12. 02.12
A Feast with Friends
Divine White Curry and Jasmine Rice, with Sesame Pumpkin, and Stir-fried Cashew Nuts with Fresh Green Beans, served with fresh sliced mango, cucumber, apple, and chutney, and lemon wedges.
Vegetarian and Vegan, Gluten Free.
Yummmm! What a delicious meal Spirit Chef and I produced last night for dear friends of like-heartedness. We had a fabulous night and I am hoping my friends, Wayne, Lorraine, and Kath, will post some feedback here as well – I asked them to choose and comment on their favourite dish. What a night we had, of connecting, creating sacred healing sounds, journeying with the medicine drum, and eating a delicious, colourful feast. It was topped of with Lorraine’s delicious pudding – a home-made almond and pear pie with fresh yogurt (this recipe is not included here ).
Over the last few years, I have raised my consciousness around the colour of food. I don’t necessarily deliberately set out to purchase food of a certain colour (although that can be beneficial too), rather, I allow myself to be drawn to whatever food calls me, and then I attempt to relate that to my experiences at that time.
For example, when I find myself eating a lot of red, the colour associated with our base chakra, I can see I am building new foundations, or searching to increase my sense of security.
If I am being particularly creative, which is the primary quality of the sacral chakra - our second chakra just below our navel, I might crave pumpkin, or orange sweet potato. Pumpkin has always been one of my favourite foods and connects me with memories of my mother and grandmother, who cooked wonderful pumpkin. While tough and hard on the outside (for survival) pumpkins have this whole other thing happening on the inside. Lush and moist, and filled with seeds, just like a fertile womb. This chakra is a place of sensuality, fertility and creativity. When I crave pumpkins, I know I am seeding and birthing new ideas.
When I am feeling good, or on holiday, I can’t seem to eat enough mangoes, even just picking them up and holding or smelling them feels good; the colour yellow is associated to our third primary chakra located in our sola plexus. This is the place of personal power, self worth, and self love. Eating yellow food will help lift your spirit. think about it - just looking at a yellow squash lightens my heart, and I love mangoes because they have lots of earthy colours in their skin, and then you get this rich cadmium yellow, juicy flesh that tastes incredible.
Green always connects me with nature – and the love of Mother Earth, stimulating the heart chakra, which can be also aligned with the colour pink. Greens nurture you in every way and help you feel abundant, vibrant and in love.
Blue food can be tricky to find– but purple cabbage goes blue when you cook it – and blueberries are my favourite berries( both of these are standards in my diet). Blue is the colour associated to our throat chakra - the place of self-talk. For a long time my head was filled with negative self-talk - so eating blue food reminds me to be gentle and kind with my thoughts - and like the blue sky- open and unlimited.
Purple, the colour of our brow chakra, seems less prevalent in my diet, although I do use lavender oil every day! The colour purple helps us to connect with our inner guidance, in a calm and graceful way.
The crown chakra is associated with white light and our Great Spirit or High Power. Last night's feast was created to bring friends together to honour Great Spirit through connecting and creating sacred food and sacred sound, and Spirit Chef suggested we make the feature dish a white curry. I also created some colourful side dishes to stimulate the chakras and balance the energy – so here they are – the recipes from last night’s wonderful feast with beautiful friends!
Aloha – In Love and Gratitude Always, and All Ways x Heather
White Curry
Ingredients
· Rice bran oil – as much as you need to get the job done (ask your Spirit Chef).
· Thai Green curry paste – or make you own (I didn’t this time).
· 2 large white potatoes with washed skin left on, cut to the size of a lychee.
· 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced as above.
· 1 large onion, chopped to same size as potatoes.
· 2 medium chopped zucchinis, roughly peeled, leaving a few coloured strips.
· 1 ½ cups chopped cauliflower.
· 2 cups of water (you may need more).
· Tin of lychees, or cup full of fresh seeded lychees.
· Large tin of coconut milk or cream.
· Salt to taste (I didn’t use any).
