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WarmthTHE COOKBOOK

Copyright notice This book is copyrighted and all rights reserved by the Mudita Institute. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Copyright owner. 3rd edition. Copyright 2010 by Mudita Institute. All rights reserved. Mudita Institute Northern NSW Australia Cover design and cookbook layout by Nadia Marshall Main quotes by Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett

Contents Welcome !Cultivating Kindness & Warmth 9! The Kitchen !Setting Up A ‘Warm’ Kitchen 15!Stocking A ‘Warm’ Pantry 18! Breakfast !Breaking The Fast… 23!Fine Oats Porridge 25!Hearty Oats Porridge 26!Stewed Breakfast Apples 27!Rice Flakes Porridge 29!Semolina Porridge 31!Beetroot Porridge 32!Sago Porridge 33!Buckwheat Pancakes 34!Granola 35! Lunch !The Midday Feast… 39!Rice Pilau 41!Poha & Coriander Pilau 43!Pumpkin & Spinach Curry 44!Potato & Cauliflower Curry 45!Chickpea Curry 47!Roast Veggies & Couscous 48!Adzuki Bean & Pumpkin Curry 49!Warm Soba Noodle Salad 51!

Lunch CONT…

Simple Asian Stir-Fry 52!Fried Rice 53!Sesame & Asparagus Noodles 55!Roasted Pumpkin Couscous 56!Fennel & Tomato Couscous 57!Moroccan Puy Lentils 59!Carrot & Beetroot Patties 60!Fresh Herb Pasta 61!Fennel & Pine Nut Pasta 62!Spinach & Ricotta Pie 63! Dinner !The Light Evening Meal… 67!One Pot Kicharee 69!Two Pot Kicharee 70!Masoor Daal 71!Coriander Daal 72!Buttermilk Curry 73!One Pot Daal Soup 74!Two Pot Daal Soup 75!Mulligatawny Soup 77!Veggie Soup 78!Corn Chowder 79!Thai Sweet Potato Soup 81!Simple Pumpkin Soup 82!Quick Asian Soup 83!French Onion Miso Soup 84!Zucchini & Spinach Soup 85!Barley & Vegetable Soup 87!

Staples, Sauces & Accompaniments !Yeast Free Flat Breads 91!Steamed Basmati Rice 92!Steamed Red Rice 92!Roasted Brown Rice 93!Steamed Greens 94!Winter Salad 95!Gomasio 97!Coriander Pesto 98!White Miso & Maple Syrup Sauce 99!Mint & Coriander Chutney 100!Tahini Sauce 101!Warm Shitake & Dill Sauce 102!Roast Beetroot Sauce 103!Make Your Own Coconut Milk 104!Make Your Own Ghee 105! Sweets !Besan & Poppy Seed Pudding 109!Green Tea Zen Temple Pudding 111!Vermicelli Kheer 112!Cardamom Semolina Cake 113!Carrot & Almond Cake 114!Ginger Anzac Cookies 115!Bindi Balls 117! Drinks !Morning Ginger Tea 120!Sweet Lemon Water 121!Buttermilk Substitute 122!Cooling Rose Lassi 123!Fruit & Nut Energy Shake 125!Five Spice Chai 126!Sunthi Chai 127!Ajwain Chai 128!Bedtime Turmeric Milk 129!

“In this cookbook, we wish to give an experience of ‘Warmth’. We offer a collection of recipes that will help build a foundation for deeper

personal clarity on the matters of health & happiness; that will serve in the transformation of the mental

& physical factors that are obstacles to not only our health, but to our fundamental desire to be happy,

energetic & compassionate people.”

Welcome

Cultivating Kindness & Warmth Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett In my deepest heart, I believe that a happy and healthy relationship with life, each other, and our own bodies and minds, dwells entirely in developing our capacity to be kind. Everything else regarding health and happiness flows from here. To give tender attention to our bodies and minds, to life itself, to its questions, wonders, and mysteries, constitutes a path in life that enhances our human potential for clarity of mind, body, and heart. It’s about ‘digesting’ our joy, our heartaches, our difficulties, our love and our dreams. Physically, spiritually, and mentally we are always in an eternal relationship with ‘sustenance’. Throughout the cosmos, a process of movement, transmutation and adaptation is always occurring - from the inside to the out, and the outside to the in; the universal to the particular, the particular to the universal. In the ancient traditions of health and healing, food is our fundamental starting focus to understand and live in harmony with these universal forces and processes of life. It can bring about a state of mind and body that leads to disease, suffering and mental imbalance, or to a state of mind and body that leads ultimately to perfect health of body, mind and spirit. Eating good food directly connects us to a soulfulness, a sense of connectedness, with nature and with the lessons it holds for us. The essential ‘point’ to kindness, in terms of health, is that it establishes the necessary quality of approach for us to understand our bodies and minds. This is a simple statement, but a vast endeavour. Kindness leads to a deeper patience, clearer powers of observation, and eventually to a precise path of self-care. Without it, we are guaranteed to be agitated - however subtle or unnoticed that may be - prone to greed, and blind to good sense. With it, we begin to sense and experience what is needed to be healthy and happy.

This is what I call developing ‘Warmth’ – of giving back to our lives, an appreciation of simplicity and its power. Simplicity is not superficiality; it is what assists in the continuing creation of deep wisdom, compassion and down-to-earth kindness; empowering us with the right dosage of a steady and firm conviction in our own abilities to self-manage our health. The purity and choices of the food we eat is the first doorway to awaken kindness and balance in the body and mind. The digestive system’s power and intelligence (‘Agni’ in Ayurvedic terminology) is the crucial factor of all health. It governs the entire mind/body chain of nutrition, as it co-ordinates the body in the digestive and elimination processes. Well-digested meals give us energy and nourishment. Poorly digested meals set off chain reactions that create contaminating by-products that stick to our gastrointestinal tract (‘Ama’ in Ayurvedic terminology). This tires and weakens the mind/body, as it endeavours to ‘burn-off’ the toxins that will circulate to the deeper tissues and organs. The more we eat poorly, the more constant is this task. Therefore, indigestion is a serious matter for our lives - not a small inconvenience. Due to the chain of nutrition, poor digestion in the body leads to poor digestion of thoughts in the mind. Poor digestion of thoughts leads back to poor choices of intake for our senses and diet. The body will cope most of the time, especially in our earlier years. But coping with the presence of undigested foods and their toxic by-products steals from our deeper storehouses of immunity and energy. The energy that is, according to the ancient sciences of mind/body, meant to fuel our ‘spirit’ and evolution. In other words, it’s a waste of energy and endowment, keeping us in a basic mode of being. Thus, we need to do two things: (1) eat foods that are easily digested by the body and leave only simple wastes, and (2) enhance the ways in which we encourage digestive strength and harmonisation.

Mind and body need to work with, not against, each other. This is stated again and again in the all the ancient systems of health and healing - Buddhism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, to name a few. The body responds to good digestion and a warm attitude, by better coordinating our cellular intelligence. When problematic substances for the body and mind to cope with are not produced; and when chemicals and hormones that enhance enthusiasm, immunity, harmony, and the ability to manage our senses are produced; we are better able to see, learn and use this body/mind well. In this cookbook, we wish to give an experience of ‘Warmth’. We offer a collection of recipes that will help build a foundation for deeper personal clarity on the matters of health and happiness; that will serve in the transformation of the mental and physical factors that are obstacles to not only our health, but to our fundamental desire to be happy, energetic and compassionate people.

“A ‘Warm’, welcoming, well-organised kitchen is a pleasure to spend time in. Of course we cannot all have the perfect kitchen, but we can make the most of the one we do have

by taking the time to set it up well.”

The Kitchen

Setting Up A ‘Warm’ Kitchen Nadia Marshall A ‘Warm’, welcoming, well-organised kitchen is a pleasure to spend time in. Of course we cannot all have the perfect kitchen, but we can make the most of the one we do have by taking the time to set it up well. Everything should have its place and the equipment we use most often should be readily accessible. If possible, you should try and set aside a nice portion of bench space for prepping that is away from the stove. This is useful when you have two people cooking at once – the chef and the sous-chef! Keep your big, yummy wooden chopping board and knives in this space. Keep the area around the stove clutter free apart from the utensils and ingredients you use regularly whilst cooking – wooden spoons, serving spoons, a ladle, a pot of ghee, a bottle of olive and sunflower oil, all of your spices plus salt and pepper. A mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder near the stove is also very handy. Store your pots and pans in cupboards closest to the stove and consider putting your plates, bowls and plastics a little further away. An accessible and well-presented spice rack / shelf or space is of the utmost importance in a ‘Warm’ kitchen. Purchase good quality organic spices and you will certainly taste the difference in your creations. Buy them whole and grind them on an as-needs basis to retain maximum freshness, aroma and taste. Spices can even become an aesthetic feature in the kitchen if stored in nice glass jars of the same size and shape. Also consider storing your legumes, pulses, grains, dried fruits and nuts in large glass jars. If there is room, arrange them on visible kitchen shelves, to inspire creativity and to easily keep track of what you have on hand and when you need to go shopping. If you are pushed for room, consider installing some shelving on free wall space to achieve this.

When considering colours, pictures and accessories for the kitchen and dining room, look for choices that will help promote healthy agni/digestive fire. Shades of red and orange increase the fire element in the body, as do pictures of delicious-looking food. Pyramid and triangular shapes represent fire so also increase agni and candles are an excellent choice for table decorations. Choose favourite quotes relating to food and cooking and stick them on the walls – anything that will help stimulate your excitement for cooking and eating! Keeping your favourite cookbooks out on display also helps - consider investing in a cookbook stand, which makes their use far less logistically challenging. When you are actually cooking, pretend you’re a professional and approach one thing at a time. Do all of your chopping first, using small bowls or ramekins to store the chopped herbs, veggies etc before cooking. Then, take the bowls over to the stove and focus whole-heartedly on your creation. And don’t forget to smile as you cook! It is always a good idea to clean up as you go so half fill the sink with warm soapy water at the beginning of the cooking process and wash up along the way, or stack the dishwasher as you go. It makes the pile at the end much less scary and off-putting. On the next page is a list of must-haves for the kitchen drawers and cupboards. A good cook is only as good as the tools he/she uses…

You will need… ! at least two very sharp, good quality knives ! a small wooden chopping board for chopping garlic,

onion & ginger ! a large wooden chopping board for chopping everything

else ! a small wooden rolling pin for making breads ! a medium sized thick-based saucepan ! two larger pots (approx 8 litres) ! a skillet / fry pan /tawa ! a large wok ! a small-medium sized pressure cooker ! a heat-proof bowl ! a medium-size roasting dish for the oven ! small bowls / ramekins ! wooden spoons ! a steel spatula ! a ladle ! a couple of serving spoons ! a pair of tongs ! a whisk ! a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder

(i.e a coffee grinder) ! a stick blender (e.g. a bamix, sunbeam) ! an electric kettle ! a good grater ! scales, measuring cups & spoons.

Stocking A ‘Warm’ Pantry Nadia Marshall After setting up the kitchen, you’ll have to stock the pantry. Below is a shopping list of all of the relatively non-perishable items you will need to cook all of the recipes in this book. (R) = refrigerate; (F) = freeze. (Please note - the list doesn’t include the fresh items you will need). Spices ! Turmeric powder ! Cumin seeds ! Coriander seeds ! Fennel seeds ! Mustard seeds ! Asafoetida / Hing ! Ajwain seeds ! Caraway seeds ! Cardamom pods ! Cinnamon quills/sticks ! Ginger powder ! Cloves ! Paprika powder (sweet) ! Cayenne pepper ! Garam masala ! Curry leaves (R) ! Dried Bay leaves ! Kaffir lime leaves (F) ! Black pepper ! Sea salt /rock salt

Pulses ! Moong daal ! Toor daal ! Red lentils ! Puy/French green lentils ! Dried chickpeas Grains ! Basmati rice ! Red rice ! Brown rice ! Rolled oats ! Thick poha (beaten rice) ! Semolina (coarse & fine) ! Couscous ! Pearl barley ! Sago (tapioca) ! Vermicelli wheat noodles ! Besan flour ! Moong flour ! Wholemeal flour ! Self-raising flour ! Pasta & noodles

fruit & nuts ! Sultanas / Raisins ! Currants ! Cashews ! Almonds ! Dates ! Figs ! Pine nuts (R) ! Sesame seeds ! Tahini ! LSA ! Desiccated coconut

Other ! Ghee ! Olive oil ! Sesame oil ! Raw sugar (unrefined) ! Palm sugar / Jaggery ! Honey (not heat-treated) ! Tamarind paste (R) ! Soy sauce ! Tamari ! Kecap manis ! Rice wine vinegar ! Brown rice vinegar ! Umeboshi vinegar ! Shitake mushrooms ! Arame seaweed ! Wakame seaweed ! White miso (R) ! Kuzu or Arrowroot

Because we use them everyday in almost every meal, it is particularly important to source good quality salt and sugar. Rock salt, sea salt or lake salt are far preferable to your standard table salt and taste completely different. Their flavour is much more subtle. Unrefined raw sugars (such as those produced by the UK company, Billingtons) and grated/ground jaggery have a softer, less sharp and more delicate flavour. They are also more stabilising to blood sugar levels than your average refined sugar from the supermarket. These products cost a little more but are well worth the investment for your long-term health and wellbeing. You will notice we’ve also suggested using unhomogenised biodynamic/ organic milk in all of our recipes. When it is homogenised, milk effectively becomes a different food, destroying its beneficial qualities and making it very difficult to digest. It is best avoided. When purchasing honey, look for the non-heat treated kind, found in most fruit and veggie shops. Heat-treated honey (usually from supermarkets) is very difficult for the body to metabolise, clogs the channels and is also best avoided.

