Knauthentic

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: addressing comments.There’s no poll today.1. I’ll be try to keep this brief as I prepare to attend the RavenCon in Richmond, VA this weekend. In case you didn’t know, aside from chronicling my food journey here on Knauthentic, I’ve been writing fiction for years and will be celebrating that at RavenCon this weekend. For now, let’s talk about comments. I don’t think I get enough of them, but that’s simply because I always want feedback to help improve the work I’m putting out. With that said, I grateful for the comments I have received. So far, received comments Substack and a few on the video content that accompany these podcasts. I feel like I’m a clear and effective communicator, but I can also understand some confusion for those who only watch the videos and don’t listen to or watch the podcasts.2. One commentor asked why I was heating my tea up in the microwave. I thought I had been clear when showing on screen that I was heating water in a kettle, pouring it into a mug, and then allowing it to steep in the microwave (without turning it on) while I addressed other tasks. So, for clarity. I do not make a habit of heating my tea in the microwave. It is something I’ve done before, but not in any of my videos.Another commentor asked why I was putting vegan cheese on an omelet. They followed up by asking, “are you allergic to dairy?” I feel like that person answered this question for themselves, but to clarify there are many reasons why someone might consume vegan cheese. If you happen to be allergic to the word “vegan”, stick to thinking of it as non-dairy cheese. Some people are allergic to dairy but still want to enjoy cheese. Some people can’t handle the cholesterol levels in dairy cheese, some people experience inflammation when eating dairy, and some have overactive mucus glands that make it difficult for them to breath when eating dairy.3. Now, please correct me if I’m wrong, since that seems to be what many people like to do with their comments (educate us content creators), but I don’t ever remember telling other people that they should eat vegan or nondairy cheese because I do. So, what was the point of the comment? Maybe it really was just a matter of seeking clarification and I’m being a bit sensitive. In any case, I hope I get more comments, whether like these or something more encouraging. It means I’ve put something out there that someone else is watching, and that’s all I can really ask for. So, please continue leaving me comments.I did post a recipe short today for a Toasted Breakfast Wrap but you’ll have to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see it.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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 23.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: addressing commentsProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: A method for making salads.If you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. Last week I was out addressing my ongoing health issues and I’m so happy to be back this week. Before taking some time off, I started talking about my love-hate relationship with salads. I also shared a recipe for my Mint Vinaigrette. I’ll be using that in today’s recipe but first let’s go deeper into the notion of enjoying salads.2. There are people who are perfectly content to eat leafy greens without any dressing. Many people who are on a raw diet find delight in finding new combinations and arrangements of raw vegetables to eat with or without a dressing. That’s just not me, but it’s all good. The first time I met someone who ate, what I considered a ‘salad’ without putting a dressing on it or an animal-based protein, I stared at them like an alien. I’m so blessed that they didn’t take offense and explained that it’s a cultural and lifestyle preference. That was eye-opening for me.3. Fast forward to now, and while salads are still not my go-to, I’ve already admitted that I do look forward to Spring as my salad season. With that said, I see the benefits, both nutritionally and economically, to eat salads throughout the year, not just during Spring. So, I’ve developed a method that guarantees I’ll enjoy it. I don’t believe I came up with this all on my own, but I’ve catered it to my specific tastes. This method works for me, but it may not work for you. Don’t be afraid to develop your own method if you need to. For now, I’m happy to eat, what I call, nourish salads on a regular basis.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Nourish Salad.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Start with 1 ½ to 2 cups of a chopped lettuce or greens mixture of your choosing, for a low calory base and a boost of nutrients. I used Romaine mixed with cilantro.2. Add your choice of ¼ cup of beans or lentils to promote satiety. I used pre-homecooked chickpea pasta.3. Add 1-2 servings of fruit (¼ cup or less) or a preferred source of fiber. I used two Medjool dates for a pop of sweetness to contrast the savory ingredients I add next.4. Add your preferred protein. This time I used a cup of chopped store-bought rotisserie chicken. Home baked is my preference but sometimes it’s good to take advantage of time savers.5. Add in textural contrast to compliment the soft beans, fruit, and protein. I used ¼ cup chopped raw walnuts for their slight bitterness, crunch, and cholesterol benefits.6. Add your dressing of choice. If packing for later consumption, place it in a separate container. I use my herb-heavy mint vinaigrette.Question: Do you like the contrast of sweet and savory? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 22.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Sweet and Savory Flavors, Salad Methodology, Nourish SaladsProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: My love-hate relationship with salads.If you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. Stereotypically speaking, as a girl, I think I’m supposed to like salads, but they are not my favorite. To me that’s crazy because I love vegetables, I just don’t always want to eat them raw. Still there are times of the year when I actually want to eat salads. For me, that starts in the spring.2. One of the main reasons why I think salads aren’t really my thing is that they always seem so boring to me. Leafy greens, a few parcels of color, and a dressing. I now have a method for making salads that I enjoy. I’m not claiming to have come up with this method. I saw it somewhere, made some adjustments, then ran with it.3. So, if I’m going to eat and enjoy a salad, it’s going to have to be more than leafy greens a dressing. Next week, I’ll break down the method, but today I want to talk about the dressing. Of course, in my typical fashion, I can’t eat store bought salad dressings for a number of reasons. So, I’ve learned to make a variety to address all my salad needs from nutty to cheesy, creamy to vinaigrettes. One of my favorite flavors to add to salads right now, is mint.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Mint Vinaigrette.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Activate 1 tsp of Hing (Asafetida) or sub in your choice of onion or garlic powder.2. Finely chop one half a packed cup of fresh mint leaves and add to a jar.3. Add 1 tsp dried Parsley, ½ black pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp dried Fenugreek leaves (sub will Cilantro or add more Parsley).4. Add 1 tbsp Agave or a sweetener of your choice.5. 4 tbsp white wine vinegar.6. 5-6 tbsp oil (I used avocado), then shake well.7. Serve with your favorite salad or wrap.Question: Is Spring salad season for you? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 21.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Salad Season, Mint Vinaigrette,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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: A Minor Food Indulgence.If you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. Since I spent so much time talking about AWP. I thought, we’d take a break and just talk about food.2. I missed being able to indulge a lot. But, I’m a big girl and know how to make good choices. Still, there are times when a minor indulgence isn’t the end of the world, or a major medical set back.3. For me, that indulgence usually means sugar or carbs. Since I stopped eating refined sugar, I don’t feel so bad about treating myself from time to time. I make nice cream and cookies sweetened with bananas and dates. I make a hazelnut spread with carob instead of coco, which is naturally sweet. And sometimes, I use a more traditional ingredient instead of an alternative, as I did with todays recipe.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a simple plant-based egg roll.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Prepare your filling a bowl.2. Add your protein of choice- I used marinated soy-free tofu and shredded it.3. Add your veggies- I used a mix of purple cabbage, celery, carrot, and cilantro all shredded.4. Season the filling to your liking- I used 1 tsp tamari, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp ginger paste, and black pepper.5. The mixture can be eaten raw but it softens and rolls better after 3-5 minutes in the microwave or steam basket.6. While egg rolls are traditionally deep fried or pan fired, I air-fry mine, but you could also bake them.7. Place 1-1½ tbsp of the filling in the middle of the egg roll wrapper turned to look like a diamond. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water then fold the bottom corner over the mixture before tucking in the sides and rolling upward to seal the roll.8. Spread or spray the rolls with a neutral oil, I used Avocado, and air-fry at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.Question: How do you treat yourself with food? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 20.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Food Indulgences, Treating Yourself, Simple Egg RollsProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Are food restrictions disabilities?If you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. So, I went to AWP for the first time. Overall, it was a wonderful social and professional experience. I learned so much and met some cool people. I’ve been to small writers conferences and large ComiCons, but this was different. I loved being around so many people who love books and writing, but I was a little out of my element. I’ve been so immersed in the genre world for long, that being in the deep end of the literary world was a little scary. Still, if I’m serious about publishing my memoir, I need to get more comfortable on the literary scene. But all that aside, there was one major downside to attending AWP.2. One of the things that I initially thought was so impressive about the AWP conference, was how assessable it was. Aside from all the measures put in place to help guest address their physical limitations and needs, they also had measures in place to support mental and emotional needs, such as quiet spaces and adaptive equipment. In additional to all their accessibility measures, the was so much emphasis on the cultural diversity of the programming. There was something for everyone, with programming geared towards various POC cultures, various religious groups, many other marginalized communities.The question I have about all this accessibility and diverse programming is, what were the planning on feeding all these various peoples if they didn’t want to or could eat hot dogs and pizza? While Nathan’s hot dog are Kosher, you can’t live off just hots. Plus, there was a sizable Muslim community present and no Halal food. I’ve been to small cons where they attempted to offer gluten-free and vegetarian options, but this event was mostly void of that. There was a slight attempt to address vegetarian needs, but they were so underrepresented that they sold out on the first day. I never even saw them, only heard about them. Did you see them? Please let me know. Maybe I just missed them.3. I consider myself a realist and don’t expect to be accommodated for my extreme food restrictions but to not have nothing to work with is disheartening. Is it too much to expect there to be basic food accommodations for thousands of people, for a three-day conference. In this day and age, it’s odd to me that food isn’t taken into consideration when providing accessibility. How assessable can an event be if your there for hours at a time but can’t eat anything? At least, every time, I had to walk back to my hotel room and prepare myself a meal, I was able to use the Keurig to quickly heat up some hot water so I could have favorite tea. It was a real comfort.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a simple cup of Bengal Tea Plus.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Bring water to a boil.2. Add ¼-½ tsp of ground ginger to the mug along with a single pitted date.3. Add the tea bag and pour over the hot water.4. Let it steep for 5 minutes.5. Remove the tea bag and optionally add ½ tsp of a preferred sweetener, I added honey.Question: Do you think food restrictions are a disability? I’d love to know. I never thought they were until my AWP experience. Now, I feel like I have a whole new area of advocacy to explore.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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 19.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Food Restrictions vs Disabilities, Accessibility, Cultural Diversity, Bengal TeaProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Knauthentic 18: How AWP went. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: I’m going to AWP.If you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. I’m headed to AWP this week. I’m actually there right now, so thank goodness for pre-recorded content. I’m grateful for this this opportunity to immerse in the literary community. I admit that I’m more drawn to genre fiction but have been expanding my interests for years. I have a greater appreciation for creative nonfiction and poetry than I use to and look to a chance to meet publishers and authors within the literary community.2. I’ve discovered that the memoir I’ve written falls into the category of memoir plus. That means I’ve written something that goes beyond simply telling the story of a moment in time or that follows a theme throughout my life. There are so many facets to this popular and desirable genre. I never set out to write this genre, but my story just didn’t feel complete without it’s “plus”. In addition to telling the story of food and health journey, I’ve also shared some helpful recipes.3. For a long time, I thought I had to choose between writing a cookbook or writing a memoir, but now I know, that I can do both at the same time. So, this week, I’m headed to AWP to represent The Muse Writers Center and take a slight side quest to meet some publishers who might be interested in my story.That’s all for this week. I can’t wait to share another recipe with you next week.Question: Are you familiar with the Memoir Plus genre? I’m glad I discovered it and look forward to reading more of it.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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 17.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Memoir Plus, Recipes, CookbooksProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Reminiscent FlavorIf you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. There are so many foods that miss going out to eat. Some of them I’m able to partially enjoy with modification. I used to love eating shawarma but now I can’t handle the traditional ingredients. Of course, I haven’t let that stop me from making on my version, but it’s quite time consuming. Sometimes, I’m happy to settle for a meal that is reminiscent of the more traditional flavor- something that’s more of a “that’ll do” type meal.2. I also like to look for ways to diversify ingredients. Instead of eating staple ingredients the same ways all the time, I like switch things up. This is a great way to ensure that I’m not wasting foods and don’t get bored with what I’m eating. When I take the concept of diversifying my ingredients and pair it with the intent to create reminiscent flavor, I come up with dishes like my Mushroom and Chicken.3. Since I try to limit my gluten and carb intake, I don’t always have bread, especially not pitas, around, but when I do, I can almost imagine eating this dish in a restaurant. Of course, there’s nothing authentic about this, but when I don’t have a lot of time and have a crazing for middle eastern flavor, my Mushroom and Chicken is the perfect, “that’ll do” meal.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make Mushroom and Chicken.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Add ½ tsp of salt to a good nonstick pan.2. Then add ½ to ¾ cup mushrooms and set them at medium heat.3. While the mushrooms release their moisture, make a spice blend. There will be some left over.a. 1 tsp ground gingerb. 1 tsp garam masalac. 1 tsp Chinese Five spiced. ½ tsp Hing (or up to 1 tsp garlic powder- your preference)4. Continue to cook mushrooms, pressing out any liquid, and browning the surface.5. Then add ½ tbsp neutral oil (I used Avocado spray) before adding 1 tsp or desired amount of the spice blend.6. Continue to cook mushrooms in the spices and press down until they become soft and there is little moisture remanning. 