EASY HOMEMADE GREEK YOGURT And Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese

Creamy Greek Yogurt aka Plain yogurt strained of its whey.

Hi everyone.  You all know I am big on natural probiotics.  Greek yogurt is one of them.  I've posted this recipe before but under yogurt cream cheese.  I realized after talking with a friend who did not realize the fact that Greek yogurt is plain yogurt that has been strained of its whey.  I thought perhaps other folks did not know this either. So this would be an good share for those who don't know, right?

It's simple to turn plain yogurt into Greek yogurt by simply straining its whey making it richer in probiotics, plus 2x the protein and 3x the calcium.  Yes Greek Yogurt is a very healthy alternative, but it is also 3x the price of regular yogurt.  I did promise to save you money and eat healthy too. So here goes.

I started off with plain nonfat yogurt

I put the yogurt in a strainer lined with a cheesecloth.  I cubed the yogurt
to help speed up the straining process.

This was my method of straining.  At this point it is Greek Yogurt.  Takes
about one hour of straining.

However, I wanted to continue to make Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese, to make a no bake cheese cake.  With that I began to strain as much whey as I could to remove as much liquid possible, so I hung it over the sink for about 4-6 hours.  Now reduced in size by half the original container, it is now packed with more nutrition in just a little bite.  I reserve to whey to drink later.

Hung it over my sink to reduce more whey.

Well that's all there is to it.  So simple right?  Well thanks for visiting and please feel free to share and like with a link below.  This is a good easy share for most households who do use yogurt, especially Greek Yogurt.  Till the next time...Many Blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

REHYDRATING SCOBY'S TO MAKE BABY SCOBY'S AND KOMBUCHA

Here is the dried SCOBY and the small jar of Kombucha
I flopped this baby in.

Chara, a reader here asked an excellent question regarding rehydrating dehydrating SCOBY'S.(Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.) Anyone who brews kombucha knows that they quickly accumulate baby SCOBY'S right? They grow on top of the kombucha in the process of brewing kombucha. The longer it is left to brew the thicker the SCOBY gets. Sort of like the "mother", if you will. Usually I have baby SCOBY'S coming out of my ears till I starting dehydrating them once they got about 1/4 inch thick. Once dehydrated, I would grind it with a variety of herbs and salts. I would not use these salts to cook the food as we do know that heat will kill the healthy probiotic bacteria.  I used them on already cooked foods and salads and fruits. It's just another way to use these babies and getting the benefits of probiotics at the same time. Anyway...

Chara's question was, "can you rehydrate them and use them for a SCOBY again?"

Dried, I made sure baby SCOBY, or should
I say "mama SCOBY", was tucked under the
kombucha.  Yup.  I'm a mom too.  LOL.

Being that I still brew kombucha and still grow these baby SCOBY'S, I haven't had a need to rehydrate them. But the the sake us all of us knowing I immediately put one dehydrated SCOBY in a jar and topped it with fresh kombucha.

In 12 hours time the SCOBY was fully rehydrated. I could tell by how it gracefully moved in the kombucha, once I slightly moved the jar.

In 24 hours time it appeared to show the signs of a baby SCOBY floating on top.

In 36 hours time. Yes, that's definitely a baby SCOBY. The mother SCOBY is now very much alive.  You can see the fine lines in the pic. Yay!

So my answer to you my dear Chara would be a definite yes. Yes you can rehydrate, dehydrated SCOBY'S to make more babies, and more kombucha. I do know from experience I wrote in another blog on making baby SCOBY'S using a bottle of store bought kombucha only. However, that can take up to 2 weeks for that to begin happen.  Which by the way happened here in 36 hours:)

Thank you again for asking such a wonderful question. It's good to know that there are other inquisitive minds. I am sure there are many other folks who have thought of the same question, but just didn't bother to ask. So now we know just a little bit more than yesterday.  Thank you for allowing me to be of service. Till the next time...many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Now tell me if I am wrong, but I see a white baby SCOBY floating on top of the kombucha in 36 hours.  Yes, she can make more baby SCOBY'S once she has fully rehydrated!  Good News, it's good enough for me.  I can keep taking pictures.but this pic alone is enough evidence for me.

