Recipes:

Cilantro Pesto
1 clove garlic
½ cup almonds, cashews, or other nuts
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons olive or flaxseed oil
sea salt to taste

Sautéed Broccoli
Preparation time 20 minutes

2 large heads of broccoli (about 5 cups chopped)
1 teaspoon – 3 tablespoons ghee (lesser amount for Kapha types, greater for Pitta and Vata)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8teaspoon hing
1 clove garlic minced (optional, omit for Pitta)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons coriander powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
Wash and pat dry broccoli.Chop in ½ inch pieces.Heat ghee in medium sized heavy skillet; add mustard and cumin seeds, the hing and garlic. When mustard seeds begin to pop, add turmeric, then broccoli.Sir well.Add remaining ingredients as broccoli is cooking, mix well.Cook uncovered until broccoli is tender but still bright green, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes in all.
Comment:This goes well with rice and soup.
*Serve with extra ghee and or lime pickle to mitigate this effect for Vata

Fresh Fruit Salad 
Preparation time: 10 minutes

½ cup fresh sweet blueberries
½ cup sweet apricots
½ cup peaches
½ cup fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Mint leaves for garnish (optional, excellent, for Pitta)
Chop larger fruit into ½ to 1 inch pieces.Halve strawberries; leave blueberries as they are.Put all fruit into serving bowl.Drizzle juice and honey over fruit.Mix well and serve, garnish with mint leaves as desired.
Comment:Good opening dish for summer lunch or dinner.Generously garnish with mint and omit honey and use brown rice syrup or maple syrup instead and you have a dish which a Pitta can also enjoy

Cumin Zucchini
Preparation time: 15 minutes

2 Medium zucchini
3 Shitake mushrooms, dried (omit for Vata)
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
½ teaspoon whole cumin seed
Soak Shitake Mushrooms I a cup of water for 10 minutes, or until tender
Heat butter or ghee in medium sized heavy skillet.Add cumin seeds.Heat until they are brown.Wash and slice Zucchini.Drain and slice mushrooms.Add zucchini and mushrooms to ghee cumin mixture, stir. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Comments:If cooking for a mixed doshic group, the mushrooms can be included in the cooking of this dish, then avoided b Vata in the serving and eating of it.Nice flavor but a little too drying for Vata.

Smoothies to boost your health.
  Bone Builder Smoothie
 
2 Servings
½ cup low-fat,calcium enriched vanilla soy milk
½ cup non-fat plain or vanilla yogart
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup canned prunes ( or dried prunes soaked for 20 minutes in warm water then drained.)
1 large sliced frozen bananna
1 scoop vanilla-flavored soy protein powder
1 tablespoon agave nectar ( if desired)
Garnish: several banana slices on the rim of each glass

Post-Exercise Recovery/ Anti Aging Smoothie
 
2 Servings
½ cup pomegranate juice
1 cup frozen cherries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 scoop vanilla-flavored whey protein
Garnish: whole blueberries and a sprig of fresh mint

Cholesterol- Buster Shake
2 Servings
11/2 cups low-fat vanilla soy milk
½ cup omega-3 enriched orange juice
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 cup sliced frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen papaya
1 tablespoon honey
Garnish: chopped almonds sprinkled on the top and a whole, fresh strawberry on the side of each glass.Recipes: 
 
Vegan Recipes

Braised Collards or Kale
 
1 bunch collard greens or kale
1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced or 2-3 teaspoons chopped
1/4 cup water
 
Wash Greens, remove stems, then chop leaves into 1/2 inch wide strips. Combine olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and water in a large pot or skillet, Cook over high heat about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium high, add chopped  greens, and toss to mix,. Cover and  cook, stirring often until greens are tender about 5 minutes.
 
 
Asian Fusion Salad  
A meal in itself!
 
1 head red leaf lettuce - washed and cut into bite size pieces
1 heaping cup snow peas
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into narrow slices
1 sweet red pepper cut into thin slices
1 1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 carrots
8 ounces flavored baked tofu (possible flavors: teriyaki, sesame, ginger
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon Thai Chili paste or other chili sauce (I use chili powder)
(Salad dressing of your choice - possible choices, sesame shiitake, lemon tahini, cilantro lime, etc.)
 
 
If you use tofu cut into bite sized pieces.  If using beans, drain and rinse them.  In a separate bowl, stir together vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili powder.  Pour over tofu or beans and toss.  Add tofu or bean mixture to the center of the salad just before serving.
 
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
 
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of olive oil
 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place sweet potato wedges in the bowl and toss until they are coated with the mixture.  Put on a Cookie sheet one layer and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.
 
Cucumber, Mango and Spinach Salad
 
1 bag or bunch of spinach
1 mango, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 large English cucumber, peeled and sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
 
Wash and drain spinach, tear into bite-sized pieces if necessary, and put into a large serving bowl.  Toss mango, cucumber, scallions, and basil in a medium bowl.  Dress with limejuice and vinegar.  Arrange mango mixture and spinach and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper.