Natto Breakfast Updated

Some time ago I posted about my new favorite breakfast, Natto, with brown basmati, black rice, natto, scallions, chives, and a cut up jalapeño and serrano pepper. 

Afterwards the Australian Doctor Robyn Chuter, who is a fellow graduate of T.Colin Campbell's institute of Nutrition Studies, gave me the idea of adding in ground flaxseed, but that might be healthy it does not taste great. It easily dulls down the taste of the whole dish, in spite of the peppers. Until... Wasabi powder came to the rescue. The result is great. Gourmet stuff, and it sure as hell wakes you up in the morning. Robyn's Substack is worth following, by the way. 

So here goes, the winning edition of my healthy breakfast:

It starts harmless enough, 

• 50/50 Brown Basmati rice and Black Rice
• 1 jalapeño seeded and cut up fine
• 1 serrano seeded and cut up fine
• chives
• 2-3 scallions

Adding the ground flax seeds  dulls down the taste. It drowns out even the peppers.

Here comes the Wasabi shaker.

And I am addint a liberal dusting of Wasabi.

The final stage is of course mixing it all and eating it.

I assure you it is glorious.

You will not be in any doubt if you are awake or not.

Recommended.

It only took me two months of experimenting since Robin suggested the ground flax seeds for me to come up with this refinement.

Econo #WFPB #0002 - Basic Miso Soba

Note: to be economical in your kitchen, one thing you might want to do, is to be clear with yourself what cuisines you like best. It is very easy to carry altogether too much in inventory, when your cooking styles are all over the piace. I like potatoes, and pasta and rice. They are all good complex carbs, if you use whole wheat flour and brown rice. Rice keeps fairly well, Pasta also, but not potatoes. I was raised with potatoes, but by the time I started living on my own, I became a little Chinaman, living on mostly rice, tofu, and veggies. But, I always had a reputation for cooking good pasta sauce, and while the precise recipes changed over the years, that remains a favorite. Then, later in life my tsste for potatoes came back.

All of that, just to say that Miso soup and miso soba are easy dishes if they fit your pantry. On the positive side, most of the ingredients keep rather well. Dried seaweed is an example, dried mushrooms is another. For the following recipe the fresh ingredients are some collard green leaves, some daikon, and some scallions. All the rest can be kept dry. 

In the following recipe, I will assume that we begin making the soup at breakfast.

You rinse about a 1" to 2" wide strip of kombu, and put that on with 2 cups of fitered water. You add in the dried mushrooms, a teaspoon of hijiki and a teaspoon of wakame. Rinse them, before adding to the soup.

Cut up a 1/4 block of tofu in small cubes, and bring the whole thing to a boil, and let it simmer for a bit and then let it cool off.

Dry Ingredients:

1 1"-2"strip of kombu, rinsed

1 tsp hijiki, rinsed

1 tsp wakame, rinsed

1/4 block of tofu, cubed

1 handful of dried shiitake mushrooms

1 bundle soba noodles or whole grain ramen.

Bring to a low simmer and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, and then let it cool off. Do this at breakfast if you want to have the noodles for lunch of dinner.

Preparation:

Presently, you reheat the now cooled off broth, and when it comes to a boil, you turn it completely low, and remove the kombu. Now come some more ingredients:

Fresh Ingredients:

3-5 Collard Green leaves, stem removed, rolled up, and cut in thin slices

1"-2" section of Daikon, julienned, katsumatsuki style cut

3 scallions sliced thin. 

Assembly:

If using Soba, cook it separately in ample boiling water.
If using ramen, you can add them in the soup at the end, for about 4-5 minutes, as long as you make sure they are submersed long enough.

Cook the daikon and collards in the soup.

Meanwhile boil a cup of water to dissolve about 3 tbsp of miso, but let it cool briefly for you do not want to boil the miso. 

Dissolve the miso. Mix it all in a bowl, and finish with the scallions.

