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Inspired by Yogi Bhajan

Yogi Bhajan

GOLDEN MILK

This delicious hot drink is very good for the spine. It lubricates all the joints and helps to break up calcium deposits.

1 cup unsweetened nut milk
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or ghee)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1 dropper's worth Stevia (Or add honey or maple syrup to taste.)

Heat, blend and enjoy.

*Adding in some fresh pepper will help to increase the bioavailability of curcumin - active component found in turmeric. This hot drink is excellent for frayed nerves. Think being easily startled, sensitive to noise, anxiety or depression.

  

Notes: Boil a quantity of turmeric in water for about 8 minutes until it forms a thick paste for storing in refrigerator for up to 40 days, if desired. If too much water boils away, add a little more water. Meanwhile, bring your nut milk to a boil with the coconut oil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat. Combine the two mixtures and add a dropper's worth of Stevia, or add honey or maple syrup to taste.

As a change of pace, whiz golden milk in the blender until frothy and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon. See Golden Milk Ice Cream. See Dharam Singh's Golden Milk Recipe. Also see The Power of Oregano.

See more about Turmeric and its fantastic health properties here.

Get Turmeric capsules here.

TURMERIC TEA

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup raw honey
2-1/2 teaspoons dried turmeric
1 Lemon
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Work the turmeric into the honey until it forms a paste. You can keep this on hand, in a jar, for whenever you'd like a cup. For each cup of tea, place a heaping teaspoon of the turmeric paste in the bottom of a mug. Pour hot (but not boiling water) into the mug, and stir well to dissolve the turmeric paste. Add a big squeeze of juice from a lemon, and a good amount of black pepper. Enjoy!

Stir now and then as you drink so all the good stuff doesn't settle to the bottom, or top off with more hot water as you drink it. Prep time: 2 minutes - Cook time: 3 minutes. NOTE: Turmeric tends to stain anything it comes into contact with, so be careful.

ALMOND MILK
Nursing mothers can use this as a nutritional
supplement in order to enhance their breast milk.
Some use it as a supplementary milk for infants.
Notice: Always check with your pediatrician, first.

Recipe yields about 5 cups of almond milk.

1.5 cups whole peeled* almonds or other whole raw almonds
4 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract - optional
1.5 tblsp maple syrup or honey - optional
1 dash of cinnamon - optional

Other items:
blender
metal strainer
cheesecloth

*Peeled Almonds

First thing, soak the almonds long enough to enable removal of the skin. Peeled almonds work best because they have the papery, slightly bitter almond skins removed. Unpeeled almonds can be used, but the milk will need to be strained more to get all the skins out. The most important point is that the almonds are raw, not toasted.

Cover the peeled almonds with water, and soak them for at least 4 hours.This softens them and makes them much easier to blend.

Once they're soft, strain the water from the almonds, and place the soaked almonds in the blender. Add 1.5 cups of water. Use less water in the beginning of the procedure, so the mixture will become a smoother paste.

Blend the almonds in water for 1-2 minutes. Stop occasionally to move the mixture around with a spatula. Do not be alarmed when the mixture starts looking like chunky baby food.

After a few minutes, it will become a smooth puree. Add the cinnamon and maple syrup or honey. (Note: No honey for babies before they are at least one year old. Botulism can be a problem with a baby's immune system, and honey is a possible carrier. Maple syrup is preferred.)

Add the remaining 2.5 cups of water. Blend everything together for another 2-3 minutes, until it is completely smooth and frothy. Taste the milk, and adjust the vanilla, cinnamon, and-or sweetener to taste. A pinch of salt will bring out other flavors in the milk.

The almond solids in the milk tend to give it a chalky texture. For a smoother, more creamy product strain the almond milk.

Place 3 or 4 layers of cheesecloth over a metal strainer set over a bowl. Pour the almond milk through the strainer into the bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to press down on the strainer and move the solids around, to help the almond milk through the cheesecloth.

Once the milk has passed through the strainer, gather up the cheesecloth and gently squeeze it to remove excess liquid. What's left is a fine almond meal. You can discard it, or you can dry it out in a very low heat oven and use it in place of almond flour in baking recipes.

Use almond milk in place of milk for drinking, on cereal, or in baking recipes. It keeps fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it.

