My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition, so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.
‘As the flowers do not chase bees, we too must embody confidence and authenticity, creating an environment where positivity flows towards us.’
I received a sample of this beautiful powder from the Rye Library Spice Club, supplied by Selefina. The Butterfly Pea Flower is magical. It is a sacred healing plant and divine in some cultures. It is thought to sooth frayed nerves and lift your mood. This is due to its vasorelaxation properties. It’s vibrant blue changes to purple when acid is added and pink when mixed with tonic water. It has an earthy taste so is sometimes called blue matcha.
The Butterfly Pea Flower is used throughout Southeast Asia in ritual offerings, and it is said to symbolize a perfect union with the divine. An ayurvedic brain tonic, the flowers are intentionally grown in temples in India to be used in Hindi worship to pay homage to the goddess Durga, the Lord Shiva. The flower contains proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin (the former pigment is found in blueberries), helps stimulate collagen production and elastin synthesis. Research has affirmed that the flower can also inhibit glycation, the process of metabolism that leads to wrinkled skin.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. chia seeds
½ tsp. butterfly pea flower powder
½ cup oat milk
½ cup coconut yogurt
10 blueberries
1/3 cup granola
Method
Combine the chia seeds, blue powder and milk. Stir until evenly covered
Refrigerate overnight until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is gel like
Add your chia seeds to a glass (a wine glass works well), add the chia layer, then the coconut yogurt, top with the granola and blueberries
‘Soup is a lot like family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavour’.
I love this soup. It is so tasty, packed full of flavour and dense with nutrition. I found it in Milk Street, Tuesday nights, Christopher Kimball and liked the way anchovies were used to build the umami flavour but not leave the residue of fishiness. He does this is several recipes and it is a great way to add oily fish into your diet. I used chicken broth for the base and anchovies, but you could convert this to a vegetarian dish by using veggie broth, and miso for the anchovies.
Mr. B ate this and loved it, which shows you can’t taste the anchovies just the flavour punch.
I did not use canned beans, if you do, I’d recommend using Eden, which are canned beans pre-soaked in kombu to make them more digestible. I made my beans from scratch, pre-soaking and using kombu in the preparation to make them easier to digest.
Why do I want to add anchovies to a mainly plant based diet? Anchovies are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart (EPA and DHA) and brain health. They are a great source of calcium and protein. They are a sustainable food and are low in mercury versus some other fish.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
¼ cup EVOO
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, patted dry and minced (optional)
2 quarts chicken/vegetable broth
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ cup pecorino
2 cups small white beans
1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a large Dutch oven over a medium low heat, heat the oil till shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent, c. 5 minutes. stir in the anchovies and garlic and stir until fragrant being careful not to burn it, c. 30 seconds
Add the broth, rosemary, pecorino and beans, let simmer for 5-7 minutes, covered
Stir in the kale and cook uncovered till it has softened, 5-7 minutes.
Taste and add salt, pepper and more cheese if needed.
“Saffron is scent, colour, and culture distilled into a thread.”
I love using Saffron in recipes. I inherited two boxes of this ancient luxurious spice from my grandmother’s kitchen. One of the tins noted its origin in Spain and the other unopened tin from Morocco. I use it sparingly, so this quantity should last me my lifetime. Saffron always conjures up heady dreams of ancient lands, linages that cast back through history, travels that have come a long way. It reminds me that we are all just nomads passing through a brief window of time. Stardust both as significant as insignificant.
I adapted this recipe from Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball. Tweaking the spice mix slightly to make it more fragrant and calming with a higher amount of cardamom and saffron versus Ginger. I also added a chocolate drizzle to half the batch. Simplicity and flavour are the foundation of this book. Building the flavour profiles through clever herb and spice combinations.
Saffron – Saffron’s use is ancient. Saffron-based pigments have been found in 50,000-year-old paintings in northwest Iran. It conjures romance, royalty, and delicacy wherever it appears. Alexander the Great bathed in saffron to cure battle wounds. Cultivated saffron emerged in late Bronze Age Crete, bred from its wild precursor by selecting for unusually long stigmas making the plant sterile. Called Kumkum or Kesar in Ayurveda, it also appears as an important medicinal herb in many ancient texts including Ayurveda, Unani, and Chinese Medicine.
In Ayurveda Saffron is noted as a nourishing purifier that invigorates and moves the blood while cooling it. Saffron breaks up blood clots and clears liver stagnation. While most blood movers are heating, saffron is unique among blood movers for its cooling properties. This makes saffron a useful herb for Pitta disorders with blood stagnation, including inflammation, arthritis, and acne.
Eleven randomized trials have found that, overall, saffron benefits mild to moderate depression significantly better than placebo at doses as little as a single pinch a day (30 mg). And half a dozen studies have found that the spice beat out placebo or rivalled medications like Prozac in the treatment of depression.
