Cakra Recipes: Perfect during a cleanse!

If learning more about the cakra-s interests you, scroll through my blog for detailed explanations, practices, and food choices that resonate with each energy centre of the energetic body. For those of you wanting a quick reference, I’ve put all the recipes for the lower four cakras in one place! See below…

ROOT CAKRA

JUICE: Try juicing red apples, beets, ginger (the beets will keep the red colour even if you add some greens and lemon to support the liver)

RED SMOOTHIE: Blend some greens (spinach, kale…) with water. Add half a banana, a large handful of raspberries or strawberries and a scoop of protein powder. Ground some flaxseeds to support the large intestine.

CARROT-BEET SALAD:

2 ½ cups grated carrots

1 ½ cups grated beets

2/3 cup crumbled feta (or crumbled firm tofu)

½ tsp sea salt

1 ½ tsp dill weed

2 Tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 Tbsp flax oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. May be prepared up to 1 hour before serving.

(Enlightened Eating)

RED QUINOA SALAD (variations on this salad are a staple at my house!):

2 cups cooked red quinoa (regular quinoa is fine too…), cooled

1 red pepper, diced

4 radishes, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

red onion, chopped (to taste)

Sprinkle with sesame oil and Bragg liquid soy (or tamari)

Add feta or goat cheese, fresh herbs, and any other veggies you like (roasted sweet potatoes and beets are delicious!)

 

SACRAL CAKRA

JUICE: Try my very favourite juice! Juice apples, carrots, ginger and lemon. It’s hard not to connect with pleasure when you sip this!

ORANGE SMOOTHIE: Blend orange juice, plain yogurt, half a banana, a large handful of cantaloupe and a scoop of protein powder. Ground some flaxseeds to add essential fatty acids.

ORANGE SOUPS: Try the Thai Sweet Potato Soup or Curried Apple Squash Soup on my blog.

YAM PECAN BAKE (sweet and orange…perfect!):

5 medium yams

15 oz can of lite coconut milk

¼ cup agave nectar (replace with maple syrup if you are avoiding agave)

¼ cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

½ tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Bake yams in oven for 1 hour at 350°F or until soft. Peel skin off and put yams into large bowl. Break into small pieces using a fork. Pour coconut milk onto yams, stirring and mashing the mixture to make it smooth. Add agave nectar, pecans, shredded coconut and mix well. Pour into medium-sized casserole dish to serve. Top with pecans and shredded coconut. Serve either warm or cold. (Serves 4)

~Chakra Foods for Optimum Health

 

SOLAR PLEXUS CAKRA

JUICE: I just played around and tried to come up with a delicious yellow juice…I tried juicing an apple, a lemon, 12 pineapple spears (or so), and a generous chunk of ginger. To curb the impact of the fruit sugar on my bloodstream, I sprinkled it with cinnamon. Yummy!

GHEE: In the Ayurvedic system of health, ghee (clarified butter) is used extensively. You couldn’t consume anything that would be a more stunning shade of yellow…and it supports digestion too!

1 lb organic butter

1. Heat butter over low/medium heat so that it doesn’t burn.
2. When it has all melted, begin to skim off all the white milk solids that float to the top.
3. Keep heating the butter until it starts to sizzle (not boil)…this means that all the water has evaporated. Let cool.
4. Store ghee in a wide-mouthed glass jar for easy access!

~With gratitude to Caroline Dupont

 

HEART CAKRA

JUICE: This is your chance to experiment with leafy greens! There is really nothing better for all the cells of our body. The chlorophyll in greens cools our cells and protects them from “invaders” because of the high antioxidant content. For taste, start with a base of lemon, apple, ginger, cucumber and then add a few stalks of kale, collard greens, or romaine lettuce…Celery is also a wonderful cleanser. Doing a daily shot of wheatgrass is beneficial for some people as it builds blood and deeply nourishes the cells of the body.

GREEN SMOOTHIE: The possibilities are endless…this is an example!

Blend:

1 cup water

1 large handful of fresh greens (kale, spinach…)

Add:

½ banana

1 handful of frozen berries

heaping tablespoon of ground flaxseed

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

scoop of good quality protein powder

1 TBSP unsweetened coconut

1 TBSP raw, organic cocoa powder

 

BROCCOLI, FETA, AND WALNUT SOUP

Olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped (I use sweet potato…more colourful!)

1 litre vegetable stock

1 head of broccoli, about 300g, roughly chopped

200g feta cheese

4 tbsp toasted walnuts, plus more to garnish, if you wish

 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Tumble in the onion and garlic, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender.

2. Add the potato to the onion mix. Pour in half the stock. Simmer until the potato is tender, 10-15mins.

3. Add the remaining stock. Let it warm through. Add in the broccoli. Cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender but still bright green.

4. Add half the feta and the walnuts and then blend. Taste. Add salt and pepper, adjust seasoning, as needed.

Lovely hot or cold. Delicious with little cubes of feta and walnuts scattered on top.

 

SESAME, KALE, AND SPINACH TANGO

1 bag fresh organic spinach, washed

1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 TBSP sesame oil

In a covered saucepan, cook spinach and kale on medium heat until wilted but still bright green. While greens are cooking, use separate pan to stir-fry green onion, garlic, and sesame seeds in sesame oil until seeds are slightly browned. Add to drained, cooked greens. Mix well and serve either hot or chilled.

~Chakra Foods for Optimum Health

DESSERT:  Try the Green Goddess Bars on my blog (if you are cleansing, just leave off the chocolate)

 

 

 

 

 

By Dana on April 7, 2013   /   Dana's Favourites, Featured, Nutrition, Recipes   /   2 Comments