Stevia: The Miracle Sweetener & How to Use it!

Dried Stevia

"What if there were a natural sweetener that:

Was 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, with minimal aftertaste
Had no calories
Was suitable for diabetics
Appropriate for children
Did not cause cavities
Was heat stable and thus could be used for cooking and baking
Was a great alternative to synthetic sweeteners
Easily blended with other sweeteners, such as honey
And already widely and safely consumed in many countries around the world for decades.

Well, this remarkable, no-calorie sweetener called Stevia is, unfortunately, not a household name. It should be... With the availability of Stevia, there seems to be little reason to use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin."

Humans have used Stevia for centuries with no known side effects. The Japanese and others have been using it commercially to sweeten their treats for decades.  People who have little tolerance for sugar or other sweeteners can use Stevia leaf or Stevia extract. Studies suggest that Stevia has a regulating effect on the pancreas and could help stabilize blood sugar levels in the body, due possibly to its Chromium component, therefore making Stevia a better choice for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia, and those prone to Candida. Traditionally Stevia is indicated as a cardiotonic, anti-gas, and for obesity. Stevia is also used to reduce acidity (heart burn), hypertension, and to lower uric acid levels. Research suggest that Stevia will fight bacteria in the mouth. The sweetening power of Stevia extract is estimated to be 300 times that of sugar. Both leaf and extract may be used in cooking.
　
Diabetes and Hypoglycemia
Scientific research has indicated that Stevia regulates blood sugar levels, bringing it to a normal balance.

Weight Management
Stevia contains 0 calories, making it the ideal sweetener for any weight loss or weight management diets.

Cardiovascular
Studies have also shown that Stevia works as a cardiovascular tonic, lowering high blood pressure.

Bacteria
Stevia inhibits the growth and reproduction of bacteria and other infectious organisms like those that cause colds, flu and dental caries.

Skin care
Applied as a face mask, Stevia smoothes out wrinkles and is effective in healing acne and in treating seborrhea, eczema and dermatitis.

Digestion
Taken as an herbal tea, Stevia improves digestion and gastrointestinal functions and effectively soothes upset stomachs.

Raw Leaf vs. Extract

I have the fresh leaf in my garden, which of course is the cheapest to use.  However, the fresh leaf can't be substituted directly in recipes that require sugar.  I can dry it in the winter, and then powder it, of course, which is still far cheaper than the prepared forms in the health food stores.  Those have a purpose, though, too.  They are standardized, fully prepared and completely water soluble, so it might be worth paying the premium to know exactly how much you need, and not to have to filter all those darn leaves.  Easier to carry around with you to use during the day, too.

So be careful in the recipes below!  Keep in mind which concentration level of the stevia you are using is.  Raw form is of course far less powerful than extract, but the price certainly compensates for that...

Recipes and Suggestions for Use:

For teas, infuse the raw fresh or dried herb as usual in with your other black or herbal leaves.  No need for additional sweetener!

When substituting and experimenting with your stevia in cooking and baking, remember that it has no calories, so it doesn't provide the nutrients needed for rising yeast, for example. The raw or dried leaves can be made into an infusion, filtered, and directly included as the liquid component in recipes using water or milk for most purposes, though. It's far cheaper than the concentrated health food store version, if a bit more of a bother.
How to make herbal infusions:

Get inventive, and send us some of your suggestions!

Easy Ginger Ale

YIELD: 8-OUNCE SERVING

3 ounces ginger syrup (see below)
5 ounces sparkling mineral water
ice cubes

Pour the syrup into a 10-ounce glass and add the ice cubes. Slowly add the sparkling water. Stir and serve. 

Homemade Ginger SyrupYIELD: APPROXIMATELY 4 CUPS

With minimum effort, you can make this flavorful stevia-sweetened syrup to have on hand whenever you're in the mood for a refreshing glass of sparkling ginger ale.

4 cups water
4-or 5-inch piece fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon white Stevia powder
2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
1 tablespoon lemon extract

Peel and finely chop the ginger. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and Stevia, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a heat proof container, and stir in the vanilla and lemon. Covered and refrigerated, this syrup will keep for several days.


Flourless/Sugarless Chocolate Cake (non-vegan)
Ingredients:
14 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS. unsalted butter
10 egg yolks
1 tsp. Stevia
1 TBS. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
10 egg whites
1/2 tsp. Stevia
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Instructions:

Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler, or in microwave. Set aside to cool slightly. Beat yolks and the Stevia until smooth; stir in vanilla and lemon juice. Blend in chocolate mixture. Beat egg whites in large mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 tsp. Stevia, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir 1 cup whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into a 10 or 12-inch pan which has been greased and floured and lined with wax paper. Bake in a preheated over at 250 F for 2 1/2 hours. Cool COMPLETELY on a rack before removing from pan. Serve with whipped cream.


