I know, it’s almost un-American to go to a picnic or BBQ  and not see everyone’s favorite….potato salad.  And a small helping ever once in a while is good for the soul.   But you can also be the hit of the summer cookout season with a new updated version, that is packed with super nutrients and fiber, instead of empty calories and fat.

The classic white potato is an astringent food and mostly balancing to Kapha types, (for vata and pitta types it needs to be well cooked and seasoned).  This recipe is a tasty hit, (thanks to the folks at Banyan Botanicals), and whenever I take it to a party folks are always excited for a something a little different.  If you really want to make it your siganture dish try adding your favorite fresh herb from the garden.   Fresh chopped cilantro garnish mixed in adds a nice cooling digstive energy, but you could add some fresh dill or thyme.  You get the idea, add whatever herbs are good for your dosha, especially the cooling ones for pitta during the summer.

Sweet Potato Salad

Preparation time:

30-45 minutes

Boil whole or cut in several pieces:

4 c. sweet potatoes (2 large)

Whisk together in a small mixing bowl:

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, finely grated

½ tsp. organic lemon peel, finely grated

¼ c. fresh lemon juice (1 ½ lemons)

1½ tsps. raw honey

2-3 Tbsps. sesame oil

Salt to taste

When the potatoes are tender enough for a fork to go into them easily, drain off the water (I often save it for future use in soup stock), and peel the potatoes. The peels will come off easily using your fingers or a small knife. Cube the sweet potatoes into ½ inch pieces. Put them in a serving bowl and toss well with the dressing. Serve warm or cool.

This recipe is good for all dosha types and is appropriate to eat during all seasons.  It’s qualities are Sattvic. *

It is soothing, nurturing and tasty.  Perfect for vata/kapha season, depending  on the climate where you live.

This recipe comes from Ivy Blank, based on a dish made by Drs. Smita and Pankaj Narem of Bobay.   It is specifically designed to reduce ama (accumulated toxins) and rest the digestive tract during illness,
convalescence or rejuvenation therapy.  It is reprinted with permission from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amodea Morningstar with Urmila Desai.

The mung beens are cooling by nature, yet are warmed by the addition of ginger and spices.   Adjust the type of vegetables and amounts of spices to suit individual needs or conditions.

A stick of Kombu can be added to reduce gas and add trace minerals.

* -Vata, -Pitta, -Kapha (without garlic)
* -Vata, +Pitta, -Kapha (with garlic)

In a pressure cooker, put:
 2-3 cups sprouted mung beans
 3-4 cups water
NOTE: if you don’t have a pressure cooker you can use an electric steamer,
or steam/simmer on top of the stove.

Bring to pressure and cook about two minutes or cook the beans and water in a covered sauce pan until soft.
Blend the beans and cooking liquid in a blender.  Set aside.

In a stainless steel soup pot, warm:
1 1/2 Tbsps. ghee or olive oil

Add:
1-2 inches fresh ginger root, (1-2 Tbsps.) peeled and finely chopped
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (omit for high Pitta)
1/2 – 1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2- 1 tsp turmeric  (I use freshly chopped)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2-3 bay leaves
1/8 tsp. each of fennel seeds, hing, cinnamon, and cardomom

Toss until coated and their aromas emerge.  Add to the spices and oil:
2-3 cups chopped vegetables ( broccoli, carrots, greens, sprouts, green beans
or asparagus work well).

Toss until coated.  Stir for two minutes then add:
4-6 cups additional water

Mix well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until veggies are cooked.  Add pureed mung beans to soup pot.  Stir. Bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat and let soup simmer for 5 minutes.  Add: 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste.

Serve.    I enjoy mine with a little Bragg’s amino acids instead of salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and some fresh chopped cilantro as a garnish, to encorporate all the six tastes in onedelicious meal.

Maple Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 taspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 treaspoon ground allspice
1 cup pure Maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil ( I use 1/2 melted ghee and 1/2 canola)
2 large organic eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree ( I use fresh not canned for best flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or seeds or nuts for your dosha)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda,
nutmeg, and allspice in large bowl.

