Sarah Jay Healing

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

Cook Time 40

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

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Bieler's Broth: Liver Cleansing soup in a white mug

Bieler’s Broth: Liver Cleansing & Kidney Calming

3 Comments December 23, 2021 jayjagger

What is Bieler’s Broth?

Today I like to share an incredibly healing and very easily digestable soup recipe with you called ‘Bieler’s Broth’. This very nourishing and healing ‘Bieler’s broth’ is superb for cleansing the liver whilst also being very soothing for the kidneys.

First of all it’s name comes from a doctor named Bieler who inveted the soup in order to restore an acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance to organs and glands. Especially the sodium-loving adrenal glands which often suffer severly under stress.

The soup is vegan and all vegetable-based. It is not a culinary soup, so it can be a little bland for people who are used to flavourful spicings of their soups. However, it’s tasty enough that you can eat it a few days in a row and thus is super suitable for cleanses and detox diets.

The broth is also very supportive for liver function — remember that the liver is our detoxifying organ.

Bieler’s broth contains zucchini and string beans, which are rich sources of organic potassium and sodium. The liver uses those elements to clean and revitalize the body. Occasionally, when you’re sick, the best thing to do is not eat and let the body heal. Digestion takes a lot of energy. Instead, drink Dr. Bieler’s healing broth recipe for energy, weight loss, and cleansing.

Background: Dr. Bieler would take a detailed study of his patients’ endocrine glands. This includes the adrenal glands, pituitary gland and the thyroid gland. Dr. Bieler would then prescribe a limited diet, or even a fast on Bieler’s broth. The vegetables were cooked and easy to digest, full of vitamins and restore such elements as potassium and sodium to our glands. Dr. Bieler was particularly interested in restoring the liver.

What else ?

Dr. Bieler believed that most folks eat excessive amounts of proteins. He said that milk and eggs lose their nutritional value after being pasteurized/cooked, and that meat cooked to temperature above rare becomes hard to digest. According to him, salt is a stimulant providing only a temporary sensation of well-being, and over consumption is detrimental to health. The best way to obtain necessary sodium is from plants (vegetables), not addition of salt. He gave a number of examples of disease-free cultures that do not have access to salt.

Feeling Vata: This soup might be a little light for you, sensitive Vata, as there’s no oils or added fats in this detox recipe. However if you’re on a cleanse and if not eaten for longer periods than 3 days, this soup can work well for you on a detox or cleanse if the overall detox programm is well thought out and stabilising to your system.

Feeling Pitta: This soup works really well for you, go for it!

Feeling Kapha: Perfect soup for a kapha cleanse, go for it!

Healing Recipe

Bieler’s Broth: Liver Cleansing & Kidney Calming Soup

Bieler's Broth: Liver Cleansing green soup in a glass jar

Bieler’s Broth: Liver Cleansing & Kidney Calming Soup

The soup is vegan and all vegetable-based. It is not a culinary soup, so it can be a little bland for people who are used to flavourful spicing of their soups. However, it’s tasty enough that you can eat it a few days in a row and thus super suitable for cleanses and detox diets.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Course Soup

Cuisine Cleansing

Servings 4 person

Ingredients

4 medium zuchinis
450 g string beans
2 stalks cellery chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
4 cups water

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil. Skim any foam off the surface.
Lower the heat and simmer, covered.
Cook the vegetables until the are tender, about 15 minutes.
Take off the heat and then puree the soup in the pot with a hand-held blender.
Serve warm, sprinkled with a little bit of fresh parsley on top if you like.
Enjoy!

Notes

You can experiment by adding fresh kale(or other fresh, leafy greens of your choice) to your soup. For this, chop some kale and add it into the soup towards the end of your cooking time.

Keyword adrenal healing, adrenals, ayurveda, bielers, broth, detox, dosha, Liver healing, Liver-Cleansing, simple, Soup, Vegan

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fresh vegetable lentil soup with plenty of lentils and greens in a white ceramic bowl

Granny’s Hearty Lentil Soup (Vegan Style)

1 Comment December 23, 2021 jayjagger

Why Lentil Soup?

