Spiced, Tempered Lassi-An Ayurvedic Favorite

Spring is a glorious time for change and renewal....I do look forward to Spring even though I love Winter! Its a perfect opportunity to mend the old ways and try to start afresh.

One of the things I do like to do is change my diet according to the season. This spring, I'll turn to 'lighter' foods to shed the few winter pounds! Salads, fresh fruits, and teas are something I try to have at least several times a week. Gone are the heavy soups,breads, and comfort foods; until next winter anyway.

One such item I like to have in the Spring-Summer months is Lassi. I like all kinds, sweet, salty, fruity, spicy, flavored.....they're all good! Yogurt when mixed with water is a "channel-opener" for all the body types. I did not know that until just recently. Lassis, when had at lunch time especially helps with the digestive process. The active cultures in the yogurt lubricate the stomach lining and aids in smoother digestion.

I have a perfect spicy tempered Lassi recipe today, that I am sure many of you might be familiar with already. This is good on its own or served along with a meal.....its up to you.

LASSI, Tempered and Spicy:

1-2 cups water
1 cup fresh homemade yogurt or store bought
1 pinch ground ginger (optional)
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch salt 

To temper: 1 tsp Oil, cumin seeds, fresh chopped jalapenos, curry leaves, coriander/cilantro leaves

Blend the yogurt and the water with the ginger, ground cumin, and salt.

In a small pan, heat the oil, add the curry leaves, jalapenos and the cumin. Let it sizzle until the cumin starts to turn dark brown. Add the blended yogurt mixture and top with coriander/cilantro leaves. Taste for the seasoning and serve. I drank some of this on its own right before dinner and had the rest with peas pulao. A delightful combination.

Variations: Sweet Lassis- Add honey or sugar and spices such as cardamom, or saffron, add mango pulp for a nice change too.

Winter in our neck of the woods and a Green Goddess Smoothie

This is pretty much what my neighborhood has been looking like lately. I do enjoy winter, you know...its the perfect time to reevaluate everything from the seasons past and make new resolutions, improvements and such for Spring renewal.....I do this each winter. I really get a chance to relax more in the winter than the summer...because we're not out and about *that*much. Do you enjoy the winter, or would you rather not deal with it at all??

I apologize for not posting last week, everyone in the family was down with cold like symptoms....and when one gets sick....EVERYONE gets it.
My headaches have been ok.....not too many in the last week, but yeah I had a few....as usual. I am being so careful, but I still don't know what has been causing them. I am seriously considering eliminating dairy products by at least 50%, so that means NO more cold fruit yogurts and hard cheeses on a regular basis. Though I doubt I can cut out my morning masala chai..,NOT happening!
On a positive note, I have switched to Green tea now....YAY! I am no longer ordering coffees from the local drive thrus now....its Green Tea! Lets see if that helps.

I also cleaned out a whole bunch of stuff from the house last week....I got rid of OLD plants, and some junk and de-cluttered the house. I felt so good about it...in a way, these old things were holding on to some "negative" energy from last year so I got rid of it...I am planning to get some new things for the upcoming Spring now and reinforce positive vibes once again in my little home. Yes, I am really into "Feng-Shui" too.

Today, I have a great smoothie recipe for you all, and especially for women. Its called the "Green Goddess".

This is SO healthy, it consists of mainly green fruits and veggies and so the name. Try it for a healthy breakfast or a snack and you will be glad you did!

You will need:
1 small frozen banana, 1 small kiwi,  a handful of spinach or kale, 1 small avocado- chopped (optional), a few slices of ginger, and some almond milk or fruit yogurt ( I omitted the yogurt).

You can also add: blueberries, strawberries and other soft fruits for a nice flavor.

Blend all the ingredients into a smoothie and enjoy it fresh...don't wait to drink it though, it tastes a little "off" when consumed later on....just speaking from experience.
Regarding comments, a bunch of readers have emailed me asking my why I no longer have the comments section open. The reason is that I really don't have time to respond to each and every comment that someone posts, and I feel quite bad about it, so this way, if someone has a specific question, they can email me and I can write to them on a more personal level. I hope you all understand!
Till next time, Take care!

Orange Flower Lassi with Saffron

Boy, was it a challenge coming up with something for this event!

I tried a Cake with the Orange Flower essence, but the kids went nuts with the icing and rendered it impossible to even take a picture of it, though it was melt in my mouth delicious! So I ditched that plan,then made Saffron Scones, but you can't even tell that there is saffron in it-but I will post those later.
I finally decided on this....a Lassi with a twist. Smooth Balkan style Orange flavored yogurt with a pinch of Saffron and a few drops of Orange flower essence.....all blended into a drink that tastes out of this world. This one is a must try, if you like Oranges and Smoothies....it tastes a lot like an Orange Creamsicle...which I love.

This is my contribution for Monisha's of the Coconut Chutney Blog- Sugar High Friday Event. Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup - Orange flavored Yogurt, preferably thick Balkan style,
• 2 drops- Orange Flower Water Essence, available at Specialty stores,
• A pinch of Saffron- crumbled,
• Crushed Ice cubes,
  
• 1 tsp of Sugar - optional
  

Put all the ingredients together in the blender. Blend until frothy. Garnish with some Strawberries or Orange slices and serve cold. Enjoy.

Orange Flower Water Information: This is a natural extract made by distilling Orange Blossoms. It is widely used in Mediterranean Sweets and flavorings for Baked goods and drinks. This is available in Specialty stores, and is very potent. 2-3 drops are all that is needed to add that special flavor to any cakes, drinks or other items.


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Picture Courtesy: Monisha of Coconut Chutney.