RECIPE ~ Decadent Frittata

For Mother's Day I hosted a family brunch and made a big ol' frittata which everyone enjoyed with fresh fruit, a slice of buttered cornbread, and delicious hot coffee.

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
8 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
8 eggs, beaten
sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
4 marinated portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

In an oven-proof frying pan (or cast iron pan), heat some butter and olive oil. Fry the onion and peppers until translucent. Add the fresh tomato and sundried tomato and cook a few minutes, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, beat all the eggs together with some salt and pepper (I also added a splash of milk). Mix in the grated cheese. Pour over vegetables in the frying pan and cook a few minutes without stirring. Meanwhile, distribute mushrooms and goat cheese over the top. When the edges of the eggs are able to pull away from the pan (about 5 minutes over medium-low heat), place the pan in the oven on the center rack and broil for 5 minutes.


For lunch, eat a slice stuffed into a pita with greens, or enjoy with a salad. To turn this into a dinner, serve with steamed veggies or sauteed rapini and boiled or roasted baby potatoes.

Serves 8.

NOTE
If you don't have marinated portobello mushrooms, use marinated button mushrooms (maybe 20 or so). But if all you have is regular mushrooms, saute in butter in a separate pan, then add to the frittata along with the goat cheese before broiling.

VARIATIONS
I think this would also work great with any of: 
spinach, arugula, feta, dill, shallots, leftover steamed potato

RECIPE ~ Spelt Banana Pancakes

Sometimes, Sunday mornings just need a pancake breakfast! This one whips up quickly and is dairy-free, egg-free and wheat-free with the benefits of coconut oil. Oh, and they're fluffy and delicious!

1 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 mashed banana

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mash the banana and blend in the milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir really well. If you have the time, let rest a few hours.

Heat a pan til hot, then reduce heat to medium and grease with a bit of oil. Fry a 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Flip when little bubbles appear on the surface. The pancakes should be golden on each side. Serve with maple syrup and fruit, or whatever you desire.

Makes around 6 pancakes.

RECIPE ~ Morning Muesli

I love granola, oatmeal and oats in the morning, especially in cool weather or rainy weather or, like now, in the middle of winter! But when it starts to warm up outside, it's time for a cool, light variation of the warm and heavy oats -- muesli! I especially love it stirred into yoghurt with some a few berries or banana slices on top and a good drizzle of maple syrup.

5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup currants or raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months.

Serve mixed into hot milk or hot water for a warm meal, or cold with milk or yoghurt. This is an unsweetened mix which is great for Kaphas but Vatas would benefit from a drizzle of honey added while Pittas would do well with a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!

VARIATIONS
Add any combination, keeping the total in recipe to 1 1/2 cups:
chopped prunes * dried cranberries * slivered almonds * hazelnuts * hemp seeds * pumpkin seeds * chopped apricots * chopped dates

RECIPE ~ Granola!

I will never again buy store-bought granola! I finally made my own after procrastinating for years, and am so happy that I got around to it at last. This granola is soft, tasty, fresh, healthy, and has only the ingredients I choose!

3 cups large flake organic oatmeal
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flax, coconut, almonds and cinnamon. In a measuring cup, stir together the oil, maple syrup, and salt. Blend this mixture into the oatmeal mixture and combine really well using two spoons.

Spread mixture out on a large baking sheet and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir it up, incorporating the prunes and raisins or cranberries. Place back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes longer. Remove and let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Yum!

* FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
Granola is drying for VATAS so consume soaked in hot milk. Because maple syrup is cooling, this granola is great for PITTAS. For KAPHAS, replace almonds with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and reduce oil to 2 Tbsp or omit altogether, and as with Vatas consume with warm/spiced milk or as a dry snack.

RECIPE ~ Peach & Poppyseed Pancakes

I don't remember where I found this recipe so long ago (I'm thinking my mother sent it to me...), but it is a treat on a lazy weekend morning! Pictured here using barley flour and goat yogurt, with some extra peaches, blueberries and bananas on top.