Just a note, If you don't like the sight of this SCOBY or the thought of you making your own probiotics.  You can always go to Nutrasource.com and pick up a bottle for a reasonable price.  Personally.  I don't mind the extra work.

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER and CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE (MADE WITH GREEK YOGURT)

Yes, this No Bake Cheesecake is made with homemade Greek yogurt and not cream cheese. The best thing is it still has all it's probiotics.  Cream cheese in conventional cheesecake has almost no nutritional benefits and is almost all fat.  Here I took low-fat yogurt, converted it into Greek Yogurt, which gave it 2x more protein and 3x more calcium.  Not to mention, it is much lower in fats, and sugar.  The second best thing about this recipe is it is incredibly delicious. Finally, the third best thing about this recipe is that it is so easy to make, and the cost is so much less than real fatty cream cheese cake.  As for myself...I choose the healthy, tasty, and easy way out.

Peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake made with easy homemade Greek yogurt instead of regular cream cheese.
I just boosted this tasty cheesecake's not nutritive status into a mega protein and more than 3x the calcium!
This slice was escellent frozen.  It's my preference.

I am not claiming this to be a low calorie, low sugar food at all.  I don't weigh my food intake by how much fat.  However I find, if I eat fat, I EAT HEALTHY FAT AND CAN STILL LOSE WEIGHT.  I just don't eat store bought junk food,  It's the only way I can control my health and weight.  My food is my medicine.  Haha, I got to tell you, this is some really good medicine.

I had a little guest over for dinner yesterday She is my assistant in my art and craft department here.  But she is a very picky eater, so her mom says.  Sofia is a beautiful 5 1/2 year old that I love to entertain.  (Actually, she does the entertaining.)  So I was trying to come up with something that would satisfy both our sweet tooth, yet have some quality nutrition.  I came up with this recipe. 

I'd say this was a winner in our books.  Right?  Her slice was refrigerated.  I froze the rest of the cheesecake for another day.  Today was that other day and it tasted like, soft serve peanut butter chocolate with cookie crumb ice cream.  Yum!

Actually there is no recipe but I will break it down for you.  Why?  Because it is absolutely delicious, and so easy to make.  I would definitely call this dish a winner. My little friend Sofia, our picky eater thought it was finger licking good.  She licked the plate clean.  I showed her mom Shekinah this pic...she blushed and said, "I taught her better manners than that".  So funny, I love beautiful moments!  Anyway, back to my recipe...

Ingredients:

Yogurt (plain) 32 oz

Peanut butter 1/2 cup (more or less, depends on how much you like peanut butter)

Sugar/Sweetener  1/2 cup (more or less according to taste)

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

Graham cracker pie crust

Cocoa powder 1 tablespoon

Instructions for Greek Yogurt:

The whole pie and nothing but the pie is so heavy, rich and makes a great
dessert. It doesn't take much to satisfy that sweet tooth in a healthier way.

• Make Greek Yogurt...Put yogurt in strainer and let sit for about 3 hours so it can drain the whey.  I love to drink the whey or add it to my smoothies.  Yes this is how easy it is to make Greek yogurt!
• Once the yogurt looks like cream cheese add all the ingredients together and blend thoroughly.  I used my Ninja Blender to give it a whipped texture. 
• Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate.
• Sprinkle with a pinch of cocoa
• whipped cream and chocolate syrup is optional.

See, I told you it was easy.  You have to try this.  At first I couldn't imagine peanut butter in my yogurt, but now, when I think of peanut butter...I think of Greek yogurt.  When I think of Greek yogurt, I think homemade.

  

Well, that's it for now.  Thank you for visiting my simple blog, my simple food, and my simple life.  See how easy it was to make Greek yogurt and this delicious cheesecake.  Thank you again for allowing me to be of service.  Please feel free to share this recipe with your loved ones.  You are welcome to share or pin it if you like.  Visit my homepage and see my other simple recipes.  I believe in HOPE:)  Many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

KOMBUCHA GREEN SMOOTHIES WITH MY NINJA MEGA PRO 1500W

Blending my Kombucha Green Smoothie with my Ninja Mega
Kitchen System Pro 1500W.  

