I'm not sure what or who declared that brussel sprouts were either the worst vegetable ever or the quintessential green for a Thanksgiving or cold-weather meal, but it's safe to say it is one of my favorite veggies. The problem however, lies in it's properties from an Ayurvedic perspective. It's belonging in the cruciferous vegetable group naturally leads to them being tough to digest. They're super fiber-y, can cause some bloating, and sometimes can take a bit to move through. 

But thank god for Ayurveda, because we know exactly how to make them easier on the gut. all while enjoying them to their fullest extent. I cooked these up for Thanksgiving and it was the perfect side to supplement the heavier foods that were on my plate. In Ayurveda, it's all about how we moderate not only the quantity of food, but also the portions amongst the various items on your plate. 

I hope you enjoy this rendition of a brussel salad as much as I did! 

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 cups shaved brussel sprouts (Note: I like to shave them on a mandolin myself to get a thinner slice. I'm not a huge fan of the pre-shaved sprouts. The thinner the shave, the easier to digest.) 
• 3 tbsp of a neutral oil (I used avocado) 
• 2 gloves garlic 
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger 
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
• 3 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds 
• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds (raw or toasted, doesn't matter) 
• 3 green onions 
• 1/2 lime 
• 2 handfuls arugula leaves 
• Salt to taste
• Optional: goat cheese 

Recipe: 

1. Prep all of your veggies: 
   
   1. Using a mandolin, shave your brussels
      
   2. Chop the green onions (be fancy and chop on a bias if you like) 
      
   3. Grate your ginger & garlic
      
2. Take a large skillet and warm your oil. While the oil is warming go ahead and grind the black peppercorns and coriander seeds. 
   
3. Temper the spices along with the garlic and ginger. 
   
4. Once the aroma has released from the spices, add in your brussel sprouts. Turn the heat to low-medium. You don't want to overcook the brussels to make them soggy. 
   
5. Give everything a good coat and make a little space in the center of your skillet. Add in the pumpkin seeds and let them warm in the center. After a few minutes, give everything a toss once again. 
   
6. Once the color of the brussels are nice and bright, turn the stove off. Mix in the green onions and salt. Again, toss really well. 
   
7. Squeeze in the lime juice. Another toss. 
   
8. Lastly, add in a few handfuls of the arugula for an additional pungency. Don't toss right now. You want the arugula to just sit on top to get a light steam. 
   
9. Give everything a final toss right at the time of serving. 
   
10. Optionally, you can add in goat cheese, but totally not necessary.
    

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This very easily became the favorite part of my Thanksgiving meal. Bon appetit! ​

This past full moon I was super inspired to make an offering (of course at the very tail end of the evening). This past full moon was the first official one of Autumn, and a truly auspicious one at that. It represented divine love and bestowed the gifts of abundance. All of the effort put forth in the summer in growing, we finally get to reap the benefits of the fruit of our labor. It's a sweet reminder of the gifts of the Universe...we are never without no matter what comes our way. 
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So in that vain, I thought I'd put together a quick little offering with ingredients that elicit the qualities of a full moon, that are sattvic and wholesome, and simple to digest. These took about 15 minutes total from prep to finishing with ingredients that I had laying around the house anyways! 

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup tahini

Recipe: 

1. Starting with the almond flour, mix the flour with the sesame seeds. You want to make sure that everything is incorporated well. Then add in the ginger powder and baking powder. Sometimes it's nice to use a whisk if you're noticing clumps, and of course feel free to use your hands as well! 
2. Slowly add in the maple syrup and vanilla. Your dough should look like wet sand at this point once everything is incorporated well. 
3. Finally, add in the tahini. If you feel like your tahini is clumpy, you may need to use your hands to dissolve it so that it gets incorporated well. 
4. Roll into small balls. I opted for a smaller shape for these to feel like little biscuits, but obviously lead with the heart on this one! 
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take your balls and just give a quick little pat so its slightly flattened. 
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes on 375 degrees. Be super careful because the bottoms can burn easily. 
7. Let it cool and enjoy! My whole batch was gone in a day between all my friends. 

Enjoy! 

Fall well, is falling. The temperatures have definitely started to drop, and although summer isn't quite here yet, ayurveda also recognizes the notion that the oncoming season starts to take hold of our digestion and our bodies. So, as the season transitions it's time to take care of both the ending of summer and the beginning of autumn. 

Simple foods help to support our bodies during these transitions. They're easier to digest, work on keeping our agni strong, and most importantly easy and quick to make. This week, we've been simplifying our diet and focusing on kindling our digestion. 

This light masoor (or red lentil) dahl takes no longer than 15 minutes to make, and is a type of comfort food that you can't resist. I hope you love it just as much as we do in our house. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups red lentils, soaked & cooked*
  
• 2 tbsp avocado oil 
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
  
• 1 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 star of anise 
• 2 cups water (+ more if you like) 
• 2 tsp liquid aminos 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander/cumin powder (this is usually a mix you can get at any Indian grocery store, or feel free to make your own of equal portions) 
• 1 tsp chili powder (try using Kashmiri Chili that is mild, but a bold color) 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 2 tsp amchur powder 
• Salt to taste 
• For the finishing tempering: 3 tbsp ghee, 1 dried red chili, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp pumpkin seeds 

Recipe: 

1. In a large (4 qt.) pot, warm the avocado oil. Give it a minute and then add in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and start of anise. You want the mustard seeds to start popping, then you know the temper is ready. 
   
2. When this happens, slowly add in your cooked masoor daal. (*I typically cook mine in an instant pot. I soak the lentils over night, and then cook on pressure cook for 35 minutes). Give everything a good mix. You want to move a little quick as you don't want the dahl to start sticking to the bottom of the pot.
   
3. Add in the water. You can adjust the thickness of the dahl based on how much water you add. I personally like a thicker dahl, so I tend towards the lesser amount of water. 
   
4. Slowly mix in the turmeric powder, coriander/cumin powder, chili powder, amchur powder, liquid aminos, salt as you wish, and the bay leaf. Bring everything to a simmer. Feel free to adjust the thickness throughout. You'll notice that it will get just a touch thicker as it simmers. 
   
5. While the dahl is simmering, in a separate small pan melt the ghee. When its all melted, add in the spices, pumpkin seeds, and the garlic. Again, wait for everything to start popping. 
   
6. When the tempering is ready, you are going to very slowly pour it on top of the dahl. At this point your dahl is ready to eat! When you're ready to serve, gently mix in the ghee and spices. 
   

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I personally like to eat this with just some plain rice and maybe just some roasted veggies. I promise you there is nothing more comforting then this as we slowly welcome in the turn of the season. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.