Jodh Kaur
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What I ate today - It's cold outside!

1/28/2019

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​Winter finally arrived here in Chicago and I just want to stay inside and be cozy, how about you? I have been on a savory-for-breakfast kick lately. This morning, I made tacos with the left over green crema and cheeze sauce I had in my fridge. For the tacos, I used the same recipe as my tofu scramble. I substituted spinach for the kale and loaded it up on corn tortillas with salsa, avocado, cheeze, crema, avocado and Aji Sobremesa.  It was a little spicy and very filling. I like making the cheeze and crema at the beginning of the week and finding ways to use it throughout - tacos, nachos, chili, baked potato are all good uses for both sauces. 

There is nothing cozier on a cold winter day than sitting in the kitchen while veggies are roasting in the oven. Today, I roasted red and golden beets, sweet potato and carrots. It smelled divine and warmed our kitchen.  I served these grounding roasted root veggies with braised kale and basmati rice and drizzled the whole thing with a simple tahini sauce. The kale and veggies were tender and the tahini added a richness to the dish and tied it all together. Believe it or not, it's worth the time to dice the root veggies smaller like this. Not only do they cook evenly, they really do taste better. 
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Savitree makes the richest, most decadent, sugar-free (what?!) hot chocolate using Droste Cocoa. I enjoyed every single sip. What more can I say?


​For dinner, I made grilled cheeze and polished off my cheeze sauce. This is my favorite sourdough bread, slathered with cheeze and topped with giardiniera, pickles and home grown pea shoots. The key to making a good vegan grilled cheeze is to use low heat and to cover the pan. Be patient! Cooking the sandwich slowly, over low heat helps heat the cheeze all the way through (whether you are using homemade or store bought) and also keeps the coconut oil from burning. It was a satisfying way to end the day. 
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Why I drink hot water

1/25/2019

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Right after I became vegan, I had an appointment with an Ayurvedic Practitioner to learn how I could optimize my digestion which had been poor most of my life. A recommendation he made that I continue to follow is to sip hot water throughout the day. Boiling water makes it tri-doshic which means it is appropriate for all constitutions. It also helps to stimulate the digestive fire or agni, making digestion of food and nutrients and more thorough and efficient. My teacher says: sipping hot water for the first month cleanses the cells in the lower half of the body, in the second month, you cleanse the cells in the upper half of the body and in the third month you cleanse the entire body.  

Ayurveda recommends boiling water for 10 minutes and pouring it into a thermos to sip every 30 minutes throughout the day. Before I go to bed each night, I boil water and fill my 32oz Hydroflask, closing it tightly. In the morning, the water is hot, but drinkable (there's nothing worse than burning your mouth first thing in the morning!). I keep my flask next to me and sip on it throughout the day. Admittedly my sips can be more like glugs at times 🤷🏻‍♀️. I feel best when I drink 2-3 full Hydroflasks each day. I have maintained this practice for the better part of 3 years and I feel hydrated, my skin is less dry - especially in the winter, it warms and soothes me and it's inexpensive and portable. If you are traveling, bring your empty bottle to the airport and ask a cafe to fill it with hot water for you. Any kind of travel, especially flying, can be so dehydrating. It's nice to have hot water to sip to keep things flowing and keep the immune system strong. 

In warmer months and when my running ramps up, I keep up with the hot water, but supplement with room temperature water. I begin my day with hot water, and have room temperature water during and after my runs, then return to the hot water sip after I eat and am feeling rehydrated.

​Are you interested in taking a hot water challenge? Try it for 3 months and see how you feel. Let me know in the comments below. 
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What I ate today (besides tofu)

1/17/2019

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I start my day with hot water which I continue to sip on throughout the day. I find it keeps me hydrated and helps my stomach feel calm.
I was in the mood for something savory this morning & hungry for a hearty breakfast. I used frozen shredded hash browns as the base for this Tofu Scramble. Adding in fresh kale is nice way to get your greens in first thing in the morning. I topped this with Aji Sobremesa which is a spicy sauce with a unique flavor (it goes well on almost anything) and served with a piece of toast and a cup of coffee. This was hearty and tangy. So satisfying. 
I'm in work mode today so wanted something simple and easy for lunch.  I love sweet potatoes because not only are they tasty and filling, but they are so easy to make.  I baked this one at 425° for about 45 minutes. It smelled amazing and I was able to continue to work while it cooked - perfect.  I mashed it with a fork and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt & pepper. So simple, and the salt brings out the sweetness of the potato. I served this with spinach which I sautéed with sliced onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and also topped with olive oil, sea salt & pepper.  Spinach is perfect when you don't have much time because it cooks very quickly. I had two pieces of baked tofu left over from my lunch yesterday so that rounded out the meal.  I guess I shouldn't have tofu for dinner. 😉
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I had a banana for a snack before heading out the door to an appointment and classes. By the time I returned home, it was late and I was hungry, but just wanted something light. Avocado toast is yummy for breakfast, but just as good for dinner.  I have fresh bread that is wonderfully chewy so I didn't bother to toast it. I just mashed the avocado and topped with some nutritional yeast "nootch", Everything but the Bagel seasoning and black pepper. The fresh green salad topped with olive oil, more nootch, sea salt & pepper offered a nice contrast in texture and yes more greens. I had a few dark chocolate covered cashews for dessert and called it a day.
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I have a cold :(