Cooking
I used a large electric frying pan to do this, and it works best. Use a low- medium heat and add a good dash of oil.
Add the curry paste and stir – I use a mild curry past so ended up with 2 and a half tablespoons. Read the directions on the jar, and start with less, taste testing as you go. Remember, you can always add, but it is not so easy to take away.
Put chopped veges in, one batch at a time – starting with the hardest vegetable and finishing with the softest (with the exception of the onion which I put in with the potatoes to give it flavor). You can also keep the lychees out until the very last, adding them just before the coconut milk, as they are so soft.
Stir and turn until brown,( adding the zucchini only after the potatoes have softened to make sure you don’t overcook it). Add more oil initially, but after that, begin to put in the water, little bits at a time, allowing the vegetables to soak it up, and become creamy, but not saturated.
When the potatoes are soft enough to eat, but still firm, add the remaining water, stir gently, and then add the lychees and coconut milk. Stir for a few minutes until mixed through and of a creamy consistency. Put some to the side to cook for tasting, and then turn off the heat and cover. Taste, and add curry paste if necessary. I put my extra paste in a small amount of boiling water to cook the ingredients of the paste before adding. Add little bits until you get it right for you. Mix through, and serve when ready. Remember – you are making food for Spirit – so some prayers of gratitude are always good, and definitely add a loving flavour to the food.
Jasmine Rice
Ingredients and Cooking
Bring half a medium sized saucepan of water to boil. I use glass saucepans, which are great. When the water is boiled add 1 ½ cups of rice and stir for a few minutes. Cook gently until just softening (about 15 mins) and then put the lid on and turn off the heat. Check the rice 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, and adjust your cooking if you need to – Ask Spirit Chef to help you! Or – use a rice cooker!
Sesame Pumpkin
· 2 cups skinned pumpkin chopped to size of a lychee. I like to chop mine in triangles as it suits the pumpkin’s shape and looks good.
· Quarter of cup of rice bran oil – or coconut oil (though this will give a different flavor and change the taste of the taste of sesame seeds).
· Quarter cup sesame seeds.
Cooking
Using medium heat, put oil in a wok, or deep fry pan with a lid. I actually use a large glass heatproof saucepan. When hot, carefully add pumpkin so oil doesn’t splash out of the pan. Stir-fry till slightly browned and almost soft. Add Sesame seeds, put lid on straight away (they will pop) and turn off the heat. Let it all sit in the oil. I love oil, and think it is good for you, so am happy to serve it up in oil and put on my rice to drain. You can drain a little liquid off, and save for a salad dressing if you would prefer.
Stir-fried Cashew Nuts with Fresh Green Beans
Ingredients
· 1 cup cashew nuts (macadamia are good too), soaked for one hour in spring or filtered water. When nuts are slightly soft, drain and dry in the sun or air if possible – or just put on a clean tea towel and spread out. This allows for easier digestion.
· Dash of rice bran oil.
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic.
· 2 cups topped and tailed green beans.
Cooking
Use a saucepan with a lid and add oil and garlic. When warmed, add nuts and stir-fry until brown. Add beans and cover, raising the heat for 30 seconds only. Then turn off and leave lid on until you are ready to serve).
Serving
Serve dishes with fresh mango and cucumber, and green apple, with lemon wedges in small dishes. You can partly prepare these before hand, and finish off just before you sit down to eat. Don’t prepare the apple too early, as it will go brown. A good, not-too-sweet, fruit chutney adds flavour to the meal, and will give a groundedness to it as well. The sweetness of the chutney and sharpness of the lemon juice seems to bring you into the present moment.
Serve with delicious sparkling red grape juice mixed with mineral water, and remember to bless the food to bring in the essential ingredient of gratitude that makes this feast so amazing, and one that you simply have to share with your friends who have great spirit and heart.
Leftovers
This dish comfortably serves 4, but there well may be some left over curry. The beauty of these dishes is they are just as delicious cold, as they are hot – with exception of the rice of course. Enjoy!
