Recipes
Ghee – what is it & how do you make it?
Ghee – what is it & how do you make it?
Ghee is clarified butter. Although it is prepared completely from butter, its properties, according to Ayurveda, are very different from butter itself.
In many cases, ghee is recommended to be used in the diet. Even though ghee is understood not to raise cholesterol levels, if you have a cholesterol problem, check with your doctor / consultant before using ghee. If this has been recommended for you, you may either purchase ghee – consult whoever prescribed it for you as most commercial ghee is not very good. Home made ghee is always much better.
There are two ways to prepare the ghee yourself:
According to the time-tested principles of Ayurvedic medicine eating heavy hard to digest foods at night is the seed for all disorders – from fatigue, excess weight through to serious disease.
These problems are magnified if also eating late. Eating a ‘light’ dinner (according to appetite) reasonably early (digested by the time you go to bed) is one of the single most important things you can do for your lifelong health, happiness and personal performance.
*Perfect for fresh, hot, cooked, convenient & tasty meals…whenever you want
Ideal for Vegetable Pasta, Rice, Semolina, Dhal, Noodles etc
For pasta, semolina, cous cous, noodles etc
This is a great little recipe for having on dry biscuits, or dipping celery or carrot sticks etc. into. Great as an afternoon snack, or for serving at lunch/dinner parties for your friends.
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches fresh basil
- 2/3 cup unsalted cashews
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Approx. ½ – 1 tsp unrefined sea salt or good quality, natural salt e.g. Himalayan Crystal salt
- Optional (Mark loves this) – Organic coconut cream
Preparation
- Place all ingredients into a blender (a good quality one that can handle nuts) and mix.
- Add a couple more nuts if your mixture is too liquidy, or add some more olive oil if it’s too dry.
- Use more or less coconut cream, salt or lemon juice to taste.
Also known as Vegetable Fritters.
Kids and adults alike love these. This recipe is based on the Indian Pakora, which is a fried vegetable fritter dish made with besan (chickpea) flour. When the fritters are cooked with this flour it adds flavour and crunchiness. They are ideally served with chutney.
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Quick Tip:
- If you have a food processor, to save time, instead of grating the vegetables, put them all together and chop them up in the processor.
- To make your own Besan flour, add dry chickpeas in small batches to a food processor, coffee grinder or blender and process until pulverized and smooth. Then run through a sieve to remove any large particles. Use as directed in the recipe.
Ingredients:
- Besan Flour – ¼ cup
- Wholemeal Flour – 1 cup
- Coriander powder – ½ tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Garam Masala – 1 tspn
- Salt – ½ tsp
- Water – 1 cup
- Ghee or Olive Oil – appx 1 Tblspn – for shallow frying.
- 4 cups of grated/finely chopped seasonal vegetables – a combination of any if the following depending what you have in the fridge: eg. Pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, red capsicum, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, leek, fennel.
How to Make:
1. In a medium bowl, mix the besan and wholemeal flour together. Stir in the coriander, turmeric, garam masala and salt.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix. Gradually pour in the water and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
3. Add the grated vegetables into the flour mix and combine well.
Ingredients:
- rolled oats/oatmeal or ground semolina – both available at health food shops and some supermarkets)
- turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, ground ginger, saffron (optional)
- fresh dates and/or raisins
- raw or preferably unprocessed sugar (Rapadura or Muscovado)
How to Make:
In a saucepan, before turning on any heat…
- add about 1/2 a cup per person of oats or semolina
- add milk according to the consistency you like (usually about double the quantity of oats or semolina* If trying to lose weight, instead of using skim milk, use 1/2 milk and 1/2 water
- Stir the mixture to an even consistency before adding heat (this will reduce lumps)
- Put on low/medium heat and while regularly stirring…
- Add cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric & ground ginger – 1-2 pinches per person
- Saffron – 4-5 hairs (optional)
- 1-2 dates cut into small pieces or 15- 20 raisins
- Sugar to taste
- Continue stirring (and adding more milk or hot water if needed) until cooked.
This will be just a few minutes with semolina or oatmeal but longer with rolled oats (see packet).
To assist your body’s natural ‘elimination cycle’, take one of the following, first thing each morning.
- One Glass of ROOM TEMPERATURE WATER (even better if boiled for 5+ minutes first & then cooled)
- One Glass of BOILED WATER with 10-20 drops of FRESH LEMON JUICE and 2 teaspoons of ALOE VERA JUICE
* Females – Do NOT take the Aloe Vera if menstruating!
As above
+ 2 pinches GINGER POWDER
+ 1-2 pinch TURMERIC
Medicated Milk Recipe – for Settled Sleep
Medicated Milk Recipe – for Settled Sleep
Having trouble getting to sleep or would just like a more settled sleep?
From Western science, we know that an essential amino acid called ‘tryptophan’, helps promote sleep. In the science of Ayurveda, it is known that ‘warm nourishing’ things, help settle the nervous system and therefore assist settled sleep. Put the two together and we see why ‘warm miilk’ (milk contains ‘tryptophan’) is a great age-old remedy* for sleep.
Try this ‘sleep-inducing’ recipe.
1/2 cup of milk * must be boiled – see below
2 pinch ginger powder
2 pinch cardamom
3 pinch nutmeg – * don’t have nutmeg during day or before driving etc as it can make drowsy in higher doses.
3-4 hairs of saffron * optional – not essential
A little raw sugar if like.
Bring to boil – boil for 1-2 minutes and drink about 15-30 minutes before bed.
Important Notes:
1. Do NOT use Soy Milk or Skim Milk for this purpose – Soy can be okay for other purposes, but neither are ‘real’ milk, which is important for this purpose.
2. If you have trouble with milk or are ‘weight-conscious’ etc, use low-fat’ milk or half milk & half water.
* While this drink can give great results, it is really just a ‘symptomatic’ remedy. If you have a chronic sleep problem, it is of course, important to treat the real underlying cause. This is usually more to do with poor daily routine issues, stress, over-activity at night etc. We will take a more comprehensive look at ‘proper sleep’ at another time.
* Do not drink medicated milk straight after a late dinner as it does not mix with savoury foods. Better to have medicated milk a minumum of 1 hour after dinner.
Alternative Breakfast to ‘Processed’ Cereals
Ingredients:
- 1-2 green apples (some varieties cook more easily than others) or pears
- 2-3 cloves
- 2 pinches ginger powder
- Optional – Rapadura sugar (or other unrefined sugar or Stevia), cardamom, cinnamon, licorice (to taste), raisins
Quantities: based on 1 person – increase accordingly.
Pre-preparation
Peel the apples/pears and cut/dice into small pieces.
In a saucepan
- Put in the apples/pears and add ½ cup water (you may need to add more as you go)
- Put on low heat and cook slowly
- Add cloves, ginger and anything else you like – e.g. raisins, sugar, 3 pinches cardamom
- Put a lid on the saucepan and cook slowly till fork friendly (soft but not mushy)
Notes:
This is a general guide only – vary to suit
Re; sugar – generally 1/2 a teaspoon or so is okay but depends on individual.
Ingredients
- fresh ginger (fruit & vegie shop)
- turmeric, coriander, cumin seeds, others you like (supermarket)
- black mustard seeds, asoefitida/hing (Indian/ Asian market/grocers)
- semolina (coarse best) or cous cous (both in supermarket/health shop)
Quantities: based on 2 people
Pre-preparation
- have all spices ready in advance
- finely cut/grate fresh ginger – approx. 1 tspn
- cut vegies
- boil water in a pot/kettle (to add to food while cooking)
- i. Cous cous (wash 2 large handfuls and drain) ii. Semolina (dry roast until light brown)
In a saucepan
- pour in some oil (olive etc) – approx 3 tspn or according to recommendation
- heat oil on low/medium heat
- Add black mustard seeds – approx ¾ tspn (have lid on!!!)
- Wait until seeds have danced (popped)
- Add cumin seeds – ¾ tspn
- Add fresh ginger
- Add turmeric – approx. ¼ teaspoon
- Add asoefitida/hing – 1-2 pinch (small quantity)
- Add other spices you wish – coriander, cloves etc
- add vegies and stir into spices (brings flavour into)
- add water (hot) and cook
- when veggies are 3-4 minutes from being cooked add semolina or cous cous plus enough hot water for the consistency you like
- stir regularly adding water when needed until cooked – 3-4 minutes
*** add salt near end of cooking
Notes:
This is a general guide only – vary to suit
Add chutneys, churnas etc to taste
Ingredients:
- fresh ginger (fruit & vegie shop)
- turmeric, coriander, cumin seeds, others you like ( supermarket )
- black mustard seeds, asoefitida/hing (Indian/ Asian market/grocers)
Quantities: based on 2 people
Pre-preparation
- Have whatever you are spicing ready in advance – cut vegies, wash rice/dahl etc
- Finely cut/grate fresh ginger – approx. 1 tspn)
Directions
- In a saucepan pour in some oil ( olive etc ) – approx 3 tspn or according to recommendation
- heat oil on low/medium heat
- Add black mustard seeds – approx ¾ tspn ( have lid on!!!)
- Wait until seeds have danced (popped)
- Add cumin seeds – ¾ tspn
- Add fresh ginger
- Add turmeric – approx. ¼ teaspoon
- Add asoefitida/hing – 1-2 pinch (small quantity)
- Add other spicesyou wish – coriander, cloves etctomato great with dahl (add here)
- add vegies or rice or dahletc and stir into spices ( brings flavour into)
- add water and cook
*** add salt near end of cooking
Notes:
Dry roasting rice first makes it lighter ( easier to digest )
This is a general guide only – vary to suit
Mark’s Super Green Healthy Breakfast Juice
Mark’s Super Green Healthy Breakfast Juice
People often ask what I have for breakfast. I have a variety of things, depending on the season, my appetite, and what ‘I feel like’. but here is one of my all-time favourites – its super healthy, super delicious, and super green.
Spring Cleaning … for your Insides
Spring Cleaning … for your Insides
Just as we spring clean our house, the ancient traditions of health advise that we should also spring clean our insides. While in my ‘Year-round health & well-being program’, we go through a number of suggestions to do this, one great (but easy) little tip to help you ‘internally’ spring clean your body is to take the following drink first thing each morning (you can do it right through summer).