YOGURT

1 quart milk
2-3 tblsp. yogurt

Place milk in a saucepan. Heat it slowly so as not to scorch it. Just short of boiling, remove it from heat and let cool to a lukewarm temperature, about 118 degrees F. As it cools, stir it occasionally. Then add 2-3 tblsp. of already made yogurt as a 'starter' and stir gently and thoroughly. You can leave the milk in the saucepan, covered, or you can pour it into a sterilized jar with a lid. Wrap tightly in a towel to hold in the heat, and place in a warm, dark place where the temperature can be maintained for 6-7 hours. A gas oven with only the pilot light on works well. An insulated cooler, or even a cardboard carton covered with a blanket will usually do the trick. Let it sit undisturbed. The temperature must be neither too hot nor too cold, or the yogurt will not form. After 6-7 hours, you may remove it from its 'hiding place' and refrigerate. To grow a stronger yogurt culture (for more acidophilus in the yogurt), allow it to sit out at room temperature for from 3 hours to three days.

JALAPENO MILK

This is a great drink for heading off a cold or flu when you feel one coming on. But be careful! It's hot. If you've never tried it before, use only the minimum quantity of jalapeno's. One more piece of advice -- it's not quite so hot if you drink it with a straw.

2-5 fresh jalapeno chiles
8 oz milk

Chop jalapeno's and blend with milk.

MANGO LASSI

2 cups homemade yogurt
2 medium mangoes - very ripe
3 tblsp. maple syrup or honey
6 ice cubes
1/8 tsp. rose water

Peel and slice mangoes. Put all ingredients in blender and blend at high speed. Serves 4-6.

A HEALING RECIPE
Yogiji's Celery Pancakes


Yogi Bhajan

Pancakes made with celery may sound strange, but wait until you taste them! They will purify your blood and strengthen your central nervous system.

1/2 tsp. Caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. Oregano seeds
1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Celery seeds
1 Cup finely chopped celery
1 Cup garbanzo flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
Ghee

Mix ingredients in a bowl, adding water to form a smooth pancake batter. Fry in ghee like a pancake. Serve with yogurt or sour cream.

Makes 8-10 pancakes.

From Foods for Health and Healing. Based on The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan ©.

MORE VEGETARIAN FAVORITES

AVOCADO ON TOAST - Tastes like fried egg sandwich! Options: Add paprika, chili pepper, and/or salt and pepper on top.

AVOCADO SANDWICH - Spread avocado on bread with any of the following on top: onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, sprouts, vegetarian baco-bits, or anything else that sounds good. Add salt and pepper to taste.

BAKED BEANS - Comes in meatless/vegetarian styles at grocery store (you can add sauteed celery, onions, green peppers, barbeque sauce, salsa, and mustard, to give it more taste and healthy benefits.

BAKE POTATOES - Bake potatoes and add butter, sour cream, parsley, chives, cottage cheese, salsa, beans, cheese, broccoli, or anything you desire.

BEANS AND RICE - Add canned (or cooked) beans and cooked rice together with salsa and serve on shells. Any bean and grain combination provides a complete protein component.

BLT SANDWICH - Vegetarian BLT Sandwich - Soy bacon, lettuce, and tomato, with mayo on the good bread of your choice.

CEREAL AND MILK - For any meal, day or night. Add honey or maple syrup to taste.

CHILI - In sauce pan add (twice as many beans as tomatoes) kidney beans and chopped canned tomatoes, and add sauteed onions and garlic and chili powder to taste and simmer for about an hour. Add a little honey or maple syrup to taste.

COTTAGE CHEESE AND FRUIT - Add any type of canned or fresh fruit on cottage cheese. Add honey or maple syrup to sweeten.

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE - Peel and slice eggplant into thin strips similar to a thin piece of ham. Dip in breading and fry or bake until cooked to taste. Add tomato sauce (above) and grated cheese of your choice. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked to your taste.

JELLO - Get recipe for Vegetarian Jello here, but cut down on the amount of water if adding canned fruit. Good combinations include: Lime or orange with cottage cheese and pineapple, lime or orange with cottage cheese and pears, orange with mandarin oranges (canned), or without cottage cheese, if desired. However, the cottage cheese adds protein. Let your imagination run wild!

OATMEAL - You can add: cinnamon, raisons, cranberries, applesauce, apples, any fruit, green chilies, brown sugar, yogurt, coconut, vanilla flavoring, almond flavoring, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. again, anything that you like.

POTATO SALAD - Boil 8-10 potatoes in water on stove for about 1 hour or until soft (test by inserting a fork) and let cool and peel chop into bite-sized pieces. Add chopped sweet onions, celery, mayo pickle relish, mustard. Add any other family secret ingredient by asking Mom or Grandma.

