A Grounding Seasonal Dessert

I tend to dislike raw food, and according to Ayurveda, vattas like myself should cook their food. Fruits and vegetables should be warm and cooked, especially this time of year, when the weather gets cooler and drier. If you find your vatta imbalanced (think scattered, energy swings, lack of focus, feeling overly cold and dry) your food should be cooked, warm, and comforting.

So, when our resident culinary yogi Theresa Mikuls sent me this recipe using seasonal apples, I was excited!! This is a way to eat local, seasonal fruit, and still feel that warm, happy, yummy feeling.

Remember, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for more Ayurvedic tidbits about the ingredients.


Honey Crisp Apple Cobbler with Almonds

Gluten Free serves 6

5 large Honey Crisp Apples (or your favorite apple)
1 cup rice flour (brown rice flour has more nutrients)                                    
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar                  
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon or more of extra virgin olive oil          
¼ cup coconut oil                                  
¼ cup Almond Paste (not almond filling)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon of lemon zest (the yellow rind only)
1 large egg beaten
3 teaspoons water or apple juice

Method 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl add rice flour, baking powder, salt, coconut oil, almond paste, lemon zest, ground flax seed, cinnamon and allspice. Mix these ingredients together with a pastry cutter or use a fork. The clobber mixture will have a pea shaped consistency.

Beat egg in a separate bowl and add water or juice.  Add liquid to dry mixture and stir with a fork to lightly combine.

Peel, core and cut the apples into slices. Add one teaspoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add I tablespoon of sugar add the apple chunks. Slightly caramelize the apples to brown the natural juices  to bring up the flavor.

Add topping and bake at 350 degree until the apples are soft and the topping starts to brown slightly.
Serve with fresh cream or gluten-free ice cream (if you're avoiding gluten).

Apples: As mentioned above, Vattas should consume these cooked, but Pittas and Kaphas can enjoy raw as well.

Almonds: They have a sweet and warming effect. The heat and heaviness is great for Vattas, but not so great for the Pitta and Kaphas amongst us.

Allspice: Pungent and heating, good for Vatta and Kapha, but Pittas may want to skip this. Stimulates agni, the fire of digestion (great in winter!)

Cinnamon: All around good spice, safe even for Pittas and Kaphas. Warming and sweet, stimulates digestion, relieves congestion and coughs, detoxifying.

(If the Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha references make you scratch your head, consider our Ayurveda 101 online video...available till 11/12. Click here to access. )