As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to share some of my favorite recipes from my days at The Ann Wigmore Foundation. However, today's post is mostly about how to sprout beans and grains, and then I have given you my own recipe for a delicious sprout salad. Tomorrow, I will discuss recipes that were used back in the early 1990s, at The Ann Wigmore Foundation. Since the fire and Ann's death, much may have changed, but then again, perhaps not..... So to get started, lets speak about sprouting.
Sprouting, or germinating grains, beans, seeds, and nuts are a core part of the raw and living foods diets. So lets start with wheat.
* You may choose to sprout kamut (ancient Egyptian wheat), hard red winter wheat berries, soft pastry, wheat, spelt, or other close relatives, such as rye. The main thing is you need whole "berries" as only the whole seed, raw and untreated, will sprout.
* You will need a sprouting jar with sprouting lid or sprouting bag, which is often sold in natural food markets and certainly available from many companies on-line,
* Now you need to rinse and remove broken seeds or any other debris and then if using a jar, fill the jar with 1/4-1/3 rinsed seed and the rest drinking quality water (ideally good (clean) well water, filtered, or spring water - distilled water or water devoid of minerals will not assist the seeds in properly growing).
* The wheat berries (or which ever you choose) should soak 6-8 hours. If using a sprouting bag, you may soak the seeds in a glass, ceramic, or metal bowl and then transfer or soak in a bowl, while the rinsed seeds are already in the sprouting bag.
* After 6-8 hours you pour off the soaking water, rinse the seeds and drain the liquid and either hang your sprouting bag or put your sprouting jar with lid screwed on, at a 45 degree angle (a part of a dish drainer that hangs over the sink would be fine (with the sprouting jar lid facing downward at the 45 degree angle, to allow proper drainage or have the sprouting bag hang over the sink or something to catch the dripping water.
*Sprouts are then rinsed twice a day, or more if very hot, as you don't want them to dry out - they are growing plants - until they have grown a small tail (generally about 1-1 1/2 times the length of the berry. Lentils and mung beans (though the mung beans will not look anything like those in the store, as those are grown with pressure, in a different manner) may be sprouted in the same way, and one can also make a sprouting mix in a jar with a combination of the above mentioned grains and beans.
*Once the tails are about the same length of the seed, refrigerate and rinse and drain once daily, utilizing within a couple of days, ideally, as they will continue to grow, and sprouts, as they grow, change in flavor and may not be ideal for consumption as they become plants, so eat before the beans have tails that are long and leaves beginning to form. The grains will start to taste grassy and our bodies can't properly digest the fiber in wheat grass (that is why it is juiced and not blended into drinks).
Well once again, this post is getting long, so I will give more recipes using sprouts tomorrow.... But a simple way to use a mix is as follows:
I suggest sprouting a blend of kamut and rye berries, lentils and mung beans.
Add a couple of handfuls (or more as desired) to a bed of mixed raw greens, such as mesclun or your preferred combination. Add some pieces of raw dulse, cut or torn into small pieces, some unrefined cold pressed oil, such as flax or hemp, the juice of half a lemon, and a sprinkle of kelp powder for added salt if you prefer (Dulse and Kelp powder are available from Maine Sea Coast Vegetables https://www.seaveg.com/shop/. This is a wonderful, really raw summer dish. You can add any of your favorite fresh herbs, perhaps a dollop of raw sauerkraut or slices of raw pickles (my favorite brand is Real Pickles http://www.realpickles.com / Stop here if you want totally raw!
If you want a bit of a less raw addition, I love adding nutritional yeast http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Brewers-Yeast-Nutritional-Yeast/M003476.htm for a delicious "cheezy" flavor and the B vitamins, zinc, and protein contained within, and lecithin for an added nutty flavor and some "brain power"- good source of choline! http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Mental-Fitness-Sleep-Mood-Support/Lecithin/M013834.htm,
You can also get a fabulous unpasteurized, naturally fermented soy sauce, available at most Whole Foods Markets, as well as other natural food stores Ohsawa brand Nama Shoyu https://shop.goldminenaturalfoods.com/OHSAWA-ORGANIC-NAMA-SHOYU-32-OZ/productinfo/0501-1032 and that adds a delicious touch of saltiness!
And one final add on for the hearty folks is some spirulina - a type of algae touted for its health benefits for years, when mixed in with the nutritional yeast and lecithin, as well as the rest of the salad, you hardly taste the flavor and it actually adds both nutrition and a unique flavor to the dish! If you try it I hope you love it. Back in the day, I used to share my lunch salad (including the spirulina) with a 16 year girl that worked with me in a natural market. She ate nothing natural, but loved my salad!
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