Feral Food: Raw Falafel with Chopped Israeli Salad Recipe

Deliciously snagged from RawGuru 😉

If you love the flavors and textures of Middle Eastern food and prefer to keep it raw and fresh you will LOVE this recipe by Doris Choi of Fresh Energy Recipes. Sunflower falafel balls seasoned with garlic, cilantro, mint, cumin and spicy pepper combine with a creamy Smoked Paprika Tahini sauce and a Chopped Israeli Salad with tomato, onions, cucumbers, parsley and fresh lemon.

At a glance

Entrées & Main Dishes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Raw Sunflower Falafel

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked in water for atleast one hour
2 tbs raw tahini
3 tbs fresh lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Smoked Paprika Tahini Sauce

1/4 cup raw tahini
1/4 cup fresh carrot juice or water, as needed
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Chopped Israeli Salad

2 plum or vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small cucumber, small diced
1/2 red onion, small diced
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
5 radishes, small diced
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Methods/steps

Raw Sunflower Falafel
1) Rinse  sunflower seeds and drain.
2) Put all ingredients in a food processor and  blend.
3) Form into small balls and place in a dehydrator on high for the  first hour. Lower temperature to 110 ° and dehydrate for another two  hours or more until the outside is dry to the touch.
If you don’t have a  dehydrator you can put in the oven at the lowest temperature, keeping  the door slightly ajar (put a wedge of tinfoil to keep it from closing)  and bake for 30 minutes or so.

Smoked Paprika Tahini Sauce
1) Place all ingredients in a blender, add carrot juice or water as need for desired consistency

Chopped Israeli Salad
1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl

Additional Tips

Recipe by Doris Choi: http://freshenergyrecipes.com/

Feral Farmacy ~ The Doctrine of Signatures

“Physician, heal thyself.” ~ Luke 4:23

A cornerstone of The Feral Life is all about returning to source and our original harmony with Nature. Deeply interwoven in this aspiration is our relationship with food and what could be considered “health sovereignty”.  Health care (from supplements to insurance to gym memberships) has grown to a half a trillion dollar industry today, but much expense and worry can be spared as we begin to take charge of our own self-healing.  Of course, hospitals are great for accidents and emergencies, but the rejuvenation and maintenance of our body temples can be achieved by learning to utilize the medicinal properties of the bounty in Nature’s pharmacy.

The best part is you don’t have to have a PhD to do this! Common sense is the greatest science, and we all earned our Masters during the nine months in our mother’s womb.  The genius of Nature has created what has come to be called “The Doctrine of Signatures”, a profound ancient wisdom in which the nutritional benefit of a fruit or vegetable is reflected in that food’s resemblance to a certain organ or part of the body.

There is a plethora of additional information on this subject available online and you can also use your own intuition to discern the properties of each food, but here are a few examples of the inner nature of these plants:

 

BRAIN = Walnuts

 

EYES = Carrots

 

EARS = Mushrooms

 

HEART = Tomato

 

LUNGS = Grapes

 

BREASTS = Citrus Fruits

 

STOMACH = Ginger

 

KIDNEYS = Kidney Beans

 

PANCREAS = Sweet Potatoes

 

OVARIES = Olives

 

WOMB = Avocados & Pears

 

PHALLUS = Cucumbers, Zucchini, Bananas

 

TESTICLES = Peanuts, Figs

 

BONES = Celery

 

CELLS = Onions

 

Perhaps this seems like mere coincidence or maybe a light bulb went off in your head and this really resonates with you. It seems odd in our present society, butThe Doctrine of Signatures was inherent wisdom for our ancestors.  It was made popular in modern times by a Swiss physician, alchemist and philosopher named Paracelsus (1493-1541) who scholars consider to be the father of modern chemistry. He applied this principle to food as well as medicine, remarking that “it is not in the quantity of food but in its quality that resides the Spirit of Life”.

Feral Homestead DIY Cleaning Recipes

As an eco-conscious mama to a newborn, keeping a clean house is of great importance for maintaining health and an esthetically pleasing environment. However, conventional cleaning products are often loaded with unsafe chemicals, like artificial colors and fragrances and harsh cleansing agents like bleach, ammonia and acids (to name a few); many of which may not be listed on the packaging since the formulas are considered trade secrets. They may, on the other hand, display disclaimers warning “do not ingest” – but I have to ask how to distinguish what’s safe when the lil’ hands that touch those freshly “cleaned” surfaces inevitably end up in baby’s mouth? In addition, the combination of chemicals mixing to form these products can often produce poisonous off-gassing fumes and cause indoor air pollution that irritate eyes and lungs.

