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Kripalu Recipes = Harvest Lasagna

Kripalu Recipes

After you’ve prepared these recipes and are ready to enjoy your creations, keep in mind five tips for conscious eating. Bon appétit!

Harvest Lasagna

Serves 4–6.

½ pound lasagna noodles
1 large bunch lacinato kale
2 cups grape tomatoes
½ buttercup or kabocha squash or 2 yams
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced
2 cups ricotta cheese (preferably organic)
1 organic egg
1 tablespoon dry or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
8 ounces organic mozzarella, grated
2 tablespoons capers
Salt and pepper as needed

Begin by cooking your lasagna noodles al dente. Rinse to cool. Wash and slice kale very thin, and slice grape tomatoes in half. Peel buttercup squash or yams, and slice into thin pieces. Set oven to 350 degrees. Toss squash or yams with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and lay yams in the lasagna baking dish, roasting until they begin to soften—about 20 minutes—while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, then add tomatoes, half of the fresh basil, and the kale. Stir to coat kale and tomatoes with oil. Add a ¼ cup water to pan, and cover to steam. Watch kale and continue to sauté until the kale is soft. Turn off heat, add ricotta cheese and an egg, stir to combine, and add the oregano and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

To assemble: Remove squash/yams from baking dish. Add a splash of oil. Place a layer of pasta on the baking dish and cover with half the ricotta mixture. Then layer the squash or yams as the middle layer, followed with half of the mozzarella, the other half of the ricotta mix, then the final layer of noodles. Spread 2 tablespoons olive oil over pasta, and cover with fresh basil and the remaining mozzarella. Top with the capers. Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake for 5–10 more minutes, until cheese starts to tan.

Serve with a big yummy salad and enjoy.

Two vegan options:

1. Substitute soft tofu for the ricotta. Just add a splash of rice vinegar and a little salt and pepper to the tofu—skip the egg and either use a vegan cheese alternative for the mozzarella or just eliminate the cheese altogether.
2. Instead of making lasagna, use rombi noodles and make a harvest vegetable primavera. Cut the squash or yams in cubes and roast. Sauté the greens and tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and basil. When everything is done, just toss it together. I’d also add some nice white beans (navy, cannelini, or baby lima).

Kripalu Recipes - Eggplant Stew and Cucumber Mint Raita

Kripalu Recipes

After you’ve prepared these recipes and are ready to enjoy your creations, keep in mind five tips for conscious eating. Bon appétit!

Eggplant Stew

Serves four.

2 medium peeled eggplants, large diced
1 onion, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 tomato, medium diced
1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon paprika

Ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon salt
Cilantro to garnish

First, cut eggplant into desired size. Toss with salt and allow to sit for a half hour. Then rinse and pat the eggplant dry. In a large sauce pot or sauté pan, heat ghee or oil and toss in spices. Stir and allow to heat for 1 minute; add onions, and stir and sauté until onions begin to sweat. Add eggplant and potatoes (make sure the potatoes are cut smaller than the eggplant). Add ½ cup water and sauté until potatoes begin to soften—then add cauliflower. When the potatoes are soft, add diced tomato and coconut milk. If you would like a wetter consistency, just add more water, stock, or coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes, until veggies are soft. Add salt and adjust other seasonings if needed. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy over rice or with nan (Indian bread).

Cucumber Mint Raita

Serves four.

1 cup plain yogurt
½ cucumber, peeled and de-seeded, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon roasted cumin seeds
Pinch black pepper

If you are using a very wet yogurt, you may want to drain it first, using cheesecloth, to remove some of the moisture. Then combine all ingredients and serve garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Kripalu Recipes - Chicken Curry Soup and Chicken Florentine

After you’ve prepared these recipes and are ready to enjoy your creations, keep in mind five tips for conscious eating. Bon appétit!

Deb Howard: For those of us that choose to include chicken in our diets, January, with its cold winds, is a great time for chicken soup. Our dear chef Aggie Zeimek gets credit for perfecting our chicken curry soup, which is a hit here at Kripalu. If you can use a small-farm organic chicken for this recipe—and for any chicken dish you prepare—all the better.

The second chicken dish is a family favorite. Feel free to play around with the recipe, using different greens or adding dried fruit and nuts in the filling. Vegetarians and vegans will enjoy the rice pilaf by itself or sandwiched between two slices of tofu and baked. Just marinate your tofu first in some olive oil, lemon, and salt. May all your meals be yummy!

Chicken Curry Soup

Serves six.

6 cups chicken stock
2 cups chicken meat
½ cup medium diced onions
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced apples (peels optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon agave cactus syrup

For the roux:
2 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons butter or oil

First make a roux by heating the oil or butter to a medium-low temperature—be careful not to let it smoke. Add flour and continually stir for a few minutes to combine, making sure not to burn the mixture. For this recipe we want a white or blond roux, so stop cooking before the roux turns brown. Set roux aside.

In a soup pot, begin by sautéing the vegetables in the same kind of fat that the roux was made from (butter or oil). Add salt and spices. When the vegetables have begun to sweat, add apples and sauté for one minute. Add roux and stir to combine. Gradually add stock, stirring to prevent lumps. Add chicken pieces and simmer. Finally, add agave and adjust salt content if needed.

Chicken Florentine

Serves four.

2 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine
6 cups raw spinach
1 cup basmati rice (brown or white)

Cook basmati rice in 1½ cups water or stock. Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil, deglaze with wine, and set aside. Butterfly chicken breast and pound between parchment or plastic wrap. When rice is done, add the sauté plus the fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and fresh spinach. Stir to wilt spinach. Season the chicken breast with a little salt and pepper. Fill each breast with some rice and roll to seal. You will have some rice left over. Place chicken in a lightly oiled baking pan and spoon a ¼ cup of stock on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

For a decadent finish: Remove chicken from pan when done. Degrease remaining liquid and bring to a simmer, stir in a little heavy cream, a splash of white cooking wine, and a little salt and pepper. Simmer to thicken and serve on chicken breast. Garnish with parsley.

Kripalu Recipes = Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers and Black Bean Burgers

After you’ve prepared these recipes and are ready to enjoy your creations, keep in mind five tips for conscious eating. Bon appétit!

Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers
Makes four burgers.

1 pound organic ground turkey meat
¼ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch salt
Pinch black pepper

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in the olive oil until soft. Drain excess olive oil and save to use for another meal (in a salad or stir-fry). Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Combine ground turkey with rest of ingredients and form into patties. Grill, pan sear, or bake in the oven until done throughout. Enjoy any way you like them.

Black Bean Burgers
Makes four burgers.

1 12-ounce can organic black beans
¾ cup cooked rice
½ cup rolled oats
½-1 red pepper, diced
3-4 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced thin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon salt

Drain beans well. Combine half of the beans and rice in a food processor and grind until rice and beans are broken up. Combine with rest of ingredients. Using wet hands, form into patties. Bake on an oiled baking tray for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until nice and brown on top and firm to the touch. Please don’t try cooking these on a grill as they will stick; they work best in the oven.