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Pumpkin Flax Muffins

Pumpkin Flax muffins to balance Vata in fall!

Fall is here and it’s time for pumpkin everything! The Banyan Ayurveda & Yoga Cancer Maintenance & Prevention Program participants were discussing the new season that’s upon us and the warmth of pumpkin bread. It inspired me to create a pumpkin and flax alternative. These are great for breakfast! It’s from a freshly cooked butternut squash pureed in the cuisinart. And you can use the leftover puree to make a pumpkin chai latte with rooibos tea. I like using a 6 cup muffin tin for double size muffins. These were moist and delicious! And don’t forget to vote!


Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk (cow, coconut, etc.)
1/3 cup coconut oil (or ghee or mix of both)
2 eggs; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole flour (gluten free mix or wheat)
1 teaspoon cinnamon, clove, ginger; 1/2 t nutmeg
1/3 cup ground flax
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/4 cup dry quick cooking oats

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325* F
  2. Grease muffin tin
  3. Mix DRY ingredients in a medium bowl
  4. Mix WET ingredients in a large bowl, then add dry ingredients
  5. Pour batter in muffin tray
  6. Garnish muffin tops with slices almonds and raw brown sugar
  7. Bake for 28 minutes

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Vata: Decreases
Pitta: Decreases
Kapha: Neutral
Season: All

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Increase nutmeg, clove and cinnamon
Pitta: Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes
Kapha: Use dry ginger

© 2020 by Ann Wagoner
www.lighthouseayurveda.com

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Bieler’s Broth

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Decreases

Season: Spring and Fall

Bieler’s Broth is an alkalizing soup for cleansing in Spring or Fall. Warming the belly on cool days, this soup is cleansing for the liver and kidneys. The zucchini reduce Pitta, the celery reduce Kapha and the pureed green beans balance Vata. It is often made with spinach which is a nightshade, so try it with kale. This recipe is adapted from Dr. Henry Bieler who wrote “Food is Your Best Medicine” in 1987.

Ingredients:

  •  2 medium zucchini
  • 1 cup trimmed and chopped green beans
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 1 small bunch parsley
  • 2 cups water
  • pink rock salt to taste (or veggie broth)

Optional: rosemary, basil, oregano

Directions:

1. Boil first three veggies until soft (10 minutes).

2. Pour over parsley and kale to sit for 3 minutes.

3. Puree in blender and enjoy!

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Add basil.

Pitta: Add dill.

Vata: Add oregano.

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Frittata

Vegetable Frittata
Protein and veggies for Vata

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Neutral

Kapha: Neutral

Season: Fall

This vegetable frittata is made with local Pacific Northwest vegetables from the Sauvie Island community supported agriculture.  I find this a great way to use up zucchini. I’ve served frittata for a brunch with zucchini carrot cake as a complement for a meal of “Zucchinis in Flight”. If you’re going all out, prepare a raw zucchini salad dressing from Gabriel Cousen’s raw food book. Zucchini blends with other foods so well, it’s hard to recognize.

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups onion
  • 4-5 slices old bread, cubed and dried 2-3 days (1 1/2 cup)
  • 1 bunch chard, with stems
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 diced red pepper
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil, tarragon, oregano, thyme, parsley, marjoram
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F
  2. Saute onion in olive oil with spices, add bread crumbs
  3. Add chopped veggies (except greens) and steam 10 minutes
  4. Allow the greens to wilt after being added
  5. Pour vegetables tossed with bread into a greased 7 X 9 baking dish
  6. Beat eggs and pour over the top
  7. Sprinkle with Hungarian paprika
  8. Bake 25 minutes or until firm

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Add 1/2 cup grated cheese

Pitta:  Top with cilantro

Kapha:  Add hot red pepper

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Brown Rice Pudding

Brown Rice Pudding
Enjoy Brown Rice Pudding in the Fall and Winter.