SOPA SECA (Spanish Rice) - Put about a cup of Basmati Rice or Uncle Ben's Converted Rice in a saucepan and cover with oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, LOW HEAT, or until the rice is lightly browned and expanded about 3-4 times it original state.

Add chopped onions and garlic MEDIUM HEAT, about 5-6 onions and about 2-3 tablespoons of garlic, more if you want it extra garlicky. Saute and stir frequently until the rice absorbs the flavor of the garlic and onions and the onions are soft and mushy.

Add 1 large can of whole tomatoes "smashed" in a molcajete bowl or blender so the tomatoes are in small pieces. This provides the liquid needed for the final cooking of the rice. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and let stand until ready to eat. The next day is actually better for this rice, since the garlic and onions are stronger and the rice has absorbed more of the flavor the second day.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE - Use the prepared meatless Ragu sauces, or any other brand. Ragu Roasted Garlic is our favorite. Saute chopped garlic (about a tablespoon), onion (1), green pepper (1), mushrooms (1 small can), celery (1 stalk finely chopped), into a saucepan and saute in oil or butter for abut 10 minutes, or until cooked to your taste.

Add 1 jar of your favorite sauce and simmer on lowest setting on stove for about 15 minutes to let the sauce absorb the taste of the veggies. Add a little honey or maple syrup to taste.

May be frozen if desired for a later serving, or will keep in fridge for about a week for future servings.

TAPIOCA PUDDING - Make according to recipe on back of box, but separate eggs, beat the egg whites to foamy peaks while adding 1/2 of the sugar called for, and then add the rest of the mixture to the meringue to make very light tapioca. Also, try adding 2 times the real vanilla called for in the recipe.

TOAST - With jam, with peanut butter, or with raw garlic pieces.

YOGURT AND CEREAL - Add any type of cold cereal and fruit to yogurt.

YOGURT AND FRUIT - Add any type of fruit to yogurt.

Yogi Bhajan

For A Healthy Immune System

Introduced to the West in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, Yogi Tea* is a delicious ancient Eastern recipe and remedy. Yogi Tea is health promoting, delicious and soothing and a great coffee substitute. The benefits of Yogi Tea would fill pages. In the science of yogic foods the spices used are said to have the following properties. It acts as a tonic for the entire nervous system. It reduces tiredness and helps restore mental balance. Yogi Tea is a remedy and preventative measure for colds, flu and sinus problems. The peppercorns are a blood purifier, cardamom is for the digestive system, cloves are for the nervous system, cinnamon is for the bones, ginger is an aid in strengthening the nervous system, as well as energizing the entire person, and the black tea acts as a catalyst for the other ingredients. Milk aids in the assimilation of the spices and helps avoid irritation of the stomach and colon. And the mucous-producing qualities of milk are greatly reduced by boiling the milk. Most folks love the aroma and taste of Yogi Tea. See The Power of Oregano. Also see Golden Milk and Almond Milk.

Brewing Yogi Tea

Yogi Tea

• Black pepper: blood purifier
• Cardamom pods: digestive aid
• Cloves: beneficial to the nervous system
• Cinnamon: strengthens the bones
• Ginger root: healing for colds and flu, increases energy

The milk in the tea helps in the easy assimilation of spices. A homeopathic dose of black tea acts as an alloy for all the ingredients, creating just the right chemical balance. While it was not a part of the original recipe, the use of soy milk is a variation that Yogi Bhajan permitted.

INGREDIENTS:
For each cup:
10 ounces of water (about 1-1/3 cups)
3 whole cloves
4 whole green cardamom pods, cracked
4 whole black peppercorns
½ stick cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black tea
½ cup milk
2 slices fresh ginger root

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Bring water to a boil and add spices. Cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes, then add black tea. Let sit for a few minutes, then add the milk and return to a boil. Don’t let it boil over. When it reaches a boil, remove immediately from heat, strain, and sweeten with maple syrup or honey, if desired. For a special treat, add just a touch of vanilla extract. See the dangers of using Aspartame as a sugar substitute.

Notes: a) Without milk this brew is not really considered Yogi Tea, b) The milk aids assimilation and digestion, c) Herb tea may not be substituted for the black tea. In this combination and with the small amount of black tea it has a balanced chemical action on the system.

More About The Ingredients

Ginger is considered to be the universal medicine in Ayurveda. Ginger is one of the best herbs for nausea and vomiting. It aids digestion and assimilation generally, relieves cold spasms and cramps, and supports menstruation.

