Move over Avocado Toast! It’s spring and the garden is abound with dandelions, hairy bittercress, violets, garlic mustard, wild chives and so many other beauties. I stepped into the beautiful sunshine this morning and picked some hairy bittercress and dandelion. I made myself a delicious breakfast that could equally be lunch. It has the classic elements that embody an ayurvedic dish: salty, sweet, sour, astringent, pungent and bitter. The taste of something is so essential in ayurveda. It is the senses bringing the emotional completion alive to what you eat . . . experiment with this idea (try with things that come from the ground). Wild Foraged Toast Ingredients:2 pieces rye bread4 to 6 TBS cream cheese of any kind2 TBS dandelion greens and flowers2 TBS hairy bittercress1 tsp cilantro5-6 pieces sliced cucumberone half sliced onion (small) and orange pepper (small)1 TBS olive oil1/2 tsp cuminsalt and black pepper to taste Method:Finely chop dandelion greens and hairy bittercress. Gently mix the herbs with cream cheese in a bowl. Set aside. Put a saucepan on the stove at medium heat. Add olive oil and cumin, allow to warm for 1 to 2 minutes, then add onions and peppers and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool. Then stack your open faced sandwich: start with toasted bread, smear on the cream cheese mixture, then layer the onions and peppers, top with sliced cucumber and garnish with dandelion flowers and cilantro. Enjoy! This is what spring awakes; the purifying and detoxification of the liver with greens especially wild dandelion. Here are your ayurvedic flavor hits:bitter= dandelion flower, herbs, cuminsweet= bread, cooked pepperspungent= black pepper, onionsastringent= cucumbers, cooked pepperssour= cream cheesesalty= salt With much love,Helen
What is Ayurveda?
Life as a Living Artform I always say that ayurveda, “the science of life,” is the sister practice to yoga. Similar to yoga, ayurveda is an ancient holistic healing system that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Yet, ayurveda is more than just Indian cuisine. It is a lifestyle with many interesting practices such as cleaning your tongue with a scraper, daily oil massage and oil pulling, etc . . . I love that most of these techniques are now so mainstream! I can tell you this, I have tried many different diet and lifestyle approaches over the years. As an athlete and an NCAA tennis player, I went from things like: high carb and mostly vegetarian diet for a decade, eating meat and vegetables and herbs only for over 2 years, eating only vegetarian, training for marathons and triathlons with all kinds of powdered supplements, eating for my blood type, fasting, not fasting, etc… None have had the profound effect on my clarity, strength and vitality than ayurvedic cooking and lifestyle practices. In ayurveda, food is considered medicine. Eating and cooking with high vibration ingredients fresh from the ground plays a significant role in achieving balance and well-being. There is also an emphasizes on the importance of individualized approaches to health, recognizing that each person has a unique constitution or dosha which influences their physical, mental and emotional characteristics. Take an ayurvedic quiz here to determine your dosha. So, ayurvedic takes into account the individual’s constitution, the seasons and the qualities of different foods to create meals that support balance and vitality. This culinary practice involves not only the selection of ingredients but also the cooking methods and spices used to prepare the dishes. When teaching my classes, I share insights about the practical application of ayurvedic cooking and lifestyle practices. Here are some of the things you’ll experience in my class:
Apple Chip Recipe
I used apple chips to decorate my Holiday Yule Log dessert, and you can also use apple chips in salads, soups, as crackers, as a snack, or as a pretty, festive decoration inside or outside. My ten-year-old likes to dip them in honey! Pick any apples you like— for a sweeter taste; it would be a Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, or for a more tart flavor; it would be a Granny Smith, Cortland, or Empire apple.