San Franshakti Yoga and Ayurveda with Kate Lumsden

Recipe: Italian Mustard Greens to beat congestion

2012-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

At my great new local market (at polk and california), mustard greens were the only dark leafy organic green they had, so in my basket they went. I don't buy them often because they have such a strong flavor and cleansing action (not ideal for vata and pitta), but once in a while they're great for variety. As I was looking for inspiration for how to prepare them, I found many recipes for mustard greens with bacon. Hmmm, not exactly my style (being a vegetarian and all), but I thought the saltiness of the bacon would be a good fit for the bitter & pungent qualities of the greens. And suddenly a vision of delicious herb & oil-cured black olives popped into my head! Salty and delicious: they'd be perfect!

What I didn't realize is that these were incredibly well suited to my post-cold care as well!

(I had three days of it last weekend, but kicked it with copious amounts of ginger and garlic and this.)

Read on to learn more:

"Mustard Greens: warming thermal nature; pungent flavor; influences lungs; tonifies and moistens the intestines; clears chest congestion; improves energy circulation and dissovles stagnant or congealed blood...Reduces...mucus that is clear or white and copious...associated with lung infections. For colds and coughs, use mustard greens in tea. Caution: Not for those with inflamed eye diseases, hemorrhoids, or other heat [Pitta] signs."

(Paul Pitchford of Healing with Whole Foods)

"In traditional herbal medicine practices, preparations from olives and olive leaves have often been used in treatment of inflammatory problems, including allergy-related inflammation...Olive extracts have now been shown to function as anti-histamines at a cellular level. By blocking special histamine receptors (called H1 receptors), unique components in olive extracts may help to lessen a cell's histamine response. Because histamine is a molecule that can get overproduced in allergy-related conditions and can be a key player in the inflammatory process, it's likely that the anti-inflammatory benefits we get from olives involve this anti-histamine pathway. It's also possible that olives may have a special role to play as part of an overall anti-allergenic diet."

(whfoods.com)

This was so tasty and I highly recommend trying it if you haven't found a way to like mustard greens yet; enjoy!

ITALIAN MUSTARD GREENS

Serves 1.

1/2 - 1 t ghee

3 leaves of mustard greens, stalks removed and torn/cut into bite size pieces

5 cured black olives with Italian seasoning

balsamic vinegar

freshly cracked black pepper

In a hot pan, melt the ghee then add the greens. Saute for 4 minutes or so until greens just start to wilt. Add olives and stir until the olives are warm- about another minute or two. Turn off heat. Lightly drizzle balsamic vinegar over the greens and add pepper to taste then toss. Serve immediately.

Vata: Enjoy on occasion. Use 1 t ghee. Best to split the recipe in half and use to top a minestrone soup or similar.
Pitta: Not recommended. Would be ok if substituting kale for mustard greens and reducing vinegar and pepper to minimal amounts.
Kapha: Good. Use 1/2 t ghee. Use three olives instead of five.

Recipe: Love Pudding

2012-02-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day... Here's a slightly steamy teaser from my latest post on elephant journal.

View the post & recipe here.

"Show your reproductive organs some love this month by indulging in some hot steamy vajikaranas!

“Vaji-what?!” No, they’re not some new kama sutra moves; Vajikaranas are the foods revered in Ayurveda for nourishing your reproductive organs, so that you can go all night long (and make some healthy beautiful babies when the time is right). Vajikaranas, or foods that enhance shukra & artava dhatus (the male and female reproductive tissues respectively), are also great for the production of Ojas, the vital essence that keeps us young, healthy and hot! So not only will this delicious pudding below give you stamina in the sack, it’ll help you look even more radiant when the eco-friendly threads start coming off.

Make this pudding as food love for yourself or for a loved one; you might even be able to sweet talk them into an Ayurvedic cleanse between bites…Enjoy!"

To get the Love Pudding recipe, click here!

p.s. Vajikarana is actually a whole branch of Ayurveda! Herbal medicines also fall under the category Vajikarana, like Shatavari- perhaps my favorite Ayurvedic herb of all time because of its amazing capabilities for rejuvenating women in body, mind and spirit. If you're curious about herbal medicine, check out the Ayurveda tab above and consider seeing me for a consult.

Recipe: Super Dips! Miso Dip & Chunky Homestyle Hummus

2012-02-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

Patty's Miso Dip with Steamed Asparagus (a VPK balancing vegetable)

To embrace the Super Bowl this Sunday (even though the Niners won't be playing :( ) I've decided to post some fantastically tasty homemade dips! When I think of Super Bowl gatherings, the worst thing I think of on the menu is processed dip made from who-knows-what, a memory of an introduction to Ruffles Ranch dip as a child comes to mind- blech! But have no fear, these two healthy dips are great competition for the processed stuff and can easily take center stage going with vegetables and chips as you like.

The Miso Dip is courtesy of yoga student and cook Patty Corwin, who I used to assist in the kitchen at The San Francisco School one day a week. She taught me everything I know about making soups and has a great knack for making things delicious, easy and appealing to kids and adults alike! My boyfriend and I first tried this Miso Dip at her Holiday Party with sliced vegetables and couldn't get enough. Miso isn't commonly used in Ayurveda, and traditionally wouldn't be recommended to consume with any frequency because it is fermented and therefore rajasic or can aggravate the mind. That said, according to Chinese tradition it is said to "promote long life and good health, treat and prevent radiation sickness and to neutralize some of the effects of smoking and air pollution" (Paul Pitchford of Healing with Whole Foods) - something we can all use here in our busy city. Miso will definitely spike Pitta and Kapha if enjoyed in excess or too often. Periodically, however, I believe Miso can benefit all doshas. Miso is most suited to Vata types as it is salty and fermented.

The story behind my Homemade Hummus is a unique one, and like many great things, was born out of necessity. I was travelling and without much access to vegetarian food and without a blender. I made this by hand just using a fork to mash the garbanzos and I've stuck with the chunkier texture, celery bits and whole sesame seeds every since. This hummus is close to tri-doshic- be sure to note the suggestions for each dosha at the bottom of the recipe to make it most suited to your body, digestion and mind. I can easily enjoy the better half of this recipe in one sitting - yikes!- so consider yourself warned! ;) You'll be able to taste the raw garlic and you can consider it similarly as you would Miso: rajasic and Pitta aggravating in excess or if you already have a Pitta imbalance (inflammation, redness, loose stools), but in small amounts can give your body a great boost to fight infection and viruses: just what we need in the cold season!

Enjoy these dips and try to eat mindfully amongst the cheering and booing of Sunday's Game.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

My Homestyle Hummus with Tortilla Chips

PATTY'S MISO DIP
Makes 2 cups.

1 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
1/4 c white miso paste
1/8 c soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1/8 c rice or cider vinegar
1 green onion chopped
1/4 t honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Keeps for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Vata: good in moderation. Enjoy with a cooked vegetable.
Pitta: not recommended but ok for occasional use. Enjoy with raw vegetables as you like.
Kapha: not recommended but ok for occasional use. Can thin more with an tablespoon water or more. Enjoy with lightly steamed cruciferous vegetable (broccoli or cauliflower)

HOMESTYLE HUMMUS
Makes 2 cups.

1 can cooked chickpeas, drained (approximately 1 2/3 c)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/8 c water
juice of 1 lemon
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 heaped t ground cumin
1/4 t salt
1/2 c finely chopped celery
1/4 c sesame seeds, toasted in a hot pan - watch carefully!

In a small blender, combine 3/4 of the chickpeas, oil, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt until smooth. In a bowl, place remaining chickpeas, and using a fork, mash them lightly. Add celery, sesame seeds and blender mixture. Mix well and taste. If serving with a salted chip of some kind leave hummus as is, if serving with plain pitta or vegetables, add additional salt to your liking.

Vata: not recommended but with additional olive oil, less garlic and a completely smooth texture, is ok for occasional enjoyment.
Pitta: ok. Reduce garlic to 1 clove and add 1 t coriander. Use minimal salt.
Kapha: Good. Reduce sesame seeds to 2 tablespoons and add an additional 1 or 2 teaspoons paprika.

My 2 Most Essential Resources for Women (and one is free!)

2012-01-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Being an Ayurvedic Practitioner is such a wonderful gift because it means that you have had the great privilege of learning a beautiful science that heals disease at its root with food, lifestyle, body treatments and herbal remedies. It also means that when you meet someone who is suffering from an ailment you know how to heal with this precious knowledge, it makes your heart ache because you know that their suffering could be relieved if only they had the right tools. Seeing a practitioner is ideal, but these books can make a tremendous difference in how you as a woman can take charge of your health. I wish I could carry these resources with me everywhere I went so I could give them to every woman who told me she experienced constipation, digestive distress, insomnia, chronic fatigue, PMS, frequent colds, panic attacks and/or depression.

There's a lot of information to sift through in Ayurveda and so much of it is incredibly valuable. In my experience, however, I've found that the two things I'll recommend here are the two that hold some of the most valuable (& hard to find) information for women. If you integrate the concepts in these resources, your health will improve. I have absolutely no doubt. Enjoy and please, spread the word!!

Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life

by Dr Claudia Welch

(acupuncturist & ayurvedic practitioner)

I recommend this book more than any other book.

That alone says a lot because I love books and I have a big mouth when I find something I like.

I have yet to find a better book that informs women on preventative health care, eastern medicine, modern research on illnesses and new additions to the female medicine cabinet (Birth Control, HRT etc), and perhaps most importantly, how to read your body.

I've seen women's mindsets about how to relate to their bodies, energy and way of life shift completely because of this book. I find it especially valuable for the women who aren't already steeped in the Yoga lifestyle because it speaks to the regular woman who's wants to feel better. Dr Welch uses clear understandable concepts to explain some of Chinese Medicine & Ayurvedic principles alongside modern research to create a body of knowledge that's ideal for the modern day woman looking for health care that isn't "trendy": something that's quite a task these days.

In an ideal world, I think this book would be required reading for all high school girls. I can imagine few books that would lead a woman towards greater success and give her better skills to navigate life.

Buy this book then share it with every woman you know.

And while you're at it, check out Claudia Welch's website a gold mine of resources, articles and recipes.

Yoga for Women:

A practical guide for women in the three important stages of her life -

menstruation, pregnancy & menopause

by Emma Balnaves

(Yoga Teacher and Student of Ayurvedic and Siddha systems of medicine)

Yoga heals. We all know that, and most of us have experienced it in some way.

With all the fuss about the New York Times article (Yoga Can Wreck Your Body), I think many of us yogis have taken a step back to look at our practices and see if they are in fact healing. From an Ayurvedic perspective, yoga postures and the movements within and between them should create a steady and comfortable flow of Prana, the vital energy and current of Vata dosha. If we find our practice upsetting the flow of Prana (like when our breath becomes labored), we are upsetting Vata. This can in time manifest in deranged Vata as either stagnation where there should be movement (constipation or lack of menses for example) or movement in the wrong direction (anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, PMS often times).

It is critical that as women (and human beings) we safeguard the healthy movement of prana and therefore of Vata Dosha. As a woman, our ability to ground ourselves is paramount, not just for the sake of our sanity, but for the health of our bodies. Apana Vata (the downward moving subdosha of Vata) is arguably the key to good female health and is responsible for healthy bowel movements, comfortable menstruation and easeful childbirth.

In this article by Emma Balnaves linked above, you'll find suggestions for yoga postures for each of the three vital stages of a woman's life: menstruation, pregnancy & menopause. If you're unfamiliar with the postures, talk to me and I'll point you in the right direction (or to a qualified teacher near you).

I hope these resources will be as big a boon to your health as they have been to mine.

Enjoy and share to support a stronger, healthier and happier woman-kind.

Recipe: Creamy Coconut Kitchari

2012-01-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

shown with sauteed purple kale (good pairing for P and K)

This kitchari actually is the product of soup that I made that I decided would be better suited to kitchari -- as I find most things in my life. So this recipe is somewhat unconventional: you can make just the soup or the soup then turn it into kitchari. My friend and fellow yoga teacher, David Kresner, expressed his dislike of the often mushy consistency of the rice in kitchari, and while I love mushy kitchari, I can totally understand. Consistency is very important. So, this kitchari is dedicated to David and all the other Ayurvedic enthusiasts who just aren't into mushy kitchari. I hope this method serves your health and tastebuds well. :)

This kitchari is well suited to this time of year (the winter) : it's creamy and slightly heavy because of the coconut milk (good for vata) and got the heat to fire up agni from the red lentils (a hotter lentil variety), the mustard seeds and the ginger. Kaphas will want to go extra easy on the coconut milk or skip it all together to avoid congestion. Pittas, be sure to bulk up on the cilantro in this dish- no breaking out the hot sauce & extra salt to top it. Vatas, try not to multi-task while eating this. Savor its creaminess and don't forget to chew too. Enjoy VPK family!

CREAMY COCONUT KITCHARI

Serves approximately 4 people as a main.

1 c basmati rice....rinse then cook in a rice cooker or on the stove (1:2 rice:water ratio). Fluff once finished.

Meanwhile, make the base:

2 T Coconut Oil or Ghee
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 t chopped fresh ginger
1/2 t cumin seeds
1/4 t mustard seeds (yellow for P, black for V & K)
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 c red lentils, rinsed well
4 c water
1/4 c coconut milk (fresh would be ideal, canned will do)
1/4 t salt

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add cumin, turmeric, onion and fresh ginger, and saute mixture until onion is translucent. Add in red lentils and water. Bring to boil, then down to gentle simmer and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes, add coconut milk and simmer uncovered for at least 5 more minutes once lentils have softened or become mushy. Stir in salt and taste.

EITHER Serve as soup now with a sprinkling of cinnamon and chopped cilantro OR stir in rice & lots of chopped cilantro to the base to create kitchari (a mixture of beans and rice).

V: Great. Be sure you're hungry when you sit down to eat this meal. Serve with roasted vegetables (like winter squash, root vegetables or steamed zucchini).
P: Ok. Use split mung beans instead of red lentils. Tone down the spice. Add 1/2 t ground coriander with coconut milk. Use minimal salt. Add lots of chopped cilantro.
K: Ok. Use low fat coconut milk and top with an extra sprinkling of cinnamon. Only eat as a mid-day meal, not dinner.

Catch-up and lots of food inspiration

2012-01-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

Gosh, I've been out of touch! Things have been great here on my end and I'm thrilled that the rain finally arrived in San Francisco yesterday! Less dryness, yay!

But really, my life has been full with so many wonderful things I almost don't know where to start...I'll give you the photo story...

The biggest news: I graduated from Mount Madonna as a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner! (ok, I actually have one more weekend of observing the amazing Dr Sarita Shrestha but I've already taken my final exam and received honors, woohoo!!) Dr John Douillard spoke at our graduation and was absolutely inspirational. It was my second time studying with him, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to do so. I can think of no one who relates the wisdom of Ayurveda more easily to an American audience. If you haven't read his book The 3-Season Diet I highly recommend it.
*Also, my mom brought me flowers from San Francisco and she said when she was telling the flower girl about what they were for, the flower girl said she follows my blog! So flower girl out there, I LOVED my flowers! They smell gorgeous; thank you! :)

Me at graduation with some of my lovely classmates

I led the New Year Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat at Stinson Beach, and it was perfect! The weather was beautiful, I had the help of a most accomplished cook (my significant other) and I couldn't have asked for a nicer group of people for a day of yoga, cooking and outdoors.

Delicious Roasted Vegetables from our retreat lunch served with coconut cilantro sauce.
Both recipes are from Eat Taste Heal-- a fantastic cookbook!

On Monday I went on a long marina walk with my man and we had some fun taking photos... this is one of my favorites: San Fran-Shakti, don't you think? ;)

There's only one thing lately that's driven me absolutely BANANAS and that's this page I found while browsing O Magazine while in line at the grocery store... Hunger is essential for health!! It's your bodies way of saying it's ready for food. No hunger and your body is taking in food that it's not ready to digest. If it's not ready to digest it, it won't metabolize or eliminate it well. Being hungry before meals is the BEST way to avoid indigestion, lethargy, weight gain and depression. Let you inner fires burn and you'll start to feel more radiant- especially this time of year! Read more here: Dr John Douillard on Meals.

Lastly, what I've been eating when my digestive fire is burning brightly...

This morning's breakfast: Breakfast rice with raisins & toasted coconut

Lunch: roasted butternut squash with steamed carrots, olive oil and sesame seeds - green lentils with spices and fresh ginger - brown basmati rice (hidden under lentils) - chopped sauteed kale with onion - all garnished with cilantro and avocado

Quinoa with sauteed swiss chard, sliced broccoli stalks, roasted butternut squash medallions and chopped green onion, sesame seeds and bragg's liquid aminos.

I'm in love with The Republic of Tea's new line of Rooibos based teas. This one (get charged) even has Ashwagandha and Ginseng - perfect for a caffeine-free boost in the winter time. Shown with steamed milk on top. YUM!

Kitchari Sushi!!
Just when you thought you'd seen kitchari every way imaginable...
I made this with lentils, brown rice, avocado, sweet potato, a little bell pepper and obviously nori. It was delicious and super easy! I highly recommend trying it out. Especially because seaweed is so good for breast health (watch this video to learn more)

Basmati rice with brown lentils, mustard greens, carrots, broccoli stalk and a sauce of hummus, water and lemon juice.
So tasty!

Your reward for making it all the way to the end of my blog post:

Me lookin' super stylin' at the SF Food Bank ;)

They had us package oats...love it!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll be posting my recipe for creamy coconut kitchari as promised sometime today or tomorrow.

Love and namaste,

Kate

Recipe: Gold Beet Soup

2011-12-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

The holidays are almost over which means that the season of delicious temptation is almost behind us. Hurray! My willpower has had a serious workout and honestly, it's caved to some pretty delicious cookies like the homemade gingerbread cookies my family & I decorated. They were so much fun! Too much fun to not be eaten :)

Amidst the holidays and some really early morning yoga practices (getting to Berkeley by 6:30am-whoa), I've done some cooking, though I can say that not much of it has been incredibly inspired sadly. I went off picking new recipes from cookbooks and went to the tried and tested: lots of oatmeal for breakfast (at least 10 days in a row) and kitchari or lentils & rice for lunch. It's kept me healthy and happy, so I can't fault it. On one of these less adventurous cooking days, I had one of those times where you look in the fridge and think: "What can I do with all this stuff?" So, I made soup. Lots could have gone in this soup, so if your fridge holds something a little different, go with it. I served this soup with some quinoa kitchari with spinach to my mom when she was over for lunch and she loved it! I hope you do too. :)

Gold Rosemary Beet Soup

2 T olive oil
3 stalks celery
1 carrot
2 golden beets
1/2 sweet potato
5-6 cups water

1+ T fresh rosemary, wrapped in cheesecloth
liquid vegetable bouillon or salt

Dice all of the vegetables into pieces that can fit on a spoon easily (or smaller). In a large pot, heat olive oil and saute celery until it's tender. Then add vegetables, water and wrapped rosemary. Bring to boil, then down to simmer and cook until all vegetables are tender and flavors are well combined (about 25-30 minutes). Add bouillon or salt to taste. Serve with a grain or kitchari for a meal.

Vata: Great.
Pitta: Minimize salt and top with lightly sauteed chopped kale or other dark greens.
Kapha: Great. Can substitute white potatoes for sweet potatoes for more Kapha balance. Top with fresh cracked pepper.

Me with our lunch

William Sonoma's Dutch Apple Pancake
Google the name to find the recipe online.
(my mom made this all the time when I was a kid- yum!)