“Health is about moving towards a purer & purer happiness. Kindness & patience

are our first steps. Slow down, be kind to yourself & others, & you will

find the next step.”

Breakfast

“Breakfast should not be rushed or eaten

on the way out the door, coffee & car keys in hand. This causes the nervous system to

become agitated & disrupts digestion, setting up a pattern of rushed & potentially

poor choices for the day ahead..”

Breaking The Fast…

Kester Marshall Breakfast is a very special time and yes, in many ways, it is the most important meal of the day. It is our best opportunity to begin on a positive note and in so doing, set the tone for the day ahead. At this time the body’s anabolic processes are at their peak and the tissues are open and ready to receive nourishment. It is, however, as the word itself states, a time when we are ‘breaking a fast’. As with any fast the intention is to give the body, particularly the digestive system, a break from processing the things we continually put into it. So, after a night of restful sleep with an empty stomach the end result is hopefully a system that feels light and strong and a hunger that is keen and sharp. This is the feeling that we need in order to enjoy a good breakfast. If for some reason we feel dull or heavy (maybe a large or rich meal late the evening before), it is wise to continue fasting or eat only very light food until lunch. Generally speaking whatever we choose to eat should help us to feel more settled in our body; should ideally imbue us with a deep sense of nourishment and abundance, whilst not being so heavy or large that it creates feelings of sluggishness or heaviness. Breakfast is best eaten between seven and eight (depending on the time of year), and after the morning ablutions - including toilet, teeth cleaning, tongue scraping and a shower. This allows for steady digestion and senses that are ready to receive, with full appreciation, whatever we prepare. Perhaps the most important thing to remember, however, is that breakfast should not be rushed or eaten on the way out the door, coffee and car keys in hand. This causes the nervous system to become agitated and disrupts digestion, setting up a pattern of rushed and potentially poor choices for the day ahead. Taking all morning to eat breakfast is not really ideal either, but it is essential to take time to enjoy and be mindful of whatever we choose to begin our day with.

NOTE: Grinding the oats into a fine powder & dry roasting them before cooking makes this porridge very light, smooth & easy to digest. It also means a short cooking time. However, if you are short on time, you can skip this step & the porridge will still be relatively light. The reasonably large quantities of ghee help to lubricate its passage through the digestive system whilst enkindling the digestive fire (see the ‘Make Your Own Ghee’ recipe to read about some of the virtues of ghee). Technically oats are gluten free but, they may be ‘contaminated’ with other grains through the packing and distribution process. If you are a celiac, it is best to avoid them but if not, enjoy this delicious porridge!

Fine Oats Porridge A delicious, super quick breakfast that is good at any time of the year! Ingredients: ! 2-3 tbsp ghee ! 1/2 cup ground rolled oats ! 1 cups boiling water ! 1/2 cup unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 3-4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery ! 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins ! 1 tsp ground cinnamon Method: Grind the rolled oats in a spice/coffee grinder into a fine powder. Choose a heavy based pan and dry roast the ground oats, stirring over medium heat for 1-2 mins. Add the ghee to the pan so that the oats and ghee combined look like a smooth paste (if crumbly and in big blobs, you will need a little more ghee). Stir slowly over low-medium heat for 2-3 mins then add the boiling water carefully (as it will spit a bit). Stir quickly to avoid lumps forming. If you get lumps, you can switch your wooden spoon for a whisk and whisk the mixture. Add the milk, sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Bring to the boil then lower the heat slightly and keep stirring for 3-5 mins while it cooks. Serve into bowls and eat warm. Serves 2

Hearty Oats Porridge A delicious, thicker porridge that will fill you up on cold winter mornings. It takes a little longer to cook than the fine oats porridge. Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup quick or rolled oats ! 1 tbsp ghee ! 1 cup boiling water ! 1/2 cup unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 3-4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery ! 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins ! 1 tsp ground cinnamon Method: Choose a heavy based pan and dry roast the oats, stirring over medium heat for 1-2 mins. Add the ghee to the pan and stir until oats are lightly coated in ghee. Stir slowly over low-medium heat for 1-2 mins then add the boiling water carefully (as it will spit a bit). Stir, then add the milk, sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat to low. Stir occasionally until the oats are well cooked. Add more water/milk as required to get the desired consistency. Serve into bowls and eat warm. NOTE: Do not serve with fresh fruit (e.g. bananas). Fresh fruit should be eaten on its own, between meals or it will remain in the stomach for too long and ferment, causing undigested food toxins (Ama). Serves 2

Stewed Breakfast Apples Easy to prepare and super tasty! They're excellent, especially when feeling a little heavy from eating too late or too much the night before. Pears and other seasonal fruits can also be included. They also make a great morning tea. Ingredients: ! 5-6 cloves ! 1/2 cinnamon stick ! 12 sultanas/raisins ! 2-3 apples ! raw sugar (unrefined) / jaggery to taste Method: Cut up 2 or 3 flavoursome apples and place in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add 2-3 tbsp of water, raisins, the cloves, cinnamon stick and unprocessed sugar to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on, stirring now and then until the apples are soft. NOTE: It is best to eat fresh fruit on its own so avoid eating the stewed apples with other foods. Serves 2-3, GLUTEN FREE

NOTE: If you’re in a hurry, grinding the poha into a fine meal in a spice or coffee grinder will make an even smoother, lighter, creamier porridge that cooks in no time at all. This approach may require a little extra water &/or milk.

Rice Flakes Porridge This porridge, like the hearty oats porridge, takes a little longer to cook so is best prepared on leisurely mornings. It has a hearty, satisfying texture but is lighter and easier to digest than oats porridge. Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1/2 tsp ground

cardamom ! 1/4 tsp ground

cinnamon ! 1/2 tsp ground fennel ! 3-4 tsps raw sugar

(unrefined) or jaggery

! 2/3 cup thick poha (beaten rice)

! 1 cup boiled water ! 1 cup unhomogenised

organic/biodynamic milk ! 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins

Method: Heat the ghee in a pan over low-medium heat then add the rice flakes. Toast in the ghee for about 1-2 mins. Add all of the hot water and milk plus the sultanas. It will look like a lot of liquid but don’t worry, it will all be absorbed by the poha. Turn up the heat to bring the porridge to a boil then simmer, uncovered over a low-medium heat for 10-15 mins or until the poha is soft. Finally, add the spices and sugar and cook for a minute before serving. Serves 2, GLUTEN FREE

NOTE: The type of semolina used in breakfast cereals is almost white in colour & comes from the grinding of soft wheat (durum semolina, used to make pastas, gnocchi etc is yellow in colour & comes from grinding hard wheat). This semolina comes in two varieties – coarse & fine. Coarse is best for making breakfast cereals while fine semolina is great for making cakes (see the Cardamom Semolina Cake recipe). Both are usually available from wholefood stores, Indian & Asian grocers.

Semolina Porridge A scrumptious, nourishing breakfast that will keep you going until lunch. Ingredients: ! 2-3 tbsp ghee ! 1-2 tbsp raw sugar

(unrefined) or jaggery ! 1/2 -1 tsp ground

cardamom

! 1/2 cup coarse semolina ! 1-2 cups boiling water ! 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins

Method: Choose a heavy based pan and dry roast the semolina, stirring over medium heat until there is no more moisture and the grains become aromatic (you can do your whole bag of semolina at once and store it after cooling to save time each morning). Heat the ghee in a pan and then add the semolina. Continue to stir slowly over low-medium heat until the grains turn a golden colour. Now add the boiling water carefully as it will spit a bit and stir quickly to avoid lumps forming. Add the sultanas, stir and then leave, covered, off the heat for 5 mins. Finally, add the cardamom and sugar and stir over low heat until the mixture is smooth and beginning to come away from the sides of the pan. Serve into bowls and eat warm. Serves 2

Beetroot Porridge This may seem a little strange, but it is actually delicious! It is excellent for building the blood and strengthening the liver. Ingredients: ! 2 tsp ghee ! 1 medium beetroot, peeled & grated ! 1/2 cup of water ! 1 cup of unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 1/2 tsp ground cardamom ! 2 tbsp raisins/sultanas ! raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery to taste Method: Melt the ghee in a medium sized pot. Cook the grated beetroot in the ghee over medium heat for about 5-10 mins, until the beetroot is quite tender. Add the milk and water. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, continue to cook over a low-medium heat until the beetroot is very soft and this mixture is a porridge-like consistency. Finally, add the cardamom, raisins and sugar and cook for another minute before serving. OPTIONAL: instead of beetroot, you can make this same porridge with two grated carrots. Serves 2, GLUTEN FREE

Sago Porridge You will need to prepare the sago (also known as tapioca) at least 1 hour before cooking this tasty breakfast so you will need to be an early riser! Or, with a little more sugar, this porridge can be eaten as a dessert. Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup sago ! 2 & 1/2 cups boiling water ! 1/4 tsp ground cardamom ! a pinch of dry ginger powder ! a pinch of nutmeg ! 1/2 cup of unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 1/2 tsp almonds, blanched & chopped (or pistachios) ! 4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or ground jaggery Method: Wash the sago twice, drain and set aside for one hour. Put the boiling water in a saucepan and add the sago, stirring constantly over medium heat. Next, add the spices and nuts and cook, uncovered over low-medium heat for approximately 10 mins until the sago is soft. At the same time, heat up the milk in another saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the warm milk and sugar. Cover and let sit for a few minutes before serving. NOTE: Sago is great as a rejuvenator where there is weakness, debility and excess heat or when convalescing from fever. It is best consumed in this way, as a porridge. Serves 2, gluten free

Buckwheat Pancakes Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup buckwheat flour ! 1 tbsp organic/biodynamic plain yoghurt ! 1 cup water ! 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder ! 1/4 tsp cardamom powder ! ghee Method: Mix all ingredients into a batter except the ghee. Heat a non-stick pan, turn the heat to low and melt a little ghee. Pour enough batter to make a thin, evenly spread pancake. Put a tiny bit of ghee around the edge if necessary and wait until bubbles appear in the centre or the edges start to lift. Turn over and cook the other side until light brown… serve with mango chutney or honey. NOTE: Buckwheat is a light, dry grain which reputedly strengthens capillaries and blood vessels and is useful in excess weight conditions and fluid retention. Serves 2, gluten free

Granola Ingredients: ! 2 cup rolled oats ! 1 cup wheat germ ! 1/8 cup sunflower seeds ! 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds ! 3 tbsp sesame seeds ! 2/3 cup almonds, blanched & chopped ! 3/4 cup dried shredded coconut ! 1/2 tsp salt ! 1/4 cup raw sugar (unrefined) or ground jaggery ! 1/3 cup water or fruit juice ! 1/4 cup ghee or sunflower oil Method: Preheat an oven to 180°C. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the water or juice with the ghee and mix into the dry ingredients. Scatter the mix on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring every 5 mins until golden (15-20 mins). Let cool, then store in an airtight container. Serve with unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk warmed up on the stove.

“Real happiness is a healthy mind & a healthy mind is an absolute essential for a stress-free, healthy body. To understand our mind, we need a peaceful mind/body

metabolism - mind & body supporting each other, enhancing each other’s receptivity to the lessons

& cycles of nature.”

“If we take the time to stop around midday & eat a decent meal, we are rewarded with energy levels that are stable throughout the afternoon & are less liable to suffer

from sugar cravings resulting from afternoon swings in blood sugar.”

The Midday Feast… Kester Marshall Ideally lunch should be the main meal of the day. It is the time when the midday sun is at its peak and therefore its companion, our digestive fire, is at its strongest. The body’s metabolism is therefore at its most vibrant and if we allow just a little time and are careful not to over eat then our body can process food quickly and turn it into nourishment for the tissues and fuel for the mind. As we are usually busy in the middle of the day and at our most intense level of activity, the temptation might be to push through and simply gloss over lunch. It is all too easy to eat something at our desk or on the run, ignoring the chance to rest briefly in a quiet, peaceful place and refuel our bodies for the afternoon shift. If we take the time to stop around midday and eat a decent meal, we are rewarded with energy levels that are stable throughout the afternoon and are less liable to suffer from sugar cravings resulting from afternoon swings in blood sugar. We also tend to react better to stress, feel less rushed and our state of mind remains unhurried, more relaxed and more conducive to calm, productive thought. Of course, you may also choose to prepare any of the following lunch recipes for the evening meal. If this is the case, you may just choose to eat a little less of each. Please note that if you would like to avoid eating onion or garlic you can substitute these with asafoetida (hing) in all of the recipes.

