ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
FOODS
“A wide array of health problems, including but not limited to chronic pain, obesity, ADD/ADHD, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, thyroid issues... are all rooted in inflammation."
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TEAS
Incredibly simple and each have important anti-inflammatory qualities
Ginger & Black Pepper Tea: Add 3” of sliced or grated ginger to a large pot of filtered water and boil. To increase the intensity, boil a second time. To reduce the spiciness, add more water and honey. Pro tip: Freeze the ginger and reuse for your next pot of tea.
Avocado Seed Tea: Boil a cleaned avacado seed with two cups of filtered water. Remove seed and cut into quarters. Add back to pot and boil for 3 minutes.
Tamarind Tea: Steep a tamarind pod in 4 cups boiling filtered water for 15 minutes. Strain and add desired amount of honey.
Hibiscus Tea: Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried hibiscus flowers to 4 cups (1 quart) of water
Turmeric & Ginger Tea: Use same instructions as ginger tea, but grate one one 2” finger of fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon dried turmeric.
CHOPPED GREEN SALAD
½ bunch cilantro (to remove heavy metals)
½ bunch parsley (to remove heavy metals)
1 Bunch of dandelion leaves (detox for liver)
Bag of spinach (or any greens)(great source of iron)
½ sliced purple or white cabbage (high in vitamin K)
1 cup fresh pineapple (Bromaline)
½ cup walnuts (omega 3, brain food)
½ cup pumpkin seeds (high protein, magnesium, zinc, anti-parasitical)
1 red bell pepper (Vitamin C & A)
1/4 cup pickled purple onions
Dressing: apple cider vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey
Chop all ingredients finely. Massage the greens with toasted sesame oil and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and add vinegar and honey to taste.
POWERHOUSE LENTIL SOUP
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 small carrot, small chop
1 stalk celery
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 tablespoon finely minced turmeric
1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped tomato (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste
Toasted Sesame Oil to taste (optional)
Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add cumin, garam masala, and turmeric and cook for 20-30 seconds. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds.
Pour in the lentils, broth and optional tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
Add the optional chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Add optional toasted sesame oil to taste.
Serve while hot. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months (just defrost before serving).
CHANA SAAG (SWASTHI’S RECIPE)
1 cup organic dry chana (chickpeas) or 3 cups cooked
4-5 cups spinach
¼ cup cilantro
1 cup onions finely chopped
¾ inch ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1-2 green chilis sliced (serrano or Thai chilies, slit)
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
¾ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups aquafaba (juice from cooked chickpeas)
Tempering (optional)
1 Tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
2 dried red chilis (like Kashmiri for low heat)
1-2 cloves garlic (chopped)
⅛ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
Rinse and soak chana overnight. Later drain them and rinse well. Place on stove or in Instapot and cover with 2-3 inches filtered water. I like to add two bay leaves and an extra two whole cloves of garlic. If using the stovetop, cook for 90 minutes on the stove and add 1 teaspoon salt the last 15 minutes. If using the instapot, pressure cook for 20 minutes. You can add the salt to the Instapot before cooking.
Chop, slice, and prepare all the remaining ingredients.
Pour 1 ½ tablespoon of oil into a large pot and heat it until hot. Saute ginger, garlic and green chilies for one minute.
Add onions and saute until golden and fully cooked. Then stir in the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until wilted. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.
While the greens cool, heat another tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add tomatoes and salt. Saute and cook until soft and mushy.
Add garam masala, cooked chana and 1 ½ cup aquafaba. Cover and simmer chana for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat.
Transfer the cooled spinach mixture to a blender and add the cilantro leaves. Blend to a fine or coarse paste to your liking (I prefer a smooth paste) and season with salt or additional chilies.
Add spinach paste to the tomato mixture. Stir well and cook just a minute or two until it bubbles.
Taste test and adjust salt and add more garam masala as needed. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
To temper, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or bhee in a small pan. Add dried red chilies and chopped garlic. Fry on a low heat until the garlic turns slightly golden but not brown. Add hing and turn off the stove.
Quickly pour the tempering over the chana saag and serve.
CHERRY CACAO PARFAIT
Cashew Cream Cheese
1 1/2 cups Raw Cashews
2-3 tablespoons Full-Fat Coconut Milk:
2-3 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 tablespoons Plant-Based Milk
Boil cashews for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them thoroughly.
Place the cashews, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast into a high-speed blender or food processor. Start blending on low, then increase to high.
Slowly stream in the plant-based milk one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is completely smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach a thick, spreadable consistency.
Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and the coconut milk to firm up the texture.
Avocado Chocolate Pudding
2 ripe avocados (healthy fats for brain health)
½ cup raw cacao powder (high in polyphenols and magnesium)
½ cup maple syrup or honey (natural sweeteners)
⅓ cup plant-based milk (unsweetened almond or cashew)
2 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender or food processor.
2. Add the cacao, sweetener, vanilla, and salt.
3. Blend on high, slowly adding the plant milk until the texture is silky and mousse-like. Chill for 30 minutes.
The Cherry Compote
2 cups frozen or fresh pitted cherries (contains anthocyanins to reduce inflammation)
Maple syrup or agave syrup to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
Heat the cherries in a small saucepan over medium heat until they release their juices and soften (about 5–8 minutes).
Mash slightly with a fork, stir in the chia seeds and lemon juice, and let cool to thicken.
Assembly (The Parfait)
Layer 1: Start with a generous layer of Cashew Cream Cheese
Layer 2: Add a generous scoop of the Avocado Chocolate Pudding.
Layer 3: Add a layer of the Cherry Compote.
Layer 4: Repeat layers until your glass is full.
The Toppings: Finish with a sprinkle of raw cacao nibs for crunch and sliced almonds or walnuts.
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