gluten free and vegan spimach and zucchini quiche

Vegan Spinach Quiche (Glutenfree)

This vegan & glutenfree spinach quiche will have you asking for more! Succulent, creamy and also yet crunchy, you wouldn’t know that neither eggs nor cream were needed to make it.

Vegan Quiche?

A tasty vegan quiche! Is that really possible? Yes it is! Enjoy the magic of chickpea flour, vegetable stock, oat milk, tahini and turmeric to create a magic ‘Vegan Royale’ that will have you begging for more. Freshly cooked spinach and zucchini (courgette), steamed with shallots, garlic and fine spices will do the rest. And to top of it all off: it’s really easy to make! What’s not to like!

Can you make quiche with glutenfree flour?

The question is: can you make a good short-crust pastry with gluten-free flour? The answer is: yes you can! I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Try and buy a good quality gluten-free flour mix, rather than a single blend, as these work best. Blends made out of rice-, potato- and tapioca usually work well. But feel free to experiment with a gluten-free flour mix that works best for you. I always create the best recipes when I let my gut lead the way and try out new things (and deviate away from strictly following a recipe).

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: This quiche has exactly the right mix of ingredients balancing sensitive Vata types. I myself experience bloating and gas from eating chickpeas, however this has never been the case with chickpea flour or blended chickpeas in dips such as hummus. The finished quiche has nice warm and soft qualities, great for balancing Vata.

Feeling Pitta:  I believe that all leafy greens are good for Pitta, including spinach. However, opinions can deviate. Cooking the spinach breaks down oxalic acid which can be drying and heating to the digestive tract. If you worry about your Pitta you can buy baby leaf spinach which is milder and has less of these properties.

Feeling Kapha:  Starchy flours such as rice and potatoe are usually a bit heavy for Kapha. Luckily the short-crust base of this recipe is really thinly layed out, however mixed in with the olive oil this can be a bit heavy for Kapha types. For a more balanced version simply leave out the crust completly. Make an extra half of the ‘vegan-royale’ and simply fill out the whole quiche-form with vegan royale & the vegetable mix. Leaving out the short crust pastry completly. Voila! A Kapha friendly quiche-dish with hardly any fats.

Healing Recipe

Vegan Spinach Quiche – Glutenfree

gluten free and vegan spimach and zucchini quiche

Vegan Spinach Quiche (Glutenfree)

A fresh and light vegan version of a vegetable quiche. Creamy spinach and zucchini make for y a yummy and delightful glutenfree quiche, you will never want to go back to eggs and wheat.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

FOR THE SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

  • 2 1/2 cups glutenfree flour mix (I use Bob's Red Mill glutenfree 1:1 baking flour)
  • 1/3 cup oat milk or water (I use Oatly's organic oat milk)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt

FOR THE FILLING

  • 300 g fresh spinach
  • 1 medium-large zucchini (courgette) chopped in small quarters
  • 3 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 medium-sized white onions finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 tsbp olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg

FOR THE 'VEGAN ROYALE'

  • 2 cups chickpea flour
  • 130 ml water
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable stock (buy a good brand that doesn't add any sugars or hidden flavourings such as dextrose or maltodextrin)
  • 2 tbsp oats
  • 1 teaspoons arrowroot powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tbsp tahin
  • 1 teaspoons turmeric (dried)