2.  Whisk together maple syrup and oil in a separate bowl.
Whisk in eggs, then pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir flour mixture
into pumpkin mixture with spatula.: add hazelnuts. Pour
into prepared loaf pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes.  Cool on rack
5 minutes, then unmold, and cool on wire rack or transfer to
serving platter.

Served warm is best!

(Kapha can substitute 1/2 the syrup with 1/2 honey.)
I use all freshly ground spices whenever possible for the best flavor and health promoting benefits.

There are many reasons to eat a local and seasonal diet.  It supports local farmers and also what is most easily digested and assimilated by your body at that specific time of year.   This results in better, more complete nutrition, fueling your body with the nutrients it needs.

This recipe is perfect for Fall…….I just happened to have an abundant harvest of Butternut squash from my garden so it is the perfect time to find new ways to use it.  Of course, here in Western New York even though it is closing in on Vata season, we’ve had a lot of rain which makes it appropriate to balance Kapha needs as well.  The seasonings can be adjusted to your “dosha” (constitution)……Kaphas would most likely want to add a little fresh ginger. 

For many Vata types it is difficult to tolerate “raw” foods, but this recipe gives the benefit of raw, living foods with an abudance of enzymes, without straining “agni”, your digestive fires.  It provides the sweetness that balances Vata,   without processed or refined sugars.  Kapha types could even add a little cayenne or chili pepper for a spicey twist.

The variations are limitless.   Have Fun, Play with your food!

Butternut Squash Cookies

4 Cups peeled Butternut Squash, chopped into medium sized chunks

1 cup raisins

juice of one orange

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons raw honey  

Blendthe chopped squash in a food processor and transfer to a bowl.  Blend the raisins and orange juice in a food processor and add to the squash mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thouroughly.  Drop by tablespoon fulls onto a lined dehydrator tray.  Flatten each cookie till they are 1/4 inch thick.  Set dehydrator to 100 degrees and leave in for 12-15 hours.

Processing note:  The first time I made this recipe I didn’t own a Vita-mix  blender so I  processed everything in my food processor.  I had a small Ronco dehydrator, without a thermostat or timer.  Don’t let the appliances stop you from trying this recipe.  Although I highly recommend investing in your health with a Vita-mix blender, ( http://snipurl.com/sbrdt ) and an Excalibur dehydrator, you can still successfully make the recipe without these items.  I lined the Ronco dehydrator with parchment paper.  Processing the foods in the Vitamix makes for a very smooth and thin mixture, so I added some ground golden flax seeds to thicken the mixture.  When processing in a food processor it makes for a chunkier “dough” and a chewier cookie.  Either way they are delicious and nutritious.  The Vita-mix and Excalibur allow for the highest quality and nutritional integrity in living whole food nutrition.

I have to admit I love beets, but for many years I couldn’t find something “tasteful” to do with the greens, other than steaming them or juicing them with other fruits and vegetables.  Since I am harvesting my own organic beets this year, I decided to find a nourishing seasonal recipe to put all the greens to better use.

But it also had to be Tridoshic, ( appropriate for all ayurvedic constitutions with very few adjustments) something simple, easy, quick and tasty….appealing to all.  This is it!  From Maduraham’s Eggless cooking……it is YUMMY!  It “fits the bill” on so many levels.  A little spice, a little protein, a good dose of cleansing and fiber-filled greens…… yet, it is warm, sweet, and comforting for the cooler days of September.  Depending on your dosha you can serve it with organic white basmati rice, (cooling in nature for Pitta), or brown rice, (warming in nature for Vata).  Kapha types will likely want to add a little more spice when serving and serve it with a small amount of barley or other Kapha friendly grain.

A FEW RECIPE NOTES:  The recipe calls for a pressure cooker but I gently steamed the greens until tender.  I used my vita-mix blender to grind a few dried chickpeas into flour and I also used it to blend/gring the dry ingredients and then added the yogurt.  It created a perfect consistency.