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Neutral

Season: Fall

This tasty holiday rice pudding includes healthy brown rice with fiber,  brown sugar (or jaggery) and warming spices for the fall and winter. The brown rice adds a nice nutty flavor and texture to the pudding. Stay nourished and warm with a grounding dessert. Save the recipe for summer, chill the pudding and serve on a hot summer day.  Turmeric is a carminative and an alterative and turns the pudding a lovely golden color like saffron. Saffron purifies the blood, cardamon improves digestion, nutmeg restores the nervous system, cinnamon reduces cholesterol and milk strengthens the bones. As you bring more spices into your foods, you’ll be more healthy and relaxed. In countries where turmeric is used daily, the incidence of cancer is greatly reduced. Get rid of your medicine cabinet when you update your spice rack. And let’s see which one is cheaper in the long run. (The pudding in the photo was made with half cow and half coconut milk.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup short grain brown rice
  • 4 cups milk (cow, goat, coconut, almond, hemp or combo)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, sucanat or jaggery

 

Optional:

  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4-6 threads saffron
  • Sliced almonds or pistachios
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 2-4 bananas

 

Directions:

  1. Soak rice  in water for 30 minutes, rinse and drain
  2. Add milk and rice to heavy bottom pan, simmer 1 hour
  3. Sweeten to taste, add optional spices and toppings
  4. Serve warm or chilled

 

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes (after sprouting)

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Add mashed bananas to pudding. Top with sliced bananas and cinnamon.

Pitta:  Chill and top with nutmeg and pistachios.

Kapha:  Substitute rice, hemp or almond milk for the cow milk.

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Mung Bean Soup (Sprouted)

Sprouted Mung Bean Soup
Sprouted Mung Bean Soup is a warming fall soup.

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Neutral

Season: Fall, Spring

This mung bean soup is made with sprouted mung beans which increases their digestibility.  Soak a cup of whole mung beans overnight, and then drain in the morning. Continue rinsing twice a day until the beans sprout — 2 to 3 days. This will decrease their cooking time by half and be easier for Vata to digest. This soup is full of protein, and vitamin C and B. Add seasonal, local fall vegetables for a delightful and warming dish. Enjoy with fresh hot bread. Yum!

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 cups sprouted mung (1 cup unsprouted)
  • 4 cups water
  • pinch of hing
  • 1 onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 diced green pepper
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 4 T olive oil

Directions:

  1. Rinse beans, add water and cook with hing and ginger for 10 minutes
  2. Blend half, add vegetables and cook for 5-10 more minutes
  3. Add the rest of ingredients and serve!

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes (after sprouting)

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Top with roasted garlic in olive oil

Pitta:  Add fresh cilantro

Kapha:  Top with black pepper

Learn more with the Institute of Ayurvedic Yoga Therpay. Classes start in September 2015.

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Zucchini Twirls

Appetizer with zucchini
Gluten free appetizer

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Decreases

Kapha: Neutral

Season: Early Fall

These zucchini roll-ups are a wonderful gluten-free appetizer for fall. Roasted zucchini and goat cheese makes a tasty combination. Tofutti or other tofu-alternative cheese can also be used. The goat cheese is nourishing for the cooler weather and the roasted zucchini helps to reduce the last of Pitta left from summer.  It’s an easy and fast dish, that can also be prepared ahead of time. Vatas often have an easier time with goat than cow milk (and cheese.) Celebrate your fall harvest in style!

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchini sliced lengthwise
  • 1 t basil
  • 1 T oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz chevre, or other goat or soft cheese

Directions:

  1. Slice zucchini lengthwise
  2. Roast on an oiled pan at 350*F for 10-20 minutes or sautee over medium heat
  3. Turn the zucchini slices over and roast on the other side until soft
  4. Add salt, basil and pepper to taste
  5. Cool and add 1 t cheve to each slice and roll up
  6. Arrange on a serving dish

Serves: 6 (as an appetizer)

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Add half an olive inside each roll (or a piece of sun dried tomato)

Pitta:  Try a soft cow cheese

Kapha:  Add a dash of cayenne

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Apple Chutney Charoset

An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor Away
An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Neutral

Kapha: Decreases

Season: Spring

This apple chutney can be served for Passover or with any meal. Substitute other fruit for apples to make other fresh fruit chutneys. If you add cinnamon, substitute walnuts for coconut and Manischewitz (sweet red wine) for spicy oil, you’ll have a traditional Charoset for Passover. For a Sephardic Charoset add raisins, dates, figs and sesame seeds. Many cultures have spring rituals, like Lent, where fasting and cleansing allow the body to purge winter toxins in readiness for Spring and new healthy growth. In the Pacific Northwest, our spring comes early and Ayurvedic Apple Chutney variations can be enjoyed on warm, wet days (after some cold ones). For someone with high Vata and constipation, a raw apple is cleansing. If you have the opposite issue (diarrhea), then by all means cook your apples and enjoy fresh applesauce. Make the choices that are best for you. An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cored, finely chopped raw apples (peeled if not organic)
  • 1/4 t salt (omit for Charoset)
  • 1 t honey or other sweetener (more for Charoset)
  • 1 cup coconut flakes (or toasted chopped walnuts)
  • 3 T spicy oil (OR Manishewitz and cinnamon)

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients of choice.

