Recipes: ALKALINE dishes for dinner

main ingredients: onion, garlic, ginger, hot peppers and lemon

I received some requests for recipes while posting about our alkaline diet on Facebook.  Our family has been enjoying a wide variety of meals that include no gluten, no sugar, and no dairy, as well as any other condiments that are considered acidic to the blood.  At the end of this post is a list of alkaline and acidic foods.

Here are a few recipes for those who are interested in a delicious meal that is abundant with nutrition and flavor:

SWISS CHARD/TUNA FISH STEW:
1/4 c. butter
1-2 onions, chopped finely
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 T. shredded ginger
1-2 tomatoes, chopped finely
1 big bunch of swiss chard, chopped finely
2 carrots, shredded
1-2 cans tuna fish (in oil preferably)
3-4 T. curry powder
2-3 T. coriander powder
1 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 t. hing (if you have it; if not, it's fine)

Saute onions, then garlic&ginger in butter.  Add tomatoes once soft.  Add spices then enough water to make a stew for the swiss chard, carrots and tuna fish.  Cook at low heat for about 15 minutes.  Do not overcook chard; let it stay bright green.  This is a beautiful, yummy dish!
** canned beans (drained) easily substitute for the tuna fish; we often eat it this way as well :)


BASMATI RICE -- Persian style:
3c. basmati rice
3 T. salt
2 medium potatoes, sliced
1 t. turmeric
1-2 cloves crushed garlic (optional)
1/3-1/2c. oil
2c. black-eyed peas or frozen peas

soak the rice in enough water that it is covered by 3cm for at least 1 hour.  boil for 4 minutes and then strain.  pour enough oil back in the pot to cover well.  lay the potato slices side by side on the bottom and sprinkle with salt and a little turmeric.

start piling the rice into the pot, a couple of big spoonfuls at a time, alternating with a big spoonful of the frozen peas or cooked black-eyed peas*.  with each layering, sprinkle salt and a little turmeric.  when finished, pour about a 1/4c. or so of oil on top and if you like garlic, add taht as well.  put the lid on and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.  turn the heat to low and cook for at least 5 minutes -- it may take up to 15 minutes, depending on how well the rice was cooked.

when finished cooking, stir the veggies and rice altogether and then dump it into a big bowl.  the bottom fried layer is called 'tadik' and is very yummy.  if it doesn't come out (non-stick pots are the best!), leave for a few minutes and then scrape it off and put on a side plate.

*there are many other possibilities for this style of cooking rice, with other veggies, beans and seasonings.  you can be very creative.  the rice always tastes delicious and goes well with stews, salads, yogurt, meat and fish.


TRADITIONAL GHANAIAN TOMATO SAUCE:
after years of making sauces, i wondered what the process was for creating the ghanaian tomato sauce because whatever i was trying wasn't tasting anything like how it's been prepared for me. the ingredients aren't unusual but the end result is spectacularly unique to this region and is incomparable to any other tomato sauce i've made.  it tastes great with pasta as well as all the traditional grains here that are eaten with one's hand, as well as rice dishes as an accompaniment.  hope you give some feedback once you've tried to make it..

[all amounts are estimates and can be adapted to your own taste]

handful of small chili peppers (green or red), including seeds
1 lg. red onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. chopped (not grated) ginger root
BLEND ALL IN BLENDER WITH LITTLE WATER & SET ASIDE IN BOWL

