sown & uprooted

One evening I realized that a trip to the supermarket would have been a very good idea. In my kitchen drawers and fridge, I found only a very limited number of options that I could think of for my dinner. However, I did have some pasta and everything I needed for Golden Milk. That evening, I unintentionally gave birth to one of my favorite dishes of today: “Golden Milk Noodles”, a delicious and healthy, healing version of the traditional “German Milk Noodles”.

For me, “Milchnudeln” (milk noodles) are one of the treats that remind me of home, of my mother cooking them for me when I was a child. I loved them! To this day, they are a comfort food, a way to get in touch with my inner child. A dish that makes me feel cozy, with which I can frown, with which I can find inner strength in unhappy situations or in times of disappointment. In the truest sense of the word, a treat that creates sweet moments of unconditional love for myself and appreciation for the flow of life.

I’m not entirely sure when and how German milk noodles originated, but we find them mentioned in the book “Kriegsküchen in Wien und Berlin: Öffentliche Massenverpflegung und private Familienmahlzeit im und nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg” (en: War kitchens in Vienna and Berlin: public mass catering and private family meals during and after the First World War) where we read in a footnote about the First World War:

“At least during the war kitchen introduction phase, the menu was still very varied. There were vegetables, peas, beans and canned soups, among others. The vegetable dishes included spinach, parmesan sauce, lettuce and the like. The pastries on offer included Milk Noodles, Kaiserschmarrn and Topfenfleckerl. Cf. Breiter, Hinter der Front (en: Behind the Front), p. 249.”

By 1935 Milk Noodles were already popular in Germany and the recipe can be found in the book “Erprobte Kochrezepte unter Verwendung nur solcher Zutaten, die im Haushalt meist vorhanden oder je nach Jahreszeit reichlich zu haben sind” (en: Tried and tested recipes using only ingredients that are usually available in the household or are plentiful depending on the season). In older recipes, milk noodles were also prepared unsweetened and served with meat, for example. Later in the GDR “Milchnudeln” were a common dish and one of the children’s favorites.

What is Golden Milk?

Golden Milk, originally also called Turmeric Milk, is rooted in Ayurvedic tradition and has been a common autumn and winter drink for many centuries. Ayurveda is an alternative system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent, practiced extensively in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Ayurvedic therapies have evolved and varied over the course of more than two millennia. Therapies include herbal medicines, special diets, meditation, yoga, massages or medicated oils. Golden Milk is nowadays commonly cherished and quite rightfully hyped for its various health benefits to our mind and body.

I cook my Golden Milk with Bio Oat Milk. However, you can use any milk you like. My Golden Milk Recipe was inspired by Dr. Tieraona Low Dog’s mini herbal medicine making course.

Ingredients

• 0,5 l ( ~ 2 cups) of Bio Oat Milk or any other milk
• A few slices of freshly cut Bio Ginger
• Two Bio Turmeric roots
• 6 – 10 Dates
• fresh black Peppercorns
• Honey or brown sugar (optionally to sweeten it even more)
• Fresh vanilla
• 200g ( ~ 7 ounces) of Pasta, I use the spiralled one, Fusilli

Directions

1. You cut into pieces: a few slices of fresh Ginger, one or two Turmeric, around six to ten Dates (depending on how sweet you like it)
   • All golden: turmeric lends a yellow/ golden colour to the milk, also to hands and surfaces, so better be a bit mindful during the preparation. It’s best to wash the knife and cutting board straight away.
2. Throw all ingredients in a pot
3. Add the milk, add fresh black Peppercorns, stir and cook on a low flame for around 20min.
4. Cooking the Golden Milk Noodles: I am sure you already guessed it! You cook pasta, usually best are Fusilli (traditional classic).
5. Once the pasta is cooked “al dente”, you remove the water and add the Golden Milk, sieving it to get rid of all the little pieces of ginger and turmeric, the peppercorns and even the dates.
6. Add fresh vanilla and cook it all together for another 5mins. The dates provide the sweetness, so have a taste and simply add some more to your milk noodles while cooking. You can also add honey or brown sugar for even more sweetness.
7. Sprinkle the finished dish with a mix of cinnamon and sugar.
8. Get comfortable and enjoy!

Why is Golden Milk so healthy or even healing?

The magical combination of predominantly faraway ingredients in the Golden Milk Noodles adds a multitude of flavors and healthy, healing properties to the traditionally not quite so healthy dish.

Turmeric is coming our way from India where it occupies a crucial part in the kitchen for around 5000 years by now. It shows benefits on our immune system and mind. The root is said to be one of the mayor reasons for a relatively low rate of Alzheimer’s or dementia among the Indian population. More and more studies seem to show that the curcumin contained within, is a micronutrient and antioxidant with potentially miraculous health effects, overall being beneficial to our brain health and our blood flow. Adding black pepper ensures that our body can absorb the turmeric, so always make sure that you combine those two ingredients.

Black Peppercorns are such a “standard ingredients”, aren’t they? The spice seems to show in more and more scientifically based studies how beneficial it actually is to our general health and well-being. It’s antioxidant and said to support heart health, lower cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control and it may also have cancer preventing health benefits.

For a long time, Ginger was primarily known in Europe as a spice for exotic dishes. Since the knowledge of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine has become more extensive, it has slowly gained a place in our consciousness and makes a popular tea to prevent colds. Ginger has many healing properties, among them it’s anti-inflammatory. Inflammation in the body appears being a widespread health concern in nowadays society and is causing a variety of health issues that can be prevented by dietary changes, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients like ginger or turmeric.

Dates are a Middle Eastern classic and rich in antioxidants, said to aid to our gut and bone health. In this recipe they are showing off their potential as a healthy replacement for sugar or sweeteners.

One thing is for sure – this is a particularly healthy version of the classical „German Milk Noodles“. A treat with health and healing potential to the mind and body. From my perspective, the sweetness, softness and warmth are intensely nurturing if you are going through a rough time and feel vulnerable. In many ways, a pick-me-up dish!

– with love –

Lina

sown & uprooted

https://for-a-better-living.com

Please note: As with all things in life, some things will have ripple effects and the amounts make the difference. So please don’t overdose herbal remedies either, for example by using too many herbal supplements additionally to a well balanced diet. Especially if you are on medication, suffer a medical condition, are prone to allergic reactions and during pregnancy it’s recommended to seek medical advisory before starting any self medication.