Light on lesser known ingredients

Hemp seed

No, it's not marijuana and you won't test positive on a drug test. Hemp is a completely different plant and highly nutritious.It has an earthy, nutty flavor and is very versatile and can be added to any of the recipes mentioned on this blog. It can be purchased at health food shops or online

Nutrition facts:
7.5g Omega-6LA
3.0g Omega-3ALA
0.6g Super Omega-6GLA
0.3g Super Omega-3 SDA
Protein 11g (per 30g serving)
Iron 16%, Vit E 21%, Zinc 23%, Magnesium 48%, Phosphorus 48%

Bragg Liquid Aminos

This is an all purpose seasoning made from soy protein derived from certified non-GMO soybeans and  is a natural more healthy soy source alternative. It is gluten free and contains no preservatives, no alcohol and it is not fermented.I cook with this all the time and add it espescially to my stir fry and baked vegetable and tofu dishes.Other suggested uses are for salad dressings, soups, casseroles, popcorn, gravies and sauces and broth. Can be purchased from health food shops or some grocery stores in the organic section. I'm not sure whether it is available outside of the USA.

Nutritional facts:
Contains 16 amino acids (essential and non-essential)
alanine,arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine
Also contains naturally occurring sodium, so if you use Braggs there is no need to add salt.

Egg Replacer

This is a great substitute for cooking a dish which requires eggs for binding which contains no eggs or animal protein. It is gluten free, wheat free, has no preservatives, no artificial flavorings, no sugar and no cholestrol. So also an excellent egg replacement for those suffering from high cholestrol.

It is made from potato starch and tapioca flour.

Nutrition facts:
Contains small amounts of 16 amino acids
Calcium 10% per serving and a small amount of sodium

How to constitute the mixture:
2 Tbps egg replacer to 3 Tbps water
Mix briskly until it looks like whipped egg whitesand add to the mixture.

TVP aka Texured Vegetable Protein

This is a highly nutritious soy product which contains complete protein and no fat.
It is an excellent source of fibre, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.
TVP has no flavor of it's own, so it takes on the flavor of the food you add to it, so seasoning is important.
The first step in using this product is to rehydrate it:
7/8 cup boiling water or vegetable broth to 1 cup of TVP, pour the boiling water over the granules, stir and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.

Nutrition facts:
per 1/4 cup
calories 80
fat 0gsodium 2g potassium 594g
carbohydrate 7g
fibre 4g protein 12g
Calcium 8%, Iron 15%, Magnesium 18%, phosphorus 17%

This is espescially useful to use in recipes as a ground meat (minced meat) substitute. I make veggie balls, shepherd's pie, stirfry toppings, lasagne fillings and curry dishes with TVP to name a few.

Organic Spelt Flour

Spelt is an ancient grain farmed as far back as 5000 BC

I like using this wheat in baking and preparing dishes as it is organic (no pesticides) and has a great nutty favor.
 Try to avoid white bleached flour which is grown using pesticides, just that sentence alone explains why!
I find this at a variety of grocery stores and always at health food shops.

Nutrition facts:
per 1/4 cup
Calories 130
Fat 1g
Carbohydrate 25g
Fibre 4g
Protein 4g
Potassium 150g
Iron 6%, thiamin 4%, Riboflavin 2%, Niacin 6%