Recipe: Green Smoothie

Inspired by my friend's green smoothie truck, I decided to try my own.  After all, the thought of eating my fruits and veggies via straw appealed to me immensely.  I looked over recipes on the web, but decided to make my own combo.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
5 swiss chard leaves (torn from the stem)
1 apple
4 frozen strawberries
5 frozen pieces pineapple
1 nectarine
a squeeze of agave nectar

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients into your blender, and blend!

Drink immediately!

Recipe: Ghee (Clarified Butter)

I use so much ghee in my cooking, it's not even funny.  Then again, I'm Vata-Pitta, so it's great for my dosha type.  For years I've bought ghee, but that was out of convenience.  It's super easy to make!

Ghee is an amazing substance, and aside from the Ayurvedic reasons, it kicks up the level of taste like nobody's business.  Since I tend to cook high-heat recipes (i.e., Chinese stir-fry), I need a fat that will not burn or smoke, and ghee is great for that.  Between ghee and coconut oil as kitchen staples, I'm set.

Ingredients:
1lb unsalted butter (you can up the quantity, say, 2-10lbs!  I used 1lb here as a test run).

Instructions:

Heat butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil.

When the surface of the butter is covered with a white foam, reduce heat to as low as possible and simmer uncovered.

From time to time, removed the solids that accumulate on the surface.  Make sure the ghee does not burn!  If ghee is cooked over too high a heat or cooked too long, it will darken and give off a pungent odor.

The finished ghee should be golden-colored and clear enough to see through to the bottom of the saucepan.  Carefully ladle the ghee into a can or crock and allow it to cool uncovered at room temperature.

The milk solids skimmed off the surface and the solids remaining in the bottom of the pan can be mixed into cooked vegetables, soups, and grains (anywhere you use butter really!).

Ghee properly prepared and stored in closed containers in a cool dry place will keep for months.

My 1lb of butter yielded 10oz ghee perfectly!













        

Recipe: Red Lentil Dal

Dal remains one of my favorite comfort foods.  Whether it's for feeding yourself, or a large party of people, dal is nutritious, and tastes superb, especially over rice, with a fat lump of butter mixed in.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils (mung beans are OK too)
1/2 large onion, diced
2 Tsp ginger, minced fine
3 large cloves garlic, minced fine
1 dry red chili
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
3/4 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
3/4 cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups water
Toppings: butter, chopped cilantro.

Instructions:

Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours (they will expand).  Discard the soaked water.

Heat 3 Tsp oil (I prefer coconut oil), and when hot, add onions, ginger, and garlic -- stir quickly so as to cook but not burn.  Lower heat, and stir occasionally, letting onions cook.

Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds (watch out, they will sputter), cumin, chili powder, and salt: stir quickly and let the spices release flavor.  Mix into a slight paste.

Add lentils, and mix thoroughly.

Add stock, and water.  Stir and cover with lid.  Cook for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Goes well with rice, or bread.  For extra taste sensation, add a generous pat of butter and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.










  

Recipe: Kale and Potato Soup

Kale is one of my favorite veggies, and I've given out this recipe more times than I can remember.  Really good by itself, and when I want added nourishment, I spoon it over brown rice.  If I want to be extra special with my bad self, I top that with a fried egg!

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
3Tsp virgin olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced into 1/2" squares
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 small dried red chili, seed and chopped or 1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
4 medium red potatoes
1 cup vegetable soup stock
4 cups water
freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

Tear kale leaves off stems into ~2" squares, wash well, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in soup pot.  Add onion, garlic, chili, bay leaf, and salt.   Cook on medium high for 3-4 minutes, until onions are done.  Stir frequently. 

 Add potatoes, plus soup stock.  Stir together, cover, and cook slowly for 5 minutes.














Add kale, cover and steam until wilted.  Stir occasionally.  Add the water, bring to boil, simmer sloly, covered until potatoes are quite soft, ~30-40 minutes.











Use wooden back of spoon to break up potatoes by pressing them against the sides of the pot, or puree a cup or two of soup in a blender and return to pot.

Taste soup for salt and add a generous grinding of fresh black pepper.  If possible, let soup sit for 1 hour or so before serving to allow flavors to develop.

Serves 4-6.

A Good Recipe for Women: Stir-Fried Eggplant with Ginger Plum Sauce

One of my great loves is food.  I invited my fellow yogi, Charleen Gosling, is passionate about nutrition with regards to women's menopausal health.  A personal trainer by profession, she shares one of her favorite recipes here (below video).

Stir-Fried Eggplant with Ginger Plum Sauce

NOTES:

• No need to peel the eggplant if the skin is shiny and tight.
• The eggplant will want to stick a bit to the pan, even with a nice coating of oil, so use a flexible spatula when stirring and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan often.
• Yields: 3-4 servings

1/3 cupe plum jam (leaving the largest chunks of plum in the jar for another use)

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp very finely grated fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds)

2 Tsp oil (coconut is recommended)

1/2 tsp salt

Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the plum jam, mustard, and ginger, and stir until well combined.  Season to taste with a dash of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, and set aside.
2. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2"-thick slices, then crosswise into 1/2"-thick sticks.
3. Place a large, deep skillet or wok over medium heat.  After about a minute, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan.  Add the eggplant and salt, and cook, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom of the pan often, for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggplant is golden brown, very tender, and has collapsed in volume by about half.  (If the eggplant seems to be browning more quickly than it is becoming tender, reduce the heat to medium-low and/or add a splash of water.)
4. Remove from the heat, add the plum sauce, and stir to combine.  Season to taste with additional salt, if needed, and some freshly ground black pepper.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, topped with red pepper flakes, if desired. 

I taste-tested (of course) Charleen's cooking, and the eggplant was divine -- perfectly cooked.  I never knew eggplant could taste so good and fresh!  The plum sauce made it really sweet, and refreshing, and it could almost be eaten like a dessert!

Find more great recipes here: