Oatmeal for Breakfast

I love cooking oats with cinnamon for breakfast. Oats are incredibly healthy and here is whyⁱ:

• Oats remove cholesterol from the digestive tract and arteries & strengthen cardiac muscles.

• Oats can be used in cases of dysentery, diabetes, hepatitis, nervous and sexual debility, indigestion and swelling including abdominal bloating.

• Oats help renew the bones and all connective tissue.

• Oats contain phosphorus, required for brain and nerve formation during youth.

• Oats are useful as a poultice to relieve itching. They also heal and beautify the skin when used as a pack.

• If drunk regularly, oat water acts as internal antiseptic to strengthen immunity and ward off contagions.

In addition, oatmeal can regulates your digestive system. It is the best breakfast to eat if you have diarrhea or constipation or both (like in IBS).

How to cook cinnamon oatmeal?

3-4 full tablespoons of oats

2 cups of water

Cinnamon powder

1 Banana/pear/peach/apple

Walnuts

Honey

• In a small pot, use medium fire to warm the water with as much cinnamon as you like, for half a minute to let the water absorb the cinnamon.
• Add the oats, mix them into the cinnamon-water and keep it on low to medium fire for another half a minute. The reduce heat to very low, and cook for 5 minutes. Gently stir it 2-3 times.
• Meanwhile, cut a banana & wash a handful of walnuts. When the oats are cooked pore the oatmeal into a bowl, then add the banana, and the walnut, and add some honey on the top for extra sweetness.

If you don't have banana, you can use a pear, a peach or even an apple. Since the fruits are sweet, you can choose not to add the honey.

Coconut: sometimes I add shredded coconut to the cooking oats, and cook with it for couple of minutes.

You can change the amount of water and oats to get more liquid-like or thick-like oatmeal.

Some people like their oatmeal salty....so I guess that would be without cinnamon, fruits, nor honey, just salt.

After a big bowl like that, I am full for at least 5 hours.

Enjoy!

Eran Pupkin

i Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods, page 469

Mujaddara --- Brown Rice & Lentils

Mujaddara --- Brown Rice & Lentils

In the middle east Mujaddara is a common & important dish, usually served at lunch or dinner with cooked vegetables on the side. The combination of brown rice with lentils creates a complete protein ⁱ and therefore it is one of the most basic dishes in the Mediterranean diet. Brown rice is sweet, and therefore strengthens our digestive system. It has vitamin B so it is beneficial for the nervous system – and can help relieve mental depression. It also treats diarrhea & nausea. Lentils as part of the legumes family are not only high in protein, but also in fat and carbohydrates. They are rich source of potassium, calcium, iron, and several B-vitamins.ⁱⁱ

Why brown and not white?

An old Japanese proverb, “eating grains without their skins causes people to become poor (in body and spirit) and to have no clothes (protection against coldness and disease)”ⁱⁱⁱ

White rice is created by removing both the bran and germ layers underneath the husk (the outermost layer of a grain of rice). By doing so, several vitamins and dietary minerals are lost, such as vitamin B1, B3, iron, magnesium. bran oil may help lower LDL cholesterol. Brown rice is made by removing only the husk, thus retaining all the vitamins and minerals. Brown rice is also said to be less constipating than white rice.

How to cook brown rice?

1 cup brown rice

2 – 2 ½ cups water

salt

black pepper

1 slice of ginger

Wash the rice a few times. Slice a piece of ginger, and cut it to small pieces (You don't have to peel the skin, it is edible).

• Place rice, water, salt and the ginger in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.

• Cover and bring to boil.

• Turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.

• Remove rice from pot and serve.

If you don't like ginger, you can substitute it with garlic, or other spices such as fennel seed, star anise, cardamon, garlic, coriander seeds etc.

How to cook lentils?

First soak the lentils in water for 3-4 hours; then strain the water.

What you need:

1 cup of lentils

3-4 cups of water

Spices: cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, fennel seeds.

1-2 big onions

How to cook:

• placed soaked lentils, spices and water in pot.

• Bring to boil.

• reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour or until the water has been absorbed.

Cut the onions to small pieces. Fry them in a pan with some olive oil until they turn golden.

Add the fried onion on top of the lentils and serve.

Now you have 2 dishes, rice and lentils. You can mix then together in one big bowl and let the flavors mingle, or you can serve it separately on your plate. Of course adding colorful veggies to your plate would be great!

Bon appetit!

Eran Pupkin

i A complete protein (or whole protein) is a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all of the essential amino acids.

ii Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 507

iii Ibid

Portobello for lunch

Portobello for lunch

This afternoon I felt like eating a homemade nutritious sandwich

The ingredients:

• Tomato
• Red pepper
• Portobello mushroom
• Olive oil, salt & pepper
• Rye bread
• Fresh ricotta cheese.

Directions:

1. Cut the stem of the mushroom, slice the tomato and the pepper.
2. Put a little bit of olive oil in a pan
3. Put the mushroom and the pepper in the pan. Fry on low-medium fire. Flip the mushroom every once in a while so it will cook well on both sides. Towards the end, season with a little bit of salt and black pepper.
4. On the plate, sprinkle some sweet red paprika, and arrange the tomato slices

5. Cut a thick slice of bread, and spread some ricotta cheese on it.

6. The mushroom should be ready by now, so put it on your bread, with the red pepper on top.

Bon appetit!

What is this stuff good for?

Because all of the ingredients are fresh, this is a meal without preservatives.

• Mushroom – strengthen your immune system.
• Olive oil, tomatoes and peppers are part of the Mediterranean diet – fresh vegetables & fruits, olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, moderate amounts of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), some fish, little meat, and moderate wine consumption. Olive oil is nutritious and contains a very high level of monounsaturated fats – which studies suggest is linked to a reduction in coronary heart disease risk. There is also considerable clinical data that the antioxidants in olive oil can provide additional heart health benefits such as positive cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol reduction, and that it exerts additional anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive effects.

On top of all of this, you get the satisfaction of making a delicious (& appealing) meal for yourself and/or your loved ones!

The preparation time was only 10 minutes – a small investment in long-term health benefits!

Enjoy,

Eran