so easy to make too ….

 

Ingredients
Coconut Butter
Olive Oil

Method
Sterilise a glass jam jar with boiling water and leave to one side to allow to cool.

Meanwhile boil the kettle and fill a saucepan with the hot water.  Place a ramekin full with coconut butter ontop of the water.  Wait while the coconut butter gently melts.

Once melted pour into the sterilised jar, and top up with an equal quantity of olive oil.  Stir until well mixed.

Once cool, place in the fridge to set.

Natural, healthy fats that can be spread straight from the fridge!  Perfect served with a nut butter on (my favourite) toast, ABO organic linseed bread.  The best gluten-free loaf I have ever seen.

Coco Olive Spread, healthy fats and oils, coconut oil, recipe, olive oil, nutrition, margarine, trans fats

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‘Beauty & the Feast’ at Selfridges Food Hall

Selfridges food hall, nutritional therapy, beauty and the feast, beauty project, gluten free, I spent the spring at Selfridges Food Hall this year. In May and June Selfridges celebrated all definitions of beauty with one of their largest campaign of the year, The Beauty Project.  In the Food Hall the celebrations continued with Beauty and the Feast.  I enlisted a team of Nutritional Therapists for the event, providing edible solutions for customer’s well-being ambitions.

 

beauty project selfridges

beauty project selfridges

It was a lot of fun to be part of the campaign. The shop windows all around the building were incredibly creative, and all very pink. It was uplifting to enter and feel the positive body images all around the store.

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Pictures from Indigo Memoirs

Indigo Memoirs

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Detoxification – The Role of Sulphur & Methionine (Protein)

detoxification, biotransformation, liver phase I and liver phase II, sulphur, methionine, The recent international Detox Summit highlighted the dramatic increases in the amount of toxins residing in our environment and advised us to fully optimise our internal detoxification pathways in order to handle this as efficiently as we possibly can. Detoxification has become not merely a weekend activity, but a way of life in the modern world.

 

In this article for inSpiral I look at the intertwined roles that both sulphur and methionine (an amino acid component of protein) have in detoxification and why it is important to get enough of both in your diet. inSpiral launched a new super food, Himalayan Black Salt, which is famous for its sulphurous taste and aroma and wanted to highlight the benefits of this compound.

Read the full article here
detoxification, biotransformation, liver phase I and liver phase II, sulphur, methionine,

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