TO DECORATE & FOR SERVING

  • 2 medium tomatoes sliced
  • 1 bunch parsley

Instructions
 

Shortcrust Pastry Preparation
  • Add the glutenfree flour and the salt to a medium sized bowl. Add the oat milk and mix the dough with your fingers.
  • Add the olive oil to the flour and quickly work everything into a smooth dough.
  • If the dough is still too crumbly, add a few tablespoons of water, one at a time, to reach desired consistency.
  • Wrap the dough in cling film, let it rest briefly and then let it rest in the fridge for another hour.
Filling Preparation
  • Roughly chop the spinach.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the shallotts, the onions and the garlic.
  • Add the rosemary and thyme.
  • Stir in the spinach and zucchini and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  • Fry all on medium heat in the pan, until the zucchini is starting to cook through.
'Vegan Royale' Preparation
  • For the vegan royale add the chickpea flour and all other vegan royale ingredients to a mixer and blend until smooth.
Putting it all together
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out to a thickness of about 5 mm on a a floured work surface.
  • Brush a quiche or casserole dish with olive oil.
  • Carefully place the dough into the quiche or casserole dish, pressing down gently with your fingers to evenly distribute the dough.
  • Add the spinach filling onto the dough and distribute evenly.
  • Take the 'vegan royale' and add it on top of the spinach filling, patting down with a spoon to evenly distribute. You want the spinach together with the 'vegan royale' to fill out the complete quiche dish, getting the dough evenly into all the edges.
  • Now decorate the top of your unbaked quiche with the sliced ​​tomatoes.
  • Bake the quiche in a preheated oven at 180 C for 35 – 40 minutes.
  • To serve, portion the quiche and place on plates. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. A nice coleslaw or lamb's lettuce salad with walnuts goes well with this.
Keyword glutenfree, quiche, spinach, Vegan, zucchini

turmeric apple and banana porridge

Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast

This simple apple and banana porridge infused with turmeric provides a super healthy and anti-inflammatory breakfast to kick-start your day.

Why Turmeric?

TURMERIC is a POWERHOUSE, a plant with amazing healing and anti-inflammatory properties, and is one of the most powerful herbs on the planet today to help us humans shield from inflammation, prevent disease, and to keep our bodies strong and healthy. For a full article on what turmeric is and what it does, read on here. Turmeric is also well digested and tolerated by all three doshas. It can sometimes aggravate a very high Pitta, but you would have to take very high dosages for this to happen and a teaspoon like suggested in this recipe should be more than fine.

Why Porridge ?

Porridge is a very nourishing staple breakfast for people with sensitive bellies

A warm porridge in the morning can be a very healing and warming food, especially for people with food sensitivities. Porridge has become a staple in my breakfast repertoire and since consuming it regularly in the mornings, with a teaspoon of added linseeds, it has really improved my digestive issues. It sets me up nicely for the day, especially in autumn and winter times: it gives you this super-nice; cosy and warm feeling in your belly. Especially for Vata types what’s not to like! This porridge is also flavoured with yummy cinnamon. Cinnamon is well torleated by all three doashas, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces blood pressure and its prebiotic properties may improve gut health. For more info on Cinnamon’s benefits click here.

Always opt for Gluten-Free Porridge

I recommend always opting for gluten-free porridge oats. Oats can be cross-contaminated with gluten from the sites that they’re being processed at and only oats that especially state that they are gluten-free can claim to be free of this cross-contamination. I myself do not consume any gluten at all, as I believe gluten is a very triggering substance for most human beings today. I also have very sensitive digestion and food allergies and after swapping my standard porridge oats for gluten-free porridge oats, I realised that I could suddenly handle oats well, whereas this wasn’t the case before.

However in the rare case that you do not tolerate oats well, even when they’re gluten-free, try and opt for millet instead. You can simply cook the recipe below and use millet instead of oats. Or if you don’t tolerate millet either, chose a breakfast grain that you know you do tolerate well, as long as you make sure that it’s gluten free. For more info on gluten and other triggering foods read on here.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: You can play around with other fruits for this porridge if you like, Vata does well on most sweet fruits. If you want to add dried fruits ensure you soak these overnight. For very ‘dry’ Vatas it can be a good idea to add a little linseed oil on top of your porridge when serving (not during cooking).

Feeling Pitta: Ensure the bananas are very ripe and sweet, if not you can replace the banana with sweet pears instead. Generally avoid any sour fruits. If worried about your Pitta being too high opt for half a teaspoon of turmeric or leave out completly.