5 medium tomatoes, quartered
BLEND IN BLENDER UNTIL LIQUIFIED, SET ASIDE

1 lg. red onion, finely sliced lengthwise
at least 1c. oil (any vegetable oil)
at least 1/3c. tomato paste
1/2 cube of vegetable boullion (here it's a brand called Maggi), optional
cayenne or chili powder to taste
salt to taste

anything that you like to be in the sauce: typically it's fish already pan fried or cooked white beans..we used a can of tuna fish -- and it's delicious with green pepper and some thinly sliced carrots
Place all of the oil in a medium sauce pan.. add slivered onions & fry 5 minutes on medium heat.. add blended tomatoes & fry 5 minutes.. add tomato paste & fry 5 minutes..add cayenne or chili powder (we used 1/2 t.) & 1/2 of the cubed seasoning..stir then add SOME of the garlic/ginger paste: test to see the color of the sauce -- this seems to be a key part of the success of the sauce: if you put too much it will take away from the dark red color.. keep adding if the color stays dark.. save any unused paste in the freezer for the next batch.. now add some salt (about 1t.)
choose what you would like in the sauce to simmer in it for at least 10 minutes, on med-low heat.  shredded tuna is really my favorite out of all the times i've had it.

SIMPLE VEGETABLE CURRY:
the other day i created a simple coconut milk curry by putting together a can of chick peas with some fresh vegetables and the basic ingredients.

1 T. butter
1 onion
1 tomato, diced
several cloves of garlic, minced
1 t. ginger, minced
1 t. curry powder
salt, to taste
1 can chick peas, drained
bunch of chopped veggies: carrots, potatoes, celery, etc., with a few greens if possible
1 can coconut milk
optional: add cooked fish or a can of tuna

saute the onions in the butter.  add the tomato.  stir and cook a few minutes before adding the garlic and ginger.  then add the curry powder, salt and mix well.  add the remaining ingredients and cook covered until the vegetables are tender.  i often add some water if there are too many vegetables.

our typical dinner plate

to the right is an example of an alkaline meal, mostly African style:  it consists of rice (which i mixed with a little tomato paste, oil, salt, cinnamon and turmeric), lentil stew (Ethiopian version but can be varied to any other seasonings), baked plantain, gari (which is cassava flour mixed with boiled water), Ghanaian red sauce, and a simple salad of tomato, cucumber, green pepper and onion with a vinaigrette..



ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH or PUMPKIN:
butternut squash or fresh pumpkin
6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt to taste
olive oil and/or butter

Use as much squash or pumpkin as you like.  Peel and chop as you would for roasted potatoes.  Put into a baking dish with a generous amount of oil &/or butter.  Mix in the garlic and salt.  Bake 1 hour or until soft at 200/400 degrees.  Broil at the end to make it crispy on the top edges, about 3 minutes.


LENTIL SOUP (Italian style) :
1 bag of brown lentils
1-2 onions, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 t. crushed red peppers (optional)
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 c. or more of finely shredded carrots
1/2 c. or more of finely chopped celery AND leaves
2 T. oregano (dried)
1 t. basil (dried)
1-2 bay leaves
salt/pepper
1 packet or small can of tomato paste

Soak lentils at least 1 hour.  Saute onions, then garlic, in olive oil.  Add oregano, basil, bay leaves, then tomatoes.  Once tomatoes are soft, stir in carrots and tomatoes.  Pour in water and lentils.  Add generous amount of salt and some pepper.  Boil until very tender, about an hour.  The longer it simmers after boiling, the better the flavor will be.  Add the tomato paste near the end.

Enjoy with any kind of rice or other gluten-free grains.  Bon Appetit! :)


RICE and SESAME PANCAKES:  recipe from 101 Cookbooks

IDEAS FOR A WEEK'S WORTH OF ALKALINE MEALS:

felafel salad with yogurt dressing (and french fries on the side!)

• bean chili with corn chips
• fried rice with egg and vegetables
• bean soup, rye bread and salad
• mexican style beans and cheese with salsa, guacamole and corn chips
• couscous with pan-fried fish and salad
• roasted potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic with baked fish
• curried vegetables with rice 
• hummus and felafels with yogurt and salad

A LIST OF ALKALINE and ACIDIC FOODS:

