ayurveda Archives | Page 4 of 5

I hinted at this porridge in the post for the magical honey rose cardamom syrup and here it is! I’ve been eating it a lot lately since my body involuntarily decided to shift to fall. Which is hard considering it’s still eleventy billion degrees out. My glasses fogged up at 6:30 this morning when I left to go teach my class because it was that muggy and humid. Yuck. Hopefully you’ve got cooler weather where you are but if not, you can still enjoy this hearty porridge. Perhaps just turn the AC down several degrees like I do 😉

All the classic golden milk spices make an appearance here giving this porridge magical healing powers. Seriously though, turmeric is pretty freaking magical. It is not only a potent natural anti-inflammatory but it has an incredible list of other benefits like helping to lower blood sugar levels and fighting cancerous cells. Wondering why there’s usually black pepper in golden milk? It increases curcumin’s (an anti-inflammatory substance that makes up turmeric ) bioavailability. I like adding fresh ginger root or ginger powder to mine to get the added digestive benefits, plus I just really like the flavor it lends the porridge. You could add some cinnamon or cardamom too if you’re feeling particularly fancy.

Even if you’re not into the healing powers of turmeric, this porridge is still magical because of the addition of teff. It’s a great plant-based source of protein, fiber, and iron that will keep you nourished and satisfied until lunch time. You can eat the porridge as is, but I’m all about the toppings so the version you see in the photos is adorned with local figs, coconut butter, hemp seeds, and the honey rose cardamom syrup from my last post. Yum!

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Hey friends! I’m turning the writing reigns over to Lauren today so that she can share with you one of her delicious shrubs! Don’t know what exactly a shrub is? Keeping reading 😉

Courtney and I live in Houston, Texas. It’s hot. It’s like, really hot. And during this time of year, almost every mason jar in my house is in use for the cooling creations of summer. Pickles. Broth. Shrub. Switchel. I love being able to reach into the ‘fridge to grab a sweet and sour something to pick me up out of my shlumpy sweat-induced stupor.

In Ayurveda, the sour taste is a key component in digestion. It’s a spark. Hot and light, it gets the digestion going. That’s why at many Indian restaurants you’ll find all sorts of lovely pickles on the menu. It’s also why you get a slab of dill next to a sandwich or burger. The taste is a good balance for heavy meals that need super-digestion to take care of.

One of my favorite ways to incorporate sour into my summer is through the magical mixture of a shrub. A shrub is a fruit + vinegar infusion. A sweet and sour mixture that, when allowed to sit for a bit, is refreshing yet stimulating.

Often, I will drink shrub in the place of alcohol in the summer. Alcohol is straight fire. Even the Spanish have called it “Aguardiente” or fire-water. It, in the summer, will often increase my internal heat past the moderate point. For me, that just isn’t pleasant. That’s why I like a shrub. I can still look like a classy lady with a mixed drink in hand, but sip on something that I know is doing my gut wonders and isn’t inducing me to sweat like I am a cup of cold water condensing on a picnic table. (AKA POURING SWEAT)

^ me in the summer

Below is a shrub that I threw together in Courtney’s presence with what was in my pantry and crisper drawer. It turned out to be a delightful combination that I will certainly aim to make again. Really, though, you can try your hand at shrubbing with almost any fruit, sugar and herb. Some past combos I’ve made were Rosemary, Beet + Orange Honey and Lavender Kumquat Honey.

Happy summer sipping, y’all!

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Toasted Golden Milk Oat & Teff Porridge

Spicy & Sweet Summer Melon Shrub | A Collaboration with Lauren of LDT Edition