No surprise the food is amazing at Zuni Cafe's holiday party

Our Festive Gingerbread Cookies

Morning Oatmeal with Apples and Molasses

Ayurveda & Yoga Inspired Gifts

2011-12-11T18:09:00.001-08:00

It's the holiday season and you probably want to get your loved ones something fun, mindful and not another yoga mat/lululemon outfit/yoga gift card/metal water bottle or other predictable yoga gift. Or maybe you just want to give something that makes you feel good because you know it contributes to a greater good in addition to your friend's happiness....Well, I feel you. Here are some ideas of things that I will be giving, would love to receive and just think are great gifts. Hope they're helpful.

The essential stocking stuffer: A donation to the San Francisco Food Bank.

Watch this video then go here and donate in a friends name or donate your time as a volunteer with their easy online scheduling. One in five residents of San Francisco goes to bed hungry, and we can make a difference. Live the spirit of the season.

Dosha Scoop Neck t-shirts from Karma Warriors ($38.50). "Lighten Up, I'm a Vata" t-shirt shown...too cute! 12% goes to charity too!

*These Ayurveda-inspired shirts are 15% off with code GoHoHo through Dec 20th!*

Make a homemade gift certificate for Pranamaya.com where you can purchase amazing yoga and ayurveda dvds and many of them are downloadable. It's perfect for new yogis and the experienced! I recommend Mark Horner's Building Prana with Hatha Yoga ($13.95) and Scott Blossom's Ayurvedic Daily Lifestyle ($9.95)

The Travel Spice Kit: Great for your Ayurvedi Traveller. ($25.99)

Yoga Sutras Desk Calendar by Cara Brostrom available on etsy ($25). Beautiful and inspiring.

Copper Oil Warmer from MotherOfHealth.com ($39.99). Functional and beautiful! The tea lights keep your oil warm.What a great way to encourage more regular body oiling. Give this with a bottle of Organic Sesame Oil and don't forget to include that the sanskrit word for oil and love are the same: sneha. <3

A rice cooker! This one is by Oster ($22.25) and includes a steamer tray for the top: pretty cool! I use my cooker all the time and it makes getting whole grains into your diet worlds easier. I even make kitchari in mine! After my mom came for lunch and saw me make my cooker kitchari, she asked for this for xmas.

The Power of Vastu Living by Kathleen Cox ($24.99) is a great book to learn how to arrange your home in accordance with the Vedic recommendations (where yoga and ayurveda come from). I can honestly say I sleep better now that my head is in the south than the north. This book is a lot of fun.

Hot Water Bottle with Recycled Sweater Cover on Etsy ($27). Got a friend who's always cold and bundled with half her closet's contents? Get her this. She'll love it. You can also DIY. Buy a bottle from your local drug store and make the cover from an old sweater.

The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar ($12.20). This is a great cookbook. It's chalk full of great information on how to integrate Ayurveda into your diet and TONS of accessible tasty recipes. The only thing I wish this book had was pictures.

Hope these help your holidays all the more merry and bright!

Recipe: Holiday Kitchari & Gift Certificates!

2011-12-03T18:52:00.001-08:00

As my contribution to The Mindful Body December e-newsletter, I included a recipe for my "Holiday Kitchari". Whenever I go to celebrate a holiday with my significant others' family I bring some kind of lenti and rice dish that I make sure looks appetizing, so that people will try it in addition to the hot dogs on Fourth of July or the turkey at Thanksgiving. It's always really well received and because it's what I eat when doing the family time, I feel good afterwards with none of the holiday-ill feelings. Yay! In this particular recipe, I'm spotlighting Garam Masala, a classic Indian spice blend. So you'll find the recipe below.

Also in time for the holidays, you can now buy Gift Certificates for my services! Purchase a gift certificate via this link for the service of your choice using Google Checkout. Within 48 hours, you'll receive an email with your gift certificate, so that you can either print it to wrap or email to the happy recipient. Want a hardcopy from me? After receiving your gift certificate by email, just let me know and I'll drop a hardcopy with a gift envelope at The Mindful Body for you to pick up.

This is the last month to get these incredible rates, as my rates will be going up in 2012 to the standard market rates. Don't miss out!
*Not local?*
I'm also available for phone consultations for those who are out of the San Francisco area.

HOLIDAY KITCHARI
Serves 3-4 as a main.

1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed with any little stones removed
2 c peeled & diced sweet potato
2 Tablespoons oil of choosing (ghee, coconut oil, olive oil)
1 shallot, minced
1 heaping Tablespoon fresh ginger
1 heaping teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon finely chopped italian parsley
1/4 cup dried cranberries

In a large pot, bring water and rice to a boil. Cover, turn down to a simmer and set timer for 20 minutes. When timer rings, add rinsed lentils, stir and set timer for 15 minutes. When timer rings, add diced sweet potato and stir. Add more water if needed, then cover and bring to a low simmer. While sweet potato cooks in the rice/lentil mixture, melt coconut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add shallots and ginger and stir. After two minutes, add the Garam Masala and coriander. Stir periodically for another two minutes or until shallots are soft then turn off heat. Check that lentils and sweet potato are both tender, then pour contents of small pan into rice and lentil mixture, add salt and parsley and combine well while being mindful not to smash the sweet potato. Lastly, stir in dried cranberries. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve warm to hungry bellies.

Vata: Very Good. Soak dried cranberries in warm water, so they will not dehyrate the body further in being digested.
Pitta: Ok. Good with changes: Use white basmati rice instead of brown. Reduce ginger to just 1 tablespoon, and reduce garam masala by half and add 1/2 tsp ground cumin.
Kapha: Good with changes: Use quinoa or white basmati rice. Increase lentils to 1 cup, and increase water as needed (probably to 6 cups). Increase Garam Masala to 2 teaspoons.

More about Garam Masala:

Garam Masala, the "hot spice" for great winter health

The holiday season can be a bit of an obstacle course to keep your health: dodging the refined foods, waking up early, using your best judgement to know how many holiday parties you can handle... While there are things to keep in mind to survive the holidays, one easy and delicious thing you can do is incorporate an Indian spice mixture into your diet called Garam Masala which literally means Hot Spices. You can buy it at the store pre-made in the spices section for easy use in all your holiday dishes. There's no one "right" recipe for Garam Masala and all Indian families tend to have their own particular way of making it. It's often a blend of these spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, dry ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and saffron. All these spices are excellent for enhancing our ability to digest the heavy foods of the holidays and winter season, which means that using Garam Masala can help you sleep better, stave off lethargy, fight colds and keep your mind bright and peaceful. It's delicious in soups, stews and in any rice & vegetable dish. Above is a recipe for Holiday Kitchari with Garam Masala that is a great healthy protein-rich vegetarian addition that your friends and family will love; I know, I brought it with me to Thanksgiving dinner! To use Garam Masala in a soup, check out this delicious Butternut Squash Soup recipe!

Recipe: Oats Galore! Baked Oat Apples, Granola & Oatmeal-to-go

2011-11-26T22:00:00.001-08:00

I love Oats. They're the perfect food for the Vata-Pitta climate/lifestyle of San Francisco: cooling, sweet and if they're cooked: heavy too. They pair so perfectly with warming spices to provide the perfect balance of warm & cool, grounding without being difficult to digest. And they're so easy to make! They travel well and go with so many different things. I had oats with cooked fruit, dried fruit, nuts, sunflower butter, cinnamon, fresh ginger, cardamom, milk, rice milk, water, coconut... It's hard for me to grow bored of oats. So here are three recipes that include my beloved oats! Two of them are riffs on recipes from fellow Ayurvedic bloggers: Baked Apples from Lauren at the spiced plate and Granola from Claudia at Fran's House of Ayurveda.

Baked Oat-Stuffed Apples
Serves 2.

4 organic apples
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 chopped medjool dates
1/2 cup rolled oats

sprinkle ground cardamom and cinnamon

juice of 1/4 lemon

1 Tablespoon rice milk
2 teaspoons rice milk
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut out the stem and center of the apple with a paring knife, leaving the bottom in tact. If you're short on time, cut the apples in half on the horizontal and core all the way through (this will cut your bake time down to 15 minutes). Place apples in a very lightly oiled baking dish. To prepare filling, in a small bowl combine walnuts, dates, oats, spices, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon rice milk. Pack in the filling into the apples leaving a little divot at the top of each apple. (You will have extra filling, see granola recipe below) In each divot, pour 1/2 teaspoon rice milk and 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup. Pop apples in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the apples have plumped, skin has cracked and the filling has become golden on top. Remove from oven and place carefully on serving plate. Enjoy with caution; they'll be very hot! (2 apples per serving)

Vata: Great. Add extra 1 teaspoon of rice milk and a bit of ghee to top of each apple's filling before baking to ensure oats are moist when finished.
Pitta: Great. Reduce further or omit cinnamon. Reduce walnuts to 1/8 cup or omit altogether.
Kapha: Good. Add extra cinnamon and a pinch of dry ginger. Omit maple syrup. Once baked and out of the oven, top with honey as desired.

I like ground flax...a lot.

Ayurvedic Granola

Most granola has baked honey in it, a serious Ayurvedic crime. Ayurveda says that when honey is cooked it turns to ama or toxins and is indigestible. Fran's (Claudia) recipe for granola is a perfect Ayurvedic fit. Here's my version that I did on a whim with the left over stuffing from my Baked Apples.

remaining Baked Apple Oat Filling

heavy sprinkle of ground flax

equal parts maple syrup + sunflower oil well combined

sprinkle of salt

raisins

dried coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine Oat Filling with flax, maple/oil mixture and touch of salt. Stir well then lay out on a large baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes then remove and add raisins and coconut. Combine then return to oven for another 7 minutes or more. Remove granola once coconut starts to brown and before nuts burn. Allow to cool then store in airtight container.

Vata: baked oats are super dry which isn't recommended for vatas. Enjoy with plenty of warm milk to counter the dryness and only as a special treat.
Pitta: great! Avoid too much flax if pitta is especially high.
Kapha: Not the best because oats are so heavy. Omit salt. Enjoy with extra dried fruit like dried cherries & chopped dried apricots as a light snack.

I make this all the time, and I'm shocked I haven't shared it with you sooner. It's the quickest healthy breakfast and I love it because I can make it when I'm at work without having to use a microwave! Yay! This particular version I made on a Sunday morning before going to my friend David Kresner's class at The Mindful Body and so threw in the candied ginger as a weekend treat :) And don't you like my fancy container? It's an old applesauce jar! Perfect for storing soup and oatmeal to-go!

Oatmeal To-Go

Serves 1.

(all toppings are guess-timated amounts, I always just grab and go)

1/3 c rolled oats

2 T raisins

1 T coconut flakes

1 T chopped candied ginger (my special treat)

sprinkle cardamom

sprinkle cinnamon

Put all ingredients in a jar. Take with you where you need to go. Add about 1 cup of boiling water or enough to cover ingredients and then some. Stir. There should still be water above the ingredients after stirring. If there's not, add more water. Cover and let sit for anywhere between 10 and 90 minutes. Open, stir again and enjoy!

Vata: excellent!! Be sure raisins are thoroughly soaked and oats are cooked- allow 15 minutes for 'cooking' at a minimum.
Pitta: excellent! Reduce or omit candied ginger.
Kapha: ok. Keep raisins on outisde of oatmeal then add once cooked so the raisins do not soak. Great when made with rye or barley flakes.

Holiday Survival Guide

2011-11-23T16:49:00.001-08:00

Happy not-for-dinner Turkeys at Mount Madonna this past month

Thank you all for your interest in & practice of Ayurveda; Every mindful choice helps grow the spirit of our modern Ayurvedic community!

“If Ayurveda were a religion Nature would be its Goddess,

and overindulgence would be the sole sin She would punish.

Ayurveda is meant to allow you to enjoy the pleasures of life

up to the point that such enjoyment interferes with you health.”

~Robert Svoboda, Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

One piece of pie, good. Four pieces, not so good.

One plate of food for family thanksgiving dinner, good. One plate plus seconds on stuffing, turkey and gravy, not so good...

The holidays are the prime example of how overindulgence leads to feelings of sub-optimal wellness. Rather than letting Thanksgiving, a tradition almost synonymous with “food coma”, become the kick off event for a full month of overindulgence try honoring the gratitude you feel for your health by living in moderation. If you can employ just a few of the recommendations below you might be able to side step the post-holiday health slup of weight gain, lethargy, depression, anxiety, poor digestion, aches and the like.

Suggestions follow... (and spread the word! Friends don't let friends binge on Thanksgiving!)

Honor your Health with Moderation

1. Wake with the sun. Breathe deeply- perhaps in a special way (like alternate nostril breathing) and go for a walk. Go to bed when you're tired.

2. Eat...

…with an appetite! Possibly the most important suggestion here! Be sure that when you sit down to eat, you are hungry! That’s your body’s signal that it’s ready to digest some delicious food.

...meals. Avoid the hors d'oeuvres that are the slow and deadly appetite killers. Avoid the mindless snacking on sweets and nuts.

...dinner as your smallest meal of the day.

...until you to feel 2/3 full.

...easy to digest foods like grains & vegetables as the majority of your meal. That means meat, heavy dairy based foods and sugar laden items fall into the minority. Don't think there'll be a green food in sight besides jello? Cook it and bring it with you! Your family might just fall in love with rice & lentils! It's been done before ;) Check out this article by my teacher on creating a Vegetarian and planet-friendly Thanksgiving that really embodies the sentiments of the holiday: "Holiday Feasting on a Budget" plus, it's got some great veggie recommendations that are simple & inexpensive.

3. Drink...

…and be merry. Notice if you’re drinking to avoid the present moment.

…only small amounts of room temp or warm fluids with meals

…herbal tea after dinner for a good night’s sleep (skip the coffee)

4. Watch...

…tv outside of meal time. Enjoy your food in a (relatively) peaceful setting without the background noise.

…pleasant things. Avoid anything distressing like the news or a horror movie before bed. (family drama included)

5. Think...

…positive thoughts. If you're dreading the holidays before they've even begun, notice that and see if you can't shape your holidays so that your actions, words and thoughts carry a more peaceful vibe.

…about the present moment. Notice the taste, texture, aroma and look of your food as you enjoy your meal. While cooking, can you let your body relax and your breath deepen? What would it feel like to cook with love like it was a called-for ingredient?

Post #101! Improvements to the blog & what's new this week...

2011-11-23T16:06:00.001-08:00

Post #101! Woohoo! I can't believe how long it's taken me to get here, but here it is. I'm very happy to say that I think I am a much better cook now than when the blog started, my health is better, I'm even happier and I love life even more. Not too bad. Thanks for hanging with me while I've gotten here and I hope you'll stay with me a while longer.

After 100 posts that are predominantly recipes, I've decided a couple things:

First, it's time to integrate my website and blog into one, which is why you'll find more info about the work I do on the other pages of this blog. I think it'll get me to blog even more often (yay!)

Second, I really want to educate you all more, which means I'll be posting more educational articles about Ayurveda, tips and tricks and integrating some yoga asana (poses) and pranayama (breathing practices) too. It's all part of Ayurveda anyway; Yoga and Ayurveda were never separate until very recently.

With blogging more I'll probably be posting a mix of recipes with measured amounts and what I'll call 'inspiration' which is ingredients but not set amounts, so the inner intuitive cook can be developed in all of you. I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm always open to suggestions, so feel free as the mood takes you to comment on a post and give me your 2 cents.

With that, here's what I've been up to in the kitchen this week...

A take on "hearty miso soup" from EGO (Easy Green Organic by Anna Getty)

grated zucchini, carrot, minced fresh ginger, chopped scallion, mung bean noodles, white miso, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and shredded seaweed.

V-, P=, K= : Cook veg well for vata & use rice noodles, Omit noodles for Kapha

Palak Paneer inspired by CSD (crazy sexy diet by Kris Carr) recipe for an indian creamed spinach that's raw and vegan. I don't think Kris would approved of the sauteed paneer cheese with turmeric. Not to self: careful with using raw garlic-- I was garlic breath girl for a few hours afterwards. That said, this was really tasty and felt very healthy.

V-, P+=, K+ : more paneer for vata, use zucchini for pitta, use chard for kapha & less rice

Inspired by "Spicy Garbanzo Bean Burritos" from EGO. The sauce I made instead of using the yogurt cucumber sauce recommended. (Dr Lad told me the one food I definitely shouldn't have is yogurt...sad face...but my skin prefers it this way)

Kate's Hemp Avocado Sauce:

1/2 avocado, use the shell of the avocado to measure 1 part for rest:

2 parts water,

1 part hemp seeds,

juice of 1/2 a small lemon,

salt

and 1 part chopped coriander.

Blend for YUM YUM YUM!!

*note: doesn't save well unless you like eating brownish green food

V-, P-, K+ (for Hemp Avocado Sauce)

Mock Glass Noodle Stirfry from EGO.

mung noodles, sesame oil, spinach, carrots, dried shitake mushrooms, lots of fresh ginger, touch of garlic, touch of Bragg's liquid aminos & garnish with sesame seeds & cilantro: Cook/Saute and combine and enjoy.

V=, P=, K= (yay! Good for everyone!)

Variation on Kris Carr's "Buddha Bowl"

Want to know what's in it? It's just what it looks like. Plus some ginger and garlic. Fairly tasty and quick.

V (tricky, add spices and cook veg well to make balancing)

P-, go low on garlic and salt

K+, use quinoa and more peppers and leafy greens instead of zucchini

Cookbook Challenge Update: mid-November

2011-11-19T16:38:00.001-08:00

The cookbook challenge is well underway now, and it's been two weeks of not eating out. I did go to Mount Madonna last weekend and so got to eat the food from their kitchen as you can't cook there (see below). The food is generally tasty and healthy, so it's not too hard to do for a few days. There are always lots of things to choose from as it's buffet-style service and it can be tempting to overeat I find. After going there monthly for almost two years, I now eat only until 2/3 full and don't go overboard with their delicious homemade bread, and my digestion is far more comfortable for it. Yay!

Lunch at Mount Madonna: baked yam, brown rice with sesame seeds & flax, zucchini & chard with olive oil & dulse, lentil soup with parmesan cheese (the cheese isn't so ayurvedic, oops)

I've included photos of my Ayurvedic Meal Planner from last week and this upcoming week. While it looks like "Whoa! How does she have so much time to cook all that?!", it's actually been really easy because most of the recipes are simple and knowing ahead of time what I'll be making enables me to be super efficient! I'm really loving it even though I've never been a real 'meal planner' per say. I've really loved just about all the recipes I've made, and most of them have been from The Yoga Cookbook & Easy Green Organic as I posted about before. EGO especially, is very simple and for those of you who are intimidated by the kitchen, I recommend this cookbook. This week I'll be integrating a few recipes from Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr, a book I was turned on to by a private student of mine. While I'm not about to go vegan or raw (dear me no!), I am looking forward to trying out some of her cooked recipes like the Buddha Bowl (kinda like kitchari and vegetables, just cooked separately). I'll let you know how they go.

Week before last's Menu

This week's menu!! With recipes from The Yoga Cookbook, Easy Green Organic & Crazy Sexy Diet. You can see how I'm prepping for the next day with the starred items at the bottom of each day.

our beloved fridge: home to my meal planner, schedules, notes & things that make me smile

I'll be posting a medley of Oat-based recipes that I've enjoyed over the last week, but here's a look at something I made today: Quinoa Croquettes from Anne Getty's cookbook. They were tasty but not blog-worthy, I'd say. Perhaps I should have followed her instructions to do it with a yogurt cilantro sauce rather than sauteed kale & eggs. hmmm...maybe next time.

before eggs...

with eggs, yum. Perfect Saturday lunch.

