carob

Someone recently asked me about carob. They were wondering what exactly it was and if the rumors of it being a substitute for chocolate were true.

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is a legume and grows on an evergreen tree. It is also sometimes referred to as St. John's Bread since, as the story goes, St. John the Baptist subsisted on carob beans mixed with honey while he crossed the dessert. It was traditionally eaten in the Middle East as a source of sugar before sugar cane and beets were used for that purpose. The seeds are also referred to as "locust beans" and locust bean gum, a thickening agent, comes from these seeds.

Carob does not have the same taste/flavor as chocolate but many people like it. Per cup carob (compared to cocoa) has more calcium (36% vs. 11%), fiber (41g vs. 29g) and less fat (1g vs. 12g). Many people also prefer carob because, unlike chocolate, it does not contain the stimulants caffeine or theobromine and it is naturally sweeter than unsweetened chocolate.

Carob is rich in tannins creating a binding effect which can be helpful when given to someone with diarrhea. I have found documentation suggesting 15 g. of carob in applesauce (for flavor and ease of ingestion) is an acceptable dose for children.

Carob usually comes in a powder form (although it is possible to also buy it in blocks) and can be substituted for cocoa in a recipe, 1:1.5. -- if recipe calls for one cup of cocoa you would use one and one half cups of carob powder. To substitute for baking chocolate you can use 3 T. carob powder plus 2 T. water for one square baking chocolate. You can also purchase carob chips, look for the unsweetened ones,

I like carob and we do use it sometimes in baking. I don't consider it to be a "substitute" for chocolate, but instead another ingredient with it's own unique flavor. Give it a try, you may discover a new flavor to use.

photo courtesy of ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usuari:Chixoy

think about your drink

Just back from the grocery store and I'm overwhelmed by the trip down the juice aisle.  Diana is having some friends over to watch a movie and we needed some drinks.  I really try to serve healthier drinks than soda.  I object to all of the HFCS and preservatives and even artificial colors in most drinks.

Most of the time we make iced tea or homemade lemonade but it's a lot of kids and I wanted to make life a little easier for myself by simply purchasing juice.  Except it wasn't that simple.  Finding a juice that doesn't have HFCS isn't that difficult (although I am stunned by the number of juices that add it, in my opinion fruit is sweet enough that you don't need the added sugar....but I digress).  Finding one without preservatives is a not too difficult.  Finding one where the first ingredient isn't water?  And the second ingredient isn't sugar?  That proves to be more of a challenge.  And let's not forget all the "drinks" and "cocktails" that are in the juice aisle.  Folks, these are not juices, they are concoctions that have some actual fruit juice in them.  But even the ones that blare out "75% REAL fruit juice" are not free from adulteration.

What we take in to our body is so important to our ongoing health.  Please take the time to read the label and to make sensible, chemical-free choices, for yourself and for your family.

Be well.

picture courtesy of www.freephoto.com

millet muffins

In my previous post I mentions millet muffins. Because there are not that many recipes for millet muffins around I was asked to share the recipe. It's actually the creation of Angie Needels, a co-alumnus of Bauman, who has kindly given me permission to share it with all of you. I love it, although I confess that I use less jalapeno, and find it to be very tasty. As Angie points out, it's also delicious served with a black bean chili. For more recipes and to learn more about this talented Natural Chef check out her website at A Sensational Creation.

The term millet actually encompasses a group of seeds and there are a wide variety of different kinds but they are, for convenience, referred to a millet. It is a grain that has many uses, from grinding for flour to make flatbreads, to making beer, to cook as a porridge or to eat whole. It is also a good source of magnesium which helps to build and strengthen bones and is good for blood circulation.

Many people with celiac disease use millet as a replacement for other grains as it does not have any gluten in it. It does however contain goitrogens (which impair the ability of the thryroid to function properly) and so should be eaten sparingly by people with thyroid disorder. Cooking is believed to reduce the goitrogenic properties but it is still best not to consume overly large amounts of millet if you have a thyroid disorder.

Here is Angie's recipe:

Spicy Millet Muffins
*makes 14-16 muffins

2 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 C millet
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 Tsp fine sea salt
1 jalapeno seeded and minced fine
1 T toasted cumin seeds
2 T toasted pine nuts
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 agave
1 egg whisked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oil a 12 cup muffin tray and line the bottom of each with cut parchment paper (you may want to do 2 pans as this recipe makes a little more than a dozen).

Mix all dry ingredients with the jalapeno, toasted pine nuts and the cumin seed. Mix all wet ingredients together then fold into the dry ingredients until incorporated well.

Fill each cup 3/4 full and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool and remove from tin.