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sucanat or unrefined sugar
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 Tbsp non-alum baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

WET INGREDIENTS
1 egg
1 Tbsp sunflower oil or melted ghee
3/4 cup milk (try plain almond, soy or rice milk)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (try goat's, sheep or soy)
1 tsp vanilla

2 peaches, sliced

In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, lightly beat the egg, then mix in remaining wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid mixture and stir well to mix. The batter will be somewhat thick.

Heat a large frying pan and add a bit of oil. When hot (on medium to medium-high heat), measure 1/4 cup portions of batter on the pan (I could fit 3 at a time). Place peach slices on the batter, cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Make as many as needed, storing unused batter refrigerated in a sealed container.

Serve hot with butter or ghee, maple syrup or honey, and if you like, an extra dollop of yogurt, some more fruit, and a sprig of mint if you'd like to get really fancy. Makes around 8 or 9 pancakes (enough for 2-3 people).

VEGAN OPTIONS
Use soy, rice or almond milk and soy yogurt. Omit egg altogether or replace with a flax mixture (1 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup warm water) or half a banana, mashed.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS use wheat, rice or oat flour; top with raw honey
PITTAS opt for apricots instead of peaches; use wheat, rice, oat or barley flour; top with maple syrup
KAPHAS use barley, quinoa or rice flour; do not add sugar to the dry mix; top with unsweetened fruit preserves or raw honey, and very little ghee; choose soy or goat's milk dairy

RECIPE ~ Granola Muffins

I had a real craving for muffins this morning and was happy to see I had all the ingredients to make these perfect little breakfast muffins! Shown here fresh out of the oven (one torn in half and lightly buttered).

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour (spelt, kamut, etc)
1 cup granola of your choice
1/4 cup sugar (brown, demerrara, or sucanat, but not white)
3 tsp non-alum baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup prunes
1/4 cup ground flax
1/2 cup warm water
3 Tbsp each molasses and honey
1/4 cup oil (olive, sunflower...)
1 cup milk (almond, rice or soy)
1 tsp vanilla

Begin by chopping the prunes into raisin-sized bits, then soak in a bowl with boiling water just to cover. Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, granola, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. In a small bowl whisk together the flax and warm water, letting it get gloopy for a minute. Then add the molasses, honey, oil, milk and vanilla.

Strain the prunes (drink the juice if you're so inclined) and stir into the flour mixture. Pour in the liquid mixture and stir until just moistened. Spoon into a lightly oiled muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, then lower heat to 350F and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer (test with a knife inserted, if it comes out clean they are ready). Makes 1 dozen muffins.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS choose wheat, oat, rice and/or quinoa flours; use any sweeteners
PITTAS choose wheat, spelt, barley and/or oat flours; use sucanat, replace honey and molasses with maple or brown rice syrup; use olive oil
KAPHAS choose oat, barley, rye, and/or quinoa flour; choose low-fat granola; use prune puree or fruit concentrate instead of molasses, and stevia instead of sugar; use sunflower oil, reduced to 2 Tbsp

RECIPE ~ Goody Breakfast Muffins

This recipe comes from an ayurvedic source I forget now, but you must try these hearty, chunky, yummy muffins fresh from the oven with a smearing of almond or walnut butter, raw honey or homemade sugarless fruit jam for a healthful breakfast or tasty treat with tea. See suggestions for specific doshas below.

1 3/4 cups mixed flour*
1/4 cup each of bran flakes, oat bran and wheat germ**
1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds or walnuts
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs or 1/2 cup mashed banana
1 cup plain yogurt or 1/2 cup milk substitute (soy, rice, almond...)
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, maple or brown rice syrup
1 cup chopped dried fruits of your choice***

* Try any combination of whole wheat, brown rice, kamut, tapioca, rye, chickpea or barley flours
** Can substitute 3/4 cup ground flax seed
*** Vatas should soak dried fruit in hot water for 10 minutes, then strain to use in recipe

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (from flours to salt). In a separate bowl, blend together all the wet ingredients (from eggs/banana to sweetener). Fold in dried (or soaked and drained) fruits.