And lastly, I finally successfully made dosas! Ok, so they're not technically dosas, they're more like Pesarattu as an Ayurvedi on facebook pointed out to me. I don't fully understand all the differences but these are made from cooked mung beans, cooked basmati rice, ginger and water. They were delicious, and especially rewarding when my bf's and my first attempt to make 'dosas' was more akin to thick spongey mung bean pancakes- yummy but definitely not pretty.

My version of dosas! with coconut cilantro chutney, steamed butternut squash and cauliflower with spices.

Join me in the 2nd Cookbook Challenge!

2011-11-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

the cookbooks that have started off my first delicious week of the Cookbook Challenge!

*conveniently discovered at the San Francisco Public Library!*

Some of you might remember when back in January I did the original Cookbook Challenge, no? The one started because I read this book, the author of which keeps this blog?

Well I loved doing it before, and I feel it's time for another. The fall cleansing season has just come to a close, and what better way to stay connected to your health, than staying connected to your kitchen. This 2nd Cookbook Challenge will be a little different from the first, hopefully to make it easier and more available to all of you to join me. :) I've also made a very simple meal planner for you to use to organize for the CC. Check it out via the link below...

2nd Cookbook Challenge Guidelines:

Eat in; don't eat out. Essentially, you're only eating food made either by you or those who love you. You can interpret this as you like. For me, that means not buying anything I can prepare at home or enjoy prepared by a loved one (like at a dinner party). This includes tea, muffins, cookies (at a cafe or from a grocery store), and more. This does not include dark chocolate or bread (neither of which I have ever attempted making or see doing so in the near future).
Follow the Ayurvedic Eating Guidelines as much as possible. Things like eating organic, mindfully and with the seasons. The full list is below.
Choose a handful of cookbooks to use as inspiration for your foray into home cooking. They need not be technically Ayurvedic, but it helps if they support healthy fresh simple cooking.
Create loopholes as needed in said guidelines. You get to create your own loopholes as you need, but create them from the start and try not to bend them mid-way. My loophole is that romantic dinners or scheduled very important social engagements allow for eating out. Like when my boyfriend (the cook) wants to go out to a nice dinner, but not when he just wants to grab burritos.
Choose how long you'll commit to the Cookbook Challenge. I'm planning on committing through to New Years. Eek! Who's with me?? That said, just trying it for a week can be quite an accomplishment, especially for the more novice home cook.

Why? Why? Why?

Health. Homemade food is generally less refined, less processed, fresher, organic and made with love, all of which make you feel great! It's hard to say all those things about much of the food we eat when out (unless you go to really nice restaurants and know the staff- which does happen to me sometimes, but still). Also, eating with the Ayurvedic Eating Guidelines in mind means your way of eating, not just what you're eating, will improve dramatically, which leads to better digestion and overall better health.
Wealth. It's the season of giving and those lattes, scones, salads and sandwiches that you grab on the fly really add up! Give up those $3ish lattes alone and between now and Christmas you can save $90! How often do you get the latte with a scone? You can basically double it. That's a really nice present for someone special...
Reduce stress. By planning your meals, eating mindfully and eating great quality food, your stress levels are sure to go down, which can be just what we all need this time of year.
Set the stage for an amazing 2012. You'll start 2012 having a new found comfort, ease and skill in the kitchen, a palette that's too refined for low-quality ingredients and a feeling of empowerment that you're in the driver's seat of your health.

Want to join me?

Commit to the Cookbook Challenge by commenting below with:

a) your name & location

b) how long you want to commit (i.e. 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, until Dec 1, until Jan 1)

c) blogs or cookbooks you'll be using as inspiration & want to share

Share with your friends via Facebook and Twitter that you're committing to Ayurvedic Eating In with the Cookbook Challenge, and invite them to join you! The more friends you have join you the more people you have to do dinner parties, pot lucks and exchange recipes!

Then use this Meal Planner with the Ayurvedic Eating Guidelines to get started. I'll be blogging my way through this Challenge with photos and tips. Feel free to share as you go along via the comments section on each blog post I put up during the Challenge.

Hurray for the home cook!

Recipe: Gold Wellness Drink & Broth of Life Soup

2011-11-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

I jinxed myself. On Friday, while my boyfriend and I were getting our community acupuncture treatments from the very wonderful local acupuncturist Eric Kerr, I said, "We're so lucky; we never get colds or anything!" Yep, famous last words. So Saturday, I wake up with runny nose, fuzzy head and a bit of the aches. You'd have thought I would've learned my lesson, but no...so when I said to my friend at brunch on Saturday, "it'll probably be gone by tomorrow", you can imagine: it only got worse the next day. Fast forward to today (three full days of sickness later) and I'm feeling much better, thank goodness.

Being my pitta-self, I didn't just drink a little tea and hope for the best. I went after this cold with the full arsenal of my holistic cold-fighting wisdom. I've had:

*ocean-fulls of turmeric, ginger & honey tea.

*broths of all kinds (except chicken, doh)

*vitamin C galore

*chinese herbs

*ayurvedic herbs

*triphala

*more tea

*some aloe

*Umcka (not even sure what this stuff does, but it seems pretty good)

*hot baths with epsom salts, lavender & peppermint

*White flower oil (I practically bathed in it on Sunday)
*a neti pot amost becoming my fifth appendage

*yoga postures like baddha konasana with my king size pillow behind my back

*acupressure points (genius for my headache)

and the hardest to fit in:

*REST!

Yes, I took the entire day off yesterday and stayed home, mostly in bed.

I was unproductive (almost completely) and it was a challenge.

What I keep coming back to is this:

"What is this cold trying to teach me?"

I don't think it was telling me to clean up my diet-- that seemed pretty good.

Or to exercise more or differently- that's all well.

I think what it was yelling at me was...

"Dang, girl!!! Get some rest!!"

Probably close to three weeks without a day off: not a recipe for health, especially during the change of season, even if I do absolutely love my work.

So I am resting. Trying to take it easy and not take on more than is reasonable with a not-quite-super-human amount of energy.

It's been on my to-do list to carve out time for a regular day off away from emails and my phone, but it had never seemed to reach the top of the list. Now, it's there: right at the top...with a little note next to it ("or else!") ;)

If you haven't had a day off in weeks, learn from my misfortune: get some rest and turn off your phone. You'll thank me when you're not up to your elbows in kleenex.

Here are two of the recipes that let me survive my day of sickness that I just couldn't take off...

Worth-Its-Weight-In-Gold

Gold Wellness Drink

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 a lemon, chopped in half

1+ tsp fresh grated ginger

1 pint hot water

...once tea is cool enough to drink, add:

1 teaspoon + honey

(if just making a cup, halve this recipe)

Broth of Life Soup

(estimations)

6 stalks celery

1 bunch swiss chard

2 beets + greens

3 carrots

1 bunch of fresh parsley

1 bunch of fresh thyme

2 inches of fresh ginger, sliced

5 large cloves of garlic

small piece of kombu

water to cover

--simmer above ingredients covered for 2 hours--

strain & save. Drink as you like to keep you breathing. (Honestly, it's great for congestion)

For a meal if you have the appetite, cook 1/4 c of basmati rice in 3 cups broth.

If you've had too much ginger tea and you're starting to overheat, top your broth with chopped cilantro.

Make our illnesses be our greatest teachers-- and may we not forget their lessons!
To a winter of wellness!
fondly,
Kate

Basics: 7 Keys to Winter Health & Happiness (+ Happy Diwali!!)

2011-10-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Just finished writing these 7 Keys for Winter Health & Happiness for The Mindful Body's November newsletter, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. There's a lot to be gained if you integrate even a few of these recommendations. Please share this knowledge with your friends, family and coworkers; it can really change the course of your wintertime health towards one of immunity and joy.

And on a festive note, Happy Diwali! The "festival of lights"is the perfect time to invite your inner light of intelligence and wisdom to shine brightly and illuminate a healthy easeful path before you. Traditionally, Diwali is a time of offering to Ganesh, the obstacle remover, and Lakshmi, the bestower of wealth. Here are two mantras you might enjoy trying out:

For Ganesh: Aum Gan Ganapatye Namah

great when starting something new, to invite an easy path to success

For Lakshmi: Om Shrim Maha Lakshmiyei Swaha

invites abundance of all kinds into our lives

I hope these mantras and healthy tips bring you an winter season abundant with love, health & happiness.

7 Keys to Winter Health & Happiness:

Understanding Vata Dosha

Thedryness of winter in the Bay Area has set in and the cold will soon be on itsway. Vata, the wintertime dosha, has come to stay for a while, and nature isresponding accordingly. Hibernation and eating fat and protein rich foods arethe tools used by the majority of nature’s beings to balance the cold dark anddry qualities of the winter. While we won’t be going into caves to hide fromthe elements, there are steps we can take to protect our health and sanityduring the winter.

Cuesthat tell you Vata is already giving you the run around (is out of balance):Severe abdominal bloating, any moderate to severe pain of recent onset, loss ofsensation, recent loss of strength and lack of enthusiasm, shaking &tremors, muscle spasm, bad back, severe constipation, persistent insomnia,emaciation, stricken with fear, grief or worry. If you find yourself alreadyexperiencing any of the above, speak with me and we can create a plan to bringyou back to balance.

7keys to Winter Health & Happiness

1. Routine! Daily routine is thestructure that contains the wild winds of Vata. It soothes the nervous systemand balances our digestive fires. Create a mini-morning routine and amini-evening routine to follow daily to promote grounded energy.

2. Oil Everywhere: Inside& Outside.Coat the insides of your nose and ears with warm sesame oil to prevent yoursinuses from growing dry. Coat your body with warm sesame oil before showeringto nourish your nervous system, keep you warm and give you luscious skin. Integratelots of healthy oils into your diet on a daily basis: soaked nuts, seeds, ghee,olive oil, flax oil, sesame oil and small amounts of coconut oil.

3. Multi-task less. Multi-tasking naturally puts our minds in manyplaces at once, fragmenting our energies and leaving us spun out and depleted.Plus, studies have shown that it’s less productive! Do one thing at a timewhether it’s eating your meal or surfing the Internet. Your mind will thank youand you’ll sleep better too.

4. Eat warm & wetfoods. Bypassthe salad bar and head for the soups and stews. Skip the scone and go for theoatmeal. These little changes will help your body stay warm, lubricated andnourished and will help you avoid bloating, constipation and dry skin that areso common this time of year.

5. Hibernate each night. Turn your home into your little cozy refuge. Turnoff electronics and take time for you: a warm bath with lavender essentialoils, light reading, some easy yoga and/or pranayama, rub oil on your feet thenearly to bed for a night of rejuvenating sleep.

6. Practice AlternateNostril Breathing Daily: in the morning, evening or as an afternoon mindfulnessbreak. To do: Use your right hand’s thumb for your right nostril and the ringfinger for your left nostril. Close the right nostril and exhale, then inhalethrough the same side. Switch sides at the top of each inhale (when you’re fullof breath). Breathe smoothly and slowly like this for 5-10 minutes or longer.Watch your mind slooooooowwww dowwwwwn.

7. Practice Yoga thatmakes your legs burnto turn up your inner furnace & ground your mind. Focus primarily onstanding poses where you hold the poses long enough for the legs to feel a deepburning but not to exhaustion. Focus on relaxing the muscle layer and restingin the support of the bones and you’ll feel your inner thermostat go up withoutunsettling the mind.

Anda little lesson for the yogis:

Manyof you are familiar with Prana, as in Pranayama. Prana is “the energy thatdrives life, the power that animates the body, enlivens the mind, spurs thesoul” (Robert Svoboda) and comes from what we take into the body: breath, foodand experience. When our lives are balanced we live in the flow of Prana andour energies are grounded, centered and vivacious. Prana is the naturalbyproduct of healthy Vata. So when Vata is balanced, we find ourselves baskingin the stable centering life energy of Prana, and when Vata is unbalanced wefind ourselves riddled with the fragmented and depleting energy of Vata. Inthis season, Vata naturally wants to carry our energies away with the wind andso to cultivate balanced Prana, we must learn to balance Vata. What Vata wantsmost is something to orient itself around. By integrating a steady healthpromoting routine into your day, you’ll find Vata calms and that you’re happilymoving with the current of life rather than lost within it.

Recipe: Hot Apple Cider

2011-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

I went to the store to buy Apple Juice for cider after having it at my friend's wedding (in the cutest mason jars too!) and feeling like it was just perfect to transition from Summer to Winter from an Ayurvedic perspective. According to Dr John Douillard's article "Summer/Fall Super Foods" Apples (1) are natural heat removing purgatives so they eliminate excess pitta that accumulates at the end of summer (2) balance the blood sugar (3) lower LDL cholesterol and (4) are delicious! So as I went to purchase my ORGANIC apple juice (they're at the top of the dirty dozen), I saw these packets for mulling spices; how cool! They're like tea bags so they make the whole process super easy. The spices in the cider are our Vata-balancing favorites and all organic: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange peel, and lemon peel. Because it's a fruit juice you'd want to have it alone rather than with food. I'd recommend this for a breakfast when you're not feeling hungry or as an afternoon snack.

If you want to make it at home, here's how I'd do it without the spices:

Serves 1

1 mug-full of organic apple juice

1/4 c water

1 small cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 thick coin of fresh ginger

thin slice of orange with skin on

thin slice of lemon with skin on

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes. Taste. To balance Pitta, boil for 4-5 minutes, strain and drink; you don't want it to be too spicy. To balance Vata and Kapha, boil, then simmer covered for 10 minutes, strain and drink.

Awesome for all doshas!

And here's a couple stunning photos from my recent trip to Cape Cod... seeing the sunrise over water, what a treat!

Blogs I Love: October 9th, 2011

2011-10-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Finally caught up on the blogs I follow; here are the recipes I can't wait to try this week!
(There will of course be tweaking to make them more Ayurvedic: adding spices, changing honey to other sweeteners, regular flour to whole wheat etc)

*You must look at the first link for the Crust. It's a Flower Power Cake that is absolutely stunning and super easy!! I plan on using the crust to make a pumpkin tart...I'll let you know how it goes :)

I hope you enjoy my sharing & perhaps try them out with me!

p.s. If you have a blog I should follow, please let me know in the comments section!

THIS CRUST:

http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/flower-power-cake/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flower-power-cake

APPLE CRISP:

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/09/karinas-gluten-free-apple-crisp.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMVjL+%28Gluten-Free+Goddess%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

SAVORY BROCCOLI CHEDDAR MUFFINS:

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2010/guest-curator-on-creativity-and-savoury-broccoli-cakes/

SUMMER VEGGIE PIZZA (maybe add some winter squash too...) http://foodislikeart.blogspot.com/2011/09/summer-veggie-pizza-with-zucchini-corn.html

SWEET POTATO WONTONS:

http://www.dashofeast.com/2011/09/vegetable-soup-with-sweet-potato-wontons-daring-cooks-challenge/

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GARLIC SAUCE: http://www.choosingraw.com/zucchini-pasta-with-roast-butternut-squash-and-creamy-garlic-sauce/comment-page-1/#comment-64458

GORGEOUS ZUCCHINI SLIDERS: http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/roasted-zucchini-funnel-chanterelles/comment-page-1/#comment-6268

MUNG BEAN BATTER CREPES: http://www.spicytasty.com/veggie-entrees-sides/pesarattu-healthy-mung-bean-crepe/

Recipe: 3G Salad

2011-10-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

3G Salad with Roasted Squash (note: my spork, love that thing :) )

Yesterday I had my no-more kitchari party; I'd been eating it for eleven days straight (I did a longer cleanse than the ones I lead) and was really ready to not see anymore basmati rice and mung beans. I can't say I ate anything that exciting except for some rice noodles in broth with greens with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil which was very yummy. Today though, my meal was absolutely scrumptious! If you're looking at it and thinking it looks an awful lot like kitchari, well you'd be right. It is technically. Rice and puy lentils and the usual spice suspects are all there. Guess that one-pot meal habit is really sticking. I'm calling it the 3G Salad (Greens, Grains & leGumes) in honor of the wonderfully inspirational man Steve Jobs who passed this last week. I think he's made a huge impact on all our lives, and I know my life & my business wouldn't be the same without my 3G iPhone. Here's a great quote by Jobs that I found only recently:

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity.

Simple can be harder than complex:

You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.

But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

[Steve Jobs in BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

Other things that make me love this dish:

The tomatoes came from someone at The Mindful Body's garden (little baggies of tomatoes were left in the staff room with a sign "from a local garden").
The kale came from my local leafy greens suppliers/students/friends, the Corwins, who cultivate a plot in a community garden in the city to produce bountiful gorgeous greens.
My yoga teacher/ayurvedic counselor/ acupuncturist Scott Blossom told me that when combined seaweed and legumes are viewed as blood builders in Chinese Medicine, so this dish is great for building strength even though it is vegetarian.

3G SALAD (Greens, Grains & leGumes)

1/2 c brown basmati rice (I used a mix with a little wild rice)

1/2 c puy lentils

2 c + water

1 scant T ghee

1/2 tsp mixture of fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds

1/2 large onion, quartered then sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of salt

3 cherry tomatoes, quartered

three large kale leaves, deveined and chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

handful of hemp seeds

handful of chopped cilantro

roasted shredded seaweed to taste

Rinse rice and lentils then cook together in water until rice is done. I used my rice cooker which makes it a breeze, otherwise cook them covered at a simmer for 40 minutes or so. Once rice and lentil mixture is done, save half for another day (like soup that evening or lunch tomorrow) and place half in a large mixing bowl. This next part goes quickly, so wait until rice is done to start: In a large pan, melt ghee then add fennel, cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds pop, add onion and garlic and a dash of salt. Stir and saute for a few minutes. Once onions are soft, add tomatoes. Give it a minute then add chopped kale. Ideally the kale still is a bit wet from washing but if not add a touch of water. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until kale is soft. Stir in turmeric and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add to rice & lentils in mixing bowl. Sprinkle hemp seeds and chopped cilantro on top and mix well. Then add seaweed to taste only just combining. Taste and add extra seasoning as necessary. Enjoy!

Good for all doshas....but if you want to make modifications...
V: Stir in an extra tablespoon ghee to the rice & lentils when putting it in mixing bowl at start. Be sure kale is cooked well.
P: Substitute coriander for mustard seeds. Reduce garlic to half clove or omit altogether. Use minimal salt.
K: Excellent. Can add large pinch of fenugreek with other spice seeds.

Announcing: the Fall Detox at The Mindful Body!

2011-09-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

Announcing...

The Fall Detox at The Mindful Body

led by yours truly!

October 22nd - November 1st

for details, workshop dates & times and registration click the link below:

The Fall Detox 2011 at The Mindful Body of San Francisco

and here's the plug... :)

This will be my fifth group cleanse and it's going to be the best yet! There's more customization to individual health, new recipes & practices, opportunities for Ayurvedic bodywork and acupuncture, and awesome discounts on yoga & massage at the MB! This cleanse really has something for everyone!

You'll come away feeling lighter, fresher, grounded and calm -- and perhaps most importantly, with a new found commitment to caring for yourself in a way that's sustainable and rewarding.

Sign-up closes the 16th of October, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

(Sign-up online via http://themindfulbody.com/main/falldetox2011.htm)

If you've done a program with me in the past, you get a 10% discount. You'll need to sign-up with the front desk at the MB to receive your discount; Just let them know you're alumni and you'll get the reduced rate.