3-5 minutes.7. Add ½ cup cooked chicken breast (shredded or chopped).8. Mix chicken well with the spiced mushrooms.9. Then plate with a sprinkle of black pepper and parsley.10. Garnish with a pickle or ferment of your choice. I used my homemade Miso Dill pickles and a Tahini yogurt sauce.Question: Do you like shawarma? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 16.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Shawarma, Ingredient Diversity, Reminiscent FlavorProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Condiments and alternative ingredientsIf you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. I may have mentioned this before, but I never used to be a big condiment person. I did go through a phase of putting BBQ sauce on everything in my early 20s, and like most kids in the US I thought everything had to go well with ketchup. Outside of that, I only every used condiment if the food I was eating lacked favor. I used to eat fries without any dipping sauce, as long as they tasted good. I ate plain burgers, tacos, and hot dogs.With that said, my life was not devoid of condiments and sauces. While I might not put salsa on a quesadilla or taco, if I was eating tortilla chips I was dipping them in salsa. I didn’t usually feel the urge to hot sauce on my chicken, but I loved putting Siracha on my eggs. And while the rest of the US was dipping carrots sticks into Ranch, I was dipping them into Tzatziki. Then at the age of 40, I found out about all my restrictions and the condiments I never craved were no longer allowed, and that’s all I wanted in the world.2. Now, when I eat a quesadilla with plant-based cheese, I usually top it some kind of sauce, but how I got here has been quite the journey. Due to my health limitations and food restrictions, I can no longer casually consume tomato products, as well as onion, garlic, and any chilis or peppers. Fortunately, peppercorns are okay. That’s means I’ve had to get creative. I make barbeque sauce out of blueberries, a type of salsa out of strawberries, marinara out of beets, and have alternative versions of almost any sauce you can think of.3. One thing I can say about having to get creative with the way I flavor my food, is that I’ve learned to appreciate ingredients I once took for granted. Celery isn’t actually plain, its peppery and crisp and can be quite versatile. It’s the main ingredient in my Knauthentic Chutney Verde. Carrot leaves and stems are sweet and earthy, they can be cooked or added to salad greens. Ground pistachios bring something to table that is hard to describe, but trust me, you have to try it. Use it like a spice and be better off for it. Mushrooms are an umami flavor bomb. When given a chance to shine, they take over in the best way.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Mushroom Breakfast.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. We’re making an omelet, so beat 1 to 2 eggs in a bowl.2. Put a good nonstick skilled on medium heat and add ½ cup mushrooms of choice or a medley.3. While the mushroom cook and start to release their moisture, season the eggs to your liking, I used salt, pepper, and turmeric for the bright color and anti-inflamation qualities.4. Once the mushrooms are showing some browning, pour in the beaten eggs in a thin layer.5. Add ¼-½ cup of cheese, I mashed in some of a homemade vegan cheese block.6. Top the still cooking omelet with the greens of your choice, I chose broccoli sprouts.7. Then fold the omelet into a log shape to create layers. It does not have to be pretty.8. Top with a sauce of your choosing, such as hot sauce or salsa. I used my Knauthentic Chutney Roja.Question: What’s your favorite omelet topping? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 15.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Condiments, Omelet toppings, Alternative IngredientsProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Due to technical issues, this is a repost. A new episode will be posted on 2/19/26. Sorry for any confusion. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Plant-based MealsIf you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. Before I dive into the topic of the day, and in case you’re new here, I’m an omnivore. With that said, I’m not a big meat eater in comparison to most people on the SAD. For a while, in my college days, I was vegetarian, which allows for the consumption of eggs and dairy with vegetable being the bulk of your meals. Back then, it was easier to stick to the SAD but not because I missed eating meat. Today, however, I eat meat because economically it’s a better fit for me and my husband. We need adequate sources of protein to accompany my highly restricted diet, which my husband also follows at home, because we don’t have the means to maintain two different diets.2. So, why I am talking about plant-based meals? Well, for my health and my personal preference, it’s important to consume more vegetables. At this point in my life, also for health reasons, I’m completely dairy-free, except for when I can’t stop someone from putting butter on my food at a restaurant. Sometimes they will accommodate a request to use olive oil but it’s a gamble. I still eat eggs but I’ve even started looking into ways to replace them when I want to be even more heart healthy and eliminate cholesterol. Flax eggs are my go-to for many baked treats, but they also add a good source of fiber to my gluten-free turkey meatballs. While must of the world went crazy over protein in 2025, I always knew I needed a balance between carbs, fiber, protein, and nutrients. So, while I can, and will, eat meat, I can also not eat meat and still meet all my nutritional goals while enjoying the food I eat.3. Did you know that you don’t have to be vegan to eat tofu? Only in the US, I think, does tofu take a back seat to animal-based protein. Most places around the world recognize tofu and other beans and lentils as viable sources of protein along with the seafood and other animal-based meats they consume. They don’t choose between them but instead incorporate all of them into their diets. One of the ways I up my nutrient and veggie intake is by making plant-based substitutions where I can. I don’t need to use flax eggs in my meatballs, but I can. I don’t need to used plant-based milk in pudding mix, but I can. I don’t need to add veggie puree to my gravy, but I can. It all tastes good.I can also simply have a plant-based meal from time to time, simply because I can. Miso soup is one of my favorite plant-based meals to have. In some restaurants the Miso Soup is served with paper thin slices of mushroom, which really serve as more of a garnish, but sometime there are tiny cubes of tofu serving the same purpose. Miso Soup isn’t usually meant to be a meal, rather a meal starter, or a comfort dish when someone is unwell. The Miso itself is fermented soy, so by itself, it already contains vital nutrients for the gut micro biome and some protein. When I make it for myself as an individual meal, I make a few adjustments far beyond what’s traditional.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Quick Miso Soup.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Put water in a tea kettle or heat it in the microwave to your desired hotness.2. In a large cup or small bowl, add ½ teaspoon of ground ginger and a ½ teaspoon of black pepper.3. Add ½ - 1 teaspoon Wakame, or a few stirps of Nori in a pinch. The Wakame will expand, so don’t add too much.4. Then add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce (sub tamari or coconut aminos).5. Pour 1 cup of the hot water over the collected ingredients in your cup or bowel.6. To add bulk to the meal, chop an 1/8-1/4 cup of mushrooms or tofu (I used fava bean tofu to reduce my soy intake).7. Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes before adding a teaspoon of red or white Miso paste through a mesh strainer to help it incorporate without lumping and to keep the fermentation alive.8. Let it sit for another 1-2 minutes then it’s ready to eat.Question: Do you prefer tofu or mushrooms in your Miso Soup? I’d love to know. I enjoy both.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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 13.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Plant-based Meals, Quick Miso Soup, Mushrooms vs TofuProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Healing Soups and Flavor EnhancersIf you’re tuning in from Substack, be sure to check out today’s poll.1. When I was a kid, I was sick a lot, but that’s a topic is for another day. Being sick lot in my youth, however, meant that I ate a lot of soup. Mostly canned chicken noodle soup because that’s what the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) tells people they should eat. As a kid, I didn’t mind it. I actually remember kind of linking it. It was probably the highlight of being sick, except for when I was too sick to go to school but not too sick to watch TV. It sounds strange to think back on it now, that sometimes being sick was a treat when I got to have chicken and stars. It was the exact same soup but with star-shaped noodles.Fast forward to adulthood and canned soup makes me feel slightly depressed, but it’s not something I can’t easily overcome. Canned soup depressed me for three reasons. One, depending on how frequently I consumed it, it was a constant reminder of how I wasn’t really getting any healthier. I like soup now, but for a while eating soup was survival. Two, I don’t actually like the way canned soup tastes. After a while, all the different flavors and the different brands began to taste the same- salty and generic. Three, after a while it became clear that canned soup no longer had the same healing properties it once had for me as a kid. Sometimes, it seemed that the soup was actually making me worse.2. Turns out, the canned soup was making me sick, but that’s not what I’m going to dive into today. Needless to say, it’s something I explore in the book I’m writing, I Wish I Could Eat That. Once I figured out what my issues with canned soups were, I was able to start the process of making healing soups and finding ways to enhance flavors without the use of staple ingredients. Canned soups were problematic for me for three reasons. One, the sodium levels were often too high for my body to handle, causing blood pressure spikes and intense headaches. Two, the base of canned soups, as with most soups, were broths containing onion and or garlic, which are problematic for me. Three, the preservatives. It’s a real challenge to avoid unnecessary preservatives on the S.A.D., so the best thing I could do was reduce them by starting to make and store my own food. Bulk making broth and freezing it has been extremely helpful and now I’m testing recipes for making my own bullion to stretch my dollars and ingredients even further.3. Without the benefits of alliums, I’ve had to discover other ways to enhance flavors. I’ve previously mentioned the spice Hing. I refused to say the real name in a previous episode, but today I’ll give it a go. Asafetida. I also mentioned fennel, but there are more flavor enhancers out there. I now keep a well-stocked spice cabinet and purchase and or grow fresh herbs. I’ve explored different ways of preparing celery, radishes, turnips and more to astounding results. Breaking away from S.A.D. standards has been eye-opening. If I had known what I do now about food, my current health might be drastically different.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make Turmeric Tea Soup.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Start with a tea bag of activated turmeric tea, or make your own- combine turmeric, ginger, galangal, and black pepper to an unbleached tea bag. Steep in hot water for 3-5 minutes.2. Since this is an individual serving, add 1 tsp of tamari (sub soy sauce or coconut aminos).3. Add 1 tsp hoisin sauce. I used homemade balsamic fig glaze due to my restrictions.4. Add in a preferred green, such as spinach or cabbage. I used leftover collard greens.5. Add a preferred protein, such as chicken or tuna. I used thin cut smoked tofu.6. Optionally, add rice paper strings to thicken the soup, plus any additional salt need. I did not add additional salt because of the tamari and precooked greens.Question: What soup do you prefer when you’re sick? I’d love to know. I’m partial miso and will share a recipe for that next time.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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 12.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Healing Soups and Flavor Enhancers, Turmeric Tea SoupProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Layering flavors and Maximizing Health Benefits1. Today, I posted a short for an open-face breakfast sandwich. This is second open-face sandwich that I’ve posted. I decided to share this short today for three reasons. First, I said I would. I eat a lot of open-face sandwiches and said so the last time I share about one. I eat these because I like the aesthetic and like that it’s less carb consumption than two slices of bread, which is kind of a two for one reason.The final reason I like to eat open-face sandwiches is the ease of layering flavors and maximizing health benefits. There are certain things that most people recognize as breakfast staples that go well together on the Standard American Diet, henceforth, referred to as the S.A.D., but I know can do better than that. Bacon, eggs, toast, with butter or jam are S.A.D. staples, but I want to go beyond the basic and choose ingredients that not only taste good but are good for my body. I first got the idea by coping a sandwich I saw on the Rainbow Plant Life channel. I love what Nisha does with flavors, but she’s fully vegan and not nightshade or allium sensitive, so I’ve had to take what she inspired in me and make adjustments.2. My taste preference when it comes to bread, has always been something other than white bread. Now that I’m mildly carb-sensitive and healthier options are available, I choose high-fiber, high-protein, low-carb seeded bread as my go to because I like the way it tastes. I’ve tried many different types of bread from many different brands, and you’ll have to do your own taste testing to figure out what works for you.3. Then there are the flavor layers. Each flavor I chose, not only has to play well with the other flavors, but I need it to bring some additional health benefit as well. In today’s short, I use an avocado spread because of the healthy fat avocados bring and the creamy texture that comes without the use of dairy. I steam my eggs to reduce fat and add turmeric to help with inflammation. Microgreens or broccoli sprouts have a unique texture I’ve really grown to like, but if I don’t have those, I simply add some other leafy green. Always get in those leafy greens.Finally, texture has become so much a factor in the enjoyment of a meal, as I’ve gotten older. Non-crispy toast is the worst. I can eat it, but I won’t be happy about it. When I used to eat bacon more regularly than I do now, the taste was only part of it. I used to eat crispy bacon for breakfast, but now I replace the crisp bacon with more heart heathy options like nuts and seeds. And, while a crisp slice of lettuce is welcomed on a lunch sandwich, I love that there so many leafy green options to explore at any meal of the day. Right now, sprouts are my jam.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make an Open-face Breakfast Sandwich.Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Start with a preferred slice of bread. I prefer wheat or seeded and am currently consuming high-fiber, high-protein, low-carb brands to reduce my glycemic load. Toast to your desired browning.2. Prepare an egg or two to your liking. I chose to do a quick steamed egg in the microwave. You’ll need a narrow container, 1 tbsp of water per egg, and then beaten well, plus any seasoning you want (I chose turmeric and pepper). Microwave for 30 seconds, stir mixture well and return to microwave minus 5 seconds each time, until the egg has reached your desired fluffiness and is not rubbery.3. Cover toast with your choice of spread. I use an avocado spread- 2 avocados, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste (which can be omitted).4. Pile egg(s) on top of the spread.5. Add your choice of greens. Spinach, kale, and cabbage work, but I usually chose some sort of sprout.6. Then add some crunch: nuts, seeds, even bacon if it’s within your health goals. I used pumpkin seeds.7. Add something pickled and or fermented to add tang and support your gut microbiome. I used sauerkraut.8. And any flourish you’d like before consuming. I sprinkled on my spicy blueberry sauce- mashed frozen blueberries, soy sauce, and wasabi powder.Question: Does your toast have to be super crispy? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 11.