Sauerkraut Workshop for Charity

Many of my friends have wanted to learn how to make Sauerkraut and other fermented foods. I decided to host my very own workshop whilst raising money for charity. It was a free event however I asked my friends to donate to OzHarvest a charity tackling food waste and feeding those in need. Harris Farm Markets kindly donated the cabbages for the fundraiser. It sure was a success and so much fun teaching my friends the art of fermentation whilst raising money for a good cause.

Kraut aka Sauerkraut with Snowpea_eats for OzHarvest

What do you need?

Clean or sterile jars or a crockpot

Large bowl

Sharp knife

Chopping board

Rolling pin or a pestle from a mortar & pestle

Cabbage approx 4kg preferably green + purple

Sea salt 2% of total weight

1 tablespoon of spice such as caraway seeds or juniper berries

Keep some outer leaves for later and discard the rest.
Cut finely/shred the cabbages and place in a large bowl.
Weigh the cut cabbage and add 2% of the weight in salt or use approx 2 tablespoons.
Either use your hands to squeeze the cabbage or pound with the rolling pin. This releases the juices. Then add in the spices.
Pack the cabbage tightly into jars or crockpot. Press down ensuring liquid rises above cabbage and air bubbles are released.
Once jar is filled use a piece of cabbage to seal the top and help liquid stay 1cm above cabbage. Leave a little room at the top.
Wipe the rim of jar and seal.
Ferment phase takes about 2 weeks. You will need to burp your jars regularly to reduce the likelihood of explosions. Keep your jars in a dark place and sit in a container or on a tea towel.

Happy fermenting 🙂

Homemade Kombucha

Making Kombucha is such a fun, easy and satisfying fermented drink to make. I love its flavour, fizz and versatility. It can take a few times to master but once you get in the swing of it and learn to work with the weather it becomes easier. Kombucha is much quicker to make in the warmer months and really slow and almost impossible in winter.

Firstly you need a scoby which stands for a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The scoby eats the sugar in the mixture which results in a fizzy, tangy, low sugar drink filled with good gut bacteria. You will also need some starter kombucha, I use a plain organic brand if I am starting from scratch or some from a friend who is currently brewing their own. Read on for recipe.

What do you need?

Scoby

1/4-1/2 cup Kombucha starter

1 Litre boiling water

1/4-1/2 cup white sugar

4 tea bags (plain green or black) I use organic green tea

Muslin & rubber band

Method:

Combine boiling water and sugar in a glass jug, mix to dissolve sugar. Once it has completely cooled (I leave it overnight) combine with the scoby and starter in a 2L jar. Cover the top with muslin and a rubber band to ensure no fruit flies get in. Leave for 1-2 weeks depending on the flavour you like. I usually brew for 2 weeks, any longer and it tends to taste vinegary. When it’s ready I pour into glass bottles and leave enough in the jar to repeat the above method for the next batch.

Second ferment:

Once the kombucha is in the glass bottles you can add flavour such as fresh fruit. My go to is freshly squeezed orange juice. I add the juice then let the kombucha ferment again for 1-2 days on the bench in the sealed bottle (opening/burping the bottles once or twice a day as they can explode if too fizzy). The Kombucha is then ready to pop in the fridge and drink.

Have fun 🙂

Mango Gut Loving Smoothie Bowl

Every couple of months I get a bout of fatigue and brain fog which is hard to shake and usually linked to my adrenals working in overdrive. Most often resulting from the busy nature of life, stress, work, juggling commitments and so on.

I wanted to create a nourishing smoothie bowl that would boost my energy and restore my gut with good bacteria, anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients.

This is the first time i’ve tried this combo and it is delicious!

Recipe:

1/2 mango (I used both frozen & fresh)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon vanilla pea protein I use The Healthy Chef brand

1 tablespoon coconut yoghurt (homemade)

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Dash milk Kefir (homemade)

Dash of coconut milk

4 large ice cubes

Desiccated coconut to sprinkle on top

Method:

Place all ingredients in the blender and whizz up. Sprinkle with coconut.

Hope you enjoy xx

A healthy Lunch

There’s something about lunch where I struggle to be creative! However, I do love a nice simple salad which is filled with the colours of the rainbow, delicious protein and healthy fats. I try to keep up my homemade sauerkraut supplies as fermented veggies are so nourishing on your gut with their good bacteria and add lots of flavour to a meal. I also discovered Kehoe’s Vegan Pesto Cream Cheese which adds another level to a salad and goes really nicely with avocado and egg.

Kehoe’s Vegan Pesto Cream Cheese

Simple Salad:
Avocado, tomatoes, grated carrot, baby spinach, boiled egg, sauerkraut, olive oil and salt and pepper. All organic but do what you can!

Gluten & Dairy Free Banana Bread

It can be difficult to find banana bread recipes that are gluten and dairy free as well as being economical to make. I created this easy to cook banana bread which I have shared with family and friends and they love it! So satisfying to share simple yet delicious recipes with your loved ones.

Here goes – first recipe post…

Ripe bananas & organic eggs are essential!

Ingredients – I use organic but know this is not possible for all, use what you can:

Wet ingredients

3 bananas

2 eggs

1/4 cup plant based milk (I use coconut milk)

1/4 cup coconut oil

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour (this is gluten free)

1/2 cup almond meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates or blueberries

Method:

Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
Mash bananas then add wet ingredients in a bowl
Sift dry ingredients in a separate bowl
Combine all ingredients in one bowl
Combine pitted dates or berries (depending on what you are using)
Add to loaf tin

Bake for 45 minutes

Hope you like it 🙂

Sharing ideas on healthy living

I have umm’d and ahhh’d whether or not to start a blog, hesitant to be “another blogger”. However, I am excited to have a place to share my cooking creations, eco living ideas and healthy tips for those interested.

I have always loved healthy eating combined with an active lifestyle. The need for a nurturing diet and holistic approach was further amplified after having glandular fever at 21. Whilst I am fortunate this is not a major illness, I am amazed by the consequential impacts it has had on my health. Ongoing fatigue, adrenal issues, shingles and so on has lead me down to a very healthy eating and lifestyle journey. I love cooking with fresh organic food with the focus on gut health, restoring the gut microbiome to improve my overall health.

I have found incredible benefits of healthy eating and living, choosing organic foods where possible, reducing chemicals in my beauty and household products as well as trying to keep my carbon footprint low through sustainable choices.

I hope this page inspires you through my healthy recipes, low toxic options and eco ways of living.

Sophie xx

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