Summer, Ayurveda & Vegan Summer Recipes
Summer Solstice, which marks the official beginning of summer, falls this year on Sunday, June 20th, 2021.
It is the season of fullness and celebration, being in the outer, and with All, love and exuberant joy!
This is the time where the element of fire is increased. We experience more warmth, lightness, dryness and also expansiveness, which will increase our Pitta dosha. (Pitta dosha is made of fire and water).
Our inner digestive fire (Agni) can get a bit weakened during this season since it gets more drawn out into our skin. We might experience skin rashes and redness.
While including all six tastes in your food, you want to favor the tastes of sweet, bitter and astringent and choose foods which are cooling in nature.
A few examples:
watermelon, dates, figs, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, celery, fennel, olives, parsley, mint, fresh ginger, coriander seeds, aloe vera rice, barley, amaranth, quinoa, split mung beans, lentils, almonds (soaked and peeled), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, olive oil, sunflower oil, Ghee, coconut oil, maple syrup….
I created a classic Italian Summer Pasta dish according to the Ayurvedic guidelines for summer season and also made it vegan!
Pasta di Broccolini e Ricotta (vegan)!
See the recipes below.
Enjoy it in celebration with your loved ones!
Buon Appetito!
And here is the delicious recipe:
Pasta di Broccolini e Ricotta (vegan)
Classic Italian Summer Meal
serves 4
Ingredients:
2-3 bunches Broccolini, washed and the ends trimmed off
1 Spiced Ricotta (vegan), see separate recipe below
2 shallots, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 roasted garlic bulb see separate recipe below
1-2 tablespoon Sunflower Oil
3-4 tablespoon Olive Oil, to drizzle later over the meal
1 green chili, cut in small slices
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1-2 cups of the broccolini water
1-2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a big pot bring water to a boil. Put the broccolini in and let it boil for 1 minute. Make sure you save 2 cups of the broccolini water.
2. Take the broccolini out of the pot and immerse into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes, then set aside on a plate.
3. In a pan warm the sunflower oil on medium heat, sauté the shallots, green chili, the pulp of the roasted garlic and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper.
4. Add the broccolini after the onions are sautéed and cook for 5 minutes.
5. When the broccolini is done, put it on a cutting board and chop into big chunks with a big knife.
6. Add the spiced ricotta into the pan with the sunflower oil and stir. Mix now gently the broccolini pieces into it.
7. Serve on top of rice pasta and drizzle some olive oil over it.
TIP: I usually cook all my Pasta in Turmeric water. Add 1 teaspoon to the boiling water!
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Spiced Ricotta (vegan)
serves 4
Ingredients:
2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked overnight in water
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped, set a bit aside for garnish later
1 roasted garlic bulb (see separate recipe)
1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup spring water
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Drain the sunflower seeds, rinse and put in a food processor with roasted garlic pulp, Nutritional yeast, lemon juice, water, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture several times till it is thick, fluffy, and still slightly chunky! Don’t make it too creamy.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the chopped parsley leaves.
3. You can eat it right away, however, if you have time please refrigerate it for at least one hour to infuse the flavors.
Serve it with raw sliced vegetables crudités style, with steamed vegetables, crackers, pitta chips, on your sandwich, in your salad, in a creamy Italian pasta sauce and even topped on a pizza while baking in the oven.
Oven Roasted Garlic
Ingredients:
Several garlic heads
Sunflower oil
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Peel the outer white paper off the garlic bulb, but leave the whole head itself intact.
3. With a knife trim the top off the head of the garlic bulb, so you can see the cloves.
4. Place aluminum foil inside each dent of a cupcake pan, place the garlic bulb inside, drizzle with a bit of sunflower oil and wrap the garlic fully in the foil. If you don’t have a cupcake pan you can use a normal baking sheet.
5. Put in the middle of oven and roast for 40-50 minutes. Check in between. The garlic should be very soft. You can roast it even longer, till it becomes golden and caramelized.
6. Let it cool slightly and serve. You press on the bottom of the clove to push the soft garlic out.
7. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.
Enjoy it by itself, in Pestos, in your salad dressing, mashed into dips, on a sandwich or crackers or cook with it.
Love,
Jutta