 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Spaghetti
Indiano
Stuffed
Zucchini
Basil
Pesto
Summer Beverages
Daikon
Sabji
Spiced
Stewed Apples
Cleansing Kitcheri
Alakananda’s Basque
Pie
Squash Yam Sabji
Alakananda’s
“Cool as a Cucumber” Soup
Rice
with Garden Herbs
White
Eggplant
After Sadananda had completed his Indian pilgrimage, he returned to his starting point in Italy, where he stayed with a group of vegetarian Italian bachelors. After observing their cooking techniques, Sadananda improved upon them with some of the cooking methods he had learnt in India. The result was Spaghetti Indiano, an Alandi Ashram favourite.
4 medium
carrots
1 rutabaga
1 parsnip
1 cauliflower
1 summer squash
1 zucchini
2 portabella mushrooms
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp anise seeds
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
3 roma tomatoes
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh or dried oregano
1 tsp fresh basil
1/4 tsp fresh or dried thyme
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
to taste
Slice the carrots, rutabaga and parsnip. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan.When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the sliced vegetables. Lightly stir fry them, then add a little boiling water, put on a lid and let them sauté.
Meanwhile cut the other vegetables. After the root veggies have sautéed for about 10 minutes, add the cauliflower florets and seven minutes later the sliced squash and zucchini. While the vegetable become tender, cut the mushrooms and tomatoes.
Heat some more olive oil in a smaller pan and toss in the spices, turning the heat to very low so as not to burn the spices. If desired, add chopped garlic at this point.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and turn the heat back up to fry them. When they are nearly cooked, add the fresh and dried herbs.
Toss the mushroom-tomato mix into the sautéed veggies and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over spaghetti with some freshly grated rennetless parmesan.
Stuffed Zucchini
Here is a great way to use some of the bounty of your garden zucchinis (courgettes). This recipe uses the larger zucchinis that got away and are not tender enough for steaming or sautéing. The recipe soothes vata and pitta, but kapha will need to add extra black pepper or some cayenne.
1
cup basmati rice
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Portobello mushroom (optional)
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Rennetless parmesan (e.g. Horizon Organic)
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary
Wash the rice; add the water or vegetable stock and the salt. Bring to the boil, cover with a well- fitting lid and simmer for about 25 minutes until the rice is cooked. Pre heat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and scoop out the inner flesh, leaving a boat about half an inch thick. Coarsely chop the zucchini flesh and the mushroom. In a wok or sauté pan, heat the olive oil; add the chopped ingredients and sauté until tender. Chop the fresh herbs. Mix together the sautéed veggies, rice, chopped herbs and fresh ground pepper. Stuff the zucchini boats with this mixture. Grate parmesan on the top. Place the stuffed zucchinis on trays and add a quarter inch of water in the bottom of the tray. Place in a preheated oven and bake for45 min to an hour until the zucchini boats are tender. Serve with home-made basil pesto.
Basil
Pesto
Here is a sattvic pesto recipe for those who don’t eat garlic.
In addition to basil, mint and lemon balm, you can add other edible
weeds from your garden, such as mallow or amaranth. This recipe is modified
from Italian Vegetarian Cooking by Emanuela Stucchi, Pavilion Books.
2 oz
fresh basil
1 oz fresh mint
1 oz lemon balm (optional)
2 oz pine nuts
6 tbsp organic rennetless parmesan (e.g. Horizon)
Half cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper
Water
as needed to blend.
Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth paste. To prevent discolouration due to oxidation, cover surface with olive oil. Serve over your stuffed zucchinis.
Summer bed-time tea
1 tsp
peppermint or spearmint
1 tsp Lemon balm
1 tsp catnip
One cup water
Steep for 10 minutes in boiling water or brew as sun tea for 12 hours.
This soothing, refreshing tea can be made with fresh herbs from your
garden, in which case increase the quantity of each herb to a tablespoon
per cup.
Rehydration tea
1 quart
of filtered or spring water,
1/4 cup Mint,
1/6 cup Gotu Kola/ Brahmi,
1/4 tsp salt,
1 small squeeze lime
Summer Cooler
1
quart spring water
One quarter cup hibiscus
One eighth cup organic rose petals
Brew as a sun tea, add one tablespoon of Aloe Vera
juice to each cup.
Gypsy Tea
1
quart spring water
One quarter cup hibiscus
One quarter cup chamomile
Steep for 10 minutes in boiling water or brew as sun tea for 12 hours.