After you sign-up, you'll receive an email from me about gentle steps to take before the official start on the 22nd to be sure that you have the most effective and enjoyable cleansing experience.

Find all the details via the link at the top of this post. And just in case you can't do the dates listed, I offer cleanses for individuals that fit their schedules & locations in case you're not local;

just email me to learn more at yoginikate@gmail.com

Hope to see you all cleansing soon!

Namaste,

Kate

Recipe: Ginger Pumpkin-Seed-esto

2011-09-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

My lunch yesterday for my first day of my own Fall Cleanse...

showcasing water sauteed vegetables & ginger pumpkin-seed-esto!

What's pumpkin-seed-esto? It's my new name for this great pumpkin seed-based sauce I made up. It's not quite a sauce because it's drier and more the consistency of pesto, hence the name. Other than that though, there's no similiarities. It's a riff off of Lauren of the Spiced Plate's pumpkin seed butter. I've been really enjoying this and it's full of protein and iron! Today I made it without the ginger but added 2 c basil leaves, ghee with sauteed garlic plus a little extra olive oil & water... and it was heavenly! There are loads of variations one could do but here's a good base to start with. Note that this is something that's perfect to crumble into whatever you're cooking because it's not super smooth. If you wanted it to be smoother, like a traditional pesto, add olive oil to desired consistency.

If you're wondering why I used pumpkin seeds and not pine nuts, it's because seeds are much more agreeable to Pitta and Kapha doshas than nuts! (plus, pine nuts cost a fortune!) Pumpkin seeds have a wonderful array of health benefits including: anti-inflammatory, full of healthy fats, protein-rich, zinc-rich (especially important for the men folk) and have links to reducing one's chance of cancer. (Learn more here...) Like all things, enjoy them in moderation, but this is a great way to bring them into a delicious meal!

GINGER PUMPKIN SEED-ESTO

1/2 c raw unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/4 c warm water

1/2 - 1 tsp fresh minced ginger

1 T coconut oil

scant 1/4 tsp sea salt

In a blender or small mixer, combine all ingredients and pulse until semi-smooth. If needed, add more water and salt as necessary.

To make dish above: Water sautee kale and chopped asparagus then while greens are still warm and slightly wet add cooked rice of your choice (I used a mix of white basmati and forbidden black) and mix well. Then crumble in the Seed-esto with your fingers until desired flavor is reached. Season with salt & pepper as needed.

Save the rest of the Seed-esto in the fridge. It will get drier quickly so you may want to mix in more oil or water when using the next day.

V: great! Try mixing with rice and adding just a bit of greens as bitter greens can aggravate Vata.
P: great! Go for it! *not too much salt though...
K: good! Kapha shouldn't have too much fat, but a reasonable serving of this is great.

I know it's not the most beautiful thing I've posted, but it tastes realllly good!

My new Ayurvedic Cooking Web-Show! & the recipe for Episode 1: Summertime Kitchari :)

2011-09-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

So I watch a fair amount of the Food Network and associated foodie content, and some of it I enjoy but most of it makes me think that what's really needed is an Ayurvedic cooking show rather than other show about the many wonders of butter. How great would an Ayurvedic cooking show be, right? So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and with my little flip camera, my teensy tiny kitchen and my MacBookPro (not to mention generous help from my favorite cameraman) I've created Kate's Kitchen Pharmacy...my new cooking 'show' that I'm posting on Vimeo. I've just posted my first 'episode' and it's about Pitta-Friendly Spices & an easy and delicious Summertime Kitchari recipe. You get to learn my tricks in the kitchen and about the various healing properties of the ingredients I use. I really hope you all like it! If you do enjoy it, please spread the word around! While kitchari is a very Indian dish, I plan on keeping the show a great mix of traditional Ayurvedic dishes and more familiar western inspired dishes. I'm always open to suggestions too, so if there's something you want to learn, just drop me a line via email or on facebook (link is at the left). I hope to post a video every other week or so, we'll see.

You can find the first episode here:

http://vimeo.com/channels/kateskitchenpharmacy.

*Apologies in advance for some of the camera jiggles. I've got a tripod now and will use it next time.

So that kitchari looks tasty, you're thinking? Well you could really learn to love kitchari by participating in the Fall Detox I'm leading at The Mindful Body next month. Details coming later this week! :)

**************
RECIPE: SUMMERTIME KITCHARI (as seen on Kate's Kitchen Pharmacy, Episode 1)

1 c white basmati rice

1/2 c mung beans (either split hulled mung beans or whole beans that have been soaked overnight)

1 T ghee

1 t fennel seeds

1 t cumin seeds

1 t turmeric

2 coins of fresh ginger (thick slices)

5-6 c water

1 t coriander seeds

1 T sesame seeds

1 T desiccated coconut

3 leaves of swiss chard

1 zucchini

1/2 t salt

cilantro

lime wedges

Rinse rice and beans well and set aside. In a medium to large pot, heat ghee over medium heat. Once melted add fennel, cumin and turmeric. Stir then add rice and beans. Combine spices and rice & beans and continue to stir. When rice & beans begin sticking to the sides of the pot, add ginger, water and coriander seeds. Cover and bring to boil. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat sesame seeds until starting to brown then mix in coconut. Once all starts to brown, turn off heat and add to boiling rice & beans mixture. Stir and set timer for 20 minutes to allow rice & beans to cook. Now is a good time to chop the chard, grate the zucchini and chop any cilantro you'll be using to garnish and further enhance digestion. About 10 minutes in, check that the rice & beans don't need more water. If it's not looking like a wet porridge add more water. After the timer goes off, check that the beans & rice are cooked. Depending on your bean and how long you soaked them, it may need another 10 minutes. Don't worry if the rice grows soft; it only makes it easier to digest & it stays tasty. Once rice and beans are cooked, add vegetables and mix well. Add more water if necessary, then cover and allow vegetables to cook; this shouldn't take more than 5 minutes or so. Once all the kitchari is cooked, serve with a sprinkle of fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Vata: Very good. Can add more ghee to top. Could add pinch of hing to melted ghee at start.
Pitta: Excellent!
Kapha: Good. Reduce coconut to 1 tsp and use bell pepper rather than zucchini. Can add any other more pungent spices like 1/2 tsp of fenugreek or a sprinkling of garam masala to taste to bring more heat.

How-to: Sprout Mung Beans

2011-09-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Must have been something in the stars because both Shruthi from Cardamom Kitchen in Philadelphia and I sprouted mung beans with the intention of blogging about it! She and I only recently got a chance to meet and chat over the phone, and her ayurvedic personal chef offering are quite inspiring. Wheels are turning in my mind as you all know how much I love cooking. Anyway, it had been a little while since I'd sprouted beans and it made me oh-so-happy. It's incredibly easy! Really, you can't mess this up. -or at least you'd have to try really hard to. Before I get to the mung beans, I thought I'd show you a couple other things that are making me really happy around my home lately:

On the top: The rug I bought at Mount Madonna over a year ago that's moved to the entrance way of my apartment. (and not having blindingly white feet, haha. It will be a short-lived pleasure)

On the bottom: Ganesh! Ganesh (also from MM) lives on the shelf facing my front door. Every time I walk past him, I'm reminded of him looking after me, sweeping obstacles out of my way. Plus, it's his birthday!! Check out this great song by MC Yogi to learn more about the amazing Ganesh: MC Yogi's "Ganesh Is Fresh"

My growing cookbook collection! They live on a high shelf in my kitchen above the table, so I'm always pulling one (or two or three) down for some inspiration. Plus, there's a new addition I can't wait to try out: PLENTY (on the left), a vegetarian cookbook composed by a London gourmet food shop.

And now.... (drumroll please)... sprouted mung beans!

Why I love sprouted mung beans:
#1: They are so easy! Really, honestly. You'd really have to try to mess 'em up.
#2: They make lunch sooo fast! They cook in 15 minutes or so- love it!
#3: My main man (who's not a beans and rice kind of guy) eats them plain! Loves them as a snack! YES!!

(SUPER EASY) SPROUTED MUNG BEANS

derived from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

1/3 c whole green mung beans per person

Soak the beans overnight in at least 1 1/2 c water. In the morning, rinse the beans well in a mesh strainer then put beans in a pot or dish with a cover that lets no light in (simulating them being in the ground). Leave in a cool place. The following day, rinse beans again and they may have already sprouted and be ready for use! Or rinse them again and leave them another day.

Sprouting makes mung beans even more digestible (who knew that was possible?!) and increases their Vitamin C and B complex. Plus, it makes drastically reduces their cooking time! (YAY!!)

V: Great! Cook well and add ghee or other oil. Don't eat raw.
P: Great!! Eat them raw as a snack or cook.
K: Great! Eat them cooked.

Now something to ponder, I made these two weeks in a row and the second time the sprouts were huge by the end of the second day when before they were much smaller. The only differences were where I kept the pot, and that I used about 1 c of mung beans rather than 1/3 cup. I think keeping the pot where it gets hit with a little bit of sun each day speeds up sprouting- but I could be wrong. Anyone agree with me?

And lastly, if you don't already follow me on Facebook, you're missing out on some great stuff!

Find me : San Franshakti on Facebook!

Day 0: Soak the beans overnight.

Day 1 (from left to right) :

(1) Soaked beans in their soaking water. (2) Soaked beans, rinsed and in pot.

(3)My perfect soaking beans pot. A super sweet present from Ellen Borengasser.

Day 2: My sprouts! Rinsed and waiting to be cooked and devoured!

In my kitchari. YUM!

Recipe: Spiced Summer Breakfast Rice

2011-08-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

This yummy breakfast rice is great for Pitta! Coriander and cardamom are both spices that are safe for Pitta (unlike mustard or dry ginger) and benefit digestion. Coriander can help with: any burning sensation, fever, kidney stones, rashes & inflamed skin, nausea, coughing and general digestion. And cardamom is so delicious! It's also known as the queen of the spices! Cardamom is only very mildly heating, and combined with the coriander is completely safe for pitta. Cardamom is a digestant, helps with any cough, breathlessness, halitosis, nausea and helps prevent cavities (as Dr Lad says in Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing). Some of you might wonder why this is made with a white food (shock! horror!) when this is supposed to be a healthy blog. Well, in Ayurveda white basmati rice is highly revered because it is so easy to digest and is tri-doshic. Since good digestion, assimilation and elimination is key to good health, white basmati rice is used frequently. If you're wanting to substitute brown rice, know that the dish is no longer as friendly for pitta and kapha; Brown rice is heavy while white is "Light soft and wholesome" (Dr Lad). The coconut lends its healthy fats to make this dish very satisfying but still friendly to digest. I had mine with some fresh peach slices, but soaked raisins would be an excellent addition (especially if you wanted the extra stamina). Enjoy!

Serves 1.

1/4 c full fat organic coconut milk

1/4 c water

1/2 c cooked basmati rice

1/4 t ground coriander

1/8 t ground cardamom

1 T shredded coconut, toasted

1/4 t maple syrup

In a small pot, combine coconut milk and water and bring to boil. Add rice and spices and bring to just barely a simmer. Stir very frequently for 5 minutes or so. Add more water if needed. Rice should be warmed through and spice taste should be well distributed. Stir in half the toasted coconut and maple syrup. Serve and sprinkle with remaining coconut. Enjoy!

Vata: Excellent. Could add a pinch of fresh grated ginger when cooking. Add some soaked and peeled almonds for a heartier meal.
Pitta: Excellent!!
Kapha: Good. Use raw honey rather than maple syrup. Use rice milk instead of water or coconut milk. Could add a pinch of dry ginger.

A little about Vata Dosha & a Recipe: Apricot Cardamom Oatmeal

2011-08-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first of two breakfast recipes I'll post for today. They're similar in ways: both with a healthy dose of cardamom and both warm and mushy. You might be thinking "yeah, like everything you post Kate." and you know, you're right! There's a good reason that many of the recipes I post are for mushy, lightly spiced food, and it's because it's pacifying to Vata (primarily) and doesn't aggravate Pitta. How many of you can identify with feeling anxious, overwhelmed, tense, stiff, bloated, constipated, fatigued, run-down, waking up in the middle of the night or experiencing dry skin? You all, my friends, know my good friend imbalanced-Vata well. When Vata is in excess in our bodies and minds, we find ourselves with some (or all) of the above symptoms. Vata is best calmed (and kept in balance) by what we can think of as healthy comfort food, eaten in a mindful way. So the food I post is designed primarily to balance Vata. A large number of participants in my Ayurvedic programs and clients experience Vata imbalance, and then sometimes one other dosha out of balance as well. Vata, being the "king of the doshas" is the dosha to balance first (generally). Vata, the air dosha, which governs movement in the body is the real havoc-reeker. A fire (Pitta) is fairly manageable so long as there aren't high winds. Earth (Kapha) is quite nice so long as it's not being moved to create an earthquake. And likewise, excess Kapha and Pitta are both far more manageable without troublemaker Vata coming along to make the whole situation more challenging. There's nothing inherently wrong with dry or cool foods; it's just that they aren't as easy to digest. Coddling our digestion is a great way to stay healthy when life is stressful. I try to eat (delicious) easy to digest food for the majority of my diet and then eat the more challenging to digest foods as treats (like going out to dinner to Locanda in the Mission district like I did last night- yum!). And now, on to more easy to digest recipes!

RECIPE: APRICOT CARDAMOM OATMEAL
Serves 2

6 dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
2/3 c rolled oats
1 1/2 c water
1/4 t ground cardamom
ghee, sweetener, rice milk to top

In a pot, put apricots & just enough water to cover on medium heat. Bring to a boil then down to a simmer for four minutes. The apricots should soften then add oats, water and cardamom. Bring to boil then down to simmer. Stir frequently so the oats don't stick to the pot too much. When oats are cooked to desired consistency (for me, it's about 8 minutes after bringing to a boil) remove from heat and serve with a little ghee & rice milk. Some might like a little liquid sweetener on top (maple, brown rice syrup, honey, molasses).

Vata: Great! Use any sweetener but honey.
Pitta: Great! Use maple syrup.
Kapha: Better with Rye flakes, Barley or Quinoa. Omit ghee. Can use dry ginger for half of cardamom. Use honey.

Recipe: Apple Almond Wheat Berry Cereal and Green Chai, Plus Chai Spices for your dosha

2011-08-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe takes its inspiration from a great recipe posting from Fran's House of Ayurveda, which you can find here. It was very tasty and very sustaining. I highly recommend cooking the wheat berries the day or eve before you intend to eat this for breakfast, as they take a while to cook which may not suit your morning schedule. The wheat berries are worth the extra effort though; they're chewy and great for summer on occasion. (like all things- good in moderation)

The Chai recipe is one I make often, and should be taken in the utmost moderation in the summertime because the spices are very hot. The spices come from a blend you can buy from most any Indian grocery store. I feel like I'm going to confession (my roots are showing here) saying that I use spices that aren't freshly ground in my kitchen. But you know, life- it's busy. Someday I'll buy my coffee grinder that I dedicate to grinding my own organic spices, but it hasn't happened just yet. In the meantime, this spice mix does a great stand-in job; I know it's not freshly ground or organic, but it's easy for when you want to make your caffeinated drink less vata-aggravating. It is great for vata-type digestion (bloating, constipation, irregular appetite) because of the spices with the hot milk, but since it's caffeinated, don't drink it too often because stimulants de-stabilize vata.

Cook, enjoy and remember to eat mindfully!

RECIPE: APPLE ALMOND WHEAT BERRY CEREAL

Serves 2.

1 sweet apple (not green), chopped

1 c cooked wheat berries*

1/4 c almonds, chopped and lightly toasted

maple syrup & rice milk to top

Place the chopped apple in a medium pot and add water to fill 1/2 inch deep. Bring to boil, cover. Stir after 2 minutes then check after another 2 minutes to see if tender but not mushy. Add wheat berries, stir and keep warm over very low heat. Take almonds, chop roughly then in a hot pan, toast the almond pieces, stirring frequently. Once almonds become aromatic, remove from heat and pour almonds out of the hot pan and into a small bowl. Now, take the wheat berry-apple mixture and serve it in bowls then top with almonds, maple syrup and rice milk. Savor and chew well!

*how to cook wheat berries: Take 1/2 c uncooked wheat berries and soak in water overnight. In the morning, rinse and cook in 1 1/2 cups water as you would rice (boil, simmer with cover). Cook the berries until tender but chewy, approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour as you like. Drain any remaining water.

V: Excellent! Can add a large pinch fresh grated ginger to apples while cooking for extra digestive boost. Could also substitute fresh dates with the apples instead of adding maple syrup.
P: Very good. Use less almonds- even better if you soak then peel your almonds! Or simply substitute shredded coconut for almonds.
K: Avoid generally as wheat, maple and nuts all aggravate kapha. Can make with amaranth instead (yum!), sweeten with raw honey, top with dried raisins and eliminate almonds.

RECIPE: GREEN CHAI (sounds like it belongs in an Indian Dr Seuss book, no? ;) )

Serves 2-3.

2 c water

1/2 c organic milk

1/4 tsp T-Plus Masala blend (by MDH, can be found in most Indian Groceries)

2 slices fresh ginger root

1 green tea bag

1 black tea bag (I used English Breakfast)

coconut sugar for sweetening (raw sugar works too)

In a small pot bring water, milk, spices and ginger to a boil then down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool until almost desired drinking temperature. Add tea bags and let steep for 3 minutes (not too long to prevent the tea from growing too strong). Remove tea bags, strain and drink. (I use a french press)

V: Good. You could omit the tea bags and this would make an excellent before bed drink for sweet dreams.
P: A special treat. These spices are very heating, best to make your own spice blend using the guide below. Increase milk to 1 cup and decrease water to 1 1/2 cups. Use only one tea bag. Drink slowly while tasting the sweetness of life.
K: Good. Reduce milk to 1/4 cup. Use date sugar instead of coconut, and use sparingly. Use this tea to get your day going and get moving! :)

If you don't have T-Plus Masala and are wanting to make chai for your doshas, here are some ideas:

(T-Plus is most suited to Kapha types)

V Chai Spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger (especially fresh), nutmeg, vanilla
P Chai Spices: cardamom, cinnamon (in small amounts!), fresh ginger, vanilla
K Chai Spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger (especially dry), black pepper

Recipe/Inspiration: Beautiful Barley Warm Salad

2011-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

This Barley Salad was so delicious and reminded my very much of my Confetti Rice (another huge hit!). I've only recently developed a love of barley, and the balance it brings to pitta and kapha. This dish left me feeling light but satisfied- perfect for the summertime! And the torn up basil: yum! Ayurveda discourages anything besides fresh food, but I was in a pinch, so the frozen peas made due. The important thing is that I ate it mindfully and with joy in the varied tastes that delighted my palette, which goes a long way in terms of aiding digestion. I paired the warm salad with a roasted beet and a bean soup. (see photo below) Perfect. A little advice about Barley from Joyful Belly.com (another site for Ayurvedic recipes)

"Barley is a strong diuretic ideal for Kapha. It also 'liquifies' the blood due to the presence of alkylpyrazine, thus cleansing the blood of impurities. Barley is a laxative but hard to digest."

Because Barley is harder to digest, many with sensitive digestion would be wise to switch the barley to basmati rice or quinoa in this recipe.

