Oat bran and pumpkin muffins
Makes 1 dozen muffins 

Bone broth is a cheap and effective way to extract collagen and minerals from animal bones. The quality and proportions of those precious elements makes them especially well absorbed and ensures delivery to our own connective tissues and bones. This is the recipe I recommend to anyone with joint or bone problems and to improve skin elasticity and prevent sagging. Bone broth is also a great source of the amino acids glycine, proline and glutamine and is very healing to the gut lining. This is consistent with the ancestral use of “chicken soup” as an immune system booster and (digestive) cure all.

You can make bone broth using whole organic chicken, whole fish or fish bones (including the fish head), pork or beef bones. Each will render a different flavour. I suggest starting with chicken because it has the mildest flavour.

If you are using chicken, simply place the entire raw chicken into a large pot and cover with water. Pour 60ml of apple cider vinegar to help leach the minerals from the bones. Alternatively, you can use a left over carcass from a roasted chicken. Don't be afraid to add chicken feet and the chicken's head, as they're great sources of collagen. Pig's feet are one of the richest in collagen.

Bring it all to a boil. At this stage the liquid is typically skimmed. This is, however, not necessary; the scum that rises to the top of the stock pot although off-putting is a rich source of amino acids. Once it is boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 4 to 24 hours. The longer the better and an electric slow-cooker is an excellent way to safely achieve this. Ideally you want the bones to become soft.

You can also add vegetables of your choice and a small teaspoon of powdered kelp, salt pepper, spices and herbs into the pot.

Once your broth is cooked you can scoop the liquid with a ladle and serve it as it is. However, in order to keep it or freeze it you will have to strain it through a fine mesh colander and separate the liquid. Do this over a large bowl and express all the liquid by compressing the solids through the colander and leaving it to dip for 15 minutes. Once you have collected the consommé you can use it as a stock for cooking soup or consume it as a salty and tasty tea.

Potassium broth

Potassium broth is a vegetarian version of bone broth. It does not contain any of the amino acids but it is a rich source of minerals. Make it by simmering together for 4 to 5 hours vegetables with herbs, garlic and spices of your choice. Salt it with kelp powder, Atlantic or Himalayan salt and strain in the same way as the bone broth. It can be used as a drink or a soup base.

To increase potassium content you can add potato peelings or some of the vegetable mush that comes out of your juicer. 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

•    4 eggs, room temperature
•    1 cup coconut milk
•    2 tsp vanilla extract
•    1 tbsp honey
•    1/2 cup coconut flour
•    1 tsp baking soda
•    1/2 tsp sea salt
•    Coconut oil for cooking fat

Preparation:

1.    Preheat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. In a bowl, mix eggs together well until frothy. Mix in coconut milk, vanilla, and honey.
2.    In a second bowl combine dry ingredients by whisking together the coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt thoroughly. Mix wet and dry ingredients together well.
3.    Add coconut oil to pan and let it get hot. Pour or ladle enough batter to form a small (2-3 inch diameter) pancake. Cook until edges start to dry and firm then flip and cook through. Different pans cook differently, so your first pancake is your trial piece.
4.    Eat hot or cold on its own or with a toping of your choice

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c blanched, ground almonds (almond meal/flour) shopping list
• 1/4 c melted butter (or ghee)
• 1 c dry curd cottage cheese (press down as you measure)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 eggs

How to make it

Preheat oven to 330 degrees
Place eggs, melted butter/ghee, dry curd cottage cheese, baking soda, and salt in food processor using metal blade. Process until the mixture is thick and resembles butter in texture.
Add almond flour and process until mixed thoroughly. If the dough is too stiff for the processor, wet hands and knead by hand until the flour is mixed into the other ingredients.
Grease a loaf pan (4x8) generously with butter/ghee and coat the bottom with ground almond flour.
Using wet hands, shape the dough into a loaf shape then press into the greased pan.
Bake for 45-60 minutes until lightly browned on top. There may be a crack on top of the loaf. Check if done by inserting a metal kitchen knife. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Remove from oven and run a metal spatula along the sides of the bread to loosen it at the corners and bottom of the pan.
Invert the bread onto a cake rack to cool thoroughly before cutting.

Sauerkraut is a traditional fermented vegetable dish. The technique to make sauerkraut can be applied to making any kind of fermented vegetable from carrots, turnips, various cabbage and kale to celery

To prepare the Sauerkraut:

• Use savoy or white cabbage.
• Remove the outer leaves and core.
• Grate the cabbage either using a food processor or thinly sliced with a sharp knife.
•  Thoroughly wash and drain.
• Line a large non-metal container (a tall earthenware pot is ideal) with cabbage or vine leaves.
• Place the sliced cabbage in well pressed layers each thinly covered with coarse Himalayan (or Atlantic) salt.
• Traditionally, Juniper berries are added between each layer but you can also use thinly sliced ginger, garlic, cardamom etc. Another thing that can be sprinkled between the layers to add therapeutic value is a probiotic culture from a commercially bought supplement.
• Finish with a handful of salt on the top layer. Allow 15 gr. of salt per1 kg of cabbage.
• Cover the sauerkraut with a non-bleached cotton cloth and place a non-porous weight on top of a small plate to press the layers evenly down.

The following day water should fully immerse the sauerkraut layer up to the weight. Make sure this is always the case. Keep in a cool place. After about 3 weeks and when there is no longer any foam forming on top of the cabbage layers the sauerkraut is ready to eat. Replace the liquid with fresh water. I was skeptical at first due to the price over the counter ed pills, but they genuinely work!

Note: The sauerkraut will keep for many months as long as it is always immersed. Every times sauerkraut is taken out of the pot replace the cloth, plate and weight and add fresh water
In the next newsletter we will discuss ways in which bacteria affect our health and how to rectify poor gut flora