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This is slightly unrelated. I was looking up some research on this topic and an article mentioned as follows: "So, fermented soy is of benefit and unfermented soy is not. It is not only soy that needs to be fermented but whole-grains as well. In fact, grains (apart from millet, buckwheat and couscous) and legumes are best consumed after soaking them for 48-72 hours prior to cooking, which allows fermentation to take place. "
Should I add this to my cooking time during the week? What do you guys think??
I am almost 40 and know that I should keep soy limited. But just having made this transition, I am struggling with finding dairy alternatives for certain recipes. Last night I made a Broccoli soup, which was delicous, but because I only used 1/2 of the recommended soy milk, it was watery. What would be an alternative to use in the soup? I think almond milk wouldn't be a good compliment taste wise, and I think rice milk would be too watery.
What about Soy milk for children? I have two boys who love to drink the flavored kind and I read it can cause (dare I say) man breasts and other horrible problems in men. Is this true and how much is a safe daily amount? Also Do you think it causes weight gain in women?
Dear Dawn,I just made my own rice milk the other day, and I think that might help solve your problem, at least for things like soup and sauces. I was craving macaroni and cheese, and I wanted a gooey, cheesy sauce, not something watery and blah. The rice milk you make yourself is more like rice cream, and it has a thick, rich consistency. I haven't tried it in soups, but it made the best "cheese" sauce! I was very happy. I bet you could use it in soup!
Here's how I made my rice milk (there are tons of variations out there)Put 1/2 cup of brown rice and 6 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, cover and simmer for 3 hours (you don't need to be there watching it, just in the house perhaps). When it's done, you'll have something that looks like congee (a chinese rice soup). Add sweetener to taste (I used 2 or 3 tablespoons maple syrup but you can use less or more), a tiny dash of vanilla extract, and stir it in. Pour the mixture into a blender and liquefy for 2 to 3 minutes. Do it in batches so as not to overload the blender. Then, pour your milk into mason jars and enjoy! I love it in my tea, plain, and like I said, in my "creamy cheese" sauce!
Care to share your "creamy cheese sauce" secret, Evie? :) Pretty please - LOL!
Unfermented Soy (which includes soy milk and tofu) is not the healthy way to have soy products on a regular basis, especially with children. I've read that it messes with their hormones and has been linked to premature puberty in girls and late onset of puberty for boys. Fermented soy is the soy with nutritional benefits (soy sauce, tempeh, natti). I also don't care for soy based "meats". Anything that processed, even if it's vegan, can't be very good for you. Also a lot of those products are super high in sodium, which is not great. Again, it's not good on a regular basis, as an every day food... of course we all need treats now and then ;) And like Alicia said earlier, it's about where you are on the journey and slowly making better choices from wherever you are at.
Of course! I came up with it today, although I'm sure there are tons of recipes like it!:) There are no real measurements, as I improvised and usually taste test as I go (which I recommend!).
The recipe serves one and I will do my best to estimate the measurements, although this recipe should always be taste tested since it is very easy!! :)
Place a small sauce pan (shallow is actually preferred) on medium heat. Add between 1 and two tablespoons of olive oil, enough to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. Add a nice-sized sliver of earth balance vegan butter, approximately the amount that comes in those restaurant butter packets if not a little more. Mix it into the olive oil until it melts; the mixture should be bubbling a bit :). Then, add as much homemade rice milk as you want sauce, about 1/2 cup or less. It's important that the rice milk be homemade because it should be creamy and thick without being too sweet. Stir that in and turn down the heat a notch or two. Keep whisking with a fork and add generous amounts of nutritional yeast, enough to give the sauce a rich yellow color and slightly more thickness. Add a sprinkling of salt and taste the mixture. Add more salt or more yeast depending on how you like your cheesy sauce. Keep whisking with the fork to keep it from burning. When you are satisfied with the taste, add a pinch of corn starch to thicken, whisk until desired thickness is achieved and take it off the heat. Pour onto macaroni, rice, broccoli, etc! When I make it again, I'll pay attention to measurements in case "guestimating" isn't your thing! Let me know if you try it or refine it, please?
PS. In case there are some very new new vegans out there, nutritional yeast is not the same as bread yeast. It is little yellow flakes that are light weight, sold at health food stores usually in clear bags...not very expensive.
evie, thanks so much for the recipes! i'm a huge fan of mac and cheese and always wanted to make myself a vegan version. plus i'm a big fan of rice milk, so thank you for that recipe as well :-)
Evie, it sounds dreamy...AND easy, thank goodness - LOL! Thanks a million, I will definitely keep you posted! I'll tell ya what - I think I have almost everything here - I'll look toward making it this week if all goes to plan. :)
Hi Karen!!!! How are ya-girl?????? :)) For anyone who wants current info on soy--check out soyconnection.com. Recent research suggests that soy may also lower risk of prostate, colon and breast cancers as well as osteoporosis and other bone health problems, and alleviate hot flashes associated with menopause.
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