Good morning everyone, and Happy New Years Eve to you  all.  I  pray and HOPE you make the best out of this new year!  Anway with that... I just made this tangy Kombucha Green Smoothie drink.  What I like about this recipe is, there are no set rules.  What I had on hand is what I used.   Adding homemade kombucha has made it so much more alive with it's probiotics.  What can I say, for me, probiotics and solulable fiber found in vegetables has helped me so much in my recovery to wellness, and a 50 lb. weight loss without dieting is just a plus!  I just add drinks like this and other probiotics foods to my daily diet  (See my blog, "What Probiotics Have Done For Me, part 1, 2. if interested)  Anyway for me, as long as it is green and alive, I am a happy camper.

 Well it's breakfast time and usually I don't go big on breakfast early in the morning.  I will save the heavier meal for brunch, lunch or dinner.  However I feel the need for energy now.  What better way to wake up every thread in your body with with some homemade kombucha, a beautiful green salad, seeds, and some fruit.  Only problem is I have a busy morning schedule and don't have time to sit and properly chew a salad in the morning.  That's great if you do but most folks don't have time or take time to properly feed your body REAL NUTRITION so early in the morning.

I turned simple green salad turned into a liquid
smootie to get all the nutritional benefits
I could HOPE for.  See Brenda Watson
on PBS.  She's so full of HOPE.

Taking the time to chew you food is so important for proper digestion, and better nutritional absorbtion.  Take the tiny but powerful sesame seed or flaxseed.  We know they are very good for us as they are loaded with calcium, protein, and omega 3's.  However the shell of the seed is so hard, it's just fiber if we don't chew it to breakdown the nutrition.  They are so tiny they either get swallowed whole by eating fast, or caught between your teeth.  Right?  Also, it works only if you have the teeth to chew right? Listen up seniors! The whole seed gets passed right out without any nutrition being absorbed.  What a waste of money.  Non GMO seeds can get quite pricey too.  Well anyway, lucky me I have my Ninja 1500W,  However, my son has the Ninja Pulse  and it does the same to help breakdown those tiny nutty seeds. Enough said, let's get busy.


I just made this tangy Kombucha Green Smoothie drink.  What I like about this recipe is, there are no set rules.  What I had on hand is what I used for my Kombucha Green Smoothie.  Adding homemade kombucha (see my blog on how to make homemade kombucha) to my drink has made it so much more alive with it's probiotics.  As long as it is green and alive, I am a happy camper.

Ingredients:  Remember no rules

Actually this 16 oz. single serve can
serve two 8 oz glasses.

• Kombucha GT, 1/4-1/2 cup  (Can use water, or juice)
• Green Organic baby Arugela, washed.  1/2 cup
• Green Apple, 1/3 (any kind)
• Mango, one slice
• Cabbage heart, small slice 
• Ginger, 1/2-1 inch slice
• Celery, 1/2 stalk
• Flax seeds,  1-2 teaspoons
• Sesame seeds, 1-2 teaspoons
• Tumeric, 1 teaspoon
• Water to max fill line

Instructions:

• Put all ingredients in the blender
• Add water to Max fill line and close carefully.  The good thing about the Ninja is if it is not closed properly and tight, the machine will not start.
• Blend with SEVERAL SHORT PULSES then  a few long pulses until desired smoothness is obtained.  Make sure the seeds are ground up well.  It might take a minute...or two.

Now that you have this recipe, I feel great.  I just drank up, to my health and feel like I had a jump start today.  Nice:)  It's so easy to make.  No need to spend a lot of money elsewhere, when you can get this wonderful Kombucha Green Smoothie right at home.  I might add, that that it has all the ingredients one can "HOPE" for.  Brenda Watson a world known natural health practitioner who I heard on tv's PBS station said "for optimal health we must have HOPE".  HOPE stands for...

H... High Fiber    (check)   Solulable fiber in fruits, vegetables, and oats, etc.
O... Omega 3's    (check)   Nuts, fish, and healthy oils
P...  Probiotics    (check)   Kombucha, kifers, and yogurts, as well as fermented foods
E...  Enzymes      (check)  Raw foods.

