Chapter Six

Chapter 6

How Do I Use All of These Sprouts?

 

Bring your food alive!  Sprouts are life-generating food.

 

Once you begin sprouting, you’ll discover that it is easy and fun! You may find yourself wanting to purchase more trays, and learn how to use sprouts in salads and other delicious dishes. Use your creativity and be daring as you add sprouts to your daily meals. 

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Begin by tasting them in their trays. You’ll be amazed by how good they are. If you have children, let them help you grow and sample them. Next, add sprouts to your salads. Remember to eat a salad first before eating anything else at lunch and dinner. Eat a ‘living food’ before you eat a snack, cookie, candy, or something that may not be very healthy.  You want live enzymes to get into your mouth first so your brain can define them and send a message to your body that there are sufficient enzymes to digest this meal. Every time you eat something, your body thinks that it is a meal. In addition to your salad at lunch you may want to substitute sprouts for some of the high fatty, over-processed foods that you are used to, or at least add the sprouts to them. 

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Pocket bread sandwiches that we talked about in Chapter 5, are popular as well as the Veggie Burrito Wraps made with the sprouted wheat tortillas found in  the refrigerated section of your health food store, and the Manna Stack Open-faced Sandwich with the Manna Bread from the freezer section of the health food store. These breads aren’t considered living-raw foods, but as you transition into eating more living foods, these items are delicious and act as a base to help you include more sprouts and raw foods in your diet. The dressings in Chapter 13 bring added flavors and textures that you can’t duplicate at a restaurant or at a fast food place.

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Let your creativity soar by adding sprouts to any uncooked dish. Marinated salads are great when sprouts are added (See Chapter 13). They are crunchy and their texture is interesting to the palate. Because sprouts are a raw food, you should try to avoid killing their enzymes by cooking them. To improve texture and nutrition to your normal meals, add sprouts as a condiment on the side or to a cooked dish. Add your sprouts to dressings; make gourmet pâtés; make crackers and breads and even cookies! You can use sprouts in your food dehydrator then eat them as crunchy snacks and as healthy croutons for your salads.  This book is full of recipes and ideas to get you started.  Try these recipes, and then adjust them to fit your own unique taste. 

 

Crackers and Croutons

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Any sprout can be used to create your own crackers that you can season to fit your taste buds and the taste buds of your family. Figure out what tastes that you like, and then search for the seasoning or sauce that matches that flavor, then add that to your sprouts and sprouted dishes.  If the sauces aren’t that healthy at first, don’t worry about perfection; just get the good stuff down.  Later on, as you taste buds are more defined, you will discover healthier ingredients that you can season to create a similar taste.  You can enjoy the flavors you like in healthier foods.

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For a healthy substitute for Corn Nut-type snacks, simply shake lentil sprouts or soaked almonds in a covered container or bag with any healthy seasoning, such as Cajun, Mexican, Indian Curry, or Chinese Tamari. Then spread the seasoned sprouts on the mesh tray in your dehydrator. Set at 105° F until the sprouts are crisp. These are yummy, crunchy, healthy snacks that you can substitute for greasy chips and those deep-fried snacks. 

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Sprouted crackers are a favorite with any salad, with a dip or just eaten alone. They are particularly good when you dip them into a fresh guacamole or the Lemon Tahini Dip or dressing. Use them instead of potato chips with your sandwiches…the possibilities are endless!

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Don’t waste your raw-food leftovers. Throw them into the blender with some fresh sprouts, add seasonings to fit your taste, and then dehydrate them until they are crisp. These random “left-over’ crackers are sometimes the best.  Remember, when you dehydrate the cracker batter, it becomes more flavorful as it is dehydrated. The flavors become concentrated, so be sure not to spice or salt it too much before you turn out the batter onto the solid dehydrator sheets. You don’t want the crackers to be too salty or over flavored.  It is safer to under-flavor the batter when it is in the blender. Some of my best cracker recipes were inspired from raw food leftovers! 

Store your crisp crackers and croutons in airtight containers and keep them in a cool, dry spot. If they become soft, just put them back in the dehydrator. If you are storing them for a long time, place a paper towel in the airtight bags to absorb any extra moisture. As long as no moisture gets inside, they will store indefinitely.

