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Ras el Hanout is a spice mix from North Africa. It is similar to garam masala spice mix that is referred to in Indian cuisine. This is a traditional Arabic blend, common to Muslim and Sephardic cuisines. This blend is considered mainly a Moroccan mix, but is widely used in the North African region. It is very popular for those into Middle Eastern cooking. The Moroccan souks (spice merchants) are…
Who doesn’t like the sound of Bonfire Bacon Popovers? These are great when warm, and have such rich, smoky flavor from both the bacon and our Bonfire® Extra Bold Smoked Sea Salt — just don’t peek while they’re in the oven!
Enjoy another of our four SaltWorks Fall Recipe Contest runners-up: Bonfire® Bacon Popovers
by Harvey Morris
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Bonfire® Extra Bold Smoked Sea Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425° F (220°C). Generously butter a popover pan (or standard muffin tin with 12 cups), and set aside.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and let cool. Coarsely chop the bacon into small bacon bits and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, Bonfire® Extra Bold Smoked Sea Salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until well blended. Gently whisk in the flour mixture, followed by 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Gently fold in the crispy, chopped bacon. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared popover pan, filling about 3/4 full and dividing equally. Bake the popovers for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. The popovers should be crispy around the edges. Using a spatula, remove popovers from the pan and serve immediately.
Our bodies are dependent on small amounts of sodium to perform biological tasks. Specifically, sodium helps muscles and nerves work properly by assisting muscular contraction and transmission of nerve signals. It also helps regulate blood pressure and volume. MayoClinic.com reports having the proper amount of sodium in the body maintains an appropriate overall balance of bodily fluids. Sodium also helps sustain a regular blood pH level, an important indicator of health.
As previously mentioned, salt in small amounts is good for the body. The amount of sodium you should consume daily varies, however, based on a number of health factors.
Table salt is the most common dietary source and contains 40 percent sodium.
On average, one teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is the recommended maximum intake of sodium per healthy adult per day, according to government nutrition experts.
However, there are ways to get your sodium from means other than table salt. From a preparedness standpoint, salt can be found naturally in many different substances.
5 Naturally Occurring Salt Sources
1. Sea Water – Salt water on average carries about 35 grams of salt. 2 tablespoons of seawater is your recommended daily salt intake. You want to mix this with at least 1/3rd with fresh water before intake (or your body cannot absorb it properly due to the sodium concentration).
2. Blood. Ok, I’m not telling you to go vampire, but there are traces of salt in fresh blood. Those of you who are butchering your own meat can make blood sausage, a European specialty.
3. Fresh foods. That’s right, folks, some fresh foods that are nutrient dense also possess naturally occurring amounts of sodium. Although the vast majority of fruits and vegetables, in their natural state, do not contain high levels of sodium; there are a few exceptions. Some variety of beans are good sources of sodium. For example, 100 g of mung beans contain about 820 mg of sodium, whereas 60 g of garbanzo beans contains 850 mg of sodium.
Green leafy vegetables and roots naturally contain trace amounts of salt, as well. Some of the top contenders include Swiss chard, which contains about 158 mg per 1/2 cup; beet, collard, dandelion, mustard and turnip greens contain about 174 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup; artichoke hearts contain about 80 mg per 1/2 cup, while spinach contains about 80 mg per 1/2 cup. Some other vegetables moderate amounts of sodium are peanuts, lemons, celery.
Further, vegetables and roots that grow in salty ocean water, such as seaweed and sea kelp have natural salts, as well as, omega 3 and essential amino acids and other nutritional benefits.
4. Edible roots. Some roots, such as the root from the hickory three contain higher amounts of sodium. Parsley root is an exceptional root with moderate amounts of sodium. Further, red and gold beets contain around 65 mg of sodium per beet, and make a viable salt substitute. Similar to celery, potatoes have trace amounts of sodium as do carrots which possess 50 mg of sodium.
5. Mineral deposits – Many have discussed purchasing salt licks typically used for livestock to use for long term emergencies. Although they are cheap and contain 50 lbs. of compressed salt, there is some concern with this however, due to the binders in the salt lick. Further, salt licks contains additives such as selenium, magnesium, iodine and other mineral amounts that may not be safe for humans.
Naturally occurring salt deposits are often found near springs and streams. However, in many areas there are natural salt caverns.
source:
This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition
1 Start your bath water running. After all, what is a bath without water? Stick your finger into the water to test its warmth. Adjust the temperature of the water as you like, but make sure you don't make it too hot or cold.
