Recipes for spring

AYURVEDIC SPRING BALANCING RECIPES:

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Adjusting your food to the season is all about countering what you are experiencing in the current environment. Spring is defined by the cold temperatures, the wet or damp nature of snow melt and rain. Therefore we need to eat foods that are warming and slightly drying in nature. Additionally, the body must shed additional levels of protective moisture and fat than line our mucous tracts and keep us nourished in the dry winter. To burn of the excess, spicy, pungent and bitter tastes break up congestion and keep our channels clear. To prevent seasonal flus, colds or even seasonal allergies adjust your diet to the following guidelines and enjoy a whole body spring cleaning!

-eat more foods that are pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent 

-favor the qualities of light, dry & warm: flavorful steamed veggies, brothy soups, brown rice

-eat less foods that are sweet, sour, salty

-avoid heavy, wet, oily foods: fried foods, ice cream, heavy dairy

-eat a lower fat diet with an emphasis on vegetables

-questioning whether a food is appropriate? Taste it.  If it has 2 of the 3 spring tastes, (pungent, bitter, astringent), it is balancing.  Prepare it in a way that is light, dry and/or warm.

cherry millet cakes

Millet is a dry, chewy grain, a good choice for damp weather.  These cakes call on the astringency of cherries & prunes and the warmth of ginger to support the body in getting rid of excess damp and cool qualities.  A cherry millet cake is a good replacement for the white flour and white sugar based pastries, which can really gum up the works as the body clears out winter congestion.  

⅓ cup prunes

1 cup cooked millet

1 T. ground flaxseed

½ tsp ginger powder or preferably, grate a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger root

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ cup dried cherries

1 T. uncooked millet grains

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with 6 baking cup.  In a medium bowl, soak prunes in a ⅓ warm water for 15 minutes.  Using a hand blender puree the prunes and their soaking liquid with ¼ cup of the cooked millet.  If you don’t have a hand blender, simply mash with a fork until the puree mix is smooth.  Stir together the prune and millet puree, ground flaxseeds, ginger powder and lemon juice.  Add the remaining ¾ cup of cooked millet and the cherries and stir to combine.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Evenly divide the mixture among the muffin cups, sprinkle with uncooked millet, and gently press each millet cup with the back of a spoon to smooth the top.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until firm and browned on top.

trikatu

Translated as "three pungents," Trikatu contains the herbs pippali, ginger, and black pepper.  ***An excellent way to ward off seasonal allergies or boost the immune system to prevent cold & flu and it tastes delicious!

Mix all three ingredients in equal parts and if possible, use fresh cracked ground pepper instead of powdered.  Mix with raw local honey to make a paste and eat a tablespoon daily through the spring season.

spring digestive tea

Excellent for warming up the belly and helping kick slower winter digestion into a higher gear.  The cinnamon is a helpful sweet addition for a season when the sweet taste is not indicated.  Cinnamon curbs a sugar craving and balances the blood sugar.

2 cups water

1-inch piece of fresh ginger root

1 star anise

3-5 cloves

3-5 peppercorns

1 t. cinnamon powder

In small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Coarsely chop the ginger root, including the skin.  Put ginger, star anise, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon into the water.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Strain into 2 mugs for a strong cup or divide into 4 for a weaker brew.

Drink 6 ounces with or after meals.

*tip: if you experience acid indigestion, omit the black pepper.  If you have a head or chest cold, add ½ t. of cumin seed to the recipe

spring spice mix

This mix contains all the tastes of spring: pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent necessary for balancing the heavy, wet, cool qualities of spring.  Using energizing herbs and spices that will support your liver in lightening it’s load for the coming warm weather.  Use this mix to add flavor and a peppery kick to your steamed veggies, brothy soups or whole grains. For spring, avoid heavy, wet, oily foods and the too much of sweet, sour and salty tastes.

2 T. cumin seeds

2 T. coriander seeds 3 whole cloves 

3 whole long peppers (pippali) ground 

2 T. ground turmeric

2 T. ground ginger 

Grind the pippali peppers in a coffee grinder until they become a powder.  Using a frying pan (cast iron works best), dry roast the cumin, coriander & whole cloves on a medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until they release their fragrance.  Immediately place on a plate to cool. Add all the spices to a spice grinder or mix with mortar and pestle. Store spice blend in an air-tight jar.

*if you are using already ground spices, adjust the measurements: 1 tsp of whole=3/4 tsp ground

spicy spring dal

1 c. whole green mung beans+

3 T. ghee or oil

1 big or 3 small dried red chilies

2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled & grated

2 t. cumin seed

2 t. mustard seed

4 cups of water

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

½ t. salt

1 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

Rinse mung beans in cold water until drain water runs clear.  Heat ghee or oil over medium heat.  Add chilies, ginger, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.  Stir until mustard seeds begin to pop. Add spring spice mix and stir until coated with oil.  Add mung beans and stir until covered in oil and spices.  Add water and bring to boil, then turn to simmer, uncovered for 1-1.5 hours or until the mung beans split apart, adding more water as necessary. When beans are completely soft, remove from heat and mix in cilantro or parsley, salt and lemon or lime juice.  Eat by itself as a meal or served over basmati rice.

*tip:  I highly recommend soaking all grains and legumes overnight (or for as little as 1-hour for grains and small beans) in preparation for cooking.  It will cut down your cook time by more than half and will make them easier to digest.

How: Rinse grains or beans well, put in a bowl and cover with twice the amount of water. The longer it soaks, the faster it will cook. Reduce the amount of cooking water in the recipe if you soaked first.  Any soak water that remains can be used for cooking.

+Look for split yellow mung beans in your health food store or when buying online.  Soaked, they only take 15-20 minutes to cook, 20-30 if dry. Whole green mung beans are more commonly found and if soaked, will take 30-45 minutes to cook, 45-60 if dry.

deliciously easy cream of veggie soup

4 cups of water or broth

4 cups of chopped asparagus or other veg good for spring (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli work well)

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup nut, oat or hemp milk

1 T. olive oil

½ t. pink salt

2 t. spring spice mix 

2 T. fresh basil (or ½ T. dried basil) parsley or cilantro

1 t. nutritional yeast

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. lemon juice

1.  In a medium saucepan over med-high heat, saute garlic until edges are brown. Add the veggies, and sauce for a few minutes before adding powdered spices and salt. Stir frequently to keep spices from burning. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. If using a harder vegetable like broccoli, add an extra 5-10 minutes of cook time. If using basil or other leafy herb, add to the final 2 minutes of cook time.

2. Add the nut-milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Transfer veggies and their cooking liquid to a blender or blend in the pot with an emersion blender and other ingredients. Blend until smooth.