Grandma’s Apple Pie
Yields a 9 inch pie

Pastry for a 9 inch, 2 crust pie
6 cups peeled and thinly sliced pie apples
1 or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Stevia Extract Powder
2 to 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of cloves or allspice
2 tablespoons butter

Fit bottom pastry into a pie dish. In a large mixing bowl sprinkle lemon juice over apples and stir to mix. Using a cup or small bowl stir together Stevia, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves or allspice. Sprinkle spice mixture over apples and carefully stir to coat apples. Pile apples into crust. Dot with butter.

With water, moisten the outer rim of the lower crust. Place upper crust on pie and crimp edges together. Slit top of pie to allow steam to escape. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Aluminum foil can be placed over the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Cool on a rack, cover and leave at room temperature overnight or refrigerate if you like. This pie is delicious at any temperature.


Pesto SauceYields 1 cup sauce

This unique herbal sauce freezes well for later use. Goes on sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes or by itself on bread or crackers.

1/2 cup parsley leaves, stems removed
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil (olive oil if you prefer)
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Green Stevia Powder
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or Parmesan style soy cheese

Process in a blender the parsley, garlic, oil, salt and Stevia. Push down the sauce with a rubber spatula as needed. Add remaining ingredients and blend. The sauce need not be entirely smooth. Refrigerate in a covered jar.


Stevia face masque/ Stevia liquid
Ingredients:

Green Stevia powder

Instructions:

Brew like tea. Mix residue with extra virgin olive oil. I keep it in the fridge. When this is smoothed on the skin, it is like a cool breeze blowing on your face. Let it dry. When it has dried, rinse off. Your face will feel sooooo smooth and soft. Took 5 years off my face, even a friend noticed how relaxed I looked!! Nothing like "recycling" your Stevia leaf. Extra paste can also be stored in the fridge for two or three days.


Lemon Ice Cream Sweet cream with a lemon zing.Yields 6 servings

1/2 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder OR 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Green Stevia Powder
1 cup milk, skim or whole
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine Stevia, milk, and cream in a small, deep mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve Stevia. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 or 2 hours until solid around the edges.

Remove from freezer. Add lemon juice and extract. Beat thoroughly and replace the plastic wrap. Return to freezer.

After 2 hours beat again. Freeze some more until consistency is firm but still soft enough to dip. This entire process requires about 6 hours and very little effort.

For leftovers, remove from freezer about 1/2 hour before serving to allow for softening. Whip again if desired.

Variations:

The amount of Stevia and lemon extract can be varied according to taste. Equal amounts of lemon extract and vanilla extract can be use.

Vegan: In place of dairy milk use soy milk.

Vegan Noggin
2 10 oz pkgs. silken tofu
16 oz vanilla soymilk
1 TBS. plus 1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 to 1 cup brandy or rum
nutmeg to taste

Combine everything except nutmeg in blender; blend 'til smooth. Serve chilled and dusted with nutmeg.

Chinese Fried Rice - A Step by Step Photo Guide - Recipes: Organic & Vegetarian

I'm often asked what "you people" eat when the subject of diet comes up. Not that I usually bring it up myself, mainly because of questions like that...

Cookery is the homier dance partner of Still Room work and a vital component of what we teach. Most of our research and experiments in reClaiming appropriate technology focus on ancient and medieval European writings and practices. However, trying to reCreate the diet can be problematic. Most of the writings focus on specialty items, feast days, high caste foods and other unusual or rare dishes. Though the European settlers were mostly peasants, the current standard North American diet is no help, either in reCreating diets of the past or an evolution of the future. It's largely a corruption of the meat intensive "rich man's" food, coveted by the non-Native peasantry that ended up here, altered by poverty as well the traditional native foods found in their new home. It's high fat, high salt, low quality, limited variety, and mismatched combinations are one of the primary sources of illness in this culture. To be healthy and to encourage health, the cornerstone must be diet. Studies have shown that the best way to achieve that is proper knowledge and practice of cookery. Although we do attempt authentic medieval dishes, there are much more available traditional sources to draw upon in our day-to-day living. As part of the Global Peasant movement, we specialize in traditional peasant cuisine from around the world. Traditional peasant foods are tasty, incredibly inexpensive, and can usually have most ingredients locally sourced. They are traditionally organic and much more nutritious. Traditional foods from mature cuisines have also been time-tested sometimes for thousands of years with the correct and appropriate food pairings - combining the proper proteins, carbohydrates, and other best nutrition factors. In most parts of the world, peasants do not have access to large amounts of meat, as it is usually a higher caste or price item, and therefore most peasant cookery is intrinsically vegetarian. They usually require less cooking time or prep from limited fuel supplies, and so have less vitamin degradation than more longer cooking dishes. It has very little, if any, waste. Cooking as a Global Peasant is therefore one of the healthiest, cheapest, easiest, and most eco-friendly practices available.