Ginger is particularly synergistic with onions and garlic, the combination of the three being called 'Trinity Roots' in Ayurvedic dietary therapy.

Whether consumed as a food, or as a potent medicine, ginger acts in diabetics both by stimulating pancreas cells and by lowering lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood.

Ginger is considered to be one of the most important Ayurvedic medicines in the treatment of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis.

Ginger is one of the best herbs for nausea and vomiting. It aids digestion and assimilation generally, relieves cold spasms and cramps, and supports menstruation.

Herbs and spices are typically not significant sources of nutrients in the diet, but ginger has relatively high calcium and iron content.

Ginger increases peripheral circulation, so is used clinically for cold hands and feet. Being diaphoretic, ginger is a treatment for cold and flu.

Cinnamon is a very mild herb that is well tolerated by a broad variety of people. Cinnamon is a pungent, sweet and hot yang tonic. It increases general vitality, warms and energizes the body as a whole, counteracts congestion, stops diarrhea, improves digestion, relieves abdominal spasms, is anti-rheumatic and aids peripheral blood circulation.

Cinnamon enhances the flow of blood through the body, but, paradoxically, herbalists revere it for its ability to stop excessive bleeding.

Cinnamon bark excels in treating menstrual cramps. Many women have found it to be a dramatic remedy, often giving relief on the first try, after years of monthly pain.

Like dong quai, cinnamon is a warming herb, which in Chinese terms, "warms the middle and disperses cold." This property makes it a very good choice to support menstruation. Cinnamon enhances circulation to the uterus, so the warm relaxing blood flow can relieve the cramping. As you would imagine, cinnamon is often used together with dong quai for this symptom.

The person who can benefit most from cinnamon is cold, dry and frail, and often has osteoarthritis, asthma and digestive problems.

Since cinnamon is common as a culinary herb, it is necessary to be a selective shopper to get good quality. You can find medicinal quality cinnamon in your health food store, Chinese herb pharmacy, or from a top quality medicinal tea manufacturer.

According to Chinese medicine practitioners should be used with caution during pregnancy.

Cardamom is an excellent digestive enhancer. It is used in herbal medicine to treat gastralgia, enuresis (involuntary urination), spermatorrhea, phlegm, indigestion and flatulence. This herb is particularly appropriate for use in lung related formulas.

It aids the spleen, the stomach and lungs.

Cloves promote circulation in the lungs and the stomach. They treat cough, and enhance digestion.

Herbalists use cloves to aid the lymph system. The volatile oil is a powerful analgesic. Clove is known to lower triglycerides and blood sugar.

Black Pepper is known only as a humble condiment in most of the Western world, but in Asia, it is considered to be the foremost detoxifier and anti-aging herb. Black pepper is a warming remedy.

This herb increases circulation, and lowers blood pressure and contains compounds that prevent osteoporosis.

Black pepper has been long used as a detoxifier. Piperine, a major active ingredient, also aids the liver.

Black pepper reduces free radicals. It is antioxidant, and prevents the depletion of glutathione. It also prevents the destruction of other antioxidants, such as vitamin A.

Pepper is used for treating sinus congestion. Its warming nature balances cold herbs in formulas. Boil 10 peppercorns in milk, strain, and drink. --

ANCIENT YOGIC FORMULAS

For the immune system ...
Blend five jalapeno peppers in one glass of milk for 3
minutes. Drink this blend and repeat daily as necessary.

For the blood ...
Include liberal amounts of raw onions, garlic and ginger
in the daily diet. Cooking or processing these herbs will
somewhat weaken their effectiveness and should be
avoided, but is recommended in some cases.

AND

Raw onions can be eaten, immediately after peeling, with
salads and in sandwiches. They can also be used in
many cooked dishes. Mix one cup of fresh onion juice and
one cup of fresh mint tea and drink.

Raw garlic can be chopped and eaten, immediately after
peeling, on toast, in salads, on pizza and may be added
to many cooked dishes. Drink fresh garlic juice mixed
with almond oil or mint tea.

Raw gingerroot can be sliced and boiled to make a tea. See below.*
Boil four to five slices of fresh gingerroot in three cups of
water, add honey to taste and drink as often as you like.

All three of these herbs can be sautéed together until lightly brown. Then add fresh black pepper and cook this mixture with mung beans and rice and may you be...Healthy, Happy and Holy. See More.

*Creamy Ginger Tea

      

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