SPROUTS

Discover the greatest gardening…sprouts. Many people live in cities, work all day and do not have the pleasure and joy of eating produce from their garden.
By the time the fruit and vegetables reach the table, they have lost their vitamins and life force. They are often sprayed with harmful pesticides and may even be genetically grown and are totally devitalized. They are often shipped and from places that do not match the season we are in. Try to eat what grows in the area you live in and what is in season. That is why we have guavas, grape fruit, oranges and lemons, at the start of winter, when we need extra Vitamin C. Then in summer we have watermelon and juicy fruits.

Sprouts are exciting, fresh , vitamin and mineral packed foods that can re energize tired bodies, give us great enzymes and proteins. You need five minutes a day for the chore and the reward is in a day or two later. Involve the kids and give them their individual jars and seeds they like to eat.. They are crispy, crunchy and packed with goodness and health.

Do not eat dry seeds. They are indigestible and harmful to the digestion and body. Raw chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils and beans may cause stomach cramps, a bloated feeling and can even be poisonous. Never eat sprouts of tomatoes, potatoes and kidney beans. You have to buy sprouts from reliable sources. They must not be for farming, sprayed and chemically treated. So buy sprouts they are labeled for human consumption. I recommend you to buy at good health stores. or a source you can trust.
Nobody needs to eat handfuls of sprouts. The trend to give you a salad with a cup of sprouts on top, drowning in a mayonnaise laden dressing is not wise. You can break a tooth, get indigestion and simply do not need parrot food on your lettuce. Use sprouts that are delicate, a small amount and preferably cooked, steamed and sautéed, after they are soaked. I have been a vegetarian for over forty years and still eat my almonds soaked in fresh water. That way they are energized and healthy, digestible and easy to eat. Try it.

WHAT SHOULD WE SPROUT?

Sprouts include beans, seeds, grains and nuts.


BEANS. These include adzuki, chickpeas, called garbanzos. These are used for hummus. Lentils , Chinese mung, kidney, butter and soya beans.
Chickpeas are delicious in hummus, stews, soups, casseroles and salads. You need to wash, soak for 6-8 hours and then cook them. When they are soft, after a long cooking time, you can mash them, blend them , and use for many dishes. Be careful in the blender. They get thick, so add a few tablespoons of water. They are great cooked, served with salt and pepper as a snack. Soya beans are very popular, as they can be made into dry chips and used when they are re soaked and cooked as a meat substitute. They make good stews, meatless bolognaise and mince for a dish with rice or potatoes. I find that soya beans are good when cooked for a long time. Lentils are very versatile and they are great in soups and sprouted for use in salads, omelets and in sandwiches. I steam them to soften a little. In stir fry, use them near the end. . Butter beans that are used in soups and for exotic salads must be soaked for 8- 10 hours, rinsed and cooked well. I make an exotic Mexican dish with butter beans that is great for outdoor eating as a cold salad. Recipe will follow.

SEEDS.
Sunflower is good to sprout, especially for smokers. A great alternative to chew seeds instead of another puff of a cigarette. They help older folks to sleep better as they have magnesium.
They can be added to breads, muffins and patties for meatless hamburgers. I soak them and roast them in the oven for a few minutes on a tray with olive oil and herbs,
and use them on salads for crunch and food value. Mustard seeds have a distinctive taste and need to be used fresh. They are good in stir fry. dishes. Broccoli must be bought from a reliable source and are good in salads and with vegetable dishes. Fenugreek has a mustardy taste and is good to soak and grow. They can be used for a drink if you have a bad cough. They reduce catarrh and help to ease swelling. Simply soak one teaspoon in a cup of boiling water for an hour. Then strain and use as a tea for sore throats or coughs. Sesame seeds are bitter when you sprout them, so skip them and eat as they are. I always use them in kiddies candies and as a base for cookies, in granola, for salads with sprouts and in muffins and banana breads. Pumpkin seeds have a leafy growth after four days of sprouting and are good in stir fry dishes and with cooked vegetables. Add at the end for a few minutes.
ALFALFA SEEDS, must not be eaten raw, unless you have bought them from a reliable source and they are untreated with chemicals. They must be fresh. .

GRAINS.
These include barley, rye, wheat, buckwheat, millet .yellow corn, spelt, berries and many more. The ones we use for sprouts are mainly barley, rye and buckwheat.

NUTS.
The nuts I use are almonds and peanuts. Remember that many people and children are allergic to peanuts, so do not use them liberally. I use ten to twelve almonds for a day or two at a time. Simply place in half a glass of water overnight and rinse the next day, peel and use as a snack or add to salads and in food dishes or sandwiches. Peanuts must be very fresh or they are hard to digest.

HOW DO I SPROUT THEM?
I use a simple method. Take clean jars. Make holes in the lid or use a plastic lid with holes. I use muslin, cheese cloth and tie it on the jar with an elastic band. It is easy to open and wash out and the spouts can breathe. The way for kids is a cereal bowl with a kitchen towel. Simply place in the cupboard and they can rinse the seeds out in a strainer and replace them in the bowl and cover. Do not use cotton wool as the seeds get caught in it. You can use blotting paper, as long as you wash it twice a day. So it is easy and fun.
See the drawing at the end of the article.

HOW TO USE AND EAT SPROUTS?
The rule is eat a little, better steamed or cooked and in stir fry dishes, soups and in salads. If they have an odor or seem fermented, toss into the ground. If you have sprouted lentils in the fridge, you can roast them in a little olive oil and nuts and add anywhere. Like sandwiches, salads and eggs.Sprouted lentils are great in soups. Just add at the end. and heat through. Chinese mung beans are great fried and mixed with vegetables. They look great with a baked potato and terrific in a pita with hummus and techina.They also make a great sandwich with eggs and cheese fillings.


RECIPES.
VEGETABLE SOUP.
Wash one and a half cups of brown and half a cup of orange lentils,Letb them stand in water for an hour or two. Rinse, and cook them in clean water until they are fairly soft. Put aside. Dice three carrots, two potatoes, two onions, one sweet potato, chopped parsley, spring onions, ( a clove or two of garlic) and a teaspoon of curry, salt and pepper, a few sliced fresh mushrooms and a whole peeled turnip. Add the lentils and cook this all on a medium flame Remove the turnip The soup will be tasty and nourishing. When you serve, mix through sprouted lentils and serve with a few sprouted lentils on top for a fresh look.

QUINOA AND SPROUTS.
Take one cup of quinoa and half a cup of wild rice. Wash, drain and cook with a little herb salt. Cook the rice first and put aside and then the quinoa, which cooks faster. Stir fry two cups of mung beans that you have previously sprouted. in a little olive oil, Mix them with diced red pepper, half a cup of parsley and a bit of oregano and two diced onions. When this is ready, mix with the quinoa and wild rice and serve with roasted sunflower seeds on top.

MEXICAN BEAN SALAD.
Soak three cups of butter beans for a few hours. Rinse and drain. Place in a pot of water to cover, with a teaspoon of salt and cook until soft. Drain. Make a sauce of one tablespoon curry powder, half a teaspoon of mustard and two chopped red peppers, three cloves of garlic, two teaspoons of honey and salt and pepper. Place this in a pot with two tablespoons of olive oil and one cup of tomato puree and two cups of crushed tomatoes and cook on a low flame for twenty minutes. Add the warm beans and cook for twenty minutes more. Serve with half a cup of sprouted lentils and a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
This salad can be eaten cold or hot.

FRESH SALAD WITH SPROUTS.
I love fresh sprouts mixed with vegetables and dried fruits. This is an easy one. Wash two cups of fresh spinach and chop crudely. Mix in some mint leaves and spring onions. Make a dressing with the following. Two tablespoons of dried cranberries, two tablespoons of light raisins, and two dried cut up apricots and two cut up dates. Place in a small bowl with one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and half a cup of orange juice, or mandarin juice. Let it stand for a few hours. Mix with the spinach and herbs and serve with fresh sprouts on the top. You can grate a few tablespoons of feta on the salad. Looks crispy and fresh. Enjoy with herbed bread and butter mixed with sunflower seeds. .

THIS IS A DRAWING OF THE CONTAINERS FOR SPROUTING. HAVE FUN