Heart Chakra Series: Food for the Heart
Your chakras resonate to the vibrations of different sounds, elements and colors (as well as many other things). The heart chakra resonates with the color green, meaning green foods are especially beneficial to this chakra. Leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables are particularly great as they really nourish and strengthen your heart center. In addition to the color of a food, the constituents of the food and where and how it was grown and prepared also greatly influence the chakras. Plants are confined to one area, where they are planted, yet they continue to expand and grow just like your heart chakra. As the chakras are made up of energy, the energy that goes into preparing and eating the foods also affects the chakras. Make sure as you are cooking you are blessing the food you are preparing and as you’re eating feel gratitude towards the Earth for providing you this meal and the animals and plants that gave their lives for your existence.
Heart Chakra Recipes
Flax-Zucchini Muffins
Makes 9-10 large muffins
1 ½ cups brown rice flour
1 cup flaxseed meal
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom
½ cup raisins
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup honey
1 ½ cups zucchini, shredded
¾ cup almond milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Coconut oil
Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl, (flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, cardamom, raisins, pecans). In another bowl combine zucchini, honey, almond milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour combined liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir by hand until ingredients are moistened. Grease a medium-sized muffin pan with coconut oil and fill each muffin about ¾ full with muffin batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned. Allow to cool before eating. Store in the freezer.
Asian Green Salad with Edamame and Sesame-Tamari Vinaigrette
Serves 4
8 cups baby spinach
1 bunch watercress, trimmed but long stems still attached
2 cups edamame, shelled and cooked
3 scallions, thinly sliced, both white and green parts
1/3 bunch cilantro
1 TB toasted sesame seeds
Vinaigrette
3 TB tamari
3 TB rice vinegar
1 ½ TB honey
3 TB sesame oil
3 TB olive oil
½ piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Toss baby spinach, trimmed watercress, scallions, edamame and cilantro in a bowl to combine. In a separate bowl combine vinaigrette ingredients and whisk together. Drizzle vinaigrette on salad.
Tempeh Sauté with Cruciferous Vegetables
Serves 4-6
1 package tempeh
3 TB coconut oil
Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup green cabbage, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 cup Brussels sprouts, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 bulb kohlrabi, chopped
½ bunch turnip greens, chopped
½ bunch kale, chopped
Yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB white and black sesame seeds
Sauté tempeh in 1 TB coconut oil over medium heat until it’s light brown in color. While cooking, sprinkle Braggs Liquid Aminos over the tempeh and set aside. Stir-fry broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi in 1 TB coconut oil over medium heat. Add water as needed to gently steam/stir-fry. Set aside. Sauté turnip greens and kale over medium heat until aldente. Add ¼ cup water to help sauté, along with Braggs Liquid Aminos. The greens should shrink in size but still be a bright green color. In a pan, combine cruciferous vegetables and tempeh to warm. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over sautéed greens.
