Recipes: Winter Vata Bowl

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

I’m very excited to share with you a new cookbook project I collaborated recently. Friends, Brendan Davidson and Maggie Harrsen of Good Water Farms in Montauk, invited me to contribute three seasonal Ayurvedic-inspired recipes to this gorgeous cookbook that features Brendan’s many micro greens. The Microgreens Cookbook appeals to health-conscious home chefs, gardeners and those looking to expand their interest in sustainable consumption, with a collection of mouthwatering recipes for easily incorporating healthy and nutritious baby greens into everyday meals. It seems micro greens rarely make it to the plate or stay simply as a garnish, but here microgreens are elevated to key ingredients in unexpected and delicious ways. More than twenty varieties of microgreens are featured from a variety of chefs and food bloggers. The sixty recipes include roasted figs with lemon balm and fennel microgreens; grilled red cabbage and purple radish daikon noodles with red shiso microgreen dressing; Parmesan and farro “risotto” with truffle, roasted monkfish, arugula, fennel, and red mustard microgreens; and coconut water microgreen pops. I contributed three seasonal bowls for nourishing Vata, Pitta and Kapha through the seasons, sneak peek below! You’ll want to order your own copy so you can dive into the many delicious ways to incorporate more vibrant plants into your diet.

In the thick of winter right now, I’m sharing the Wintertime Vata Bowl from the book. This warming bowl of roasted roots, rice, and ginger-spiked greens will ground and nourish Vata dosha in the cold weather months. From fall through early winter, cooked, soupy, and oily foods will balance the dry and light elements of air and space present in these seasons. Nature provides us with foods that bring grounding earth energy into our cold weather diets—think root vegetables and heartier greens than can weather the snow. Cooking with pungent spices like ginger and mustard seed this time of year also helps to create a heating effect in the body, stoking our digestive fire and increasing circulation.

WINTERTIME VATA BOWL 

 

Black Rice
1 1/2 cups black rice, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp ghee

In a heavy-bottomed, small saucepan, bring the rice, salt, and 3 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the ghee and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer until all of the water has been fully absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the rice aside until ready to use.

Miso Tahini Sauce
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp tamari sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon

In the container of a high-speed blender, combine the tahini, miso paste, ginger, tamari, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water. Cover the container with the lid and start the blender on low speed, gradually increasing the speed until the mixture is creamy. Taste and adjust the flavoring as needed. Transfer to a sealed glass container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use or up to 3 days.

Roasted Pumpkin
1 medium pumpkin or winter squash of choice
Olive oil, as needed
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel, seed, and cut the pumpkin into 1-inch chunks and place on a baking sheet. Toss the pumpkin in olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Steamed Sesame Greens
1 tbsp ghee
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1/4 tsp whole mustard seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
4-5 leaves kale, ends trimmed, leaves roughly chopped
4-5 leaves chard, ends trimmed, leaves roughly chopped
1 tsp white sesame seeds
Juice of ½ lemon

Place a large, heavy-bottomed skillet on the stovetop and add the ghee. Cook over medium-low heat until the ghee is completely melted.
Add the fresh ginger, mustard seeds and coriander seeds and toast for one minute, stirring frequently to prevent any sticking or burning.
Add the kale and chard, stirring until tender. Avoid over cooking, you want the greens to remain bright and vibrant. Remove the skillet from stovetop. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and toss with the sesame seeds. Serve right away while the greens are hot.

To assemble: Layer with sautéed greens and roasted pumpkin. Drizzle with miso tahini sauce. Garnish each bowl with a handful of sunflower and cilantro microgreens, or fresh sprouts of choice.

Makes 2-4 servings

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*Please note, the images in this post are from Rizzoli, neither text or images may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.