Feeling Kapha: Oats are usually too heavy and can make a Kapha feel sluggish and tired. Replace the oats in this recipe with millet, buckwheat flakes or quinoa (amaranth can also be ok in moderation). You can replace the banana with pears.

Healing Recipe

Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

turmeric apple and banana porridge

Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

A warm porridge in the morning can be a very healing and warming food, especially for people with food sensitivities. Porridge has become a staple in my breakfast repertoire and since consuming it regularly in the mornings, with a teaspoon of added linseeds, it has really improved my digestive issues. It sets me up nicely for the day, especially in autumn and winter times: it gives you this super-nice; cosy and warm feeling in your belly. Especially for Vata types what's not to like! This porridge is also flavoured with yummy cinnamon. Cinnamon is well torleated by all three doashas, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces blood pressure and its prebiotic properties may improve gut health
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium banana chopped
  • 1 medium apple diced
  • 5 tbsp porridge oats gluten-free and soaked overnight
  • 1 tsp brown or golden linseeds (skip if doing a cleanse) soaked overnight
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder, ground
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamom optional

Instructions
 

  • Add the porridge oats and the linseeds (if using) to a heavy bottom sauce-pan and cover in water (just enough water to have everything just about covered)
  • Start cooking on medium heat, stirring frequently.
  • Add the chopped apple and banana.
  • Add the turmeric and the cinnamon (if using).
  • Add a pinch of salt and keep cooking for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and until the apples are well cooked through.
  • Cook until you have reached a nice, creamy consistency. Add a bit more water at the time if the mix starts getting to dry and sticks to the bottom.
  • Take off the heat and serve.

Notes

You can sprinkle with some cinnamon and add maple or date syrup when serving to sweeten it up a bit. If not on a cleanse you can also sprinkle with nuts or seeds or try roasted coconut chips. 
Keyword apple, banana, porridge, turmeric


Nourishing Vegetable and Lentil Soup

Nourishing Vegetable & Lentil Soup

This nourishing vegetable and lentil soup is the perfect winter-warmer: I usually make it at least once a week and it eat it for days (reheated tastes even better).

This perfect winter-warmer is a winner for every dosha, simply follow the dosha adjustments below. This soup is fully packed with proteins. It’s giving you an amino-acid boost that bolsters your tissues and strengthens your immune system. Plus, a powerhouse of spices deliver antioxidants and anti-inflammatarory compounds: to let you fly with ease through the cold and flu season. Additional shitake mushrooms also provide this soup with a great earthy flavour and slightly ‘meaty’ texture.

Native to Asia, shitake mushrooms have gained widespread popularity across the world. They are the third most cultivated mushroom on the planet today. This isn’t surprising as shitake mushrooms boost quite the nutritional profile. They contain Vitamin D, Copper, Selenium, Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Folate (B9) and B12 amongst others. But that’s not all. Shitake mushrooms are also said to have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. They are also said to be potent in fighting inflammations and helping in keeping your blood sugar stable.

Shitake mushrooms also deliver immune-modulating beta-glucans. Beta-glucans activate immune cells, increase antibody production, increase viral-inhibiting proteins and in short, they are great anti-cancer preventatives.

What more can you want from your soup?!

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: This soup is great for you. Swap brown lentils for red lentils for easier digestion and less bloating or gas.

Feeling Pitta: If your pitta is high swap potatoes with sweet potatoes and leave out the hot stuff such as paprika, cayenne and use less or no garlic. Skip the tomato paste.

Feeling Kapha: This is a great dish for you if you simply use a little bit less of the lentils and instead use more of the vegetables. All spices are great for Kapha, so go ahead and season well with the spices recomended in this recipe. Especially cayenne is great to boost Kapha’s sluggish metabolism.
Avoid the lemon in the end and go easy on the salt! Voila!