Yield: 20
Ingredients:
4 large egg white
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled
2 tbsp. salted butter
1 tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground ginger
225g unsweetened shredded coconut
50g almond flour
134g white sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method
Heat the overn to 350F, line two baking trays with parchment paper
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs whites, salt and saffron until the whites turn bright yellow and form peaks, c. 1-2 minutes. let stand for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally to allow the saffron to bloom.
In a small skillet, combine the butter, cardamom and ginger. Cook stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk the coconut and almond flour to break up any lumps.
Add the sugar, honey and vanilla into the egg mixture and whisk. Whisk in the butter mixture. Add the coconut mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly covered. Drop 1.5 tbsp. portions of the batter onto the baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
Bake until golden brown and firm when gently pressed, c. 20 minutes, witching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Cool got another 15 minutes and serve warm.
Can store them in an airtight container, they will lose their firmness a little but still taste great.
‘Basil’s history and cultivation showcase its remarkable journey from ancient traditions to global kitchens’.
This is taken from Steve Colbert’s recipe book, ‘Does this taste funny?’
It is based on a Sicilian recipe for Paste di Mandorla, with finely chopped basil added to add a bright, fresh counterpart to the rich fragrance of the almonds. I choose to make this recipe for our book club as it is gluten free and I love the mix of sweet and savoury in a dish. The name of the book is apt, as I loved these cookies, but Mr and Baby B said they tasted funny and made Mr B crave a dish of pesto pasta.
Baby B made these with me, so that is how quick and simple the recipe is to make. He loved eating tasting the ingredients, which I let him do for the most part. The almond flour he found sweet, the basil he likes the smell off, he loved the mixture of basil and sugar and of course a tiny bit of the powdered sugar sent a lightning bolt through him. I did not let him taste the cookie dough, due to the raw egg, but of course he did try the final product.
Yield: 20, 2-inch cookies
Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
15 medium fresh basil leaves
¼ tsp. salt
2.5 cups almond flour/meal
2 large egg whites
½ cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested and 1 tsp. lemon juice
Method
Heat the oven to 350F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
Pulse the granulated sugar, salt and basil in a food processer until well combined (should look like a green granita)
Add the almond flour, pulse for 10 seconds
In a bowl beat the egg whites, lemon zest and juice. Add it to the blender and blend until a dough ball comes together
Place the dough in a bowl or on the counter and knead a little to finish mixing
Place the powdered sugar in a bowl
Roll the dough into teaspoon size balls and when you have a few, roll them in the powdered sugar, shake off excess sugar and place on the baking tray
‘Don’t take for granted the things you think you know everything about…. because then you miss the most amazing things in front of us.’ – Jose Andres
I love teaching kids to make tortillas. It is a simple. They get to smell the dough and feel it as it changes texture. The dough doesn’t take long to cook, so they don’t have to wait long to taste the final product. Real Masa comes in many colours so we can add some artistic flair. The kids can also choose their filling so can take control of the final product based on their preferences. What more can you ask from such a humble dish.
What is Masa? Masa is the Spanish word for dough, specifically, the special, nutrient-rich dough prepared from stone-ground alkalized (aka nixtamalized) corn used for tortillas, tamales and more.
I use the brand Masienda for tortillas. The Masa is produced in small batches directly from Mexico. The website is transparent in sourcing and has the annual report on the website. This way you know you are benefitting small, rural farmers, as well as getting a far superior taste.
Ingredients:
1 cup masa (I like Masienda)
1 tsp salt
¾ cup water
Method
For the fresh tortillas, add the salt and flour and mix
Add the water, kneed for 2-3 minutes until it comes together like play dough
Split into 12 portions and roll
Cover for 10-minutes with a damp cloth
Heat a pan to a medium heat
Press one at a time and place on the dry pan, 1-minute each side or until brown spots appear
Keep on a plate with a damp towel over the top or eat fresh
‘I watch cooking change the cook, just as it transforms the food’
This is from ‘what goes with what’ a great and very easy recipe book. I made this recipe for the Rye Library Book Club. Everyone who made a recipe said that it was easier than they expected and more flavourful. I completely underestimated this recipe and recipe book as everything looked so simple.
Taste and ease are essential and so ironically it ended up being one of the favourite books of the year so far. As always, I picked a vegetarian, gluten free dish. You can thin the dish down to make a soup or keep it as a stew. Or as we enter summer, compliment it with your grilled food. Mr B happily ate it just as it was, Baby B with a little pastina.
Ingredients:
1 large head of fennel
¼ cup EVOO
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 15oz can white bean, or cooked fresh
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
½ cup vegetable broth
Method
Cut the fronds off the fennel and keep to the side as a garnish
Thinly slice the stalks, disregarding any hard parts
Place the oil in a large heavy-set pot, heat over a medium-low heat, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth with a large pinch of salt (c.1/2 tsp).