This very hearty lentil soup is straight out of my granny’s recipe book. It’s vegan, it’s tasty, it’s healthy!

From an ayurvedic perspective, legumes are essential for a healthy lifestyle and diet. Rich in protein, complex carbs and nutrients, they are a staple in any ayurvedic diet. Lentils can be included in many different recipes such as soups, salads, and even home-made veggie burgers. They also provide you with healthy energy, fiber and can reduce cholesterol. This very hearty and warming lentil soup is straight out of my grandma’s recipe book. Yes, back in the day my granny would be adding meat and butter to this recipe. So I’ve amended it to give you the updated, modern day vegan version. There’s dosha tipps & amendments suitable for your body type as always included in the sections below. Amend this dish suiting your type and I am certain it’ll soon become one of your favourite kitchen staples! Enjoy!

What about digestion ?

You have probably experienced that lentils & beans can cause the odd bout of gas (or bloating). This is why lentils (or beans) are also called the ‘musical fruit’. This is due to the naturally occuring saponins which lentils have to protect themselves against insects. Saponins form the sudsy foam on the surface of a cooking pot of beans. They prevent protein digestion resulting in stagnation and gas of the bowels. Brown lentils are slightly more difficult to digest for some (rather than red lentils or yellow lentils which are slightly easier to digest). Brown lentils are best for Pitta and Kapha. However, due to their drying quality, they may aggravate an already dry Vata dosha.

Cooking Tips to Improve Digestion

Cooking lentils with oil and digestive herbs will help improve their digestibility. Soak the lentils at least for 6 hours or overnight (as a rule of thumb you should do this with all types of lentils). Yellow mung dal and red lentils require the least amount of soaking (with only a minimum of 1 hour before cooking). Don’t add salt until after lentils are completely cooked. By adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process it will make the outside hard, increasing the cooking time. Also ensure that the lentils are completely cooked. If they are not cooked fully they may stress the digestive system. Always eat pulses with plenty of culinary herbs and spices to help digest them, for example asafoetida, ajwain and fennel. Others such as cumin, coriander and fresh ginger can also also help.

Feeling Vata: Brown lentils can be a little tricky for you to digest, cause bloating and gas and canmake a very dry Vata even drier. If you know that this is you, then you can replace the brown lentils in this recipe with red lentils. I, for example, am a Vata/Pitta type and and can tolerate brown lentils in moderation. Always ensure you soak your lentils at least for 6 hours.

Feeling Pitta: This soup works really well for you, go for it!

Feeling Kapha: This is a good meail for you. You can try adding more black pepper, some caynenne, or other warming spice such cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Adding these spices to your cooking can invigorate a sluggish kapha digestion.

Healing Recipe

Granny’s Hearty Lentil Soup

Granny’s Hearty Lentil Soup (Vegan Style)

This very hearty lentil soup is straight out of my granny's recipe book. It's vegan, it's tasty, it's healthy! Yes, back in the day my granny would be adding meat and butter to this recipe. So I've amended it to give you the updated, modern day vegan version. There's dosha tipps & amendments suitable for your body type as always included in the sections below. Amend this dish suiting your type and I am certain it'll soon become one of your favourite kitchen staples! Enjoy!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Course Main Course, Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes diced
1.5 Litres stock ensure you use stock or stock cubes that are pure and with good quality organic herbs only. Avoid stock that has maltodextrin, sugars or extra fats added (no fats needed in a good stock powder). Also avoid all types of flavourings (natural and un-natural) as these are usually just cover-ups for different types of MSG.
250 gramm brown lentils
1 leek chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
8 medium carrots chopped

Instructions

Add the potatoes and the chopped carrots to large cooking pot and cover in the stock and start cooking on medium heat.
Put the lentils in a seperate pot, cover with water (rule: 3 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils), and bring to the boil.
Once the lentils have boiled, reduce to medium heat and simmer for around 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.
Once the carrots and potatoes are cooked, add the leeks and keep simmering on low to medium heat.
Once lentils are cooked, drain them off the cooking water and add them to the potato, leek and carrots mix.
Add the chopped parsley to the pot and simmer everything for another 5 minutes.
Season with salt & pepper and serve in warm bowls.
Enjoy!

