I caught you! Did you know most soybeans are genetically modified and your soy sauce is most likely made from those beans? Also, the soy sauce you're using might also contain a preservative called Sodium Benzoate which is suspected to have skin or sense organ toxicity hazards.
As a FANTASTIC alternative, use Bragg's Liquid Aminos!
Here is some info from their site:
Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate,
derived from healthy soybeans, that contains the following Essential and
Non-essential Amino Acids in naturally occurring amounts:
Ingredients: Our Bragg Liquid Aminos are made from
health-giving, NON-GMO soybeans and purified water. They are an
excellent, healthy, gourmet replacement for Tamari and Soy Sauce. Not
fermented or heated and Gluten-Free.
Bragg's has a small amount of
naturally occurring sodium. No table salt is added. If less sodium is
desired use a 6 oz. Bragg's spray bottle and dilute with 1/3 distilled
water or to taste and then either add in or spray on food.
Health Benefits:
A source of delicious, nutritious, life-renewing protein.
Taste you'll love - Nutrition you need.
Great
on salads, veggies, dressings, soups, rice, beans, Wok foods, tofu,
gravies, jerky, poultry, fish, popcorn, meats, casseroles, potatoes, etc
Several years ago, I removed all canned soups from our diet. I'm talking about cream of chicken, celery, mushroom, tomato, etc. Don't gasp. You don't have to include a can of soup in EVERYTHING. There is a whole, big world out there that doesn't involve these pesky, unhealthy cans. Go explore it!
One thing I started doing is making my own cream of chicken. Save the broth from the chicken you boiled, thicken it with flour then add some salt and onion powder to taste.
*Boiling a whole chicken is where the broth comes from. Click here to learn how to de-bone one.*
Sometimes I make complex meals but I reallly like making easy things. One of my favorite soups I made up is vegetable. Here's how it goes:
boil your favorite frozen vegetables in filtered water until tender
add some whole wheat noodles and a can of diced tomatoes
cook until noodles are tender
Sometimes, I'll add a handful or two of lentils also. Season as desired. (I just use salt and pepper.)
You end up with this about 30 mins later...
Yum
The last time I made this, I ate it for three days. I just like it that much. The Hubs, however, had to have a change after day two. :)
Beans are a fun topic because they are so versatile and cheap! I like cheap. One thing you’ll learn is I like frugalness just as much as I like natural food. Sure, canned beans are convenient but they cost considerably more than dry beans and they tend to have a lot of sodium. Plus, you don’t get the satisfaction of soaking them yourself.
I like to cook a big pot of beans then use them for various things throughout the week. We like beans and cornbread, of course, (we do live in the south) but I also like to use them in chili, Mexican dishes, etc. So, what you do is, buy a bag of pinto beans (we’ll start with them because they can be used in a wide variety of ways). The best value I have found at our supermarket is a 4lb bag. (I try to support brands other than the “big names” sometimes but that’s a topic for another post!)
1.To start, dump out the desired amount of beans onto your counter. Four cups is a good amount to start with. Now, you want to sort the beans. My husbands grand-mother used to say you need to “look” the beans. This simply means to make sure there aren’t any rocks mixed in with them. Rocks aren’t easily digestible no matter how long you soak them. Once you’ve “looked” your beans, gather them up and put them in a slow cooker (that’s my favorite mode of cooking beans). Run some water over them, swish them around a couple times and drain the water. This gets dust and dirt off them.
2.For four cups of beans, you’ll cover them with 12-16 cups of water. I usually just put a lot in there so each bean will have enough water. I don’t care for measuring if I don’t have to! You want to soak them overnight. This is best because this method makes the beans more easily digestible. So, pour in the water, put the lid on and leave them alone to soak overnight. (Leave the slow cooker off, of course.)
3.When you get up in the morning, drain the soaking water off and fill up with new water. I put enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Since I’m home all day I turn my slow cooker on high around 8:00a.m. and I turn it off around 3p.m. If you’re going to be gone for a longer period of time you might try putting them on low all day instead.
More than just being versatile, pinto beans have many healthy benefits. (Thanks to my C-U-T-E hubby for researching them). Pinto beans in particular are packed with molybdenum (200% daily value in 1 cup of beans). They are also a good source of folate (great for pregnancy), dietary fiber, tryptophan, manganese, protein, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, and vitamin B1 (thiamin). Fiber is good for lowering cholesterol and prevents sugar levels from rising after your meal and lowers your heart disease risk. Fiber (as well as antioxidants) found in pinto beans can reduce your cancer risk. Besides all that, pinto beans have lots of protein and are a good source of iron!
Note: Don't add salt until AFTER the beans are cooked or they will be tough.
What are you waiting for? Get those beans soaking!
