KITCHEN TABLE

SEASONS OF GOOD HEALTH

In the 10th anniversary edition of The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook (Shambhala, $39.95), Kate O’Donnell shares recipes based on the time-honoured system of seasonal eating.

EVERYDAY STEAMED SALAD

4 leaves lacinato kale

6 leaves rainbow Swiss chard

2 carrots

½ cup chopped red cabbage

½ cup sprouted mung beans

2 cups cooked basmati rice, white or brown

All-Seasons Salad Dressing

Handful toasted sunflower seeds

Remove the stems from the kale and chard and chop the leaves into 2-inch pieces. Place the greens in a large frying pan with 1 tbsp of water. Tightly cover the greens and steam sauté for 10 minutes.

Using a vegetable peeler or julienne peeler, slice the carrots into ribbons. Add to the steam sauté, along with the chopped cabbage and sprouted mung beans. Steam 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and leave the lid slightly ajar.

Make beds of rice in 2 wide bowls or plates by spreading 1 cup of rice over the bottom of each bowl. Divide the steamed vegetables on top of the rice. Pour half of the All-Seasons Salad Dressing over each serving and sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds.

All-Seasons Salad Dressing

1½ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil

1 tsp Everyday Digestive Salts or 1 tsp salt plus 1 tsp Everyday Savory Spice Mix

Dash of pepper

Shake all the ingredients together in a pint-size jar. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

EVERYDAY KANJEE

Image credit: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell.

1 cup brown basmati rice, well rinsed

8 cups water

Pinch each of salt, turmeric, and ginger powder

In a large saucepan, boil the water, salt, and spices on high heat. Add the rice to the pan. Allow the water to come to a boil again, then turn down the heat. Cover the rice and simmer for 1 hour, until the grains begin to split.

Ladle 2 cups of kanjee into each bowl for serving.

Seasonal Kanjees

Follow the recipe for Everyday Kanjee, substituting the following grains for the rice and using these alternative spices:

1 cup grain, uncooked

8 cups water

Spring:

Buckwheat, barley, rye, or millet

½ tsp freshly grated ginger and ½ tsp fenugreek seeds

Summer:

Quinoa or barley

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp raisins

Fall:

Amaranth, quinoa, or oats

2 tsp Everyday Sweet Spice Mix (optional)

Winter:

Wheat berries or oat groats

Pinch each of cumin powder and cinnamon

2 dates, chopped

CLEANSING GREEN JUICE

Image credit: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell.

2 apples, cored and cut into quarters

4 kale leaves or 2 handfuls baby spinach

Juice of 1 lemon

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Combine all ingredients in a blender carafe with 1½ cups water. Blend until it reaches a smooth juice consistency (more watery than a smoothie), adding more water if desired or necessary.

To serve, strain the mixture through a large strainer into 2 glasses, pushing the juice through with the back of a spoon.

HERBED HUMMUS

Image credit: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell.

2 cups dried chickpeas

8 cups water

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1-2 lemons)

¼ cup tahini

2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

½ cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (cilantro, parsley, basil, rosemary, etc.)

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight. Rinse the chickpeas and simmer in a large pot with 8 cups fresh water for about 2 hours. (You can leave them unattended.) When the skins start to come off and you can squish the chickpeas between your fingers, they are ready. Put the chickpeas in a food processor or blender carafe, reserving any excess cooking water. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and sea salt. If needed, add a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water to process the chickpeas, enough to blend them to a smooth consistency. Add the fresh herbs and pulse until combined.

(If you’re using a quart-sized carafe, you may have to process the hummus in 2 batches and mix them together at the end.)

Serve in a wide bowl drizzled with olive oil, or refrigerate in storage containers for up to 5 days.

Note: Have you ever tried warm hummus? It’s delicious. Warm the hummus in a pan on the stovetop and serve with rye or rice crackers, on an Everyday Steamed Salad Bowl, in a wrap, or with cucumber spears.

The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell is published by Shambhala, $39.95.