Nutrition:

Clearly the noodles are the carbs

The leafy greens are there in abundance,

the tofu bumps up the protein a little bit

the miso, see this healthline article:

One ounce holds (please get the low sodium variety) :

• Calories: 56
• Carbs: 7 grams
• Fat: 2 grams
• Protein: 3 grams
• Sodium: 43% of the RDI
• Manganese: 12% of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 10% of the RDI
• Copper: 6% of the RDI
• Zinc: 5% of the RDI

                                                                    

Econo - #WFPB #1 - Asparagus Improv and Bean Soup

The biggest part of kitchen economy is to learn to cook certain things ahead, and to be able to play into seasonal opportunities. When cauliflower is $5 a head, I don't need it, but when it's $1.49, I eat it, and so it goes with many things, I have an easy time on my street, for I am in a community where people eat lots of fruit and veggies, and I can follow the prices just by walking down the street.

Asparagus was cheap this week ($1.49 a bunch) so, it was on the menu - steamed in a typical asparagus boiler - 5-10 mins:

Sauce:

• 2 TBSP Chickpea Flour (Besan)
• 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp Kala Namak (black salt)
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• grated nutmeg...

You could do either lemon or lime depending on what's in the house. 

And for the potatoes, I air fried two medium sized red skins. 

And I complemented it with a cup of home made bean soup from the freezer. When I cook soup, invariably I use a lot of ingredients, so I end up cooking enough for 12 people or so, and I freeze most of it, so I can serve up delicious soup in no time.

Nutrition:

Remember: 

• 80% of calories from carbs, 
• 10% from proteins, and 
• 10% from oils/fats

The biggest fallacy of traditional nutrition is the emphasis on protein. If you are trying to live economically, that will cost you, and lead you to wrong decisions. Just in this one meal example, you can see how easy it is to get your proteins. The fats come from beans, and an occasional avocado. Here is a great video on Chronic Kidney Disease, which clarifies why you should NOT over consume proteins. 

Potatoes:

(I can eat 2-3 potatoes in a setting)

1 Medium Red Skin Potato:

about 153 Calories

about 0.3 g fat

about 33/87 carbs

about 4.03 g protein

average 80% carbs, 10% proteins, 2% fat

Asparagus:

(One bunch would be at least 2 cups.)

1 cup of Asparagus

27 calories

0.16 g of fat

5.2 g carbs

2.95 g protein, or:

average 4% fat, 61% carbs, 35% protein

 

Now for the Sauce, which is chickpea flour (2 tbsp) with some nutritional yeast (1 tbsp).

for Chickpeas, see here, based on 1 cup. I used 2 tbsp for this sauce, about 1/4 cup.

approx:

calories 89,

proteins 5g

fat: 1.5 g

Fiber 10 g

and some thiamine, folate, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and manganese 

for nutritional yeast, see here, I used 1 tbsp of Noochylicious, and the analysis is for

1 tbsp:

calories 32.7

calories from fat 2.8

protein 4.4g

The soup is rich, the beans have a good fat content

The analysis of one cup is:

One cup (171 grams) of pinto beans boiled provides (1Trusted Source):

Calories: 245
Carbs: 45 grams
Fiber: 15 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: ??? mg
Thiamine: 28% of the Daily Value (DV)
Iron: 20% of the DV
Magnesium: 21% of the DV
Phosphorus: 20% of the DV
Potassium: 16% of the DV

Now if you managed to have an OK breakfast, and a good salad for dinner later, with some whole grains like quinoa, etc. you are close to a decent nutritional day. In between you can snack on some steamed kale with sweet potato, mustard seeds, and balsamic vinegar.

My Favorite Natto Breakfast

 The collection of Natto at Chang-Li Supermarket seems to be growing. 

This particular brand is organic, and it comes in two varieties with a subtly different flavor. One is made with whole soybean halves, and the wrapper is a darker green, the other is made with broken up soybeans, and seems to have a lighter flavor, which I think I prefer.

My favorite breakfast at the moment is Natto with a mixture of brown Basmati and black rice, plus about 3 scallions and some chives (can't find them fresh, so I use the dried kind).

Since everyone always gets concerned about protein, which is typically over-emphasized in traditional nutrition. To refresh the reader, Whole Foods, Plant-Based nutrition rests on the knowledge that an adult male, requires only about 10-12% of calories from protein, and and adult woman can get by on even less in a pinch, but it is very hard to get below 10-12% no matter how hard you try.

The total concept of #WFPB nutrition is:

• 10% of calories from naturally occurring fats/oils (beans etc)
• 10% of calories from (plant-) protein
• 80% of calories from complex carbohydrates
• no added sugars, oil or salt (no SOS).