Turn the heat to high and bring to the boil
Mix and bring to the simmer for c. 20minutes or until the fennel is soft
Taste and add more salt if needed
Add pepper and/or chilli flakes if you’d like
Serve with garlic bread (GF), polenta or rice/pasta
‘The culmination of one love, one dream, oneself, is the anonymous seed for the next’.
There is very little difference between burying and planting. For often, we need to put dead things to rest, so new life can grow. Further than that, the thing we put to rest, whether it be a loved one, a dream, or a false way of seeing becomes the fertilizer for the life about to form. The broken dream fertilizes the dream yet conceived, that painful way we release from frees an inner stance ready to bloom.
This is why we Ayurveda we recommend detox, especially in the transitionary seasons of spring and April. As we change our winter and summer clothes, we can think of this as a parallel for our lives. What do we need to change to be free to live a better, healthier life.
If you need assistance for your autumn detox, consider our next renew retreat in October, join our waiting list, now open and filling up fast.
This recipe was adapted from Magnolia Table Volume 3. I veganized it by using cashew cheese. I used it as a canape on some dehydrated porcini crackers and some croutons I made from my homemade, gluten free, yeast free bread.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cashew cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted pecans
1 cup chopped dried figs {dates can be used as a substitute}
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Crackers or fresh sourdough bread, for serving
Method
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, half of the pecans, the figs, honey, rosemary, chives, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
On a plate, spread out the remaining pecans.
Using your hands, form the cheese mixture into a ball and roll it in the pecans to fully coat the outside.
Cover the cheese ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and place it on a plate. Serve whole or cut in quarters, with crackers or bread.
Store in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
‘Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day and awakens the appetite’
I adapted this recipe from Amy Chaplin’s, Whole Food Cooking. I liked the idea of hazelnuts in soup and had a butternut squash from my father in laws garden that needed eating before he came over for Easter. It was a lovely addition, thickening the soup as well as giving it an extra depth of flavour. Adding hazelnuts to the top for a textural contrast was also a delicious treat.
I recently spent the weekend in Cold Springs with some lovely guests cooking for 8 people in total. It was a retreat where the focus was renewal. My focus therefore was to keep the food easy on the digestion. When our digestion is at ease, our bodies have the chance to focus elsewhere and renew other organs and systems.
I featured a beluga lentil and miso soup, Kitchari (rice and lentil soup) and date banana oatmeal. I included quinoa in stock with market vegetables for lunch, when the digestion was strongest. The comments I received from the guests was that the food felt nurturing and helped with a good night’s sleep.
My style of cooking is consistent with the Ayurvedic principles of good digestion following the sun as the indication of how strong your Agni is (digestive fire). Light breakfast, bigger lunch and lighter dinner. All food was nutritionally dense so without overeating you feel satiated.
I learnt these principles when I studied for my Ayurvedic Practitioner qualification and really lived it when working at Divya’s Kitchen in Manhattan. Cooking and eating the food she designed around these principles. I was pregnant during my externship working in the kitchen in the summer so was energy deficient and Divya’s food gave me strength to replenish my energy reserves and more.
This is what food should do; it should strengthen and nourish you.
Divya was kind enough to give our guests her Balanced Kitchari to help them along on their Ayurvedic journey after the retreat. She has also offered us and you a 20% discount code till the end of the month. Just use PLANTTOTABLE on check out.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. EV Coconut Oil
4 Shallots, small dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
1 large squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
5 cups water
Hazelnut Milk
2/3 cup raw hazelnuts, toasted
2 cups water
Method
Toast the hazelnuts at 300F for 10 minutes, let cool
Warm the oil in a pot at a medium heat, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, add the garlic, rosemary and rest of the salt, stir often. Cook for another 1 minute or so, do not let the garlic burn.
Add the squash and water. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Whilst the soup is cooking, place the cooled hazelnuts in an upright blender and blend with the water until smooth. Set aside
Once the soup is cooked, check for seasoning. Add some salt and if you like some freshly ground pepper.
Let cool a little and then blend in a blender or use an immersion blender to create a smooth texture.
Add the hazelnut milk and taste again for seasoning.
Serve with a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts and EVOO.
‘Work when there is work to do. Rest when you are tired. One thing done in peace will most likely be better than ten things done in panic…I am not a hero if I deny rest; I am only tired…’
This week has been one of those weeks. Baby B was home for six days, three of those with a 104 temperature from an unknown virus. I slept on the floor most of those nights and have yet to sleep a full night in my bed for over a week. I am exhausted to say the least of it and on top of that I am behind on all work fronts. Being behind can get me panicky, not wanting to let any of my amazing partners down. It is in this place that I realise I need to surrender and rest, because I can never be at my best in this state.