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Here’s another dehydrating tip: soaked and sprouted almonds and nuts are great when they are dehydrated until they are crisp. You can eat them later as a snack, or you can add them into a healthy trail-mix.  The fresh soaked nuts only last 3-4 days in the fridge, so dehydrating them is an easy and fun way to have sprouted foods on hand to grab when you are going out the door!  Make sure that you are eating any dehydrated food with your ‘greens’, salads and get plenty of water each day.  Remember that these foods are dehydrated, and will immediately absorb moisture when exposed to it.  The moisture in your body will be used to re-hydrate the cracker as you eat it.  By keeping up on your gallon of pure water everyday, you prevent your body from getting water-depleted and constipated from eating too many dehydrated foods alone, without water-rich foods to counter balance them.

 

 

 

 

Sunflower and Lentil Croutons

1 cup soaked sunflower seeds, rinsed

1 cup lentil sprouts, rinsed

(Optional) Pour into a zipper-lock bag ¼ cup of dry chili seasoning. Place sprouts (1/2 cup at a time) in the bag. Zip it locked and shake until coated. Lay out contents on dehydrator at 105° F until crisp. Serve as croutons or a snack.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Chips

In a blender add:

½ cup wheat sprouts

¼ cup lentil sprouts

3 sprigs of parsley

3 sprigs of cilantro

1 sprig of fresh basil

1 bell pepper

1 Anaheim pepper

½ small onion

1 clove garlic

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

3-4 tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Kikkoman

“Real Salt”and pepper, to taste

Blend well. 

Turn blender off. 

Add:

2 large tomatoes, chopped

Pulse 3-5 times so that they are still chunky. 

Fold out on dehydrator sheets. 

Dehydrate at 105° F for 1-2 days.

 

Flax Crackers

Soak 3 cups flax seeds overnight-

  In blender, coarsely blend-

Juice of one orange

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

Handful of fresh basil

3 tsp chili powder

3 tsp cumin

3 tsp. Nama shoyu, or Kikkoman Soy sauce

 Thicken and add sprouted sunflower seeds (opt).

  Add 3 small tomatoes

  Blend coarsely to keep tomatoes chunky-pulse 2-3 times.

Stir in soaked flax seeds.

Pour out batter on solid dehydrator sheets

Dehydrate at 105 degrees

For about 4-6 hours 

Then turn tray over and peel off cracker to dehydrate on other side

For another 4-8 hours until crisp.

 

 

Sprouted wheat and grain

Sprouted wheat is one of the best ways to get pure antioxidants into the body. Wheat sprouts are ready in the tray in about 24-48 hours. The tail should be visible when you start to use the sprout; don’t let the tail get much longer than the size of the grain. (See Chapter 11)

Natural Antioxidant

Whenever the body sustains an injury, disease, trauma, or even reacts to daily workouts, the body emits free radicals that must be scavenged by antioxidants to prevent damage. For example, you sometimes can feel your muscles become sore after a heavy workout. This is lactic-acid buildup in your muscles and joints. By using wheatgrass juice after a workout and eating something full of wheat sprouts, you can help you integrate antioxidants that literally eat up and remove free radials. Recipes for sprouted wheat crackers and breads and even cookies are scattered throughout this book. The recipes are delicious ways to get your daily dose of antioxidants…without taking a pill!

With just a little planning, you can spend only ten minutes a day—or 30-60 minutes a few times each week--to make some delicious foods that you can add to your salads and dips--a much wiser choice than indulging in processed foods and a lot cheaper than buying these foods in a store. Just for fun, substitute wheat sprouts for a plate of pasta and add your favorite spaghetti sauce. You will still have the chewy texture that you’re used to, and you won’t have the fast sugar addiction to the pasta or that heavy feeling that comes eating foods made with flour.

 

 

Sprouted Spaghetti

1-2 C Wheat Sprouts

Spaghetti Sauce of your choice.

 

Vicki’s Favorite Spaghetti Sauce (cooked)

In a crockpot, add:

2-16oz cans Stewed Tomatoes (blended if you don’t like chunks)

1 can Stewed Tomatoes, unblended

2 cans Tomato Paste

4 T dried Basil (or 2 large bunchs fresh Basil, chopped)

Simmer in an open crockpot all day.

 

 

Raw Soups

These soups are surprisingly good and a great raw food for the elderly or infants who may be struggling with their teeth. But regardless of how good these soups are, don’t let them substitute for a big plate of salad greens. Eat them with your ‘greens’ salads.

 

Raw Corn Chowder

Blend: (strain it is optional)

1-2 cups of almonds, soaked

Add 4 cups of water 

Add:

6 fresh ears cob corn 

1/8 large onion

1 cup of carrot juice

3 tomatillos (opt) or 1 Tbsp lemon juice 

1-2 avocados (for desired thickness)

2-3 tsp. cumin

2-3 tsp. kelp, Spike or “Real Salt” and pepper (to taste)

Blend until smooth.

