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Lunch & Dinner

Instant Pot Summer Kitchari

May 12, 2019 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

My life changed when I discovered how to make Kitch’ in the Instant Pot.

Up until now, I’ve been making Kitch’ on the stove like a chump. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, but pressure cooking it takes it to the next level.

Not only with taste and flavour, but texture and digestibility as well.

Traditionally Kitch’ is made with white basmati rice. While that might seem counterintuitive in a culture that has been made the fear white, starchy things, it can actually be easier on the digestive system. The reason being, it breaks down really easily, and makes your Kitch’ a nice mushy consistency

Kitch’ is actually supposed to be mushy. Like, baby food almost. It is supposed to be super easy to digest, and the mushier it is, the easier time your digestive system has.

So when we use basmati rice, it’s easier to get that mushy, easily digestible quality.

Now, there is nothing wrong with using brown rice, in fact, it’s my preferred way to make kitch, but on the stove top it still feels a little too… firm.

So how do you get perfect Kitch’ every time, that’s easy to digest, tastes amazing, and comes out with the perfect Kitch’ consistency?

An instant pot, that’s how.

Not only does it come out perfect, it takes like half the time and effort. It’s a win, win, win, win, win!

This recipe is super simple, I’m gonna give you the bones of it, but feel free to add in any additional spices as you see fit, or seasonal vegetables.

When made exactly as it is, it’s the perfect summer time kitch recipe. The spices are nice and mild, the veggies are seasonal and generally cooling. We want to switch up our diet with the seasons, and so switching up what we put in our Kitch’ is always a good idea!

To start you’re going to soak 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of split moon dal for about 30 minutes. Rinse and set aside.

Then turn your Instant Pot to “Saute.” Put 1-2 tbsp of Ghee or neutral tasting oil, along with 2 tsp of whole cumin seeds. Let them sit in the oil until the pop and you can smell the aroma.

Next, put in 2-3 tsp on Garam Masala – more if you like it more flavourful and 1 tsp turmeric. Let the spices mix around in the oil. This will help with digestion of their fat-soluble constituents, and help with enhancing the flavor.

If you are super pitta, you can add in a bit of coriander to help with cooling and balancing your dosha.

Now press “cancel” on the instant pot and pour the rice and bean mixture into the spices and stir around.

Pour 7 cups of water on to the beans (a little more if you like it more soupy), and stir, making sure nothing has stuck to the bottom. At this point add in a couple of tsp of salt (or wait until the end if you prefer).

You can make this kitch with seasonal veggies. Add in any firm veggies like carrots, beets, or sweet potato at this point. I love to add green onion and spinach/kale but you want to add these at the end!

They will wilt easily into the Kitch’ without getting pulverized. By adding them at the end we let them cook a little which supports digestion, while preserving the Prana of the plants.

Awwwww Yeaaaaaa.

Ok, so at this point, you want to put the lid on the Instant Pot, ensure the valve is set to sealing, and turn on the Pressure Cook mode. Set the pressure to high, and the time to 22 minutes.

Now walk away and do whatever you need to do!

Once the beeper goes off, let it naturally release pressure for about 15 mins, and then, with trepidation, take a spatula and flick the valve to “release” manually.

Once the little thingy that shows the pressure (on mine its a little silver thing) has gone down, the pressure is released and you can open it up.

Add in your leafy veggies, salt and pepper if needed, and enjoy!!



Print Recipe
Instant Pot Summer Kitchari
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
  • 1 cups brown rice
  • 1 cup split mung dal
  • 2 tbsp ghee/coconut oil (refined)
  • 2 tsp Whole Cumin
  • 2-3 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 7 cups water
  • 2 stalks green onion chopped
  • 2 handfuls spinach
  • Salt to taste
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
  • 1 cups brown rice
  • 1 cup split mung dal
  • 2 tbsp ghee/coconut oil (refined)
  • 2 tsp Whole Cumin
  • 2-3 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 7 cups water
  • 2 stalks green onion chopped
  • 2 handfuls spinach
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. To start you're going to soak 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of split moon dal for about 30 minutes. Rinse and set aside.
  2. Then turn your Instant Pot to "Saute." Put 1-2 tbsp of Ghee or neutral tasting oil, along with 2 tsp of whole cumin seeds. Let them sit in the oil until the pop and you can smell the aroma.
  3. Next, put in 2-3 tsp on Garam Masala - more if you like it more flavourful and 1 tsp turmeric. Let the spices mix around in the oil. This will help with digestion of their fat-soluble constituents, and help with enhancing the flavor.
  4. Now press "cancel" on the instant pot and pour the rice and bean mixture into the spices and stir around.
  5. Pour 7 cups of water on to the beans (a little more if you like it soupier), and stir, making sure nothing has stuck to the bottom. At this point add in a couple of tsp of salt (or wait until the end if you prefer).
  6. Ok, so at this point, you want to put the lid on the Instant Pot, ensure the valve is set to sealing, and turn on the Pressure Cook mode. Set the pressure to high, and the time to 22 minutes.
  7. Once the beeper goes off, let it naturally release pressure for about 15 mins, and then, with trepidation, take a spatula and flick the valve to "release" manually.
  8. Add in your leafy veggies, salt and pepper if needed, and enjoy!!
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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner

