Sprouting Beans

(There are sprouted mung beans...can you see the tiny white sprouts coming out of the beans? Pretty cool and really fool proof)

Sprouted foods contain a lot more nutrients, than foods that are not sprouted. Once you sprout a legume for instance, you are really turning your legume more into a vegetable and your body can absorb it a lot easier. They become more concentrated with enzymes, protein, minerals and vitamins.

Why is it easier to digest a sprouted bean?

Because you are basically taking something way more complex in structure, sprouting it,

bringing it to life and making it more simple.

More Simple = Less Gas...or no gas! (funny, but true!) If you want to read more about sprouting beans, you can HERE.

This last week, I sprouted, for the first time, four different types of beans and it turned out to be easy! I sprouted black beans, kidney beans, mung beans (amazing little things) and adzuki beans!

1. Dump a bag of beans, or two cups into a glass bowl and cover with filtered water.

2. Let sit for 24 hours

3. Rinse thoroughly using a strainer.

4. Place rinse beans in a small mesh strainer and set strainer over a bowl to collect water drips

5. Cover beans with a damp towel (I have some that I will just use for sprouting)

6. Rinse really well twice a day, letting the water drain out and recover with towel

7. Repeat for 2-3 days, until your beans have little sprouts sticking out of them.

8. That's it! Use your beans in soups or cook "slow-and-low" in a crock pot.

I cooked all my beans separately with some salt and other seasoning and then froze them..two cups in a bag..for future use.

Last night, using my "soaked" whole wheat tortillas, we used some kidney and black beans (that I reheated and seasoned) to make burritos. We added guacamole, lettuce and salsa!

No one complained...and there was no "gas" fest going on after dinner.

What a beautiful thing!

Soaking Grains

So, I just learned some cool things about soaking grains before using them. I found this whole-wheat tortilla recipe on Deliciously Organic, that you can download HERE. We just tried it last night and it was great! The main reason for soaking grains (or sprouting them) before use is so your body will be able to more easily digest them. The bran of the grain contains phytic acid that often times, prevents absorption in the intestinal tract.
Once you have soaked, or sprouted your grain, you are releasing the minerals that are contained in the phytic acid for absorption, thus neutralizing the acid. Many of the harsh starches are then able to be broken down and even people with severe grain intolerance can eat soaked or sprouted grains.
I have been sprouting grains for the last month, and it is not hard, but does take some work. Soaking, is a lot easier and something you do before you go to bed and then can use the next evening. The tortillas on the link above were great and really easy to make..and my kids loved them. It is a good first recipe for someone to try who isn't sure about the whole soaking or sprouting thing.

ENJOY!

P.S. If you would like to read more about soaking and sprouting different things, click HERE is a great short article to help get you started.

P.P.S. The tortillas stored in the fridge great and even heated up nicely the next day!

Sprouting Quinoa

Sprouting quinoa is super easy and will aid in your body's digestion of this powerful super-gran. It is higher in nutrition than other seeds or grains. You pronounce it "Keen-wah."
You can read about quinoa HERE.

So, to try sprouting quinoa, place one cup of seeds in a small stainless steel mesh strainer. Run it under water until it is free of bubbles.
Rest the strainer onto of a glass bowl and fill the bowl full of filtered water. Let the quinoa soak for 30 minutes.
Rinse again, and empty water from the glass bowl. Set the strainer again over the empty bowl and cover the quinoa with a damp towel. Let sit, out of sunlight, for 8-12 hours.
Rinse again and repeat the last step.
Rinse and now your quinoa is ready to use. You can cook it at a low temp with water on the stove (half the water recommended on the quinoa bag), or you can store it in the fridge for around a week.
Add some quinoa to your salad, fruit salad oatmeal...whatever. I love quinoa!

Sprouting 101

What is so important about sprouting?

When you sprout a grain, a bean, a seed, or a nut you are eating something way more nutritious that your body recognizes more as a vegetable vs. eating processed flour, nuts, seeds...that your body has a harder time processing. Sprouted grains contain important enzymes that aid in proper digestion and they also contain good bacteria. When we eat food that is refined and over processed..all those enzymes are lost.

You can read more about sprouting grains HERE!

Here are simple steps for sprouting grains:

I use wide mouth mason jars with sprouting lids...you can also just go to the hardware store and get some screen cut to fit your jar lids you already have.

Fill however many mason jars you want 1/3 full of grain

(I have just done white wheat and red winter wheat. Pretty soon, I will be experimenting with more ancient grains, like kamut and spelt).

(This is from the first time I did it and it was way too much grain in the morning.. don't add more than a half of a jar full..before the water)

Fill the jars full with filtered water, cover with sprouting lids and let sit out of the sunlight over night.

In the morning, drain the old water and rinse thoroughly. I leave my jars sitting at an angle in my sink so the water can continue to drain.

Over the next 12 hours, you should rinse them a few times. As soon as you start to see the little white bud coming out of the wheat, this is a good place to stop.

I then dehydrate the wheat at 115 degrees until they are hard again.

Once the wheat is dry, it is ready to grind and use for whatever you want. I realized that when I let my wheat sprout too long, my bread did not turn out. I found out after reading, The Diet Rebels Cookbook, that it is because there wasn't enough gluten to hold together in baking.

That is it! Try sprouting some wheat, dehydrating, and grinding. I have a dry container for my vita mix that lets me grind my grains