Here's what I do when I am invited to a meal:I make something I like, which is healthy and which I like. That way, if there is nothing else, I can at least eat my own food. or , I can eat SOME of my own food. I dot have to come home hungry or come home regretting that I had to eat something I didn't want to.
Here is a raw sprout salad recipe that is simple to make and delicious that I always like to carry :
INGREDIENTS :
Quinoa seeds : 1 cup
Green mung whole : 1 cup
Green lentils whole : 1 cup
Diced tomatoes : 1.5 cups
diced onions ( optional) : 1 tsp
Grated Garlic : : 1 small clove (optional)
Fresh Lemon juice : 1/4 - 1/2 cup ( to taste)
Virgin olive oil : 2-3 tbsp .
Chopped cilantro : 1/4 cup
Pink Himalayan salt : to taste .
Preparation : Wash and soak the lentils and mung beans separately in bowls. Once the seeds are soaked, wash and soak quinoa seeds separately. ( quinoa soaks really fast and sprouts within hours) Now wash and transfer all the seeds into different trays of a sprouter Quinoa sprouts really fast , within a few hours. Green lentils 1-2 days and Mung takes 2-3 , depending on the temperature . To compensate for this , you would be fine even if you soak the seeds at the same rate. That is, you soak the Mung beans first and put them into the sprouter, the next day soak the lentils and then put those into another container in the sprouter and then soak the quinoa the last day and put them into the sprouter the last day. Once the sprout radicals grow a centimeter or so long, the nutrients in the seeds are at their highest level .
If you are a beginner, you may have to wait and watch . It is perfectly OK to mix them up even if they are not fully sprouted or if the sprouts are a little longer than you expect. As you practice, you will get the hang of it.
Serving : Wash all the sprouts gently with cold water and toss into a bowl. add the diced tomatoes , onions and garlic, half the lemon juice , salt and toss lightly. Adjust lemon and salt. Add cilantro toss again and serve at room temperature.
You can refrigerate for 2-3 days . Salad will stay longer if tomatoes, onions and lemon juice are not added . You can add these just before serving.
Other ways of sprouting seeds :
There are several different kinds of sprouters available in stores. Sprouter brands vary and all of them are good. If you do not want to buy a sprouter, or cannot find one, or just don't have one when you are trying out this recipe, don't worry. There are other ways of sprouting seed:
1. Just put the soaked seeds (drained, but with a few tsp of water) in a closed container and keep in a dark warm place . the inside of an oven is perfect. For warmth, if necessary, turn the oven light on. Your seeds will sprout like there is no tomorrow.
2. Tie up the seeds in cheesecloth, and keep the ball in a closed container. Make sure the container is damp and kept in dark warm place.
Do's and dont's for sprouting at home :
1. Clean the seeds for stones and impurities.
2. Wash thoroughly with water. It is not necessary to use veggie washes or anything like that, just regular clean water that you would use for cooking.
3. Soak with slightly warm water.
4. Before setting them aside for sprouting, make sure that you remove any seeds at the bottom of the bowl, that have not soaked through and are still hard. This often happens in Mung beans bought in ethnic stores. That does not mean the quality is bad, just be careful to remove the hard seeds, or you will suddenly be cracking hard seeds between your molars, when you are least expecting them.
5. Wash seeds with slightly warm water every day while sprouting, to keep them fresh, wet and clean.
6. Toss the seeds as they sprout , everyday, while washing, to make sure they sprout evenly. Other wise, seeds on the top may sprout at a different rate than the ones oat the bottom of the container.
7. Once the seeds are sprouted enough, you can wash and drain them and store them in closed containers in a refrigerator and they can stay for up to a week.
8. Try not to mix different seeds as they soak differently ad sprout differently.
9. You can also sprout seeds in summer , in a place that is not dark. The dark place is to simulate the under-the-soil-experience for the seeds to sprout. However, in Ayurveda they also say that seeds sprouted in light have different PRANA properties . However, in winter when the temperatures are really cold, it may not be practicable to sprout seeds in light . In summer it should be easy to do so: simply leave the soaked seeds without a lid out on he kitchen counter , make sure they are always damp and moist and follow the rest of the steps as usual and you should be good.
If you have any more questions about sprouting or seeds that can be used for sprouting, , send me your questions on my blog .
Meanwhile enjoy the recipe - It is full of nutrition- every single seed.
