Crucial Recipes: The Inflammation War - Part III

Tasty, easy to prepare, economical, and fortifying, these recipes are destined to command top post in your regimen against chronic disease.

Easy Bone Broth

1 carcass from a roasted bird (chicken, turkey, duck, or goose)

Or ribs and tail or ribs and neck from a beef, pig or sheep

Cold  water

¼ c. vinegar

1 onion

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

1 sprig of thyme

Put the bones in a big soup pot and add just enough water to cover them. Add the vinegar and let sit 1 hour. Turn the heat to high, and just as the water begins to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and skim off any foam that has risen to the top. Roughly chop the vegetable, add them to the pot along with the thyme, and cover. DO NOT SALT. Simmer poultry 4-6 hours, meat 8-10 hours. Strain, pour into jars and refrigerate. Use broth for any recipe that calls for water: cooking grains, pasta, or vegetables; making soups or sauces; thinning refried beans; mixing with mashed potatoes, etc.

Curtido (Latin American sauerkraut)

(From Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, New Trends Publishing, Inc., 2001, p. 93)

1 large cabbage, cored & shredded

1 c. carrots, grated

2 onions, finely chopped

1 Tb. dried oregano

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 Tb. sea salt

4 Tb. whey (strain the liquid off  plain, unsweetened yogurt)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes to release juices. Pound with a meat mallet until juicy. Press into two quart mason jars until liquid covers the vegetables. Vegetables should be at least an inch below the rim. Cover tightly. Keep at room temperature 3 days, burping the jar after the first day. Transfer to cold storage.

Gingered Carrots

(From Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, New Trends Publishing, Inc., 2001, p. 95)

4 cups tightly packed grated carrots

1 Tb. freshly grated ginger

1 Tb. sea salt

4 Tb. whey (strain the liquid off plan, unsweetened yogurt)

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Pound with a meat mallet to release juices. Press into a quart mason jar until carrots are 1 inch below rim of jar and juices cover the vegetable. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 3 days, burping the jar after the first day. Transfer to cold storage.

Dilly Beans

(adapted from www.culturesforhealth.com )

1 quart water

2-3 Tb. sea salt

½ lb. young green beans, trimmed

1 Tb. red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. black peppercorns

1 handful of dill (flowering heads)

Dissolve sea salt in water. Set aside. Put the red pepper flakes, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a quart mason jar. Place the beans on top of the seasoning. Cover with salt water, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Cover tightly. Culture at room temperature 2-3 days, or until desired flavor is reached, burping the jar after the first day. Transfer to cold storage.