And that is how simple it is.

So let´s go over Natto. 

It is a fermented soy product and it contains in one 1.41 Oz breakfast serving the following:

• Calories: 85
• Fat: 35 grams
• Carbs: 5.4 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Protein: 7.65 grams
• Manganese: 27% of the daily value (DV)
• Iron: 19% of the DV
• Copper: 30% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 8% of the DV
• Magnesium: 11% of the DV
• Calcium: 7% of the DV
• Vitamin C: 6% of the DV
• Potassium: 6% of the DV
• Zinc: 11% of the DV
• Selenium: 6% of the DV
• Additionally: Natto also contains smaller amounts of vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds (5)
• Trusted Sourc).

  Natto is especially nutritious because its soybeans undergo a process of fermentation, which creates conditions that promote the growth of probiotics. 
   (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

• This is one reason why natto is considered more nutritious than boiled soybeans.

• Natto also contains fewer antinutrients and more beneficial plant compounds and enzymes than non-fermented soybeans
   (5Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10).

Now I eat that with a cup of mixed rice, brown basmati and black rice, which has another 5 grams of protein.

The one cup of rice contains approximately the following:

• Calories- 210 calories
• Protein- 5 grams
• Carbohydrates– 46 grams
• ·Fat- 0.5 grams

And then I also add some three scallions, cut up and some chives.

In short, that one silly little bowl contains dynamite nutrition.

There are always rumors about soybeans being bad, but those largely are unfounded, see here, and here. Unfortunately, too many of the diet gurus do not know anything about nutrition. Or only enough to be dangerous.

One last thing about the natto breakfast, I think it is ideal food after a water fast.

I usually end up with a Kombucha the night before (fermented/probiotic) and then a smoothie in the AM, and then I might have some fruit and typically a bowl of natto will be my first solid food. You can chew it really well and thus get the maximum benefit. Great way to give your gut flora a boost. 

P.S. A special Thanksgiving addition: You can even make your natto hot and spicy. I make it with sliced, seeded jalapeño, or I could even see a serrano pepper. For now, my preferred way to spice it up over and above the traditional cut-up scallions, is settling at some chives, one jalapeño and one serrano pepper. Everyone can experiment on their own. Maybe I could see parsley. To me, I run a fusion kitchen, where the rule is #WFPB, without SOS, and otherwise anything goes. With traditional recipes, I first try to come as close as I can to the original flavor, and then the experimentation starts and dishes evolve beyond their original "traditional" flavors.
Along those lines, I made a vegetarian spaghetti sauce when I was a teenager, and I had a reputation for doing that quite well. I used mushrooms instead of meat, but otherwise it was quite traditional. Today, it has become totally 3WFPB, and I make numerous variations, and I love spaghetti even better now.

Black Bean Enfrijoladas #WFPB Style

This is another wonderfully simple recipe from Chef AJ, my only adjustment would be because she makes it too mild and I like it hot. 

My Mexican friends constantly ask for mas caliente, mas caliente... And of course, you are free to make it as hot as you'd like... or you have the option to leave it up to the individuals, but depending on the situation, that can be unmanageable, to put out a set of trays with the toppings. So I usually prefer to make a single bowl and mix everything. Or a mild and a spicy bowl. 

 My principal adjustments are some jalapeños, some serrano peppers and perhaps a habanero or two. as well as some cut up sweet peppers, and some lime juice to keep it fresh as well as some medium salsa to create a more blended taste. This is simple, quick and delicious. 

Vegan Black Bean Enfrijoladas and Q & A with Dr. Niki Davis! - 

YouTube Chef AJ with Dr. Niki Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttkTPb5q574 

Ingredients 

• 2 15 Oz cans of low sodium Black Beans. 
• White or yellow corn tortillas, or tostadas if you serve it immediately (they tend to get soft). 

Toppings: 

• Avocado 
• Tomato
• Scallions 
• Red Onions 
• Chopped Greens (Spinach) 
• Jalapeno
• Serrano Peppers 
• Habaneros
• Green, jellow, orange, red bell peppers 
• Juice of one lime 
• medium Salsa 

Directions: 

Heat over stove on medium until blended beans are nice and hot! 