Weekly Recipe

Nourishing Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Yield: 1 pot

Nourishing Vegetable and Lentil Soup

Nourishing Vegetable and Lentil Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • half a red onion, chopped
  • 2 x garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 x celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 x medium sized carrots, chopped
  • 1 x and a half cougette, chopped 
  • 2 x medium sized potatoes, chopped into small cubes
  • 150g shitake mushrooms (optional)
  • 1.5 x tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 x Litre vegetable stock / bouillon (yeast free, without added fats)
  • 1.5 cups brown lentils (alternatively use red lentils)
  • 1/2 x teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 x teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 x teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 1 x teaspoon of coriander seeds, ground in pestle & mortar
  • one pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 x bay leaf
  • 1 x tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 x handful of parsley, chopped
  • 2 x handfuls of spinach, washed and trimmed
  • black pepper and salt for seasoning
  • juice from half a lemon

Instructions

  1. If you are using dry shitake mushrooms, ensure that you soak them in water before cooking for usually 5-8 hours (according to pack).
  2. Add the olive oil to a large stock pot. Heat slowly on a very low heat setting, then add the onions and the garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon for a while. Add the cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Grind the coriander seeds in a pestle & mortar and add as well.
  3. Stir the spices well into the oil and onion mix, until you you have a nice oily mix. Keep heating on low until the onions and garlic become fragrant and slightly translucent.
  4. Add the potatoe cubes and carrots, and stir into the onion spice mix. Heat up to a medium heat and keep stirring for about 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are nicely coated in spices and oil.
  5. Add the courgette and celery pieces and stir in to the mix for 1 minute. If the mix is to dry add a little water if need be.
  6. Now add the lentils. Stir well into the vegetable and spice mix.
  7. Add the paprika and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
  8. Add the 1.5 Liters of vegetable stock. It should be enough stock in the pot that the vegetables and lentils are well covered (the lentils will soak up a lot of water during cooking). Add more water if not covered enough.
  9. Add the bay leaves.
  10. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  11. Add the shitake mushrooms if using.
  12. Cook for another 20 minutes (unil the lentils are nice, soft and mushy and the vegetables are soft and tender, if not simply cook a bit longer until the soup has a nice consistency to your liking).
  13. Stir in the spinach and half of the chopped parsley, simmer for a another few minutes until the spinach is wilted and cooked to your liking.
  14. Squeeze half a lemon and stir through the soup.
  15. Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
  16. Serve and garnish with the left-over parsley, some vegan plant-based yoghurt,and if you're a Kapha type, some chillies and cherry tomatoes go a long way!

Notes

This soup is also delicious with some black beans or chickpeas additional or instead off the brown lentils if you're a pitta or a kapha type. Vata's better stay clear of too many legumes or beans.


sweet mung daal porridge

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

This vitalising and cleansing sweet mung daal porridge will have you longing for more! Mung beans’ astringent nature literally scrapes your bowels clean. They draw out toxins from your digestive tract, clear up excess mucus and combat dampness in your body.

This sweet little number offers a great alternative to standard breakfasts such as oat porridge and Co. and can also be a welcome change for people sensitive to grains and pseudo-grains. Mung daal is high in protein, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Health benefits of mung daal:

Mung daal is rich in micro-nutrients, namely potassium, iron, magnesium iron and copper. Additionally the little beans also contain B6, folate (B9) and fibre. Super high in protein mung daal is thus also a great food for vegetarians and vegans. In comparison to other beans, mung daal doesn’t usually produce the dreaded bloat that so often goes in hand in hand with digesting other types of beans and pulses. Yellow daal produces something called ‘butyrate’: a short-chained fatty acid. Butyrate makes yellow daal much easier to digest and it also helps to maintain the health of the digestive tract and walls.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: mung daal can aggravate a very dry and light Vata type, however this breakfast is balancing out this effect with the sweetness of raisins and maple syrup. Cook the mung daal in some coconut oil and add some salt to taste.

Feeling Pitta: mung daal are great for Pitta’s as they are very cooling in nature. This is a great breakfast for you.

