Sauerkraut & Black Bean Pasta

Skipper is ready for fall, the poor guy has been aggressively trying to stay cool in his cooling hammock bed.

You’d think he’d be much cooler after how much fur he’s shed this summer! Miko, on the other hand, is happy to snuggle in a warm blanket anytime of the year.

We finally tried out the TSM Fermentation Pot hubby got me for my birthday on a simple sauerkraut recipe. Basically load the pot with shredded cabbage and boiled and cooled salt water.

Fully submerge the cabbage in the liquid using TSM’s stone weights.

Add the salt water.

And wait for 2-3 weeks while refilling the water seal around the lid daily.

We opted for 2 weeks on this batch for milder sauerkraut and it looked a lot like sauerkraut when finished!

At first taste, it seemed mild and not very tangy, but good. After storing the sauerkraut in the fridge overnight in a jar, the flavor got much stronger and tangier and very good! I mixed it into a simple salad with a ginger hemp dressing.

And it added a tangy, zingy flavor as well as great source of probiotics. I’m thrilled with how the first batch came out and looking forward to trying more recipes.

I also tried Explore Asia’s Organic Black Bean Spaghetti this week which wasn’t super cheap from Amazon, but worth it.

It’s vegan, gluten-free, has a super simple ingredient list of organic black beans and water, and is loaded with protein – 25 grams per serving!

It also cooks like traditional pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes or so.

I tossed it with a simple and chunky raw marinara sauce.

And topped with nutritional yeast of course.

I really liked it, the noodles are a little heartier and chewy compared to pasta, more of a protein texture. But they’re tasty and held up well to cooking. They would also pair well with curry sauces or a nut/seed nacho sauce for a little fusion. Hubby did not dig the texture, he’s more of a traditional pasta only guy. But thumbs up from me, a great alternative for anyone on a low-carb diet, gluten-free diet, and vegans looking to sneak in more protein.