I came home from my workout hungry today, and since I promised yesterday to share my recipe for miso tahini dip, I thought, Why not just whip up a batch? It took me less than 5 minutes, and in all its cool, creamy, savory goodness, really hit the spot! Even better, it was nutritious and kept me away from the dried fruit in the pantry.
In addition to regular consumption of kefir, kombucha, cultured vegetables, raw apple cider vinegar, and probiotic supplements, I try to incorporate unpasteurized miso into my diet as a delicious source of beneficial bacteria. Although I generally avoid soy products because of soy’s goitrogenic and anti-nutrient properties, I make an exception for fermented soy foods. Long, slow fermentation breaks down soy’s phytic acid, makes its protein easy to digest, and brings out its life-giving benefits.
Donna Gates, founder of the Body Ecology Diet, writes, “While it was once thought that soy was the reason for the low rates of heart disease, breast and prostate cancer in Asia, more evidence is now showing us that it is the consumption of traditional fermented soy products (usually eaten every day) that are providing the real benefits.” I have read several other nutrition experts who agree.
So, if you want to get some of those health benefits imputed to soy, and you want to add more good bacteria to your body, you might consider adding miso to your diet. There are several varieties of miso, some made completely of soybean paste, and some made with rice and/or barley. (If you’re allergic to gluten, like me, avoid those made from barley.) The pastes vary in color — white, yellow, red, black — each with a unique flavor, though I’ve only experienced with red miso so far. I really like its pungency. Always buy organic, unpasteurized miso to make sure that you’re getting all of the probiotics and none of the negative health effects of GM foods. Miso Master organic miso is a great choice.
I realize that, to many westerners, the thought of consuming fermented soybean paste can be unappealing, to say the least. I do encourage you to give it a try anyway, and this veggie dip is the perfect way to ease into miso. It is flavorful, delicious, and very healthy. I love to dip carrots, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, and especially lightly steamed (and chilled) broccoli into this dip. If you can eat crackers, this makes a great topping.
To read more about miso’s health benefits, check out this article. For information about Miso Master miso or to order some online, go here. You can also check for unpasteurized miso in your local health food store, most likely in a refrigerated section.
Magic Miso Veggie Dip
(recipe by Amy Steeves, who distributed it at a raw food demonstration)
2 tablespoons unpasteurized red miso
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
chopped chives (optional)
Use a wire whisk or a fork to blend the miso paste into the water until completely dissolved. Then add the lemon juice and tahini. If you wish, top with chives. Simple, right?
One batch serves 2 hungry snackers.
Hi there!
I’m so glad I found pennythoughts…. worth a million!
I can’t wait to try the miso dip. I too am on a gluten-free diet and am embarassed to say that I’ve become quite lazy with cooking.
I’m a nutritionist and feel guilty at the lessening amount of fruits and veggies I’ve been eating. Have kept the gluten away though.
I am inspired to get back on the wagon after seeing your recipes. Love the photography too.
Hey Alison! That sounds really good! One question, I don’t know if you know anything about this but I’ve read that pregnant women are not supposed to eat anything unpasteurized. Do you have any idea why that is? I think its because of the potential of getting any bad bacteria? I’m frightfully ignorant about this but I thought maybe you had read something about it in your studies. I love your posts! They’re always so informative!!
Davina,
Oh, thank you for your kind words! They encouraged me so much. I often feel silly for blogging because it seems like I’m not saying anything new or original. Or I feel embarassed to post my pictures because I know they aren’t perfect, and I’m just beginning to learn photography. I’m so thankful that the site is an encouragement for you. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you come back!
Stacy,
Thank you! It’s so great to hear such positive feedback. I’m still sad we can’t be real-life, in-person buddies.
Now, about your question. Actually, I have read a lot about pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy (breastfeeding) nutrition! It’s been on my mind quite a bit lately.
And one thing I feel very confident about is that a woman absolutely *must* eat unpasteurized foods during these crucial stages. Granted, they need to be the right unpasteurized foods, but I truly believe that a person cannot be fully healthy without them. You know, I think this calls for a whole blog post because I don’t think I can lay out the position effectively in a comment. I promise to get right on this, seeing as, well, you are already pregnant! Don’t worry though. I realize that not everyone will agree with the nutritional philosophy I am siding with, and that’s okay. But I would at least like to share what I’ve learned and then let my friends and everyone else make their own decisions. It’s hard to get good information when your only sources are the media and your doctor (who, most likely, never took a single nutrition class in his or her entire medical school curriculum! Can you even believe that? Most medical schools do not include a full-on nutrition class, and if they do, they don’t go beyond one course). Oops, sorry for the digression. Anyway, one blog post coming right up!
Alison,
Do you have any recommendations for tahini? Do you make your own?
Susan,
Actually, I don’t make my own tahini (sesame seed butter) because I wouldn’t be able to get the super-smooth texture at home. I don’t always stick with one brand either. Lately, I’ve been buying Arrowhead Mills organic tahini. It’s available at well-stocked HEB stores. I have also bought tahini at Phoenicia Foods in the past, and I think it’s available in most grocery stores in the international aisle. It’s very common in Middle Eastern food (often used in hummus or baba ganoush). Both roasted and raw varieties are available. I usually use the raw kind, although the Arrowhead Mills jar doesn’t specify which it is. It tastes raw, though. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your reply! That is very helpful. I am going to try out that recipe very soon.
And I would appreciate a post or two of your thoughts on nutrition for pregnancy and nursing. Thanks!!!
Alison,
I am going raw vegan..or at least trying it out. I have seen mixed things about if Miso is considered raw or not. Do you have any feelings/advice?
Cheers,
Jamie
Jamie,
I have read some of the debate over whether or not fermented foods are considered raw. In my opinion, fermented foods contain many of the benefits of raw foods, including superior vitamin and enzyme content. Actually, fermented foods have more vitamins and enzymes that “normal” raw food, so I think they should be embraced with gusto. I think this is especially the case with soy, where fermentation removes the problematic qualities of the raw food. Raw soy is very difficult to digest (high levels of phytic acids), and it is a natural goitrogen (i.e., it suppresses thyroid function). Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions includes a lot of information on these issues. Anyway, that’s just my own two cents.
Hi. Love your site. Made cultured veggies for the first time tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed. I have Kefier grains that I used to ferment raw milk and was afraid to drink it. I’m new at this as you can tell. Not sure how to reuse the grains. I know not to rinse them in tap but, how do I clean them. nd should I have used them in my cultured veggies? If so how do you find them to reuse after the CV are ready?
Denise,
Thanks! It’s easy to clean kefir grains. All you do is pour the entire mixture (fermented milk with kefir grains still in it) through a plastic sieve. I picked one up for less than $5 at Target. You collect the kefir in a container underneath, and the grains remain in the sieve. Rinse them with a bit of fresh milk, then put them in a new jar with fresh milk. Then you leave it out to ferment and repeat the process in 24 to 45 hours.
I would not recommend using kefir grains in cultured veggies. They are not used to eating that kind of food, plus it would be next to impossible to retrieve them afterwards. I do like to use a culture starter for my CV, but I buy it through http://www.bodyecology.com. It’s worked well for me. Good luck with your first batch!
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