Feeling Kapha: You’ll enjoy this breakfast but it can be a bit on the heavy side for you. Add plenty of ginger and cinnamon and go a bit easier on the dried fruits and maple syrup.

Weekly Recipe

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

sweet mung daal porridge

This vitalising and cleansing breakfast will have you longing for more! Mung beans astringent nature literally scrapes your bowels clean. They draw out toxins from your digestive tract, clear up excess mucus and combat dampness in your body.

This sweet little number offers a great alternative to standard breakfasts such as oat porridge and Co. and can also be a welcome change for people sensitive to grains and pseudo-grains. Mung dal is high in protein, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 100g mung daal (soaked over night in water)
  • 2 x cups of water
  • 1/2 x teaspoon turmeric (curcuma)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (ground in pestle and mortar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 250ml oat-milk (or plant milk of your choice, just ensure it hasn't got any extra fats added to it. Most plant milks have added sunflower oils or other fats added and trust me this ain't good for your health. I use oatly's organic oat milk and it's free of any extra added fats.)
  • 3 x tablespoons maple syrup
  • seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods, freshly ground in pestle and mortar
  • 1 x thumb size knob of fresh ginger, minced
  • handful of raisins, soaked over night
  • optional: 1/2 teaspoon of saffron strands

Instructions

  1. Drain the soaked mung daal and add to a frying pan. Roast in the frying pan on a medium heat until the daal becomes fragrant and is lightly roasted.
  2. Add the roasted mung daal to a medium sized sauce pan and add water, turmeric, cinnamon and coriander seeds. Put a lid on and simmer for about 15 minutes and until everyrthing is nice and mushy.
  3. Now take a potato masher and mash everything in the pot until you have your preferred consistency.
  4. Add the plant milk, maple syrup, the cardamom seeds, fresh ginger and a bit of salt and pepper to taste (optional: add the saffron strands) and bring everything to the boil.
  5. Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes.
  6. Add the soaked raisins and mix through. Cook for another minute or so.
  7. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped and roasted almonds, a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth Porridge With Pears and Dried Fruits

Amaranth porridge is a great alternative to oats or millet and can be a great substitue for those who can’t digest traditional grains or other psyeudo grains very well.

Amaranth is great for Kapha and Pitta types. Vata’s should try it out and mix with extra oil and sweet tastes to combat the very astringent and dry nature of amaranth. Amaranth ‘s astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha’s system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system.

Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata’s should avoid Amaranth as it’s too light for already light and airy Vata. Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth’s astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata’s can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and extra salt if needed.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: try out this breakfast by adding a dollop of coconut oil and a bit more salt to taste before you serve. Sweet pears and soaked dry fruits are all fine for you. If you’re feeling very Vata swap the amaranth with simple and plain porridge oats.

Feeling Pitta: you do well on this breakfast, just ensure that the fruits you add are sweet and avoid all sour fruits.

Feeling Kapha: amaranth is great for you, but you don’t do so well on an overload of sweet fruits. Leave out the dry fruits and simply make this breakfast with pears and raisins. You can also add more ginger and cinnamon if you feel you need that extra kick in the morning,

Weekly Recipe

Amaranth Porridge with Pears and Dried Fruits

Amaranth Porridge with Pears and Dried Fruits

amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth porrdige is a great alternative to oats or millet, and can feel less heavy for those who feel traditional porridge might be too filling or too heavy on the gut. Amaranth is great for Kapha and Pitta types. Vata's should try it out and mix with extra oil and sweet tastes to combat the very astringent and dry nature of amaranth.