A note on meat eating Deciding whether or not to eat meat is a very personal choice and depends upon many things, but our view is that it should be regarded as medicine. Who requires this medicine depends upon several factors… Some people have a constitution that simply needs extra nourishment or their tissues will end up depleted, while others tend toward over nourishment and would probably be fine steering clear of meat altogether. Some climates are more conducive to meat eating (take the Inuit people or the Tibetans for example) and others, like the tropics, are not at all. Meat builds and heats the blood so with these qualities it is easy to see in which climates it is most appropriate. Generally speaking we all lead more sedentary lives and so require less of the intense kind of nourishment that meat provides. As well as this, meat in excess can have a subtle dulling effect on the mind; a factor that those interested in yogic or meditation practices should take into consideration. The most important thing to remember is that meat is heavy and difficult to digest. As such, it is best eaten at midday or well cooked and prepared as a light soup or casserole. As with all things of this nature, it should be eaten in moderation.

Rice Pilau Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee ! 1 cinnamon stick ! 1 tsp cumin seeds ! 1 tsp mustard seeds ! 3-4 cardamom pods

(smashed open in a mortar & pestle)

! 1 tsp salt ! 1/4 tsp black pepper

! 1 cup of basmati rice ! 1 cup of veggies of choice

(e.g. peas, green beans, diced zucchini &/or eggplant)

! 3 tbsp cashews ! 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins

Method: Wash the rice in a sieve and leave to drain. Heat the ghee in a solid-based saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot add the mustard seeds and fry until they ‘pop’. Next, add the cumin seeds, smashed cardamom pods and cinnamon and fry briefly before adding the rice. Sauté for a minute or two, until the rice starts to go transparent then pour in 3 cups of boiling water (about the same amount you'd use when doing plain rice so that there is about an inch of water above the rice). Bring to the boil then add your veggies of choice, sultanas and cashews. Bring to the boil again then turn down to a very low heat. Pop the lid on and cook for 15-20 mins. Leave to stand for about 5 mins with the lid on before serving. Serves 2-3, GLUTEN FREE

NOTE: What is poha? It is like rolled oats but is actually beaten rice… so is light & very easy to digest & cook. You should be able to get it from your local Indian grocer or wholefood store. If they don’t have it, ask them to source the medium or thick kind for you. It can also be made into a delicious breakfast porridge – see the ‘Rice Flakes Porridge’ recipe.

Poha & Coriander Pilau This is an amazingly quick and low maintenance lunch. It is light, tasty and easy to digest so also makes a good choice for dinner. Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp ghee ! 1 tsp mustard seeds ! 1 tsp cumin seeds ! 5 curry leaves ! 1/2 tsp turmeric ! 1/2 tsp salt ! 1 pinch asafoetida/hing

! 1 brown onion, finely diced

! 1/2 cup coriander leaves

! 2 cups medium or thick poha

Method: Wash the rice flakes twice, soak in water for 5 mins, drain and set aside. Over a medium flame, heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds are popping, add the turmeric, salt and hing. Next add the onions and coriander leaves and cook until the onions are soft and slightly golden. Stir in the poha (rice flakes), cover and turn off the heat. After a few minutes, the pilau will be ready to dish up. Garnish with extra coriander leaves and serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime and perhaps some stir-fry or steamed greens. NOTE: As an optional extra, you can add grated carrot and/or zucchini. Add them after the onion is cooked and before you add the poha and cook for a couple of minutes until soft. Serves 2, gluten free

Pumpkin & Spinach Curry Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp ghee ! 6 curry leaves ! 1 tsp fennel seeds ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! 2 garlic cloves, finely

chopped ! 1-2cm fresh ginger,

finely chopped ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 2 tsp ground coriander ! 1/2 tsp turmeric ! 1/2 tsp garam masala

! 1/2 butternut pumpkin chopped (about 4 cups)

! 1/2 bunch of spinach chopped

! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Heat the ghee. Fry off the fennel seeds and curry leaves until slightly browned, then add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook on a low heat until the onion is golden. Add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric and stir. Add the pumpkin and stir again until well covered in the spice mix then pop the lid on. Check and stir occasionally. If there is some sticking, you can add a little more ghee and after some time, add the salt as this will draw moisture out of the pumpkin. When the pumpkin is nearly ready, add the remaining ingredients (pepper, garam masala and spinach), stir through and keep cooking for another 5 minutes or so, until the spinach is cooked and the pumpkin is soft. Serve with rice or flat breads. Serves 4, gluten free

Potato & Cauliflower Curry Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp ghee

! 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

! 5-6 curry leaves

! 1 brown onion, finely chopped

! 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, finely chopped

! 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

! 1 tsp ground cumin

! 2 tsp ground coriander

! 1/2 tsp turmeric

! 1 medium tomato chopped (optional)

! 2 large potatoes diced into small cubes

! 3 cups of cauliflower cut into small florets

! 1/2 tsp salt

! lemon wedges

! fresh coriander, washed & chopped

Method: Heat the ghee in a heavy based pan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves until the seeds start to pop and then add the onion. Cook until golden and add the ginger, garlic, remaining spices and the tomato. Cook for a few minutes (until the tomatoes have softened). Now add the potato and cauliflower and pop the lid on. Cook over low-medium heat for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When the veggies start to ‘stick’, add the salt then continue to cook (this will draw moisture from the veggies). When the veggies are fully tender, serve them up with fresh basmati rice or flat breads with some fresh coriander on top and lemon wedges. To make things a little greener, you can add a handful of finely chopped spinach in the last five minutes of the cooking process. Serves 4, gluten free

NOTE: Chickpeas are quite heavy pulses & can be gas-forming so they must be soaked & prepared correctly to benefit from their nourishing qualities.

Chickpea Curry Ingredients: ! 4 tbsp ghee or oil ! 2 brown onions, finely

chopped ! 2 inches fresh ginger,

very finely chopped ! 3 garlic cloves, crushed ! 2 tsp ground cumin ! 3 tsp ground coriander ! 1/2 tsp tamarind paste ! 1/2 cup fresh coriander,

washed & chopped

! 1 & 1/2 cup chickpeas (soaked overnight in water)

! 2 medium tomatoes, washed & chopped

! salt to taste

Method: Drain the soaked chickpeas and boil in different water with salt, in a pressure cooker for 30-40 mins. Make a paste of the garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Heat the ghee or oil and add the onion, sautéing until brown. Add the garlic/ginger paste, cook for 1-2 mins, then add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the spices and cook until the oil begins to separate. Drain the chickpeas, keeping the water. Add the chickpeas (they must be soft all the way to the centre…. so that they are easily squished between your fingers), stirring and then add the reserved cooking water to make a nice gravy consistency. Add the coriander before serving. Eat hot with rice or flat breads. NOTE: To make the tomatoes less acidic and heating, you can cut them in half, squeeze out the seeds and then grate just the flesh into a bowl, discarding the seeds and skins. This makes them less aggravating to fiery constitutions and easier to digest. Serves 4, gluten free

Roast Veggies & Couscous Ingredients: ! 5-10 cloves of garlic

(unpeeled) ! 5 sprigs thyme ! 3 sprigs rosemary ! a handful of chopped

flat-leaf parsley ! salt & pepper to taste.

! 2 beetroots ! 1 cup of 2cm pumpkin

cubes ! 2 carrots ! 2 large potatoes ! 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil ! 2 cups couscous ! 2 cups boiling water ! a small bunch of young

rocket or baby spinach Method: Preheat the oven to 170°C. Chop all of the veggies into 1-2 cm lengths/cubes (so that they will all take about the same time to cook). Arrange the veggies on a large baking tray as you chop them so that they are only 1 layer thick. Scatter the cloves of unpeeled garlic around the tray along with the rosemary and thyme then drizzle olive oil over all of the veggies. Pop in the oven and cook for 20 mins or until the veggies are soft inside and golden on the outside. You will need to pull the tray out occasionally and mix the veggies about with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick (add more olive oil as required). At the same time, add 2 cups of couscous to 2 cups of boiling water in a heat-proof bowl with a little butter (20-40g) and cover. Leave for at least 5 mins then stir with a fork to a light, fluffy consistency. When the couscous and the veggies are all done, mix them together, along with the rocket/spinach and the chopped parsley in a large salad bowl. Serve as is – adding salt and pepper to taste. You may wish to serve with some natural yoghurt, tahini sauce or roast beetroot sauce. Serves 4

Adzuki Bean & Pumpkin Curry Ingredients: ! 1 pinch asafoetida/hing ! 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds ! 1 tsp salt ! 2 tbsp ghee ! 2 bay leaves ! 1 garlic clove, finely

chopped ! 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 1/2 tsp turmeric ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! 1 tsp ground cumin

! 1 brown onion, finely diced

! 1 cup adzuki beans ! 1 medium tomato, diced ! 1/2 a butternut

pumpkin cut into 2-3 cm cubes

! 8 large leaves spinach/ chard, finely chopped

! 1/4 cup boiling water ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Soak the Adzuki beans overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and add them to a pressure cooker with 1 tsp salt, ajwain seeds, hing and twice their volume in water. Cook for approx 20 mins. In another pan, heat the ghee, add the bay leaves then sauté the onions until soft and slightly golden. Turn down the heat a little and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute before adding the turmeric, coriander and cumin. Now add the tomato and cook until soft. Next, add the pumpkin and the boiling water and stir until the pumpkin is covered in the spice mix. Put on the lid and let simmer over low heat until the pumpkin is just soft. When the beans are cooked and the pumpkin soft, add the adzuki beans to the pumpkin pot… along with all of the water, which will be like a thinnish gravy. (If you want the curry to be a little thicker, you can choose to not add all of the water or you can reduce the curry down to the desired consistency). Now add the spinach and simmer altogether for about 5 mins. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and flat breads or rice. Serves 4-6, gluten free

NOTE: Shitake or Japanese forest mushrooms are highly regarded for their healing properties & the temperatures of cooking do not alter these attributes. Umeboshi vinegar is made from umeboshi plums. It has the rare quality of being an alkaline vinegar, rather than acidic. If you have difficulty sourcing arame seaweed & umeboshi vinegar, you can substitute them with hijiki seaweed & apple cider vinegar.

Warm Soba Noodle Salad ingredients: SALAD ! 400 gm soba noodles ! 6 shitake or oyster

mushrooms – soaked ! 1 cup arame (seaweed) ! 1 kaffir lime leaf ! 10-12 snowpeas ! 2 cups diced pumpkin

DRESSING ! 2 large beetroots ! 1-2 cloves garlic ! 50ml brown rice vinegar ! 70ml umeboshi vinegar ! 25ml sesame oil ! 150-200 ml olive oil ! 1/2- 1 bunch finely

chopped coriander METHOD: Soak the Shitake mushrooms for at least 1 hr, preferably overnight. Discard the stems and slice very thinly. Dice the pumpkin and beetroot into small cubes and bake in a hot oven, with the garlic (skin removed) until well done. Rinse the arame seaweed then soak in water for 5 mins only (if you soak any longer than this, important nutrients will be lost). Squeeze out excess water and sauté in a little oil for a few minutes. Add some of the soaking water to almost cover the seaweed and simmer, with the shitakes, until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed – around 5 mins. Add the sliced Kaffir lime leaf for the last few minutes of cooking. Boil the soba in boiling salted water until just tender – 4-5 mins. Pop the snow peas in the pot for the last 30 seconds to very lightly cook them. It is important not to overcook the noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water. To make the dressing, combine the roasted beetroot with the other dressing ingredients and blend with a stick blender until turned into a rough paste. Finally, mix the dressing, noodles, arame and shitake, pumpkin and snowpeas together in a large serving bowl. Delicious! Serves 4-5

Simple Asian Stir-Fry Ingredients: ! 2-3 tbsp ghee ! 1 brown onion, cut in

half & sliced lengthways ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 1 garlic clove, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp salt or 1 tbsp

tamari ! 1/4 tsp pepper ! 1 tsp raw sugar

(unrefined) or 1 tbsp kecap manis

! 2 carrots sliced lengthways into 3 cm thin sticks

! 2 cups broccoli florets cut into thin, 2-3 cm pieces

! 3/4 cup green beans cut into 2-3 cm pieces

! 4 bunches of bok choy, washed thoroughly & cut into 3 cm pieces

! 3 handfuls of bean sprouts

Method: Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the carrots, broccoli and green beans and stir-fry until ! cooked then add the bok choy and finally the bean sprouts. Sprinkle salt, pepper and sugar and toss through (or, sprinkle tamari instead). Serve with steamed basmati rice. OPTIONAL: to make this meal more filling you can add either tofu (chopped into small cubes) and/or button mushrooms (sliced into quarters) after the onions. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Fried Rice Ingredients: ! 2-3 tbsp sesame oil ! 1 brown onion, finely

diced ! 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 1-2 garlic cloves, finely

chopped ! 1 tbsp kecap manis ! 1/8 cup soy sauce or

tamari sauce ! 1/2 cup coriander leaves

finely chopped

! 1 cup basmati rice ! 1 carrot, finely diced ! 1 celery stick, finely

diced ! 1/2 cup small broccoli

florets &/or green beans, finely diced

! 4 eggs ! 1 tbsp water ! salt to taste ! lemon wedges

Method: In one pan, cook the basmati rice, as described in the ‘Steamed Rice’ recipe. It should take 10-15 mins to cook so put it on first – timing is everything. In a bowl, whisk the 4 eggs lightly together. Add the tbsp of water and the " tsp salt and whisk again. Put to one side. In a wok, heat the sesame oil (or ghee) over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the carrots and broccoli/green beans. Stir-fry until ! cooked. Move the mixture to one side so that half of the wok is exposed – you will cook your eggs here. Add more oil/ghee then add the eggs and cook like an omelette. When almost done, break up into smaller pieces with a spatula. Now stir the eggs and the veggie mixture together again and turn off the heat. If the rice is now cooked add it to the wok and stir through. Add the kecap manis, coriander and the soy sauce (to taste) and stir until the veggies, egg and rice are well mixed together. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon. Serves 2-3

NOTE:

Ayurveda teaches the excessive consumption of soy sauce (and kecap manis) can cause excess heat and acidity in the body as they are fermented products so we recommend only consuming them occasionally and making sure you purchase the best quality brands. Tamari, a Japanese soy sauce, is a good gluten free option to plain soy sauce and is often lower in salt too.

