Prescription on a plate lunch

What fun sharing sattvic (pure, nourishing uplifting) food with the like minded! Yesterday's cooking class was a great success with 8 of us around the table. As we gathered to prepare the food and pour our hearts into it, the energy in the room was joyous.  We started with the importance of hydration and "Smart Water" the herbal tea that has helped so many eliminate what seemed to be very serious problems.

Here is the recipe again - to 1 to 2 litres of good quality spring water that is boiled then add: Coriander seed, fennel seed, marshmallow root, and mint - about 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful of each.  The quantities are not critical as really you are transferring the vibrational intelligence of the plants to the water. Once this has steeped for 10-15 minutes - you can strain or not and carry it through out the day in a thermos and drink. Sometime I just strain and carry in a water bottle and drink at room temperature - see what feels better for you.

Then we sampled pears that had been stewed with cloves. Everyone was amazed how delicious they tasted and after I read the medicinal benefits of cloves everyone saw the importance of having cloves on a daily basis. Also eating the pears and cloves first thing in the morning on an empty stomach after you have had some warm water ( either smart water or lime or lemon water) if you eat them first thing they give your liver a bit of a boost and cleanse. Both apples and pears have an abundance of malic acid which is a great liver detox. Add the cloves and your are getting an inexpensive spa treatment.

We finally got around to cooking our magnificent lunch which included: rice and quinoa, maasor dahl, veggies cooked in ghee and spice mix, green protein and cilantro chutney.

We learned the importance of cooking with turmeric that has been balance to minimize its drying and heating effects. We listened to a video of Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra speak about the power of Turmeric and why knowledge of correct usage is important when using powerful herbs. Then we understood why we make the spice mix:                                                                                                                             Turmeric 1 part, Coriander 6 parts, Fennel 6 parts, Cumin 1 part

The mixture of spices cools down the turmeric and when cooked with unctuous ghee the drying effects are balanced. So now we know why those spices are blended with ghee before we use them with our veggies or lentils and a bit of water.

Then the magical "Green Protein" took it place on the kitchen counter. We made paneer - home made cheese, then lightly steamed some greens (collard, spinach ) until they turned a dark green - took just a couple of minutes and then the cheese and greens were blended together. This blend of greens and protein is an excellent source of iron and proteins which are essential for oxygenation and formation of all aspects of our physiology which depend on protein synthesis such as hormones, neurotransmitters, DNA and other tissues.  The "Green Protein" has had great success with practitioners of Shaka Vansya Ayurved in raising hemoglobin levels and revering the autoimmune process.

Last but not least we made some Cilantro Chutney with 2 lunch or organic cilantro (all food used was organic) some olive oil, lime juice and salt - blended in our little bullet blender. It was a nice side dish to the meal and its benefit is that it removes toxic heavy metals from the system.

All in all it was a fantastic class - and we are going to do another one next month!!!

Love and Blessings