Amaranth ‘s astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha’s system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system. Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata’s should avoid Amaranth as it’s too light for already light and airy Vata. Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth’s astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata’s can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and extra salt if needed.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 x cup amaranth flakes (or whole amaranth soaked over night)
  • 1 x cup oat milk (I use oatly's organic as it's the only oat-milk I know that doesn't contain any extra added oils. Most oat-milks contain added sunflower or other fats. Try and find one without, it's better for your health!)
  • 1 and a 1/2 x cups of water
  • 1/2 x teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 x teaspoon turmeric (curcuma)
  • seeds of 2 x cardamom pods, ground in pestle and mortar
  • 1.5 cm of fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 and 1/2 x tablespoons maple syrup to taste
  • 1 x pinch of salt
  • freh pepper to taste
  • 2 x medium sized pears, diced
  • 1 x teaspoon vanilla extract (try finding one without alcohol)
  • 1 x teaspoon cinnamon 
  • handful or more of dried fruits of your choice, soaked over night

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients (apart from the pears, the cinnamon, and the vanilla extract) to a medium sized sauce-pan, and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
  2. Then add the chopped pears and cook slowly on a low to medium heat, whilst stirring every now and then, for about 10-15 minutes. Keep adding water if mixture gets to dry.
  3. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon and cook for another few minutes.
  4. Then add the raisins to the pot and slowly mix through.
  5. Take off the heat, then serve with maple syrup and extra cinnamon.
  6. Voila!

Mung Bean Soup

Healing Mung Bean Soup

Feeling Lethargic? Bloated? Tired? Not quite yourself? Is your digestion playing up? Do you have a thick white coating on your tongue? Then it might be time for a mung bean soup cleanse! This amazing astringent bean has been favoured in indian and asian cuisine for centuries for its medicinal properties. Mung beans have amazing colon cleansing properties: the fibres in mung beans have a scraping function that literally scrape your colon clean and the astringent taste tones and enlivens your digestive organs, spells out mucus from your GI tract and helps to cleanse toxins and parasites from your gut. This grounding and restorative soup is great for all three doshas: nourishing whilst at the same time light, cleansing and cooling. Enjoy this recipee as a once a week staple or as a re-set and do a 3 x day Mung Bean soup cleanse.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: you’ll love this grounding soup and it loves you. Add more root vegetables if you’re feelling very Vata and play around with fresh fennel, and fennel spice.
Feeling Pitta: In this very Pitta friendly combination you should be able to handle all ingredients without aggravating your dosha, however best to use less or omit the tomatoes, garlic and onions, and skip the mustard seeds. Add greens such as kale, watercress, etc. (avoid spinach).
Feeling Kapha: play around with adding Kale and other leafy greens to the soup.

Weekly Recipe

Healing Mung Bean Soup

Yield: 1 Pot

Healing Mung Bean Soup

Mung Bean Soup

Feeling Lethargic? Bloated? Tired? Not quite yourself? Is your digestion playing up? Do you have a thick white coating on your tongue? Then it might be time for a mung bean soup cleanse! This amazing astringent bean has been favoured in indian and asian cuisine for centuries for its medicinal properties. Mung beans have amazing colon cleansing properties: the fibres in mung beans have a scraping function that literally scrape your colon clean and the astringent taste tones and enlivens your digestive organs, spells out mucus from your GI tract and helps to cleanse toxins and parasites from your gut. This grounding and restorative soup is great for all three doshas: nourishing whilst at the same time light, cleansing and cooling. Enjoy this recipee as a once a week staple or as a re-set and do a 3 x day Mung Bean soup cleanse.

Ingredients

  • 1 x teaspoon olive oil (if on a cleanse skip the oil)
  • 1 x garlic clove (chopped)
  • 1 x small onion, chopped
  • 2 -3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 x teaspoon ground tumeric
  • 1 and a half cups mung beans (soaked overnight)
  • Optional: 1 and a half x cup chopped tomatoes (or one tin of tomatoes)
  • 1 Liter vegetable stock
  • 2 x bay leaves (optional)
  • 3 x medium to large carrots, chopped
  • handfrul fresh coriander, parsley or both, chopped
  • 1 x tablespoon lupine sauce (or coconut aminos - optional)
  • half a teapsoon cumin seeds, grind in pestle and mortar
  • half a teaspoon coriander seeds, grind in pestle and mortar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • half a teaspoon fennel seeds, grind in pestle and mortar
  • 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
  • Optional: add leafy greens of your choice such as kale, spinach, lambs lettuce, etc. 

