Category Archives: Recipes

Oleolux, Recipe, what it is & why you should eat it

One of the essentials of the Budwig Diet: Cold-pressed linseed oil and  coconut oil

Lots of easily digestible nutrition and one of the all time best vegan butter alternatives.  If you want a tasty butter alternative you can’t do better than oleolux.   It is also a great addition to a keto or low carb diet for health and flavour. Continue reading Oleolux, Recipe, what it is & why you should eat it

Sugar and Sweeteners

Sugar, the Warburg Hypostesis, cell respiration and oxygen

Sugar is a complete no-no on the Budwig diet.  See the Warburg hypothesis about the  lack of correct respiration which allowed cancer cells to fuel themselves by effectively fermenting sugar in the absence of sufficient oxygen.  This is called glycolysis or non-oxidative breakdown of glucose.  In 1924 the Nobel  laureate, Otto Heinrich Warburg, proposed that sugar allows cancer cells and cause tumours to grow,  This was the foundation for the recommendation  for cancer patients to avoid sugar.

Natural cold-extracted raw honey
Natural cold-extracted raw honey

Honey

Honey was sweetener of choice on the Budwig diet Continue reading Sugar and Sweeteners

Oleolux Recipe

Cold-pressed linseed oil and coconut oil

Oleolux flax oil and coconut oil
Oleolux on veg

Oleolux is a savoury butter or topping for food created by Dr Johanna Budwig. It is a rich golden-yellow blend of cold-pressed linseed (flax) oil and raw coconut oil delicately enhanced with onion and garlic.  Cholesterol-free, rich in Omega-3 and other beneficial fats, it makes a healthy alternative to butter, cream or olive oil in everyday meals for anyone looking for tasty food and a healthier lifestyle. The garlic and onion are healthy additions and probably help the absorption of  the omega-3.

 Ingredients for Oleolux:

  • Oleolux ingredients for Budwig diet
    Oleolux ingredients

    125g Cold-Pressed Linseed (Flax) Oil

  • 250g Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion
  • 10 cloves garlic mashed

 

Method:

Weigh the Linseed Oil into a suitable container, preferably glass that has a lid, or can be covered, it needs to be large enough to take the coconut oil as well.  Place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Melt coconut oil in a large pan from which it is going to be easy to pour the oil.
Slice the onion and cook at a very gentle heat so that it is lightly straw coloured after 15 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic cloves and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow to cool a little and strain through a sieve into the chilled linseed oil and put in the fridge to cool.  When it has set it is ready to use.

Store in the fridge.

Best used within a month.

How to Use Oleolux

  • Melt into cooked veg, potatoes and buckwheat.
  • Use instead of butter on bread.
  • Use to fry with; though if using oleolux for frying do not heat for more than 1-3 mins and then only at a gentle heat.
  • Stir into risotto, lentils and soup.

Buckwheat with Oleolux

Melt 50g oleolux in a warm pan. Add 150g raw whole buckwheat groats (grains) and stir gently over a gentle heat for  3 minutes, then add 250ml boiling water and simmer very gently for 15-30 mins or until soft.

This can be made into a risotto style dish by using low salt veggie stock instead of water, adding sliced veg. such as onions, celery. carrots, mushrooms, at the very start or for softer veg such as spinach 3-10 mins from the end of cooking and sprinkle with chopped herbs, black pepper, cayenne, yeast flakes, etc.

Home made quark-style cottage cheese

RECIPES FOR MAKING YOUR OWN QUARK COTTAGE CHEESE:

Quark mixed with cold-pressed linseed oil is the core of the Budwig Diet
The creamy blend of quark mixed with cold-pressed linseed oil is the core of the Budwig Diet

Quark

Quark is the name given to some of the simple cottage cheeses made in Germany and other parts of Europe; it provides the ideal protein levels to blend with linseed (flaxseed) oil for making the Budwig cream for the muesli on the Budwig diet. Any similar level (10-12%) protein cottage cheese will do for mixing with the cold-pressed linseed (flax) oil.

Why make you own cottage cheese?