While the beans are heating, heat up your corn tortillas on a non-stick pan (both sides) on medium heat. 

Once the tortillas and beans are both hot, dip the tortilla into the blended beans completely, then remove and place folded in half onto a plate. Repeat until you have 3-4 folded tortillas on the plate. 

Add desired toppings and voila! 

Enjoy while hot.

Better Breakfasts and Jackfruit Economics

Jackfruit can be intimidating, and not only because of its weight. Peeling a jackfruit is a significant chore, but the results are worthwhile, and I have documented them numerous times on this blog.

Half-way

Steelcut oats, whith shredded apple, blueberries, cacao nibs, cinnamon and some raisings, goji berries, and topped with some Jackfruit.

Ready to eat

Today, I want to pay attention to the economics of the Jackfruit.

Jackfruit is apparently the national fruit of Bangladesh, so during the seaason, you will find them everywhere in my heavily Bangladeshi neighborhood.

• This year jackfruit could be found in my area between $0.99/lb (rarely), but I got one 20lb jackfruit with a blemish for that price, and it worked out well. Only one flowerpod was affected by some rot, but overall the fruit was perfectly healthy and ripe to eat.
• Some of the stores will peal them and sell you the flower pods, ready to eat, ant that tended to go for $5/lb.
• You will find the nuts, the kernels at $9/lb or there abouts

I buy the whole fruit and I make a curry with the kernels, which is out of this world. I have publishedt that on this blog.

Being single, I make this a project to peel the fruit, which takes me several hours, but then I freeze the flower pods in quart bags, and I use it on my typical oatmeal breakfast. 

With the kernels I make a big pot of curry, and some of it I eat that week and the rest is frozen in quart bags for future use. This way, I can whip up rice with curry and have some kind of veggie on the side and I have an excellent meal in short order.

My 20lb Jackfruit yielded 7/8 quart bags of flowerpods, and 2-3 lbs of seeds. Obviously, if you have the traffic, it could be worthwhile to sell some ready to eat jackfruit.

Before I knew what to do with them, I'd give the seeds to my Bangladeshi neighbors. But now that I know what to do with them, they are actually a true delicacy in the right recipe. 

Mas caliente, mas caliente - black bean salad

Of course the Americans want it mild, the Mexicans want it hotter: mas caliente, mas caliente. Everbody else is in between.

So today I made a very spicey black bean salsa, at least I thought so, but still: too hot for the Americans, not not enough for the Mexicans. 

• 
• 1 lb black beans
• 1/2 strip of kombu
• Soak at least six hours.

Note: The Kombu makes the beans cook up softer and easier to digest.

And here are the beans with the kombu in a bowl for soaking.

In order to cook it, I cut the kombu up in smaller strips.

After cooking drain the beans really well, and mix in the kombu, it will completely disintegrate and is very healthy.

This time I put in a lot of peppers, but you can vary it to taste:

• 1 poblano, or chilaca (or both)
• 2 large jalapeños
• 3 serrano
• 1 habañero
• 1 bunch cilantro, cut up fine
• 3-4 celery stalks, sliced thin
• 1 bottle of Green salsa
• 3 limes - juiced

En español:

Por supuesto, los estadounidenses lo quieren suave, los mexicanos lo quieren más caliente: mas caliente, mas caliente. Todos los demás están en el medio.

Así que hoy hice una salsa de frijoles negros muy especiada, al menos eso pensé, pero aún así: demasiado picante para los estadounidenses, no lo suficiente para los mexicanos.

• 1 libra de frijoles negros
• 1/2 tira de kombu

Remoja al menos seis horas.

Nota: El Kombu hace que los frijoles se cocinen más suaves y fáciles de digerir.

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Y aquí están los frijoles con el kombu en un tazón para remojar.

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Para cocinarlo, corté el kombu en tiras más pequeñas.

Después de cocinar, escurra muy bien los frijoles y mézclelos con el kombu, se desintegrará por completo y es muy saludable.

Esta vez puse muchos pimientos, pero podéis variar al gusto:

• 1 poblano
• 2 jalapeños grandes
• 3 serranos
• 1 habanero
• 1 manojo de cilantro, cortado fino
• 3-4 tallos de apio, en rodajas finas
• 1 botella de salsa verde
• 3 limas - en jugo