Spoon batter into lightly oiled muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle tops with coconut, walnuts, or sunflower seeds (I did 4 muffins each). Bake for 15 minutes (or up to 20 if knife inserted comes out sticky). Makes 1 dozen.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS choose wheat, oat, rice and/or quinoa flours plus ground flax; sweeten with sugar or brown rice syrup; use soaked prunes, soaked raisins and/or soaked apricots, with or without coconut; throw in 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger for extra digestive spice
PITTAS choose wheat, spelt, barley and/or oat flours; sweeten with sugar or maple syrup; choose any dried fruits with or without coconut
KAPHAS choose oat, barley, rye, and/or quinoa flour; sweeten with prune puree or fruit concentrate; choose any dried fruit except coconut; throw in 2 tsp dried ginger for extra digestive spice

RECIPE ~ Rosemary Biscuits with Olives & Sundried Tomatoes

The title really says it all, doesn't it? I'm a huge fan of foccacia bread but can't eat it due to the yeast and wheat flour, so I decided to try to make some soft biscuits with all the right ingredients. I love to make these for a leisurely breakfast, warm and sliced open to have with avocado, fresh tomatoes, or just some butter.

2 Tbsp ground flax seed
5-6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp sliced kalamata olives
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup milk (soy, rice, dairy) or 1/3 cup yogurt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder

In a medium bowl, place the ground flax, sundried tomatoes, olives, rosemary and salt. Stir in hot water and let stand 10-15 minutes. Then stir in the milk (dairy, rice or soy) and olive oil. Stir in 1 cup of flour plus the baking powder, combining well. It will be slightly sticky. Sprinkle the remaining flour a bit at a time, working in with your fingers gently to achieve a fluffy dough. Divide into 4 equal parts and roll into balls (using floured hands might help). Place on a baking pan and flatten to a 1/2-inch thickness. Brush tops with olive oil and sprinkle more rosemary. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bottoms are golden.

VARIATIONS
Use any of the following ingredients, to replace ingredients or add to them, as you desire:
~ fresh rosemary
~ fresh basil
~ capers
~ fried onions
~ roasted garlic
~ caraway seeds

NOTE: The flax and hot water combination gives the biscuits cohesion and softness, replacing the function of eggs while adding fibre goodness. Using yogurt instead of milk will make a softer biscuit.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS use dairy or rice milk
PITTAS omit salt and sundried tomatoes; use any milk or substitution
KAPHAS omit salt and olives; use soy milk and spelt flour; reduce oil to 1 Tbsp

RECIPE ~ Sugar-free Fruit Spreads

I've been on a sugar-free regime for some years now but sometimes I just NEED some jam on my whole grain yeast-free toast! I've discovered that by taking dried fruit and soaking them in juice, just a quick puree will produce a naturally sweet, sugar-free jam that's even suitable for raw diets.

1 cup chopped dried fruit of your choice
(such as prunes, apricots, raisins, apples, papaya...)
1/2 cup or more juice
(such as apple juice or apple cider, orange juice, fruit nectars...)

Soak the dried fruit in the juice overnight, making sure there's just enough liquid to completely cover the fruit. Using a small food processor or wand-style hand blender, puree the mixture until smooth. That's it! Store in a jar, refrigerated. Why not try it on scones or pancakes with walnut butter!

Makes about 1 cup. Pictured above made with equal parts dried apricots and prunes, soaked in orange juice.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
Great for all the doshas!
VATAS generally should avoid dried fruit, but all soaked dried fruit is fine, especially prunes and raisins
PITTAS avoid pineapple, strawberries and cranberries
KAPHAS avoid mangoes, papaya and pineapple

RECIPE ~ Fibre Breakfast Cookies

A couple of these cookies in the morning with your tea will give you energy AND keep your bowels happy!