Please join me on this journey into wellness, by trying a few of the recipes I have posted here on my blogs. Feel free to share whatever you like. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.  If you don't like the taste try adding another fruit or veggie until you do find what works for you.  Just don't give up.  After all, there is HOPE.  So till the next, Many Blessings to all, and again Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

LOOK WHAT PROBIOTICS HAVE DONE FOR ME WITH A LITTLE "HOPE". PART 2.

Happy New Year from Mary Helens Test Kitchen 2013!! I want to share with you some "HOPE".

H...High fiber.
O...Omega 3's
P...Probiotics
E...Enzymes

My bottled water kifer soda.
I bottle myself.  Once 
capped, it becomes
naturally carbonated, and
more probiotic

"HOPE" was said by Brenda Watson, a famous natural health practitioner who was recently on PBS television.  I got the main message, .  It was "HOPE".  It caught my attention, because in the beginning, all I had was hope.  I still do.  HOPE, for me plants a good seed.  And with that is my desire to plant this seed with you.  But before I continue... 

Mint Kifer Ice Cream.   Made
with milk kifer and mint
herbs.  Yes
I have total control.  It's
all good and probiotic.

I want to take this time to pray you have a wonderful new year with all that you "HOPE" for.  I "HOPE" you are blessed with all that you need in the future.  I "Hope" for a cure for all that ails you. I Hope for Love, World Peace, and True Happiness.  And with that said, I will continue.

Actually it wasn't just probiotics that has helped me with my wellness.  It was healthy oils like coconut, real butter, extra virgin olive, and grapeseed oils, etc.  I also give credit to fiber.  Not just any fiber.  Soluble fiber that comes from fruits and vegetables.  I also thank my Ninja blender, my kitchen assistant for making a lot of my work easier. I realized I was following Barbara Watson and her "HOPE" plan without even knowing who she was until the other day.

H...High fiber....  Not just any fiber.  Solulable fiber like fruits and vegetables, oats, etc.
O...Omega 3's...  Fish, Oils, butter, olive oil, beans, and walnuts, etc.
P...Probiotics...   Milk, Kifer, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented foods like sauerkraut, etc.
E...Enzymes...     Raw foods again!  Including Sushi etc.

Fermented Cabbage
Kombucha Green Tea drink.
So tangy, so tasty...so probiotic.

It was then I realized I really had to share this great news full heartedly.  It's all good, but, it was probiotics where I began to see a difference with my health.

PROBIOTICS and MY RECOVERY

To begin with I am a 64 year young woman, getting better every day.  One day it hit me that food can either harm me or help me.  I got to choose which direction I wanted food to take me.  I realized I had more control over my body than I realized.    I also realized that food was medicine and with that I began my journey into wellness.  One and 1/2 years later after including water kifers, milk kifers, kombucha's, as well and venturing on to other probiotic fermented foods, and the implementation of the "HOPE" plan (didn't know it at the time though).  Today, I am still free of over 300+ pharmaceudical medications.

Milk Kifer Grains for milk
 kifer, cheeses, ice cream
and desserts.  So good, so
probiotic.

Also, I am so glad to say I show no sign of diabetes after being so out of control, and in and out of hospitals for years.  My blood pressure and cholesterol are very much in control.  My doctors visits are less frequent.  My hospital visits are down to zero except for an episode of shingles. This is a big difference from before, because hospitals had become a home away from home.  So sad, I was always depressed.  I feel so much better now.  My energy level has increased by 50%, to the tune of "I have so much energy, I lost 40 lbs. the first year, and another 10 lbs. these last 6 months without dieting".  Did I mention how much softer, and healthier my skin looks and feels?  What a plus at 63!  I'm not saying life is perfect, or I am the perfect size...but life is better today without all that baggage. What a load that was.

Coconut Water Kifer soda.
Naturally carbonated,
naturally good and,
loaded with probiotics

I know I am headed in the right direction.  Did I mention how cheap it is to brew/ferment your own probiotics at home?  It is really cheap to get healthy.  No need to pay for all those pharmaceudical pills that help mask what ails you, but does not cure you.  Let's plant that seed of "HOPE" in all of us. Let's get busy, and check out my other healthy but truly tasty recipes here on Blogger.  Feel free to share my posts with your family and friends.  My last words for your today is to...have"HOPE".  Remember food is medicine, and it doesn't take a lot of money either, just a little "HOPE".  So till the next time, I will keep on doing what I am doing.  To you all, many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Grape Kifer Soda, another
naturally carbonated
probiotic drink

Fermented Lemons.  The
rinds are so tender and tasty
they just fall apart.  Also
probiotic.