I have been focusing on specific Chinese and Indian regions for the past few years. To ensure proper food combinations, I never mix cuisines in any one meal, unless it's a traditional fusion. Like Indian/Chinese! Which I now have to study up on...

Here's one of the dishes we enjoy regularly. It's incredibly simple and can easily be converted to a vegan version. It makes use of pre-cooked rice from previous meals, as well as pre-cut veggies from others, so it's non-wasteful and budget-stretching.


Chinese Fried Rice

This is such an easy dish!  If you have rice in the freezer, and choose to microwave it to defrost, it can take you about 7 min. start to finish to build this tasty, nutritious creation! Less if you have some cut, raw veggies sitting around...

Like many Chinese dishes, many of the ingredients are cooked separately, and then combined just before finishing. According to Jeff Smith in The Frugal Gourmet Cooks in Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome , "in order to bring each food product in a particular dish to its own point of fulfillment, you must cook several ingredients separately, and then join them together in the wok at the last moment. In this way you have contrast in both flavor and texture, all in the same dish."

I use a small carbon steel wok for this. It's just the right size, imparts some iron, is highly efficient, and needs very little oil to cook with.  One of the perfect Global Peasant cooking tools!  I use my wok for everything.  A small wok is one of the best kitchen investments you will ever make, if you don't have one already...

Don't forget to use a high heat cooking oil, like peanut, walnut, sunflower, or safflower.  Soy oil won't cut it, since it is completely non-nutritive.  Canola tastes weird, even when organic, and olive should never be cooked, as it degrades into transfats so quickly.

2-3 cups previously cooked rice, defrosted or partly dried
 
I use organic Jasmine rice with nearly all of my Chinese meals. The flavour is incomparable with any other type of Western or conventionally grown rice, as well as being more nutritious and eco-friendly. I usually steam extra for a meal, and put any we don't eat into the freezer. It's vital to this recipe that the rice sit overnight or is left in the freezer to dry out a bit. Wet or fresh rice will clump and not come out right.

1-2 fresh eggs

Feel free to leave these out if you are feeling vegany. I know that eggs often revolt me, but personally, this dish seems a bit incomplete without them. I haven't tried substituting tofu, though...  Again, organic, local eggs are the clear choice for so many reasons, not the least of which is that they are safer and healthier. The chickens are not constantly exposed to broad spectrum antibiotics, and organic eggs are seven times less likely to contain salmonella.

Start by cooking the eggs. Use very little oil.  I find too much makes the eggs a bit greasy. Stir fry. The effect you are looking for is a bit like scrambled eggs. Set aside.

frozen or fresh peas

I find peas to be integral to the dish. I can't even make it without them. If they are frozen, I put them in first for a minute or so. Then the remainder of the veggies. It's the only time I cut up carrots like those little cubed frozen ones. It's more fun, and rather like the take-out style. Same with the mushrooms, and sometimes the peppers. Onions, scallions, whatever you like! I often use pre-cut veggies from a previous meal, say from tacos or falafel. Anything we didn't use gets saved for a day or two, and goes into fried rice or omelets.

Veggies should be about the same size, for ease of cooking time and for the look of the dish.

This is the time to sprinkle in your seasonings.  Salt, pepper, and maybe some five-spice powder, fennel or anise. After a few minutes of cooking, set aside on the same plate as the eggs.
 

Defrosted jasmine rice in wok

Time for the rice!


Make sure it's pretty well thawed, and stir fry with a bit of oil to remove any clumps.  Add the soy sauce or tamari.  Again, only organic is recommended, since it is made with non-GMO soybeans, which should be avoided.  Just a little!  A tablespoon or two.  It's easy to overdo it, and your guests often add a bit more to their taste at the table.

 

Rice sprinkled with tamari

After cooking for a few minutes, it should be pretty cooked through and mixed with no lumps.

 

Rice stir fried.

   

Now add the rest of the ingredients. Stir fry for a few moments, reheating and distributing evenly.



Your dish is complete! I usually just serve it in the wok itself. Eat alone for satisfying lunch or snack, or as an accompaniment to a larger meal.