Ultimate Pitta Soothing Milk
1
cup milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp Rose petal jam.
Simmer the cardamom powder in the milk for 5 minutes. Pout into a cup,
(preferably a white cup or a silver one), add the rose petal jam and
stir. Drink and relax!
Cooling Juice
One
half cup concord grape juice
One half cup water
Two tablespoons Aloe Vera juice
A few drops rose water.
This
is a great recipe for early Spring. If you can get the daikons with
their greens, this is ideal. If not use Osaka purple mustard greens
or the regular mustard greens as a substitute. This recipe cleanses
the liver and palate. Pitta should use extra cilantro.
Serves
four
4 medium
daikons or one bunch of bunched daikons
Greens from the daikons or one bunch mustard
greens (preferably Osaka purple)
1tbsp ghee or mustard oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown or black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp mild chili powder
1” piece of ginger root, scraped and finely chopped
1 jalopeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (omit
for pitta)
1 tsp organic turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (double for pitta)
Slice the daikons and steam until fork tender. Wash and chop the greens. Heat the oil or ghee in a wokon medium high. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and pop. Turn the heat to warm and add the cumin seeds, then the fenugreek seeds. Turn the heat off as son as the seeds are browned and then add the powdered spices. Let them cook for a few minutes in the hot oil, the add the ginger and jalopeno and turn the heat to medium. The moisture from the ginger will stop the spices burning. As soon as the ginger is lightly browned, sprinkle the greens with water and toss into the spices. Cover and let cook for five minutes or so, until the greens are tender. Now stir in the cooked daikons, salt and cilantro. Cook together for a few minutes, being careful not to overcook the greens.
Serve with Cleansing Kitcheri and Rhubarb Chutney.
Fall is apple season, it is also vata season. Apples are cold, dry and windy, far from ideal for vata. Yet apples provide an excellent source of soluble fiber, perfect for vata constipation. Try this recipe to enjoy vata season without provoking vata. It is excellent as either a breakfast or a light dinner.
1lb
apples
2 tsp jaggery or raw sugar
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
5 cloves
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch mace
1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom
1⁄4 tsp ginger powder
Water
Optional: 2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes
2 tbsp raisins or currants
Wash and chop the apples. Add water barely enough to cover. Add the
other ingredients and simmer until the apples are soft and the water
is absorbed. (About twenty minutes). Pitta will enjoy toasted coconut
flakes in this dish and might prefer to leave out the ginger powder
or substitute with fresh ginger. Adding raisins enhances the recipe’s
benefit for the heart and lungs.
Cleansing
Kitcheri
1/2 cup split mung beans
1 cup basmati rice
Wash them both thoroughly, melt ghee and add spices:
fresh ginger, tumeric (fresh or
powdered), powdered fennel, cumin
and coriander. Add rice, beans and 6 cups water,
then bring to boil. Turn down to simmer for 45 minutes or until mung
beans are very soft in pot on stove (or make in crock pot cooking
overnight—be sure there’s plenty of water or you’re
making a much larger batch to activate the heating elements in the
crock pot).
After cooking, add salt to taste. If you live at altitude, cook the mung beans for 45 minutes while soaking the rice, then add the rice and cook for 45 minutes more.
Alakananda’s
Basque Pie
This is a great vegetarian centerpiece for a Christmas or New Year’s
dinner as well as a fine winter meal.
Serves 6-8
3 carrots
3 turnips,
2 rutabegas
2 Parsnips,
3 medium zucchini
3 golden beets,
3 celery stalks
2 heads of brocolli,
2 large portabello mushrooms
2 cloves garlic,
3 medium tomatoes
1 bunch Italian parsley,
1 handful rosemary
1 handful sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon thyme fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 lbs potatoes organic, Yukon gold are best
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup whey
Vegetarian rennetless parmesan
Slice the root vegetables and the zucchini, cut the celery in 1/2” thick pieces and the broccoli in florets. Lightly saute the veggies and arrange in bottom of a large baking dish. Add olive oil, chopped herbs, sliced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic cloves.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes. Mash the cooked potatoes with salt, pepper, butter, and whey. Spread on top of the veggies. Grate parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for at least 50 minutes or an hour.
At the end, take off the foil to brown the top for about ten minutes. Vegans can substitute sunflower oil for butter and rice milk for whey and use a vegan chese substitute.
Yum!