Quark cottage cheese bought in Waitrose
Quark cottage cheese bought in Waitrose

Of course you can buy cottage cheese/quark but if you want to ensure the quality of your the milk that goes into your quark your best option is to make your own  cottage cheese/quark.   Making your own soft cheese is incredibly easy and satisfying.  It gives you the option to choose what what sort of milk your quark/cottage cheese is made from – organic, raw, goat or just milk from a specific herd.  Those with a compromised immune system should consider using pateurised milk or heat milk to destroy unwanted bugs before use.

Quark: before starting

Making quark/cottage cheese, no matter how you make your curd, always follows the same basics.  Try to use glass, ceramic, plastic, wood; avoid any metal. Ensure everything is very clean.

Quark: the basic method

Quark or cottage cheese really is as simple as turning the protein in milk into coagulated curds so you separate it from the liquid whey portion.  First you acidify the milk and it curdles.  Then strain you strain it though folded muslin approximately overnight until you have a relatively dry curd.

Milk “curdles”  easily and there are many ways of turning milk into curd for quark. The resultant quark/cottage cheese is slightly different depending on the method used.  The method you use is really just a question of personal choice and taste.

Straining “curdled” milk

Which ever route you use to curdle milk once strained you will have a simple, quark-like, soft cottage-style cheese.  Simply position a sieve or colander over a clean bowl, line with fine muslin, clean cloth (muslin or cloth can be suspended over a bowl without a sieve) or reusable paper towel, pour in the curds and whey from one of the above processes. Tie ends above curds (so as to prevent whey siphoning out) and leave overnight to strain.  Your quark/soft cheese is now made.

Quark basic ingredients

Fresh or pasteurised milk from cows, sheep, goats, buffalo or whatever and some agent to sour it, either added or naturally occurring bacteria-starter or some other souring agent or enzyme.

Here are a few ways of making quark:

Adding rennet to warm milk to make curd cheese
Adding rennet to warm milk to make curd cheese

With rennet

Warm two pints of milk to blood temperature 37o C (no more). Add 2 teaspoons of rennet, stir and leave covered and undisturbed for 30 minutes, when you come back to it the milk will have thickened.

With lemon juice or vinegar

Warm two pints of milk to 85 oC, add juice of one lemon, stir and leave covered and undisturbed for at least 10 minutes.

From kefir

This makes a fully live, pro-biotic cheese which benefits the digestion and immune system. First make your kefir (never use metal with kefir) from kefir grains or starter culture. (Kefir starter is a combo of bacteria and good bugs which makes cheese with a lovely fresh creamy flavour). Follow the instructions for making the kefir (which is really just adding kefir culture to milk, which can be raw or not as you wish, and leaving at room temperature). After 2 days it will have become really thick and easily strained (if using kefir grains remove before straining). The strained curd is as close as you can get to the original quark.

From Yoghurt

Another way to make an organic cottage cheese/quark is to use organic unflavoured yogurt.   Shop- bought or home-made yoghurt can be be strained to make cheese.

From a cheese starter

These can be bought on the internet, just follow the instructions for the type of milk you are using.  Starter cultures for quark style cottage cheese are available from several companies.  GN Ltd,, Orchard-Dairy.  For others just google, “quark starter culture UK”

 Raw milk soured naturally

Left out of the fridge raw milk will sour, go “off” and the curds can be separated. However you should be aware of the health risks associated with raw milk and the “souring process” should be done at the correct temperature.  Many people consider raw milk a healthy option as the proteins haven’t been damaged by heat and it is thought that the naturally-occurring bacteria can be beneficial for the digestion and immune system.

The steps in making your own quark style cheese

These pictures were using a kefir starter but the general process is the same whichever method you use to acidify and curdle your milk:

Pictures of making quark cottage cheese

Add kefir starter to milk
Add kefir starter to milk to make cheese
Cover, leave at room temperature. Give starter culture time to work,
Cover, leave at room temperature. Give starter culture time to work,
After 2-3 days curds are ready to strain.  The warmer it is the quicker the curds form.
After 2-3 days curds are ready to strain. The warmer it is the quicker the curds form.