Rosemary Green Tea
Kombucha. A
probiotic tasty drink

Spicy Fermented Green Apple
Pickle, Indian style.  Oh
so tasty, made with lots'
of herbs and spices.  It's great
and great for the
winter months.  Also rich
in probiotics

Milk Kifer Cheese Spread
with coconut and honey
and spices.
Another healthy,tasty
alternative.  Again,
more probiotics

Strawberry Vanilla Kombucha
Green Tea Icee.  So
Probiotic and so
refreshenly tasty

Carbonated Kombucha
Green Tea
Antiseptic/astringent
for my face and cuts.
P. S. It's so
tenderizingly soft.

Homemade Kombucha Green
Tea .with the mother SCOBY
on top.  Yes it's probiotic

Homemade fermented sauerkraut
loaded with probiotics.
Folks, if you haven't had
homemade sauerkraut...
you don't know what your missing.

Yummy milk kifer Mayonainse
that melts in your mouth

CARBONATED KOMBUCHA GT HERBAL FACE AND BODY TONER/ASTRINGENT

Carbonated Kombucha Gt Herbal Face And Body Toner/Astrigent.

Introducing, Carbonated Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent.  It leaves your face feeling tingly clean and fresh.  Great antiseptic for minor cuts, and scrapes...

It is  made with raw kombucha vinegar.  Adding green tea and cloves makes this a powerful natural antibacterial as well. It leaves your face and body fresh and clean.  My face feels slightly tighter, pores smaller.  And I am naturally protected with salicylic acid to help ward of blemishes.

Lucky me.  I've been brewing Kombucha GT for over a year now. Within days the excess Kombucha GT turns into vinegar.   Drinking Kombucha GT and it's probiotics daily, I feel the difference in all that ailed me.  Because all that ailed me, no longer ails me like diabetes and high blood pressure.  Another benefit of Kombucha GT is, I've lost weight and kept it off without dieting too.  Good news is  I am still losing weight slowly and again without dieting.  Well I know if it could balance my inner organs than it should do wonders for the largest organ of my body... my skin. 

I really like anything to do with Kombucha GT probiotics and their ph balance.  I figure if folks drink it, bathe with it, shampoo with it, and use the mother SCOBY (SYMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEAST) to make face masks like I do.  Then Kombucha GT Face Toner/Astringent should be great for the face as well.  Fact is, ancient medicine have also used the Kombucha GT SCOBY (SIMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEAST) aka known as the "vinegar mother", as band aids because the SCOBY is thick and similar to skin.  It shrinks as it dries which also helps seals and shrink the wound and keep unhealthy bacteria out.  Raw kombucha GT ferments into a vinegar has a ph of 4 or less.  Your skin would love this ph balance.  Now  combine Kombucha GT with herbs like green tea and cloves, and you have  a perfect marriage for an astringent.  Besides nourishing and cleansing the skin, it would help shrink enlarged pores, and reduce oil, and or acne. 

BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA AND CLOVES.

There are a multitude of benefits in green tea and cloves besides vitamin C. Including many micro phyto-chemicals, a rich nutrient good for cellular rejuvenation   Polyphenols and their anti-oxidant benefits are also a natural astringent.  However, it would be to your benefit you research them for yourself.  Right now I am only briefly stating a few benefits. about the astringent  properties in these two herbs.  My goal is to show you how easy it is to make with my recipe.

Astringents:

• contain  plant based micro phyto-nutrients and  polyphenols. like tannic acids and salicyclic acid.  These are powerful antioxidants that your body needs both internally and externally.
• 
  

• Astringent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AstringentShare

  An astringent (occasional alternative: adstringent) substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical ...
  You visited this page on 11/30/12.