Sesame & Asparagus Noodles Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp rice wine vinegar ! 2 tbsp kecap manis

(sweet sauce) ! 2 tsp fresh ginger,

grated ! 1 tsp sesame oil ! 2 tbsp sunflower oil ! 1 tbsp sesame seeds,

toasted

! 1 egg, lightly beaten ! 250g egg noodles or

udon noodles ! 1 large bunch asparagus,

finely sliced ! 1/2 red capsicum sliced ! 2 spring onions, sliced

Method: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a little salt and pepper and a splash of water. Heat a tsp of ghee in a skillet or fry pan then add the omelette mix and cook over medium heat until the base is golden and the majority of the egg on top is cooked. Turn half of the omelette over on to the other half and turn off the heat. Let it cool before cutting it into thin strips. At the same time, cook the noodles in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain well and rinse in cold water. Combine the vinegar, kecap manis, ginger, sesame oil and set aside. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok. Stir-fry the veggies for 3 mins over high heat. Add the drained noodles and sauce mixture and stir-fry until hot. Serve scattered with egg strips and sesame seeds. NOTE: Eggs are relatively heavy and difficult to digest so they are best eaten in moderation. The egg noodles will be heavier than udon noodles so choose the udon for a lighter meal. Serves 2-3

Roasted Pumpkin Couscous Ingredients: ! 3 tbsp olive oil ! 2 garlic cloves, finely

chopped ! 1 large red onion, thickly

sliced ! 3 tsp ground cumin ! 2 tsp ground coriander ! a handful of fresh

flat-leaf parsley (or coriander or basil), coarsely chopped

! 500g pumpkin, peeled, chopped into small cubes

! 1 cup couscous ! 1 cup boiling water ! 20g butter ! 1 tbsp currants (or

sultanas) ! salt & pepper to taste ! lemon wedges

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a medium flameproof baking dish (if you don’t have one, just use a saucepan). Cook the garlic, onion and pumpkin, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the spices and cook, stirring, for about 2 mins or until fragrant. Drizzle the other tbsp of oil over the mixture and pop in the oven. Roast, uncovered for about 15-20 mins or until the pumpkin is just tender (if you’ve cooked the mixture in a saucepan, now move it to a baking tray). Meanwhile, combine the couscous with the water and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Cover and stand for about 5 mins or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Finally, mix the pumpkin mixture and the couscous together, add the currants, season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon and a tablespoon of natural yoghurt or tahini sauce. Serves 2-3

Fennel & Tomato Couscous Ingredients: ! 4 tbsp olive oil ! 1 tbsp mint (or basil or

parsley), finely chopped ! the juice of 1 lemon ! salt & pepper to taste

! 1 cup couscous ! 1 cup boiling water ! 20 g butter ! 2 large shallots, sliced ! 2 small bulbs fennel,

cored & finely chopped ! 1 tomato, finely sliced

Method:

Put the couscous and butter into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Cover and leave for 5 mins. Fluff up the grains with a fork and add a tbsp of the olive oil, then cover again and set aside while you cook the veggies. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and add the shallots and fennel. Sauté over a high heat for a minute then add the tomato and herbs. Keep the heat up high and stir-fry the veggies until they start to colour. Add the couscous to the pan and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and serve hot as part of a meal or at room temperature as a salad. Serves 4

NOTE: Puy lentils (pronounced ‘poy’) are also known as French lentils. They are small, slate grey/green in colour, have a delicate flavour & do not lose their shape with cooking. If you have difficulty sourcing them, you can substitute them with whole red lentils.

Moroccan Puy Lentils Ingredients: ! 4 tbsp olive oil ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! 1 cinnamon stick ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! 1/2 tsp sweet paprika ! 1-2 tsp fresh ginger,

finely chopped ! 5 sprigs of thyme ! 2 garlic cloves, finely

chopped

! 1 cup puy lentils ! 4 shallots, finely sliced ! 1 bunch of spinach

leaves, stalks removed & roughly chopped

! 1 tomato, diced ! 50g fetta cheese, cut

into small cubes or crumbled (optional)

! lemon wedges ! salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Place the lentils in a large saucepan with 3 times their volume of cold water. Add the cinnamon stick and thyme and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30-40 mins, or until lentils are tender. Strain off the water and reserve the lentils (remove the thyme sprigs and cinnamon stick). In another pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft. Turn down the heat to medium and add the cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika, shallots/spring onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes then add the tomato. Cook until the tomato has softened then add the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt. Now tip the cooked lentils into the mix and stir well. Turn up the heat a little and cook the mixture for about 5 mins, then remove and stir in the crumbled/cubed fetta (if looking for a lighter meal, don’t add the fetta). Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary (if you use fetta you will need less salt). Serve with lemon wedges and eat with flat breads. Serves 2, gluten free

Carrot & Beetroot Patties This recipe is from our good friend and Chef, Stephen Galpin. We made them at one of his cooking workshops and they were a huge hit. They taste fantastic served with chutney and are a great way to get fussy kids to eat their veggies! They are filling enough to have as part of a main meal or you can make smaller ones and serve as an entrée or finger food. Ingredients: ! 1 tsp cumin seeds ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! 1 tbsp finely grated ginger ! 1 tsp turmeric powder ! salt to taste

! 1 cup grated beetroot ! 1 cup grated zucchini ! 1 cup grated carrot ! ¼ bunch spinach, finely

chopped ! 1 cup moong daal flour ! a little olive oil to bind

Method:

Combine all ingredients except the moong flour together in a large bowl until well mixed. Adjust seasoning to taste. Slowly add the moong flour and stir through. Depending on the juiciness of the veggies, you may need more or less flour – adjust accordingly. The mixture should just hold together and not be too moist or doughy. Heat enough ghee or sunflower oil to coat the bottom of a skillet or shallow pan. Shape the mixture into small patties in the palm of your hand, carefully placing a few patties at a time into the pan and slowly fry on each side until cooked, being careful not to colour too much as the natural sugars in the beetroot tend to caramelise – adjust the temperature up or down accordingly. Continue to fry a few patties at a time. Once cooked, remove with a spatula pop on a plate lined with paper towel. Keep warm in the oven while the remaining patties are cooking. NOTE: You can get moong daal flour/moong besan flour from Asian Grocers or you can make your own by roasting some moong daal in a dry skillet, allowing it to cool and then finely grinding it in a coffee/spice grinder or mill. Serves 4, gluten free

Fresh Herb Pasta Ingredients: ! 3 tbsp olive oil or ghee ! a handful of fresh

oregano, roughly chopped

! a handful fresh basil, roughly chopped

! a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

! your pasta of choice – suggest penne, vermicelli or spaghetti – enough for 4 people.

! roasted pine nuts (optional)

! freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

! salt & pepper to taste Method:

Cook your pasta according to packet instructions until al dente (cooked but still firm). Drain the water and return the hot pasta to the saucepan you cooked it in. Over low heat, add the olive oil/ghee, chopped herbs and a little salt and pepper. Stir until the herbs are well mixed with the pasta. Serve into bowls then add some freshly grated parmesan, a sprinkle of roasted pine nuts and some more ground pepper. NOTE: In general hard cheese is difficult to digest and should not be consumed in large quantities. However, good quality parmesan cheese in small amounts is traditionally considered a digestive aid and is high in calcium, vitamin A and B12 so we have included it here… moderation is the key! Serves 4

Fennel & Pine Nut Pasta Ingredients: ! 3 tbsp olive oil or ghee ! 1 brown onion cut in

half & sliced finely lengthways

! 2 cloves garlic, crushed ! a handful of fresh

oregano/basil or flat-leaf parsley or a mixture of the 3, roughly chopped

! your pasta of choice – suggest vermicelli or spaghetti – enough for 4 people

! 1 medium fennel bulb – sliced very, very finely

! roasted pine nuts (optional)

! freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

! salt & pepper to taste Method:

Cook your pasta according to packet instructions until al dente (cooked but still firm). At the same time, heat the oil/ghee in a medium sized pan and cook the onion until it is caramelised. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add the finely chopped fennel and stir then add the lid, turn down the heat and cook for 10 mins or until fennel is soft, stirring occasionally. When cooked, add the fresh herbs and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and serve the pasta into bowls. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, stir through and then spoon out the fennel and herb mixture as a sauce on top of the pasta. Garnish with some freshly grated parmesan (see note on previous page), a sprinkle of roasted pine nuts and some pepper. NOTE: Pasta can be quite heavy and difficult to digest so it is best to eat it with a light sauce and plenty of black pepper (a good digestive). If at all possible, purchase fresh home-made pasta or make your own as it is much lighter and tends to cook faster than the dried, processed stuff. Serves 4

Spinach & Ricotta Pie INGREDIENTS: ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! olive oil ! ¼ tsp nutmeg ! salt & pepper to taste

! 1 large bunch of spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped

! 100g fetta cheese, crumbled

! 250g ricotta cheese ! 2 eggs, lightly beaten ! 12 sheets of filo pastry

METHOD: Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20 x 20cm baking dish. Blanch the chopped spinach in a pot of boiling water or in a steamer until wilted. Cool slightly then squeeze out any excess water. At the same time, fry off the onion in the olive oil until caramelised. Combine the spinach with the onion, nutmeg, ricotta, fetta and beaten eggs. Stir until well mixed and season with salt and plenty of black pepper (to aid digestion). Place half the filo sheets in the bottom of the prepared pan, brushing a light layer of olive oil between each layer. Now spoon the spinach mixture into the pan. Finish by topping with the remaining filo, brushing with olive oil as you go. Bake for 40 mins or until golden. Allow to sit for 5 mins before serving. NOTE: The egg combined with the two cheeses makes this a slightly heavier dish so it should be eaten in moderation and only when your digestive fire feels strong. Serves 4

“These simple recipes aim to connect us to a soulfulness, a sense of connectedness,

with nature & the lessons it holds for us…. to see more clearly, feel more deeply & act with more dedication & endurance in our

chosen path, our chosen passion.”

Dinner

“If we eat a light dinner…we are more likely to experience sound, undisturbed sleep & to wake feeling refreshed & bright-eyed with plenty of appetite to enjoy a warm,

nourishing breakfast.”

The Light Evening Meal… Kester Marshall In traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, and most traditional cultures, it is recommended to keep the evening meal very light. The meal should preferably be eaten early (around sunset, depending on the time of year), ideally about three hours before retiring for the night. This ensures that the food is digested quickly and that the stomach is empty before going to bed. Soup or light vegetable meals are ideal choices at this time of day, while heavy food such as yoghurt and large amounts of meat are best avoided - heavier meals are best eaten at lunchtime. Overeating is definitely not recommended. Sleeping on a full stomach tends to cause morning sluggishness, tiredness and stiffness, which can establish a cycle of low energy, dull thinking and poor food choices throughout the day to make up for the way we feel. If, however, we eat a light dinner and go to bed feeling unburdened and even a little hungry (a warm milk before bed will fix this), then the cycle is broken, minimal waste is produced and the tissues stay healthy and free of toxic accumulations. Instead, we are more likely to experience sound, undisturbed sleep and to wake feeling refreshed and bright-eyed with plenty of appetite to enjoy a warm, nourishing breakfast. You may, of course, wish to prepare any of the following recipes for your midday meal. Kicharee, in particular, makes a great, quick lunch.

NOTE: Moong daal is made from split moong beans (also known as ‘mung’ beans). It is light, very easy to digest & not as gas-forming as other pulses & legumes. You can find it at wholefood stores, Indian & Asian grocers.