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a medium pot and warm on low to medium heat (If on a cleanse and not using oil, skip this step).
  2. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until translucent (if on cleanse simply fry in a bit of water).
  3. Grind the cumin, coriander, fennel and mustard (optional) seeds in a pestle and mortar and add to the onion & garlic mix. Keep stirring for a while over low to medium heat until the onions and garlic are covered nicely in the spice mix. Add the turmeric and keep stirring.
  4. Add celery and carrots and sauté until just about soft.
  5. Now add the mung beans (important: ensure these have been soaked overnight). Stir well into the spice and onion mix. Keep stirring on medium heat for few minutes.
  6. Now add the water and the stock. Add in tomatoes if using (optional). Submerge bay leaves, and bring everything to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Reduce heat and simmer covered with a lid for 45 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro, or parsley or both and add the lupine sauce or coconut aminos (if using).
  9. Taste again and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  10. Serve! 

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

Liver cleansing, gut healing, immune boosting and anti-bacterial! What’s not to like! Get stuck into this marvellous yummy soup. Eat it anytime of the year when you feel you want to eat something nourishing that also gives your body that extra ‘oompf’ to cleanse and heal.

Weekly Recipe

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

Yield: 1 Large Pot of Soup

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

Liver cleansing, gut healing, immune boosting and anti-bacterial! What's not to like! Get stuck into this marvellous yummy soup. Eat it anytime of the year when you feel you want to eat something nourishing that also gives your body that extra 'oompf' to cleanse and heal.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • half a teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 tsp aniseeds
  • 3 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp sesame oil (leave out if doing a cleanse, or onl consumer in evening)
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • half head of one medium sized cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 of a fresh fennel bulb, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 litre of vegetable stock (ensure you're stock powder doesn't contain any extra added fats such as rapeseed, palm oil or sunflower, or flavourings or things like maltodextrin - stay away!)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp cocos aminos

Instructions

  1. Grind the fennel seeds and aniseeds with a pestle and mortar.
  2. Heat the sesame oil in a large stock pot (of on cleanse leave out the oil, or onl use if this is your evening meal. Simply add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan instead.)
  3. Add the fresh ginger, garlic and turmeric. Mix well with the oil (or water if on a cleanse) and heat on low for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the fennel and aniseeds, mix well with the ginger and garlic mix, and keep heating on low until the seeds become fragant (about 4 - 5 minutes).
  5. Add the cabbage, celery, fresh fennel and salt and mix in well with the spice and garlic mixture. Saute for 5 minutes, until veggies start to soften, stirring often.
  6. Add broth, cocos aminos and chicken to the pot and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until veggies are cooked to your liking (I simmer usually for 20-30 min).
  7. Give it a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
  8. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve! Voila!