Keyword ayurveda, dosha, grannys, healthy, hearty, lentils, Soup, stew, winterwarmer

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ginger and apple puree in glass jars displayed with apples

Apple & Ginger Puree – Adrenal Healing Snack

Leave a comment December 10, 2021 jayjagger

Lovely Apple Puree with a Sweet Kick

Do you like apple puree but thought it could do with a bit of a re-vamp? Then here it is! This apple puree comes with a special warming ginger kick plus deliciously added sweetness from some succulent dried medjool dates. A super healthy go-to-snack when you need that little pick me up but don’t want to grab that naughty chocolate bar. Apple puree is also a great winter-warming snack for your kids or delicious as an after dinner or lunch dessert that won’t leave you feeling guilty.

Adrenal Healing ?

This Apple Puree is not only delicious it’s also good for your Adrenals & Your happy Hormones

The combination of ingredients in this puree delivers the right balance of glucose (apple), sodium (celery) and potassium (date) that your body needs in order to prevent blood sugar dips that force your adrenals to fill in and release adrenaline. Eating the right kind of snacks every few hours helps to restore your adrenals and brings your stress hormones back into balance. Click here for more info on adrenal snacks and adrenal health.

Dates are not only packed with potassium. Dates also contain phyto-hormones that resemble oxytocin, the ‘tend and befriend hormone’. Chewing dates slowly can thus calm you down and cheer you up in stressful situations. Date sugars also contain more complex carbohydrates than other fruits. These complex carbohydrates take longer to digest. Because of this they release their energy more slowly into your body and curb your appetite longer than simple sugars.

Feeling Vata: This is a very good snack for you, feel free to eat it a few times during the day. Especially if you are very Vata or if you’re adrenals are exhausted (adrenal fatigue, etc.). If you feel very Vata you can omit the celery and replace with half a sweet potatoe (cooked). Soak your dates before cooking.

Feeling Pitta: This snack works well for you. Leave it as it is, but ensure the apple is sweet and not sour and the dates have been soaked prior to using

Feeling Kapha: Dates can aggravate an already heavy Kapha. Simply make this recipe without the dates.

Healing Recipe

Apple & Ginger Puree – Adrenal Healing Snack

Apple & Ginger Puree – Adrenal Healing Snack

Do you like apple puree but thought it could do with a bit of a re-vamp? Then here it is! This apple puree comes with a warming ginger kick and a very delicious sweetness from the added dates. A super healthy go-to-snack when you need that little pick me up but don’t want to grab that naughty chocolate bar. Apple puree is also a great winter-warming snack for your kids or delicious as an after dinner or lunch dessert that won’t leave you feeling guilty.

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 15

Course Dessert, Snack

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 medium apple chopped
1 thumb size knob of fresh ginger chopped
2 medium dates chopped
half a teapsoon of cinnamon optional
half a stalk of celery chopped
1 tsbp of maple syrup optional
2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Add the chopped apple to a heavy bottom sauce-pan and turn to medium to high heat. Add one or two tablespoons of water and start cooking.
Add the chopped dates.
Add the chopped celery stalk.
Cook on medium to high heat with a lid on between 10 – 15 minutes until the apples are well cooked and a bit mushy.
Once cooked turn off the heat and let cool down for a few minutes.
Add the apples, dates & celery mix to a high-speed blender. Add the chopped ginger.
Add the lemon juice.
Blend on high-speed until you have a creamy mix.
Optional: add a spoonful of maple syrup for some added sweetness.
Optional: add half a teaspoon of cinammon.

Notes

Store in an air-tight glass jar. Keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Keyword apple, celery, dates, dessert, ginger, puree, snack, sweets

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Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

Leave a comment December 8, 2021 jayjagger

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.

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

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

Cook Time 15

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

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Vegan Borscht: Anti-Inflammatory & Liver Protecting

Leave a comment December 6, 2021 jayjagger

Vegan Borscht

This modern, vegan version of a traditional classic borscht is super flavourful, warming and brimming with anti-inflammatory properties.