WET INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup chopped prunes or prune puree*
1/4 cup sweetener (such as maple, brown rice or agave syrups)
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup nut butter (such as almond, pumpkin seed or tahini)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg or 1/2 ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole grain flour
1/2 cup psyllium
1/2 cup ground flax
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup or more of nuts, seeds, trail mix, or chopped dried fruit

Place chopped prunes in a blender and just cover with boiling water. Let soak while you prepare the dry ingredients. Also, lightly oil a large baking sheet and preheat oven to 350.

Measure all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Measure all wet ingredients into the blender with the soaked prunes (do not drain), then liquify and stir into dry ingredients, combining well. Drop batter by the heaping tablespoon onto the greased cookie sheet and flatten just a bit with wet fingers or the back of a wet spoon. Bake for 15 minutes. Make sure you have a glass of water or cup of tea with each cookie. Makes about 20 cookies.

This recipe makes the cookies slightly crunchy on the outside. For a softer cookie (recommended for Vatas) double the amount of prune puree and apple sauce. This will make them almost muffin-like.

*To make your own prune puree, soak chopped prunes in boiling water (enough to cover the prunes) for 15 minutes or longer. Make in larger quantities to use as a sweetener in baking, or as a spread for toast and quick breads! Use prepared prune puree in this recipe by skipping the part where you soak the chopped prunes in the blender, and instead just add the measured amount of puree into the blender along with the rest of the wet ingredients.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS use whole wheat, brown rice or quinoa flour; sweeten with brown rice syrup; replace half or all the psyllium with oats or more ground flax; soak the nuts, dried fruits or trail mix in boiling water for 10 minutes or more, then drain and add to the mix
PITTAS use whole wheat, spelt or barley flour; sweeten with maple or brown rice syrup; choose almond butter; avoid walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans and sesame.
KAPHAS use any whole grain flour except oat, rice and wheat; sweeten with fruit juice concentrate or additional prune puree; choose pumpkin or sunflower seed butters; replace half or all the psyllium with more ground flax; use dried fruits and/or pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

RECIPE ~ Fruit Crepes with Honey Orange Yogurt

So, on cool spring weekends I like to make scones in all its earthy goodness, but on hot sunny Sundays it's time for fruit crepes! These whip up quite quickly, and are great with a side of sweet potato hashbrowns with herbs. Pictured here using spelt flour, filled with bananas and strawberries and drizzled with honey orange yogurt sauce. Makes 4 crepes (serves 2).

2 eggs
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk*
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup flour*
pinch each of sea salt and cinnamon
chopped fruits and whole berries for filling*
honey orange yogurt sauce (see below)

In a bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the olive oil, vanilla, milk and water using a hand whisk. Mix in the flour, salt and cinnamon. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat and spray with olive oil. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter onto the center of the pan, and swirl the pan around gently to coat the pan evenly with the batter. Cook a minute then flip and cook a minute longer. The crepes should be pale with hints of golden toastiness.

To assemble, spoon some fruit and berries in a row down the center of each crepe. Drizzle some yogurt sauce down the row. Roll the crepe (tucking in the sides if you like a tidy package, or just leave open on the sides). Top with some more fruits and another drizzle of yogurt sauce. If you like, garnish with some toasted almonds, walnuts or grated coconut!

HONEY ORANGE YOGURT SAUCE
Blend the following ingredients together to make a smooth sauce:

fresh juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp liquid unpasteurized honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup plain yogurt

* FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS choose: bananas, mangoes and berries; wheat or rice flour; rice or coconut milk
PITTAS choose: pears, mangoes and berries; wheat or rice flour; soy or coconut milk
KAPHAS choose: peaches, pears and berries; millet or quinoa flour; soy milk

RECIPE ~ Millet Breakfast

More breakfast recipes! It's an important meal, what can I say. This millet breakfast takes a few minutes to prepare and then you let it cook for 20 minutes or less. Our goal is a diet of whole grains and whole foods, and this is a good way to do that for breakfast (no bread!).