Now I'm all hungry...

Elizabeth May in Edmonton - Pics and Podcast - Green Party Rally, EcoBall, and Vegan Potluck

Podcast of Elizabeth's speech on fiscal responsibility and the New Economy:

When Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, visits Edmonton, as she does more often than most party leaders, I usually have the very great privilege of organizing her events and rallies.
We got the call in this election to pull it off on fairly short notice, election timing being what it is, so we pulled some ideas out of our previously brainstormed grab bag to make it show-stopper!  It's already Earth Week, and to help encourage those green-minded folks who might want to check out a party rather than just a political rally, as well as to reach out to our younger population, we whipped up the EcoBall!

We rented the Avenue Theatre on 118th ave in my riding. It's the first time we used it, and it's a great little space, by the way.  Very reasonable for the capacity and facilities it provides, and the staff were more than helpful...  For refreshments, we brought in fair trade coffee, tea, and organic juice.

When we looked into food, however, it turned out that even the most inexpensive vegan caterer would cost more than the rest of the event put together!  Georges Laraque, our Deputy Leader and NHL sports star, is vegan and very publicy so.  In order to promote vegan menus and encourage creativity, we came up with a vegan potluck.  The door price was reduced to a pittance to those who brought a vegan dish for 10 people, and we had so many people taking advantage of our offer that two tables with filled with fantastic contributions.  Some even brought warming dishes to keep their creations toasty!



Setting up at the start of the evening

 The EcoBall is a new idea in Edmonton, so most came in street clothes, though the ones that came in costume certainly made up for it!

Christie in Green: the Creatrix and heart of Garbaganza - EcoCouture from dumpster diving!



Mother Earth from Garbaganza - Made from Astroturf!

 

More Garbaganza originals!





The Leader of the Pirate Party of Canada won our costume contest!

In the space of about a week and half, we got together at least three bands, as well as fillers to vamp if necessary, to entertain and liven up the crowd before Elizabeth's arrival. Which was a good thing, too, as her train was an hour late! Even I needed to pitch in, but it was so hectic that I forgot to tape my performance...

Local hot C&W band the Backstreet Affair.



Local busking celebrity piper, personal friend and Green Party supporter Glenn Eilers pitched in, too.



eticpo




We had a few ecovendors for interest. 



My booth - just to keep my hats straight, my apprentice got to keep all she made..



  

The Edmonton Bicycle Communters didn't return my emails.  I heard a rumour that it was because they were worried about becoming too political.  My answer to that, and to all NPO's trying to make a difference, is that to change laws, one must become politcal.  Laws are made by lawmakers.  Nearly always, lawmakers are politicans.  Therefore to be effective, if they haven't yet, activists must politicize.  I have found that the Greens, as the political arm of progessive activism, already make such a huge difference in the policies of other Parties and the dialog of the country, especially during an election!

There were swarms of press, too!  I've never seen so many reporters in one place.  Print, radio, and TV took up most of the lobby and some of the outside! 



Elizabeth, Georges, me (in the garb) and some of the Green Party candidates



Georges kept most of them busy from when he first showed up until Elizabeth arrived, so we jumped straight into her speech instead of his intro after she was mobbed by the media.  They both are always treated like rock stars...  And I admit that I am very pleased with my ability to get the word out.  Sometimes I need to pat myself on the head...

All in all, it was such a successful event that we are already thinking about next year!  Hundreds of people showed up, about 1/4 of them youth - there was fabulous food, great music, fun outfits, and much networking. I'm thrilled that it was so well-received and so well-attended.  Thanks so much to all our wonderful volunteers!  We couldn't have done it without you.  I'd also like to thank all the press for their professionalism and attendance, the techs for their hard work, and most especially Elizabeth and Georges for making this event one of the highlights of the election and Earth Week in Edmonton!

Activist VIDEOS: Some of the most Funny & Thought-Provoking

And yet not too heavy handed.  My kids can watch these, understand and relay the message, without being traumatized.

Chinese Spicy Eggplant - Recipes: Organic & Vegan

Part of the training in the Abbey Stillroom involves cookery. Not only do we have all the ingredients, but we have to know how to use them to make ourselves and our families healthy, as well as provide the means for our clients to change their lifestyles. It also works out that you really get to make the most of your grocery budget.

One of the components of our training is learning how to use and access as much Organic as we can, as inexpensively as possible. Organics have been proven to have nearly double the vitamins, minerals, and other essentials of conventionally grown, so you get more bang for your buck at nearly the same price. There is almost no chance of toxin and GMO contamination, so for us, it's a no-brainer. It's also the only way for an individual to encourage farmers to grow sustainably, by voting for durable practices with your dollar.