Serve with Alakananda’s Famous Apple Chutney.
Squash
Yam Sabji
Good for vata and pitta; kapha can have occasionally with extra Jalopeno.
A delicious dish for Harvest time, holiday dinners and special occasions.
Ingredients
1 jewel yam
1 garnet yam
1 1/2 lb of pumpkin, Hubbard, hijiki, butternut or banana squash, peeled
and cut into 1 1/2” pieces. (Not spagghetti squash)
1 bunch chard, washed and chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut powder, roasted
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fenel seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 cinnomon stick
5 green cardomom pods
8 cloves
1 tbsp jaggery or sucanat
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch mace
1 pinch hing
1-2 Jalopeno peppers, chopped and seeded
1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 ttbsp ghee or sunflower oil
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
Serves 4-6
Boil the yams until just fork tender (don’t discard the water from boiling them). Meanwhile, stir-fry the squash or pumpkin in 2 tbsp of the ghee or oil until just tender. For a lowfat alternative, you can steam the squash until fork tender – however, the stir-fried pieces are less likely to fall apart in the final dish and are more tasty.
Cube the cooked yams and combine the yams, squash, chard, coconut powder and coconut milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. Use some or all of the water from boiling the yams to provide enough liquid for the mixture to be saucey but not soupy. Let this mixture simmer together for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the rest of the ghee or oil and add the whole spices and the jaggery. Cook until the seeds brown, then add the ginger and jalopenos.
Continue cooking until the ginger just begins to brown, then add the powdered spices and immediately turn off the flame.
Add the cooked spices and the cilantro and salt to the vegetables and simmer together for a few more minutes. It is important to see that you don’t overcook the dish until the vegetables fall apart. The beauty of this recipe lies in savouring the different tastes of the vegetables in the coconut sauce.
Serve with Alakananda’s Famous Apple Chutney, rice and dal.
Alakananda’s
“Cool as a Cucumber” Soup
This is a wonderful Pitta-soothing soup to make with seasonal produce.
You can use either cucumber or zucchini (courgettes) or a combination.
Zucchini is pitta soothing, but not so strongly as cucumber, which
has an abundance of the astringent taste. Serve this soup warm or
at room temperature. Serving it chilled violates a basic principle
of Ayurveda: “all food room temperature or above."
Serves
6-8
3 cucumbers
2-3 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1-2 tbsp grated orange peel
8 oz vegetable stock
1 qt plain rice milk
(optional) 2 tsp non-alcoholic white wine
salt and pepper to taste
Slice the cucumber or zucchini (courgettes) and steam them in a steamer basket. When they are tender, blend them with the water from the steamer and the other ingredients. Bring back almost to a boil and allow the ingredients to steep and combine flavors (10 – 30 min) Boiling is okay, but it changes the flavor and value of the mint and affects the vitamins in the orange peel. Serve with a sprig of fresh mint in each bowl. For non-vegans, you could add a blob of sour cream in the center of the bowl. Enjoy!
1
cup rice
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb lemon juice
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Tb butter
Bunch
fresh garden herbs, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and mint.
Wash the rice; add the water or stock, olive oil, lemon juice, salt,
pepper, butter (vegans can omit). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer
for 20 minutes. Meantime, pick the herbs. When the rice is almost
cooked, add the herbs and let them steam on top of the rice. Remove
from the heat and let sit for five minutes, then gently stir in the
herbs with a fork. Serve
with garden vegetables e.g. steamed green beans or stir-fried zucchinis.
Eggplants are valuable in reducing cholesterol. White eggplant is said in Ayurveda to be very beneficial in diabetes. Here is a recipe combining two vegetables revered in Ayurveda for their antidiabetic properties. White eggplant is seasonally available at Boulder Coop Market and bitter gourds are available at India's Grocery.
1
lb white eggplants
1 lb bitter gourds
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1Tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
Cube the eggplants and marinade for at least an hour in the tumeric. Meanwhile, slice the bitter gourds and remove the seeds. In a wok, heat the oil or ghee and then fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek until the mustard seeds turn grey and pop. Add the ginger. As soon as the ginger begins to pop, add the tomato. Cook for a few minutes, then add the bitter gourds. Stir-fry the bitter gourds for about 20 minutes, than add the eggplants and garam masala. Continue cooking until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the flame and add the salt and cilantro. Enjoy! And thank Produce at the Coop for bringing us such a special vegetable!