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Layering flavors, Maximizing Health Benefits, Crispy ToastProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Toi here, and welcome to another episode of Knauthentic.Topic of the day: Breakfast Diversity1. So, last week I mentioned that I eat 4-5 small meals a day. For someone who gets bored eating the same thing all the time, that becomes a problem real quick. Plus, breakfast is the most important meal I have next to my final dinner, and not for the usual reasons. The meal I start the day with will dictate how my body reacts to the rest of the food I consume that day. The meal I eat at the end of the day, dictates whether I sleep well, wake with high or low blood pressure, and determines whether or not parts of my body will swell. We’ll talk about dinner in another episode. Today’s focus is breakfast.2. One thing that cracks me up about this meal plan, is that my niece says I eat like a hobbit. I have lunch 1, lunch2, dinner 1, and dinner 2. I used to try to break up the first meal into breakfast 1 and 2, but it became to challenging to maintain; plus, it not necessary for my health. So now, I’m faced with whether or not, my only breakfast of the day will be something I look forward to or something I dread and just want to get over with it.3. So far, I’ve posted a recipe short for a breakfast tortilla spiral, and today, I shared a breakfast enchilada. I hope to show other options, with or without, the use of a tortilla in the future. I’m always thinking of ways to diversify my meals, so I don’t get bored and stay healthy in the process.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make an individual Breakfast Enchilada. Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions1. Start with a tortilla you like or a high fiber, high protein, low-carb one to reduce your glycemic load.2. Add the cheese of your choosing, generously, to the tortilla. I use a homemade vegan cheese spread.3. Prepare an egg or two to your liking. I use one whole egg, scrambled in a good non-stick pan so no oil is needed.4. Add the egg to the cheese lined tortilla.5. Top the egg with the sauce of your choosing- salsa, Pico de gallo, you choice. I used my Knauthentic Chutney Verde.6. Fold the tortilla to enclose the egg but leaving it open at ends so it can expand as needed.7. Toast the enchilada on both sides until browned to your liking.8. Pour your enchilada sauce on top. I chose to drizzle on a homemade tamarind-based sauce before sprinkling with parsley. Cilantro also works, but it was already in the Chutney Verde.Question: What are some ways you spruce up your breakfasts? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 10.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Breakfast Diversity and Breakfast EnchiladaProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

It’s a new year and a new food vlog.I took a break last week because of the New Year and also because of health issues I had to address.Topic of the day: Small Meals for Health and Weight Management1. A few months back I started eating something that I call a Tortilla Spiral. I even did a Quick Meal short and a food vlog about one of them. That one was for lunch. Today, I want to talk about why I started eating these. I’m currently on a strict eating regiment to help manage my health, and as a side effect, I’m also managing weight with it.2. There’s something wrong with me. Well, actually, there are several things wrong with me, but the doctors haven’t figured it all out yet. For now, they are focusing on my adrenal glands. There’s a lot of science medical terms that explain what I’m about to describe, but I don’t know them all. At this time in my life, I have to consume my daily calories in 4-5 small meals, five is better. The reason I have to consume my calories spread out throughout day, is because if I consume too many calories at a time, I pass out.Let me clarify, since doctors don’t like it when I say pass out. When I consume too many calories at once, my brain and my adrenal gland don’t communicate clearly and don’t know how to work together help me digest my food and then process and distribute energy. My body essential takes a nap, giving itself time to figure out how things should work.3. That brings me to small meals. For me, a small meal needs to feel like a normal meal but not leave with exaggerated cravings or feeling hungry an hour later. Especially since I have to wait at least 2 hours before I eat again. I used to worry about snacking too much, but with eating 4-5 times a day, I simply incorporate what used to snacks into my small meals.Now, it’s time to talk about how I make a Breakfast Tortilla Spiral. Be sure to visit my Knauthentic YouTube channel if you want to see the short.Step-by-step instructions:1. Lightly oil a good nonstick pan or lightly oil a contact paper lined pan.2. Use a tortilla you like or a high protein, high fiber, low carb brand to reduce your glycemic load.3. Thickly spread on the first layer and create groves in the spread. In today’s quick meal I used Red Curry Hummus, a nightshade-free recipe I created.4. Slowly pour on a beaten egg to keep it from flowing off the tortilla too much.5. Spiral on the last layer, a pourable cheese sauce. I used a homemade vegan cheese sauce that makes good nachos.6. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees.7. Crush your favorite toasted nuts, salted or unsalted. I crush mine between paper towels to soak up excess oil and used pistachios in this recipe.8. Top the baked ingredients with your preferred greens. I used broccoli sprouts, the pistachio crumbs, and a drizzly of balsamic fig glaze to finish it off.For any listeners or watchers who are nightshade sensitive like me, the homemade red curry hummus I use, gives this dish a similar flavor to shakshuka.Question: Do you think you’ll try a Tortilla Spiral, whether for breakfast or lunch? 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.CreditsKnauthentic Season 1, Episode 9.Starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Small Meals for Health and Weight Management, and Breakfast Tortilla SpiralProduced 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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

The text featured below is the transcription of the video above.Hey, guys, today I figured I’d offer a quick little hack.So, this is going to be a shorter episode. I just wanted to share a quick little hack. it’s not something that I fully came up with myself. I was inspired by other people. But before I get to that, this is going to be short because I just, uh, unfortunately, I’m having some health struggles, but that’s what this channel is all about anyway, is that, you know, I have health issues, I have food restrictions, and I’m using food to help me heal. So, today I just wanted to offer a quick little hack.So, what’s great about the hack that I’m going to be offering today is that it can be really beneficial if you have like a particular health restriction with which I’ll talk about in a moment. But this could really be applicable to anyone as a time saver as well. So, who doesn’t like to save time? Also, this could help, you know, with your budget, depending upon what you’re using.All right. The suspense is probably killing you, so let me just talk about it. So, this is an idea that I originally got from, I believe, the Keto Twins on a YouTube channel. And they may have gotten it from someone else, but they’re the ones that I’m accredited- accrediting. Like how where I got the idea and specifically for them because they are on a ketogenic lifestyle- keto diet. They were looking for a low carb option to create, I think like a pie, specifically like a hand pie. And so, they used a low carb, high protein tortilla to do that. And they’re a preferred brand at the time I believe was Mission. And I think they still use them sometimes, but they eventually moved on to the brand, uh, Hero. I have also tried both of those brands. I prefer the Hero. I think that’s their preferred one. I am not sponsored by Hero in any way whatsoever. They don’t know me. I’m not endorsed. It’s just a really good tasting tortilla. Plus the fact that it is low carb, high protein, high fiber, all that jazz.So, that was the original reason why they were kind of exploring it. There was this, uh, keto apple pie or like pho pie that was going around the internet at the time. And I’ve seen other keto content creators do like a similar, like a version of this pie. I think Low Carb Love did one. And, there were several anyway. And so, they were all just kind of making different versions of this pie. So, that’s where the idea came from. What I’ve now done with it is just kind of run with it. So, I use it, of course. I take the low carb tortilla, which again, if that’s not a health, concern for you, you could use a regular tortilla just because it could save you some time, could save you some money if you don’t want to, you know, either make, the dough that you would normally use for these dishes from scratch. You could use this as a hack instead. And so, the idea is for the hand pie.You, cut the tortillas in half and you’ve got two half circles and you’re able to fold it in a way to where you have like a little cone that you can then fill, and then you can close by, pressing, like with the fork or using like an egg wash to hold it together. And then once you have that little cone or triangular shaped, pocket, you can fry it, you can bake it, you can air fry it. So, whatever you put in it is up to you. I started out testing it with the pie mixture. It was a faux apple pie. It was fantastic. My family loves it. They asked me to make it all the time. And no one is keto except for my mom. They just like the way it tastes, and it’s very convenient. But since then, I’ve experimented. I think the Keto Twins might have also done something like this where they used it for like, a Sephora. I know I just said that wrong a Samosa I know what I’m trying to say.If I can remember, I’ll put the correct word, but my brain is just not there right now. And that’s part of what happens when I have, like, my health episodes. I forget certain terms anyway. but yeah, I’ve used it to make like, savory things. Like I made an empanada out of it one time. Yes. That’s not what I was saying before, but that is one thing I’ve tried since then. I’ve practiced folding the tortilla in different ways, and so I actually have an egg roll mixture that I make, and I cut the tortilla, once I have cut it in half, I cut it in half again. So, I have these individual triangles that I then fold in a certain way, and it gives me like a mini egg roll. And so, I use that to make a mini egg roll because again, it saves time. you can easily find egg roll wrappers in most places, but I find where at my grocery store, they sell out pretty quickly because I guess they just don’t keep enough of them stocked. Plus, they’re not always good for me if I happen to be feeling a little bit carb sensitive. that carb sensitivity messes with, like, my joints and things like that. Plus, I need to watch my sugar intake anyway, so, it’s a healthier option to use the tortilla hack. But, you don’t have to, but I’m just giving you some ideas.So, this idea of using these tortillas and kind of non-traditional ways. I know some of you may have checked out my other content and seen, the quick meal that I make that’s called the Tortilla Spiral. That’s just something I came up with because I was like, I really like these tortillas and I want to do something with them. So, you can use them to do different types of things. I have even like cut them into strips and made like pho, wontons, things like that. So, you can get pretty creative, whether you’re doing it for a health reason or if you’re doing it as a time saver, or if you’re, doing it as a budgeting type thing, you can get pretty creative and versatile with a pretty good tortilla. It’s always good to start out with a tortilla that you actually like the taste of, because you may have to do some extra stuff to it if you don’t already like the taste of the tortilla.I think that was the issue with me when it came to the Mission tortillas. I only liked the way that they tasted when I was using them in a savory application. I didn’t necessarily like them in a sweet application. The Hero ones could go either way. And then if you’re just going for, like, a regular tortilla that’s not like, you know, high fiber or high protein low carb. You will have to like, test that out as well. Figure out what flavor it is you want and go from there. So, like I said, this was a short one. And you know, I gotta take care of myself and I’ll definitely be back with more Knauthentic content for you.If you have a quick little hack for me, I would love to hear it. It could be something that’s, you know, could be beneficial for my health. It could be something that’s beneficial for my time. And definitely if you have something that’s beneficial for my wallet, I want to hear it. So,guys, until next time, stay safe and be blessed.Creadits:Knauthentic number seven starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Tortilla hacks for the budget and your health.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 and YouTube. This is all for you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

The text featured below is the transcription of the video above.Hi guys. Today I thought we would talk about alternatives.So, I don’t want to spend too much time going into too much detail about alternatives. I’ll be back with more food vlogs. I’m doing some different things but today is going to be kind of a twofer. I want to talk a little bit about alternatives, and I want to talk a little bit about I Wish I Could Eat That, the book I’ve been working on. So, first thing straight out the gate, let’s start with I Wish I Could Eat That.So, I had been contemplating releasing the book sooner. but then, I started my new job, and I knew that I might have an opportunity to take some classes, and I’m So, glad that I decided to wait. I don’t think that what I was, you know, coming up with was, like, garbage or anything. I’m not getting any indication in my workshops that anything that I’ve written has been remotely garbage. But there were a lot of things that I’ve been learning about this process. So, I’ve been writing for a long time, and I’ve taken classes and different things like that just to hone my skill. I’m not an insecure person. I know I have creativity, that is one of my blessings. There’s a lot of things in this world I’m not blessed with, but creativity isn’t one of them. But storytelling and creativity is just one component of writing, especially if you’re writing something that you plan on releasing to the world. So, I do, you know, read a craft book from time to time or take a class. But for the past two decades at least, I’ve mostly been immersed in the world of fiction. I have a little bit of a detour from fiction in the form of picture books for kids. But, I mean, you know, there is, you know, some talent and creativity and some methodology behind that, but it’s not too much of a stretch from the, the creative process for doing fiction. But I’m writing a memoir.You know, I’ve done one other nonfiction thing, but it was pretty much just an opinion commentary of me going on the page, and I enjoyed doing it. But it’s very different when you are, reaching, trying to write, to reach an audience, to be able to actually give them something, provide them with some inspiration or some information to kind of bare your soul and be really honest. one thing that I’ve always said when I’ve talked about writing fiction to other people is that anything that you write, even fiction, is autobiographical to a certain degree. And I wholeheartedly believe that there’s people out there who are like, no, I’ve written something that has absolutely nothing to do with me. That in and of itself could be autobiographical. If you’ve written something that is the exact opposite of you, that says something about you, it says something about your writing. But that’s not what I’m talking about right now.So, because I am really hoping to like, meet/reach people with this, I’m not, you know, trying to write like a bestseller or anything. Like I want to reach people because I know that someone out there needs this because I needed it and I didn’t have it. And so, I’m writing it, and I’m not saying that it doesn’t exist. I, you know, I’ve been going out and doing my research and finding different things. And, I’ve found a couple of things, but nothing quite like this. And I’m not like a pioneer or anything like that. I’m just coming from a very specific vantage point. You know, times and themes change over years and decades or, you know, whatever the current era may be, and there may be someone else right now working on a very similar idea, you know, that happens. People have similar ideas at different points in time. And so, who knows, maybe there will be lots of books like this. But for now, this is the one that I’m writing is the one that I came up with. And so, it was important for me to be able to workshop that in a class.And I’ve gotten some amazing feedback. I’ve learned, you know, some of the direction that I’m going, how to turn it around and kind of keep a focus and, sharing things that are like being more direct about some of the personal things and not being so vague. You know, things like that. So, needless to say, the class is going really well. And I’m in