My Kitchen is BUSY!!! (Part I)

Small but mighty, this is our kitchen and dining area.

Ron and I have never chosen to do much restaurant eating.  Even the short 20 minutes we live outside of Flagstaff means "going to town", and that's a no-go for us.   Over the years, it's also been an unintentional frugality, as restaurant eating is well-known to take a bite out of the budget. (Groaner!)


Since retirement, my kitchen adventures have changed drastically, for several reasons.  First, I now cook dinners regularly.  For the ~25 years I worked as a dispatcher, most of it on swing shift-2:30-10:30 pm-I wasn't home to make dinners.  I'd cook up batches of grains and meats, throw a serving of those plus some frozen veggies in a container, heat it up at work, and that was my work-dinner for years. I was ready for some variety, and post-retirement dinners reflect that. I'm a decent home cook, well-grounded in midwest styles and flavors, supplemented by years of southwestern living and foods.  With the help of that bottomless resource, the Internet, I've been happy to explore variations on comfortable themes as well as the un-risky stretches I've mentioned here with my Cooking School theme. 

Secondly, several years ago I went to a nutritionist for some digestive issues, and under her supervision, embarked on an eating journey that involves a lot fewer carbohydrates and more fats and protein. This changed proportions but not content.  It also introduced the regular consumption of fermented foods and bone broth for overall gut health and function.

The result of these combined forces is that I do PLENTY of kitchen work.  Part I of this topic shows some of the foods I keep on hand that are specific to my nutritional changes:


Fermented foods: some benefits of fermented foods, as explained on draxe.com:

• Create protective lining in the intestines.
• Lead to the creation of antibodies and a stronger immune system.
• Regulate the appetite and reduce sugar and refined carb cravings.
• Enhance nutrient content of foods and make minerals more readily available.  
• Produce vitamins and enzymes beneficial for digestion/gut health.

My first choice of fermented food:

Beet Kvass:  Fermented Beet Juice

3# of organic beets are cut into large pieces and packed into a gallon jar.

Water and salt are added and it's set aside on the counter for its first 3-day ferment.  The same beets can be used for 3 separate ferments, resulting in a quart of kvass per ferment.  I love the color of the kvass!  As you can see, it has variation, with the first ferment usually being lightest.  These quarts of kvass are stored in the refrigerator until used, and have a long shelf life. 

I drink 2 oz of kvass each morning before eating to provide my digestive day with probiotics from the get-go.   The flavor is quite nice, sweet as you might expect, and the ferment gives it a punch.  The 2 oz is plenty.  

My second choice of fermented food:

Fermented Sauerkraut

28 oz of cabbage and carrot combo are thinly sliced & grated.

Salt is added, then this wooden device, variously called a stomper, pounder or tamper, is then applied vigorously to the mix for about 10 minutes.  The fibers are broken down and juices released to stimulate fermentation.

This is the resulting amount, which is packed tightly into a quart jar.

It's set aside on the counter for...awhile.  I've experimented and am currently liking two weeks on the counter, then refrigerating it until it's used.  I use several tablespoons of this per day, either added to other food-salads, soups, sandwiches- or eaten separately.  The flavor is mild and entirely unlike sauerkraut prepared with vinegar.  

Bone broth: some benefits of bone broth, as explained on draxe.com:

• Treat leaky gut syndrome.
• Overcome food intolerances and allergies.
• Improve joint health.
• Reduce cellulite.
• Boost immune system.

Chicken or beef bones, preferably organic, are roasted in a slow oven for an hour.  They are then placed in this large pot with salt and pepper, an onion, bay leaves, and the peelings from those beets for color.  The broth is simmered for 48-72 hours.  It does have a distinctive odor, so this is done on a hot plate on the porch with the window cracked.  

The broth is then strained to remove the bones and veggie leavings.  It is stored in two cup servings in these jars in the deep freeze.  The broth has a very mild, pleasant flavor.  I drink one cup per day, usually as my bedtime snack, heated with cheese, quinoa and often some sauerkraut, and it gets me through the night nicely.