Hey Kombucha Brooklyn! What do I do with all of the freakin’ SCOBYs I’m making brewing my own ‘buch at home?
Answer : There are so many things you can do with them. They make awesome compost fodder. You can dehydrate them and make SCOBY clothes! ORRRRR YOU CAN EAT THEM!
What?!*?!
That’s right. Eat ‘em up yum. They are super probiotic cellulose patties. Cellulose is the structural component of the cell walls of green plants and many algaes so you are already eating a ton of it anyway. One of the main microbes in kombucha, Gluconacetobacter xylinus, makes most of cellulose in the SCOBY while they are busy turning the alcohol made by the yeast into acetic acid. TMI? We think not.
So here we present to you an easy and super healthy recipe for your first venture into eating your super tasty, super probiotic SCOBY.
Quinoa Pilaf with SCOBY and Roasted Root Vegetables
Quinoa! Can you say it? Keen-wah! It’s delicious. It’s nutritious. It’s filling lots of niches….in MY BELLY!
Quinoa was domesticated by Andean farmers in what has come to be known as Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru over 3000 years ago. Have you seen them? They are cute cute cute! AND they pack a wollop of a nutritional punch. Not much vegetable matter can boast containing essential amino acids (the kind your body DOES NOT make and relies upon food to directly supply) but quinoa does, in fact, contain such nutrients. It’s great for die-hard veg-heads who really need those complete protein packages. It’s also great for meat-heads who require all that protein on their nights off from meat. Here's a bucolilc scene of red quinoa growing peacefully in the sun:
Yield : 4 (1/2 cup) servings
Ingredients:
1 small beet
1 medium carrot
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons EVOO
1/2 c red quinoa
Salt
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced Kombucha SCOBY
2 teaspoon Kombucha Vinegar
Pepper
3 basil leaves, finely shredded
¼ cup almond slices, toasted in a pan until aromatic
Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Clean, peel and dice the beet and carrot. Toss in 1 tablespoon of EVOO with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. When oven is heated, roast the vegetables for 12-15 minutes turning once. Test with a fork for doneness.
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add quinoa, reduce to simmer and cook until all water is absorbed, 15- 20 mins. Toss quinoa with a fork occasionally and allow it to cool to a temperature that you can comfortably eat before proceeding. Cool it down before adding the SCOBY so that you don’t kill the yummy probiotics in the SCOBY!
- With a fork, toss roasted vegetables and all other ingredients except the basil into the Quinoa.
- Add the basil just before serving either tossed in or as a garnish.
- Serve immediately after preparation or chilled.
Copyright © Eric Childs and Jessica Childs. All rights reserved.
