Stewed apples and pears with star anise cinnamon and syrup

Stewed Apples & Pears With Star Anise & Cinnamon

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These simple stewed apples and pears are a nice alternative to a grainy breakfast that is easy to make and wipped up in minutes.

Simple but good is what this breakfast provides. It’s a nice alternative to a breakfast full of grains, and even though it’s only fruits, I feel this breakfast always fills me up nicely until mid-day. Cooking time and prep doesn’t take long, which is always a winner in the morning. I usually get up, chop my fruits and cook them on a low heat while I jump into the shower. Out the shower: voila – breakfast is ready!

Cooking your fruits slowly is important:

Stewing your fruits is best when you add a little water and or lemon juice to the bottom of the pan. Heat the fruits on low heat and cook slowly, stirring frequently if you can. This way you’re breaking down the fibre slowly and by not overheating keeping those important health benefits that you want from the fruit.

If you cook fruit too hot and too quickly. you’ll loose lots of the vitamins and minerals by destroying them in the fast and hot heat. Therefor go steady and take your time, leaving a lid on whilst your stewing your fruit slowly bit surely.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: add some lemon juice to the pot when you start cooking the fruits. Experiment with adding some freshly chopped ginger and more warming spices such as cinnamon and cardamom.

Feeling Pitta: sweet fruits for breakfast work well for you. Enjoy!

Feeling Kapha: If you’re Kapha is very strong, I’d avoid sweet fruits for breakfast as this can make you tired and lethargic. However if you want to go for it, add at least a thumb sized knob of ginger (minced) when cooking your fruits and add more cinnamon and cardamom to boost that metabolism of yours.

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Stewed Apples and Pears with Star Anise and Cinnamon

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Yield: 1 Bowl

Stewed Apples and Pears with Star Anise and Cinnamon

Stewed apples and pears with star anise cinnamon and syrup

Simple but good is what this breakfast provides. It's a nice alternative to a breakfast full of grains, and even though it's only fruits, I feel this breakfast always fills me up nicely until mid-day. Cooking time and prep doesn't take long, which is always a winner in the morning. I usually get up, chop my fruits and cook them on a low heat while I jump into the shower. Out the shower: voila - breakfast is ready!

Ingredients

  • 1-2 apples, depending on your appetite, diced
  • 1-2 pears, depending on your appetite, diced
  • 5 whole cloves
  • about 60ml water
  • 1 x star anise
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • maple or date syrup to serve
  • optional: oat or millet porridge

Instructions

  1. Add the apples and pears to a small heavy bottom sauce-pan, together with the cloves, water and star anise, and bring slowly to a boil.
  2. Then turn heat down to a low and simmer, lid on, for about 10 minutes or until the fruits have reached their desired consistency. I like it very soft!
  3. Add the cinnamon, and take off the heat. Let cool for about 10 minutes, than serve.
  4. Optional: cook yourself some nice oat or millet porridge, than topp with your stewed fruits, drizzle with syrup and serve, voila!

Notes

Feel free to experiment and add dried fruits such as raisins, figs and dates (etc. ) to the mix (soaked overnight is always best for all three doshas when using dried fruits).

© jayjagger
amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth Porridge With Pears and Dried Fruits

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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,

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Amaranth Porridge with Pears and Dried Fruits

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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!
© jayjagger

Yummy Breakfast Compote

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This delicate bowl of stewed fruits, seeds and warming spices is very deceptive in its actual breakfast prowess. Can just stewed fruits and seeds fill you up enough for the morning? YES. THEY CAN.
An absolute great addition to your breakfast repertoire, this bowl of yummy goodness won’t disappoint. Brimming with vitamins and minerals, high in antioxidants and gut cleansing seeds, this breakfast is a must for anyone who wants to start their day healthy and clean, but not skim on the taste in any way. If you’re doing a cleanse, you can simply leave out the seeds and add more apples and bananas instead to bulk out the breakfast and not go hungry.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: This is a great breakfast for you. Experiment with adding other sweet fruits that you like, such a mangos, or add soaked raisins and dates. You also do well by eating this breakfast as warm as possible. If you use nuts for sprinkling you do best with re-activated nuts (soaked then roasted).

Feeling Pitta: If you’re feeling very Pitta leave out the Banana (you can replace with Mango instead or simply omit). Chia can sometimes aggravate Pitta’s. If you feel that’s the case simply replace the chia seeds with more flax seeds. Topp your compote with soaked & roasted Almonds.

Feeling Kapha: Avoid the Banana and use fresh apples that have a nice astringent taste. Use more chia and less of the flax seeds. Experiment with extra warming spices such as ginger, allspice, anise. Avoid topping with nuts.

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Yummy Breakfast Compote

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Yield: 1 Portion

Yummy Breakfast Compote

Yummy Breakfast Compote

This delicate bowl of stewed fruits, seeds and warming spices is very deceptive in its actual breakfast prowess. Can just stewed fruits and seeds fill you up enough for the morning? YES. THEY CAN.

An absolute great addition to your breakfast repertoire, this bowl of yummy goodness won't disappoint. Brimming with vitamins and minerals, high in antioxidants and gut cleansing seeds, this breakfast is a must for anyone who wants to start their day healthy and clean, but not skim on the taste in any way.

If you're doing a cleanse, you can simply leave out the seeds and add more apples and bananas instead to bulk out the breakfast and not go hungry.

Ingredients

  • 1 x thumb size fresh ginger root, chopped
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 x Banana, chopped
  • 1 x Apple or Pear (or both), chopped
  • 1-2 figs (optional), chopped
  • 1-2 handfulls of blueberries (I use wild ones from frozen)
  • 1 x teaspoon sunflower seeds (soaked over night if possible but also works without)
  • 1 x teaspoon pumpkin seeds (soaked over night if possible but also works without)
  • 2 x teaspoon flax seeds (soaked overnight if possible)
  • 2 x teaspoons chia seeds (soaked over night if possible)
  • 1 x teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • half a teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions

  1. Add a little water to the bottom of a medium sized saucepan.
  2. Add the chopped ginger and set heat setting to medium.
  3. Add all the chopped fruits and the frozen blueberries, leave heat on a medium, cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and until the fruits start to soften nicely.
  4. Add the lemon juice, and all the seeds (flax, chia, pupkin and sunflower), plus the cinnamon and cardamom, and stir everything in. Lower the heat slightly to a low simmer and continue to cook with the lid on for abother 8 - 10 minutes.
  5. If the mixture is bubbling too much when the lid is on, turn the heat a little bit lower. You want to stew the fruit mixture slowly and not over cook it.
  6. Cook like this until all the fruits are nicely cooked and the whole mixture has a nice and gooey consistency.
  7. Take the pot of the heat and let the mixture sit and cool down for about 8 minutes with the lid on.
  8. Pour the mixture into a bowl, sprinkle with roasted nuts of your choice, and VOILA, your yummy breakfast compote is at the ready.


NOTE: If on a cleanse, leave out all the seeds and simply stew the fruits with lemon juice, the ginger and spices. Add extra portions of fruits to make up for the lack of seeds.

© jayjagger