Note: I call this an 'Inspiration' because I'm not giving exact measurements. Use your eyes and hands to find the right portions for your taste. Start with adding only small amounts if you're unsure at first. Slowly you'll be like me: almost incapable of following a recipe! ;)

1 part pearl barley

3 parts water or vegetable stock

shredded cabbage

frozen peas

yellow onion, chopped

ghee

small sprinkle of spices of your choice: I used fennel, cumin and a touch of mustard seeds

pumpkin seeds

fresh basil, torn into small pieces

salt to taste

Rinse barley, then cook as you would rice in the water. It will take approximately 45 minutes; add more water if needed. When barley is cooked (tender with a little chewy touch), uncover and stir in cabbage & peas and continue to stir until all water has evaporated and cabbage has turned bright green as in photo above. Meanwhile, in a small pan, melt ghee then add spices. Once mustard seeds pop (or after 2 minutes if not using mustard seeds), add onion, stir and saute until translucent. Stir in onion & spices into cooked barley and vegetables. Taste and only as much salt as is absolutely necessary. Toast pumpkin seeds in same small pan over medium heat until they plump. Sprinkle seeds and basil on top of barley. Combine and enjoy!

Vata: Use basmati rice instead of barley. Use less cabbage.
Pitta: Good! Minimize salt.
Kapha: Great! Use more spices.

Recipes: Armaranth Greens Chips

2011-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Red Amaranth Greens!

The other day after teaching a class at Sports Basement in the Presidio, I walked towards home along the marina- so beautiful! Then I saw the Fort Mason Farmers Market, which I had never been to, and a bundle of these beautiful 'greens' on a table next to kale and chards. I had no idea what they were, so asked and was told they were Amaranth greens: too cool! I love amaranth seeds (the 'grain') as a hot cereal in the mornings with a little ground flax and was so excited to see the other parts of the plant. I bought the bunch and joyfully brought it home. I made a beautiful soba noodle pasta with it first, then I used the rest for these most delicious chips. If you take the time to make them right, they really do become crunchy- just like chips but much better for you! Like all bitter greens, it's excellent for cleansing excess pitta or excess heat in the body and can be useful if you find yourself congested as it also alleviates excess kapha. In terms of western nutrition, you can find high levels of Vitamins A & C, calcium, iron, niacin, zinc and folic acid. If you're not sure you're ready to try something new, think of it like spinach; it's very similar. *The amaranth season is very short, so I recommend getting to a Farmers Market asap and looking for some to use tonight! :)

AMARANTH GREENS CHIPS (also works for kale and chard, any bitter green)

amaranth greens, just the leaves, stalks removed

olive oil

good quality salt (pink, black or good sea)

Preheat oven to 375. On a large baking pan, drizzle olive oil. Rub/toss greens so that they have a very light coating of oil on either sides. Lie out each green flat on the pan. Sprinkle a very small amount of salt on top. Bake for 7 minutes or until desired cripy-ness is reached. Beware: these go from perfect to burnt in the blink of an eye, so check them often!

Vata: Bake as above, then crumble and sprinkle on a vata-pacifying soup.
Pitta: Use minimal amounts of salt. Even better, use a combination of coriander, fennel and cumin powders with a little black Salt. Black salt does not aggravate pitta. You can find it at Indian stores by the name Sindav Salt. (btw, it's not actually black)
Kapha: Use minimal amounts of salt. Can sprinkle with dry ginger, black pepper too.

the finished product, yum!!

Basics: Chop an Onion Like a Pro & Save Your Fingers

2011-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Getting in the rhythm of cooking and caring for your body and mind through healthy food isn't just about having a good recipe. It's also about having a clean, inspiring kitchen (we'll get to that later) and some real skills that make the whole process more enjoyable and efficient.

I can still remember one of my boyfriend's old roommate cringing while I chopped an onion without turning my fingers under as she anticipated me loosing a fingertip. Fortunately, she taught me and then my boyfriend kept on me about the importance of having a proper grip when using a sharp knife. *side note: this roommate is also a foodie: Check out her fun blog here: http://amy-foodandbooze.blogspot.com/.

So please, before you do anything, watch this video by Gordon Ramsay (who I have a soft spot for). It teaches you how to hold whatever you're cutting properly, AND he shows how to chop an onion in the most efficient way that reduces potential crying-time.

Teach your friends and be safe in the kitchen! :)

If you're wonder what's making my kitchen more fun to cook in lately it's definitely my beautiful sunflowers in the northeast corner of my kitchen. Why the northeast corner of the kitchen? Why Vastu, the ancient precursor to Feng Shui, of course. Learn more about Vastu here: http://www.vastuliving.com/

Recipe: Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Quinoa Pilaf

2011-07-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Sweet Potato Frites

and a Mixed Greens Salad and avocado with a lemon juice vinagrete

Zucchini is such a wonderfully versatile vegetable and so agreeable to many constitutions. It's balancing to Vata and Pitta as it's heavy and liquid and therefore not advised for Kapha in excess. I found this photo gallery that shows a variety of summer squash dishes; you can really see how much you can do with this wonderful vegetable: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/zucchini. This recipe I give you today is very easy, similar to the bell pepper recipe I posted earlier this year, but more pitta friendly. You can make the quinoa pilaf ahead of time and prepare the boats for right when they're to be eaten. You might wonder why I chose to use quinoa again as my stuffing, and it's because it's such a power grain. It has all nine essential amino acids, which means that it's a complete protein; ideal for a vegetarian or those looking to build a more plant-based diet. When you go to the store to buy quinoa you may see the red & blonde varieties: both are good, just take your pick.

In many stuffed zucchini recipes, you'll see a recommendation to bake the zucchini after removing the centers. This is fine, but I find steaming the zucchini halves whole to be so much easier, plus removing the centers is a breeze. You can try it and see for yourself. Enjoy!

ZUCCHINI BOATS

Serves 2.

2 large zucchini

1 c quinoa pilaf (see recipe below)

olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice zucchinis length-wise. Steam the whole zucchini halves for 4 minutes or until zucchinis are slightly tender -- what we can consider al dente. If you overcook the zucchinis now, the boats won't hold their shape, so be mindful of not leaving them in the steamer too long. Remove the zucchinis and set to cool for a minute with the cut side facing up. Once cool, using a sharp edged teaspoon or melon baller, remove the center of the zucchinis setting it aside momentarily to create your boats. Be careful not to remove too much or again the boats will be too floppy. Chop the zucchini centers finely and saute them in a bit of olive oil. Add your pilaf to the centers and combine well, heating through. Place your boats on a lightly oiled baking sheet or shallow pan. Fill boats with updated pilaf. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the top quinoa is toasted. Remove and serve immediately.

Vata: Very good. Could also be done with any root vegetable or squash: sweet potato, butternut squash. (for these alternative vegetables, roast before removing stuffing)
Pitta: Very good. Could also use basmati rice pilaf instead of quinoa.
Kapha: Ok in moderation. Better to use some steamed leafy greens and make a wrap than use the zucchini.

QUINOA PILAF

1/2 c quinoa

1 c water

2 stalks celery

1/2 yellow onion

1 T ghee

1/2 tsp spices of choosing: I used a mix of mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and hing

1/2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

chopped fresh herbs to taste

Rinse quinoa then cook in 1 c water as you would rice, until water is absorbed. Fluff once done.

Meanwhile, cut celery stalks lengthwise then finely chop, and chop the onion. In a medium to large saute pan, heat the ghee over medium heat. Once melted, add celery and onion. After 2 minutes, add your spices. (If you're using mustard seeds, add a little additional oil to be sure the mustard seeds pop.) Stirring occasionally until onion starts to become golden, then remove from heat.

Mix finished & fluffed quinoa into the celery & onion mixture. Combine well and add Bragg's. Stir, taste and add more if needed. Lastly, stir in chopped fresh herbs. Finished!

Vata: excellent.
Pitta: Use cooling spices like fennel, cumin, coriander, mint, or dill. Try Black Salt instead of Braggs. (you can find it in Indian Groceries)
Kapha: Ok in moderation. Use spices like fenugreek, mustard, rosemary and/or ginger.

Basics: Fruit & Food Combining

2011-07-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Ah, fruit. You are so beautiful and so tasty...

and so incredibly picky about what you like to be mixed with in my belly.

The other day I was seeing a client and she mentioned that she had really bad gas the other day (this was unusual for her). I had her tell me what she ate prior to the gas and there were a couple of the usual suspects: carbonated beverages and popcorn. But then she said "and for lunch I had (some large cooked meal) and ate some fruit salad afterwards"...

STOP! HALT! SAY NO MORE... Fruit at the end of a meal is (for many) a digestive disaster!

Another example, a different client was telling me that her daughter, who is skinny as a rail, has "gas like a truck driver". (LOL, Love that). And of course, the mom was serving fruit for dessert to her kids -- like we're so often told to do! We moved the dessert to before dinner and wa-lah, no more gas for the daughter.

Today I received the below email, and upon writing my response, I realized this information about fruit needs to spread like wildfire through the American food psyche, so here it is...

----The Email I Received Today...

Hi Kate,
I just started working with an Ayurveda practitioner a few months ago and found your Blog. Your recipes and pictures sound and look so delicious--very inspiring! I notice that I sometimes see Ayurvedic recipes (the more modern variety, I assume) that mix fruit with other ingredients. My Ayurveda mentor has suggested that I should always eat fruit alone, which is not the easiest guideline to follow! For example, I used to love having fruit in my oatmeal...or with yogurt...or in a muffin! Wondering what your take is on this principal and how you've been working with it? Really I'm just curious!Thanks so much and I look forward to following your Blog :-)

Warmest,
Friendly Ayurvedic Enthusiast

---- My response follows:

I'm so happy you found my little blog! :) I really enjoy food and the wonderful process of cooking; it's nice to see other people liking it too.

Now, fruit. It's a tricky subject because many people feel differently. The traditional Ayurvedic way is to only eat fruit alone (maybe with some honey or maple syrup but nothing else) and often times it's cooked. In Ayurveda, proper food combining is an art in itself, and you can read more about it here: www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/food_combining.pdf. As you'll read, the best way to avoid worrying about food combining is by having a strong digestive fire (agni). There are many ways to create strong agni, and there are many ways to create weak agni. People who often say they have "iron stomachs" may never, or hardly ever, need to worry about their food combinations. Those of us regular folk though generally benefit from some mindfulness in food combining.

My fruit policy is to only mix it with grains and good spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, rarely with dairy (definitely not yogurt or anything cold like icecream), or to eat it at the start of a meal. The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is to eat fruit at the end of the meal. It's like ordering bloating and gas for dessert. The fruit will break down before the other food is digested so it just sits on top and ferments in your belly-- not a good thing. You get the idea.

Now, for those with sensitive stomachs, it may be best for them to just have it alone and most often cooked. If that's you, that might be why your ayurvedic advisor recommended fruit only solo. This may change once your digestion is stronger, but for a little while it can be a welcome relief to your digestive system.

Thanks so much for writing me; I think I'll post part of this email on my blog so others can get the same info-- I know how confusing it can get!

be well!
~Kate Lumsden

I think that's it about fruit for now, I'll post more about food combining in the future. (Salt + Milk, don't get me started!) But for now, educate yourself with this amazing article by Dr Vasant Lad:

www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/food_combining.pdf

Recipes of Summertime Loves: Limeade, Papaya Mint Breakfast & a look at my lunch

2011-07-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Things I've been loving lately:

IN LIFE:

Summer

Sun

Sun (again! I'm just too excited)

New Birthday Sunglasses (Polarized, for safe eyes)

My 2010 Birthday Hat (from Anthropologie - love! plus, safe skin)

Great cookbooks: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone especially for easy short recipes

Rose Water Spray (as my moisturizer & throughout the day, makes my feel beautiful)

Aloe on my skin when I'm in the sun too much

Being inspired by wise women: Ashtangini Dena, Dr Claudia Welch

IN THE KITCHEN:

Limes

Aloe

Mint (Tea & On everything)

Coconut Oil (in food & on my body)

Coconut Juice after yoga & jogging

Kale! (looooving my kale: see below)
Maple Syrup

Pearled Barley

Fruit (especially berries!)

Aloe + maple syrup + water = a drink to cool my Pitta

RECIPE: Limeade

juice of 1/4 to 1/2 fresh organic lime

1/2 tsp maple syrup (more to taste)

1 pint fresh water

In a pint glass, squeeze juice of lime and then stir in maple syrup. Add water. Stir and enjoy.

*Note: In Ayurveda, drinks are almost never served chilled, and definitely never iced. That said, I added on small cube of ice to my limeade and did not drink this with any food, to minimize any disruption to my digestion.

V: Good. Drink warm. Can substitute lemon for lime.
P: Excellent!
K: Substitute lemon for lime and honey for maple syrup. Do not drink chilled, in excess or at meals.

RECIPE: Papaya Mint Fruit Bowl (great for breakfast!)

juice of 1/4 lime

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 a papaya, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

chopped fresh mint to taste

In a bowl, combine lime juice and maple syrup. Add chopped papaya and a heavy sprinkling of mint. Use clean hands to mix all the ingredients together. A feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.

V: Great. Use Lemon instead of Lime. Be sure fruit is not cold. This best suits vata in the summer months. Could also be made with peaches, plums, mango, oranges, cherries & all kinds of berries.
P: Ok. Best if using other fruits: peaches, plums, grapes, mangoes, melons, pears, cherries, all berries, and apples.
K: Good. Best in small amounts. Better with raw honey and lemon juice. Can also use: apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, cherries, berries, apples, pomegranates, dried figs, raisins

Wonder what I eat for lunch? This is a good picture of a regular lunch for me. I loved when I was raving to a friend about how delicious my lunch was that day, she said, "You eat kitchari even when you're not cleansing?" :) lol! I eat kitchari all the time; I love it!

pictured:

Kale sauteed in coconut oil with fennel seeds,

mung bean & brown rice kitchari with cilantro and ghee,

chopped avocado

and organic mango chutney

Recipe: Amish Apple Muffins

2011-06-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

When my boyfriend asked me what I'd like for Valentine's Day I was stumped for a bit then told him: "I'd love some sugar-free baking books." And he came through for me with 4 different cookbooks (plus flowers etc) :) 3 of the cookbooks are by Amish writers from this store: Amish Mart. I'm not sure why the Amish have a penchant for the refined-sugar-free way, but I appreciate it! My book is especially funny because besides the recipes and extra tips about how to cook with whole grains and such, there are 'Spiritual Nugget's. Some of them I don't quite relate to (Repentance, over & over again, really?) But some I like ("The secret of contentment: A grateful heart to God"...closer to my way of thinking).

This is the first recipe I've tried from my new books and I've only tweaked it a little bit. This muffin is light and tasty (as voted by my friend & Ayurvedic enthusiast Ellen Borengasser), and is perfect for breakfast because it's not too sweet. I had mine with fresh raspberries in the sunshine of the bench outside The Mindful Body one day after teaching Mysore. I hope you all enjoy these little muffins and that they make your day brighter! :)

Recipe modified from "Wow! This is Sugarfree!" by Mary Yoder.
Yield: About 1 dozen.

2 eggs
1/2 c organic applesauce
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c organic apple juice
1 T maple syrup
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 c oat bran
1 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 c small diced organic apples (with skin)
sunflower seeds to top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat liquid ingredients together. Add dry ingredients (except sunflower seeds). Mix until just moistened. Fold apples in. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top of each muffin- don't hold back; these really add to the muffin. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Note: Apples are on the Dirty Dozen list (have high pesticide residue) and should be bought organic as often as possible. For the other Dirty Dozen foods, as well as the Clean Fifteen, refer to my previous post: Basics: Dirty Dozen & Clean 15.

Vata: Excellent! Use brown rice syrup instead of maple. Could use nuts of choice instead of sunflower seeds. Can eat warm with ghee or butter.
Pitta: Excellent! Substitute cardamom for cinnamon. Can eat with ghee.
Kapha: Ok. Choose oat, barley, rye, and/or quinoa flour instead of wheat. Double cinnamon. Use fruit juice concentrate instead of maple syrup. Can eat with raw honey.

Recipe: Italian-inspired Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-05-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Nathan Ng & I took a great group of yogis to Stinson Beach for a lovely retreat: good food, beautiful weather, great company and yoga & tai chi. I cooked everyone breakfast and lunch with Nathan's help. For breakfast we had oatmeal with fresh mango & blackberries, toasted sunflower seeds, ghee & soy milk. For lunch we had a simple mung bean soup with zucchini and these gorgeous peppers! They're easy to make and can be eaten with your hands, fun! The variations on something like this are endless, but here's a tasty start...

With rain in the forecast, I prepared our menu with spring kapha-friendly foods in mind. Bell Peppers are an excellent kapha-balancing food as are garlic, basil and mung beans. Quinoa is suitable for all doshas, but especially for vata and kapha (in moderation). After our filling and delicious lunch (if I say so myself) we all took cat-naps on our yoga mats while lying on our left sides then it was off for a beautiful hike. I've included some photos from our day at the end of this post. Enjoy!

Serves 4

1 c quinoa, uncooked

2 c water

handful of cherry tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

2 Bell Peppers, cut in half (top to bottom) and insides removed

1 large carrot, grated

1/4 shredded basil

balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium pot, toast quinoa grains until fragrant (3 minutes or so) then add water & a large pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then down to simmer, cover and cook until quinoa looks fluffy (+ or - 15 minutes). Fluff qunioa with a fork, then place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes in half and toss with garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper in a pan then roast for 10 minutes or until soft and garlic is browned. Remove tomatoes, but leave oven on. Pour roasted tomatoes & garlic into quinoa. In a large pot with steamer insert and cover, bring water to boil. Add bell peppers only so that there is one layer at a time with inside of pepper facing the water. Steam peppers until almost tender then remove, pour out any water inside clinging to pepper and set on a flat surface with cut side up. Water saute shredded carrot, so they're not hard. Toss carrot and basil into quinoa tomato mixture with a little extra olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper to taste. (This is where I kept saying that it needed more basil, so taste and see if you want to add more of any thing.) Spoon quinoa mixture into bell peppers and top with a little extra dressing of balsamic & olive oil mixed together. Carefully place the filled peppers on a cookie sheet and bake until heated through & ready to be served (10 minutes or so). Enjoy & don't be afraid to eat these with your hands! :)

V: great! Add more olive oil, carrot, tomatoes & basil.
P: Ok in moderation. To make more pitta-friendly: sub zucchini for peppers, sub cilantro for basil, sub kale for tomatoes & minimize garlic.
K: great! Extra garlic, less salt. More veggies, less grain.

Recipes! --Playing catch up

2011-05-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I know you're all thinking I've forgotten about you, but I promise I haven't, and I have the pictures to prove it! :) I've been cooking and creating in the kitchen, just not with a lot of time to spare. So here in the moment I have to breathe, I'm delighted to share a medley of dishes from the recent past. There are some real gems here, so please take the time to look through them. Some have recipes and some have what I'd call inspiration, enough to get you going but without exact measurements.

The other day as I was making the You'd-never-know-it-was-healthy Alfredo, I thought "Wow, making great food requires courage: being ok with the possibility that you're probably going to make a few dishes that really bomb." Luckily, the 'alfredo' was FAR from that; it was one of the most surprisingly delicious things I've created in a long time actually. But, all the same, I have a soup from time to time where I think "This definitely doesn't make the blog". It's generally when I'm stressed or upset when cooking-- that doesn't tend to go well. It's almost like you can taste the stress or the upset in the food. Of course, when you cook with joy and love and deep relaxed breaths, you can taste that too. So...put on a happy face (and maybe a cute apron too) and get creative in the kitchen! :)

*Note: To show the doshic effect for each dish I've used =, + and -.