One Pot Kicharee Kicharee is considered the perfect staple meal in Ayurveda. This one-pot version is incredibly quick and easy to prepare… and you can eat it everyday if you like! Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 1/8 tsp asafoetida / hing ! 6 curry leaves ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1/4 tsp ajwain seeds ! 1/2 - 1 tsp salt

! 1/2 cup basmati rice ! 1/2 cup split moong

daal

Method: Rinse the rice and daal in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 4-5 cups of water from a recently boiled kettle. Add the ghee, asafoetida, turmeric, curry leaves and some rock salt, bring to the boil and turn down to low heat for about 15 mins. Lift the lid to check water levels (add more if it is looking a bit dry) and add the cumin powder and ajwain seeds. Simmer again over low heat for another 15 mins or until the moong daal has broken down and you have a thick, porridgy, smooth mixture. If it needs a bit of a kick in terms of flavour then add fresh coriander or chilli-free chutney along with a squeeze of lemon and a small pinch of salt. OPTIONAL: If you’d like some veggies with it, the addition of finely diced cauliflower or green beans at the beginning of the cooking is delicious. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Two Pot Kicharee This is a slightly more time consuming version of kicharee – cooked in two pots, with the addition of onion, coconut and some alternative spices. Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 6 curry leaves ! 1/8 tsp asafoetida / hing ! 1/2 tsp mustard seeds ! 1/2 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! 1 tsp ground fennel

! 1 brown onion, finely chopped

! 2 tbsp dry roasted shredded coconut

! 1/2 cup basmati rice ! 1/2 cup split moong daal ! a handful of fresh

coriander, finely chopped ! 1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Method: Rinse the rice and daal in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 4-5 cups of water from a recently boiled kettle. Bring to the boil and simmer until the daal has broken down and the rice is completely cooked. In a second smaller pot, heat the ghee over low heat then add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. When the seeds are popping, add the onion and sauté until soft and golden. Now add the hing, ground cumin, coriander, fennel and the turmeric. Stir for a minute then add the mixture (called a “chonk”) to the pot of moong daal and rice. Add a little boiling water to the onion/spice pot and swish it around to mop up the remaining spices and turmeric and add this to the kicharee pot. Also add the dry roasted coconut to the pot. Now add the salt and cook the kicharee for a further 5 mins so the flavour of the spices is infused into the daal and rice. When cooked, add the coriander and serve warm with a pinch of salt, a tsp of ghee, a squeeze of lemon and some chilli-free chutney. It is also great with some lightly steamed greens on the side. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Masoor Daal Masoor Daal or red lentils are the fastest cooking of all lentils, do not need pre-soaking and are also light and easy to digest. This simple daal is very quick and easy to make and is absolutely scrumptious! Ingredients: ! 2 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 5 curry leaves ! 1 garlic clove, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp mustard seeds ! 1 tsp ground cumin or

garam masala ! 1 tsp salt ! 1 tsp raw sugar


! 1 cup red lentils ! 1 medium tomato, diced ! a handful of fresh

coriander, finely chopped (optional)

Method: Rinse the lentils in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 3-4 cups boiling water and cook over low-medium heat for 15 mins or until the lentils have lost their form. In a separate pan, heat up the ghee then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds are popping, add the garlic and tomato and cook until the tomatoes disintegrate. Add the turmeric and cook for another 30 seconds then add the mixture to the lentil pan. Add the salt, sugar and ground cumin/garam masala to the daal and cook for another 5 mins until looking smooth and delicious. Add a handful of fresh coriander if you wish. Serve with rice, red rice or flat breads. OPTIONAL: Another option, if you wish to include veggies is to add some fresh green beans – topped and tailed and cut into 3cm long pieces. Add these to the daal at the same time as the spice mixture. Alternatively, serve with steamed greens on the side Serves 2-3, gluten free

Coriander Daal Ingredients: ! 2 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 5 curry leaves ! ¼ tsp asafoetida or hing ! 1 tsp mustard seeds ! 2 tsp ground coriander ! 1 tsp salt ! 1 tsp raw sugar


! 1 cup red lentils ! a small bunch of fresh

coriander, finely chopped

! lemon wedges

Method: Rinse the lentils in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 3-4 cups boiling water and cook over low-medium heat for 15 mins or until the lentils have lost their form. In a separate pan, heat up the ghee then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds are popping, add the hing, turmeric and coriander and cook 30 seconds or so. Now, add the spice mixture to the lentil pan, along with the salt and sugar. Cook the daal for another 5 mins until looking smooth and delicious. Before serving add the fresh coriander and stir through. Serve with lemon wedges on rice, red rice or with flat breads. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Buttermilk Curry You can make this delicious, super quick curry either with real buttermilk or with buttermilk substitute. Given you can only get real buttermilk by making butter out of cream (the buttermilk is the liquid that remains following the churning process), chances are you’ll be making this with the buttermilk substitute. However, if you get into making your own ghee, the natural next step is making your own butter and this curry is a wonderful side-benefit of that process! Ingredients: ! 2 tsp ghee ! 5 curry leaves ! ½ tsp mustard seeds ! ¼ tsp fenugreek ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! ¼ tsp asafoetida/hing ! ½ tsp turmeric ! ½ tsp sugar ! ¼ tsp salt

! 2 cups buttermilk OR buttermilk substitute (see page 122)

! 1 tbsp besan flour or moong flour, sifted

! ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method: On low heat, heat up the ghee and fry off the curry leaves and mustard seeds until they are popping. Add the fenugreek seeds followed by the fresh ginger, turmeric and hing, being careful not to burn the fenugreek seeds. Now, add the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) to the pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the sifted flour and use a whisk to mix it into the buttermilk, ensuring there are no lumps. Heat until just off the boil – it should thicken a little at this stage (if you would like a thicker curry, add more flour). Turn off the heat. Allow to cool a little then add the coriander. Serve with basmati rice and if you like, some steamed veggies on the side. Serves 3-4, gluten free

One Pot Daal Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 1/8 tsp asafoetida / hing ! 6 curry leaves ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1/4 tsp ajwain seeds ! 1/2 - 1 tsp salt

! 1/2 cup split moong daal or toor daal

! 1/2 cup red lentils ! 2-3 veggies of choice

(e.g. carrots, kale, green beans), diced

! 5-6 cups boiling water

Method: Rinse the daal and lentils in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 5-6 cups of water from a recently boiled kettle. Add the ghee, asafoetida, turmeric, curry leaves, some salt and veggies of choice (not onion). Bring to the boil and turn down to low heat, simmering partly covered for about 15 mins. Lift the lid to check water levels and add the cumin powder and ajwain seeds. Simmer again over low heat for another 15 mins or until the moong daal and red lentils have broken down. Add a little lemon juice and coriander at the end plus additional salt/pepper to taste. NOTE: Toor daal is more nourishing for the blood and muscle tissues but can be more gas-forming and takes longer to cook than moong daal. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Two Pot Daal Soup Ingredients: ! 2-3 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp mustard seeds ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely


chopped ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 1/2 tsp salt

! 3/4 cup split moong daal

! 1/4 cup red lentils ! 1 carrot, diced ! 1 potato, diced ! 5 cups of water ! 1/2 cup green beans,

chopped into 3cm pieces ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Put the daal, carrot and potato in a heavy based pot along with the water and salt and bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer for about 15 min (toor daal will take 20-25 mins). Once the daal is softening, melt the ghee in a second saucepan on low heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to pop, add the cumin, ginger, garlic and turmeric. Then add the onion and cook until soft, transparent and golden. Add the green beans to the spice mixture, cook for a few minutes and then pour the whole mixture (the “chonk”) into the daal, in the other pot. Bring everything to the boil and simmer for a further 5-10 mins, adding water if necessary, until the daal completely looses its form. If you prefer a thicker soup, just reduce for a bit longer. Season with salt, pepper and fresh coriander and eat with rice, flat breads or on its own. Serves 2-3, gluten free

OPTIONAL: To make the soup a more hearty meal, add 1/2 cup of diced tofu after blending & cook for a further 5 mins &/or 1/2 cup green beans (cut into 3 cm pieces). Cook the soup for a further 5 mins until the tofu/beans are cooked, then add the lemon juice, coriander, salt & pepper to taste.

Mulligatawny Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee ! 1 brown onion, finely

diced ! 1 tbsp ground coriander ! 1 tsp turmeric ! 1 tsp salt ! 1 pinch cayenne pepper

(optional) ! a handful of fresh

coriander, finely chopped ! salt & pepper to taste

! 1 carrot, diced ! 1/2 green capsicum,

diced ! 1 large potato, diced ! 1 medium tomato, diced ! 4-5 cups boiled water ! 1 cup chickpeas, soaked

overnight & cooked ! 1/2 cup finely desiccated

coconut ! 1 cup coconut milk ! the juice of a lemon

Method: Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and fry off the onions over low heat until soft, transparent and golden. Add the turmeric and coriander and briefly fry off before adding the tomato. Cook the tomato until it softens. Add the potato, carrot, capsicum, cayenne pepper and salt and cook with the lid on, on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the veggies are starting to stick, add all of the boiling water. Bring to the boil and put the lid half on then simmer on low heat for 5 mins until the veggies are completely cooked. Next add the coconut, coconut milk and chickpeas and cook for a further 5 mins. Blend the mixture well with a stick blender until it is smooth, with all lumps removed. Let cool slightly before adding the lemon juice and fresh coriander. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4, gluten free

Veggie Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee / olive oil ! 1 brown onion, finely


chopped ! 1 tsp cumin seeds ! 1 bay leaf ! 1 large sprig of thyme ! a handful of fresh

oregano

! 1 stick of celery, finely chopped

! 1 carrot, diced ! 1/4 cup green beans,

chopped into 3cm pieces ! 1/2 cup medium

cauliflower florets ! 1 potato, diced ! 1 small tomato, diced ! 5-6 cups boiling water ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Heat the ghee in a pot. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and cumin seeds and fry until the onion is soft and golden. Add the tomato and cook until soft. Add the celery and carrot and cook for a few minutes before adding the other veggies. Cook all of the veggie on a low-medium heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally. When they begin to stick, add the boiling water and cook over medium heat until the veggies are tender. Add the thyme and oregano and cook for another 2-3 mins then season with salt and pepper and serve with flat breads or basmati rice. Serves 3-4, gluten free

Corn Chowder Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee / olive oil ! 1 brown onion, finely

diced ! 1 tsp salt ! a handful of chopped

flat-leaf parsley or basil

! 6 ears of corn ! 1 large potato, peeled &

grated ! 7 cups boiling water ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: First you must ‘chuck’ the corn (slice the kernels off of the cob). From 6 ears, you should get about 4 cups of kernels in a bowl – put aside for now. In a large pot, heat the oil then add the onion and sauté until soft and golden. Add the potato and one cup of boiling water and stew over medium heat until the potato is soft, about 10 mins. Add the corn, salt and remaining water and bring to the boil. Simmer, partially covered for about 10 mins then turn off the heat and let cool briefly. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture for a good 5 mins. Now comes the tricky bit. Using a large sieve, strain the soup from the pot into another pot – to make the soup nice and smooth and to remove all of the ‘bits’. You may need to use a large wooden spoon to help push the soup through the sieve. Once strained, reheat the soup and add the parsley/basil and salt and pepper to taste. If you need to thin the soup, add a little more water. Serve with breads. Serves 4, gluten free

OPTIONAL: If you don’t have coconut milk, you can make your own (see recipe in the ‘Staples, Sauces & Accompaniments’ section) or you can roast 1/4 cup of finely desiccated coconut & grind it into a paste in a mortar & pestle.… then add this at the end of the cooking process instead. Also, if you don’t have access to kaffir lime leaves, you can use lime juice at the end of cooking instead of lemon juice.