What is Borscht?

Borscht! Borscht! Borscht! What’s not to like about this so very flavourful, earthy and deeply fullfilling spectactle of a soup? Traditionally made with beetroot, potatoes and some form of beef stock, borscht is a classic kitchen recipe associated with the cuisine of eastern and central Europe (especially Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine). Here we will cook a delicious vegan version of this all-time hearty favourite.

What is beetroot food for?

Beetroot is good for the liver:

They contain antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin B-6, and iron. These compounds help protect the liver from inflammation and oxidative stress while enhancing its ability to remove toxins from the body. Beets’ juice has traditionally been used as a remedy to activate liver enzymes and to increase bile, which helps the liver’s detox function. They are also high in compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation, protect against oxidative stress and reduce the risk of liver damage.

Beets can reduce inflammation:

Their juice contains anti-inflammatory compounds called betalains. Many studies have shown that betalains help modulate inflammatory reactions, especially in inflammatory diseases. Beetroots therefor make a great choice for people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Beetroots can help reduce blood pressure:

Beets naturally contain large quantities of nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. This compound dilates the blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers overall blood pressure.

Beets can help prevent anemia:

Beetroots are also rich in iron, an essential component of red blood cells. Without iron, red blood cells cannot transport oxygen around the body. People who have low iron levels can sometimes develop a condition called iron deficiency anemia. Adding sources of iron to the diet can reduce the risk of this condition.

Feeling Vata: This soup is great for you. Packed full of root vegetables to ground lofty Vata especially during winter times or whenever you feel a little out of sorts. Cabbage can be ok for Vata if cooked and not eaten too often, however if you know that cabbage gets you really gassy, then you can leave out the cabbage and cook the soup without it.

Feeling Pitta: Beetroots pacify pitta so this is a very good soup for you. If you’re feeling very Pitta leave out the garlic. Ensure you use the white and not the red onion as red onions can aggravate pitta.

Feeling Kapha: As this soup is full of root vegetables which can aggravate an already heavy Kapha, this is not the best soup for you to enjoy when your Kapha is high. A healing mung bean soup is much more pacifying for your dosha and easier for you to digest, leaving you feeling less heavy. However if you do want to enjoy a bit of beetroot goodness, than use much less of the beetroots and carrots and use more of the cabbage (can also be substituted with white cabbage). Use very little or no salt but you can add more black pepper and more of the lemon juice.

Healing Recipe

Liver Protecting & Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot Borscht

Liver Protecting & Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot Borscht

Borscht! Borscht! Borscht! What’s not to like about this so very flavourful, earthy and deeply fullfilling spectactle of a soup? Traditionally made with beetroot, potatoes and some form of beef stock, borscht is a classic kitchen recipe associated with the cuisine of eastern and central Europe, especially Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine. Here we will cook a delicious vegan version of this all-time hearty favourite, that’s also very good for your health!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped finely
1 medium white or red onion
6 beetroots, diced cooked (I use the pre-cooked ones from the supermarket)
1 small piece of celeriac diced
2 celery stalks chopped
4 large potatoes diced
700 gr red cabbage sliced into fine strips
1 tsp black caraway ground in pestle and mortar
4 carrots sliced
2 bayleaves
2 tbsp parsley chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste
1,25 liter vegetable broth without added fats or additives, and no added yeast or MSG or natural flavourings
salt to taste
pepper to taste
juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions

Fry the onion and the garlic in the oil on low to medium heat for a few minutes until softened.
Add the diced potatoes and fry lightly along with the onion and garlic mix for a few minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the celery stalks, the beetroot and the celeriac. I always add the juice from the pack of the cooked beetroot (if using raw beetroot cook these first for 30 – 40 min and then add to this mix). Keep cooking on medium heat and stir frequently for around five minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Add the cabbage and the black caraway.
Add the remaining vegetables, bay leaves, the tomato paste and salt and pepper.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Stir several times. Season to taste with salt (but try and go easy with it as this is a healing soup. Try and avoid the salt altogether if you can).
After 20 mins have passed, try the soup to see if all the vegetables are cooked through and tender. If so, take the soup off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Now you are ready to serve and eat your soup! Voila!