Tannic Acid:

Tannic acid is plant based micro-poly-phenol, another antioxidant. In the 1920's Tannic Acid was used in medicine to treat burns.  They applied tannic acid to the dressing and applied the dressing to the wound/burn.  They were able to reduce the mortality rate greatly. Tannic Acid  aka Tannins can be found in many plants including green tea and cloves.  Green tea, and cloves have a lot of other poly-phenols including one called, called salicylic acid.  

Salicylic Acid:

Salicylic Acid is known for its drying and tightening properties.   Salicylic acid can be found in many plants, but it is now chemically made. Many anti blemish face products, including the famous Pro-Active, and Neutrogena contain salicylic acid.  However, most over the counter products have salicylic acid, but it is chemically made, and not natural.  

Personally I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.  I know that my Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent works just as well, perhaps better, and without all those additional chemicals. So, with all this in mind, I've come up with a Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner . Here is an easy recipe using a few herbal ingredients, I present to you my...

KOMBUCHA GT HERBAL FACE AND BODY ASTRINGENT/TONER RECIPE

(By the way this is safe enough to drink.  Great way to help you lose weight)

Ingredients:

• ** Kombucha GT 1 bottle to make kombucha vinegar (See **note, below.) or Kombucha GT Vinegar 12 oz.  (Great ph balance for skin)
• Green Tea 2 tea bags  (Great antioxidants like micro- polyphenols to freshen and tighten the skin.)
• Cloves Ground 1/4 teaspoon (Also contains polyphenols, and a heating element which stimulates blood flow necessary for cellular rejuvination.
• Oil light  1-2 teaspoons (I used Jojoba oil:)
• Jar 10 oz sterile jar with non metal lid.

Instructions:

• Put Kombucha GT vinegar in jar.
• Add cloves and green tea bags and keep in a dark warm place for at least 3-5 days. (The oven is a great place to keep it.
• Remove tea bags 
• Strain with a fine cheesecloth to retrieve tea bags and ground cloves.
• Pour into sterile container with cap
• Add oil  cap and shake well. Shake well over the sink as it will fizz IF Well Capped.  (give it a couple of days in the new capped container.
• Apply to face or body with a soft cloth or a cotton ball.

**Note  
If you do not have kombucha vinegar you can purchase a bottle of kombucha.  Open it, cover with a paper towel.  Set undisturbed in a warm spot for a week or so,or until you see a SCOBY floating on top.  You can now use this to brew your next batch of kombucha.  All climates is different so just be  patient.  You can tell when it's ready by the smell and taste.  So easy to make.

Live Kombucha GT vinegar is a natural low ph astringent on it's own.  It's an antioxidant, antibacterial, and an antiseptic.   To add to the already awesome astringent are the natural  polyphenols like tannic acid and salicylic acid found in green tea and cloves. We already know these two are also astringent based plants.  They too, alone help tighten, clean, heal and freshens the skin.   Isn't that great news. They marry well together.  That means that this is a great combination.

I've been using Carbonated Kombucha GT Herbal Face and Body Toner/Astringent, a few weeks now. Yes, it smells like vinegar, but the smell evaporates rapidly leaving only a hint of cloves.  Each and every time I use it I feel like my skin is softer, more tender.  My pores have shrunken.  I no longer have dry patchy flaky spots.  My face feels cleaner and more rehydrated, healthier.  If you have it, don't be afraid to try it.  If the ph is  is too strong you can always dilute it with tea or water.  I also used it on a cut as an antiseptic.  Works great.  As for me... I am really a happy camper.

So here you have it.  Another recipe created just for us.   It has no preservatives, or other harsh chemicals to strip our face and body.  It's cheap, safe and effective.  It only cost about $2.00 for a bottle of Carbonated Kombucha GT to make your kombucha, and a couple of tea bags and cloves.  It's time to keep your money in your wallet. Sorry Pro-Active.  I make my own.