Thai Sweet Potato Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee ! 3 kaffir lime leaves ! 1 brown onion, finely

diced ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp salt ! a pinch of cayenne

pepper

! 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled & cut into 1-2 cm cubes

! 4-5 cups boiling water ! 1/2 cup coconut milk ! a handful of fresh

coriander, finely chopped ! 2 tbsp lemon juice ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Add the kaffir lime leaves and the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and slightly golden. Next add the ginger and cook for a few minutes before adding the sweet potato and cayenne pepper. Stir until the potato is coated in the oil and spices then pop the lid on and cook on a low-medium heat for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is starting to stick to the pan, add the salt as this will help draw moisture out of the sweet potatoes. Next, add the boiling water and simmer, half covered for another 5-10 mins or until the sweet potato is soft. Remove from the heat, remove the kaffir lime leaves and then, with a stick blender, puree the soup. Add the coconut milk and return to a simmer for 2 mins. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, fresh coriander and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with breads or rice. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Simple Pumpkin Soup Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp ghee / olive oil ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 1 tsp ground cinnamon ! 1 tsp salt ! a handful or two of

fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander, roughly chopped

! 1 small pumpkin / 1/2 a big pumpkin cut into 2-3 cm cubes

! 5 cups boiling water ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and slightly golden then add the ginger and sauté for 20 secs. Add the cinnamon and stir, then the pumpkin and stir again briefly. Add the lid and cook on a low-medium heat for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is starting to stick to the pan, add the salt as this will help draw moisture out of the pumpkin. Next, add 5 cups of boiling water (or enough to cover the pumpkins). Bring to the boil and simmer half covered for 5-10 mins or until the pumpkin is disintegrating. Turn off the heat and, using a stick blender, puree into a smooth mixture. If you’d like it thicker, reduce until the desired result is achieved. If you want it thinner, add a little more water. When done, add parsley or coriander, salt and pepper to taste. OPTIONAL: for a different taste, consider roasting the pumpkin, drizzled in olive oil, in a hot oven for 15-20 mins. It will give the soup a delicious ‘roasty’ taste. Serves 4, gluten free

Quick Asian Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tsp ghee ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated ! 1/2 tsp salt ! approx 3 tbsp tamari ! 1 parcel of rice noodles ! 4 cups boiling water ! pepper to taste

! 1 carrot, sliced lengthways into 3 cm thin sticks

! 3/4 cup green beans cut into 3 cm pieces

! 2 bunches of bok choy, washed & cut into 3 cm pieces

! 2 handfuls of bean sprouts

Method: This is a super quick soup - good when you have very little in the cupboard and/or you need to eat very quickly! Put the freshly boiled water from the kettle in a pot and add the ginger, salt, ghee and pepper. Then add the carrots and green beans (or other available veg) and simmer until almost cooked. Add the bok choy and noodles and cook for another 2-4 mins (according to noodle instructions). Finally, add the bean sprouts and tamari to taste. If you have some coriander handy, sprinkle it on top when you serve up. If you want a less starchy soup and have a little more time, cook the noodles in a separate pot (according to packet instructions), drain and rinse with cold water. When serving up, add the noodles to your bowl then put the hot soup and veggies on top. Serves 2-3, gluten free

French Onion Miso Soup Ingredients: ! 2 large brown onions, finely diced ! 1 strip wakame seaweed ! 1 tbsp white miso ! a dash of tamari ! 1 tsp sesame oil ! 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped ! 5 cups of water Method: In a pot, stir-fry the onions over low heat in sesame oil until golden brown. Cut the wakame into small pieces and add it, along with the water, to the pot. Add a dash of tamari, to taste. Bring to the boil, then let simmer until the wakame is soft – about 10 mins. Dissolve the miso in a separate bowl, using some of the soup stock. Add back into soup, and warm for a few minutes - do not boil. Serve warm with parsley as a garnish. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Zucchini & Spinach Soup Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee/olive oil ! 1 brown onion, finely


chopped ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! 1 tsp salt

! 2-3 medium zucchinis diced into cubes

! 5 large leaves of spinach or chard, finely chopped

! 2 handfuls red lentils ! 4 cups boiling water ! grated fresh parmesan

cheese and roasted pine nuts (optional)

! salt & pepper to taste Method: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions. Fry over low heat until soft and slightly golden and then add the garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the ground cumin and coriander. Stir until the onions are coated in spices then add the zucchini and lentils. Stir until the mixture is covered in the spices and cook for a few minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Now, add the boiling water and the salt and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer half covered for 10 mins or until the zucchinis and lentils are well cooked. Add the spinach and cook for another 5 mins. Turn off the heat and with a stick blender, blend to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You can garnish the soup with roasted pine nuts and/or grated parmesan and serve with flat breads. This soup is also tasty served with the rice pilau. Serves 3-4, gluten free

NOTE: Barley comes in various forms, depending on the degree of processing it has undergone. Hull-less and pearled are generally the best as the hull is indigestible. Hulled barley (also called scotch or pot barley according to Miriam Hospodar) is a good choice as it is the least refined, but takes much longer to cook. Here we use pearl barley. Although it is a little more processed (most of the bran and part of the germ are removed) it is still very nourishing and takes a lot less time to cook.

Barley & Vegetable Soup Ingredients: ! 1 ½ tbsp cumin seeds ! 2 bay leaves ! 1 brown onion, finely

chopped ! 3 garlic cloves, crushed ! 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely

chopped ! 5 sage leaves ! a sprig of thyme ! 3 tbsp olive oil or ghee ! a handful of fresh flat-

leaf parsley, and oregano, finely chopped

! 2 sticks of celery, diced ! 1 large carrot, diced ! ½ fennel bulb, diced ! ¼ head of cauliflower,

roughly chopped ! 1 large potato, roughly

diced ! 2-3 handfuls of pearl

barley ! 2 tomatoes, diced ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves and fry until the cumin seeds are brown. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until the onion is golden. Add the remaining vegetables (except the tomatoes) and cook with the lid on for 10 mins, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Now add the barley, sage leaves, thyme and diced tomatoes. Stir for a couple of minutes before adding about 2 litres of boiling water. Cook until the barley is tender (this may take up to 1 # hours, allow longer if using hulled barley). Add the parsley and oregano, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve steaming hot. Serves 4-6

“There is only one real obstacle to being able to take care of ourselves and others – a mind without peace.”

Staples, Sauces &

Accompaniments

NOTE: Atta is a very fine wheat flour perfect for making breads and is available from most Indian and Asian grocers. The cooking method described above makes wheat flour lighter and the gluten easier to digest. If you usually have problems digesting bread, you may find you don’t actually have any problems with these.

However, if you want a gluten-free option, you can use a mixture of moong flour and rice flour (half and half). You will need to add a little oil to get the dough moist and pliable but there is no need to rest it.

Yeast Free Flat Breads Great with veggie dishes, legumes or soup! Ingredients: ! 2 cups wholemeal flour or atta flour ! 1 cup water (approx.) Method: Mix the flour and # cup water in a large bowl with your hands. Add " cup of the water and continue mixing. Continue to add water a little bit at a time until the dough forms a ball. Now kneed vigorously until the dough is moist and soft, but does not stick to the hands. Place in a clean bowl and cover to rest for about 15 mins. Take a small ball of dough (half a small lemon size) that has finished resting. Apply some dry flour and using a rolling pin, roll out on a floured board into a thin disc shape. Apply more flour if it sticks and turn it as you roll it out (this prevents sticking). Place the bread on a hot skillet or traditional ‘tawa’ and cook for about a minute, until the top darkens slightly. Flip and cook for about # a minute. Sections of the bread will begin to puff up like balloons. If cooking on gas, place the bread (using tongs) over a direct flame for 5-10 seconds on each side (don’t burn it) so it puffs up. Put it on a plate and spread " tsp of ghee. If using an electric stove, when the bread begins to puff, press gently with a screwed up tea towel to encourage the ‘ballooning’. When brown, remove and spread ghee. Serve them warm. If you’re after something more spicy then add 2 tsp of ajwain or cumin seeds along with # tsp salt to the basic bread dough.

Steamed Basmati Rice

Many people don’t like rice because they don’t know how to cook it. To cook rice properly and have it light and fluffy, it is important to rinse it 3 or 4 times to remove the excess starch (keep rinsing until the water runs almost clear). Most people skip this critical step. Remember that rice increases in volume so be sure to put it in an appropriate size pot, preferably one with a thick base. Add cold water to ! of an inch above the rice or, you can measure it with your finger – the water line should go up to the first crease of your index finger if the tip of your finger is resting on the top of the rice. This finger measure should work no matter how much rice you’re cooking. Bring the rice to the boil with the lid on then turn it down to the lowest heat possible and cook for about 10-15 mins. When cooked, allow it to stand for another 5 mins with the lid on and serve hot and steaming with a little ghee melted over the top. An approximate measure for cooking rice if it is a significant part of the meal is # cup per person. If it is making up a smaller part of the meal, " cup may do.

Steamed Red Rice

Red rice is another delicious type of rice that is slightly heavier and more filling than basmati but lighter and easier to digest than brown rice. You can have it on its own or mix it half and half with basmati. You won’t find red rice in the supermarket but you may find it at your local Indian grocer. It is common in Sri Lanka so if you have an Asian supermarket in your area, ask if it is available or if they can source it. Cook it as you would the Basmati rice. Both ARE gluten free

Roasted Brown Rice This is a good way to have nutrient rich brown rice. Roasting aids digestibility by adding ‘lightness’ to this heavy grain. Ingredients: ! 2 cups short-grain brown (ask for the ‘biodynamic’

kind from your wholefood store) ! 1 big pinch of good sea salt Method: Wash and dry the rice. Place it in a warm-hot saucepan and dry roast until you hear a few crackles. Keep roasting for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan gently so that the rice doesn’t burn. When you can see that all of the rice is slightly ‘cracked’, cook as you would the basmati rice (described above – less the washing). Pressure cookers or rice cookers can also be used to cook the brown rice – they are good for keeping in the nutrients and nutty flavour of brown rice. Traditionally brown rice is served with gomasio, but it is delicious with coriander pesto, or any of the sauces described in this cookbook (all found in this section). Serves 2-3, gluten free

Steamed Greens

Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee

! leafy greens (e.g. broccoli, bok choy, kale, spinach) ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: If you’re making daal with no veggies, kicharee or some other grain/pulse based meal you’re probably going to want some steamed greens to go with it. Simply chop your desired greens into medium-sized portions, pop in a saucepan big enough to hold them and add # - 1 cup of boiling water to the bottom of the saucepan (enough to keep the steam going but not enough to boil the veggies rather than steaming them!). When the veggies are the perfect vibrant green, drain any excess water, drizzle the ghee over the top and add salt and pepper to taste. gluten free

Winter Salad

Ingredients: ! 1 carrot, peeled & grated

! 1/2 daikon radish, peeled & grated

! two handfuls of rocket, washed & roughly chopped

! the juice of 1 lemon

! a drizzle of olive oil ! salt & pepper to taste

Method: Get a nice little salad bowl and chuck the rocket, carrot and radish into it. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and then toss. It goes well as a side salad with winter dishes and can be very tasty with a simple daal and rice. NOTE: Daikon is a mild-flavored East Asian large white radish, most common in Japanese, Tibetan, Chinese and Indian cuisine. It is a cleansing vegetable that fortifies the liver and enhances digestion. It is also rich in vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. Serves 2, gluten free

NOTE: With the oil from the sesame seeds coating the salt - Yin enveloping yang - gomasio is an excellent way of getting good salt down deep into the belly where it enhances digestion, absorption & assimilation of nutrients. It has blood-cleansing qualities, neutralises acidity in the blood, strengthens nerve tissue & the liver & stimulates brain activity. In Shojin-ryori, the type of vegetarian cooking traditionally practiced at Zen monasteries in Japan, a lot of sesame is used.

Gomasio A great digestive to have in small amounts with any of the dishes in this book…. a bit like dukkah. Ingredients: ! 10 parts black sesame, or raw unhulled sesame. ! 1 part good sea salt Method: In a warm pan carefully roast the salt. Once the aroma has vanished, after about 3 mins, and the salt is sufficiently parched, transfer it to the mortar (or a suribachi- a grooved Japanese mortar), and grind it to a very fine powder. Next warm a small, thin walled pan with a tight fitting lid, and place enough sesame seeds so as to just cover the bottom of the pan. Close the lid. When you hear a few crackles, then a few pops, take it off the heat and shake the pan up and down for 10 seconds. Add the seeds to the salt. A little smoke should occur. If there is none then the seeds are under toasted. If the smoke smells burnt, the seeds are over roasted. Now for the grinding, again in a mortar and pestle… don’t grind too hard as this will force out the oils and make the salt tacky and poor tasting. Grind until about ! of the seeds have broken open and the rest are intact. Take the time to take care at this stage. Each salt grain should be coated with the oil from the sesame seeds. Make gomasio fresh every 3-4 days. Keep in an airtight container away from heat. In the fridge is ok too. Use only # tsp with a meal. gluten free

Coriander Pesto This is based on the traditional Middle Eastern recipe, ‘Zhoug’, but with the enormous quantities of chilli removed! It is great as an accompaniment to almost anything, especially with yeast-free breads. Ingredients: ! 2 cups fresh coriander, roughly chopped ! 2-4 garlic cloves, sautéed whole ! 6 cardamom pods ! 1 tsp black pepper corns ! 1 tsp caraway or cumin seeds ! salt to taste ! 1 cup extra virgin olive oil- less or more may be

necessary. Method: In a mortar and pestle grind the cardamom pods and then remove the husks. Add the peppercorns and grind. Place these in a food processor, along with all of the other ingredients and blend until it forms a rough paste (or you can blend with a stick blender in a small container). gluten free

White Miso & Maple Syrup Sauce A lovely sweet sauce that is excellent over steamed veggies or stir-fry greens…. Ingredients ! 3 tsp white miso ! 1 tbsp tahini ! 1 tbsp maple syrup ! 1 tbsp lime juice Method: Mix all the ingredients until they form a smooth paste. Serve with stir-fry or steamed greens (e.g. bok choy, kale etc). Simply stir through the greens before serving. You can add some toasted sunflower kernels or sesame seeds, sprinkled on top. Gluten free

Mint & Coriander Chutney A tasty condiment that will keep for a few days in the fridge, but like anything else it's best fresh. The good thing about condiments and side dishes is that although they take a bit of extra time they act as an excellent digestive and enable a single dish to become balancing to all people at the table. Ingredients: ! Small bunch of mint ! Small bunch of coriander ! 1 ½ tbsp grated coconut (re-hydrate 1 tbsp of dried in

boiling water if you can’t get fresh) ! ½ tbsp sesame seeds ! 1 tbsp fresh ginger ! 1 tbsp lemon juice ! 1 tsp honey ! a little water ! salt & pepper to taste Method: Rinse the fresh ingredients, put in a blender or mortar and pestle and mash into a smooth paste.