the revision stage because, a lot of the people taking the class, they’re either like just starting their memoirs or they’ve been working on them for a while, but not really, prepared for like, publication just yet. I’m sure they will. I’ve, I’ve they’ve shared some amazing things, and I want to read everything that they’re all writing. But I know for a fact that, I can’t believe I think this is like my second no, this is my third draft. And so, this third draft is the one I’m going to publish, but I’m revising it right now. So, by the time I finish revising it, it’ll probably be a fourth draft, and I’m okay with that. But, So, anyway, just wanted to give you that quick update.So, now back to alternatives. So, a lot of the content of my book focuses on what my health issues really like, what they are like, why I have these issues and why my diet is so affected by these issues, and how I’m choosing to use my diet to help with some of my issues. And so, with that, I talk a lot about like alternative ingredients because of all of the things that I can eat. And I’m not going to go through the whole rigmarole now, but I’m just going to mention a few things. So, for those of you who are maybe not listening, you are watching on like YouTube or maybe you’re on Substack; the logo that I’m currently using is, you know, not authentic is the word, but there’s a picture of like a cutting board. And I’ve got some beets on the table and I’m that is when I came across that image, it just, like struck me in the head, like I really felt like I’d been hit, but in, like, a good way. when I first started this journey, I really wasn’t trying to come up with, alternatives for, like, everything. I just needed something to kind of get me by. I was just tired of eating, like rice and toast, and, I was losing weight, but not in a good way. Like it was- it was not, like, healthy. It was. I don’t really know how to describe it right now, but one of the things that, when I first learned about all of the stuff I have going on and figuring out what I couldn’t eat was, I couldn’t eat tomatoes, which for me was devastating.I know that sounds dramatic, but I talked previously when I was talking about non-dairy cheese, how I was one of those people who used to just drink milk like that was one of my beverage choices. Well, tomatoes was something that I just ate. I would eat them like grapes, like, I, I loved pretty much all the tomato-based products. I’m really trying to think if there was a tomato-based product that I didn’t like, I ate ketchup, I ate barbecue, I ate cocktail sauce, I ate Marinara. You know, I would have them on burgers, on salads, raw, cooked. I mean, I just was a tomato eater. And for a doctor to look at me and say, hey, you can’t eat that anymore. I was like, I rebuke you. for those of you who don’t get that, don’t worry about it. But, no, it took me a while to just kind of accept that.And, you know, sometimes when you have to eliminate foods from your diet, it’s not permanent. You can, you know, heal yourself over time. And there are some things that you can go back to eating. But because my acid sensitivity is So, strong, I don’t know that I’m ever going to be able to eat tomatoes like casually the way I did once. I do still kind of dabble with my elimination diet and, you know, journal things to try different things, but So far, it’s just not there. And so, the reason why I’m talking about alternatives is because there is nothing else that serves as a one-to-one alternative for tomato. There just isn’t. But I’ve learned how to mix and match and blend ingredients together to be able to make different things, to replace all of the different tomato things that, I used to have. And, whenever I do finish the first book, I wish I could eat that. I already have plans to do a second one, just because so much has happened and I’ve learned So, much. Needless to say, there are alternatives to tomato out there. It’s just not one thing. It’s, you know, it takes time. It takes work. It takes creativity. I’ve learned a lot from the internet, believe it or not. definitely a lot from YouTube and a lot from my own experimentation.So, beets. Beets are, one of the ingredients that you can use to help, if you aren’t able to have tomatoes Now. So, my main concern is the acid sensitivity. But tomatoes are also, a nightshade, which I am sensitive to nightshades. And there’s other people out there who are sensitive to nightshades. So, you might be wanting to think, oh, okay, this lady is going to tell me some stuff because I’ve been missing tomatoes. Like I said, I don’t have a one to one for you. I just have some things for you to check out. So, the great things about beets when it comes to being a tomato replacement is that they’ve got the color. So, that’s going for them. and the other thing is that, they also, have a very mild, very mild kind of umami when they are prepared in the right way. And tomatoes are just chock full of like, that umami flavor that savoriness that, you expect from it. And so, depending upon how you’re preparing your beets and, you know, other things that you’re mixing them with, it can really work for you. And so, I make a marinara sauce and the base of it is beets. Now again this isn’t something that I came up with totally on my own. Do a quick Google search for No-mato sauce or mock marinara and you’ll find a bunch of different things. the challenge for me was to be able to create a marinara that was entirely, completely nightshade free and also, allium free. Allium free is where most people are like, nah, you lost me, I’m out.So, again, in case you don’t know, I’m just going to do a very quick description of this allium. Are any of the vegetables that are herbs also, that happen to be in the onion, garlic chives? leek like that family? I can’t eat any of those, which is also, heartbreaking because roasted garlic was probably like my third favorite thing on the planet in terms of food. So, anyway. I had to be able to come up with a recipe that excluded nightshades and alliums And I’m actually kind of testing the ground on whether or not I’ll be able to reintroduce Alliums, but as of right now, I cannot. And so, and also, I wanted to be able to cater it to my taste because there’s a lot of recipes out there, and I’ve and I’ve tried a lot of them and they weren’t bad at all. there’s actually a company that, I- they’re not endorsing me. I’ve- they don’t know me, but, I was like, ecstatic when I discovered them because I was like, someone else out there is going through what I’m going through that there’s a company whose created an entire product line. I mean, I think it’s like two products, but that doesn’t it doesn’t matter. There’s a company out there called No Registered Sign. And they do. They created- I believe they have a ketchup and they also have a marinara. And it’s for people who can’t have tomatoes. And so, I just was So, inspired when I discovered them. And so, anyway, but I created my own recipe because I wanted to cater it to my particular, flavor palette. And, you know, that’s fine.So, I just wanted to mention that beets are a great alternative once you learn how to work with them. I know a lot of people are scared of beets, and I was right there with them. I thought beets were absolutely disgusting, because every way they had ever been served to me, to a certain point in my life was absolutely disgusting. Here’s the thing. You don’t have to pickle a beet. You can actually pickle a beet in a way that it’s not disgusting. But most of the pickled beets that I had come across in my life were nasty, and I thought all beets had to be pickled. Another thing that you don’t have to do with the beet is boil it. You don’t have to boil it. You can bake it, you can roast it, you can fry it, you can shred it. You can do all kinds of things with beets. And they actually taste good. Like, I’m not just saying that. I one hundred percent agree that there are several ways that you can prepare beets and they are nasty. Don’t prepare them those ways. You gotta get creative with it.I’ll just throw in two more alternatives. And like I said, I’ll do more episodes like this. But in case you’re wondering, how do I get around that whole not being able to eat onions and garlic? this one I may have mentioned before, but if I haven’t, there’s two things. and there’s, there’s more than two. But for right now, there’s two main things that I use to help kind of get over this. my lack of being able to use Alliums first is fennel. And I know some of you are like, I don’t like the taste of licorice. It’s not my favorite thing in the world either. Sometimes, I mean, there is a way that you can prepare fennel to where it greatly diminishes that licorice flavor, and you get something that resembles that kind of oniony flavor. It’s more oniony than garlicky, but, you know, it gives you the texture, that visual. A lot of what we consume, the enjoyment or the pleasure or whatever the flavor of our food comes from what we see, I do sometimes feel like blind people have an advantage because they’re not influenced by what they see. It’s purely what they can smell and what they can taste. When you taste food, it should predominantly be your taste buds and your sense of smell that’s leading the charge on what you’re experiencing. But we live in a visual society, and so, what we see also, makes a difference. And by using fennel and preparing it in just the right way, you get that visual. It looks like onions kind of taste like onions, you know. And so, that’s something you can explore.One more thing that I want to mention. There is a spice that I cannot pronounce. I love the way Nisha from Rainbow Plant Life pronounces it. Of course she’s Indian, so, it makes sense, but I’ve seen other people pronounce it as well too. I am not going to try to pronounce it just because I know better. But the more common name for that you will see on like if you’re buying it online or going to a market- you can ask it, is called Hing and it is a type of like fermented spice that comes from like root vegetables. And it was actually, I don’t know if the word is developed or created, but eons ago when, there used to be celebratory festivals where they were not supposed to have like onion and garlic during those festivals, they created this spice for that. And I really wish I could say the real name, but we’re just going to stick with Hing for now. So, Hing is another one that I use in place of like onion and garlic. You want to make sure you cook it to bring out the aromatic because it’s not great raw. Don’t eat it raw; but yeah, it really helps.So, these are three alternatives I just felt like throwing out there. once you play around with these ingredients and learn how to get the most flavor out of them, they can be a life saver. If you are struggling with nightshades and or alliums, you’ve got beets, you’ve got fennel and you’ve got the Hing spice. So, there you have it. I’d love to know if you have any alternatives for me. And, um. Yeah. And I’m still going to still out there trying to, reach people. I am surrounded by people who have a story to tell. Just none of them have been brave enough to tell their stories yet. But, that’s going to change. I’m going to get some people to share their story, because this isn’t all about me. I don’t I don’t want to listen to me all the time. So, that’s all I have for today, guys. stay safe and be blessed.Creadits:Knauthentic number six starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Alternatives to Nightshades and Alliums.Produced by Toi Thomas in association with The ToiBox of Words and Lit Carnivale.Directed by Toinette “Toi” Thomas.Thanks again to the authentic community on Substack and YouTube. This is all for you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Recipe support text is listed at the bottom of the transcript.The text featured below is the transcription of the video above.Hi there, Toi here. We’re going to be talking about cheese today.And to be honest, it’s probably not the last time we’re going to talk about cheese. But the quick meal video that I’ve put out recently is me making just one of many versions of non-dairy cheese., so let, let let me, let me talk about why I consume non-dairy cheese. There are lots of reasons why a person might choose not to consume dairy.So, for all of you haters out there who get mad at anyone who eats a cheese that doesn’t come from a lactating mammal, calm down. Relax. What people choose to eat, or what people sometimes have to eat is no bearing on you whatsoever. You can eat all the dairy cheese that you want. No one’s going to stop you. No one’s going to take it from you. But let the other people, including myself. Let’s just let us do our thing. Okay, so I adore cheese. And I also used to really adore milk. I was one of those people. I was I was going to say kids, but I did it even as an adult. So, I was one of those people who used to drink milk, like just drink it. It was one of my beverage options. There was water, there was milk, there was juice. You know, like I used to just drink milk. But, back in my twenties, there was a concern about the cholesterol or the fat or something like that in the milk. And so I made the switch way back then, to not drink dairy milk, but I still consumed dairy products for the next, you know, twenty years or so.The reason why I’ve gotten to the point where I just can’t handle dairy anymore. I want to be clear that I’m not lactose intolerant. I’ve never been lactose intolerant. My husband is lactose intolerant, and that joker still eats cheese from time and gets an upset tummy and has to go to the bathroom anyway. So, I the thing is, because I probably have gone so long without consuming dairy now, it probably would upset my son if I had it now just because my body’s not used to consuming it. But I was never lactose intolerant, so that’s not the reason that I’m dairy free. I’m also currently not currently living like a plant based or vegan lifestyle. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with either of those lifestyles., with all of my restrictions, I just felt like adding that on it would just be an additional restriction. And so, that’s not the reason either, although that’s a very valid reason.So, if you happen to be lactose intolerant, that’s a very good, valid reason to not consume dairy products if you happen to be plant based or vegan. Very good. Valid reason not to consume dairy. Okay, now here is the reason that I no longer consume dairy. Now, I want to be clear that this is me. This is my experience. Not every person is the same. So don’t go dairy free because I went dairy free. And don’t be telling people that I told you had to do this or that or the other. I hope you are making decisions based upon your own research. You’re speaking to a professional, a doctor, a dietitian nutritionist, something, an elimination diet, something. But for me, dairy became a problem for two reasons. So, number one, I have, lots of just general digestive issues. And even though, I’ve never been lactose intolerant, my digestion has been kind of slowing down. It’s getting harder for me to process things. And so, foods that have a high fat content, I have to be concerned about my digestive system struggles with digesting or processing fat point blank. So that doesn’t mean that I have to be on a fat free diet. That’s not what it means at all. But I do have to be concerned about how much fat I’m consuming. And so, the reason why dairy becomes a factor in that is that a lot of dairy products, have a lot of fat in them. That’s not to say that I couldn’t eat those things and maybe reduce my fat somewhere else. You see what I’m saying?So, like, it would still be possible for me to consume dairy if it was just the fat, but it would be a little bit more challenging. So, for instance, let’s say you have a burger, and you put a slice of cheese on it. I might have to take half that slice of cheese, shred it up. So spread it around a little bit. So bit, so I’m still kind of giving that effect to get less amount of fat, if that makes sense. So, it’s just a little bit more work in order for me to consume the dairy without having too much fat because I am still getting fat from other sources. That burger probably has some fat in it too. So, I have to be thinking about where my fat is coming from, and by eliminating dairy that helps me control my fat a whole lot better. And I have more choices about other places where I can get fat., if you, followed when I was on doing my, like, food updates on my Toy Thomas channel, I used to talk about how if I have to choose between, I think it was like cheese and bacon. I would choose the bacon.I do not eat bacon every day. I don’t even eat it every week. But when I do want to consume it, I just I just want to enjoy it. I don’t want to have to worry about is it is my stomach going to have trouble digesting it? And that’s the choice that I’ve made. So, you don’t have to make that choice. This is the choice that I’ve made. Now, fat isn’t my only concern. Another concern that I have with dairy. And some people have the same concern. Most people don’t. So again, don’t be coming at me. For some people, dairy affects their inflammation. Now studies. Some studies have shown that, high quality dairy