Sunflower Butter in Zucchini Rolls

At the end of summer all of the yellow colours are beautifully orchestrated in the garden. Here is a quick and simple recipe that will satisfy all doshas. Make it richer for Vata by adding some goat cheese to the mix of herbs. Customize your dish with Viveda spices for your constitution. For Pitta, replace rose peppercorn with pomegranate. For Kapha, add some ginger; for Vata, enjoy as is!

Makes:  4 servings

Ingredients:

1 zucchini

1 tbsp ghee

1 green onion

1 cup      parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro

3 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp sunflower butter/any nut butter

1 tbsp Viveda spices for  your dosha

salt to taste

4 cups arugula 

For the dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 lime (just the juice)

1 tbsp Viveda spices for your dosha

1 tsp pink peppercorns

½ tbsp maple syrup

salt to taste

Directions:

Cut zucchini lengthwise in long slices. Melt ghee in a frying pan and cook the zucchini at a medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, until golden. Chop the onion and herbs into small pieces, mixing them together. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, Viveda spices, salt and sunflower butter. Next, add the green onion and herbs. 

Sprinkle some salt over the zucchinis. Put the sunflower butter mix on one end of each slice of the zucchinis, then fold the other end over top, making a sandwich.

Separately, stir together all the ingredients for the dressing and then mix it with the washed arugula.  

Serve with the arugula as a base on a platter and the zucchini foldovers on top. 

Yellow Pepper Cold Soup

This soup is very colorful. It uses few ingredients and balances the Vatta and Pitta doshas. Add Satya Spices for your dosha and enjoy the creamy, soft texture of this soup.

Ingredients:

3 yellow peppers, medium to large
2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 tbsp of chipotle or chilli
1/2 tbsp salt

Beet, Buttermilk and Scallion Cold Soup

I love to plant beets and I enjoy the versatile and colorful presence of beets on the table. I can enjoy the nutrition and nourishment of beets on hot summer days, without having to use the oven. The flavor of this soup is surprisingly complex and it has a satisfying texture.

Ingredients:

1 pound large beets, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup scallions, trimmed and chopped
3 cups buttermilk or coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp Satya Spices for your dosha
1 1/4 tsp salt

Procedure:

Puree all ingredients in a blender until chunky. Refrigerate until cold, approximately 1 hour. Stir well and add more buttermilk or coconut milk before serving, if desired.

For Vatta: use buttermilk
For Pitta: use coconut milk

Watermelon Jalapeño and Lemon Cold Soup

Watermelon is a sweet and cooling food. It is great for the Pitta dosha and very refreshing on hot summer days. Jalapeños add heat to this soup, making the watermelon accessible for the Vatta and Kapha doshas. You only need a few minutes to blend this soup. The bonus of blending is that, unlike juicing, the healthy, filling fibers remain.

Avocado Cold Soup

Usually, ayurveda does not suggest to take cold drinks or soups, since it slows down the internal fire. However, being a Pitta dosha and being in front of the stove, this soup is a real blessing. All you need is a good blender and a refrigerator. Just a few ingredients and 15 minutes preparation. It leaves you more time to enjoy the summer.

Ayurvedic Suggestions for Cooling Pitta

Fresh, sweet fruit and fruit juices are beneficial for balancing Pitta. They provide nutrition and keep the body cool and comfortable. Watermelon juice, fresh cucumber juice, lettuce juice and coconut milk are four of the most beneficial juices to pacify pitta. By consuming at least one of these items several times a day you will notice a tremendous difference in your reaction to the high temperature.

Fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro and watercress can also be juiced or made into a chutney to balance pitta. Or steep cooling herbs in boiling water each morning, cool to room temperature and drink the water through the day to get the benefit of the herbs and hydrate your physiology. Favor cooling spices such as cardamom, coriander, and fennel when cooking. Use Organic Rose Water or rose petal conserve as a cooling food supplement or add to summer drinks.

Salty lassi

This Salty Lassi is spiced with cumin and is a great refreshing drink in the summer.Feel free to experiment with other cooling spices like fennel and anise.

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain yogurt or coconut milk
1 cup chilled milk or water for vegans.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of ice cubes

A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing


Dry roast  the cumin seeds for a few minutes until you start getting a wonderful aroma.  Cool and grind to a coarse consistency. In a blender blend all the ingredients. Top it up with a dollop of yogurt. Serve chilled. 

Makes 4 servings.

Mango Coconut Milk

This drink is very refreshing for the Pitta dosha. It is rich, nourishing, and invigorating.

 

Makes:  2 Servings

Ingredients:

1         ripe sweet mango, peeled and sliced

2 cups coconut milk

1 tsp rose or orange blossom water

¼  tsp cardamom

                sugar to taste (not needed for ripe mangoes)

Directions:

Boil the milk and let it cool to room temperature. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Variation: Add 10 mint leaves.

Rose Lassi

Delicate drink to cool Pitta dosha on summer days.

½ cup     fresh yogurt

1 cup     water

1 tsp     rose petal water

1 tsp     maple syrup

1 pinch     ground cardamom (optional)

 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Summer Mint Drink

This is a spectacular cooling drink, easy to make. Enjoy the restoring effects of fresh mint.You can make it with water or milk.

Ingredients:

For the syrup: Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in 1/4 cup of tightly compacted fresh mint leaves (without the stems). Cover and chill for a minimum of four hours. Strain the mixture through a sieve. Discard the leaves. Store the syrup for up to three days. To use the syrup for a water-based drink, place one tablespoon of mint syrup in about one cup of water at room temperature and stir.

 

For a milk-based drink, you can also add 1-2 tablespoons of half-and-half cream to the water and syrup for a variation.