Gluten free

Tahini Sauce A delicious Middle Eastern style sauce to have with any veggie, brown rice or couscous dishes… Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup tahini ! 3 tbsp lime or lemon juice ! 3 tbsp water ! 1 tsp ground cumin ! 1 tsp ground coriander ! salt to taste Method: Churn all of the ingredients in a mortar and pestle until they form a smooth creamy paste. You will notice the sauce breaks down then returns to a smooth texture as you grind. The sauce should be a little watery. It thickens a little on standing. You can also add one or more of the following for variety: 1 clove garlic, a little orange zest, 2 tsp ginger juice, 1 tsp honey, fresh chopped coriander. NOTE: Tahini (made from sesame seeds) is an excellent source of calcium, along with a handful of other very important minerals such as iron, copper, zinc and magnesium. Sesame seeds are also believed to help reduce blood levels of cholesterol and strengthen the immune system. gluten free

Warm Shitake & Dill Sauce Great on tofu, brown rice, or roast vegetables… Ingredients: ! 1 medium brown onion, finely diced ! 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ! 3 tsp fresh ginger, grated ! 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill ! 2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted ! 4 shitake mushrooms, soaked ! 2 tbsp soy sauce or shoyu (a Japanese soy sauce) ! 2 tbsp tahini ! 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice ! 1-2 tsp Dijon or grain mustard Method: A few hours in advance, soak the mushrooms (1 hr minimum) in 1 & 1/2 cups of water. Keep the water. Sauté the onion, garlic and grated ginger over medium-low heat until golden. Thinly slice the soaked mushrooms then add to the pan. Fry for 2-3 mins then add 5 tbsp of the shitake water. Cook for 2-3 mins until almost all of the water has evaporated. Turn the heat down to very low and add the lemon, shoyu, tahini, and 5 more tbsp of shitake water. Warm through. Add the chopped dill (fresh coriander is good if you have no fresh dill), the roasted ground cumin seeds, and the mustard. Remember that with any tahini-based sauce, it will thicken the longer it stands, so feel free to add a little more water, lemon etc. to your tastes. It should be quite watery when taken off the heat.

Roast Beetroot Sauce A lovely sauce or dip with a nice contrast between the roasted flavour of the beetroot and the mildness of the yoghurt. Serve at room temp or it can be warmed in a pan. Great with steamed or roast vegetables or tossed through grains or pasta. It is high in iron and other vitamins and minerals. It is great for depletion and tiredness. Ingredients: ! 2 medium beetroots ! 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted & ground ! 2 heaped tbsp thick biodynamic plain yoghurt ! 1/4 cup lime (or lemon) juice (more if you like) ! A pinch of salt & pepper ! 1/2 cup fresh coriander or basil leaves, finely chopped Method: Roast the beetroots until they are well done and place into a food processor with the other ingredients (or blend with a stick blender). Blend to a smooth paste. Gluten free

Make Your Own Coconut Milk Ingredients: ! 2 cups desiccated coconut

! 2 cups boiling water Method: In a jug, bowl or large glass add the boiling water to the coconut. Using a stick blender, blend vigorously for 3-5 mins then let stand for 30 mins. Finally, strain the mixture through a fine sieve or muslin cloth and keep the strained liquid. This homemade coconut milk is really light and delicious. Gluten free

Make Your Own Ghee Ingredients: ! 4 x 250g blocks of unsalted butter (preferably

organic)

Method: Put the butter in a medium-sized pan and melt slowly over a medium heat. When the butter liquefies completely and comes to the boil, turn down the heat as low as it can possibly go, whilst still boiling. Continue to cook the butter at this heat, uncovered. The butter will foam and spit for a little while before settling into a quiet simmer. Stir occasionally. Over time, the milk solids and buttermilk will separate from the butter oil (the ghee) and will rise to the top. Next, some of the solids will begin to sink to the bottom of the pan. If you are using ‘normal’ butter, more solids will sink but if you are using organic butter, fewer solids will sink. Instead, they will form a slight crust on top of the oil. The ghee will begin to turn a lovely golden colour and smell more like popcorn than butter. When the milk solid at the bottom of the pan turn a light brown colour, the ghee is ready. Take it off the heat now as it is prone to burning easily at this stage. Let the ghee cool until just warm. Now pour the ghee through a sieve, lined with a muslin cloth, into a storage container (such as a glass jar). Leave the lid off and let it cool for several hours until solid (if you leave the lid on, condensation will form and water will enter the ghee which may cause it to spoil). You do not need to refrigerate ghee. When you are familiar with the cooking process, you can attempt larger amounts of butter, which will have a longer cooking time. NOTE: Ghee is believed to increase longevity, intelligence and memory. It improves the strength of the immune system and enkindles the digestive fire without creating excess heat (as it is cooling). Ghee also increases the overall strength, luster and beauty of the body. Gluten & lactose free

“Most of us don't understand our minds & bodies very well & keep living in ways that ensure we

never will. We often speak of ‘balance’ in our lives, but few of us really feel comfortable & confident knowing just what elements are actually needed to bring out our best; to give ourselves a feeling of

health & wholeness as a human being. True balance is about feeling settled in a warmer, more patient,

more precise way of being that addresses our fundamental desire to take deep care of

ourselves & of others.”

Sweets

NOTE: Besan flour is made from chickpeas. It has a delicious nutty/biscuity taste. You can pick it up from most Indian grocers, along with khus or white poppy seeds. Poppy seeds promote sound sleep so are best eaten in the evening. It is gluten-free. OPTIONAL: You can also use moong daal flour for this recipe. It is lighter and even easier to digest but has quite a different flavour.

Besan & Poppy Seed Pudding Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp ghee ! 3 tbsp white poppy seeds (khus) ! 1/2 cup chickpea besan flour, sifted (or moong daal

flour) ! 2 cups unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk

(or a little more) ! 4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery Method: Warm up the ghee over low heat. Add the poppy seeds and fry in the ghee until they’ve turned slightly pink – be sure not to burn them. Now add the besan flour and stir. You may need to add a little more ghee at this point if there is still dry flour in the pan. You want the mixture to be moist, not crumbly… but not soggy either. Fry the flour over low heat for about 5 mins, again being sure not to burn it. Now, take the mixture off the heat and add the milk… just a little at a time to begin with. Stir vigorously in between each addition to avoid lumps forming. Once all of the milk has been added, return to a medium heat and add the sugar. Stir constantly and as the mixture comes to the boil it will thicken. You may need to add a little more milk and keep gently stirring until you have a custard-like consistency. When the pudding is nice and smooth, turn off the heat and serve up. Serves 2, gluten free

NOTE: Kuzu is a highly revered starch in Japanese cooking. It is often used medicinally for intestinal weakness & colds. Kuzu is unsurpassed as a thickening agent in Japanese cooking. When you buy kuzu, it will be in small chunks. Crush the chunks with the back of a spoon before measuring. Arrowroot will work with this recipe if you cannot find kuzu but it won’t be quite as yummy!

Green Tea Zen Temple Pudding Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup kuzu ! 2 & 1/2 cups unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 2 tbsp raw sugar (unrefined) ! 1 tsp powdered green tea Method: Dissolve the powdered green tea with a little warm water. Set aside. Dissolve the kuzu in a little cold water in a small saucepan then add all of the milk and the raw sugar. Mix well. Cook over medium heat for 5 mins and keep stirring so it doesn’t stick or burn. Turn down the heat when the pudding begins to gel together. Keep stirring for up to 10 mins to make it really smooth. Turn off the heat and mix in the tea mix. Pour into a bowl or small pots while still hot. Eat warm or at room temperature. Serves 2-3, gluten free

Vermicelli Kheer Ingredients: ! 1 tbsp ghee ! 1/2 cup wheat vermicelli noodles ! 2 cups unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk

(or a little more) ! 1/2 tsp ground cardamom ! 4-5 strands saffron ! 4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery Method: Pop the saffron strands in a few tablespoons of milk and set aside. Warm up the ghee on low heat. Add the noodles and fry in the ghee until they’ve turned a lovely pinkish hue, being careful not to burn them. Now add the milk… turn the heat up a little and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 mins over low heat. Adjust the consistency with a little more milk if required. The kheer should be lightly thickened so that the noodles are suspended, but not too thick. Add the cardamom and sugar and cook for another 3-5 mins or until the noodles are soft and the milk has become quite creamy. Add the saffron, stir through and allow to stand for a minute or so before serving up. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with roughly chopped/broken unsalted pistachios as a garnish. If you use a little less sugar, this also makes a great breaky. NOTE: For a gluten-free option, this pudding can be made with rice vermicelli. Serves 2, gluten free option

Cardamom Semolina Cake Ingredients: CAKE ! 2 cups fine semolina ! 1 cup dried coconut

threads ! 125g butter or ghee, melted ! 1 cup unhomogenised

organic/biodynamic milk ! 1 tsp ground cardamom

SYRUP ! 1 cup raw sugar

(unrefined) ! 1 cup water ! 3 tsp rose water

Method: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Put the semolina, coconut and cardamom in a bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Now add the melted butter and milk and stir until well combined. Add the mixture to a greased, square baking dish (about 20cm x 20cm). Pop in the oven and bake for 30 mins or until lightly golden brown on top. While the cake is cooking, you can make the syrup. Simply combine the water and sugar and heat slowly until all of the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat until the syrup boils then turn it down to moderate and reduce the liquid to about 1/3 of its original volume. The syrup is ready when it sticks slightly to the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add the rose water. When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and while it is still hot, cut it into diamond or square shapes (about 3 cm x 2 cm each). Once sliced, pour the hot syrup over the whole cake. It will look like a lot of syrup but don’t be alarmed – it will all soak into the cake given a little time (at least 20 mins). Once the syrup has soaked in, you can serve the cake at room temperature. However, it will be at its very best served the next day. Serves 16 or more

Carrot & Almond Cake Ingredients:

! 125g self-raising flour, sifted ! 3/4 cup ground jaggery or brown sugar (unrefined) ! 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon ! 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ! 1/2 cup olive oil or ghee ! 2 eggs ! 2 cups grated carrot ! 60g chopped blanched almonds Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Using butter, grease a cake loaf tin. Mix the flour, jaggery/brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Make a little well in the dry mix and add the eggs and olive oil. Using either a stick blender or electric mixer, blend for about 3 mins. Now, grate the carrots and chop the almonds. Add to the mix and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed in. Dish out the cake mix into the tin and pop in the oven. Cook for 1 hr. If the top turns brown before the rest of the cake is cooked, cover with alfoil to prevent burning. Cool in the tin before turning out. Serve as is or with a little butter/ghee on each slice. OPTIONAL: Mix a little icing sugar with cinnamon and dust on top of the cake before serving. Serves 8-10

Ginger Anzac Cookies Ingredients: ! 1 cup rolled oats ! 1 cup wholemeal flour, sifted ! 3/4 cup coconut ! 2 tsp ground dry ginger ! 125g butter or ghee ! 1/2 cup raw sugar (unrefined) ! 2 tbsp golden syrup ! 1/4 tsp bi-carb soda ! 1 tbsp boiling water Method: Preheat the oven to 150°C. In a mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, wholemeal flour, coconut and dry ginger. Stir together until well mixed. Using a small pot, melt the butter over low heat, then add the sugar and golden syrup. At the same time, in a little bowl, dissolve the bi-carb in the boiling water. When the sugar and syrup have melted, add the dissolved bi-carb to the pot. The contents should suddenly ‘fizz’ and rise. Stir a couple of times then add the contents to the bowl and mix with the dry ingredients. Now, roll the cookie mixture into walnut sized balls and place on a greased baking tray. The mixture should make 20-30 balls. Pop in the oven and cook for 20-25 mins or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, flatten gently with a fork and then allow the cookies to cool (on the trays) before eating. They will harden as they cool. NOTE: If you want chunkier biscuits, use whole rolled oats and shredded coconut. If you want finer biscuits, used ‘quick’ oats and fine desiccated coconut. makes 20-30 cookies

NOTE: LSA is a linseed, sunflower seed & almond mix. You can buy it from most wholefood stores. The mixture of sesame seeds, almonds, LSA, dates & raisins makes these balls very nourishing for the tissues & high in calcium, iron, magnesium & other important trace minerals.

Bindi Balls Ingredients: ! 2 tbsp sesame seeds ! 1 tbsp fennel seeds ! 2 tsp ajwain seeds ! 1/2 cup blanched almonds ! 3/4 cup ghee ! 1 cup wholemeal flour ! 1 cup besan (chickpea) flour ! 1/2 cup LSA mix ! 1/2 cup of chopped dates and/or raisins ! 2/3 cup ground jaggery

Method: In a skillet or fry pan dry roast each of the following separately: - the spices (fennel, ajwain) and then grind into a powder - the almonds and then chop roughly - the sesame seeds. Now, warm the ghee in a pan, add the LSA mix to the warm ghee over medium to low heat, stir a few times and then add the wholemeal flour. Continue stirring until it has a nice toasted smell. Now add the besan flour and continue to toast, again until it has a nice roasted biscuit smell. Remove from the heat and add the spices, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Mix well. Add the ground jaggery and stir through thoroughly. Allow the mixture to cool for 30 mins until it is easy to handle. Roll into walnut sized balls and pop in the fridge to harden. Mmmm delicious! NOTE: For a gluten-free option, substitute the wholemeal flour with moong or besan flour or a mixture of the two. Makes 25-30 balls, gluten free option

“Happiness is to be surprised by our own capacity for joy, compassion, kindness & equanimity. It is

that sense of really being at home in our own skin. These moments are moments of freedom; moments when we deeply experience & therefore understand the needs of

happiness in ourselves & others. It is to understand how to benefit a situation. It helps us

understand the world.”

