Eating with the seasons

I absolutely LOVE fall, and it’s finally getting chillier here in the City of Angels! Yay.

AND fall always = apples, so keep reading  for a delicious Ayurvedic treat….

Nature is generous, abundant, and wise, providing us with exactly what we need every season.  

Fall is the beginning of Vata season, a dryer, rougher, colder time of year.  To eat in harmony, nature provides us with plenty of nourishing, moist  fruits and vegetables such as apples, pumpkins, and squashes.

Now is the time to move away from raw, dry and rough foods and instead favor warm, moist, softer foods such as cooked apples, sauted vegetables, or a savory soup.

Here’s a recipe adapted from one of my favorite yoga retreat centers, Kripalu, and appropriate for every dosha (except an aggravated Kapha dosha).   

Ginger & Cinnamon Baked Apples

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, halved & cored
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbs raisins
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp ginger, minced, or ½ tsp dry ginger
• Pinch of nutmeg, allspice, and Himalayan sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Halve the apples the short way (as pictured) and remove the core in both the tops and the bottoms, preserving as much of the flesh as possible.  Arrange in a 2 inch-deep glass baking dish.

Spread chopped walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in oven for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.  Set aside to cool.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Mix in raisins and walnuts.  Stuff each apple with 2 tbs of the mix, cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes until the apples are soft but still hold their shape.  

Serve warm and enjoy!

xo