3 Add the sea salt. Once you have an optimal amount of water in your tub, add the sea salt to the running water. Wait about 30 seconds for it to dissolve. While it will not dissolve all the way, it will dissolve so you won't see it.
4 Carefully sit into the water to prevent it from overfilling the bathtub. Lean your head back. If you want, turn on some music to pass the time.
5 Drain the tub. When finished, pull the plug on your water and sit up. Pat yourself dry with a towel.
6 Prepare to sleep after your bath. To extend your comfort, put on a bathrobe and lie down in bed with a good book until you fall asleep.
Warnings
Do not bring any electronic devices with you into the tub! You can get electrocuted!
Without salt, your muscles would not function, your ability to think would be impaired, your memory would fail and your heart would stop beating. Little wonder then that ancient civilisations believed that salt was as valuable as gold.
And yet today salt is on every food fadist’s ‘most hated’ list. So much so that, ironically, as we have sought to reduce salt levels of our diet, we have allowed the unchecked rise of another food flavouring which is arguably much more damaging –sugar. Indeed the weight of research implicating excess sugar in the development of chronic disease is much more convincing than that of salt.
Hype-rtension
The biggest worry from a health perspective is that too much salt could lead to high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is responsible for many cardiovascular diseases that are the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. High salt intake has long been considered a risk factor, but not every type of high blood pressure is associated with high salt intake.
The relationship between dietary salt intake and the development of hypertension, however, has been the subject of decades of lengthy and passionate debate.
So wide are the variations in our responses to salt that researchers have been forced to create subcategories – “sensitivity,” “nonsensitivity,” “resistance,” and even “counterregulation” – to explain them.
Because of this it is estimated that, overall, if all of us cut our salt use in half about 30% of the population would experience a slight drop (2-6 mm) in systolic blood pressure, while about 20% will see a similar increase in blood pressure, and the remaining 50% of the population will show no change at all.
Beyond the kidneys
Excess salt has long been implicated in water retention and this imbalance of fluids in the body is believed to be a contributing factor for high blood pressure. For this reason we have long believed that the decisive factor is the kidneys. Our kidneys regulate how much water is retained in the body and how much is excreted and in this way help to regulate blood volume and therefore blood pressure.
However, an interesting new study by US researchers, presented ahead of publication at a recent Molecular Medicine conference in Berlin on September 7, has shed new light on the issue.
The researchers aimed to find out why excess salt intake doesn’t always produce high blood pressure. What they found was that the body’s reaction to salt is more holistic than we could ever imagine.
When our sodium levels exceed what the body needs, the excess can be stored in the connective tissue of the skin. According to the researchers, the sodium concentration can be higher in the skin than in blood. This means the kidneys are not the only body system involved in regulating sodium balance.
An immune response
The immune system plays an important role in this mechanism. A specific type of immune cells, the macrophages – literally “big eaters” in Greek – recognise high sodium levels in the skin.
They subsequently activate a gene that in turn ensures that a substance called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-C) is released in large amounts into the skin.
VEGF-C controls the growth of lymphatic vessels that transport fluid and sodium. If this factor is released in higher amounts, lymphatic vessels grow into the skin and ensure that the stored sodium can be transported away again.
The discovery of what is called a ‘nonosmotic’ regulatory system within the body for salt is not new and it begs the question of why we continue to beat the same old drums, and spend untold millions on research and salt restriction campaigns rather than tackling the obvious question: If salt isn’t the cause of hypertension – what is?
Rethinking salt
Clearly we need some salt in our diets to remain healthy. This raises the question of whether the body might recognise some forms of salt as healthier than others, something that has received scant attention by science.
There are three basic types of salt most of us can buy – standard table salt, sea salt and rock salt – and within these three categories there are numerous variations in terms of source and chemical make-up.
It may be helpful to think of salt in the same way you think might think of of sugar. Refined sugar contains none of the trace elements (very low levels of both essential and non-essential minerals) and cofactors necessary for health that unrefined sugar does. These trace elements and cofactors are also useful in helping the body metabolise sugar better. Without them sugar is just calories.
Unrefined salts, whether mined from the earth or harvested from the sea, contain a broad spectrum of trace elements, often in the same balance as are found in human blood. These include magnesium and potassium, necessary for health and which help the body metabolise the sodium better.
Indeed, potassium and magnesium work synergistically with sodium to regulate water balance and nerve and muscle impulses. The more sodium you eat, the more potassium and magnesium – generally found in abundance in fresh fruits and vegetables – you need to maintain balance. Few of us get enough of these elements in our diets, yet we continue to consume high amounts of sodium via salt.