1/8/2019

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Yep, it happens - we all get sick, even vegans, even yogis we are all human beings and whether we want to admit it or not, it happens.  A few nights of poor sleep + increased stress left my immune system compromised. And here I am lying in bed headache, sneezing, eyes watering and crying because feeling awful makes me feel sad. 
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Our inclination may be to power through with over-the-counter meds and go on about our lives, but I choose to rest and use this as an opportunity to nurture myself. Extra sleep, saying no to appointments that aren't necessary, lying down and being silent, eating well, lots of fluids. This is what I crave. 
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After waking up this morning to a sneezing fit and watery eyes, it was Neti Pot to the rescue.  I like to Neti in the shower since I can't seem to use the thing without water running down the side of my face. I followed this with Nasaya Oil which felt so soothing.  Feels so good to breathe! When I'm under the weather I crave orange juice and fruit in the morning. I like a Smoothie Bowl because I eat slower with a spoon making it more satisfying. I topped this simple bowl with some chopped nuts for texture. 

I'm often asked what I eat when I have a cold now that I don't eat chicken soup.  I have a couple of variations of a miso veggie soup that are my go to recipes. When I had a cold last year, I made a hot water concoction containing hot water, fresh ginger, cayenne and lemon juice. It tasted good, like a spicy broth, and it made me sweat. I combined this with a soup that my good friend Savitree makes and created a simple, spicy and satisfying Ginger Miso Soup for lunch. I served it with rice because we had some made and added a bit of kimchi. I was sweating when I was done eating which I find to be so satisfying.  A piece of high quality dark chocolate was the perfect sweet taste after this flavorful soup. Excuse the image - it was steaming hot and I was ready to eat!
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I kept my hot lemon water near by and sipped it throughout the day.  For a snack, I had a banana and a small handful of nuts. For dinner, I had a glass of OJ and 2 slices of toast topped with coconut oil and Everything but the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joes (love that stuff). It was just enough as I was ready for bed.  

Be well, here's to health and happiness in 2019.

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What I Ate Today

1/2/2019

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I love breakfast and lately have been into a savory start to my day. Today I had this Herbed Olive bread from Hewn, a local bakery (where I buy all of my bread) topped with half an avocado, kimchi, a few pumpkin seeds and pea shoots that I'm currently growing.  I have a plentiful supply of pea shoots so I was quite liberal with them. A sprinkling of sea salt topped this off. It was hearty and super tasty. I enjoyed it with a cup of coffee & soy milk. 

​After breakfast, I went on a nice long walk with my pup, Ollie. We ended up stopping for an Oatly mocha at my favorite local cafe. I was in the mood for a sweet treat. It felt so good to be out in the cool crisp air and Ollie loves walking this time of year. 

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We had our team meeting today and I prepared this hearty vegan chili and cornbread for us to enjoy. The chili is loaded with flavor and fiber courtesy of red lentils, pinto and chili beans.  I have topped it with some nootch (aka nutritional yeast) for a cheesy flavor.  The cornbread was a nice compliment, but it's a recipe that needs some work as it turned out too dry and crumbly. I also like mine a bit sweeter, even with the chili, so back to the kitchen to re-work this recipe. This chili is also so good as nachos, topped with my vegan sour cream and cheeze sauce, lettuce, tomato and jalapeños. We had a couple of squares of dark chocolate for dessert 😋.

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I was still pretty full from lunch, but wanted to have a little something for dinner. I actually prefer having a larger lunch and smaller dinner which is inline with an Ayurvedic approach to eating. This is a mix of dandelion greens and spinach sautéed with garlic, crushed red pepper and topped with olive oil and sea salt. I had this over a scoop of creamy polenta. It was a satisfying way to end the evening. 

I stay hydrated throughout the day by sipping hot water from my hydroflask which I keep next to me wherever I am. 


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    I am an animal loving-Vegan runner, I practice and teach Kundalini Yoga and I love to cook and eat flavorful plant-based food.

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