October 23, 2009

Tomorrow I am taking the Global Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive and am feeling a bit edgy. So I made a very light soup for breakfast and lunch today. Here is the recipe:

2 cups chopped kale

1 cup grated rutabaga

 3 cloves garlic

1-2 cups water

2 tsp grated coconut

1 tsp ground flax

1 tbsp flax oil

1 tsp maca root powder

1-2 tsp xanthan gum

tumeric, coriander, cumin seed and garam masala to taste

After attending a memorial service yesterday at the Buddhist Vihara Temple, I created a new breakfast dish. As I was cooking it, I was contemplating how people are connected through the food they prepare for each other. This is a subtle and daily play of consciousness that creates our lives. We ate with our hands yesterday, after serving the kind and quiet monks of this beautiful temple in Queens, New York. Perhaps that is why I created this recipe. Using metal utensils and wearing shoes does greatly alter one’s relationship to food, bringing the energy of travel into it. The recipe taught me about abundance too. The mixture seemed to grow and grow and I kept adding water to it. I realized that I usually make my dishes too heavy, that there really doesn/t need to be that much in them if they are properly spiced and extended with thickeners. Here is the recipe:

1 organic onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

½ dozen wolfberries

½ handful raisins

3 tbsp coconut flour

3 tsp almond flour

1 tsp maca root powder

½ tsp tumeric

1 capsule cayenne powder

grated Himalayan rock salt, to taste

1-2 tsp xanthan gum

2-4 cups boiled water

Simmer until desired consistency; add one cup chopped dandelion greens or other greens for last 3 minutes. Season  with home-made garam masala. Add flax oil when serving. This dish would also be nice with yogurt added when served.

In my continuing experiments with coconut flour, I have developed a dessert recipe that is a sort of lightweight pie. It would be nice with some type of topping, maybe using fruits or nuts. The charm of this recipe is the satisfying density and nutritive content of the ingredients. There is no refined sugar and the agave syrup could be removed and replaced by stevia or another sweetener. I poured this recipe into a bowl to cool and then cut it in slices to serve.

Dessert

2-3 tbsp                   Coconut flour

1 tbsp                      Chestnut flour

2-3 tbsp            Grated coconut

1 tbsp                       Ghee (clarified butter

cinnamon, clove, cardomom to taste

2 tbsp                       Agar (vegetable thickener)

1 tsp                         Molasses

1 tsp                         Agave syrup

½ cup                       Rice milk

1-2 cups            Boiled water

1 handful            Wolfberries

Mix the ingredients in a small pot and simmer on stove until the mixture begins to thicken. Amounts of dry ingredients and liquids can be varied. Transfer to ceramic or glass bowl to cool. This recipe provides a delicious and healthful dessert which can also be used as a morning cereal.

Perhaps because I teach children in a public school, I have a strong interest in nutrition. Breakfast is a very important meal and I like to make sure I give myself a hot cereal on cold autumn mornings. I just wish that all the children I teach could also receive a nutritious hot cereal before leaving for school in the morning! I usually get up between 4:30 and 5:00 am and spend about 30 to 45 minutes preparing my breakfast and lunch. I pack my lunch in a stainless steel thermos to bring to school. It is important to eat in the right way so I usually offer a prayer before I eat my meal. I have been experimenting with making cereals without grains and have found that coconut flour is very versatile. Please let me know if you try this recipe and whether you enjoy it.

½ cup            rice milk

1 tbsp            coconut  or rice flour and/or leftover cooked whole grain

1 tbsp            grated coconut

1/8 cup minced onion

1 tsp            ground flax

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp            ginger juice

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp finely chopped sunflower seeds

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, add water if necessary

Serve warm with garnish of

1 tbsp chopped sprouts

 1 tbsp chopped watercress

Optional:

1 dollop organic kefir