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Nourishing Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Leave a comment February 10, 2021 jayjagger

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?!

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

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

If you are using dry shitake mushrooms, ensure that you soak them in water before cooking for usually 5-8 hours (according to pack).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now add the lentils. Stir well into the vegetable and spice mix.
Add the paprika and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
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.
Add the bay leaves.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the shitake mushrooms if using.
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).
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.
Squeeze half a lemon and stir through the soup.
Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
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.

amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth Porridge With Pears and Dried Fruits

Leave a comment October 20, 2020 jayjagger

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.

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 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

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.
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.
Add the vanilla and the cinnamon and cook for another few minutes.
Then add the raisins to the pot and slowly mix through.
Take off the heat, then serve with maple syrup and extra cinnamon.
Voila!

warm amaranth breakfast bowl with apples and raisins

Warming Amaranth Bowl With Apples & Raisins

Leave a comment October 20, 2020 jayjagger

If oats, millet and Co. are not for you, or you simply want a bit of a change to your morning breakfast routine, try out some amaranth porridge for breakfast. It’s light and dry nature makes it an ideal grain for the Kapha dosha.
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 salt for example.

Feeling Vata: you can try if this recipee works for you by adding coconut oil or olive oil, adding more salt and adding plenty of soaked raisins, figs or dates, and more of the sweet apple. Or simply cook this recipee but use oats instead of the amaranth.

Feeling Pitta: this is a great breakfast for you as amaranth is pacifying for Pittas. Raisins and sweet apples work well for you too, so it’s a WINNER!

Feeling Kapha: amaranth’s astringent nature is a superb psydo-grain for Kapha’s as it drys up excess mucus and helps remove Kapha’s excess dampness. Apples and raisins are fine for you too.

Weekly Recipe

Warming Amaranth Bowl with Apples & Raisins

Yield: 1 Bowl

Warming Amaranth Bowl with Apples & Raisins

If oats, millet and Co. are not for you, or you simply want a bit of a change to your morning breakfast routine, try out some amaranth porridge for breakfast. It's light and dry nature makes it an ideal grain for the Kapha dosha.
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 salt for example.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 x cup amaranth, soaked in water over night
1 x full apple, diced
1/2 x teaspoon cardamom
1/4 x cup raisins, soaked over night
1/4 x teaspoon salt
1 x cup of water
maple syrup to serve
fresh figs or other fruit to garnish

Instructions

Chop the apple into small pieces.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of water in a medium sized sauce pan.
Add the cardamom and cinnamom and mix well with the water.
Then add all remaining ingredients (apart from the water) and mix well, whilst still heating on a medium heat.
Then add the water and bring to the boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the amaranth becomes light and fluffy. Keep stirring every now and then, as amaranth can stick and burn quickly at the bottom of the pan!
Serve with extra cinnamon, maple syrup, and garnish with fresh figs or other stewed or fresh fruit.

Cooling Green Soup

Leave a comment October 17, 2020 jayjagger

In need of a detox? Feeling too hot? Is your skin playing up? On a cleanse? Or simply on the look-out for a nice nourishing lunch full of greeny goodness? Then you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to mix up the greens in this soup and add in more greens that you like and that you know make you feel good. Adding more greens to your diet has a myriad of health benefits such as boosting our digestive enzymes, drawing toxins from your digestive tract, cleansing your liver, balancing blood sugars, making your skin glow, supporting bone health (dark leafy greens contain plenty of calcium), relieving stress and fighting belly bloat.

Feeling Vata: feeling very light and in need of grounding goodness? Simply add a carrot or two, an extra potatoe, or experiment with adding half a fennel bulb, or more of the peas or the zuchini.

Feeling Pitta: This is the soup for you. If feeling overly Pitta, leave out the garlic or the onion, or only use half. You can add more mint and you can always add in more greens, as greens are for you!

Feeling Kapha: You can leave out the zuchini if you like, but only if feeling overly Kapha. Leafy greens are great for you, so go for it!!

Weekly Recipe

Cooling Green Soup