products should not affect inflammation. And for me and for a lot of people, it doesn’t. But for me, if I’m consuming a lot of dairy, like, I guess I don’t know what the typical serving is, but let’s say we’re talking glasses of milk. Let’s say one eight-ounce glass of whole milk is your, you know, standard dairy consumption. If I were to just have that, I don’t think it would affect my inflammation too much. But let’s be honest, especially if you’re living in the United States, you’re not having one eight ounce serving of dairy a day. You’re probably having more than that.And so, if I’m having more than that, it can affect my inflammation. I can swell, I can feel itchy or, you know, get rashes and things like that. Not from the dairy itself. It just makes me that more susceptible to the other types of inflammation that I already suffer from. So that’s one another reason, and the last and final reason why I finally had to cut out the dairy is because. I like breathing. Now let me explain. I had really, really bad asthma as a kid. As an adult, I’ve mostly grown out of a lot of my asthma symptoms. I do have some of the lasting residual effects, seasonal allergies, skin sensitivities, eczema. So, I have a lot of the residuals that come from, you know, an early child development with asthma. So, with that said, I also have, you know, nasal issues, ear issues, you know, just a lot of these, these, these things that are all connected. Ear, nose and throat. You know how it goes.I remember a doctor telling me once, and these are not his exact words, so I am not quoting, but this is just me remembering as best as I can. He said something to the effect that if the average American’s nasal passage is blue, and a person who has a really bad like nasal infections is red, yours is purple or pink, like it’s somewhere in between blue and red. And he’s like. And the doctor was like, that’s just how it is all the time. And so, at that point, the doctor presented me with, of course, you know, getting allergy shots or putting me on a medication regimen. I chose the medication regimen, and it was it was getting me by. And the truth is, when you’ve lived with something for so long, you don’t know any different. And so, when I started toying with the idea of going dairy free, I just started, you know, writing down the different things to see what I noticed. I didn’t really know, like how if it was really going to make a difference or not, I was all really just expecting to find out that cutting out the dairy had no change in my life whatsoever, and I was going to continue eating dairy.But what I found out was I was living in a constant state of congestion. I did not know what it felt like to not be congested. I remember one day I took a deep breath, and I got lightheaded because I wasn’t used to being able to take a deep breath and have it be like, so clear and just be air coming into my nose. And I was like, whoa, what is that? That’s what it feels like to take a deep breath and not be congested. I know it probably sounds crazy, but that was my reality and that’s what I was experiencing in that moment. It had to be. I think it was the second week of me charting, having not had any dairy, just in the second week, and I was like, wait a second, is it like I was breathing and like, this. Even right now, as I’m saying these words out loud, like there was a time where this would feel different and it’s not something I can really describe. I just know that it feels different, like I am breathing without anything interfering with that. And that’s all due to no longer consuming dairy. So that’s my story. That’s my journey. It doesn’t have to be yours. It may not be yours, but if it is, these are just some choices, some things that you can consider.So, I’m not going to drag this out too much further. Let’s talk about this particular version of non-dairy cheese that I’m making., the first thing I want to say is that, you know, people have different restrictions. And so, if you, you know, search, you know, non-dairy or vegan or plant-based cheese online, you’ll get so many, so many. So, you really kind of have to do your own research and figure out like what your preferences are, what your restrictions are. There are a lot of nut free recipes out there for people who have sensitivity to nuts. And I’ve tested out some of those, and I do have one of those that I keep on hand in case I’m going to be making a non-dairy cheese for someone that I know is nut free. But because it’s not an issue for me when I’m making my preferred non-dairy cheese just for my consumption, it has nuts in it. So, there are little things like that. I want to say one more thing before I get into my recipe. So, this is a recipe that I have been inspired by other content creators who, you know, put their recipes out there. They’ve been so helpful to me in my journey with food. And so, there’s one thing though, and I think this is more I see this more with the plant based,, influencers and content creators is that they tell you that when you want to create your non-dairy cheese, that the secret ingredient is nutritional yeast. And that’s not Are entirely true.Yes, you absolutely will need nutritional yeast if you are going to try to make a non-dairy cheese. But that’s not the secret ingredient for me. What I have found and again, everyone is different, so test it out for yourself. What I have found the secret ingredient to making a non-dairy cheese that actually tastes like cheese is that you’re going to need nutritional yeast. You’re going to need an acid and you’re going to need some type of umami. Those are the three things that you’re going to need nutritional yeast and acid and umami. And I’m going to talk about that in just a moment. So, I think what this boils down to is that once you start, you know, changing up your diet and once you’ve been eating a certain way for so long, you forget what other stuff like tastes like. Like you forget how sweet sugar really is if you go without eating real sugar for so long. And if you haven’t had real like dairy cheese for so long, you forget what the real dairy cheese tastes like. So, I’ve been having been doing this long enough to where I’ve forgotten what it tastes like. And so, I’m trying to get as close to that as possible. But I also recognize that my palate has also changed in the process of me doing this. That’s another thing that if you are starting out the journey and you’re like, it doesn’t taste exactly like cheese to me. Give it a couple of weeks it will, or keep working on your recipe, until you get it to where you want it.So here we go. So, for this recipe, that, that is going to that’s appearing in my quick meal short, I use, I think either a cup or half a cup. I don’t have the measurements, I’ll figure it out later, but I use cashews now. Cashews is really what helps give you, like, that really creamy texture when you’re making a nondairy cheese and you and you are allowed to use nuts. Now if you’re not using nuts, I’ll talk about one of those recipes later. Now if you have like a high-speed blender or really, you know, good processor or something like that. And I’ve seen lots of content creators just take their raw cashews and put it straight into their device and just blend it up, and they are good to go. I don’t have it like that just yet. Maybe one day I’ll be able to have it like that. So, I typically have to boil my cashews to be able to get them to blend down smoothly, to be able to mimic cheese. And so, since I know I’m going to have to boil them anyway, I choose to kind of, put all of my ingredients in together.So, I have a basic yellow cheese that I make and a basic white cheese that I make. My white cheese recipe is a little bit different, so I’ll do that one another day. I’m doing my basic yellow cheese recipe. I like to use chickpeas in this recipe. Some people will think that’s absolutely crazy, but this is me, not you. So, you do you. Again, if I’m making the chickpeas from scratch, which I really do try to do but sometimes, you know, life gets busy and I’m using a can. I am going to take that can which those chickpeas are technically cooked . I’m going to take that can and I’m going to rinse those very well to get all of the can off of them. And I’m going to put them in there with my cashews and boil them. I want them to be super soft. I’m probably going to put about a fourth of a teaspoon of baking soda in that boiling water, so that those cashews and those chickpeas get really good and soft, to break down any I think it’s flavonoids or whatever it is. I want that to just be mush when it goes into my cheese concoction. Now, because I’m making my basic yellow cheese recipe, I’m also going to throw in a good-sized carrot. If you’ve only had like little bits of carrot, you’ll have to, kind of, measure out like how much you want. The carrot does two things., one, it adds a nice,, color to the cheese that you’re making. and believe it or not, cooked carrot without, you know, any seasoning. It adds kind of a little bit of a butteriness to it. I know it sounds crazy. I’ve done the recipe without it thinking I didn’t really need it, and I was like, mm, darn it, I do miss the carrot. So yeah, I do put in a good-sized carrot in with the nuts and the chickpeas and I and I just boil it until that carrot is super soft. And that’s how I know it’s ready to be drained and go into my food processor.So that is the base. From that I’m going to add half a cup of nutritional yeast. Now remember I said nutritional yeast is absolutely necessary, but it’s not the secret. You’re also going to need an acid and you’re going to need umami. Now, I have seen other content creators and influencers say that you can alternate between lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. No, that does not work for me. Maybe it works for other people. Everybody’s palate is different when I have tried to make these recipes with apple cider vinegar. It did not taste like cheese to me, so I use lemon juice. Fresh squeezed is the best. However, you can also use the little squeezy like concentrate if that’s what you have on hand. I know a lot of people online will say you can only use fresh squeezed. I’m all about meeting people where they are. If you can get the little concentrate from the store, that’s what you have access to. That’s what you can afford. You do you. Sometimes I’m too lazy to do the citrus. I will, I will say one more thing real quick. It’s not always that I’m lazy. I am actually sensitive to citrus. Like when I touch it, it burns my skin. So, sometimes I don’t want to burn my skin, sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t, so I use what I can use. So, I use lemon juice in my recipe. So nutritional needs and lemon juice is the acid and then the umami.Let me give you a couple of options here. I prefer to use white miso paste. Now white miso paste is fermented soybeans, so if you are soy sensitive you may not want to use the white miso. You have options., you can use tamari, which still has soy in it, but it doesn’t have gluten. Or you could use coconut aminos, which is not soy or gluten. So. you could use that as your umami in place of the white miso. But I really like using the white miso in mine. Now from there I’m going to add about half a teaspoon of turmeric. You don’t want to add too much turmeric. A little bit of turmeric goes a long way in this recipe. It’s just for the color. But if you add too much to it, your cheese is going to taste like turmeric, so make sure you just are adding enough for the color. So, the balance between the turmeric and the carrot will give you that nice cheesy color that you’re looking for. Anytime I put turmeric in something, I’m also going to put a little bit of black pepper. If you don’t want to put that in there, you don’t have to. But I usually will put about half a teaspoon of black pepper.If you feel like, you know, please taste your stuff as you’re making it. Don’t just put it all in and at the end see what you have. Taste it to see kind of what when you when you start to blend it. Let me say that when you start to blend it, it’s okay to like just taste it a little bit to see, “Oh, you know what? I think that needs a little bit more salt,” because the nutritional yeast and the whatever umami you’re using already probably has salt in it. I don’t recommend adding salt to it unless you feel it needs salt., depending upon I think sometimes the density of what I’m making, I do end up adding an additional fourth teaspoon of salt to mine, but just salt it as much as you feel like it needs. So just taste it and see if it doesn’t need more salt, then don’t add more salt.Now once you have that I also like to add a little bit of a thickener to it because it might be kind of watery. And depending upon what I’m going to do with this base, if I’m going to be using this as a cheese sauce, like I’m not going to try to solidify it into a block or anything, I’m going to add a tablespoon of cornstarch. If I’m going to be trying to turn this into a block, I’ll use tapioca starch, but I’m not doing that in the video that I’ve posted. I’m just making it into a cheese sauce. So, all of this stuff is going into the blender. I’m also going to be adding half a cup of plant-based milk of my choice of my choosing. For this, I like to use either soy milk or pea milk because it gives me additional protein. Like if I was eating real dairy cheese, there would be more protein in it., but if, you know, again, if you’re soy sensitive, pea milk is probably your best choice. But if you’re not worried about the protein content, you want something really creamy., oat milk could be really good. Oat milk is super creamy, but it’s also thick on the carbs, so just keep that in mind. And then lastly, what I do, again, to thin this out because, I’m turning this into a cheese sauce, is add about half a cup of the water that the nuts and you know, the beans and the carrot had been like boiling in. I reserve half a cup of that and that goes into the food processor. Everything gets blended up.I put it into containers, stick it in the refrigerator. I usually make a lot of it at one time, so some of it goes into the freezer so I can have it later. But that’s my basic cheese sauce. If I was going to be turning this into a block at some point, I’d be adding some agar agar. But that’s a video for another day. So, like I said, I make my own non-dairy cheese now and I breathe really well. My tummy feels really well. And you know, sometimes I miss regular cheese, but the longer and longer I keep making my own cheese and I get to cater it to my flavor palette. It’s I mean, it is what it is. I made a banging mac and cheese for Thanksgiving. So, there you have it, guys. I would love to know some of your stories, some of your recipes, some of your journey. Why do you eat the things you eat or not eat some of the things you eat? Have you ever tried to make a non-dairy? Like anything, whether it’s a non-dairy cheese or maybe a non-dairy butter or something, I would love to know. Until next time guys. Stay safe and be blessed.Credits:Knauthentic number five starring Toi Thomas. Featuring no one else at this time. Topics discussed: Quick meals, non-dairy cheese, Knowing your flavor palate. Produced by Toi Thomas in association with The ToiBox of Words and Lit Carnivale. Directed by Toinette “Toi” Thomas. Thanks again to the authentic community on Substack and YouTube. This is all for you!Content below is for recipe execution.1 can beans1/2 cashews1 large carrot1/2 cup nutritional yeast2 tbsp white miso2 tbsp lemon juice1/2 tsp activated Hing1/2 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp black pepper1/4 tsp salt1 tbsp cornstarch/Tapioca starch1/2 cup plant-based milk1/2 cup soaking water, or more as neededDirections:1. Boil the beans, nuts, and carrot until the carrot is mushy. Add optional ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and a bay leaf to the water. Reserve a cup of the water (use as needed for texture).2. Placed boiled contents in a food processor or blender and mix to a fine chop.3. Add all other ingredients and mix until desired texture achieved.4. Store in air-tight containers. Freeze any that won’t be consumed within 3-5 days. Leave in refrigerator overnight to thaw. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