Unnecessary additives
Refined, industrial grade table salt, on the other hand, has had all of these trace elements removed. It is pure sodium chloride, with an anti-caking agent and, in some cases, iodine added in.
If the concept of table salt as an industrial product is startling, consider that like so many of the food products we use, the popular form that ends up in the marketplace depends on what is most profitable for industry.
Currently, only around 7% of the salt produced globally goes for food; the other 93% goes to industry, which requires chemically pure sodium chloride for the manufacture of explosives, chlorine gas, baking soda, fertilisers and plastics.
Enforced medication
The addition of iodine to table salt is a real problem and makes the ‘simple’ table salt so many of us rely on little more than a poison.
In 1995 the World Health Assembly adopted the concept of universal salt iodisation (USI) – adding iodine to salt for human and livestock consumption – in order to eliminate iodine deficiency disease (IDD) and related disorders such as goitre, cretinism, myxedema in adults and neurological disorders in children. As a result countries around the world routinely require all salt to contain added iodine (apart from kosher salt, which contains no additives).
The problem is that iodising salt is a crude form of prevention more appropriate for those living in conditions of famine. People eating a relatively well-balanced diet are not at risk of iodine deficiency because iodine is widely available in sea fish, shellfish, eggs, cereal grains, legumes and dairy products (in fact raw milk is richer in iodine, pasteurisation destroys around 20% of milk’s iodine content). Certain food additives also contain iodine.
Iodine overload
But there are also hidden sources of iodine that mean most of us get too much. These include cough expectorants, antiseptics, certain drugs such as sulphonamide, lithium, dopamine, steroids, aspirin and certain heart and antidiabetic drugs. Natural supplements such as kelp and seaweed also contain high levels of iodine.
Enforced medication with iodised salt adds greatly to our iodine intake, and as a result people in the West are more at risk of iodine overload. As much as 75% of the body’s iodine is stored in the thyroid gland and is used for the production of hormones that regulate metabolism. Too much iodine and levels of these hormones can become dangerously unbalanced, leading to metabolic as well as immune disorders.
In Galicia, in Northwest Spain, where iodised salt is mandatory, there is an abnormally high incidence of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), particularly among women.
In Japan and the US, where intake of iodised salt is highest, the problems of too much iodine are responsible for health problems such as including thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid) and hyperthyroidism which can, ironically, produce increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) as well as excessive sweating, hand tremors (shakiness), nervousness and anxiety, and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
Salt of many colours
As with everything you put in your body, it is worth paying greater attention to our salt choices.
Better choices include mined or rock salt and sea salt – as long as they are unrefined. The labels on salt packaging aren’t always clear in this regard. If you look at the ingredients and the only thing on it is sodium chloride, however, then you know that your so-called ‘healthy’ natural salt is just as refined as regular salt.
Unrefined salt is generally not the pure white colour that most of us are used to; it tends to be off-white, or pink – like the rose-coloured crystals of Himalayan rock salt, for instance – or grey as in Atlantic or Celtic salt. Some sea salts also take on unique tints from the clay pans in which they crystallise, the colours hint at the minerals within. In fact, genuinely unrefined rock salt can contain more than 90 different trace elements.
Unrefined salt without an added anti-caking agent also tends to clump over time as it absorbs moisture from the air – so it can‘t be put in dainty salt-shaker. But its chemical make-up is far more balanced than that of industrial salt, though, and some nutritionists believe it is as healing for our bodies as table salt is damaging, though there is a frustrating paucity of research to back this up.
The advice for anyone in a salt dilemma is simple: ‘bad’ salt is bad for you – and too much of any one thing in the diet can cause serious nutritional and chemical imbalances. So when choosing, opt for an unrefined salt, and use it only occasionally as a seasoning.
How much salt?
According to the UK dietary guidelines a target daily intake of salt is:
0 – 12 mths – less than 1g per day
1 to 3 years – 2g perday
4 to 6 years – 3g per day
7 to 10 years – 5g per day
11 and over – 6g per day
The recommended upper level of 6g of salt daily is equivalent to approximately 1 teaspoon; most adults consume around 8-10g of salt (appx 2 teaspoons) daily without ever realising it. As much as 75% of a person’s dietary intake of salt comes from processed food such as bread, breakfast cereals and pastry products, and manufacturers have been slow to reduce salt in their products or to make their labelling clear.
For instance, most food labels do not show how much salt is in a product – and most of us don’t know how to make sense of the information that is there.
When information is provided, it is often listed as ‘sodium’, which must be multiplied by 2.5 to give the amount of actual salt, although some manufacturers now list the ‘salt equivalent’ and relate this to guideline daily intakes for adults.
