Pecan Pie

Pecan Piie
Yummy Pecan Pie

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Increases+

Season: Fall & Winter

Pecan Pie is a staple in our household for Thanksgiving. Since we have so many Pittas (not me?), I use Maple Syrup instead of the traditional corn syrup. I am so suspicious of high-fructose corn syrup these days, and so disgusted with the corn lobby, that I haven’t bought corn syrup for decades. I know some of you Kaphas love the corn taste, so you can go ahead and treat yourself once during the holiday. True Vatas can try substituting rice syrup or agave. I also serve this with whip cream for Pittas and Vatas or a non-dairy soy or hemp whip for Kaphas.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sucanat or jaggery (or packed brown sugar)
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • one pie crust

Directions:

  1. Bake pie crust at 400*F for 5 to 7 minutes
  2. Beat eggs, jaggery, butter, syrup, salt, vanilla
  3. Add pecans and pour in shell
  4. Bake at 375*F for 30-40 minutes

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 45 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Use rice syrup, agave or molasses.

Pitta: Prefer maple syrup. Try an almond pie instead of pecan. Top with whip cream or coconut cream.

Kapha: Use a barley, rice or gluten-free crust. Omit the nuts and substitute 3 tablespoons bourbon for the vanilla. Ok, I’ve never made a Bourbon Pie, but maybe it will scare you Kaphas into just opting for a Pear instead of Pie.

Wellesley Fudge Cake

Double layer Wellesley Fudge Cake
Sweeten the Pitta in you or around you with this chocolate cake dessert.

Vata: increases

Pitta: decreases

Kapha: increases

Season: Summer

Since when can chocolate cake possibly be Ayurvedic? Well, in the summer, sometimes our fire and Pitta can get a bit much. If you’re feeling overheated and irritable and ready to remind yourself of the sweetness that’s always available to your inner self, try this moist sweet cake. I also use it as my standard birthday cake for chocolate lovers. It’s especially good for the Pitta ones who can digest wheat, dairy, sugar and eggs. I do have some wheat free and alternative chocolate cakes–ones with beets and zucchini–but this is a good basic cake. Don’t tell anyone it’s Ayurvedic, since it’s really just a Northeast cake I’m serving in the Northwest. Shhh!

Ingredients:

4 ounces (squares) unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup jaggery

1/2 cup hot water

1 3/4 cup flour

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cup jaggery

4 organic eggs

2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk (depending on thickness)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350* F and butter two round 9 inch cake pans

2. Melt together first three ingredients

2. Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl

3. Beat butter and second measure of sugar. Add one egg at a time.

4. Alternate adding flour mixture with milk.

5. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.

6. Cook for  30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Invert cake from pans after 5 minutes of cooling.

Frosting Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons butter at room temperature

(Optional: 1 ounce unsweetened melted chocolate)

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoons vanilla

Directions: Mix above ingredients until well blended and frost cake. Adjust sugar or milk for desired consistency.

Serves: 10-12 depending on portion size

Mizuna Greens with BBQ Tofu

Sauteed mizuna greens with BBQ tofu
Sauteed mizuna greens with BBQ tofu

Vata: neutral

Pitta: decreases

Kapha: neutral

Season: Summer

Our CSA (community supported agriculture) farm like growing Mizuna (a spiky green leaf similar to young collards) since when you cut it, it will grow back. That means that we often get this spring green in the summer and forget what to do with cooked greens anymore. Although this one can be eaten raw in salads, we have had an unusually rainy summer this year with highs in the 60s and lows in the 50 for the middle of July. That means cooked greens are more appealing than raw ones right now.

This green along with zucchini will decrease Pitta and Kapha, and the BBQ tofu on top will make you feel like you’re indulging in a Southern feast. Top with fresh basil if the slugs haven’t gotten to yours first.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Mizuna Greens (or use collards, kale or dandelion)
1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
1 small fresh spring onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 / 2 small Zucchini
1 teaspoon agave syrup
pinch of rock salt
1 block firm tofu
4 Tablespoons BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Sautee onion, zucchini and basil in oil 5 minutes over medium heat

2. Add washed, dried, de-stemmed Mizuna greens until wilted

3. Add salt and agave, and set aside

2. Slice tofu into 4 serving blocks and sautee with BBQ sauce until well heated (10 min over low heat)

Serves: 4

Collard and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Collard Lasagne
Lasagne with Dandelion Greens

Vata: neutral

Pitta: decreases

Kapha: increases

Season: Spring

If you’ve had a wet and damp spring like we have in the Pacific Northwest, you may have collards and other green leafy vegetables in great abundance. This variation on spinach lasagna can be made with spelt or quinoa noodles (instead of wheat) and tomatoes for more Kapha balancing. Those with  Osteoartritis or Amlapitta should be sure to avoid the tomatoes and make this with zucchini–or a summer or winter squash.

Ingredients:

15 Collard leaves (or Kale  or broccoli greens or other green leafy vegetable)

1 / 4 teaspoon baking soda

1 / 8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 Tablespoons almond butter

2 Tablespoon sunflower oil (or other high heat vegetable oil)

2 Leeks

1 medium zucchini, sliced squash (or 2 medium tomatoes)

1 / 2 cup water

1 / 2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons basil

1 / 2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon herbs de provence

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

8 ounces fresh soft Chevre

8 ounces soft white goat cheese (of a softness like mozzarella) grated

8 ounces manchego (hard sheep cheese) grated

1 / 2 cup water or goat milk

one package lasagna noodles

Sprinkle of Hungarian paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350* F

2. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish

3. Remove collard stems/stalks, chop and place in half a cup of boiling water for 3-5 minutes until wilted

4. Puree greens in cuisinart or blender with baking soda, nutmeg and almond butter

5. Saute leeks in oil with spices until fragrant, add squash or tomato and water until soft

6. Beat egg, chevre and goat milk (or water )

7. Place a few spoonfuls of tomatoes sauce on bottom of baking dish, add 1 /4 cup water

8. Cover bottom of baking dish with uncooked lasagna noodles

9. Layer on 1 / 3 of the Chevre mixture

10. Add half the greens mixture

11. Cover with half the squash or tomato sauce

12. Repeat layers of lasagna noodles, chevre, and grated goat cheese

13. Cover the top layer of lasagna noodles with the last bit of sauce, semi-soft goat cheese and manchego

14. Garnish with Hungarian paprika if desired

15. Bake covered for one hour