The solution? Well, you’ll be happy to know that choosing the “green” alternative (such as Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyers) is not only safer for baby and the planet, but can be cheaper too! You can also make your own green cleaners using non-toxic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen:

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
* Baking Soda – cleans, deodorizes, scours, softens water
* White Vinegar – solvent, cuts grease, removes mildew, stains, and odors
* Lemon – food-acids cut through grease, are anti-bacterial and natural fragrance essential oils
* Cornstarch – similar to baking soda, deodorizes and scours

HEAVY DUTY 😉
* Castile Soap – a biodegradable vegetable oil-based soap (my fave is Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, a little goes a long way)
* Borax – (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water
**Note that although borax is made of natural minerals, is not edible like the other recommended ingredients
* Citrus Solvent – stain remover, degreaser, and multi-purpose cleaner

FERAL HOMESTEAD DIY RECIPES

GENERAL

All-Purpose Cleaner
Recipe #1
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
Optional: Add ½ tsp lemon juice (strain the pulp)
* Combine in a spray bottle

Recipe #2
2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp liquid castile soap
2 cups of hot water
* Combine in a spray bottle and shake well

Glass & Window Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
* Combine in a spray bottle

Wooden Furniture Polish
1/4 cup white vinegar (or 1/2 cup lemon juice)
3/4 cup olive oil
* Combine and polish with soft cloth

Disinfectant
4 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp liquid castile soap
3 cups hot water
Optional: 20-30 drops tea tree oil or 2 tsp borax
* Combine in a spray bottle

Air Freshener
2 cups hot water
2 tsp baking soda
Optional: 10 drops essential oil of your choice
* Combine in a spray bottle

KITCHEN

Dishwashing Liquid
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1 tsp lemon juice
5 drops tea tree oil
1 cup water
* Combine and store in a squeeze bottle. Use 2 tbsp per load in dishwasher.

Dishwashing Rinse
White vinegar
* Pour into the compartment

Non-abrasive Cleaner
Baking soda
* Sprinkle directly onto surface or a damp sponge and scrub
Optional for tougher grime: Add some lemon juice and kosher salt
* Make a paste and use a sponge to clean

Garbage Disposal Freshener
Lemon (or any citrus) peels
* Grind in the disposal

BATHROOM

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1 cup borax or baking soda
¼ cup white vinegar
* Add to toilet bowl and let sit overnight (or approximately 8 hours). In the morning, scrub and flush.

Mold & Mildew Cleaner for Tub & Tile
1 2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp white vinegar
Optional: 10 drops tea tree oil
* Combine in a spray bottle, shake well, spray, and let stand for an hour before wiping

Grout Mold Cleaner
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
2 cups water
* Combine in spray bottle. Spray, let sit for an hour, wipe with a damp sponge

Drain Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
* Pour down drain and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Flush with boiling water until drain clears.

LAUNDRY

Laundry Detergent
1/8 cup liquid castile soap
1/4 borax
* Double the recipe for heavy soiled loads

Fabric softener
½ cup white vinegar
* Add to rinse cycle

Stain Remover
* Spray with hydrogen peroxide and/or rub spot with a mixture of dishwashing soap and borax then rinse clean
* Steep linens in a pot of boiling water until the stains lift
* Dampen linens and expose to direct sunlight for a few hours

FLOOR

Floor Cleaner
Recipe #1 – linoleum & no-wax floors
1 tbsp liquid castile soap
6 tbsp baking soda or cornstarch
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 gallons hot water

Recipe #2 – wood floors
1 cup vinegar
1 gallon water
* Mix in a bucket and mop

Carpet Cleaner
Baking soda or cornstarch
* Sprinkle onto carpet and let sit for at least 30 minutes then vacuum

Please feel free to comment with your own recipes or share your results. Hope these green cleaning tips help in making your homestead a sanctuary!

Why the Feral Life?

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE IS THE HAND THAT RULES THE WORLD.
~ William Ross Wallace

This site is an Ode to Mothers and the families they love! In this fast-paced modern society where “bigger is better” and “all that glitters (is considered) gold”, it is easy to lose track of our daily impact in this epic journey of life on earth. However, it is no secret that there stand today many threats to the continuance of life as we know it. If we permit ourselves to continue on this same path, many of the luxuries we now take for granted will soon be meaningless in the absence of pure air, food, and water.

Like a massive avalanche steadily gaining momentum with its devastating consequences, so are our habits and participation in this consumerist society hurdling us towards untimely demise, with each of us unwittingly serving as cogs and wheels in this monstrous machine of “technological progress” all to the detriment of our unborn progeny.

But, thankfully, there are heroes with the power to save us from such a fate. They are here-now, they are the past, the present, and the future. They are each generation born and raised with love, and the mothers whose guidance and protection enables the immaculate potential they were destined to manifest.

So, it is not the businessman, not the engineer, the architect nor banker whom decides what the future holds. Instead it is the quintessential partnership between mother and child that will determine whether we seed our doom or the birth of heaven on earth.

WE DO NOT INHERIT THE EARTH FROM OUR ANCESTORS, WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN.

~ Ancient Indian Proverb