If you want to cut down on your salt intake:
Don’t automatically add salt at the table. Taste your food first and make an conscious decision to salt – or not.
Stop eating preprepared meals and snacks. These are by far and away the greatest source of hidden salt in our diets.
Be aware also of what you are eating from day to day. A range of foods, such as smoked meat and fish, are naturally salty, so you don’t need to add more.
When you cook gradually lower the amount of salt each time you cook, so your palette eventually gets used to less. Eventually you will have weaned yourself off the taste for highly salty foods.
You can also pep up the flavour of a meal by using herbs and spices (garlic, ginger, lemon grass and so on) creatively.
Staple foods like rice and pasta don’t need extra salt, especially if you’re going to eat your meal with a meat or cheese sauce that will already naturally contain some salt.
Natural Health News — Scientists have found a simple way to ease the agony of arthritis – soaking in a bath of salt water. New research suggests that a bath using bath salts can help relieve the pain of arthritis.
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that a hypertonic solution, that is a solution with an elevated concentration of salt, can ease inflammation purely through bathing in it – proving the Victorians were right to visit spa towns to “take the waters” for ailments like rheumatoid arthritis.
They say that their findings could revolutionise arthritis treatment because even ordinary table salt in high concentrations as found to be effective and, unlike conventional drugs, produces no worrying side-effects.
The salt water dehydrates inflamed cells in the body, reducing swelling. The treatment was found to be successful through injection into the body, absorption through the skin via bandages soaked in saline or bathing.
This study published in the journal Immunity used mice to test the benefits of salt on arthritis. However human studies have found similar results.
Benefits of balneotherapy
Balneotherapy is an traditional treatment that involved bathing in mineral rich waters. A great deal of study stretching back a long way, shows it can be particularly useful for arthritis suffers.
In 1990, Dead Sea bath salts produced significant improvement in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Another in 1995 showed similar improvements for osteoarthritis of the knee.
More recently in 2009 a study of 44 people investigated the effects of balneotherapy at a Dead Sea spa. There was a statistically significant improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis found a statistically significant improvement, lasting up to 6 months, in those who bathed, even intermittently, in natural hot springs.
In 2010 another small study found that twice daily salt baths over a period of two weeks improved the gait of people with osteoarthritis of the knee.
A simple cure
Recent figures suggest there are more than 10 million people in the UK suffering from arthritis, which causes crippling pain and inflammation within a joint. At present there is no cure for arthritis but there are a number of treatments, usually drugs, that are used slow down the progress of the condition.
What the current study suggests is that sufferers don’t have to travel too far or spend too much money to get genuine relief. While the researchers noted that table salt was effective, its worth seeking out good quality bath salts, usually derived form mineral rich sea salt, as these may have extra benefits. Indeed the waters at balneotherapy spas are usually rich in sodium but also sulphur, selenium and silica – all found in higher levels in unprocessed sea salts.
Salt Water Therapy: An Ancient and Pocket Friendly Path to Tranquility and Well-being…
Here is an interesting article by Lisa Irish from the Disfunkhion Mag.
Therapy comes in all sorts of packages and is good for the mind, the body, and the soul. Sea Salt in all of its simplicity is more than just a seasoning, but historically a very powerful and therapeutic substance. Popular and pricey at Spas, a rejuvenating Salt Water Bath is at your fingertips, but it’s more affordable to do at home.
Salt Water Therapy, the combination of sea salts and water, provides a medium for deep relaxation and is the basis of numerous therapeutic treatments administered at spas, ayurvedic, and holistic centers. Sports Therapy clinics use Hydrotherapy Baths to help clients recover from joint and muscle injuries. Dermatologists recommend Dead Sea Salt baths for patients with psoriasis, eczema, and other dry skin conditions. Estheticians emphasize the cleansing properties of a sea salt bath and salt scrubs to clean the pores and detoxify the body.