Serve cold.

 

Raw Butternut Soup

In a blender, add:

1 cup butternut squash, chopped, peeled and seeded

½ cup soaked Almonds

1 cup soaked Sesame Seeds

4 green onions, chopped

¼ cup jicama, chopped

½ red pepper

Rejuvelac or water to turn the blades. (for desired thickness)

Season with:

2-3 tsp. coriander

2-3 tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Kikkoman

1 sprig fresh mint leaves (optional)

Kelp powder, “Spike” or “Real Salt” (to taste)

Blend until smooth. 

Serve with fresh mint sprig.

 

Pâté

A pâté is a paste made of blended sprouts and vegetables. This is definitely a gourmet raw food. Because these foods are so concentrated and full of nuts and seeds, make sure that you are eating a large plate of greens before or with the pâté. The pâté is so good that you may find yourself indulging in it. You may want to curb your temptation to indulge so you won’t experience bloating and gas.  Use a Champion Juicer-type of homogenizer or try in your blender or Vita Mix high-speed blender.

 

Island Almond Loaf Pâté 

Juice 1 cup of carrot juice 

Run simultaneously through your Champion Juicer using the blank:

2 med. carrots peeled

2 cups of soaked almonds (soaked for 48 hrs.)

This will make a thick pâté. 

Add to almond pâté mixture:

1 cup of finely chopped celery

2 cup of chopped green onions

1 cup of seed cheese (optional for protein)

2 tsp. kelp

3 tsp. curry (or to taste)

“Real Salt” (optional) 

Mix all ingredients together. 

Use 1/4 cup of carrot juice while mixing to soften the dough if necessary.

Mix well (forms a dough). 

Serve as a loaf or individually inside lettuce leafs. 

Top with sunflower curry dip. 

Enjoy!

 

Sunflower Curry Dip or Sauce

3/4 cups of soaked sunflower seeds

1cup of carrot juice

1-3 tsp. curry powder

Dash of Spike

Blend, using Rejuvelac for desired consistency (Add more sunflower seeds to thicken)

Serve as a dip or a sauce.

Enjoy!

 

Legumes and Lentils

Legumes include all the bean family. If you are an athlete, you will crave these foods. If you eat a lot of legumes, you have to work your body to use up the extra protein. Exercise everyday to use the abundance of proteins that are in rich supply in legumes. Make sure you are eating a plate of greens before you eat these foods; you can experience some uncomfortable bloating if you eat too much. 

 

Lentil seed balls or burgers

Mince:

½ green pepper

½ red pepper

3 celery stalks

1 bunch green onions

8 mushrooms (optional)

½ bunch of fresh parsley

1 sprig of fresh basil or 2 tbsp. of dried basil 

3 cloves off fresh garlic

2 cups of green lentil sprouts (with tails)

Finely shred:

3 small zucchini 

½ butternut squash

Grind in blender:

2 cups of soaked sunflower seeds

1 cup of soaked sesame seeds

2 tbsp. dried basil 

1 tbsp. of caraway or dill seed

Mix together and season with:

¼ cup Nama Shoyu or Kikkoman

Spike, Kelp or “Real Salt”(to taste)

Fresh ground pepper and “Real Salt” or Spike (to taste)

Form into balls and dehydrate at 105° F until firm, but not hard (about 6 hours until an outside crust is formed). 

(If you have a Champion Juicer, you can run the seeds and squash through it.)

Serve on a bed of alfalfa sprouts, lentil sprouts, or fenugreek sprouts with a large salad of greens.

Top with the sunflower curry dip or sweet red pepper sauce.

 

Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

In a blender add:

1 cup of soaked sunflower seeds

1-2 red peppers

1/4 - 2 red onion

2 cloves garlic 

1-2 tsp. cumin (optional)

1 tbsp. Spike (to taste)

1/4 tsp. Mexican seasoning

“Real Salt” and pepper (to taste)

Blend well and use as a dip or dressing.

 

Burgers

Instead rolling the pâtés into balls pat them into patties. Dehydrate them to be crusty on the outside and softer on the inside, and use them in the first three days. Afterwards, place them back in the dehydrator and dehydrate all of the moisture out of them. Store them in airtight bags with a paper towel. Great for a quick treat, with your salad, or for camping and backpacking.

Create your own dish by using a dressing or sauce over top of them, or for filling out a dinner alongside your greens salad. Use as the bun in Manna Bread, and dress up your burger just like you would a traditional one. 