Warming Turmeric & Cauliflower Broth

Weekly Recipe

Warming Cauliflower & Turmeric Broth

Yield: 1 Large Stock Pot

Warming Turmeric & Cauliflower Broth

Warming Turmeric & Cauliflower Broth
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, diced
  • 5 tsp yellow Lupin Miso (I don't use Soya products as I strongly believe these increase inflammation in the body). You can omit this ingredient and just flavour more with salt, pepper, stock, and coconut aminos or lupin sauce.
  • 1 tsp anisseeds
  • 1 fingerlong fresh root of turmeric, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 200g brown button mushrooms, chopped
  • quarter head cauliflower, chopped into florets
  • 1 medium zuchini, chopped and diced
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock
  • 6 tsbp cocos aminos
  • 3 tsp powdered turmeric
  • one chicoree head, sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • brown rice noodles (I use king soba noodles)
  • juice of 1 and 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  1. To a large stock pot, add the shallot, ginger, the fresh turmeric, garlic and aniseeds (ground in pestle and mortar). Add half a cup of water, and stirr occasionally, cooking on low heat until the shallot and garlic become fragrant and translucent for a about 5 minutes.
  2. Stirr in the lupin miso and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and keep cooking on low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.
  4. Stirr in the chopped zuchini and cauliflower and cook for another 2 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the vegetable stock to the mushroom mix, stirring well.
  6. Add the cocos aminos and the turmeric powder.
  7. Bring to the boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
  8. Simmer for 15 minutes, lid on.
  9. Add the chicoree and simmer for another 5 minutes, plus add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. In the meantime boil the rice noodles according to instructions in a seperate pot.
  11. Stir the lemon juice into the broth and let it sit off the heat for 1 minute.
  12. Ladle the broth into bowls and serve with the rice noodles.
  13. Voila!


Gut Healing Turmeric & Mushroom Curry Soup

Get stuck into a bowl of bubbling, warming, yellow-goodness
and enjoy the healing powers of turmeric, ginger and shitake mushrooms.

This healthy but yet tasty yummy broth will help your body fight bacteria and inflammation, boost your immune system,
and to keep those pesky bugs at bay (always good in a corona crisis!).

Weekly Recipe

Gut Healing Turmeric and Mushroom Curry Soup

Yield: One Large Pot of Broth

Gut Healing Turmeric & Mushroom Curry Soup

Gut Healing Turmeric & Mushroom Curry Soup

Inflammation calming, immune-boosting, gut healing yellow turmeric curry soup.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp sesame oil (leave out if on a cleanse, or if this is your evening meal, leave in).
  • half a shallot, chopped finely
  • 1 tsp anisseed
  • 1 tablespoon thai yellow curry paste (try and find a curry paste without added fats, maltodextrin, natural or unnatural flavourings, etc.)
  • 1 thumb size knob of fresh turmeric, sliced finely. If you haven't got fresh, use 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 thumb-size knob fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, grind small in a pestle and mortar
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 bok choi, chopped 
  • 1 zuchini, chopped
  • 200g shitake mushrooms, fresh or dried (important if dried: soak at least for 5 hours beforehand. If you can't get hold of shitake, brown button mushrooms work as a replacement)
  • toasted sesame seeds to garnish
  • 1.5 liter vegetable stock
  • 6 tbsp cocos aminos or lupin sauce, or both, depends how strong you like your flavouring.
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • juice of 1 lime (if you haven't got limes lemon juice works ok as well)
  • handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • gluten free brown rice noodles, cooked to your liking
  • toasted sesame seeds or toasted nuts of your choice to garnish (leave out nuts and seeds if on a cleanse)
  • spinach or other leaves to garnish

Instructions

  1. Grab a large stock pot, and add about 3 tablespoons of water to the bottom.
  2. Add the sesame oil and place cooker on a low heat (skip this step if on a cleanse).
  3. Add the chopped shallot, minced ginger and chopped garlic. Mix well with the oil and the water. Add the yellow curry paste. Keep heat on a low setting and cook for 5-10 minutes, until onion is translucent and onion and garlic flavourful.
  4. Add the anisseeds, turmeric, thyme and fennel and mix in well. Up cooker to a medium heat and cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently.
  5. Add the sliced celery and zuchini, stirr in well with the onion spice mixture and cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
  6. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
  7. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Add mushrooms and cocos aminos. Cook for another 10 minutes.
  9. Add the sliced bok choi, the lime juice and half of the coriander and cook for another 5 minutes.
  10. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Depending on what you used (cocos aminos, lupin sauce, or both), taste the broth and add more of what you feel is needed. I usually can't get enough of the cocos amino taste so I always add a bit more of that at the end.
  11. Serve the soup over gluten free brown rice noodles (or any other asian style noodles of your chosing), sprinkle with the rest of the coriander and top with sesame seeds, nuts or chilli flakes.
  12. Enjoy!