 

jug lined with muslin
jug lined with muslin
milk curds straining through muslin over jug
milk curds straining through muslin over jug, leave overnight in fridge
finished quark style cottage cheese
Next morning dry, strained, finished quark style cottage cheese
finished quart soft cottage cheese 121g from one quart of organic raw skimmed milk
finished quart soft cottage cheese 121g from one quart of organic raw skimmed milk, ready to add cold-pressed linseed oil or store in fridge

 Finding raw milk for quark/cottage cheese

Some people prefer to use raw milk to make a quark-style cheese, it is available at some farmers’ markets and some farms supply online. Raw cows’ milk can only be bought direct; the Natural Food Finder site helps you track it down.  Be aware of all the health arguments for and against live milk before you make the decision to use it.

Refreshing Carrot Juice

The juice and zest from the clementines and lemon turn carrots into a balanced  refreshing juice you will enjoy quaffing at any time.

Ingredients:

  • A big pile of of carrots
  • 1-2 small apples
  • 1-2 small whole clementines (or similar)
  • 1 lemon partially peeled

Simply juice them all together.

Special Carrot Juice

CarrotsThis carrot juice is a lovely drink at any time of day and try it as an alternative to milk in muesli or porridge.  As ever carrot juice is the best shade of orange juice can be and of course seriously rich in nutrients.  The subtle hint of pineapple and ginger turns it into something very special.

Ingredients:

  • Loads of carrots (you can include the stalks)
  • A small to medium amount apples
  • A small amount of pineapple
  • A peeled or partially peeled lemon
  • A good lump of fresh ginger

Juice and enjoy.

 

Better Beetroot Juice

Striped beetroot, variety chioggiaThis is so good you can serve it as an aperitif.

Not everyone loves beetroot juice but this can help give you a taste for it.  To make beetroot juice irresistible to even confirmed beetroot-haters, start with white, orange or striped beetroot as they are less intensely beetroot-y but still have lots of beetroot goodness.  it’s a great way to get used to beetroot and for those who already love beetroot this makes it even better.

This is smooth, rich, bright, fruity, fragrant, earthy and wonderfully smooth.I always hated beetroot as a child but now  I LOVE beetroot juice!

If you don’t have all the ingredients just use the ones you do have.   Increase the ingredients you like and if you are getting a cold up the ginger – it works wonders.

Ingredients

  • Lots of raw unpeeled beetroot (traditional red, striped, white or orange) if they still have the stalks and leaves be sure to include them.
  • A small amount of whole apples
  • A similar amount oranges or mandarins – peeled or partially peeled
  • Some carrots
  • A small amount of parsnip
  • About the same or a tad more of Florence (bulb) fennel
  • And about half as much whole ginger root
  • A similar amount peeled or partially lemon

Juice it all together and enjoy – don’t forget to share it.

Unusual varieties of beetroot: orange, white and striped (chioggia)

 

Christmas Salad with Budwig Mayonnaise

This is really a sort of rough coleslaw made with Brussels Sprouts – as they are in season it’s a pity not to use them.

Ingredients

  • A good  small portion of raw Brussels Sprouts

A smaller portion of each of the following ingredients, 

  • LeekChou_de_Bruxelles_demi-nain_de_la_Halle_Vilmorin-Andrieux_1904
  • Celery
  • Onion
  • Apple
  • Carrot.

Mayonnaise ingredients

  • Quark
  • Cold-pressed linseed oil
  • Mustard
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice/apple cider vinegar
  • Dill pickles

Topping

Chopped Walnuts

Method

Finely sliced or grate all vegetables and place in a bowl.

Next make the Budwig mayonnaise from a portion of linseed oil quark cream by adding a dollop of your favourite seedy mustard, a crushed clove of garlic, a tablespoon chopped mini dill pickled cucumbers,  a good squeeze of lemon juice/ACV and enough fruit juice for taste (apple, parsnip and carrot is nice) and to make a soft mayonnaise consistency.

Then stir the mayonnaise into the salad and top with chopped herbs, walnuts and/or colourful fruit – pomegranate looks brilliant and is in season.

Top with chopped Walnuts