Enjoy!!

 

Raw Veggie Bean Burgers

Juice any vegetable juice (screen) 

Save the pulp.

Run through the Champion (blank) 1 cup each:

Garbanzo bean sprouts

Lentil sprouts

Adzuki sprouts

Whole peas

(Use a carrot simultaneously to push sprouts through)

This makes a pâté.

Add together in a separate bowl:

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 cups carrot juice pulp

1 red pepper, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. “Real Salt” or Spike (to taste)

1 tbsp. basil

1 tsp. fresh dried rosemary

3 tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Kikkoman

3 tbsp. vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce (optional)

Knead 

Form into patties ½” thick and place on oiled dehydrator screen

Dehydrate at 105° F for 2 hours.

Turn, dehydrate 1 hour more, until outside is crusty and inside is soft

Serve alone or with Manna bread slices with fry sauce, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, etc.! Get creative!

 

Almond Burgers

Alternate through Champion blender with the blank:

1 cup soaked almonds

2 carrots

½ cup each sprouted lentils and garbanzo beans

½ cup sprouted wheat

Finely chop: 

5 stalks celery 

2 bunches green onion

Mix together and season with:

¼ cup Nama Shoyu

1 tsp. Spike

4 tsp. curry

“Real Salt” and pepper (to taste)

Form into patties.

Dehydrate at 105° F for 6 hours, turn and dehydrate 1-2 hours more.

 

 

Fry Sauce 

1/2 cup Veganaise (fridge section of the Health Food Store)

1/3 cup ketchup of your choice (to taste)

Mix together 

Use for raw veggies as a dip 

Dipping steamed veggies

Great for a sauce for burgers

Use as a dip for the raw crackers

Note: This is a transitional food, not a raw food. As you are getting used to the tastes and textures of raw greens and sprouts, you may find this a great help.

 

Refried Beans

Here is a mock refried beans recipe that is made of soaked sunflower seeds. If you play with the cumin and the Mexican herbs, you can match the texture and flavor of really good refried beans…except they won’t be cooked! Here is an example of how you can create an entire meal around a sprouted food…Mexican style!

 

Raw Refried Beans

2 cups soaked sunflower seeds

¼ small onion

1 small tomato

1-3 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. Nama Shoyu, or Kikkoman

½ tsp. “Real Salt” or Spike (to taste)

3 tbsp. Mexican herbs (to taste) and a slice of jalapeno is optional!

Blend using Rejuvelac to help turn the blades for desired consistency.

 

Pico de Gallo Salsa

Dice:

3-4 ripe tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

1 fresh jalapeño (or part of it, seeds are optional!)

1 handful cilantro

1 clove garlic (pressed)

Fresh lime juice

Mix together and serve!

You can use this as a great dressing.

This is great as a salsa for your dehydrated chips, a much healthier choice than eating deep-fried tortilla chips, which are really hard on the gall bladder.

 

Raw Tacos Mexican Style

Scoop raw refried beans (see above recipe) into lettuce boats

Add:

Grated carrots, cabbage, celery, red pepper, etc.

Chopped sunflower greens, kale, lettuces

Guacamole and Pico de Gallo 

Roll, eat and enjoy!

 

Mock Tofu

Sprouted foods can be creative substitutes for the over-processed soybean in tofu. This “tofu” is made with soaked pine nuts and sunflower seeds. Roll these up in a lettuce leaf and you will have a delicious meal Chinese style!

 

Raw Sunflower Garlic Tofu

½ cup soaked pine nuts

2 cups soaked sunflower seeds

1 clove garlic

¼ small onion

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1 tsp expeller pressed sesame oil(opt)

Fresh orange juice to turn the blades.

In a separate bowl, add:

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely minced green onions

Mix together and let sit about an hour to mix the flavors.

Use as the filling for Chinese tacos, as a dip, or as a thick dressing.

 

Chinese Tacos

Fill a lettuce leaf with:

Sunflower garlic tofu 

Grated cabbage, carrot and parsnip

Raw sweet and sour sauce    Enjoy!

 

Raw Sweet and Sour Sauce 

½ cup soaked pitted dates blended with:

2 tsp. brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp. olive oil 

3 tsp. Nama Shoyu or Kikkoman (to taste)

4 tsp. mustard (hot mustard is optional)

2 inches of fresh ginger, pressed

1 Umeboshi plum (optional)

¾ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4-6 soaked-pitted dates, pure maple syrup or raw honey (to taste).

Blend well.  You can add fresh pineapple juice too.

This is good as a salad dressing too.