= means little effect (eat in moderation).

+ means increases or aggravates (eat less).

- means reduces or balances (eat more).

My class with the wonderful brilliant Dr Vasant Lad

Find a collection of resources he recommends here: http://www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/

Saturday Lunch by me, Mount Madonna style:

Green Mung Bean soup from Dr Lad's book : Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing

with steamed asparagus topped with ghee & a sprinkling of salt

Rice Cakes with jam & tahini (a.k.a. Mt Madonna dessert)

VPK balancing. Good for all!

Cleansing Beet & Carrot Salad

1 Shredded raw golden beet + 3 shredded raw carrots

+ olive oil + salt + fresh chopped parsley

toss & serve

V =, P+ (but good for cleansing), K-

Cleansing Beet Greens

Chopped Beet Greens steamed just until tender

+ small drizzle of olive oil + fresh lemon juice + salt & pepper + toasted sesame seeds

V+, P-, K-

You'd-never-know-it-was-healthy Alfredo

Firm tofu + onions & garlic sauteed in olive oil + fresh roughly chopped parsley

--mix in a mini-cuisinart like mine or mash well by hand with a fork--

+ water or oil to desired consistency + salt & pepper to taste

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE HOW DELICIOUS THIS IS!! :)

V =, P- (with very little garlic & sub cilantro for parsley),

K- (with minimal oil & used on veggies rather than pasta)

Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Soup

A really heavenly soup that leaves you satisfied yet not with a heavy feeling.

Great for a spring evening.

Roast at 400 degrees:
One whole green cauliflower chopped and tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper
and half a head of garlic (see how to here)
In a pot, sautee half a yellow onion in oil or ghee. Pour sauteed onion, oil, cauliflower and half of garlic in blender with 1 c water. Blend until smooth. Transfer back to pot and heat until warm and flavors have blended. Add salt to taste though it won't need much. *Optional: for smoother texture, add half a potato to cauliflower when roasting.
15 minutes before serving:
De-vein kale and cut into ribbons. Toss with oil, salt & pepper and pop in oven for 15 minutes, tossing once mid-way through. Kale should be crisp at parts but not like a chip.
To serve: Place a small handful of kale at center of bowl and then elegantly pour cauliflower soup around it. *Can garnish with a single small roasted galic clove, as shown above.

V + (ok if omitting kale & adding spinach),

P+ (ok in moderation. add fresh fennel to cauliflower & omit garlic),

K- (excellent!)

Sunny Morning Tofu Scramble

(tastes way better than it sounds ;) )

adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

Saute until tender but not brown:

Ghee &/or olive oil + small onion chopped + 2 pinches hing (asafoetida, an Indian spice)

Add: 16 oz. cubed organic firm tofu (I like the sprouted kind by Wildwood) then mash into onions using the back of a fork

Sprinkle on & Stir in: Turmeric to your liking (to give a golden color, not a yellow like mustard)

Once well warmed, add 1 teaspoon Yellow Miso

Top with: chopped cilantro & parsley & salt & pepper

V =, P=, K =+ (ok in moderation)

Remember the Apple Slice I posted before?

Well, I tried to make it into a pie (with walnuts, yum) as I was so excited about my new pie dish.

Looks pretty. Tasted good. Don't think I'll make it again as a pie.

Better as the original. See the original recipe here.

A very funny moment went with this pie:

Me: (excitedly) I even used egg whites to brown the top!

My man & professional cook: [silence]

Me: Isn't that impressive?.....

My man: uh, you're supposed to use the yolks.

Cue both of us dissolving into a fit of laughter. =)

Lesson: don't take yourself too seriously

SPRING CLEANSE! (+discount just for today!)

2011-04-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

a Cleanse lunch (yum!)

With the weather heating up who can deny the chance to eat a little lighter and let go of some of winter's weight! Feel lighter and brighter in body and mind with the 10 Day Ayurvedic Cleanse this month! I've just finished cleansing myself, and I feel fantastic! Personally, I've lost weight, my skin is glowing and soft, and my mind feels peaceful and rested. :)

The details:

Dates of Cleansing: April 16th-26th
Workshops hosted at The Mindful Body in San Francisco on April 16th & 26th
You receive: a new updated guidebook with delicious recipes, ingredients for 3 days of cleansing, access to yoga & cooking videos
Feel supported with the Online Community Forum where Kate will share inspirational emails to keep you going strong and you can share your experience or ask questions.
more details can be found here

And just for today, April 1st, receive $20 off when you register!

Use the coupon code: APRIL when registering.

Click here to Register Online Now!

Hope to see you on the 16th!

*Can't make these dates? You don't have to miss out on the cleanse!

I have folks cleansing early and late, just email me to learn more so you can participate: yoginikate@gmail.com

2 Recipes: Keep-It-Simple Rye Flake Cereal & Happy Belly Soup

2011-03-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

My lunch yesterday: Fresh greens with sprouts & a lemon juice vinaigrette + Happy Belly Soup

Yesterday was a great day of eating. I cooked all my meals at home, I didn't rush, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. It was a day of not snacking, woohoo! Two days ago, I was muttering about my yoga pants fitting tighter than usual, and then the voice of my loved one said "well, it's probably the snacking..." Ugh! Defeated! --or so I felt. That's the down side to preaching the riches of healthy habits; when you ignore them your loved ones won't hesitate to call you out on it. ;) Which, really, is a very good thing because it inspired me to stop picking up the occasional tortilla chip or handful of raisins in the kitchen, and instead to make these beautiful and delicious meals. We all need the support of a community to stay committed to our healthy habits sometimes, even us Ayurvedi's.

Back to the food, so the rye flakes are great for spring. They've taken the place of my organic oats that I normally store in the Quaker Oat Container you see in the photo below. (Oats aren't spring friendly) Rye is a great source of fiber, helps stabilize blood sugar levels (in relation to other grains), and has a phytoestrogen that help us ladies keep our hormones regulated whatever stage of life you're in. You can buy rye flakes in bulk at most grocery stores that have bulk sections.

The Happy Belly Soup is what can also be called the CCF (Cumin, Coriander & Fennel) Lentil Soup. This soup is a powerhouse of therapeutic spices! They're all good for all doshas in moderation. See the list below. Lentils are an excellent Spring food. It's really their season to shine, so get some lentils in a pot and cook 'em up!

Cumin: cooling while stimulates digestive strength, heals indigestion, diarrhea, excessive heat and malabsorption.
Coriander: again cooling while stimulating digestive strength, especially good for fire-y types though tridoshic, natural anti-histamine
Fennel: digestive, aids metabolism, good for: abdominal pain, cramps, & gas.
Turmeric: digestive, antibiotic, blood purifier, metabolism strengthener, good for most everything you can think of!

Keep-It-Simple Rye Flake Cereal

Serves 2 with relatively small portions. Note: rye flakes don't blow up in the pot the way oats do when you cook them. Bear this in mind. They are however, very satisfying in small portions. Photo note: the bowl on the left was with vanilla soy milk, the bowl on right was with cow's milk hence the difference in color.

2/3 c organic rye flakes

1 1/3 water

raisins

pinch of cardamom and cinnamon

soy or rice milk to top

ghee to top (optional)

Cook the rye flakes in the water while covered over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. When done, (about 7 minutes), serve in bowls & top with remaining ingredients. Eat slowly and enjoy! Chew your raisins well, especially if you're prone to bloating.

Vata: better with oats. Cook raisins in with flakes, so they soak up water before you eat them. Use rice or almond milk to top. Use ghee.
Pitta: better with oats, wheat or basmati rice. Omit cinnamon. Use rice, soy or cow's milk. Use ghee.
Kapha: Great! Omit ghee. Use minimal 'milk'. Use spices to your heart's delight.

Happy Belly Soup

Serves 2 as a main dish.

2 T + olive oil

1 large handful combination of chopped yellow onion & celery

1/2 c black beluga lentils, rinsed well (look for them in bulk)

1 t fennel seeds, roughly chopped

1 t cumin seeds, roughly chopped

2 c water

1 c vegetable stock

1 t coriander powder

1/2 t turmeric powder

chopped cilantro & fresh croutons to garnish

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat, then add onion/celery and saute until onion is soft but not translucent. Add lentils and seeds, and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add water first, then veg stock. Stir, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until lentil are soft but not falling apart. Add coriander & turmeric, stir and cover for 5 more minutes. Lentil should be slightly falling apart upon serving. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and warm croutons.

Vata: Very Good. Best if you use Mung beans instead of lentils. Can add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a slice of fresh ginger while cooking.

Pitta: Excellent!!Look for low-sodium vegetable broth.

Kapha: Very Good! Add pinch of red pepper flakes or some dry ginger powder. Use croutons sparingly or omit altogether. Use oil sparingly.

Recipe: Heaven is a Beet Burger

2011-03-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, at the end of my Mysore class, I was pondering the usual 6pm question: What to have for dinner? I don't know how it came up but suddenly I had an urgent craving for the Vegetarian burger from The Plant cafe in San Francisco. (previously known as lettus) This burger is so insanely delicious-- completely unlike any other veggie burger around. Of course, I figured I could make something close to as delicious at home. I realize this was somewhat cocky, but omg, I pulled it off! This burger is FANTASTIC! No surprise, I'm not the only person who's wanted to recreate the Plant burger in their home kitchen, and so I found fellow San Franciscan Morgan's blog with her version of the famous burger. Her recipe requires soaking, which I'm all about sometimes but this was a craving: a two hour wait wasn't in the cards. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem! The recipe I give you here today is a modified version of Morgan's...give it a try at home! Even if you have an ardent meat eater at home, they'll fall in love with this meat-look-alike burger too!

2/3 c wheat bulgur, ground into smaller pieces in the blender (not a powder)

3/4 c red lentils

2 1/4 c water

2/3 c. raw cashews

3 medium red beets, washed, diced & roasted under foil until soft at 450 degrees

approx 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 t dijon mustard

1 1/2 t sea salt

4 T olive oil

*sourdough bread, baby greens, lettuce, avocado and garlic aoili or mango chutney to top

Makes approximately 8 patties.

Put lentil and bulgar wheat in a medium pot and rinse twice (fill with water then drain twice). Then add water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then down to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until lentils are soft but NOT mushy or falling apart. Add more water as needed. (*Note: this is very important, mushy lentils mean a very mushy burger!) In a pan, heat small amount of oil and sautee mushrooms over medium heat until cooked. Add 1 t water to mushrooms at the start as they will soak up the oil. In a blender, grind cashews into a medium fine powder, then add beets, mushrooms, approximately half of lentils & bulgar mixture, mustard and salt. Blend until well combined. Place blended mixture in a large bowl then add remaining lentils & bulgar mixture. Pull out a large baking sheet and line with wax paper. Place near bowl. Combine bowl contents well with clean hands, and form patties into the shape of whatever bread you're using and place on wax paper. (Don't worry this doesn't stain your hands surprisingly.) I found 1/2 inch thick patties work well, as they don't get too mushy in the end. Place patties in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, prepare toppings: slice avocado, make aioli (simple way: sautee minced garlic and mix into mayonnaise/vegenaise with salt, pepper and fresh herbs), toast bread, get out greens. Now, remove burgers from freezer and heat remaining 2 T oil in a pan or griddle on medium high heat and cook burgers for approximately 7 minutes a side. Only flip once as patties will be delicate. Place pattie on prepared bread and top with deliciousness. *Note: the aioli or chutney really makes this. Either taste great!

*Last note: Some of you may be reading this and thinking "Kate ate this for DINNER?!!" yes, I know, it's not a light meal like I preach, but once in a while it's ok to break the rules so long as you know your limits. Me and dining partner both have very strong digestion, so eating something heavier occasionally at night especially that's vata & pitta pacifying won't do us as much harm as it may many other people. If you're digestion is sluggish and you regularly feel lethargic in the morning, don't even think of eating this as a dinner meal. Please! Lunch only!

Vata: very good for healthy Vata types! Beets and wheat are both good for vata as is the aioli or chutney. If you're a vata type with weak digestion: eat this with some well spiced soup at lunch, not at dinner!
Pitta: Great! Beets are excellent blood cleansers and wheat pacifies pitta too. Could omit dijon and aioli. Use chutney instead.
Kapha: Ok. Wheat is far too heavy for kapha as is the aioli and chutney. Best to have just half of this sandwich with a light salad dressed with lemon juice, a touch of honey & black pepper, and sip hot water as a lunchtime meal.

*Ayurvedic note: Ayurveda discourages the use of yeasted breads like the one used here. Once in a while is ok in my book, but be smart about it. Don't eat hard-to-digest meals back to back.

Recipe: Valentine's Smoothie

2011-02-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

My Valentine's Day was absolutely wonderful! I came home from teaching my 6pm class to find my significant other making gorgeous homemade gnocchi with vegetables and pesto that was to be accompanied by champagne and followed with a fruit custard tart. Delicious!! (Note: I munched on candied ginger to stimulate my digestive fire while the gnocchi was plated.) Today, I woke up and forced my heavy-feeling body to yoga practice then came home and eyed up what could be for breakfast. Using the produce drawers in my fridge, I put together this Ayurvedic Smoothie. It's very tasty, strengthens digestion and moves the lymph. Give it a try and don't hesitate to improvise a bit on your own!

Makes 2-3 servings.

1 zucchini, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 a granny smith apple, chopped

2 already cooked beets, chopped

2 leaves green chard with stalks, chopped

approximately 2 T fresh ginger, peeled & cut into slices

1 can coconut juice

optional: raw honey to top

Put all ingredients but coconut juice in a steamer, and steam until all are tender. Move to blender and add 1 c of steaming water. Blend until smooth. Add coconut water, blending periodically, until desired taste and consistency is found. If desired, can top with raw honey.

Vata & Kapha: Great! Vata can use maple syrup instead of honey and rice milk instead of coconut juice
Pitta: Good. Can reduce beets to one and add cilantro for more therapeutic effects.

vegetables & apple & ginger pre-steam

Recipe: Lemony Avocado Pasta with Brussels Sprouts

2011-02-06T23:21:00.000-08:00

This Lemon Avocado Sauce is absolutely delicious! This was lunch yesterday, and it was gone in a flash! This dish was partially inspired by my romantic Valentine's Day meal last year: a lemon-ginger-brussels sprouts homemade pasta: heavenly! (We'll see what happens this year...) You'll find that the lemon complements the brussels sprouts perfectly and the avocado lends a creaminess without needing dairy. I highly recommend giving this a try. I imagine it would taste equally great as salad dressing or on top of rice and veggies. A big shout out to my Ayurveda client who recommended the blog where this recipe comes from: Little House of Veggies!

COMBINE:

Penne Pasta, cooked and tossed lightly in olive oil

Brussel Sprouts: wash, remove any damaged outer leaves, then halve, core and pull leaves apart. Steam until tender-- approx 4 minutes.

Lemony Avocado Sauce by 'Little House of Veggies' (click here then scroll down to see recipe)

Lemon Zest to garnish

ENJOY! :)

Basics: Welcoming Spring!

2011-02-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

February in San Francisco is a 'Ritu Sandhi' or a Seasonal Juncture: the time between winter and spring. In this juncture we start to transition our habits from winter palliation to spring awakening!

Here are a couple points to keep in mind for the month of February:

Savor the last of winter's hearty produce for soon it'll be spring's naturally cleansing fare of sprouts & greens. So this month enjoy the last of the foods you'll be saying so long to next month: Avocados, Pumpkins, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Bananas, Dates, Figs, Oranges, Butter & Cheese in moderation, and Nuts & Seeds.

If you're prone to springtime ailments like allergies, water retention and lethargy start to avoid the most aggravating foods for spring: dairy, red meat, nuts, sweeteners (other than honey) and excessively salty foods.

Start to integrate more spring in your step as the sun starts to come up earlier! Wake up early (before sunrise) and start your day with some vigorous exercise to clear your mind and refresh your body for the day ahead!

Try something new! While routine is great for calming the nervous system in the winter, routine can bog us down in the spring. Try a new class at the Mindful Body, cooking a new recipe, hiking up a mountain for a new view on the world, or making a new friend. Get out and see what this beautiful world has to offer!

Recipe: Miso Soup with Tridoshic Vegetables

2011-01-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

I had forgotten how much I love miso and rice noodles until I made this on the fly the other day from what was in the fridge. If I was being an especially good Ayurvedi I would have used brussel sprouts rather than cabbage as cabbage is more of a spring food than a winter food. All in all, this recipe is fairly tridoshic and won't upset any one dosha too much. I also sprinkled a touch of fennel and turmeric powder on this once it was finished, yum!

1/2 a zucchini, sliced very thin

3 stems of asparagus, tough ends snapped off then chopped into 3/4 inch pieces

handful of thinly sliced chinese cabbage

2 t sesame oil

1 large clove garlic

rice noodles

2 1/2 -3 c water

white miso to taste

cilantro, chopped

pepper

bragg's amino acids

In a pot, bring water to boil then down to a simmer. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium heat then add garlic. Stir, then one minute later add zucchini and asparagus and sautee stirring occasionally until zucchini starts to brown. While zucchini and asparagus cook, add rice noodles (less than you think you need) in boiling water, stir. Once vegetables are done, combine vegetables from pan with pot of noodles and add cabbage. Stir and simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Add miso to taste by first mixing miso in small cup of water then adding to pot so that miso disperses well. Serve and top with cilantro, pepper and a touch of bragg's liquid aminos. Slurp happily :)

Vata: Good. Omit cabbage.
Pitta: Substitute fresh ginger for garlic, olive oil for sesame oil. Omit braggs.
Kapha: Good. Substitute carrots for zucchini. Top with a pinch of dry ginger.

Recipe: Figgy Almond Quinoa Hot Cereal

2011-01-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

As we start to slowly progress into springtime (or if your in SF it feels like we pop in and out of it), this breakfast is perfect! Quinoa is kapha and vata balancing as is the vanilla and ginger. The almonds, maple syrup and figs all attend to vata which more often than not in our society, needs the extra attention. If you don't like sweet in the morning, I'm sure this would also taste excellent made with vegetable broth instead of rice milk, keep the ginger and add a little diced baked tofu on top. Experiment and find what you like best! If you haven't cooked quinoa before, it's easy and so worthwhile! "Quinoa contains more protein and more iron compared to other grains and is rich in potassium and riboflavin. It also contains other B vitamins--B6, niacin, and thiamin, is a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese, and has some folate (folic acid)" (ayurbalance.com) Woohoo!

1/3 c quinoa (red or beige), rinsed

1/3 c water

1/3 c milk or rice milk

1 dried fig, chopped

pinch of grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish with: toasted sliced almonds & Maple syrup

Combine all ingredients but almonds & maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, cover, then down to a simmer. When liquid has been absorbed, remove from heat and let sit for up to five minutes. Serve perhaps topping with maple syrup & almonds (though bear in mind, figs are quite sweet).

Vata: excellent.
Pitta: substitute rice for the quinoa. For those highly sensitive, substitute sunflower seeds for almonds.
Kapha: excellent in moderation. Substitute honey for maple syrup.

Cookbook Challenge: Gathering Dust for a week or so...

2011-01-29T21:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life gets busy and we realize that having one too many things on our plate could ruin our appetite for everything. Well, my plate has been very abundant, and tending to a whole new cookbook seemed it would be a bit overwhelming. I will be getting back to it, promise, but for right now I'm afraid you'll have to make due with some recipes by yours truly.

I was trying out new things for the 10 Day Digestive Revival that's currently in progress (and going fantastically well!), and here are two of my favorite recipes that I've also gotten excellent feedback about. Enjoy!

