Tangy Jackfruit with Cardamom + Lime

This quick, Indian-inspired main dish is a wonderful weeknight option. Serve it with basmati rice and a salad, and voila – dinner is all set!

One note about lime leaves: you’ve probably seen these called Kaffir lime leaves in other recipes, on menus at Thai restaurants, etc. but it turns out Kaffir is a derogatory racial slur (said to have originated in South Africa and spread to parts of Asia from there) so the term Makrut is now more globally accepted. Makrut is the Thai name given to these flavorful leaves. You can generally find them in Thai or other Asian markets, or sometimes at local farmers market (in L.A., Coleman Family Farms carries them at certain times of year).

If you cannot locate these leaves, you can omit them, although I highly recommend seeking them out as their flavor really takes this dish to the next level. Since I use Makrut lime leaves infrequently, I store the extras in my freezer and use them as needed - they last quite a long time this way without losing any flavor or degrading in quality.

Jackfruit can be found at Indian and Asian markets, many health food stores, or even at Trader Joes these days. My favorite brand is Native Forest’s organic young jackfruit. Make sure you are getting young or unripe jackfruit, which has a neutral/savory flavor as opposed to ripe jackfruit, which is orange in color and quite sweet.

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves 2–3

Ingredients: 

2 teaspoons coconut oil
½ small onion, chopped into thin quarter-moons
3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
4 Makrut lime leaves (see note above)
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 can young jackfruit, drained
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooked basmati rice, for serving

Preparation:

In a medium cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and scallion whites and sauté until soft and turning translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the lime leaves, cardamom and garam masala and cook for 30 seconds or until spices are fragrant.

Add in the jackfruit, coconut milk and salt and stir well. When the mixture begins to simmer, cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Cook the jackfruit for about 20 minutes or until it is very soft. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Place jackfruit in a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped scallion greens. Serve immediately, accompanied by basmati rice.

Lentil, Roasted Fennel + Blood Orange Salad

This easy salad highlights one of the best fruits of the late winter season: blood oranges. They add color and delightful flavor to earthy lentils and the caramelized flavor of roasted fennel. For an easy weeknight dish, you can cook the lentils and roast the fennel ahead of time and then refrigerate them. Bring to room temperature just before you assemble the salad and you’ll be ready to eat in no time.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Serves 4–6

Ingredients: 

¾ cup French green lentils (also called Puy lentils)
1 bay leaf
2 large bulbs of fennel
Olive oil
2 blood oranges
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place lentils and bay leaf in a medium pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook lentils until they are still firm but cooked through, about 17 minutes (be careful not to overcook them). Remove and discard the bay leaf. Drain lentils in a colander, and rinse with cool water.

Trim fennel of any stalk and fronds (you can reserve fronds for garnish), and then cut each bulb in half lengthwise. Thinly slice each half and place prepared fennel in a medium bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and then arrange fennel in an even layer on a baking tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing fennel once halfway through, until the edges begin to just slightly brown. Remove fennel from the oven and let it cool thoroughly.

While the fennel roasts, prepare the blood oranges by slicing off tops and bottoms of the rind. Once the ends are removed, cut off one thin slice of blood orange to use for garnish and set it aside. Set the cut ends of the oranges down on your cutting board, and then use a knife to carefully cut the rind and white pith from the flesh of the orange. As you work, follow the natural curves of the fruit. Once both oranges are peeled, thinly slice each orange into rounds and then cut each round into 6 segments.

When you’re ready to assemble the salad, add ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, mustard and ½ teaspoon salt to a small jar and shake well. Place the lentils, fennel, blood oranges and olives in a large bowl, and pour the dressing over everything. Use a spatula to stir the salad well, and add any additional desired salt.

The salad can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to serve. When you’re ready to eat it, place the salad in a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved orange slice and a few chopped fennel fronds.

Beet & Apple Salad with Cilantro

This incredibly simple salad was a staple before, during and after my recent panchakarma (Ayurvedic cleansing) experience. The amounts here are really just suggestions - you can play around with different ratios to achieve whatever taste you prefer, and you can also add in ingredients like nuts or seeds. You can also use just one apple, but I find the mix of some sweet red apple plus tart green apple to be the best. For those who are averse cilantro, you could either omit it or substitute another herb (mint might be a really nice choice).

Prep time: 10 minutes | Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium beets, peeled and grated
Half a small red apple, peeled and grated
Half a small green apple, peeled and grated
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced or grated
1 small handful of cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped
Juice of half a lime
Pinch of sea salt

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust any flavors to your liking.

You can enjoy the salad right away, although I find it’s best when left to sit for at least an hour before eating - the flavors really come together better that way.

Warm Tahini Date Shake

This warm smoothie is a wonderful way to start the day, or a great choice for a satisfying afternoon snack. It is packed with ingredients that boost ojas - Ayurveda’s term for your body’s most vital energy, aka, what makes you feel really nourished and juicy. With a touch of cinnamon for warming, this smoothie also helps kickstart digestion. I’ve included a couple of herbs that I personally work with in the recipe, but you’re welcome to omit them or replace with other herbs of your choice.

I also want to mention that I recently discovered Soom tahini (shown above) via a friend and have to say their tahini is the best I’ve ever tasted. (I hear their chocolate tahini is awesome too!) Check them out if you want to experience tahini like none you’ve had before :) You can of course use any tahini you like though when making this.

Prep time: < 5 minutes | Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 medjool dates, pitted
1 cup almond milk
1 ripe banana
2 Tablespoons tahini (see note above)
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
½ teaspoon lions mane powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder (I prefer to use Ceylon cinnamon)
Pinch of salt

Preparation: 

Soak the pitted dates in a small bowl of boiling water until soft (about 5 minutes). While the dates soak, heat your almond milk over a medium flame until hot.

 Transfer the soaked dates to a blender (being sure to reserve the date soaking liquid), along with the hot almond milk and all the other ingredients. Blend at a high speed until everything is well incorporated, about 45 seconds. To adjust the consistency if you prefer a thinner smoothie, blend in a tablespoon or two of the date soaking liquid.

 Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top if you like. Enjoy immediately.