The text featured below is the transcription of the video above.Hello and welcome to Knauthentic. We’re going to be talking about sandwiches today.I feels so weird listening to myself do like my intros, but I am going to be talking about a type of sandwich today. So, for me sandwiches is one of those things that, as a kid, I started learning how to cook, like at an early age, and I used to make these really kind of elaborate sandwiches, like most kids, you know, that was that was an easy to go and easy food for most kids to learn how to make. And, so, like, you would, you know, whatever bread you had in your house, whether it was white bread or wheat bread or, usually it was it was pre-sliced bread. It’s like when you become an adult, you start buying the artisanal breads that you have to come home and slice yourself. But as a kid, when you’re starting to have, like your first taste of, like, independence and things like that there’s, you know, pre-sliced bread in the house and you take out two pieces of it and then you go into your fridge or your pantry or whatever, and find those kind of ready-made items that you can throw together.I know a lot of kids, before it seemed like everyone was allergic to peanuts, PB and J was the way to go, and I still enjoy a PB and J sandwich as an adult, though I prefer to use the,l ike the natural peanut butter with the peanut butter pieces in it. I prefer crunchy peanut butter. I do eat creamy peanut butter for certain things, but I’m veering a little bit, but my point was, is, though, if you if you weren’t eating a PB and J, then you were going into your fridge and you were getting like a ham and cheese or, God forbid, a Bologna and cheese. I mean, we’ve all been there, you know. But these were very simple things that, you know, filled little kids bellies, and they were things that they could make themselves, you know, after school when they were hanging out with their friends or if they were doing homework and mom and dad were busy maybe preparing an actual meal for like, dinner later or something, you just needed something to kind of tired yourself over. So, sandwiches were that.And the crazy thing is, is I didn’t realize this as a kid that, you know, sandwiches are not part of everyone’s culture, a lot of, kids who don’t grow up eating the standard American diet when they get older and they see people, you know, buying, like these huge sub sandwiches, like they are just like, I don’t understand what that’s about. Like, why is everyone So, obsessed with putting other foods in between slices of bread, you know, so I get it, like in that context, like if you don’t grow up eating sandwiches, but for me, the reason why I wanted to talk about sandwiches today is because of all of my the changes that I’ve gone through, I do look at sandwiches differently. There was once a time where I could go, a week and have, you know, a sandwich every single day. That’s not my reality anymore. At least not in the way that I used to eat sandwiches.So, I’m going to break down kind of what kind of, like, sandwiches I’d eat now. And, I’m going to walk through another one of my quick meals. So, the video for it, uh, may or may not be up, but I’m going to just kind of walk you through what’s in that. So, if you want to see that, it’ll, you know, be on the socials. But, so for now, I just want to talk about when I eat sandwiches as a kid versus me as an adult. Now with what I know and my restrictions what eating a sandwich is like now. So, let me take a little sip of my tea. My throat’s trying to get a little scratchy. Not good for the audio.Alright, So, when I was a kid, I was definitely one of those kids who, would go into the pantry. Usually, the PB and J was my go-to. I, like I said, to this day I still love PB and J, but if I knew that I was going to maybe go on like a field trip or, you know, be eating at the table with like some other kids, there was a point in time where, I didn’t always want to have my PB and J around other people because it was kind of sticky and not I mean, I didn’t have a problem, like with people knowing that I ate like peanut butter jelly. I just didn’t necessarily want to eat PB and J around other people. And so, that’s when I started making myself, you know, simple little ham and cheeses and, I don’t remember eating a lot of turkey. I don’t I don’t think turkey sandwiches were a big thing when I was a kid growing up in Texas. It was either a ham and cheese sandwich or a Bologna and cheese sandwich. And I used to eat Bologna because that’s what was available.But I do remember at some point kind of taking over my sandwich making or packing, like my lunch. And so, I was had more control over what was going in my lunch. And I started putting more of the ham instead of the Bologna in it.as I, you know, my palate was already starting to change, and I just didn’t like it. But I know there’s lots of people who do like it, So, I’m not knocking it in any way. It was just one of those things. Kind of like the Oscar Mayer hot dog to me, the original just kind of base like Oscar Mayer. Hot dog to me just tastes like thick Bologna. And that could be just my memory. Like, maybe that’s not actually what it tastes like now, but that’s how I remember. Which is why I’ve never been a huge fan, but I know that other people are, and I’m not telling people to not eat that.So, anyway, I remember my dad used to make our sandwiches, and I don’t know if it’s a male thing. Like, I’m not trying to get into the battle of the sexes here, but I feel like more often than not, men seem to tend to take things kind of like to the extreme. With that said, I think my husband is the exception, and I’ll explain why in a moment. But I remember, like my dad making sandwiches for us when we were kids, and he would put like lots of mayonnaise on them and he would stack, you know, several, you know, slices of, you know, whatever the meat was, like I said, probably ham and then, you know, putting the cheese on it. And he would cut it in half. And, sometimes he would toast the bread, sometimes he wouldn’t. It would just depend. But it was just like it had this, like, amazing presentation and it was just a sandwich. And so, when I started trying to make my own sandwiches, I would try to like, mimic what he did with the presentation. I would cut my sandwiches at a diagonal, though I was never one of those kids who wanted my crust to be cut off. I don’t know why.But even as a child, I just felt like that was So, wasteful. And I’m not harping on you if you don’t eat your crust, but it is wasteful. So, these are just facts. But as a kid, if you cut the crust off my bread, I’d be like, why are you trying to rob me of food? Like, I want all of it.so but I did. I realized that when I was trying to, like, mimic what my dad was doing, but personalizing it to myself, I started putting less and less like mayonnaise on things, because I begin to realize that I never really liked mayonnaise. I just ate it because it was given to me. And once I started having control over what was going in there, I stopped putting mayonnaise on sandwiches. And I don’t even plant-based, like, man, like, I don’t really eat mayonnaise. That’s not really a thing that I do. Which means I don’t eat, like, tuna salad and egg salad and all those kinds of things, like, in their traditional form. I have versions of them that. But I’ve just never been a mayonnaise eater.Once I started having control over what I was eating. And so, I would, I went through a phase of trying to experiment because I was like, If I’m not going to put mayonnaise on it, what am I going to put on it? And I remember putting like trying to put like mustard on it, realized, nope, I don’t like mustard on any, on anything. Like that’s a real like issue for me is mustard. And I know So, many people like it. And the crazy thing is, is I cook with it all the time. I cook with it because I know that it enhances certain things. But just mustard on its own. Not for me. So, I tried putting mustard on sandwiches.I tried putting ketchup on sandwiches. I mean, come on, uh, child raised in America on the standard American diet. Of course, I tried putting ketchup on everything. It was not a success. Ketchup doesn’t belong on everything. And now, as an adult, I can’t even eat traditional ketchup because tomato is the base of it and I can’t eat tomato. And so, I did. Sometimes I would have a sandwich that didn’t have anything else on it. Every now and then, if we had something like maybe some plain yogurt in the house, I might spread a little bit of that on it and then start thinking about all of those salad dressings that we had in our home for those salads that we were supposed to be eating, that I don’t seem to have a memory of us ever really eating. So, I started putting salad dressing on my sandwiches in, in place of, like, the mayo or whatever. And, I did that for a long time. But again, now as an adult, a lot of the store-bought salad dressings, I can’t eat those anymore.I have to make them myself. So. But that’s still like, if I’m going to make myself a sandwich as an adult, that’s probably going to make some kind of sauce that like mimics, like a salad dressing to put on it. It’s not going to be anything mayo based. And so, but, you know, very kind of simple ideas.as I got older again, I switched from eating, you know, ham to having turkey. Even deli sliced chicken sometimes. I did play around with, like, roast beef, but also as I got older, I ate less and less beef. I just didn’t like the flavor of it. It wasn’t like, a cultural, religious or a health thing. It was just I didn’t really like the flavor of it. And I think, before that, it was another one of those things. I ate it because that’s what was given to me. And so, I ate it. But once I started having control over what I could eat, I ate less and less of it till it got to the point where I had gone like years without eating it. And when you go for a long time without eating something and then you consume it, your body doesn’t always react positively to it, like I didn’t get sick or get in the hospital or anything like that, but it upset my tummy just a little bit just because my body wasn’t used to eating it. So. And that’s just a cautionary tale for anyone out. If you are going to be cutting something out of your diet, and then you try to eat it later, that there can be an adjustment period, and that’s fine. But that’s what it was like for me trying to incorporate beef products later on in my life because I had gone so, long without eating them.So, with that said, nowadays I still don’t eat a whole lot of beef, but there are certain products that I might consume with beef, but it’s always going to be something lean and probably something that I have to make myself. There are some exceptions. And So, now when I make a sandwich, it’s very different from my childhood experience of making a sandwich. I’m also, you know, I’m older and I’m concerned about like, my heart and, you know, my digestion and my weight and all that kind of stuff. And So, one of the things that I kind of a tradition that I’ve created now is I make a lot of open-faced sandwiches. And, I don’t know, I like the idea of, like, So, we, we eat. In my mind, lots of people eat open faced sandwiches all the time without realizing. Because to me, a slice of pizza is an open-faced sandwich. Is that. I don’t know if that makes sense or not. And So, I just like the idea of kind of holding something in my hand and bringing it towards my mouth and biting into it, and it’s not like sandwiched. It’s just open. And I’m like, we do that all the time with pizza. Why can’t I just do that with sandwiches?So, my process, with my thought process with doing that is it reduces my overall carb intake. Instead of eating two slices of bread, I’m eating one. If you’re not worried about your overall carb intake, then go ahead and throw on the other slice. I like the aesthetic of the open face sandwiches and the low-carb, side effect. Or I guess result is just kind of a bonus, a perk. I have been eating a lot of low-carb breads recently. The brand right now that I prefer is hero, and I’m not sponsored by them, but there are other brands that I will eat from time to time, and I’m not doing that again because I’m trying to. I’m not on Atkins or Keto or anything like that. I’m just trying to manage my overall carb intake. I’m not about counting carbs or like just eliminating them. I’m looking for a balance. I whenever, whatever it is I’m eating, I’m looking to see is there a good amount of fiber in it? And the truth, the reality is, is if you are getting a good amount of fiber, you are also getting carbs. It’s very difficult to consume fiber without consuming carbs, and so, I just want there to be a good balance and if I can get some additional protein in there, that’s great. But I am not one of those protein obsessed people that are like trying to make sure they get one hundred and thirty grams of protein a day. I don’t need that much protein. Every person’s body is different. Everyone needs a different amount of protein. So, I’m not saying that word protein to like, set off alarm bells and, you know, be like, oh, you know, trying to increase our that I’m not I’m not doing that. I’m just looking for a balance.So, my open faced sandwich tradition is to just kind of try some different things I’ve learned and have been inspired a lot about by other like, content creators, Nisha at Rainbow Plant Life. She is the person who inspired, like, this idea when I saw her making several, kind of, like, open faced sandwiches where she would put spreads and stuff on them and sprouts and, like, sauerkraut and stuff like that. And so, it just inspired me to kind of start playing around with different flavors. And so, that’s kind of like my tradition now is. I toast a piece of bread, something that usually has a high fiber content and high protein content. And then I put some kind of spread on it, usually something that I’ve had to make myself. I usually will put some type of protein on it. It could be an egg if I’m having eggs at that time, it could be a meat.it could be a tofu. Fava bean. Tofu right now is kind of my jam. Especially the smoked kind, but it could be, you know, whatever. So, I always have some kind of protein on it.I typically like to add other textures as well. I might put like some walnuts or some pepitas on it, some pecans, some kind of like seeds or nuts. And I’ve been trying to consume a lot of sprouts, for all of their, you know, nutritional benefits. Broccoli sprouts are my go-to. But there are other kinds. Sometimes the broccoli sprouts are not available, So, I get the ones that are. And so, I’m always having like some kind of combination of these things. And so, I’ll be showing you guys or talking about some of the different sandwiches that I make, from time to time. But I have one of these open-faced sandwiches, I would say three to four days a week, not every single day, because I just, I just don’t eat bread like that every single day. And another thing that I like to point out about me having my open face sandwiches, I am trying to reduce my gluten intake. So, typically when I have one of my open face sandwiches that is my serving of gluten for the day. I don’t have celiac, and I’m not sensitive to gluten in the in the traditional sense that people who are I have digestive issues, So, anything that’s easier for me to digest is probably what I’m going to be leaning towards.I have a little analogy here that some may be able to relate to. You know, if you have a dog with an upset stomach, most vets will tell you to give them boiled chicken and rice. Unless you had a dog like mine who was allergic to chicken, and then they tell you to boil some lean beef and rice. But the idea is that you’re putting something in your dog’s belly that’s easy for them to digest. And then once they start to, you know, feel better, you can slowly reintroduce, like, their regular food, whatever that might be. And that’s kind of my mentality when it comes to gluten. I can eat gluten, but, I try to eat things that I know are going to be easier for my stomach to digest. If you think about all of the opportunities that you have to eat gluten in a day, it doesn’t hurt to reduce it a little bit. And I do want to be clear right now and just say gluten is not bad for you. It is not evil unless you have a sensitivity to it. If you have celiac or if you have, you know, rheumatoid arthritis and gluten is a trigger for that. So, there are certain people who, you know, it is, you know, not a good idea for them. But if you’re not one of those people, you don’t need to cut, you know, gluten out of your diet. But don’t listen to me. Listen to your doctor. Talk to a professional, speak to a nutritionist or dietitian or something like that. I’m just explaining to you what my experience is for me. If I eat a lot of gluten, my digestive system slows down and that stuff stays in there a little bit longer than I would like for it to. So, limiting my gluten intake helps to keep things on a more regular schedule.So, think about it. Let’s say you get up in the morning, and you have toast, eggs and coffee. So, your toast has gluten. Let’s say for lunch you have a healthy lunch, and you have yourself a wrap. Well, your tortilla has gluten in it. And then let’s say sometime later you decide to have a simple, healthy snack, maybe some cheese and crackers. Your crackers have gluten in them. And then for dinner you have spaghetti, which your pasta has gluten in it, and you have a breadstick or a roll on the side that’s more gluten. If you don’t have a problem with gluten, that’s perfectly fine. That day of gluten consumption is perfectly fine again. Talk to your doctors, your nutritionist, whatever. But I’m just saying in a very general term, that’s not an issue. But if you do have some issues like I do, reducing that could be beneficial not having gluten at every single meal, which is why I limit myself typically to one serving of gluten a day. I will go as far as two, but definitely not the five or six servings that I just kind of described in that scenario. Whew. That was a lot. So, that’s, typically why I like to do the open-faced sandwiches kind of first thing in my day, because I