Recipe: Apple Slices from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners

2011-01-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

I think we can call this Tartine-without-the-guilt. This was very tasty (& beautiful!) and though it's in the dessert section of Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners, I had it for breakfast which was perfect. I also modified the recipe slightly so that there would be more crust, and I'm so glad I did. I can't imagine how it would have worked out with less dough, since there were still two layers of apples on top. Next time I would roll add a teaspoon of maple syrup and roll out the dough a tiny bit thinner. Regardless, we still loved it for breakfast. Also to note, is that I served this with a little bit of Saint Benoit Yogurt. This yogurt is from Sonoma and really fresh by my guess as it doesn't taste very sour, a good and enjoyable sign. Yogurt is appropriate this time of year, as it strengthens digestion and is heating (because it's naturally soured) and unctuous to counter winter's dryness. Lastly, I used two different types of apples which I think enhanced the appearance in their variety of colors, so you might want to try that too. Enjoy!

Apples Slices
adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar
Serves 2

3 apples, washed, cored and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 T lemon juice
1/8 c brown rice syrup (or apple concentrate per Morningstar)
1 c fresh organic apple juice
3/4 c whole wheat flour
dash of salt
1 1/2 T cold-pressed sesame oil ( or walnut or almond oil per Morningstar)
1/4 c cold water

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook apples in a large saucepan over medium heat with cinnamon, lemon juice, rice syrup and apple juice. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender (note: they will not cook very much when in the oven, so have them as you'd like to eat them). Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl mix together flour, salt, oil and water. Form dough into a ball adding flour if needed to hold together. Roll out dough on a lightly floured cookie sheet. Fold up edges of dough to form a short crust. Once the apples are to desired consistency, spoon them gently, perhaps artfully, onto crust pouring any remaining juices over the apples. Put in over and bake for 30 minutes or until crust is lightly brown. Cut into slices and serve warm.

Vata: good
Pitta: great!
Kapha: ok, can be made kapha-friendly by substituting barley flour for wheat flour.

pre-baking. The off kilter shape says to me "homemade with love" :)

Recipe: Rice Almond Breakfast Cereal from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners

2011-01-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

This Rice Almond Cereal is delicious & so easy!! two of my favorite things! It takes no time at all provided you don't have your blender stored in the attic somewhere. I highly recommend keeping all appliances somewhere with relatively easy access (for me that on top of my refrigerator, unusual but useful). The cereal in the photo I topped with the amazing raw honey pictured as I was nursing a bit of a head cold (too many late nights and pot lucks) and honey is great for bringing heat to the body and drying out excess mucus. The following day I ate it with maple syrup, scrumptious, and I had no problem eating this two days in a row it's so good. The almonds are terrific for sustenance. I had a very busy week and this kept me going steady. I can't recommend this recipe more highly.

Rice Almond Breakfast Cereal

adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

Serves 2-3

2/3 c uncooked white basmati rice, ground in a blender

2/3 c raw almonds, ground in a blender

3 c water

pinch of salt

top with: ghee, cinnamon, cardamom (!), and your choice of sweetener

Bring the water with salt to a boil in a medium size pot. Stir in the ground rice & almonds with a fork. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking uncovered until rice is cooked, about five minutes.

Vata: excellent
Pitta: mildly increases due to nuts & cinnamon. Eat only occasionally.
Kapha: moderately increases due to nuts and unctuous nature of the dish.

Cookbook Challenge Week Two in Review: Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

2011-01-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

This week flew by! I can hardly believe that I had the same amount of time with this cookbook as I did The Art of Simple Food. Though I made slightly fewer recipes from this cookbook, I'll be two recipes this week as they were both incredibly delicious and so simple! This cookbook is really designed for westerners; the recipes don't require lots of spices, prep or forethought. Morningstar includes many useful charts and explanations of Ayurvedic diet principles. Her menu suggestions are a good start, but I think the dinner option could be made lighter. The most useful thing for a beginner Ayurvedic chef is the labeling of each recipe; each says how it acts on the doshas (+P, or -P etc) and what season it's best for. Genius! Amadea's The Ayurvedic Cookbook is also very good, but is more designed for the Indian palette with lots of spices.

Final thoughts on Week 2:
A good book, but for this cook, I'm kind-of bored as it's fairly simple. I'm learning how much I love the creative process of creating a dish, something I hadn't expected. I'm excited to do macrobiotic for week three, something new! Hurray!!

I hope you enjoy the recipes I'll post. Let me know how they go, and all meals taste a little better when enjoyed mindfully, so please, breathe & savor the tastes!

Recipe: Pasta with Butternut Squash, Walnuts & Herbs

2011-01-09T23:17:00.001-08:00

This recipe comes as a very adapted version of Alice Waters' recipe for Fedelini with Summer Squash, Walnuts & Herbs from The Art of Simple Food. I tried to find Fedelini but was at a loss and was schooled in Italian by a sweet elderly woman at City Discount (I loooove this boutique-y kitchen supply shop) who told me that she hadn't seen Fedelini in a very long time. I settled on Angel Hair and used winter squash rather than summer squash, but other than that the recipes are the same. This meal was remarkable! I had a bite not expecting too much and then suddenly found myself exclaiming out loud how delicious it was (even though I was eating alone in my kitchen, sitting down mind you). This recipe was quick to make too; I highly recommend it. Lastly, I also made this without the pasta, brought it to a pot luck and it was a hit, so don't feel like you can't make this as a side dish. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

1/4 c walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 lb winter squash cut into 1/2 in dice

2 T olive oil

salt

fresh ground black pepper

fresh chopped basil

3/4 lb angel hair pasta, uncooked

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. After preparing the walnuts (toasting and chopping), toss butternut squash in olive oil in a broad oven pan. Season with salt & pepper then roast squash for 20 minutes, stir, then for another 10-15 minutes or until tender and lightly crisp at the edges. Remove from oven and toss with basil, set aside. Cook the angel hair in "abundant" salted boiling water. Drain and reserve some of the cooking water. Toss the noodles with the squash, walnuts and add a "splash" of pasta water if needed. Serve and optionally garnish with parmesan cheese.

Vata: excellent, be sure to have for lunch and not dinner due to the heaviness of the dish.
Pitta: Substitute summer squash for butternut squash. Lighten use of cheese.
Kapha: Eat only on occasion.

Cookbook Challenge Week 1 in Review: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

2011-01-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

Adventures in the Kitchen! This was such a fun week of cooking. As a huge fan of Alice Waters and her work (both in the kitchen and out supporting better food in schools), I choose The Art of Simple Cooking for this week. Her french inspired cuisine seemed especially appropriate since I would be breaking in my new Le Creuset pots from a few very generous Santas. I had been pining away after some Le Creuset pots for sometime and apparently someone was listening! I wasn't sure if I was setting my expectations for my new pots too high, but they really do cook everything beautifully! I highly recommend investing in one or two. This particular oval french oven is getting a lot of use.

Though many of the recipes were delicious, this is an Ayurvedic blog, and I only want to post the recipes that tasted amazing and made me feel great given the time of year. While the recipe I'm choosing to pass along was by far the most delicious I made, there were many others that were quite tasty. I've posted photos to show some of them off.

Final Thoughts on Week 1: My digestion is saying, "What the heck is going on around here?!" This was a week of delicious food prepared in simple yet thoughtful ways, but at the end of the day, my digestion wants my plentiful spice rack back. I added cumin seeds to my soup tonight and was in heaven. I love the basil, parsley and sage that complemented the Art of Simple Food dishes, but ultimately, I want 51% traditional Ayurvedic spices especially given the time of year. (Winter time is notorious for digestive disturbances.) I've very pleased with my idea of using one non-Ayurvedic cookbook one week and then an Ayurvedic cookbook the next; phew! Until next week...

From top to bottom:

photos 1-3: Bean Gratin,

Salsa Verde with eggs & corn tortilla,

Winter Compote,

Brioche French Toast & Baked Apples (note: not from AOSF),

me & a friend with Butternut Squash & White Bean Soup

served with salad and sparkling apple cider at our girls' post-holiday recoup dinner,

Note: I substituted red lentils for the white beans.

And yes, it's very chic this season to wear your apron to dinner ;)

2011: Cookbook Challenge Inspired by 'The Art of Eating In'

2011-01-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

cookbooks for January

In 2010, I read this delightful book The Art of Eating In. The author, Cathy Erway, is a young professional in New York City and finds that she's loosing sense of self and her savings by eating out all the time. She disliked the crazy amount of waste that comes with eating take-out and that she didn't really know what's in her food. Lastly, a point I very much identify with, often times the food she would order out wasn't as good as what she could make for herself at home! So she decided to not eat out at all in New York for one year. And what follows you learn about in the book. It becomes much more an adventure than a challenge, and she enjoyed it so much that she continued for an additional year! She now writes the fantastic blog : noteatingoutinny.com.

So I read this book toward the start of 2010, and it did inspire me to cook at home more. In August of 2010, I moved into my current place with my adorable teensy tiny kitchen that I absolutely love and now I cook loads! That said, I'm a yoga teacher and I run all over town teaching yoga and so have grown accustomed to picking up tea, chai, muffin, toast and more when I'm on the run. It doesn't happen all that often but enough that I'm not wild about this habit. I also don't love that the food I make at home is (on average) sooooo much better than what I buy out.

Then for Christmas, I received two great cookbooks: Mayumi's Kitchen: Macrobiotic Cooking for Body & Soul and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, the original chef of Greens Restaurant. These two are now part of a beautiful collection of cookbooks in my kitchen all full of juicy inspiration! With all these wonderful cookbooks, that I don't use as often as I would like, I've made a plan:

For the month of January, I am not going to eat out* and will pick one cookbook for each week to utilize for recipes and inspiration for meals of that week. From these cookbooks, I will use seasonal recipes that support Ayurvedic dietary wisdom.

Week 1 (Jan 2-8): The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Week 2 (Jan 9-15): Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

Week 3 (Jan 16-22): Mayumi's Kitchen by Mayumi Nishimura

Week 4 (Jan 22-29): Eat-Taste-Heal by Yarema, Rhoda, Brannigan

Week 5 (Jan 30- Feb 5): Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

On the Sunday following each week, I will post my favorite recipe(s) from that week of cooking, hopefully along with some entertaining stories. I've already made three recipes from The Art of Simple Food, and one of them was so delicious it will definitely be making the Sunday posting.

*Note: There is one exception: My love is a cook at the fabulous A16 and if I do not go out with him to eat it would make him oh-so-sad. Fortunately, he only has exquisite taste in food and restaurants, and this will not be more often than twice a week.

If you want to join me...

Using a cookbook you already own (or purchasing the one I'll be using for the week), sit down on a Sunday and pick out four or so recipes that you want to create over the next week. Be sure to pick out easy or make-ahead recipes for the busy hectic days and perhaps a more elaborate recipe for the days where you have more free time. Write the days of the week down along with recipe title and page number of the recipe under each day. Keep this schedule in the front page of the cookbook. Make a grocery list of the things you need. Go grocery shopping. Take a deep breath, and cook away!

Suggestions for Single Diners:

If you're a single diner, which means you're cooking for just one, the very important YOU, try taking photos of your finished dish then show them to a friend. This can make the dining alone experience seem a little less lonely. You might just inspire this friend to start cooking too; how great!

So that's the plan. Not the most outrageously abitious pseudo New Years Resolution, but I'm pretty happy with it. Time will tell how it all turns out...

Happy Cooking! Happy Living! and Happy 2011!

with gratitude & joy,

Kate

p.s. If you're joining us for the Winter Digestive Revival, this is a perfect kick-off that you'll be able to maintain during our ten days! Sign up closes January 19th; don't miss out! It's going to be a ball!

Recipe: Winter Lentil Soup with Avocado

2010-12-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night, girlfriends and I had plans to go out to dinner, but I was able to persuade them to come over to my place as I was feeling a strong need for some home-cooked food. I tempted them with the idea of soup and salad, and so I found this lentil soup recipe by googling "lentil soup alice waters". Really any food google with 'Alice Waters' at the end of it turns out well. I modified the recipe while cooking (as always) and the soup turned out fairly nice, but the following day when sprucing up some leftover soup for lunch, I really perfected it. For my friends I served it with roasted yams and salad with this ginger salad dressing. Perhaps you too will share this meal with friends! :)

Serves 6+ as a main course.

1 onion, diced small

4 carrots, diced small

4 stalks of celery, diced small
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c green lentils, rinsed and picked over to discard small stones
1/2 a bunch of parsley, leaves chopped fine
1/2 head garlic
1/2 small fresh chili pepper
8 c water
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Lemon juice
1/4 avocado per serving cut into cubes

In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrot & celery in olive oil until the onions are gilded and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the 1/2 garlic head and chili in cheesecloth and add it to the pot. Add the lentils and water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the cumin and fennel in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant. Crush the toasted spiced with a mortar and pestle, or by using the bottom of a heavy skillet. When the lentils are done cooking, remove the cheesecloth (Do not squeeze cheesecloth as you remove or it will be too spicy!) and add the crushed spices. Taste for seasoning, add lemon juice, chopped parsley, and additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve soup in bowls with chopped avocado on top.

Vata: Excellent!
Pitta: Omit chili and reduce garlic to 1/4 head. Double amount of cumin & fennel seeds. Substitute cilantro for parsley.
Kapha: Very Good! Omit avocado. Increase lemon juice to taste.

Announcing: the 10 Day Winter Digestive Revival!

2010-12-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

a 10 day Ayurvedic Program

January 22nd - February 1st

Do feel like you see the Health & Happiness Wagon driving off in the distance while you’re drinking eggnog on the side of the road? Join us in setting your healthy habits back in place using the wisdom of Nature’s medicine: Ayurveda!

After hearing from an overwhelming number of people who wanted a follow-up to the Fall Cleanse, I am offering these guided 10 days to help rejuvenate your digestion & help you create the healthy habits you can keep all 2011 long! These 10 days will be perfect for setting you back on a healthy track even if you weren't able to participate in the cleanse this past fall.

Click the photo above to go to my site and get all the exciting details!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Warm regards,
Kate Lumsden

Basics: Winter Practices for Health & Happiness

2010-12-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

from Yoga Journal, teacher Britt Foreman of The Mindful Body

I sent this out in The Mindful Body's December email;

This information is invaluable, share it with friends!

Brrrrrr!! Even with our mild San Francisco weather, there's no doubt that winter is here! During this time of year, our bodies and minds become colder and dryer, just like nature all around. We see the cold and dry in the body in cracked lips, dry skin, constipation, and achy joints, and we can see it in the mind in anxiety, restless sleep, and dispassion.

Ayurveda to the rescue!

Try a few of the things listed below to help your body stay moist and your mind calm and fresh.

Winter tips

ROUTINE. Even if your schedule changes wildly from day to day, try to start and end each day the same way. For instance, start each morning sipping a cup of plain hot water first thing, and give you feet a little rub every night when you crawl into bed. Routine is incredibly calming to the nervous system; take advantage of it!
OIL MASSAGE. Oil massage is a wonderful tool for health and well-being all year round but especially in the winter. Rub warm sesame oil on your head, face, ears and feet and leave on for a few minutes before you hop in the shower, and you'll feel warmer all day long.
EXERCISE in the morning to improve circulation, mood and immunity.
YOGA. Try to keep things routine as much as possible: the time of day, the sequencing patterns. Enjoy a long warm savasana, perhaps with blankets & sandbags on your body.
FOODS. Eat more foods that you'd describe as: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Heavy, Oily, Moist, Hot. Embrace your soups, stews, steamed veggies, and warm herbal teas. *Special tip: A hand blender is a winter cook's best friend!

If you find yourself already experiencing some of the wintertime ailments listed above (like insomnia, constipation, anxiety) schedule a consultation with me to find relief. You'll be amazed at how great you can feel, and how much easier positive life changes are when you have someone supporting you step by step. Learn more at my website: sanfranshakti.com.

"The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
-Thomas Edison

Recipe: Good-For-You-Greens Frittata

2010-11-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

It was a Saturday and I wanted to make something. Not my usual oatmeal or (whole wheat, dairy-free) pancakes or veggie scrambles. Something new to me and pretty. I had in mind a recipe for a Cilantro Quiche a classmate of mine had beautifully blogged about. I had the cookbook from where she got the recipe, and checked it out. Looked awesome but I just didn't have that much time. On the opposite page was a recipe for a Potato Frittata (not an entirely new concept, but one I don't do often). Now, mind you I can't follow a recipe for the life of me. It's not so much that I can't even, it's just that my inner creative cook refuses to not experiment. (My favorite moment of the cooking process was when I handed my boyfriend the recipe to read to me: Him: "Uh, where're the potatoes?" me: "That's not the point. :) ". Him: "wait, this recipe doesn't even use the oven?!" me: "Guess not, but if it's a frittata, we have to use the oven...ok, we'll use the oven." ) And so we have this lovely delicious and easy recipe for a Good-For-You-Greens Frittata. Make for friends or make just for you. *It stores well in the fridge overnight, just heat in the oven the next day.

By the way, how do you like my new kettle?? Seeing as I boil water at least four times a day, I thought I'd get a pretty one. :) It makes me incredibly happy. Ah, the simple things in life.

Serves 3-4.

Inspired by "Potato Frittata" by Amadea Morningstar from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners.

5 large organic free-range eggs

1 1/2 T olive oil

1/2 c chopped onion

4 leaves of rainbow chard.

--> de-vein and chop stocks into 1/2 inch pieces. Chop leaves into short ribbons. Keep stalks & leaves separate.

1 zucchini, ends removed then grated (can be chopped finely if you don't have a grater)

1/8 c finely chopped herbs : I used 2 parts cilantro to 1 part flat leaf parsley

salt & pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Crack eggs, add dash of salt & pepper, add chopped herbs: Mix well and set aside. In a large oven-safe pan, saute onion & chard stalks in olive oil with dash salt & pepper over medium heat on the stove. Once onions are soft, but not brown, add zucchini and chard ribbons. Combine well. Add 2 tablespoons water and a touch more oil if needed. Stir often for 4 minutes or so, or until chard looks soft and zucchini has sweat & excess moisture has burned off. There should not be any remaining liquid at the bottom of the pan. Spread the vegetable mixture out on the bottom of the pan. Pour egg mixture (eggs, herbs, salt & pepper) over the vegetables mixture and stir until vegetables are well distributed within the egg. Carefully put the pan in the oven, removing when top is firm at the center of the pan. Alternatively, you can cover the pan over low heat on the stove and again wait for the frittata to firm. Normally, this is when you would flip the frittata after allowing it to rest for a minute. As you can see from the photo above, this is pre-flip, and could be easily served as is or possibly even slid out of the pan and onto a plate. I serve this with toast with ghee and then again with roasted sweet potatoes.

Vata: very good. Some say that eggs in excess can aggravata vata, but in small amounts they actually calm vata.
Pitta: Eggs, like meat, raise Pitta, but overall, this dish soothes pitta with it's cooling zucchini, chard and cooked onions. Be sure not to use too much salt, pepper or parsley.
Kapha: ok. Zucchini is alright for occasional use. This recipe could be made more kapha-friendly by substituting spinach or summer squash for the zucchini.

Recipe: Winter Oatmeal with Banana & Walnuts

2010-11-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Last week it really felt like we had graduated to the winter season, and I excitedly made oatmeal with bananas & nuts! Bananas and nuts are both inherently heating and give sustenance to the body during the colder darker winter months. It is recommended to eat bananas away from milk, contrary to popular American practice. I recommend using a rice milk if you like something milky to top your cereal. Read on to learn more about bananas, walnuts, dates & oats...

