Thursday 11 April 2019

Turmeric Tonic

Greetings,

Here's a quick recipe for a Turmeric Tonic that you should take daily - in the morning and before bed, to help cleanse your organs, boost immunity and alleviate digestion issues. It is not completely vegan, so you can change it to suit your needs.

4 cups of boiled water, allowed to cool or any drinking water

1 tsp powdered turmeric (or a thumb of turmeric, grated and steeped in the hot water)

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper powder

I also add sometimes:

1/2 thumb of ginger (grated and steeped in the hot water, then strained)
1 clove garlic (grated and steeped in the hot water, then strained)

Method:

Basically, you heat the water and allow it to cool,  and then add all the ingredients and stir.

If you are using the raw turmeric, ginger or garlic, put them in while it is hot and then sieve them out.

Store the tonic in a glass jar if possible. It will last for at least a week but it should be done before then. Stir before pouring.


There are numerous health benefits for the brain, heart, kidneys and liver so I really recommend making this tonic a daily routine in your household!

Friday 1 March 2019

Lentil Pie or Loaf and Shepherd's Pie

Greetings,

Today's recipe is my recent creation, and one that my entire family enjoys every week - which is a rare thing as my children, mostly my daughter, are very picky eaters.

I will be giving two recipes, one for the lentil base which can be a pie on its own, and the other for the shepherd's pie, which is really just the addition of ground provision on top of the lentil base.

Now for a big dish you can use 1.5 cups of lentils, for a small dish 1 cup. My big dish is oval at 14x10 inches wide and the small is 10x8 inches wide. They are both 2 inches deep.

Lentil Pie or Loaf

1 or 1.5 cups lentils (the brown kind)
1 small onion
1 pimento pepper (optional)
4 chives
2 garlic cloves
1.5 tbsp flax meal (ground flax seeds)
1/4 cup quinoa or chickpea flour (any flour you desire)
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp ground seasonings: turmeric, cumin
salt
tomato paste
cooking oil of choice
1/4 eggplant (optional, you can also use another vegetable like carrot)
baking dish large or small
colander/strainer


Method:

Soak the lentils in a dish for at least an hour so that they will take very little time to cook.
Cook them until they are soft. Remove from heat and throw into the strainer/colander with a bowl underneath to capture the water. Give it a stir or two to get the water out.



Finely dice the onion, pimento and chives (or celery as in my pic below, seasons are to your taste). Grate the garlic. Slice the eggplant into circles then cube each layer.



Transfer the strained lentils to a large mixing bowl, and using a fork, mash the lentils until it become mushy - do NOT mash ALL of the lentils, just mash enough to make it mushy which will help blend and hold together the ingredients.

Add the fresh and dried ingredients, salt, the flour, flax meal and nutritional yeast. Add one spoonful of tomato paste. Drizzle a little oil in. Take the water that you strained off, which would have settled, and pour off the top layer until you get a lentil sludge at the bottom of the bowl. Add this to the other ingredients and stir everything.




Grease the pan with a little oil and spread a 1 inch layer of lentils. Flatten with a spoon. Add some more tomato paste for the top layer and spread it all over evenly, then sprinkle more nutritional yeast.



Bake at a medium heat on top shelf for about 20-30 minutes. I don't usually go by a time, to be honest, I take out the pie when all around the edges are dark brown and have pulled away from the dish, that means the bottom is brown as well.

Allow to cool away from heat so that the pie will firm up.

If you allow it to cool all the way it will be quite firm and easy to cut and serve.




As a bonus, you can also grease a muffin tin and pack the lentil mixture into it to make separate servings. When I do the muffins I smash them and then put it in a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and cucumber.






Shepherd's Pie

Follow the same method for the lentil pie.
You will need potatoes or breadfruit, dasheen or yam for the top.

Make a mash potato (or other ground provision) with a little coconut milk, turmeric and salt and butter if you use it. After you spread the lentil base and tomato paste then spread the mashed potato same way. Then sprinkle with nutritional yeast again which replaces cheese.

Base same way, take out when the edges have darkened and pulled away from the dish.

Cool and then use a knife to carve out serving sized pieces.




This is guaranteed to be a recipe you make every week for the family! Perfect for Sunday.



Friday 1 February 2019

Simple Sorghum Recipe

Greetings,

Today's recipe comes direct from Afrika, from the Ital Zambians, a group of Rastafari promoting Ital foods and culture in Zambia. Their focus is to build and strengthen the Zambian Ital Community through gardening, farming and preserving the knowledge and use of indigenous foods.
Anna, the communications specialist for Ital Zambians says it best:

"The Ital Zambians initiative was created by the Zambian RasTafarI community in an effort to create stronger links with Italists locally and globally. Our mission is unity.

Locally, I and I strive to take Zambian Italists out of their isolation and alienation by creating supportive networks where ones may easily access good food and good company.

Globally, I and I aim to share the beauty of Africa with world RasTafarI. We hope to shatter prejudices and erase the stigma cast on the motherland so that Africans in the Diaspora may have a clearer picture of the homeland. We also aim to facilitate visits and repatriations for those who are ready to return home.

Our goal is to serve the well-being of all African peoples locally and globally. 

Our deepest intention is to see all Africans prospering and self-actualising."


Ital Zambians is sharing their Simple Sorghum Recipe which is "perfect food for athletic people with active, outdoorsy lifestyles."



Step 1: Soak grains in water overnight



Step 2: Sprout grains in collandar

Step 3: Boil sprouted grains in water for 60-75 minutes, until soft.



Step 4: Serve with vegetables.

If you are able to purchase Sorghum in your area please do and give it a try! Tag us @italpeople and also @italzambians on Instagram and share your experience!

Give thanks to Anna and her community for sharing this with Ital People! I look forward to more recipes and pictures from Zambia. Rastafari around the world should definitely connect and share the works and livity.

Email me at italpeople@gmail.com to share your message and ital recipe!

Blessed love!
Ila Addis

Tuesday 22 January 2019

Kickin Carrot Falafel

Greetings my fellow Italists!

Starting 2019 with a Kickin Carrot Falafel recipe donated by Sistren Mariah Grooms aka @blended_sol on Instagram → Make sure to follow her page for mouthwatering pictures that will inspire you to keep up the Ital Livity!

She has blessed us with this recipe from her E-Book which you can find on her website ILivity
She offers lots more so make sure and check out and support her Ital services on the site.


With the ginger and cayenne combined, trust me your taste buds will be kickin 😁

If you try the recipe out, please be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it went! Also tag @italpeople and @blended_sol in your posts on Instagram so we can repost your Kickin Carrot Falafel as well!

I hope more of you will donate recipes to the Ital People blog so we can really share our Ital creativity for the benefit of the collective!

💚💛💚

Ila Addis