1 3/4 cups all purpose (or Doves Gluten free) flour 1 cup coconut (or other brown) sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 2 free range medium eggs 1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree (or I make...
2 eggs150 ml (5fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil200 g (7oz) soft light brown sugar (or coconut is healthier)150 g (11oz) peeled and grated carrots (weight when grated)150 g (11oz) peeled and grated sweet potato75 g (3oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)175 g...
Makes a moist flapjack also suitable as a pudding225g chopped dates About 1/2 cup of orange juice 1/4 tsp cinnamon 170g coconut oil 2 tbs maple syrup (or golden syrup is a cheaper and stickier alternative) 8 oz porridge oats 4 oz coconut sugar 4 oz wholemeal flour....
2 tabs coconut oil (can use ghee but the flavour of the coconut is nice in this one) 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion - finely chopped Knob of fresh ginger - cut small 2 celery sticks - chopped 1 head broccoli broken into small florets and chopped 2 courgettes - chopped...
For Spring and other times when the body has too much inflammationOne cup of whole mung beans (round green ones) 3 cups of water Piece dried seaweed (optional but it softens the mung beans 1 cup basmati rice 2 tablespoons coconut chips 1/2 cup boiling water Small...
We grow all of these vegetables and this soup is a great winter warmer. The Jerusalem artichokes are a little fiddly to prepare but they are worth it in flavour and nutrition. Same with Celeriac. It is one of the best sources of vitamin K which can help with improves...
We love beetroot. It strengthens the heart, improves circulation, purifies the blood, benefits the liver, and can ease menstruation. If you can buy it raw and cook it yourself (simply boil) then this dish will be even more nutritious - and even tastier too.50g...
Much simpler than it looks, this is a delicious centerpiece for a special occasion. Serves 4-6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 45 mins220g dried chickpeas, or 1 450g can cooked chickpeas 150g walnuts, very lightly toasted in a frying pan 150g breadcrumbs 1 onion,...
We eat chard most of the year round but I have put this recipe in the winter section because it is one of the few leafy greens available in winter and because, it is rich and creamy so good winter fodder. Serves 4 as a side | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20...
A bit late for Christmas but guaranteed to give a lift to the humble Brussel sprout, and even convert those not keen. Moreover the addition of lemon and ginger helps absorption of nutrients and make sprouts more digestible! Serves 4-6 as a side | Prep time: 10...
The Ayurvedic spices in this recipe really help to make potatoes more digestible as well as taste delicious. For best results use a potato that is not too waxy but definitely not too floury as they need to hold their shape when boiled, not fall apart when fried, but...
Much lighter than a nut roast, this simple recipe makes a great main course any time of year. I have put it in the winter section because with these heavier ingredients—brown rice, eggs and cheese—it is best eaten when digestion is stronger. You can vary the recipe...
Rice porridge makes a great gluten free alternative to oatmeal and is just as nourishing and sustaining. Serves 4 | Prep time: 1.5 hrs (+ overnight soaking) | Cooking time: 10 mins3 cups cooked short-grain brown rice (1 cup uncooked)3 cups oat or any plant...
Using gluten free flour makes these pancakes easier to digest and a much lighter alternative to breads made with yeast. The amount of batter should make 8 decent sized pancakes, but you can make them smaller or larger as liked. Serves 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking...
This could be an anytime dish but I put it in Autumn because it is such a lovely dish to come home to as the nights begin to shorten. We pick our first leeks in Autumn, and the fresh herbs should still be available—but you can also use dried. This is a long recipe but...
Lightly cooked fruit, particularly pears, are the favourite Ayurvedic breakfast. Pears are tri-doshic, harmonizing all five elements in the body. They are a light food for Kapha, cooling for Pitta and moistening for Vata. In China they are recommended to ease coughs...
This Autumn recipe uses our homegrown pumpkin and leeks. It can be vegan or vegetarian and is truly Ayurvedic with warming spices to help digestion The roasted pumpkin filling is actually so good that you could eat it alone. Great as a side vegetable, on couscous or...
Parsnips are a bumper crop for us. In typical Chinese style this dish takes a humble vegetable and creates a tasty vegan meal. All you need to add is a green vegetable and some rice. This recipes serves 2 but you can easily increase the quantities. The slightly spicy...
This unusual mixture can make an intriguing finger food to serve as an appetiser or a simple and delicious lunch or snack. We make this dish with small biscuit cutters; this technique is our invention. Normally, for a family meal, just spread the mixture over the base...
The use of minced garlic—a pungent flavor—with green vegetables is commonplace throughout China and makes a dish which can be a meal in itself.The ginger juice is my addition to add depth to the flavor, and help digestion. When using ginger juice I tend to use the...
This simple soup has a good balance of flavours with a little chilli (spicy), coconut (sweet) and tamarind (sour). It can also be served as a dhal, just reduce the amount of liquid to the required consistency. Serves 4 | Cooking time: 50 mins150g split red lentils or...
