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Recipe: Kefir banana smoothie
This kefir banana smoothie is a great way to incorporate fermented milk drinks into your diet. It is great for breakfast or as a post-workout drink. You can use any kind of dairy or non-dairy unsweetened kefir or other fermented milk drinks, such as filmjölk or drinking yoghurt. The protein powder is optional, depending on your needs. For example, you can add it if you’re having this smoothie as a post-workout drink or it’s all you’re having for breakfast. I prefer unflavoured protein powder, such as natural whey protein isolate (WPI) from either True Protein or 180 Nutrition. You can also use your favourite unflavoured plant-based protein.
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Dairy-free yoghurt
Is “dairy-free yoghurt” an oxymoron? If you’re of the opinion that nut/legume milk is not milk, then maybe you think dairy-free yoghurt cannot be called yoghurt. However, if you think that the bacteria defines the food, then yeah, making yoghurt out of soy/almond/coconut milk qualifies as yoghurt. Lastly, if you prefer looking at nutritional content, you might be against this nomenclature. Read on and find out. What is yoghurt According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, yoghurt (or yogurt) is “a fermented slightly acid often flavored semisolid food made of milk and milk solids to which cultures of two bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) have been added”. (1) Oxford dictionary…
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Product review: Green St Kitchen kimchi hot sauce
The makers of my favourite kimchis and krauts (see previous review) have a newish product in their line of fermented vegetable products: a kimchi hot sauce. It comes in a 280ml cough-syrup-style bottle. Be careful when opening it for the first time, as fermentation makes it fizzy. I’m glad I opened it over the sink. The sauce contains red peppers, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red pepper powder, coconut sugar, sea salt and Korean miso… but don’t worry, it’s not as hot as it sounds! In fact, I found it pretty mild for my Peruvian palate. I loved the taste and would suggest you try it with different cuisines, not just Korean/Asian.…
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Product review: Green St Kitchen fermented vegetables
There’s a new player in the fermented vegetable market. Green St Kitchen make kraut in 2 flavours (ginger + tumeric, jalapeno + allspice) and kimchi also in 2 flavours (white miso + dry red pepper, Thai chilli + galangal). I’ve tried the white miso + dry red pepper kimchi and the ginger + tumeric kraut ($16.95 each in Dr Earth) and loved both. Is there a difference with other brands of raw fermented vegetables? I don’t know, but my take is that it’s good to don’t stick to a single brand or flavour to get the most out of different probiotic strains and phytonutrients in the herbs and spices. I…
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Product review: Ferment It
These guys make, you guessed it, fermented products. Their current range includes: beetroot, apple & inca berry; kimchi; lime, mango & chili and the good old sauerkraut. You can buy them fresh OR you can get a bag of dehydrated mix + starter cultures to make your own. Last time I saw them at Eveleigh markets I grabbed a mixed pack for $45. I liked them all and appreciate the variety because certain flavours go better with certain dishes. For example, I like plain sauerkraut with bacon and eggs and kimchi with canned tuna or salmon and avocado. You might expect the fruit-containing ones to be sweet but they are…
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Product review: Tonicka kombucha
I get excited every time I see a new brand of kombucha popping up because that means I can continue avoiding making my own. The medium size of Tonicka kombucha (330 ml) comes in an elegant dark bottle that made me think of boutique beer. I bought it at Dr Earth for $5.14 (discounted from $6.50). They make only one flavour, which is a good thing because that means no added sugary mixes to their brew. I liked its crisp, tangy flavour. Will buy again. Tonicka Kombucha www.tonicka.com.au On Facebook
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Product review: Coco-Bliss coconut kefir
The other day we went to our local health food shop and there was a kombucha and kefir tasting. Coconut kefir, to be precise. I’ve made it a few times at home with coconut milk and dehydrated kefir culture, but was curious to know how this one would taste. It was great and the ingredients list was clean, so I bought a tub to bring home. interestingly, the tub of Coco-Bliss I bought was labelled as dessert kefir (I’m guessing because it contains sweetener). This kefir is lactose-, gluten-, egg- and sugar-free. It contains coconut milk, kefir culture, arrowroot (as culture feed), organic green tea (as culture feed) and birch…