Pictured above is millet cooked with a few whole prunes and topped with some honey, ground flax seed and stewed apples.

just less than 1/4 cup millet (whole pearls)
1 cup water
spices and topping of your choice

Wash and drain the millet, place in a small pot and add 1 cup of boiling water. Add a few pinches of spices of your choice, such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, etc. Simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minutes til almost all the water is absorbed. Stir in toppings of your choice, like honey or maple syrup, stewed fruits, apple sauce, sliced bananas, sugar-free jam, some nuts and seeds, a dollop of yogurt, etc.

For extra yumminess and easier digestibility, cook the millet with some whole almonds or pine nuts thrown in, seeds or trail mix, whole prunes, chopped dried apricots, or a sprinkling of coconut. For a rich and creamy porridge, use vanilla rice milk or soy milk instead of water!

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS millet is too drying for vatas so it's better to use wheat pearls, amaranth or oats instead; use fresh or stewed fruits (not dried); choose toppings like honey, yogurt, nuts and seeds; stir in some ghee at the end of cooking
PITTAS millet is too heating for pittas, so better to use wheat pearls, barley or oats; choose sweet spices like cinnamon and cardamom; sweeten with maple syrup; choose almonds or coconut and cook with the grains; top with any sweet fruits, fresh or stewed; stir in a bit of ghee at the end of cooking
KAPHAS choose fresh, dried or stewed fruits like apples, apricots, berries, peaches, raisins or prunes; sweeten with a touch of honey; choose any spices; top with a bit of flax, pumpkin or sunflower seeds (no nuts)

RECIPE ~ Excellent Breakfast

This breakfast is hearty enough for Vatas all year round, and for Pittas and Kaphas in winter and spring. It's bursting with flavour, energy, fiber and wholesomeness. This recipe takes a while to prepare, so it's good for a weekend morning or prepared the night before. Pictured above is the Kapha Kamut Breakfast with green tea chai.

VATA WHEAT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole wheat kernels (or brown basmati rice)
1 apple, chopped
6 dates
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
pinch each stevia, cinnamon
few drops of vanilla

PITTA WHEAT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole wheat kernels (or barley)
1 apple, chopped
8 prunes
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 Tbsp maple syrup
few drops of vanilla

KAPHA KAMUT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole kamut kernels (or millet or buckwheat)
1 apple, chopped
8 prunes
1 tsp shredded coconut
pinch each stevia, cinnamon
few drops of vanilla

Soak the whole grains overnight in 1 cup water. In the morning, rinse the grains and add 1 cup fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour or until kernels are swollen and chewy (half an hour for rice and barley). Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 minutes longer. If you're not using stevia, stir in a bit of honey after cereal has cooled slightly.

GREEN TEA CHAI
1 Tbsp green tea leaves, or 2 bags
1/2 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
pinch each cardamom and turmeric
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup soy milk or to taste

In a small pot, bring 2 cups water to boil. Add remaining ingredients and low boil for 10 minutes. Using a small strainer, pour into 2 cups and sweeten with honey (Vatas and Kaphas) or maple syrup (Pittas).

RECIPE ~ Brunch Stuff

I love Sunday brunches, at home with fresh baked biscuits, sweet potato homefries, fruit salad, frothy coffee, the works. Here are 2 recipes I used from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners and A Life of Balance and a picture of the delicious fare, despite the terrible photo...!



~ Flower Biscuits ~
1 cup flour*
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp ghee or butter
1/2 cup fresh buttermilk (1/4 cup yogurt + 1/4 cup water)

Stir together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Crumble the ghee into the flour with your fingertips, then stir in buttermilk. Knead together, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. Form into a ball, cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and flower-formed cookie cutter. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick, cut out flower-shaped biscuits and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4.

* FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
KAPHAS use buckwheat, millet or rye flour, and only 2 Tbsp ghee


~ Sweet Potato Masala Homefries ~
1 large sweet potato*
1 tsp each sunflower oil & ghee*
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper

Peel and cube sweet potato into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain.

In a skillet, heat oil and ghee and add spices. Stir fry for a minute, then add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes then add sweet potatoes. Continue to stir-cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, until potatoes are cooked.

* FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
KAPHAS use only 1 tsp sunflower oil, and white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes
PITTAS omit garlic and pepper