Well, that's it for now.  Be good to yourself. So till the next time... don't forget to share.  I hope this post/blog was helpful.  If so please click the yes box on the right.  Again,  I am open to all questions.  Goodnight and many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

SPICY PICKLED TOFU IN MILK KIFER WHEY

Spicy pickled tofu ferment in lactic acid (milk kifer whey)
and a few spices.  Now it a probiotic pickle.:)

Another probiotic food for you! Pickled Tofu Ferment. I began fermenting this tofu in milk kifer whey 5 weeks ago.  I only fermented a small batch since it was an experiment and I wasn't sure about the outcome.  Now, it smells similar to a Kosher pickle.  Since the smell is good, I decided to try it, and it was very tasty.  It does have a slight fizz in the texture.  But, it is definetely a success.  I like pickled foods.  Only if they have been pickled naturally by process of ferment.  Time and a little whey  has turned the food into a healthy probiotic food.  Again I say, Food is Medicine.  And yes, we can get healthy on a low budget.  It just takes a little know how.  So now I will share with you how I made this delicious Pickled Tofu Ferment.  It has a nice bite of hot spices, that only add to the nutrients of this probiotic tofu.

First of all, I have to say, this came about sort of by accident.  I started out making an Asian tofu dish called, "Stinky Tofu".  I was looking for more healthier dishes to add to my diet.  Well after my research I've come to realize, "Stinky Tofu" is not for me...no matter how healthy it is!  Yup, I can do without the stink, and slime.  However, I was in the drying process when I stopped production.  Lol.  I didn't want to go to stage two, with the stink, or the slime.  This is when I came up with this recipe for my tofu that was in the drying stage.
So easy, to make, this is how I did it with just a few ingredients...

Ingredients:

• Tofu  Firm texture.  (Organic is best since this is a ferment)
• Whey, liquid  about 2 cups.  Enough whey to cover tofu.  (I used milk kifer whey, but you can use yogurt whey. See instructions below)
• Garlic 3 cloves minced
• Cayenne Red Chili Powder 1-4 teaspoons according to taste.  (Note the heat of the chilies do mellow out a bit during the fermentation.)
• Tumeric 1 heaping teaspoon
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Cookie sheet
• Skewers  
• Parchmont paper or napkins
• Sterile jar with lid

Instructions:

Will be tutored via pictures...  

Enjoy:)

Drying stage:  step 1

• Press as much liquid out of the firm tofu as possible.  
• Cut into at least one inc cubes
• Skewer tofu onto  skewers
• Put parchmont paper or paper towel on cookie sheet.







When they start drying and looking like this,
not totally dried, just partially.  They are ready
for the "whey sauce".

• Lay skewers or tofu on cookie sheet
• Put in the oven to dehydrate some more moisture.  This is for better absorbtion of the lactic acid in the whey sauce.




They are drying out by the light of the oven.
Turn about twice a day.  Skewers come in
handy for easier turning.

Collecting whey is so easy...Step 2
Pour liquid milk kifer or plain yogurt in
a strainer that has a cloth to collect
the curds.  By the way... the curds make
great cream cheese.

Put a bowl under the strainer to collect the
whey.  No whey!  Yes whey.  You can see
the whey collected on the bottom,  right?
A Natural lactic acid.  Nice:)

Step 3. Add Cayenne red pepper, tumeric,
garlic and salt to the whey.

Put dried tofu in a jar, adding the whey sauce to cover.
Make sure you give it plenty of  headspace.
The tofu will expand when it rehydrates in this
 lactic acid whey sauce
 Put in a corner for at least 4-5 weeks before opening.
To preserve flavor, store in the refrigerator once
fermented.

Well again my friends, I've come to another close, another day, and another share.  However I am inspired to have one more share with you  today.  And that is be prepared.  Food storage,  water storage is of the utmost important.  Times are changing.  Weather is changing.  We hear about it all the time.  Folks, don't wait till it hits home.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Yeah, you might think, "Well, if it's my time to go, it's just my time to go".  So true it is.  However, it would be sad if you lived only to find you or a loved one could have used that water.  Or that extra jar of peanut butter you decided not to save.  It doesn't take much to prepare for a disaster.  Just start small.  Oatmeal, whatever! It doesn't matter.  Just start please!

  Ok, on a softer note, I hope you enjoyed this simple easy recipe on how to turn your plain tofu into something much tastier, and healthier.  And for only a little know how.  After all, my whey was free,  Now my food today is medicine.  Remember, please feel free to share.  So till the next time...Many Blessings to all:)

Sincerely,

Mary Helen