*Note: The bowls of oatmeal shown above were for me (vata-pitta) and my pitta-vata partner. We both have very strong digestion. If your digestion is less strong or you tend towards congestion or lethargy, please use less banana and walnuts when topping your oatmeal.

Bananas are high in potassium (good for the muscular system) as well as high in iron (good for anemia). Bananas are somewhat heavy and therefore it's best to eat them spiced with cinnamon, ginger or cardamom, as in the recipe below. They are excellent for winter, but should be avoided in the spring.
Walnuts are known in Ayurveda for being beneficial for brain and heart health, and like bananas are good for muscular strength. They are a great source of Omega-3s and protein. Appropriate for winter, but should be avoided in spring & summer.
Dates, Cinnamon & Cardamom : Read about them in the recipe: Warm Date Shake
Oats are heavy, cool and sweet making them summer- & winter-time friendly. They are known to be an excellent tonic for the nervous system and are great for chronic constipation.

Serves 2.

1 c oats

3 c water

1/8 t cardamom

1/4 heaping t cinnamon

5 dates, sliced into rings

handful of walnuts, broken into smaller pieces

1 banana, sliced

rice milk* optional
ghee* optional

In a medium sized pot, combine oats, water, spices and dates and bring to boil over medium heat. Turn to low, and simmer until oats are cooked (about 7 minutes) stirring occasionally. Serve oatmeal/date mixture and top with walnuts and banana. Optional to top with rice milk & ghee. Rest assured, this oatmeal does not need any sweetener because of the banana & dates.

Vata: excellent! Can add 1/8 t dry ginger as well to aid digestion. Add ghee to topping.
Pitta: good in winter. In summer, reduce cinnamon to just a pinch, & increase cardamom to taste. Add a sprinkling of nutmeg. Substitute sunflower seeds for walnuts. Add small dollop of ghee to topping.
Kapha: Avoid.

Recipe: Dr. Jay's Kitchari, Apple Pickle & Raita...the most delicious meal in the world

2010-11-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

When Dr. Jay Apte came for her weekend of teaching at Mount Madonna, we spent a lot of time in the kitchen and I couldn't have been happier. She makes magic happen in the kitchen. The day she made us lunch, every person in class was a little more in love with life. The meal you see in the photo above is that meal (plus some delicious kale sauteed in olive oil, onion & fennel seeds). Savor these recipes. They're sooo good! And it worked out perfectly that this past Sunday when I made this meal for lunch: my boyfriend's dad stopped by and I got to wow him with my "incredible cooking skills". (Thanks Dr. Jay! ;) )

All recipes by Dr. Jay Apte, with very small modifications by me.

Kitchari

Serves 4-5.

1 c basmati rice

1/2 c split hulled mung dal

2 T Spicy Oil (see previous post for recipe)

1/2-1 t salt

1 T sugar

1 T sesame seeds, roasted

1 T coconut dry or frozen, roasted

3 c boiling water

4 T ghee

Rinse rice & dal in warm water and drain. In a pot, saute rice and dal in 2 T spicy oil for 3-4 min. Add water, salt, sugar, sesame powder and coconut. Cook on medium heat until rice is cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve with 1 t ghee (and a lemon wedge if you like).

VPK, great!

Apple 'Pickle'

serves 3-4.

1 granny smith apple, diced

1/2 t salt

1 T turbinado sugar

1/4-1/2 t chili powder

1-2 T spicy oil (see previous post for recipe)

Mix all the ingredients well. Use as a condiment or as a sandwich spread.

Good for all but Pitta.

Cucumber Raita
serves 3.

1 cucumber, peeled & chopped

1/2 c plain yogurt.

*I recommend using the freshest yogurt you can find so that it doesn't become even more sour than it is naturally. I went to Fraiche Yogurt on Fillmore St at Bush St and bought a small container of their organic fresh full fat yogurt.

1 T turbinado sugar

1/2 Jalapeno, sliced

salt to taste

1 T cilantro, chopped (for garnishing)

Mix all the ingredients except cilantro. Garnish with cilantro and chill before serving.

Good for all but Kapha.

yummy apple pickle

Recipe: Spicy Oil by Dr. Jay Apte

2010-10-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

This Spicy Oil is superb for three reasons:

1. It makes cooking very easy by eliminating the need to measure multiple spices.

2. It makes your food taste Amazing!

3. It's tri-doshic, or good for all constitutions.

I received this recipe from Dr. Jay Apte when she taught our cooking segment last year at Mount Madonna. She is a gifted cook and Ayurvedic practitioner. She sells Ayurvedic packaged foods under her label 'Ayurfoods' at Whole Foods. The meals (including kitchari!) are very tasty, but the recipes she gave us are even better. This 'Spicy Oil' recipe can be used in a number of dishes, including her kitchari & apple pickle recipes I'll be posting soon! Make some of this oil on a Sunday and you'll have a much easier time cooking up delicious healthy meals all week long. I recommend making a half recipe (as shown above) if this is very new for you; a little goes a long way.

1 c cooking oil (I used grape seed oil today)

2 T Mustard Seeds

1 1/2 T Cumin Seeds

1 1/2 T Turmeric

1 t asafoetida (a.k.a. hing)

Heat the oil in a small pot. Add 2-3 mustard seeds in oil while it is heating, not when it's cold. They will start popping once the oil is hot. Remove the pot from heat and add the remaining mustard seeds and cover the pot. After the seeds stop popping, add cumin seeds, turmeric & hing. (See photo below.) Stir. Allow oil to cool down for 5 minutes and then pour it in a thick glass jar or oil jar and store at room temperature.

V, P, K: Great!! Pitta can use yellow mustard seeds instead of black mustard seeds. (as seen below)
Vata: Use any type of oil. Untoasted sesame oil is especially good.
Pitta: Use Avocado, Olive, Grape seed, Sunflower or Walnut Oil.
Kapha: Use Almond, Corn or Sunflower Oil.

Last Day to Sign-Up for the Cleanse!

2010-10-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Inside: Ghee, Kate's Kitchari Spice Blend, Unique Spice Powder for your type, Ginger, Stomach Ease Tea, Asafoetida (a spice), Sesame Oil, Basmati Rice & Split Mung Beans.

We now have just under 30 people participating in the cleanse!

~Join the group for a gentle detoxifying experience and a more balanced winter~

Last day for Sign-Up is Today...Sign-up easily online: click here!

Recipe: Figgy Cream of Rice Hot Cereal

2010-10-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

With the cleanse, I was avoiding gluten, dairy, nuts & sweeteners, and so this type of breakfast was my staple: good thing it's so delicious. The figs in this recipe, especially because they're blended into the cereal, give it a well distributed sweet taste, and the sunflower seeds add protein to the easy gluten-free rice cereal. You can see above that I made this for two, me & my man (who's not cleansing), and he loved it, so don't feel like you need to eat alone while cleansing! You can make this with any other dried fruit just the same. I also recommend using dried apricots, raisins and dates. Come winter time, add some fresh banana and almonds.

rice cereal

chopped dried figs

cinnamon

cardamom

sunflower seeds

rice milk

Cook the rice cereal with the chopped dried figs and spices: add water, bring to boil, simmer while stirring occasionally, and then remove from heat. Allow the cereal to sit for a minute or two to cool slightly. Then blend in mini-cuisinart (see mine below) or with a hand blender which would be easiest. Scoop out into bowls. Toast sunflower seeds in a pot or pan over medium heat stirring often or tossing around so they don't burn. Top cereal with seeds and a splash of rice milk. Yum... Remember to savor each bite as this is easy to want to eat up quickly.

Vata & Pitta: great!
Kapha: Substitute quinoa for rice. Top with chopped dried figs rather than cooking them. We want to emphasize the dry nature of the figs in the dish.

Life of Kate: My Cleansing Experience this Fall & all about Ojas

2010-10-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

After 10 days of cleansing as per the Autumn Ayurvedic Cleanse, I feel ojas-full.

(see below for more on ojas)

To be more specific, here are the changes I've found between the start and finish of the cleanse:

lost weight in a healthy way, i.e. my muscles are strong and my face is still full, but my skinny jeans are more comfortable. Any bloat is gone. I don't feel like I have pockets of stagnant lymph or am retaining any water. It feels so good.
diminished cravings for sugar & caffeine. Before the cleanse I ate sugary things and black tea with some frequency. Now: My boy-friend put pistachio ice cream in the fridge for my post-post-cleanse celebration, and I'm not that interested in opening it up. I have no desire for anything caffeinated at all. I feel totally energized without it.
clearer skin. Prior to the cleanse my hormones were bouncing all over the place making my skin a nightmare. Now, muuuch better. My skin tone hasn't been this even in as long as I can remember. My mom commented last night that my skin (like my arms) are glowing.
balanced libido. People with high vata (a strong airy, ether-like presence in their body) often complain of lowered libido. I feel strong in my femininity.
diminished anxiety. Perhaps my favorite thing about this cleanse is that one becomes so incredibly calm. The ghee creates this feeling of ease and comfort, like a big golden bubble that protects you from all things stressful and potentially harmful. In a physical way, the ghee nourishes your tissues and soothes your GI tract unbelievably.

During the cleanse, I felt great. I kept up a full schedule of teaching yoga and maintaining my own yoga practice in addition to having a social life. During the 3-Day Detox, I even went to a friend's house to take care of her the other night; needless to say, we both had light (but oh so tasty) bowls of kitchari for dinner.

I am so glad I did this. I cannot wait to help all my wonderful cleansers on this path. And I'm already looking forward to doing this all again myself next Spring!

ALL ABOUT OJAS:
Ojas is the end product of perfect digestion. Here are what a few of my favorite books have to say about Ojas:

"The Biochemical Component of Bliss, Ojas: When all...vital tissues are completely nourished and working in balance, a biochemical substance called ojas is produced from the finest essence of the food. [It] permeates the entire body and mind. A person with a good supply of ojas is often described as having a glow about them or looking radiant....Ojas is responsible for nourishing the mos subtle aspects of mind and body. It keep the balance of all bodily systems and therefore creates bliss." (Heaven's Banquet by M Hospodar)

"Increase of ojas makes contentment, nourishment of the body and increase of strength." (Ashtanga Hridaya)

"An individual with high ojas enjoys energectic vitality, an impenetrable immune system, and a feeling of overall contentment and joy in life." (Eat, Taste, Heal by T Yarema, D Rhoda, & J Brannigan)

Recipe: Cold Sesame Noodle Salad & Sesame Dressing

2010-10-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

For my step-dad's birthday my sister and I commandeered my mom's kitchen and cooked us all dinner. I handled the savory (the dish and a fennel & summer squash soup), while my sister brought the most fabulous Sticky Toffee Pudding, delicious but sadly not so Ayurveda blog appropriate. However, this delicious Sesame Noodle Salad is! It's so pretty, was fairly easy and looks very pretty on a plate. Since I knew I wanted to cook something special for the occasion, I turned to Heaven's Banquet by Miriam Kasin Hospodar. It has recipes inspired by an array of different cuisines, and I haven't had a dud so far. Though the layout of the individual recipes makes cooking very easy, it's not as easy to understand the effects of the foods on the doshas as some other Ayurvedic cookbooks. Nonetheless, it's a great book to have on hand. And one more thing, she does an excellent job in the introductory chapters on how the nuts & bolts of attuning one's diet to Ayurvedic principles (kitchen necessities, timing, menu recommendations).

Serves 6.

Recipe derived from Heaven's Banquet by M. Hospodar

2 cups tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths

1/3 pound (150 g) vermicelli

2 T sesame oil

liquid seasoning (Bragg's liquid aminos)

pinch of hing (a.k.a. asafoetida)

salt

black pepper

Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)

to garnish:

2 cups julienned cucumbers

chopped cilantro

Saute in the sesame oil over medium-high heat the hing, tofu and liquid seasoning until the tofu turns golden brown. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with salt, and cook covered for 3-4 minutes until the asparagus is "crisp-tender". Remove from the heat immediately. Separately, cook the pasta until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain and run cold water over it to stop the cooking. Toss with half of the Sesame Dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve: spread the noodles on a platter, then tofu-asparagus mixture over them, then cucumbers. Drizzle remaining Sesame Dressing on top and sprinkle generous amount of cilantro on top.

SESAME DRESSING

(makes a little over 1/2 cup)

1/3 c sesame oil (or other mild flavored oil)

1/2 c coarsely chopped bell peppers

2 T coarsely chopped fresh ginger

1/3 c sesame seeds

pinch of hing

3 T lemon juice

1 T raw sugar

1/3 c water

liquid seasoning

toasted sesame oil

black pepper

Saute hing and sesame seeds in sesame oil over low heat until the sesame seeds just being to turn golden. Add the bell peppers and continue to saute until the seeds are well browned. Add the ginger, stir well then remove from heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Then combine the sesame mixture with the lemon juice, sugar, water and drizzle of toasted sesame oil in a blender until it is as smooth as possible. Add more water if necessary. Season to taste with liquid seasoning and pepper.

Vata: Great for Vata! Could make even a little spicier by not sauteing the ginger or adding dried red chilies to the oil.
Pitta: Replace the sesame seeds with almonds. Do not make any spicier.
Kapha: Replace the sesame seeds with sunflower seeds and use soba noodles.

For my Cleansers: Be sure to use rice noodles, and omit the tofu. Did you know sesame seeds are a good source of protein? "A good source of protein and calcium, 100g sesame seeds contain 26.4g protein, 12.6mg vitamin B3, 7.8mg iron, 131mg calcium and 10.3mg zinc." ~ The Vegetarian Society

Mag's & Me just before serving dinner :)

Basics: Beat the heat with these cooling foods!

2010-09-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Looking at this photo I imagine myself sitting on the beach under the shade of a palm tree with this coconut's water ready to be slurped up...mmmm. The reality however: I'm sitting at a cafe in shorts and flip flops, sipping mint tea, and working on my computer. So, making the best of the city heat, I turn to my summer life-savers list: These foods will help you cool off and they taste great!

Asparagus

Cucumbers

Kale

Jicama

Snow Peas

Zucchini

Cilantro

Sweet Apples & Strawberries

Coconut (flesh, milk and water)

Teas: Hibiscus, Mint, Chamomile

Autumn Cleanse Sign-up Now Open!

2010-09-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

After the success of the spring cleanse I hosted in May, I can't wait for this extended 10-Day Autumn Cleanse! The cleanse is longer than the spring cleanse as it incorporates a 5 day pre-cleanse period to move the lymph and stabilize blood sugar levels before the 'Deep Diet Detox' that consists of kitchari and lasts three days. After the Deep Diet Detox, there are an additional two days for which you can come off the cleanse slowly and incorporate healthy habits for the winter that will sustain you all season long! There are two interactive workshops held at The Mindful Body that I'll lead, and you'll receive ingredients for the 3 Day Deep Diet Detox and a educational cleanse handbook with all the information you need. Just like in the spring, I'll be available by phone or email support throughout the cleanse. Click the photo above for more information and to sign-up online... (Sign-up closes October 15th!)

Here are some testimonials from the spring cleanse:

"You've done an AMAZING job with the cleanse kit and materials. It's so beautifully organized and packaged. I know how to make Kitchari and I know how to cleanse, but it is so helpful to be led in it...(post-cleanse) Thanks for this recipe, Kate, and for providing such great support for the cleanse! I have done a lot of cleansing over the years and this is by far the best and easiest time I've had. I am going to continue for a few more days at least. My body really, really appreciates it-- THANK YOU!"

"Yum Kate! Thanks for the delicious food! We absolutely loved it and it reignited my love of kitchari. I have made it at least five times since you made it for me (using your recipe) and have even taken it to a party."

“Thanks Kate. And the Kitchari is SO GOOD! My sense is that doing this as a seasonal attunement along with acupuncture and cupping would provide very very good results.”

“I am absolutely in love with this cleanse! and I think I will make a sesame oil self-massage a regular daily routine:)”

Recipe: French Lentil Soup from 101 Cookbooks

2010-09-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

My little sister was coming over for dinner, and after reading John Douillard's The Yoga Body Diet she knows her body and mind feel best with a light dinner. I made us the 'Kabocha French Lentil Soup' from the ever-beautiful 101cookbooks blog. It was delicious! This recipe is good for all doshas; how simple! I substituted acorn squash for the kabocha with no trouble. To shorten baking time, I cut the squash into crescent moons and then oiled it and put it in the water. As recommended on 101cookbooks, I served the soup with homemade garlic croutons. Wow, so good. Be sure not to skip the fennel; it's divine.

From 101 Cookbooks healthy recipe blog by Heidi Swanson

Serves 4 as a main.

1 kabocha or other dark orange winter squash, 1 1/2 lb. / 24 ounces / 680 g
1/2 cup / 120 ml water
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
1 cup / 7 oz / 200 g green lentils, rinsed
5 coins ginger, 1/8-inch thick
1 whole star anise
6 cups / 1.5 liters water
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup / 60 ml olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium dice
1 leek, sliced into 1/4 moons
1 fennel bulb, medium dice
red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425F/ 220C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Oil and salt the squash and roast cut side down (in a rimmed baking pan) with the 1/2 cup / 120 ml of water poured into the pan. Roast until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough, scoop out cooked squash and set aside. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, ginger, star anise and water. Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt. In a large stockpot combine the olive oil, onion, leeks, fennel and additional salt. Cook covered over low heat until vegetables soften, about 7 - 10 minutes. Remove the star anise and ginger coins from the lentil sauce pan, then add the lentils, lentil broth and squash to the vegetables in the stock pot. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning here with more salt if needed, and in my case I used a few generous pinches of red pepper flakes as well.

Serve as is, or topped with lots of garlicky homemade croutons. For the croutons I simply ripped up the remainder of a day-old loaf of bread into tiny shreds, doused it in olive oil, garlic, and a bit of salt, and toasted it in the oven until golden and crunchy - I think the oven was set to 375 at the time.

Vata: Though I think of winter squash as being vata pacifiying, Dr Lad says otherwise. So, for a more vata balancing recipe: substitute sweet potato or summer squash for the winter squash.
Pitta: to balance pitta more so, eliminate garlic in croutons. Omit red pepper flakes.
Kapha: great for kapha.

Recipe: Sunflower-Fig-Pear Hot Cereal

2010-09-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

I made this the other morning, and it was divine. Seeds are preferable to nuts for pitta (the summertime element), hence the sunflower seeds. You'll notice this bowl is not a huge breakfast. Breakfast is meant to be the meal where we break the fast of the night of sleep and we want to do that gradually with nurturing foods getting our digestive energy ready for a large satisfying lunch. Don't worry that this recipe will leave you hungry. I guarantee it won't. Enjoy!

1/4 c whole wheat farina

1/2 pear chopped

2 dried figs chopped

1/8 t cinnamon

1/8 t cardamom

1 c water

1-2 T sunflower seeds

soy milk

In a small pot dry roast farina, spices and chopped figs for 2-3 minutes. Add water. Stir and bring to boil, then down to simmer. Cover. Stir occasionally over next ten minutes adding more water if needed. Add pear, stir, leave for one or two more minutes. Serve with sunflower seeds and soy milk on top. YUM!

Vata: Substitute sweet berries for the pear. Top with a teaspoon of ghee in addition to the seeds and soy milk.
Pitta: perfect!
Kapha: Omit figs. Substitute kamut, buckwheat or millet for farina. Once cooked grain is cooked, top with teaspoon of honey.