Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.
Topic of the day: a life without preservatives.
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1. Not sure if you are aware of this, but if you live in the U.S. it’s hard to thrive without preservatives. Before I go any further, I want to be clear and state that my diet is not completely devoid of preservatives, but I do have to make an effort to reduce or eliminate them I can. Still, there are times when a few preservatives isn’t a bad thing. Like it or not, I’ve been recruited to the whole food community, though I admit that I’m not a full fledge member just yet.
2. I recently enjoyed a meal with a storebought sausage and didn’t get sick. I know, that doesn’t seem too odd, unless you consider that the last time, I ate a storebought sausage got sick for two days. When I can find a storebought sausage without nitrate or problematic ingredients in it, I stock up and freeze it. Outside of that, I’ve gotten into the practice of making my own sausage. I currently make a chicken, turkey and pork, and a turkey and beef blend. The chicken sausage is sweet, the turkey and beef blend is mild, and the turkey or pork blend is spicy. I am currently working a spicy blend without pork since I’m reducing my overall fat and pork intake.
3. There are a few other things I’m make from scratch to support my budget and increase flavor that just happen to also be healthier, such as dried beans from scratch. Because I’m making all these whole foods from scratch and not using chemicals preserves, I’ve been freezing things to give them a longer shelf life. When applicable, I do use natural preservative such as vinegar and salt, but I can’t use a lot of those because I have to be weary of hypertension and my acid sensitivity. The amount of salt and or vinegar usually needed to properly preserve something, is more than I can handle, so freezer space has become a hot commodity in my home.
Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Chicken Sausage & Black Bean Omelet.
Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Slice homemade chicken sausage, beat two eggs, and gather other ingredients.
2. Lightly oil a pan and brown the sausage to your liking. Then set aside.
3. Add precooked and seasoned black beans to the pan and pour over beaten eggs.
4. Add cheese to the egg, I use a homemade non-dairy sauce.
5. Fold the eggs once set and plate next to the sausage.
6. I served this with my Chutney Verde and a side of Honey Dew Melon, you could use salas or some other embellishment.
Question: Have you ever cooked dry beans from scratch? I’d love to know.
If you, or someone you know, has a health or food journey story or recipe you think others might benefit from, please check my Be Featured links on social media, and share your story in the way that suits you best.
Until next time, stay safe, eat well, and be blessed.
Credits
Knauthentic Season 1, Episode 24.
Starring Toi Thomas.
Featuring no one else at this time.
Topics discussed: Dried Beans, Homemade Sausage, No nitrates or preservatives
Produced by Toi Thomas in association with The ToiBox of Words and Lit Carnivale.
Directed by Toinette “Toi” Thomas.
Thanks again to the Knauthentic community on Substack, YouTube, and wherever you can hear this podcast. This is all for you!