...ALKALINE FOODS...		...ACIDIC FOODS...
ALKALIZING VEGETABLES Alfalfa Barley Grass Beet Greens Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Greens Chlorella Collard Greens Cucumber Dandelions Dulce Edible Flowers Eggplant Fermented Veggies Garlic Green Beans Green Peas Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Mustard Greens Nightshade Veggies Onions Parsnips (high glycemic) Peas Peppers Pumpkin Radishes Rutabaga Sea Veggies Spinach, green Spirulina Sprouts Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Watercress Wheat Grass Wild Greens ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Daikon Dandelion Root Kombu Maitake Nori Reishi Shitake Umeboshi Wakame ALKALIZING FRUITS Apple Apricot Avocado Banana (high glycemic) Berries Blackberries Cantaloupe Cherries, sour Coconut, fresh Currants Dates, dried Figs, dried Grapes Grapefruit Honeydew Melon Lemon Lime Muskmelons Nectarine Orange Peach Pear Pineapple Raisins Raspberries Rhubarb Strawberries Tangerine Tomato Tropical Fruits Umeboshi Plums Watermelon ALKALIZING PROTEIN Almonds Chestnuts Millet Tempeh (fermented) Tofu (fermented) Whey Protein Powder ALKALIZING SWEETENERS Stevia ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS Chili Pepper Cinnamon Curry Ginger Herbs (all) Miso Mustard Sea Salt Tamari ALKALIZING OTHER Alkaline Antioxidant Water Apple Cider Vinegar Bee Pollen Fresh Fruit Juice Green Juices Lecithin Granules Mineral Water Molasses, blackstrap Probiotic Cultures Soured Dairy Products Veggie Juices ALKALIZING MINERALS Calcium: pH 12 Cesium: pH 14 Magnesium: pH 9 Potassium: pH 14 Sodium: pH 14 Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system. Note that a food's acid or alkaline forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so, lemons are alkaline forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion, but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid forming.		ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES Corn Lentils Olives Winter Squash ACIDIFYING FRUITS Blueberries Canned or Glazed Fruits Cranberries Currants Plums** Prunes** ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS Amaranth Barley Bran, oat Bran, wheat Bread Corn Cornstarch Crackers, soda Flour, wheat Flour, white Hemp Seed Flour Kamut Macaroni Noodles Oatmeal Oats (rolled) Quinoa Rice (all) Rice Cakes Rye Spaghetti Spelt Wheat Germ Wheat ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES Almond Milk Black Beans Chick Peas Green Peas Kidney Beans Lentils Pinto Beans Red Beans Rice Milk Soy Beans Soy Milk White Beans ACIDIFYING DAIRY Butter Cheese Cheese, Processed Ice Cream Ice Milk ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS Cashews Legumes Peanut Butter Peanuts Pecans Tahini Walnuts ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN Bacon Beef Carp Clams Cod Corned Beef Fish Haddock Lamb Lobster Mussels Organ Meats Oyster Pike Pork Rabbit Salmon Sardines Sausage Scallops Shellfish Shrimp Tuna Turkey Veal Venison ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS Avacado Oil Butter Canola Oil Corn Oil Flax Oil Hemp Seed Oil Lard Olive Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Sunflower Oil ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS Carob Corn Syrup Sugar ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL Beer Hard Liquor Spirits Wine ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS Catsup Cocoa Coffee Mustard Pepper Soft Drinks Vinegar ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS Aspirin Chemicals Drugs, Medicinal Drugs, Psychedelic Herbicides Pesticides Tobacco ACIDIFYING JUNK FOOD Beer: pH 2.5 Coca-Cola: pH 2 Coffee: pH 4 ** These foods leave an alkaline ash but have an acidifying effect on the body.
UNKNOWN: There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet.  The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side.  Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.
Brazil Nuts Brussel Sprouts Buckwheat Cashews Chicken Corn Cottage Cheese Eggs Flax Seeds Green Tea Herbal Tea Honey Kombucha Lima Beans		Maple Syrup Milk Nuts Organic Milk (unpasteurized) Potatoes, white Pumpkin Seeds Quinoa Sauerkraut Soy Products Sprouted Seeds Squashes Sunflower Seeds Tomatoes Yogurt