Green Sprouts and Portobello Salad

 

This light and complete salad is good for all doshas.  The nutritional yeast, as you may know, does not actually contain yeast; this is just its commercial name. It is very rich in vitamin B12.

The portobello mushrooms in this recipe are disease-fighting phytochemicals. They also supply the hard-to-get nutrients. One portobello mushroom supplies 21% of the daily recommended intake of selenium and ⅓  of your need for copper. It also contains as much potassium as a banana. Mushrooms hold their nutrients even when they are stir-fried or grilled.

Celery is an excellent source of vitamins C, K and fiber. It improves the immune system and is great for cardiovascular health. It gives you healthy joints and prevents arthritis. It is a good antiseptic because it helps with uric acid elimination. It benefits the bladder and kidneys.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp each salty spice combination 

                        (for example: turmeric, cardamom, coriander and cumin)

4         Portobello mushrooms

Braggs Liquid Aminos, to taste

½ cup pumpkin seeds

4 tsp coriander (separate from the salty combination)

3 tsp cumin (separate from the salty combination)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

10         cloves

1 tbsp ghee

1 cup red lentils

3 cups         water

Salt to taste

3 stalks         celery, outer ridges shaved off and chopped into ½-inch squares

2 cups         mung bean sprouts 

                        (or any other sprout: alfalfa, lentil, chickpea, sunflower)

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp Japanese Umeboshi vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup           

1         lemon (just the juice)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp sesame oil

For Vata: add ginger and an avocado.

For Pitta: replace sesame oil with coconut oil or sunflower oil; replace lentils with aduki beans.

For Kapha: reduce the amount of portobello mushrooms and add ginger.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large pan, roast the salty spice combination in olive oil until the spices release their fragrance. Cut off the stems of the mushrooms. If the mushrooms are not flat, cut off their tops as well.  Add the mushrooms to the spices and cook on medium heat. Once the mushrooms become soft, flip to the other side. Add Braggs to taste.

Put pumpkin seeds into a small pan and roast in the oven for 5 minutes.

In a large pot, roast the remaining cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in ghee until they release their fragrance. Add the lentils, water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook until the lentils are soft (about 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine the celery, mung sprouts, cilantro leaves, nutritional yeast, Umeboshi vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, olive oil and sesame oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Drain water from lentils into a separate bowl – this broth can be saved and is quite delicious!  Mix the lentils in with the salad.

Cut the mushrooms into small strips, ½ inch wide, and put them on top of the mixed salad.

Enjoy!

From Berdhanya’s kitchen

Cucumber Milk- Supercooling!

 Here’s a cooling drink to enjoy in the heat of the summer as a breakfast beverage, an afternoon pick-me-up or a light dinner. The recipe is inspired by a cucumber milk recipe given by Vasant Lad for calming internal heat and appeasing pitta skin issues such as psoriasis, eczema, rashes and skin inflammation.

Herb Polenta with Mushrooms

Polenta is a nutritious corn-based dish that is good for Pitta, since corn can be a bit drying. However, adding a topping that is suitable for Vata or Kapha can make polenta digestible for all doshas.

The dish here makes a soft polenta. You may wish to double the quantity, as it is always good for snacks!

 
Note that there are two types of polenta meal (or cornmeal) available – a quick or instant variety and the traditional, slow-cooking one. For most purposes I find that the quick polenta is good enough. Either one can be used for this dish

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil 

1 cup mixed mushrooms, very large ones, halved

2         garlic cloves, crushed, or 1 tsp of hing

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

1 tbsp chopped thyme 

1 tbsp truffle oil

500 ml        vegetable stock

80 g (½ cup) polenta (instant or traditional)

80 g (1½ cup) parmesan, grated

30 g (2 tbsp) ghee

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

1 tbsp chopped chervil

100 g (⅔ cup) Taleggio (rind removed), cut into 1 cm slices

        salt and black pepper

Directions:

Heat up half the olive oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add half of the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes, or until just cooked; try not to move them much so you get golden-brown patches on their surface. Remove from the pan, and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms and oil. Off the heat, return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil and some salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta, then reduce the heat to the minimum and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The polenta is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan but is still runny. If you are using instant polenta, this shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes; with traditional polenta, it could take up to 50 minutes (if it seems to dry out, add some more stock or water but just enough to keep it at a thick porridge consistency). 

Preheat the grill to high. When the polenta is ready, stir in the Parmesan, ghee, rosemary and half the chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the polenta over a heatproof dish and top with the Taleggio. Place under the grill until the cheese bubbles. Remove, top with the mushrooms and their juices, and return to the grill for a minute to warm up. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chervil.

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi. 

lemon Compote

  

Preserving lemons opens a whole new avenue in terms of flavour. The combination of salt, lemon juice, and time softens and breaks down the lemon skin and turns it into a sharp, aromatic treat. 

You can buy preserved lemons at many stores or you can make them your- self, but bear in mind that they take time: two to three weeks of preserving in order for the flavours to fully develop. 

Yotam's Smoky Marinated Feta

This delight maze is one of those snacks that you can place over the kitchen counter and take a bite every time you need to stop and remember is time for a break. I also use the cheese and oil over almost anything as a complement to a meal or a party snack.

Serves 4 to 6 

This flavor bomb is made by letting feta sit in an oil bath infused with garlic, lemon, bay leaves, and charred chili flakes. Charring the aromatics adds an intense, smoky flavor to the oil, which the feta absorbs to beautiful effect.

Marinated feta keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator (the flavors only get better the longer it sits), and it’s equally delicious on toast or in a salad. Marinated feta keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator (the flavors only get better the longer it sits), and it’s equally delicious on toast or in a salad.

Harissa with rose water

Inspired by Ottolenghi cooking, this recipe is a must to have in the fridge to accompany any meal. I had made modifications not to make it too hot, but still keeping the flavour of chillies.

Makes about 11⁄2 cups 

Harissa is a North African chilli paste that’s wonderful when stirred into soups and stews or spooned over roasted vegetables and meats. 

Chia and chocolate pudding for breakfast

 Making this pudding is incredibly easy. All you need to do is stir together the chocolate milk ingredients— almond milk, cacao powder, maple syrup, and a splash of vanilla– and then pour that over the chia seeds.

Use a whisk to make sure the chia seeds will get evenly coated with the chocolate milk mixture, then transfer the pudding mixture to the fridge to thicken up! The pudding should be ready to serve in roughly 15 to 20 minutes, but you can also keep it in the fridge for several days, as an easy make-ahead meal.

Bhudha bowl with carrot ginger dressing

 

This bowl is easy to ensemble, to storage and to serve. It is very gratifying as a light supper or as a hardy breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound quinoa,
• 2 red bell peppers , roasted and sliced
• 1 cup carrots , shredded
• 1 cup zucchinis, cut with a Julienne peeler as noodles
• 1 avocado , sliced
• 3 green onions , diced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 4 sheets toasted nori