2. Adjust salt/honey to taste.

3. To make Spicy Oil, heat 3 T vegetable (canola) oil in a pan with 1 t mustard seeds. When seeds pop,  add 1/2 t cumin seeds, 1/2 t  turmeric and a pinch of hing. Remove from heat. DO NOT COMBINE SPICY OIL AND MANISHEWITZ.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Sprinkle with sesame or chia seeds.

Pitta: Replace mustard seeds with coriander seeds.

Kapha:  Add a dash of cayenne.

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UnChicken Tikka Masala

Tikki UnChicken Masala
Enjoy UnChicken Tikki Masala

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Neutral

Kapha: Neutral

Season: Winter

This vegetarian unChicken Tikka Masala is a healthy choice for late winter. Warming the belly on cold winter days, this meal is filled with healing spices for nourishment and warming. Protein is grounding for Vata, and Chicken can be substituted for unChicken in this recipe. Lowfat milk, almond milk, goat milk, hemp milk or coconut milk can be substituted for cream. As we approach the Spring equinox, be sure to start introducing Kapha balancing spices and veggies, which includes stalks and bitters. This dish is can be served over a bed of rice. For more Kapha balancing, reduce the sauce and serve the unChicken over a salad or steamed greens. You can get Tikka Masala powder from a local Indian grocer or online.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz unChicken or chopped Quorn roast (about 2 cups) cut in cubes
  • 4 T Tikka powder
  • 4 T plain, organic yogurt
  • 2 T vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 inch fresh grated ginger
  • 1 T tomato paste
  • 1 T ground, toasted almonds
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 T ghee or butter, melted; or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup cream (or nut milk)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • Fresh cilantro or cumin seeds to garnish
  • Salt, Pepper, Cayenne (fresh chili peppers) to taste

Directions:

1. MIx unChicken, 2 T tikka powder and yogurt in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat oil, fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 5 min. Add tomato paste, almonds, water and 2 T tikki powder and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Skewer unChicken with kebab  sticks, baste with butter and broil for 10 minutes under a medium broiler.

4. Puree the Tikka sauce in a food processor, add cream and lemon juice.

5. Removed broiled unChicken from oven, remove from skewers, toss with Tikka sauce and serve!

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 25 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Garnish with toasted Cumin seeds. Serve with rice.

Pitta: Garnish with fresh yogurt. Serve with naan.

Kapha:  Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with a salad.

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Split Pea Soup

Bowl of Split Pea Soup
Enjoy a warming bowl of spit pea soup.

Vata: Decreases

Pitta: Neutral

Kapha: Decreases

Season: Winter

This vegetarian split pea soup is a healthy choice for late winter. Warming the belly on cold winter days, this soup is filled with healing spices for flu prevention, respiratory health and cleansing. This soup has tridoshic qualities (benefitting all doshas in winter), but if you had it on a hot summer day, it would be overheating for Pitta. The green peas are an easily digestible legume for Vatas (the smaller the bean, the easier to digest), and the protein and the root vegetables are grounding for Vatas. But as we approach the Spring equinox, be sure to start introducing Kapha balancing spices and veggies, which includes stalks and bitters.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry split green peas washed twice
  • 5 cups water or stock
  • 2 T vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 onion
  • 3-5 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 root vegetables cubed (turnip, celeriac, etc.)
  • 1 small cabbage grated (optional)
  • 2 t mustard seeds
  • 2 t cumin seeds
  • 1 t coriander seeds
  • 1 t fennel seeds
  • 1 1/2 t turmeric
  • 2 t fresh ginger
  • 1 t Hing
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt, Petter, Cayenne (fresh chili peppers) to taste

Optional: dried parsley, thyme

Optional: Top with Avocado and fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Saute spice seeds in oil until mustard seeds pop, add turmeric, hing, ginger and bay leaf

2. Cook in the onion until translucent, then mix in the garlic

3. Add split green peas and water and simmer until soft (30 minutes)

4. Prepare the vegetables, add to the soup and cover until soft, adding water as needed

5. Top with avocado, and fresh lemon juice

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 45 minutes

For Individual Doshas:

Vata: Add more hing for gas prevention

Pitta: Omit chili/cayenne, reduce garlic and top with sour cream or yogurt

Kapha: Add 1 cup tomatoes


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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.