A SWAT assists in the rejuvenation of cells and induces a healthy exchange of minerals and toxins between the body and the warm sea salt bath water. Minerals such as magnesium and potassium are drawn from the warm sea salt bath into the body, while toxins are actively drawn out for elimination. Mineral rich Sea Salts are recommended for SWATs, as opposed to rock salt or common salt (sodium chloride), which are depleted of nourishing minerals. Therapeutic effects of salt from the Dead Sea have been renowned and praised for centuries. It is unique in comparison to other sea salts because of its high concentration of salt (27% as opposed to 3% in normal sea water), and the composition of the brine is also unique. While sodium accounts for approximately 80% of the salt content in normal seawater, it comprises much less of the salt from the Dead Sea. The balance of the salts are magnesium, potassium, calcium chloride, and bromides. These minerals are an important element in the therapeutic process. Sodium is important for lymphatic fluid balance. Magnesium combats stress and fluid retention, slows skin aging, and calms the nervous system. Potassium energizes the body, balances skin moisture, and is a crucial mineral to replenish after intense exercise. Calcium prevents water retention, and increases circulation while strengthening bones and nails. Bromides help ease muscle stiffness and relax them. Dead Sea Salt can be obtained online, but is a bit pricy at around $14.00 for a 5 lb. bag ($2.80 / lb.) prior to shipping and handling.
Epsom Salt, a wonderful alternative to higher priced sea salts, contains magnesium sulfate which helps alleviate pain from muscle aches, sprains, and bruises. Readily available, a 4 lb. carton will cost around $3.00 ($.75 / lb. landed) at your local drug store. To initiate a SWAT, add 1 – 2 cups of Sea Salt or Epsom Salt to your bathtub. Optionally, add a few drops of an essential oil (highly concentrated distilled plant extracts) such as Lavender for additional relaxing aromatherapy benefits. Fill the tub with LUKEWARM water to dissolve the salts. Of note is the temperature of the bath water. It is recommended to use lukewarm water, or water that is about 2 degrees warmer than body temperature. Hot bath water will cause the skin to eliminate rather than absorb (think Heat=Perspiration), thereby inhibiting the absorption of therapeutic minerals from the bath water. Turn on relaxing music, dim the lights, and light a few candles, sink in and soak for 20 – 30 minutes. Pat dry when finished, and wrap yourself in a warm robe. You’ll feel like a million bucks, for just a little more than three.
As always, talk to your doctor before using SWAT if you have any pre-existing conditions such as; kidney disease, being on a magnesium or sodium restricted diet, you are pregnant or taking prescription drugs. Because salts actively draw fluid out of the body, please be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after any SWAT.
Roasted Trout with Smoked Salt and Fresh Woody Herbs
Using smoked salt instead of regular sea salt imparts a delicate, aromatic smoked flavor without the burnt char or stickiness of the grill.
INGREDIENTS
4 fillets trout
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
Yakima Smoked salt
4 teaspoons, plus 4 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat your broiler to 260 C
Coat each fillet of trout with 1 teaspoon each of olive oil. Season liberally with smoked salt. Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Cover the fillets with a blanket of twigs of rosemary and thyme. Drizzle each fillet with another 1 teaspoon per fillet, moistening the herbs so they don’t burn up in the oven.
Broil for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is firm, opaque, and flaky, with golden edges.
This recipe was created especially for The Salt Box.
A natural choice for this salt is to match it with mushrooms. It also sits well with fresh cheese dishes - goats curd, mascarpone, buffalo mozzarella, and ricotta as used here. You might incorporate these cheeses and the salt into pasta dishes and risotto.
INGREDIENTS to serve 4
For the baked ricotta
500 grams full fat ricotta cheese
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
zest of 1 lemon
small pinch of Wild Porcini Sea Salt
fleur de sel
white pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano
fruity olive oil, to drizzle
For the baked field mushrooms
4 large field mushrooms, stalks removed
a few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
balsamic vinegar and olive oil, to drizzle
For the enoki salad
bunch of enoki mushrooms
fleur de sel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line the bottom of 4 small oven-safe ramekins (approx. 200 ml capacity each) with baking paper. You could also bake this in non-stick muffin tins.
Mix the ricotta with the egg whites, add lemon zest and season with salts and ground white pepper. Then add the Parmigiano. Place the mix into the baking dishes and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until the ricotta is just set. Let cool then remove from moulds by running a knife around the edges.
Meanwhile, place the field mushrooms in a baking tray, gills up. Season with salt and a pinch of thyme leaves.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil then backe at 180C for 12-15 minutes.
To prepare the enoki, cut the bottom inch from the bunch to remove the fibrous section. Carefully break apart and separate the mushrooms. Season with fleur de sel, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix lightly.
TO SERVE:
Place each roasted field mushroom on a serving plate, top with baked ricotta and drizzle with olive oil. Place the enoki salad on the ricotta then finish with a little Wild Porcini salt. Garnish with some washed bitter leaves, inner celery leaves, mizuna, mustard or rocket leaves. Add a final drizzle of olive oil and serve.
View the video for the steps to create this delicious mushroom and baked ricotta entree that's sure to impress:
