Ayurveda
SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH ENDIVE, ARUGULA AND APPLE SALAD
Spaghetti Squash with Endive, Arugula and Apple Salad (3-4 portions)
Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes (includes some free time)
This recipe is simple, has few ingredients, it’s delicious, vegan, warming, hence Vata friendly. It can easily be adapted to pacify Kapha dosha during the Spring (switching some of the ingredients to those in parenthesis) to make a lighter and more cleansing version (during the months from March to June).
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- extra-virgin olive oil (or sunflower oil)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound of asparagus, steamed tender
- 1 leek finely chopped (or 2 garlic cloves, chopped)
- 2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (or local fresh goat cheese)
- 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)
The first step takes 45-55 minutes while you can be doing something else: prepare the dressing and other ingredients for your salad, then meditate, or do some yoga …
- First, bake your spaghetti squash, it’s the best and easiest way to cook it.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Wash the shell of the squash, rinse well and dry with a towel.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out of each half, and place the squash, cut-side down, in a baking pan.
- Pierce the squash shell several times with a fork and bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then use a fork to pull the strands of squash and reserve.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or sunflower oil) in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
- Slice the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and sauté them with leek (or garlic) and rosemary for one minute
- Stir in ricotta (or goat cheese) and squash
- Season with salt and pepper and sauté until hot and creamy
- Top with pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)
- serve with: Endive, Arugula and Apple Salad
For the dressing:
- Whisk together 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar,
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and
- 1/2 cup olive (or sunflower) oil.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (low on salt during Kapha season)
- Mix 2-3 heads of Belgian endive, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces,
- 1 cup arugula, and
- 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
- Stir in the dressing and toss all ingredients together just before serving
- Share and enjoy!
VEGETABLE AND LENTIL SOUP
(8-10 PORTIONS)
This is one of my favourite soup recipes as it brings Vata dosha all it needs to be in peace. Easy to make, it will calm your body, your mind, and your environment. It has warming and grounding energy. It is a complete meal in itself, but you can also serve it with some fresh bread. It is very nutritious, delicious, and also vegan.
- 2 tablespoons of ghee or olive oil
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 leek chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger root
- 1 sweet potato or yam chopped in 1cm cubes
- 3 carrots chopped in 1cm cubes
- 1 rutabaga chopped in 1cm cubes
- 5-6 Roma tomatoes blanched and chopped
- 25-30 green beans chopped or 1 chopped broccoli
- 1 cup of split mung beans or green lentils, well rinsed
- Herbs: 1 teaspoon of each: freshly grounded fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 liters of fresh filtered water
- Fresh cilantro leaves to taste
Sauté the onion and leek in the ghee (or olive oil) until golden, about 4-5 minutes, add the herbs and mix well. Add the lentils and the tomatoes, stir, and then add the vegetables: root veggies first, mix well, add half the water and bring to boil, cook for 5-10 minutes. Then add the beans or the broccoli florets and the rest of the water. Bring to boil again, then lower to simmer for 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add fresh cilantro, serve and enjoy!