Drinks

Morning Ginger Tea Ingredients: ! 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated ! 1 tsp honey (not heat treated) ! a squeeze of lemon juice ! 1 cup boiling water Method: Mix all ingredients together and stir well for a toxin-reducing, digestive fire-enkindling drink every morning. Drink after brushing your teeth and before breakfast. Serves 1, gluten free

Sweet Lemon Water Ingredients: ! 1 glass room temp water ! 1 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) ! a pinch of salt ! 1 tbsp lemon juice Method: Mix all ingredients together for a refreshing and invigorating drink. This drink is particularly good when you’re working hard in the hot sun or after playing sport as it helps to relieve thirst whilst replenishing lost salts and sugars. Serves 1, gluten free

Buttermilk Substitute This is an excellent digestive to have after meals. It acts as an appetiser, cleanses the digestive tract and is very useful in any case of loose bowels, indigestion, mal-absorption, IBS, colitis, piles and anaemia. Ingredients: ! 1 glass water ! 2 tbsp biodynamic plain yoghurt ! pinch black pepper Method: Mix all ingredients together and whizz with a stick blender (or in a blender) for several minutes until froth forms on the top. Serves 1, gluten free

Cooling Rose Lassi This is a delicious cooling summer drink that aids digestion and absorption while cooling and purifying the blood and the mind. It is best enjoyed after the midday meal… Ingredients: ! 2 cups water ! 1/2 cup biodynamic plain yoghurt ! 1-2 tbsp raw sugar (unrefined) ! 3-4 drops pure rosewater method: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 2-3 mins (or use a stick blender). Serves 4, gluten free

NOTE: This drink is very nourishing to the tissues & is absolutely delicious. It is great for giving an ‘energy hit’ in the afternoons, when the blood sugar gets a little low. It is high in iron & magnesium so is particularly good for building the blood, nervous systems under stress & for growing kids & pregnant/breastfeeding women.

Energy Shake Ingredients: ! 3 almonds (blanched) ! 2 dried dates ! 1 dried fig ! 10 sultanas/raisins ! 2/3 cup boiling water Method: Soak the almonds, dates, fig and sultanas/raisins in the boiling water for at least 3 hrs. If having in the afternoon, put on to soak in the morning. If having in the mid-morning, put on to soak in the evening. Once soaked for the appropriate time, take out the almonds and remove their skins then return them to the mixture and blend it with a stick blender for several minutes until it is a smooth consistency. Now, you can either add a little boiling water to make it less thick or you can have as is. OPTIONAL: To make the drink even more nourishing and delicious, you can add a little warm, unhomogenised biodynamic/organic milk after blending (if added before blending it may curdle). Serves 1-2, gluten free

Five Spice Chai This makes an excellent beverage in between meals as it helps to stave off unhealthy cravings and is one of the best ways to consume milk and benefit from its nourishing qualities. (Maybe not just before bed, unless low caffeine tea is used). Ingredients: ! 1/2 tsp ground

cinnamon or 1/2 a cinnamon stick

! 1/2 tsp ginger powder ! 4 cardamom pods ! 3 cloves ! 3 pepper corns ! 2 tsp loose black tea

or 2 teabags ! 3 tsp raw sugar

(unrefined)

! 1 cup water ! 1 cup unhomogenised

organic/biodynamic milk

Method: Roughly pound the cardamom, cloves and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Add these to a saucepan along with the ginger and cinnamon, sugar, milk and water. Bring to the boil on a medium-high heat. Once boiled, remove from the heat and add the black tea. Leave to stand for 3 mins and then pour through a strainer. Serve hot. Serves 2, gluten free

Sunthi Chai Ingredients: ! 4 tsp freshly grated

ginger ! 2 tsp loose black tea

or 2 tea bags ! 3 tsp raw sugar

(unrefined)

! 1 cup water ! 1 cup unhomogenised

organic/biodynamic milk

Method: Put the ginger, milk, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiled, remove from the heat and add the black tea. Leave to stand for 3 mins and pour through a strainer. Serve hot. ‘Sunthi’ is Sanskrit for fresh ginger. Fresh ginger is the best spice for promoting good digestion. Serves 2, gluten free

Ajwain Chai Ingredients: ! 1 tsp fresh ginger,

grated ! 1 tsp ground fennel ! 3 cardamom pods ! 1/2 stick of cinnamon ! 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds ! 3 – 4 cloves

! 2 cups water ! 2 cups of unhomogenised

organic/biodynamic milk ! 5 tsp raw sugar

(unrefined) ! 4 teabags or 4 tsp loose

black tea Method: Add all of the spices to a saucepan along with the sugar, milk and water. Bring to the boil on medium-high heat. Once boiled, turn off the heat and add the tea. Allow to sit for 3 mins and then serve hot (pouring through a strainer). NOTE: In winter and autumn use a pinch more ajwain. In summer add a tsp of cooling coriander powder. Serves 4, gluten free

Bedtime Turmeric Milk A delicious beverage before bedtime that will help to nourish your lungs, bones and blood overnight as well as aiding sleep. Ingredients: ! 1/2 cup unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk ! 1/2 cup water ! 1/2 tsp turmeric ! a pinch of nutmeg ! 1 tsp honey (not heat-treated) Method: Bring the water and milk to the boil in a saucepan that is good for pouring. Pour into a cup and add the turmeric, nutmeg and honey. Stir well. Serves 1, gluten free

“The word ‘Mudita’ was used by the Buddha. He called it one of the Four Heavenly Abodes.

It means ‘a joyful appreciation of life’. Mudita is one of the true benchmarks for what

constitutes a really healthy mind & body.”

Mudita Institute

The Mudita Institute The Mudita Institute (pronounced moo-dee-ta) is an Australian-based training and education organisation founded to help people live their lives with greater peace, vitality, kindness and joy. We guide our clients step-by-step through simple diet and lifestyle practices, physical practices, mindfulness practices and views of the mind that, for thousands of years, have provided a foundation for enduring good health and happiness. Specif ical ly, we teach our cl ients how to: • promote relaxat ion in the mind/body • develop a strong mind/body metabol ism and • cult ivate kindness towards themselves and others. Through our retreats, seminars, publications, programs and consultations, we teach our clients how to reduce stress; to improve their digestion; and to cultivate kindness - and why these are so important. Our teachings are based on the timeless wisdom of Ayurvedic Medicine $and Buddhist Psychology but we deliver this ancient knowledge in a way that is easily understood and applied in our modern lives. Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett founded the Mudita Institute in 2008 with its Directors, Kester and Nadia Marshall. Stephen Galpin is a teacher at the Institute and cooks and teaches at all of our retreats. The Mudita Institute is situated in Northern NSW. For information about our retreats, courses, talks, blogs and other publications or to subscribe to our newsletter, visit our websites: ! www.muditainstitute.com For more information about the Mudita Health Clinic which specialises in helping women with digestive problems, stress and fatigue, visit: !www.muditaclinic.com

Mudita Retreats ! “Learn How to Reduce Stress, Improve Digestion, Cultivate Kindness and Transform Your Health and Happiness.” ! At the Mudita Health Retreats you will learn HOW to reduce stress in your life; how to improve your digestion; and how to cultivate kindness and greater warmth towards yourself and others. And, you will learn WHY it is so important to do these things - why they are the foundation for enduring good health and happiness. At our retreats you will learn how to: • Slow down and experience true relaxation • Reduce stress and confusion • Develop greater emotional stability • Work with difficult emotions like grief, fear and anger • Feel good about yourself; and • Develop greater warmth towards others. $ From a more physical perspective, you will learn how to: • Improve your digestion and metabolism • Reduce toxins (without having to ‘detox’) • Improve the quality of your tissues • Increase your energy; and • Strengthen your immune system. $ The retreat is an intensive educational and experiential event. It features: • Instruction on how to meditate • Twice daily meditation sessions • Daily yoga sessions • Daily lectures on the mind and body • Practical dietary advice • Practical lifestyle advice • Cooking demonstrations • Delicious vegetarian food • A stunning rainforest location in Byron Bay • Massages • Time for rest, contemplation and relaxation. $ For more information, go to the ‘Retreats’ page of our website: www.muditainstitute.com

Other publications by The Mudita Institute:

AGNI: Building A Strong Digestive Fire By Nadia Marshall

AGNI is a food and lifestyle course based on the Ayurvedic principles of good digestion, designed to help you enjoy stress-free, guilt-free, confusion-free eating. Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, teaches that all disease begins in the digestive tract, due to an imbalanced digestive fire. This fire principle is called AGNI in sanskrit. Bringing your attention to strengthening and stabilising your AGNI is, arguably, the most effective

preventative health measure you can establish in your life. Ayurveda teaches us that ‘Like Increases Like’ and that the ‘Qualities’ of our food, thoughts, activities and environment directly effect the quality of our AGNI. The three main qualities of AGNI are Warm, Light and Slightly Oily. By introducing these same qualities into our lives, predominantly through food, we can directly influence our metabolism, the quality of our tissues and immune system and the quality of our thoughts. Simple. This practical course walks you through the fundamental Ayurvedic food and lifestyle practices designed to strengthen and stabilise AGNI, detailing why they are recommended and drawing correlations to more western viewpoints. It is designed for people to work through it at home, at their own pace. The practices taught are specifically designed to cultivate a strong digestive fire - increasing your ability to digest, absorb and assimilate your food and decreasing the production and accumulation of toxic wastes in your tissues and channels Written in a deeply personal way, based on Nadia’s experiences of compromised digestion and stress/confusion around food, the Course provides a very accessible, fun and supportive guide to Ayurvedic eating and living for the modern western mind. It should be accompanied by “WARMTH: The Cookbook”. See the ‘Books’ page at www.muditainstitute.com for more information or to purchase online.

Other publications by The Mudita Institute:

The Ayurvedic Kitchen By Stephen Galpin, Nadia Marshall & Kester Marshall

THE AYURVEDIC KITCHEN is the long awaited sequel to WARMTH, with more of an ‘Indian’ flavour. It is a vegetarian cookbook based on the Ayurvedic principles of good digestion, inspired by our recent experiences including our travels through India, our retreats, workshops and our own joyful relationships with food.... This inspiring cookbook is a collaboration between the Mudita Institute and Chef Stephen Galpin. It is designed to help you rethink your relationship with food... to help you move towards a more

nourishing, loving experience. It contains 88 wonderful vegetarian recipes covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, sweets and snacks, drinks and accompaniments. The majority of the recipes are gluten free and all can be slightly adapted for people with lactose/dairy intolerances or for vegans. They are also all sattvic (support a peaceful mind), tridoshic (suitable for all constitutions) and are designed to support balanced agni (digestion). The cookbook also contains information on building a nourishing relationship with food, eating ayurvedically, the medicinal qualities of kitchen spices, shopping advice and inspiring quotes throughout from Stephen. If you have attended any of our workshops or retreats, you will recognise many of Stephen’s famous creations to make for yourself, at home. “Food that nourishes our body, mind & spirit is prepared with love. Allow food to become your best friend; one that nourishes & sustains you. You will spend this life time with food. Slow down & take some time to really get to know it well!” Stephen See the ‘Books’ page at www.muditainstitute.com for more information or to purchase online.

Happy eating x

By Nadia Marshall, Kester Marshall & Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett

This collection of simple, delicious recipes for every day use are tools for stabilising and strengthening the mind/body metabolism.

This stability helps us to regain ‘Warmth’ in our lives - a warmer, happier, healthier mind and body.

The 75 vegetarian recipes are based on the principles of Ayurvedic cooking and come from a variety of cultural influences

including Indian, English, Italian, Middle Eastern, Japanese and SE Asian. They are suitable for all constitutions.

“I felt compelled to write to say how much I LOVE your cookbook. Since buying it I have rekindled my love of cooking. The recipes are simple and full of flavor and I

haven't felt this ‘warm’ for ages. I have been looking for ways to incorporate Ayurvedic principles into my life which is not always easy with a partner, two young children and part-time work and study. Your approach is easy to adapt to our more

western lifestyle whilst upholding the ancient science of Ayurveda. Thank you so much!” - Jodie, Yoga Teacher

“As a student of Ayurveda, it is always a challenge to give clear guidance on how people can adapt their favoured style of cooking to enhance their health. In the past, I have been hesitant to recommend any particular cookbook as a good introduction

and guide. With the arrival of "Warmth," I feel as though I now have a wonderful gift to pass on. Some recipes will be new to you and others may be familiar favourites. Whether you are a ‘seasoned’ cook or a kitchen ‘newbie’ this is a wonderfully

comprehensive book, full of recipes that represent an uncomplicated, lively and fresh style of cooking.” - Adam, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant

www.muditainstitute.com

AU$35.00

WarmthTHE COOKBOOK

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