Week 1 #2023makeyourfood Challenge

Join me for the month of January and the Make Your Food Challenge!

It's simple: For this month, no changes necessary to your diet, just begin to make your own food from scratch. You want pizza? Make it. Pancakes? Make it. Soup? Make it. Or, if you'd prefer, gather with friends/family and make it together!

Making your food will change your life and your health. Your connection with your own hunger will deepen and you will begin to appreciate the food you eat even more. I know that food prepared with love and your own two hands truly can be a different experience--a better one!

If you are joining in on this challenge and not sure what to make, I have made it easy for you! Just follow my weekly meal plan which includes some Ayurvedic recipes that can be clicked on to follow the links. I have also included recipe suggestions for foods without links below. Feel free to adjust based on your needs/food availability. The goal here isn't to change to a "perfect" Ayurvedic eating plan (psssst, that doesn't exist!), it is simply to connect to our food and increase our own awareness.

Week One Meal Plan with clickable links

ADDITIONAL RECIPES

Gluten/Dairy Free Crepes:

4 eggs

1 1/2 c dairy free milk

1 c sweet white rice flour

1/2 c sorghum flour

1/2 c gluten free flour mix (I use 50/50 Namase & Almond flour)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee

Blend all ingredients in blende. Let sit for 5 minutes while skillet heats. Use ghee or avocado oil and pour 1/3 cup onto skillet. Tilt to spread the batter. Flip 2-3 minutes when it bubbles. Top with maple syrup.

Slow scrambled eggs & kale:

2-3 eggs

1 tbsp Milk/cream

Bundle of kale

Ghee

Salt & pepper

Lemon

Mix eggs & milk/cream in mason jar. Season w/ salt & pepper. Shake well. Ghee or oil of your choice on skillet on LOW heat. Add eggs. Slowly push eggs to center as they cook and tilt pan to spread uncooked eggs onto cooking surface. Continue to do this until they are cooked.

Add 1 tbsp ghee to skillet & chopped kale. Sauté 2 min, hit with splash of water and cover with a lid for 30 seconds. Kale will be tender and cooked. Season with salt & lemon.

Burrito Bowls:

Meat of your choice

2 Sweet potatoes, cubed

Avocado, sliced

Cooked rice/grain

Cilantro

Lime

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

Taco seasoning

Cooking oil/ghee

Salt & pepper

On stove-top, cook meat w/ taco sauce until done.

In a skillet, add about 1/2 inch water and cubed sweet potatoes. Cook 6-8 minutes. Once water is absorbed, add in ghee/oil w/ cumin and coriander. Cook until it gets slightly crispy.

Add rice to bowl w/ meat and cooked sweet potato. Add sliced avocado, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime on top. Salt & pepper to taste.

Noodle stir fry:

2-3 blocks of Rice Ramen

1/3 Red or Green Cabbage, julienned

2 Carrots, julienned

1 Zucchini, julienned

1/2 tsp fresh grated Ginger

1 clove Garlic

2 tbsp coconut aminos

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp maple syrup

Ghee

Cook rice noodles as directed. In skillet, add carrots & cabbage. Cook until tender. Add in zucchini, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add coconut aminos, sesame oil, maple syrup and toss the veggies. Turn heat off. Add in rice noodles. If the noodles look dry, add more of the coconut aminos, sesame oil & maple syrup as desired.

Coconut/turmeric rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

Add all of these to pot. Stir to mix in turmeric. Bring to boil, simmer w/ lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Stewed apples/pear:

2-3 Peeled apple/pear, cut into 8 slices

1 Cinnamon stick

2-3 Cardamom pods

2-3 Star anise

1 Vanilla bean

1 tsp Ghee

Water

Add ghee to skillet w/ spices and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add in fruit. Fill with about 1 inch water. Bring to boil then simmer until tender. Serve w/ coconut milk & maple syrup.

Pumpkin scones:

2 1/4 c flour (I use my gluten-free mix as previously mentioned)

1/2 c coconut or brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c coconut oil

1 egg

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/3 c milk of your choice

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in coconut oil w/ pastry cutter or knives. Mix wet ingredients & blend. Slowly add to dry and mix until moist. Knead 10 times and shape into circle. Cut into 8 pieces. Place on baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

*If working with gluten free flour, time may increase.

Roasted squash & meat roast in instant pot:

Kabocha or acorn squash

Hot Water

Meat roast

Rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel seed

Broth

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt & pepper

Bay leaf

Olive oil

Ghee

Brown sugar/coconut sugar

Cinnamon

Cut squash into quarters & remove seeds. Place in baking dish and fill with 1 inch hot water. Place in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Serve w/ ghee/butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

In instant pot, add olive oil on "sauté" setting. Salt and pepper meat, add fresh herbs, fennel seed, and garlic to oil, place meat on-top to brown both sides. Add bay leaf, 1-2 cups broth, and a splash of ACV. Cook on high pressure 50-60 minutes, depending on size of roast. Let out steam and serve w/ squash.

AYURVEDIC COOKING TIPS

If you are someone who has slow digestion paired with gas and bloating, considered foods that are warm, cooked, and well-spiced. Favor tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and pungent.

If you are someone who has inflammation and acid indigestion, consider foods that are wam but not spicy and cooling in nature. Favor tastes that are sweet, bitter, and astringent.

If you are someone who has slow digestion paired with nausea/heaviness, consider foods that are light, cooked, and well-spiced. Favor tastes that are astringent, bitter, and pungent.