Festive healthy veggie nibbles (recipes divulged due to popular demand!)
CRISPY TOFU with SECRET-ZINGALICIOUS marinade:
This is for any of you who feel this time of year can get a little “intoxicating” with all the IN-PUT of food, booze, sweets and meats etc!
I am sharing just 2 little recipes which could offer healthy and scrumalicious alternatives to the heavy, rich festive foods that we tend to veer towards in our culture this time of year.
You will need (NB: theses are basic guess-timations… I don’t do specific numbers and figures- rather more the creative cusinier!):
Braggs liquid Aminos (alternative to soy sauce- no wheat, alcohol or sugar you can buy from www.wholefoods.com or any natural health store)…
Chopped fresh ginger about 1 inch
Dried curry leaves or bay leaf
Chopped chilli- to taste(!)
1/4-1/2 Lemon/Lime thinly sliced and squeezed, leave rinds in the marinade
Garlic- to taste- up to 2-4 peeled and cloves chopped
Fresh coriander
Coriander seeds ground up
HERE’s HOW:
Take pack of ORGANIC (Clearspring brand) Tofu and chop in to cubes (like feta cheese)
Mix half a portion of Braggs Liquid Amino Acids with water (1:1 ratio) and pour over cubes of tofu in a bowel until all tofu is submerged in the mixture.
Add rest of ingredients and leave to MARINADE (covered, in the fridge) for minimum 4 hours- 8 hours is IDEAL).
Place the tofu cubes on a baking tray and our a little of the mixtures ingredients (garlic ginger etc) on to the tray.
Roast and toast until crispy and brown- keep turning.
Serve! DELICIOUS!
A lovely and healthy alternative to any MEAT overdose or heavy tamasic foods which we can all enjoy a little too much this time of year!
Crispy Christmas Seaweed! Ho ho ho!
YOU WILL NEED:
Roughly 1-2 leaves of savoy, purple cabbage or Kale/person
Cut cabbage/kale leaves in to 1 inch wide strips. Steam until soft (but not too cooked if that makes sense).
Mix the cabbage with the mixture in a bowel stirring it so that it becomes covered all over.
Place on baking tray laid out in strips and sprinkle some xylitol or stevia (natural organic sweeteners all available from wwww.wholefoods.com or organic health food stores) over the leaves.
Toast and Roast- check on it under the grill as can roast quickly.
Serve with a nice fresh made coconut chutney… see previous blogs for that recipe!;)
Have a soopah fun and yummy xmas and let me know how you get on!
1 cup dry chia seeds – wonderfully soothing and moisturising for dry digestion which can be caused by excess Vata (air and space elements)
6-7 fresh medjool dates– sweet and juicy- nicely grounding
50g Organic Raisins
1 cup organic desiccated coconut
1/2 cup organic almonds- soaked over night and peeled.If your digestion is sensitive which it can be during seasonal change…. ensure if you eat things like NUTS (which are more challenging to digest) they are soaked over night and have the skins removed.
2- teaspoons fresh ground cardamom– nicely warming spice for the digestion and soothes any dryness from the
2 teaspoons fresh ground cinnamon- soothing, warming and good for digestion.
1 inch fresh chopped ginger– wonderful for regulating digestion, warming and cleaning.
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper – boosts the AGNI/digestive fire… warms and stimulates sluggish or weak digestion.
For a UPLIFTING BALL of SNOW: soak chia seeds in organic green tea
For a MELLOW, RESTFUL Snow ball: grate nutmeg in to the mixture- 1/2- 3/4s of a whole nut.
How to…
Chop up dates and remove stones (!) and soak with chia seeds in warm water. Leave for 1 hour until chia seeds become jellied.
Add chia/dates mix to blender with soaked almonds, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper. Blend slowly until everything mixes in. NB- make sure its not too runny. Should be thick and sticky consistency!
Then make small golf ball shapes by rolling the mixture into the palm of your hand. For finish – put some coconut, cinnamon and cardamom on a plate and roll the ball in the mixture for a dry coat.