The spices in this simple recipe make the vegetables easily digested and really tasty. A good mix of vegetables to use is onion, (mainly) pumpkin, carrot and perhaps one small potato. Serves 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins4 cups mixed vegetables,...
This dish is best served cold but not chilled. Shitake mushrooms are expensive but well worth it. Serve as a side dish, you only need a couple each. Serves 4 as a side | Prep time: 10 mins (+overnight soaking) | Cooking time: 10 mins75g sliced mushroomsA couple slices...
Simple to make, easy to vary and always popular. Do use jumbo oats as porridge oats go stodgy! And vary the ingredients according to what is in your store cupboard. Makes 6-8 portions | Prep time: overnight2 cups jumbo oats1 cup flaked barley (or more oats)¼ cup...
Following our Chinese theme, but totally vegan, and suitable for most Ayurvedic diets, here is a simple seasonal recipe to add a zing to that staple, the humble potato. Though actually China has a very different relationship to the potato than the west, seeing it as a...
The beauty of this recipe is that it complements the bitter flavour of the leaves with four other flavours. Serves 4 with other dishes | Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins2 heads of radicchio, chicory, or a pack of curly kale 1-2 pieces dried red chilli 1 tsp...
You can use a mixture of raw vegetables in this recipe. The use of the spices makes it suitable for all doshas (in moderation). I have included my favourite combination in this recipe. Serves roughly 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 15 minsPlace the shredded...
An unusual but very cleansing ‘cooked salad’ or side dish. This simple starter is often served on street stands in China. Both TCM and Ayurveda promote celery for its cooling and cleansing properties. Serves 4 as a side dish | Prep time: overnight | Cooking time: 10...
This was one of the first dishes I learned to cook in China. The name means ‘fish fragrant’ but no worries, it is totally vegan. It features a famous ‘fish sauce’ which is slightly spicy yet sweet and sour, providing an amazing contrast of flavours. The wood ear...
This simple vegetarian dish was adapted from a Chinese favourite by my eldest son. The concept of ‘wraps’ is very popular in cultures where dishes are shared. I seldom use meat substitutes but a plant based ‘minced meat’ is the best option in this instance. It makes...
This is Chinese comfort food, nourishing and easy to digest. It is eaten in many parts of Asia but it can take people in the West a little out of their comfort zone. I have included some common topping options but if you would like to experiment with more specialised...
This simple nutritious dish can be varied to use any vegetables you have in the fridge, and it is great when made in a slow cooker. Served with rice it provides complete protein just like the Kitchari recipe. This stew reheats very well too and can be frozen if you...
We use whatever is coming through in our Spring recipes. This is where you have to be creative and use subtle seasonings to give the dish a depth of flavour. In this simple stir fry I have used mainly radish leaves, then added a few young beetroot leaves and some...
This is a simple idea for a side dish from China—surprisingly delicious and easy to make. It uses the idea of ‘cooking’ a raw vegetable with hot oil and spices. For this recipe it is best to use kohlrabi that is not too ‘woody’. Serves 4 as a side | Prep time: 10 mins...
Beetroots are an Ayurvedic superfood, especially when cooked and not pickled. They are easy to grow at home too. This recipe is an unusually quick way to make a meal of them. If you wish you can make an even quicker version, though the flavours will not be as deep....
This dish is traditionally made with the large cabbage usually sold as ‘Chinese leaves’ and sometimes as ‘Peking cabbage’ in the west, but it is also delicious made with our own home-grown sweetheart cabbage. You can make it at any time of year but we like it in...
The addition of vegetables make this into a complete meal. Carrot can be quite ‘pitta’/ heating, but is balanced out by the coriander which is cooling. Or chose your own vegetable combination! Courgette and sweet potatoes are good in winter or to lower ‘vata’...
Serves 4 | Prep time: 10 mins (+ 2 hrs soaking time) | Cooking time: 30 mins ½ cup yellow split mung dal1 cup basmati rice3 tbsp ghee or coconut oil½ tsp black mustard seeds1 tsp cumin seeds¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)1 tsp turmeric½ tsp salt (or veg stock cube...
Serves 3-4 | Prep time: 20 mins (+ overnight soaking) | Cooking time: 1 hr 25 mins100g dried soup mix (usually pearl barley, dried peas, split peas and lentils) 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp mixed dried or fresh herbs 1 small onion 4 white mushrooms 1 leek 2 celery sticks 1...
When you grow your own food there is always a gap between the end of the winter crop and the bounty of the new season, but this is the time when you can enjoy foraging for natures offerings. The wild leaves in these next two Spring recipes are delicate in flavour but...
So long as you buy free range eggs from a known source where the hens are genuinely cared for eggs can be a good source of protein, though they are considered ‘heating’ in Ayurveda. This now familiar combination of herbs makes them more digestible—and delicious.2...