My Vedic Kitchen™

An Ayurvedic Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you looking for a light but traditional Thanksgiving meal? Mosarene Scalzer, the head chef at Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center Lancaster for the past two and a half years, has conjured up an ayurvedic vegetarian feast that celebrates the spirit of Thanksgiving without that overstuffed feeling. Mosarene, who hails from Brazil, says she chose the ingredients for her Thanksgiving meal for their fresh, festive qualities.  “I like food to be elegant yet simple and easy to digest,” she says. Here are five dishes to warm us inside and out as the holiday season begins.

Menu

• Baked Potato and Panir (Fresh Cheese) Casserole
• Green Beans Dressed in Coconut Milk
• Quinoa with Raisins
• Apple Crisp

Baked Potato and Panir (Fresh Cheese) Casserole
(serves 5)

Ingredients:

1 gallon of whole, organic milk
juice of three lemons
4 large baking potatoes
3 tablespoons chopped leeks
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Start by making the panir (fresh cheese) first. This is easier than you think.

In a large stock pot, bring the gallon of milk and heat on a medium flame. Once the milk comes to a boil, add the juice of two fresh lemons. This will cause the milk to curdle. When the curds have separated from the whey, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth (you can also use a thin white cloth or a fine mesh strainer) until only the curds remain. Wrap the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water. While still in the cloth, arrange the cheese in a brick and lay a heavy cast iron skillet or other weight on top of the cloth. Leave the panir under the press for an hour, until all of the excess water has drained out.

While the panir is draining, you can prepare the baked potatoes. Start with a covered casserole dish. Peel the four large baking potatoes and slice into wedges. In a mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the leeks, olive oil, salt and pepper and place in the casserole dish.

Cover and bake at 350º for 45 minutes. At that point, remove the lid and sprinkle the freshly pressed panir over the top of the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes more, until the panir is lightly roasted.

Green Beans Dressed in Coconut Milk
(serves 5)

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon arrowroot or organic cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons room temperature water
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon chopped leeks
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
1 can of coconut milk
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Steam the green beans until soft but still bright green. While the beans are steaming, prepare the arrowroot by stirring it into the room temperature water until completely dissolved.

In a sauté pan or wok, melt the ghee and add the mustard seeds. Once they start to pop like popcorn, add the leeks and freshly ground pepper and sauté until the leeks are soft. Add turmeric and salt and stir. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the green beans and stir. Stir again. Add the coconut milk with the arrowroot-water mixture and stir again.

Turn the heat off and add the freshly chopped cilantro and stir. Serve this colorful dish warm. 

Quinoa with Raisins
(serves 5)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ghee
1 cup quinoa (try red, white, or a mixture of the two for a festive look)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons raisins
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water

Heat the ghee in a two-quart cooking pan.  Roast the fennel seeds and raisins in the ghee until the raisins start to look slightly golden. Add the quinoa and sauté seeds over low heat for a few minutes. Add the salt, pepper and water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer and cover pan with a lid. Cook until the water is gone, about 20 minutes. Enjoy the subtle combination of sweet and salty—and the added protein found in this ancient grain.

Apple Crisp
(Serves 5)

Step 1: Prepare the crust

1 cup organic white unbleached flour
½ cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 stick of butter, room temperature

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl and mix lightly. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the fruit filling

5-6 apples or pears, peeled and sliced
½ cup raw sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
juice of one lemon

Mix fruit, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13” baking dish. Pour fruit mixture into the dish and cover with flour mixture. Bake at 400º for 30 minutes. Let cool, cut into squares and place on serving dishes. Decorate with a strawberry and mint leaf for a delicious and festive holiday dessert.