It is a life lesson, when you are under pressure to learn to surrender, when something is intense to learn to create some space, when there is pressure to do, to be instead. It is in this lesson, in this gap, in this space however that I always find something beautiful revealing itself. In the quiet surrender, I suddenly find new inspiration for my work and perhaps I even do a better job without the pressure I put on myself.
So, if you feel busy, find more space. If you are tired, rest. From this place of being, your true self will be revealed, and you will learn the beauty within.
Retreat update: We are currently offering a 25% spring discount on day passes as well as the full weekend. Contact me for the discount code. We would also like to thank our aligned partners. So far, we have gifts from Aesop, A Sustainable Village, Pink Olive and we are getting ready to pick up gifts from Divya’s Kitchen, Banyan Botanicals, Root2Rise and Cold Spring Coffeehouse. Many of the brands are female or LGBTQ majority owned, dedicated to sustainability, the greater good, inner beauty and radiant health.
The recipe This cookie has a lot of slow releasing energy and so makes for a great breakfast cookie or energy sustaining snack. It is high in protein, vitamins and fibre. When you make it, you’ll find the date mixture a revelation. It is the binder and moisture to the cookie, but you could very well eat it by the spoonful.
Ingredients
• 2 cups rolled oats divided • ¾ cup raw sunflower seeds divided • ¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries • ¼ cup chia • ¼ cup pepitas • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • ½ teaspoon sea salt • ½ teaspoon baking soda • ½ cup soft dates • ¼ cup coconut oil • ¼ cup non-dairy milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place 1 cup of the oats and 1/2 cup of the sunflower seeds into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Mix on high for a minute or two, until a coarse flour forms.
Place the flour into a large bowl and stir in the remaining oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, chia, pepitas, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
Blend the dates, coconut oil, and milk in the food processor until the dates have broken down and a paste forms.
Add this to the oat mixture and use your hands to mix very well, until fully combined. There should be no streaks of flour remaining.
Form 10 large balls with the dough, each about a heaping 1/4 cup in size. Press them with your hands to flatten to about 3 cm (1 in.) high and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden.
Remove from the oven and cool for about ten minutes on the baking sheet before removing and cooling fully on a rack. They’ll be a little fragile until they’re completely cool.
Store in a sealed container on the counter for up to three days or freeze for up to a month.
‘If you truly hold a stone, you can feel the mountain it came from’
People have always saved scrapes of their experience to help remind them of the forces of life that can’t always be seen. Filled with the timeless rhythm of the ocean, we pocket a shell and carry it thousands of miles to know the presence of the ocean when we are hours from the sea.
The day I found out I was pregnant I searched for something connected to my grandma, to wear. To me it symbolised her looking over me with protection. I was lucky enough to find a necklace with a picture of her guru, a little key and a small anchor. In moments of sadness or anxiety they serve as a deeper sense of love and support and contain a plenitude of messages and memories for me that I can draw upon when needed.
Food is also a form of symbolism. Specific recipes are linked to childhood memories, to first dates, destinations and conversations. The soothing salve of my grandma’s Kitchuri will also evoke the feeling of being given a hug for example.
I love reading books weaved together with food memories. For me it is like stepping into another world transported by ingredients and aromas that are mentioned. The covenant of water was a beautiful example of such a book, based in Kerela, with mentions of coconut, rice and jaggery ladened dishes.
Currently I am reading, ‘the queens cook’ a book based on queen Esther’s court of biblical times. The main heroine Roxanna loves to cook, she notes it as a taste of control in a chaotic world. As she talks about the dishes, she weaves in her childhood memories and this Persian love cake caught my imagination. It contains saffron and cardamom, two of my favourite spices known for calming the nervous system. In her recipe she used freshly milled wheat, making a denser cake with a syrup over the top to moisten it. I wanted to make gluten free high protein version, so I used almond flour as the base and eggs to lift it.
Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
2 tbsp. lemon zest
½ cup honey
1 cup almond flour
½ cup ground pistachios
2 tbsp. coconut flour
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
Method
Preheat the oven to 350F
Grease a 9-inch cake pan. Set aside
Grind ½ cup pistachios to a course flour. I ground more than I needed and used the rest in oatmeal
Next, separate your eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and whites in another
Add the lemon zest and honey to the bowl with the egg yolks. Beat with a whisk until smooth and set aside
In a second bowl, combine the almond flour, ground pistachios, coconut flour, cardamom, saffron and baking powder. Mix well then pour the egg yolk mixture and combine well. If the mixture is thick, add a whole egg to loosen the mixture
Now beat the egg whites until bubbles start to appear. Add the vinegar and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg whites carefully into the pistachio-yolk mixture in several additions, handling the batter as little as possible to keep the mixture inflated
Scrape batter into the pan and bake until the top is golden brown and the middle no longer jiggles, c. 25-35 minutes
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan
Decorate with a little light icing sugar or a rose water cream