get my kind of gluten, serving out of the way and, yeah.So, let me just explain about the open-faced sandwich that is appearing in my short that I either just put out or I’m about to. I can’t remember if I’ve scheduled it, but it is a piece of, hero branded bread. It is their seeded bread and again, not sponsored and I just toast it up. I do have to toast it on a pretty high setting, because I freeze it because I don’t eat it every day. Sometimes I would say, like I said, three or four times a week. Sometimes it’s like just two or three times. Bread doesn’t last that long. So, that’s why I have to freeze it, because it comes in a large quantity.so after I’ve toasted it, I believe in this one, I added some smoked fava bean tofu that I just very quickly added some liquid aminos liquid, some coconut aminos to. You could definitely add soy sauce or tamari. I am testing coconut aminos right now just because I know I have friends with sensitivities and I want to be able to make things for them, but I want to taste it myself. I am the kind of person that I’m not going to feed someone something that’s alternative, that I’m not willing to eat myself, even though a lot of people seem to think there’s nothing wrong. And I want to be clear that there’s nothing wrong with that, but it still, it will sometimes give your loved ones a sense of other to know that you’ve made something special for them that you yourself are not willing to eat. So, I’m always testing out different things that I might want to feed to someone else, because I don’t want to feed someone something that I’m not myself willing to eat. So, you can use soy sauce, tamari, or the coconut aminos. They all work very well, and I just give it a quick soak in that.Stick it in my air fryer at four hundred degrees for I want to say I did six minutes, three minutes on each side just to, you know, cook it up a little bit. And then on the actual toast, all I did was put, sweet potato, mashed sweet potato on it. I will do that where I’ll just cook a bunch of sweet potatoes in bulk. I don’t add anything to them, literally. I just take whole sweet potatoes and stick them in the oven. I don’t put any oil, salt or anything on them. I just cook them, mash them, and I have them. I can stick them in the freezer, or I can stick them in the refrigerator if I’m going to be eating them sooner rather than later. And when I get ready to eat them, that’s when I can add something to them. If I want to salt, pepper, sugar, whatever. But this day I just spread the sweet potato on the toast.And then I put the, heated up, you know, fava bean tofu on top of it. I sprinkled on some pepitas I was using, I think, pumpkin seeds a lot this week because I was out of my walnuts that I usually put on there. And so, after I put on my pumpkin seeds, I then put on my broccoli sprouts and I was ready to consume it. Now, normally I would top off this open-faced sandwich with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, but I had run out of it and I hadn’t made it yet, So, that’s why that wasn’t on there. So, again, I know that was a lot, but this is just me kind of talking about my experience and things. I would love to know.do you guys make elaborate sandwiches? Do you use two slices of bread, or do you like the open face aesthetic? What are some of your health concerns that kind of dictate what you eat or how you eat it? I would love to know and I think that is all that I have for today. So, guys, stay safe and be blessed.Credits:Knauthentic number four starring Toi Thomas.Featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed: Quick meals, open-faced sandwich, working with what you’ve got.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 and YouTube. This is all for you.Content below is for additional recipe execution.One slice of crispy toast.Cooked sweet potato spread across the toast.Smoked, quick marinated, air-fried fava bean tofu placed on top of the sweet potato.Sprinkled with salted pumpkin seeds and broccoli sprouts.Optional- drizzle with balsamic fig glaze. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

The texted featured below is the transcription of the video above.Hi and welcome back to Knauthentic. This week we’re going to be talking about Quick Meals.So quick meals is something that I used to do over at my Toi Thomas channel on YouTube. And it was just what it sounds like they were just little shorts that I would post. And so I’m going to continue that tradition with this community. So, by the time this, you know, podcast is airing, the short should be up. But I will be talking about what I’m doing in that short, in today’s podcast, along with some other things.In the past, I would do, at my Toi Thomas channel, each week was a different version of my, work in progress, blog vlog, and I believe either week three or four was when I would do my food vlog. And so I’ve just moved that over to this platform. And so this is going to be kind of the food blog episode of Knauthentic.And so I want to talk about quick meals. So, I’m not going to drone along too much about all of my issues, because this isn’t all about me. But I think sometimes explaining why I do the things I do helps other people to, consume them better, if that makes sense. So, I’m at a point in my life where I would say that I do make about 80 to 90%, depending upon the week of all of the food that I consume, from scratch. Now, that’s not to say that I’m, you know, growing all of my food and processing. I am working on, you know, becoming more, sustainable and self-sufficient in that regard of, like, gardening and things like that.But, what I mean is, like, for instance, if I wanted to, throw together a pizza for lunch so I can’t get a frozen pizza from the store for a number of reasons, I would have to prepare that ahead of time to have it. Depending upon what I have access to in my area, I might be able to buy, like a prepackaged dough for, like, the crust. But, if not, I’d have to get creative and, you know, come up with something for that or make it. And then there’s like the sauce that I would need to put on it and the toppings that I would need to put on it. The recipe that I’m going to be talking about today, I’m actually using, one, I think prepackaged. No, two prepackaged. Hold on. Let me backtrack.I think I use three prepackaged items in this particular quick meal, but one of them is a just kind of a test. And I’ll explain what that is. So basically, for something to be a quick meal, in my mind, that means that you can put it together from getting the thought in your head of this is what I want to eat, to actually sitting down and eating it in fifteen minutes or less. And so for that to happen, you do kind of have some things that are already kind of like pre-made or just kind of ready-made things, which is for most people, not a challenge. It’s just your limitation is basically your creativity. Like what can you think to put together. But for me it does become a little bit more challenging just because a lot of the things that would make meals quick for most people, I can’t do.So, if I were, you know, like, again, using that pizza analogy, going to make my own pizza, I either have, you know, of course, pre purchased like a crust or dough or something like that, or I’ve made it myself. I’ve had to make the marinara myself because I can’t use any store-bought brands. I have to probably make the toppings that are on there, you know. And then, you know, put it together.So, there’s a couple of different, components to, to that, if I want to throw together a salad. Same thing most people are not like it’s not a challenge to make a salad. I think where it becomes a challenge is finding a way to make salads interesting with not having, like, the same thing, like, over and over and over. And some of that comes down to, like the dressing, which again, I have to make my own because I can’t buy most store-bought dressings.So. Yeah. So, what I want to talk about today is something that kind of looks like a pizza. In the short that I posted, when you see it, I do like, if you go and watch it, you’ll see it clearly labeled. But it’s what I call a Tortilla Spiral. It’s something that I just started whipping together a while back. It is very much inspired by the idea of a pizza, but I actually found that, I didn’t like it when I was trying to make it as a pizza. Once I started making it as a tortilla, it kind of worked better for me.And the reason why I’m so adamant that it’s a tortilla spiral and not a pizza is because, of two main reasons. Most of the toppings that go on to my tortilla spiral are, like soft or liquids or something like, I don’t put a lot of like, I don’t put, thick items on it. Like I don’t put like, like whole vegetable pieces on there. I might put something on a sprinkle, like, as a topping, but mostly it’s like layering different, sauces that, create this dish for me. And I’ve never cut it like a pizza either. I usually just kind of rip off corners of it. And until I get it’s a very much a, a handheld like finger food, you just kind of rip it and eat it kind of thing. So anyway, all of that to say is. So I’m just going to explain, what I put together for this particular, tortilla spiral. I can’t even think of my own terms and then explain, like, why this is so important for me and why might be beneficial for you if you have, like, food restrictions. So, let’s start with the tortilla itself.The tortilla is the first of the three prepackaged or pre-made items that I used to throw this quick meal together. And so, I am using a Hero brand tortilla, not sponsored in any way whatsoever. I like the tortilla, the Hero brand just because it’s a very, low carb, high fiber, high protein, product. Good quality doesn’t have like a lot of additives and things like that. And they’re made with olive oil. So, it’s just, for me, a healthier option. Now I will buy, store bought, like tortillas from time to time and use those as needed. Because the the because the Hero brand tortillas are a little bit more costly. But for me it’s a really good investment. I don’t eat them every single day. So, I typically when I buy them, I freeze them and just kind of thaw them as I need them. So that’s the base of this is the tortilla.And now comes the layering of the dish that makes it, a tortilla spiral. So, I typically start with a layer of a sauce, not a marinara. My sauce of choice is usually some type of homemade hummus, something that I’ve made myself, in this version that, that I’m talking about today, I have a, fennel and olive hummus that I make that actually has, like, chunks of olives in it, and it’s quite tasty. And so I basically spread the tortilla with the base of that, fennel and olive hummus. And so that’s the base. Other bases that I use for this would be other flavors of hummus have like a curry hummus that I make. A also can use, my black bean. The black bean hummus is okay. I actually just prefer to cook black beans in, like, just mash them. Like, to me, that’s even, like, better. But you could go either way with that. But it’s usually some kind of legume base basically for these spirals.And I know not everybody can, you know, eat legumes. So I do try other things as well. I’ve done bases that were made out of like cashews or almonds. Definitely have used some tahini based, you know, sesame seed, sauces to put as the base. So it’s really kind of versatile to what you are willing to work with. So and you could also do other types of, you know, vegetable parade parades if you’re not into the legumes or the the lentils or the nuts or the seeds. But that’s usually what I do for the spiral is I just start with like a base. So if this were a pizza, that would be the marinara. But for this, tortilla spiral, I usually have some kind of legume as the base.And then after that I continue to like layer the flavors. And so for this particular version I had made, recently made a green curry, Knauthentic green curry because, if you, you know, follow the show, you know, that a lot of things that I do are not culturally authentic, not because I, I’m not I’m not willing to take the effort to put it in. It’s just that if I make things that are culturally authentic, I can’t eat them. But with that said, it is a really good curry sauce that, my husband and I both enjoy because, you know, before I had all of my health issues, Indian food was one of our favorite cuisines. Indian American food, I should say so. So for the curry, I usually just kind of put it in in dollops. I don’t spread it. I don’t know why. It’s like. It’s like I like the variation of, you know, sometimes you get a little bit of this and sometimes you get a little bit of that, so I just dollop it on kind of like where I want it to be.And then the next item that I added, now this is the second pre-packaged item that I used for it, and this is the item that was the experiment. So I have started making my own non-dairy cheeses. It’s been, a very frustrating and also satisfying adventure whenever it turns out really well. I’ve learned how to make several spreadable cheeses. I’ve learned how to make sliceable cheeses that you can slice and grade. So I’m really good at, you know, I’ve got that on lock, but I know that sometimes it’s good to like, have options or alternatives. And so I’ve been testing out some, plant based or vegan cheese products from like the store. And there was one that I used to consume quite frequently, maybe a year ago. then I realized that there was ingredient in it that weren’t really ideal for my dietary restrictions.So, I’ve been trying other brands with like different, product, ingredients in them. So far, I mean, I just, I think I may just have to stick to making my own non-dairy cheese because the taste is great. Like, the taste is not the issue. It’s just that, each time I find something that I somewhat kind of like and I pay attention to the ingredients, I realize there’s something else in it that I can’t, consume. So, I did put that on there today. I just kind of sprinkled it on. But normally when I make this, using my own non-dairy cheese, I use one of my cheese sources and I will swirl the cheese sauce on it, which is where I came up with the original name of the tortilla swirl. So that would be another layer. But for for for this one, I was trying. I believe the Follow Your Heart again, totally not sponsored, but I was trying to Follow Your Heart, mozzarella, pre-packaged. And again, it tasted fine. The taste isn’t the issue, but I do know that I won’t be able to continue, buying this brand just because it contains potato starch. And I am sensitive to potatoes.So, yeah, I was, being a little adventurous today, trying something and just seeing like, how I react to it. So no major reaction. But when you get so used to not eating certain things and you eat them, you notice right away, yeah, I’m not going to be able to do this long term. So, beyond that, for this one, there’s one more, layer to this, but I am going to be putting it in the oven at this point.So, I preheat it for 350 degrees. Just kind of, you know, center middle rack. I put it on a baking sheet. Now, I did put a very small amount of avocado oil because I wanted my tortilla to get really good and crispy. But if you are, like whole food plant based, oil free, all that kind of things. You don’t have to put the oil on there. You could just put down, you know, your parchment paper so that the tortilla doesn’t stick or use a nonstick surface and just bake it as is. Because I made most of the ingredients that went on to the topping of this tortilla, I was confident that I wasn’t going to be consuming too much fat by using the avocado oil to just help the tortilla crisp. I think, the majority of the fat from this will came from the plant-based cheese. And then, one of the toppings that I put on.So, after it baked for ten minutes. Ten minutes is like the perfect amount of time to get just the amount of crisp that I want and the browning that I want without anything burning. So I took it out, and I put the last two toppings on it before I was ready to, like, dive into it. And so this is where the third pre-packaged item comes into play. I put, some sea salted roasted, pepitas pumpkin seeds. Just kind of sprinkle that on top for a little bit of crunch. Texture is really important for me with food. Sometimes I’m trying to avoid a particular texture. Sometimes I’m trying to recreate a particular texture. And for this one, I really wanted the crunch of the pumpkin seeds to complement the crispiness of the tortilla. And then, I also dolloped a couple of, drops of my, Knauthentic Chutney Verde. And I think I’ve done previous videos about that, but I’ll talk about that more later. So that was just kind of like the layering that happened with this dish. So let me wrap this up and bring it all home.The reason why I created this type of dish was so that I could, you know, throw together meals sometimes without necessarily having to, precook an entire meal and like thawed out which I most of the time that’s what I have to do. If I have meals that I’ve planned out for the week. And, I’m fortunate to be in a position where sometimes I get to be at home, and so when I’m home, I can throw something like this together, and I save those meals for the office that have to be fully, like, pre-made and just, like, reheated. And I really appreciate having the convenience of doing that. And so that’s one of my quick meals.And so I’ll be sharing another one, you know, next week or at some point, I don’t have a set schedule of how frequently I’ll be doing this, but I just wanted to kind of share that. So, this meal is really flavorful because of the different like, layers of things that are going on it and all of the different textures. But most of all, it’s healthy and it’s safe for me to eat. And if you know you have any type of restrictions that can That can really be a challenge sometime to eat something that’s safe for you to eat, something that’s healthy for you to eat, but is also actually delicious. I find that most of the foods that are safe and healthy for me to eat are a little bit lacking in flavor. So when I can come together and, you know, put something like this together, that I’m like shoving it in my mouth, trying not to spill it all over myself because it tastes so good that that that puts a smile on my face. And so that is a quick meal. And so I’ll be sharing more quick meals with you guys.I would love to know kind of what are some of your go to’s? How do you throw a quick meal together? This whole meal, I guess from start to finish, probably did take fifteen minutes because it was ten minutes of, baking time and then, you know, two to three minutes before and after, kind of, you know, putting on those final touches before I dove into it. So that was my fifteen minute quick meal. And, I am going to be starting to reach out to the community and seeing if people want to share their stories with me. I’d love to hear what kind of, you know, meals that they’ve come up with to help them on their journey. And, I believe that’s all I really have for this week, guys. So, if you are really interested in seeing what my tortilla swirl looks like, make sure you check out the shorts that are posted on social media. All right, guys, stay safe and be blessed.Credits:Knauthentic number three, starring Toi Thomas, featuring no one else at this time.Topics discussed. Quick meals, tortilla spirals, planning ahead.Produced by Toi Thomas in association with The ToiBox of Words and Lit CarnivaleDirected by Toinette “Toi” Thomas.Thanks again to the Knauthentic community on Substack and YouTube. This is all for you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