Beet Greens in Spicey Yogurt Sauce (Mor Kootu)

For Tempering:

3. Now grind together the coconut, cumin, chillies, besan. Add little water if required.

4. Mix this mixture with the yogurt and add enough water. This should be in the consistency of pancake batter or even thinner.

5. In a saucepan add the cooked greens, salt and yogurt sauce. Remove the pan from the stove after the first boil.

6. Add coconut oil in a small frying pan. Once it heats add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once it splutters pour this in the kootu.

Let me help you on your Ayurvedic eating adventure……it’s much simpler than it seems.  Here is a well balanced tridoshic recipe……make it as a smoothie, a fruit bowl, or a chilled soup.  You can change the spices to make it “dosha-friendly”, Pitta types can add ice in the blender, Vata and Kapha types will probably enjoy at room temp, unless the heat is on where you live.  Want to get your kids to eat it?  Pop it in the dehydrator and Voila! Fruit Leather.

Cardamom Plum Delight

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients: 

4 plums
1 banana
sprinkle cardamom
sprinkle allspice
dash sea-salt, (opt)
sprinkle almonds, or nut of choice

Preparation: 

Puree plums and banana in food processor until liquefied (if you want it thicker, add another half or whole banana). Sprinkle a very light bit of cardamom over the top, then a bit of allspice, then salt, if desired. Pulse briefly to combine. Taste and adjust, if necessary.

The almonds complement the plum perfectly, adding good fats and a little protein!  Cardamom aides digestion relieving acidity and gas, and bloating.

In Ayurveda, the seasons are a barometer for diet guidelines. So, as Summer turns into Fall in the eastern United States, this ancient healing system leads us into Vata Season.

It’s important to draw any excess heat out of the body and this can be done with food, as well as herbal preparations. At the same time adding moisture to the body, (from the inside out) in prepartion for a cold dry winter.

Nature provides for our needs at this time of year…….pears, apples, and grapes all help to draw heat and toxins out of our system. Pumpkins, beets, carrots and other abundant root vegetables being harvested at this time provide moisture to our bodies……..not to mention Yuuummm!!

Some find it confusing at the change of season, ” What should I be doing to balance my dosha? ” is a frequently asked question.

If you are a Pitta type you should be cooling and cleansing your system if you have had an Pitta imbalances this summer. If you are a Vata type you should be warming and cleansing. And if you are a Vata/Pitta type you should do a little of both.

Here’s a recipe for a nourishing soup/stew that satisfies both. You can adjust the spices, vegetable and seasonings to suit your tastes.

There are several variations to a basic kitcheri recipe and the one below is basic, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha).

You will find that the ingredients are readily available at most health food and East Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

2-3 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 small pinch of asafoetida (“hing”) powder
½ cup split yellow mung dal, rinsed well, soaked overnight and drained.
1 tsp rock salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed well and drained.
4 ½ cups water if using a pressure cooker or about 6 cups if using a regular pot.
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger root

Using either a pressure cooker (much faster) or a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns easily, so be careful. Sauté the mustard seeds and cumin seeds in the ghee until the seeds pop.

Then add the drained mung dal, asafoetida powder, turmeric and salt. Stir until the mix almost starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the rice, water, cumin powder, coriander powder and ginger. Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot.

If you are using a pressure cooker, fasten the lid on and turn the heat to high, let full pressure build up. Once the pressure has built up, turn the heat low and let cook five minutes. Then take the cooker off the heat and let it sit until there is no more pressure and you can safely open the lid.

If you’re using a regular pot, cover and bring it to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer until both the rice and dahl are mushy.You may have to experiment with how much water you use to find a consistency that you like. (The more water, the thinner the consistency). A thinner consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak.

You will notice that kitcheri will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.In order to provide the best quality of energy to your body, Kitcheri should be made the day that you wish to eat it and served hot.

Garnish:
Fresh cilantro (great for pitta – ok for vata and kapha)
Coconut (great for pitta, good for vata, but not so good for kapha)
Lime (ok for everybody)