Recipes for summer

How are you feeling the heat of summer in your body?  Are you feeling drained, irritable & inflamed? Or showing signs of hyper-acidity causing canker sores, acid reflux, or a burning sensation in the gut? These are signs of an accumulation of the fire element in the body known as the PITTA dosa. Clear your body of heat from the inside out with the cooling potency of aloe. Fresh aloe is an incredible agent for clearing the liver, systematically reducing heat & inflammation. One of the best herbs for treating the skin, it heals burns, wounds & skin rashes, externally and heals mucous membranes in the gut, internally. A wonderful tonic for the female reproductive system it alleviates menstrual difficulties. 

As aloe is an excellent vehicle for carrying medicines to all the bodies tissue layers, I have combined it with several pitta-balancing substances in this powerful shot that will clear you of toxins & will make you feel noticeably cooler. 

Heat-clearing tonic

1x2” piece fresh aloe gel, minced

1 T grated fresh ginger

1/2 T. fresh turmeric root or 1/2 t. powder

1 oz lime juice 

3 oz pomegranate juice

2 oz water

Fillet the aloe leaf and cut out the slimy translucent inner ‘meat’ of the plant. 

Combine all ingredients & blend on high for several minutes. 

Makes 2 servings. Take 1 serving in the morning & the other in the evening. 

*note, it’s important to use fresh aloe to harness its medicinal properties as the bottled juice is usually preserved in citric acid which kills its demulcent effect. 

Summer spice mix

• 2 T. whole cumin seeds (or 1 & 1/2 T. ground cumin)

• 2 T. whole coriander seeds (or 1 & 1/2 T. ground coriander)

• 1 T. whole fennel seeds (or 1 & 1/2 T. ground fennel)

• 1 T. turmeric powder

• ½ t. cardamom powder

Using a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron works best), dry roast the cumin, coriander & whole fennel seeds on a medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until they release their fragrance.  Immediately take off the pan & place on a plate to cool. Add all the spices to a spice grinder or mix with mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in turmeric and cardamom powders until well combined. Alternatively, buy all spices already ground. Store spice blend in an air-tight jar.

Light summer dal

~this deliciously simple recipe cooks quickly and is easy on the gut at a time of year when the central fire of the digestive system can become displaced by hot external temperatures.

1 c. split mung beans or red lentil (washed until water runs clear)

6 c. water

1 T. summer spice mix

2 small zucchini or summer vegetable of your choice

½ t. Himalayan rock salt

2 t. coconut oil

2 T. chopped cilantro for garnish & lime wedge

In a large saucepan, heat 4 cups of the water on high heat until it boils. Rinse the split mung beans or red lentil in cool water until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed beans and spice mix to the saucepan. Turn heat down to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chop the zucchini and add to the pot and bring the water to boil again. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and salt, partially cover again. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve in bowls alone or with rice. Top with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Serves 4-6

*tip: Rinse grains, beans or legumes well. These dry good accumulate dust through the storage, processing and transporting and if not washed off, will cause gas & bloating the digestive tract.

Rinsing is enough, but when possible, soak the grains/legumes before cooking them.

After washing, 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 international food stores or online. Soaked, they only take 15-20 minutes to cook, 20-30 if dry. Green mung beans are the same bean but are still whole and without being split in half, still contain their casing making them look green in color. Whole mung beans if soaked, will take 30-45 minutes to cook, 45-60 if dry.

Chicken Tandoori

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven, traditionally heated by wood fire or charcoal which exposes the food to live fire and convection cooking at the same time.

Using an outdoor grill simulates the same flavor as traditional tandoor cooking while a simple broiling method is an easy indoor alternative and just as tasty!

Grilling or broiling meats in summer is a good way to dry out and burn off some of the fat that can feel too heavy during this time of year.

This simple adaptation of tandoori recipes allows you to benefit from the delicious flavors and health benefits of the marinade whose enzymes in the yogurt, lemon and spice help to break down the heavy protein of meat which can be difficult for the body to digest. Due to the fact that the yogurt has been cooked and with spices, allows this to be safe to eat even for those with a sensitivity to dairy.

Try the same recipe with any meat, it is delicious used with lamb, beef or pork.

Marinade ingredients:

½ cup of plain yogurt

3 T fresh lemon juice

2 T fresh grated ginger root

2 tsp minced garlic

1 T cumin

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp pink salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

3 T freshly chopped cilantro

4 (4 ounce) chicken breast halves

Seasonal vegetables for stir-fry

1. In a medium bowl combine all the marinade ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spread marinade thickly over chicken breasts and cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

2. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 mins before cooking. Light fire in grill or preheat broiler. Grill the chicken on hot grill or under the broiler until opaque throughout, about 5 mins on each side.

3. Serve with steamed rice and stir-fry vegetables.

Makes 4 servings.