The text featured below is the transciption of the video above. Hi guys. It’s time to learn more about Knauthentic. All right, so this is, I guess, my official, Knauthentic, kind of blogging platform for the podcast. I have so much to to say. I’m not going to try to say it all today, but this is a good starting point. So last week I posted my introduction. And so let me just explain what’s happening in case you don’t know because you probably don’t. So first of all, I have, um, lots of health issues. I’m not the only person with lots of health issues. And so I have, a restricted diet. So it’s very kind of all consuming. And so I’ll be talking about that a little bit. Um, in addition to having like my food restrictions, I also try to use food as part of my healing process, with my ongoing health issues. And so, I would say this journey, um, that I am, that I’m currently on started five years ago, that’s when I became aware of like the issues and things started to change and so much and so, um, the reason why we’re here now and I’m using this term authentic is because, I, I’m, I’m, I’ve written a book, a memoir, and, um, I’m going to be jumping around a lot. I should have probably. I tend to be the kind of the person who plots things out, who scripts things, plans things. But I also find that sometimes I can overdo it with that. So I’m trying to be off the cuff a little bit here. So anyway, this book that I’ve written, I am currently taking a class at the Muse Writers Center. Nonfiction three. And so I’m hoping to work workshop it a little bit to see if what I’ve written is actually something that might appeal to people. I know for myself, it’s been a tremendous therapeutic process to write this book, so much to the point where it’s already inspired me to outline two additional books following this one. And so, but part of that process was me, um, thinking about all of the things that I’ve learned. You have to excuse me. I’m out of breath a little bit. All of the things that I’ve learned and experienced in the last five years, dealing with my health and discovering limitations and, um, finding out new things and, you know, putting my foot down and saying, I don’t have to settle. You know, this is something that was done to me or, you know, and I’m not I’m not going to be beaten down by it, that kind of thing. I started thinking about all of the different, amazing communities that already exist. And so I’ve really started to, like, follow, like content creators and, you know, people who inspire and coach and all these things. And in doing so, I really, couldn’t really find a community that was specific to me. And that’s okay. I don’t, I don’t I’m not trying to say that this Knauthentic label is going to solve everyone’s problems. Excuse me, but, um, so I just know that sometimes I know, I know what it’s like from a medical standpoint to not have a diagnosis because you can’t get proper treatment without a diagnosis. So having that diagnosis, whether you like it or not, is really the key to you being able to like, take the next steps to be able to do what’s right for you. Beyond that, being able to have a label that you and other people can quickly and easily identify with also makes a huge difference. I mean, when I, go into a restaurant and I say that I have food restrictions and the first thing that pops out of the waiter or the waiter, the person taking my order, the first thing to pop out of their mouth will be, are you vegan? I want to say that would be great if I was, you know, and and I’m going to talk about that more. But the idea here is that there’s so many things out there and none of them fully apply to me. And I think there’s probably other people out there too who they don’t have something that fully applies to them. And I’m not saying that, again, that Knauthentic is the answer to all of that, but that’s where this stemmed from. I wanted to create an authentic, um, uh, gumbo recipe. My father is an amazing cook. He worked with, um, chefs in New Orleans, and he has, like, the formal training, but he’s, you know, he’s a good home, good old, like, down home guy, um, nice guy in the world. And but when he cooks it, it, people have an experience when they, like, eat his food. And I learned a lot of things from him. I can remember being in college and making kind of money on the side, because I would make gumbo and sell it to people in the dorms. Uh, sorry. Um, but my point is, is that now that, gumbo that I made back then to make extra money on the side, I can’t eat that now. You know, it’s a it’s a traditional, authentic, delicious recipe that means a lot to me as a person. It also means a lot to me culturally, it’s part of my heritage. But I can’t eat that anymore. And that’s where Knauthentic comes from. When you, have these limitations and you feel like you, um, are missing out on something, or that you’re being removed or separated from something, um, that’s where it stemmed from. So, you know, since then, I’ve created a very wonderful, delicious, gumbo recipe that’s not authentic in any way whatsoever, but it tastes authentic. You know, it’s very delicious. I mean, my father himself. I didn’t even tell him that it was gumbo. When I gave it to him, I told him it was a stew because I didn’t want to hear him, you know, eating it and be like, hey, it doesn’t really like it to me”, you know. That kind of. So I didn’t even tell him that, that’s what it was. My version of that. I just told him it was stew, but he just kept saying, it tastes like gumbo to me, you know, which that’s that’s that meant a lot to me, because other people out there who are experiencing maybe not the exact same, you know, scenario, but the having this experience of they are separated from their family traditions or their culture because of their dietary restrictions or their needs, nutritional needs. And it was just a way for me to say, “hey, this is me being as authentic as I can be”, you know? I even spell it the way that I spell it because ‘cause I really want to just emphasize that it’s not about this, you know, preconceived notion that something isn’t good if it’s not the genuine article. If it’s not authentic, then it’s not good. And that’s just not true. Um, of course, you know, the authentic thing is the original, is the original. It’s, you know, probably the best thing. But why should people have to be excluded because they don’t fit into the perfect little, you know, square pegs of these cultural standards. I don’t think cultural standards should change in any way whatsoever. But I do think, culture, people, society in general could be a little bit more open and exclusive. I, I it drives me crazy when I see people online angry at vegans for eating non-dairy cheese. And I’m like, what difference does it make whether it comes from a lactating mammal, or if it comes from beans, if this person is enjoying it. If they get to have their own authentic experience, let them have that. Why are you upset that someone else is eating a cheese that’s different from the cheese you are eating? I saw one content creator go off about how people get angry when you have, you know, vegan butter. I’m sorry, but I love apple butter and it doesn’t come from a lactating animal. You know what I mean? And so we have these preconceived notions and ideas and concepts, and a lot of times people don’t even realize how intrusive and exclusive. And, you know, I hate, oh, this is not political, but xenophobic. I mean, if you don’t eat the same thing that someone else eats, you are treated as other. And I don’t think it should be that way. I don’t want to be that way. I want to try to help people explore different options. I spoke to, uh, one of the teachers at our center, and she was telling me a story about her daughter who has all of these dietary restrictions, and I don’t know how she felt about it, but I felt good about myself when I gave her an alternative recipe for something like here. Something that you can try with your daughter. Not not for me. Like to, you know, pat myself on the back or toot my own horn, but because when I started going through what I am currently dealing with, if someone had given me a recipe, I probably would have kissed their feet. Everything that I know right now, I’ve had to work unnecessarily hard for because there was nothing available to me. And I just want to create an atmosphere where people are comfortable asking questions and sharing ideas and not letting food be the thing that separates us. You know, if your an knauthentic recipe doesn’t include chili peppers, it’s it’s still good. It’s okay. You know, I, I am just at a point where I enjoy the food that I eat. I do it’s not easy to get to where I have to get to to enjoy it, but a lot of work, time and effort into my food. But I enjoy my food and I can only do that because I have to ignore all of the naysayers, all of the people who say, yeah, but that’s not an authentic or I’m sorry. Yeah, but that’s not authentic. That’s not really real. That’s not what it, you know, sure. I’m glad you’re you can have that, but I’m not going to eat that stuff. Like, you know, that’s that’s different. That’s other. That’s weird. I don’t I don’t I’m not here for the negativity. I want to be open. I do think that, diversifying a diet is, um, important. I wish that if I had known now what I knew when I was twenty, I probably would have started diversifying my diet in a way to where I wouldn’t have the restrictions that I currently have. And I just want to be clear before I move forward. I was never the kind of person who sat around eating junk food all the time. I have been a foodie since the age of five. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and having different culinary experiences. I mean, I snack just like like the next person does, but I think a lot of times when people hear me talk, they assume that I am where I am because I did something horrible. I ate, you know, fried chicken and hamburgers every day, you know, for twenty years. And here’s where I- that’s not what happened to me at all. Um, so I want to tell my story just because I think there’s other people out there who might relate to it. Um, maybe not exactly, but enough, you know, it’ll be relatable. I’m also inviting other people to share their stories because this isn’t all about me. I have several friends who have, like, food restrictions, and I’ve been testing recipes and techniques not because I need them, just because I want to be able to share it with them. I, you know, made a charcuterie board for my sister’s birthday, and I included things on that board that were gluten free because I knew she had a friend with celiac. I included things on that charcuterie board that were vegan because we have two friends who are plant based, you know? Um, these are not restrictions that I particularly have, but why not? I mean, it didn’t hurt me to be able to do those things, especially if I can do them in a way that’s delicious, you know? So, uh, I keep. getting out of breath. But, um. So anyway, I just wanted to just kind of explain a little bit more. Um, it’ll make more sense as we’re going throughout the process. I’m hoping to, be including some of the, you know, things that I’m doing in preparation for the book. Um, uh, I will go ahead and let you know that the tentative title, let me pull it up here, because I have it saved up. So, um, the main title of the book will be I wish I Could Eat That. Um, and then subtitle, I’m looking at thriving with nightshade and allium restrictions. And this will be an Knauthentic number one, because like I said, I’m already been inspired to write two other books, so there was a lot. So let me just put that all together. I wish I could eat that: Thriving with nightshade and allium restrictions: Knauthentic number one. That’s a mouthful. That is also subject to change, but, um, I just thought I would go ahead and just share that with you guys. So I’ll be sharing some updates. Um, the book kind of in progress things. And then, um, hopefully I will have some guests to maybe share with you guys people who are comfortable, um, sharing their story, um, with me to share with you. Or maybe they’ll come on themselves. This is very much a work in progress, if you know anything, from my Toi Thomas channel, I talk about how I’m a whip. Um, this is an extension of that, um, um, this food journey. It’s been crazy, but it’s been fulfilling because I. I refuse to believe that because of things that have been done to me, that I have to be punished by eating rice soup and bananas for the rest of my life. And. But that’s just me. I mean, if you are dealt a horrible hand and you’re fine just eating bananas soup and you know, I forgot what the other thing I said was for the rest of your life, then. Okay. Um, I was not okay with that. I knew that there had to be alternatives for me, and I went out and found them. And, I don’t believe that there’s any one way that’s better than than another. I believe that we live in a place and time. We live in a world with options for a reason. So maybe the plant based lifestyle is for you. Maybe it’s not. Maybe the keto lifestyle is for you. Maybe it’s not. Maybe paleo is the way to go. I don’t believe there’s any one answer for everyone across the board. You have to kind of pick and choose things you know to go, so maybe you end up with a knauthentic keto journey. Maybe you end up with a knauthentic plant based journey. You know what I mean? Like, I just know that I, um, get up every day and I do some kind of, um, meal prep that I will talk more in depth about. And as I, as I’m doing it, I’m being as authentic as I can be. So hope that wasn’t too crazy. Hope hopefully it’ll be lighter moving forward, but I just wanted to kind of explain where this all came from, where it’s hopefully going. And, um, yeah, guys, I really, really would love, any comments that you have, um, suggestions for what you would like for me to do here? Um, outside of me trying to get like, people to, like, share their stories and things like that. But I, I’m hoping to just encourage people. And, um, if this isn’t for you, that’s that’s fine. Like I said, this is not the answer for everyone, but, um, if you’ve been, you know, struggling and you feel like you need a community and you haven’t been able to connect to one yet, maybe this could be it. Guys, please stay safe and be blessed. Knauthentic number two starring Toi Thomas featuring no one else at this time. Topics discussed. What Knauthentic means. Who Knauthentic applies to. Produced by Toy Thomas in association with the ToiBox of Words and Lit Carnival directed by Toinette “Toi” Thomas. Thanks again to the Knauthentic community on Substack and YouTube. This is all for you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com

Send RSS feed to other YouTube account. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toithomas.substack.com