One of most often given pieces of advice to improve health in this culture lately seems to be: cut down on your meat! I've been vegetarian for nearly 20 years now, and my children are raised that way. They certainly haven't suffered. In my work with the Greens, I've had the honour of meeting Deputy Leader Georges Laraque several times. He is one of our famous hockey celebrities and a touted vegan. His physique is most impressive. I can assure you - a vegan diet does not rob you of anything but unwanted fat, toxins, and cholesterol.

 

We don't have to re-invent the wheel here. Lentils made up to look like meatloaf or carrots shedded in one's lasagne just seem forced to me. There are many traditional mature cuisines around the world that are solely or largely vegan in composition.  I personally specialize in Indian and Chinese styles which already have a fully developed vegan and vegetarian repertoire.

So, to bow to the will of my Etsy Alberta Teammates, as well as my apprentices, I will publish a few of the tasty, nutritious, resturant quality foods that come out of my kitchen.  For those that looking to start making changes in their diet or unfamilar with some of the ingredients, I will go into a bit of detail for each inclusion.

If you don't choose to use, or can't find, organic ingredients, double the amounts for garlic, onion, salt, and soy sauce, and halve the amount of sugar.

Chinese Spicy Eggplant

One white medium organic onion chopped fairly fine.

5-6 cloves of organic garlic chopped fairly fine.

1 large or several small organic or local hothouse eggplant

Slice off end and cut into thick french fry fingers.

Pour about an inch organic olive oil into wok and begin to heat.

I use a carbon steel wok, which does actually impart some iron into the food.  Leave sauce or silverware in it overnight sometime and see the difference.  So keep your cookingware very much in mind as a source of health or harm in your diet.
 

Eggplants in particular are known for their ability to absorb oil and other elements in cooking. I won't relate the famous legend of the origin of the name İmam bayıldı. Because you are ingesting all that oil and not just cooking something in a tablespoon of it, why not make it a vector for your health? In all my eggplant recipes, I use organic olive oil. The problem with olive oil, of course, is that it deteriorates very quickly under heat, and loses much of value. It really can't be deepfryed with, and shouldn't actually be heated up much at all. But if you get the eggplant in as quickly as possible, it has a chance to absorb all that goodness to it's core before the omegas are destroyed.

Toss as many eggplant slices in as can reasonably fit. Cook until limp, soaking up as much oil as they can, and slightly brown. Fish out with a slotted spoon, set aside, and continue until all the slices are done.  Try not to cook skin side down, as it makes them a little chewy.  Don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way through.  We aren't finished with them yet...  Add oil as necessary around the sides after you pop the pieces in so that they have a chance to absorb some of the oil before it even has a chance to get warm.

When all the slices are done, pop in the onions and garlic.  Add a touch more oil if necessary.  Fry for about 30 seconds or until they go limp and slightly brown.  Return the eggplant to the wok.  Now add 2 tbsp organic soy sauce. I use organic Tamari.  A traditional form of brewing leaves it far more flavourful and darker than ordinary soy sauce, and much less salty.  If concerned about GMO's, it's even more important to use organic soy products, since there is such a high rate of contamination of the soy bean crop in North America.  Always check the label.  That's how I learned that Asian Family has fabulous dark and light traditional soy sauces made from organic soy beans!  Why isn't that right on the front?  They don't even advertise that! Seriously...  What a marketing problem...

a 1/2 tbsp organic whole sugar
about 1 tbsp chilli/garlic paste
I use alot more than that, of course, but I like it hot.  The easiest to find chilli/garlic paste in my area is the one with the Rooster on it.  There is almost no English on the label so I have no idea what to call it other than that.  They are always an orange red, and some still have whole chili seeds in them.  My local Safeway has even started carrying it in the Asian foods aisle!

and speaking of Asian Family..
1 tbsp Asian Family Black Bean Sauce.  You can get away without this ingredient by adding about a tsp more of organic sugar and 1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt, but I have found that it's the only thing that nearly replicates the flavour of our local famous veggie restaurant Padmanadi's.  Otherwise, I might have to start making my own fermented black beans.  I'm kinda hands-on crazy, but not quite that much yet...

Let simmer until more of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 min, stirring occationally.  Serve with organic jasmine rice or organic steamed buns.

Since I make the buns myself, I can give out that recipe, too, if there is enough interest...

This recipe is adapted from the marvelous book Chinese Vegetarian Cookery, which has been my constant companion lo' these many yars.  Invest in it, if you really want to learn the basics...

One of my easy recipes to help you on your path to frugal healthy living everyday!