Hearty and Smoky 1-Pot 3-Bean Vegan Chilli

September 18, 2018 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

vegan chilli

I think it’s chili season.

Around fall time, all I want to consume is delicious, hearty, warm things and this chili ticks all those boxes.

Plus it is so ridiculously simple to make, requiring one pot, a couple cans of beans and tomatoes, and some simple spices.

The other thing about this chili that’s amazing is you can tweak it however you’d like! Don’t have chickpeas? Cool, use whatever bean you have on hand. If you struggle with digesting legumes, I have a sneaky suspicion that this recipe would taste AWESOME with crumbled tempeh (or tofu).

I will be testing this in the coming weeks so I’ll letcha know how it goes!

This recipe, while being versatile, can also be repurposed in so many amazingly delicious ways! Once you’ve had your first bowl, you can store it in the fridge and use it for the next few days as is or:

  • Taco Salad
  • Chilli Fries
  • Fully Loaded Baked Potato

Just as a few super delish examples!

I made it into a taco salad the day after I made this the first time and friends, it was to die for.

You can serve this up with some gluten-free bread, have it on its own, or use organic corn chips like Satya is doing here!

Alright, now onto the recipe! If you make this bad boy PLEASE let me know! Share a picture on social media and tag me @melissasinghwellness so I can see your deliciousness.





Print Recipe


Smokey Delicious 3-Bean Chilli

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings
people


Ingredients
  • 1 16oz can chickpeas
  • 1 16 oz can black beans
  • 1 16 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 2 medium peppers chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms chopped
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • salt to taste
  • ceynne pepper to taste
  • 1 small jalapeno optional if you like it spicy!
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings
people


Ingredients
  • 1 16oz can chickpeas
  • 1 16 oz can black beans
  • 1 16 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 2 medium peppers chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms chopped
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • salt to taste
  • ceynne pepper to taste
  • 1 small jalapeno optional if you like it spicy!
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil


Instructions
  1. Place your onions and garlic in a large pot and sautee on medium heat until onions are translucent

  2. Add in the peppers, mushrooms and if you are adding jalapenio for spice, now is the time to add this to the mix! Stir the veggies around and let simmer for about 10 minutes to soften.

  3. Now strain and rinse your beans, and add them to the mix. Then add in the diced tomatoes (water and all) as well as the entire can of tomato paste. Stir until well combined.

  4. Add in the spices and cover for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Taste your chilli, and adjust spices to suite your flavour. Adding smoked paprika for smokiness, additional salt or cayenne as you see fit.

  5. Let it simmer on a low heat, covered for about 20-30 minutes - the more it simmers the more the spices will mix.


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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: 1-pot meals, glutenfree, Vegan

The Best Vegan Kebabs

August 26, 2018 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

…

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: Dinner, Gluten free, Simple, Vegan

Vik’s Kitch – Vegan Kitchari

July 25, 2018 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

Vegan Kitchari

My husband makes the best kitchari, period! And not to brag or anything, but he’s an authentic Indian human being so… you can only imagine how good this stuff is.

…

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner Tagged With: Ayurveda, Gluten free, Kitchari, Mindful Eating, Soul food, Vegan

Simple 3 Ingredient Wraps – Vegan and Gluten Free!

June 18, 2018 by Melissa Singh 3 Comments

Last year I was on the hunt for a vegan, GF wrap in stores that didn’t taste or feel like cardboard had simple ingredients, and didn’t cost a thousand dollars.

I’m afraid to report that such a wrap does not exist.

…

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner Tagged With: glutenfree, Recipe, Vegan, wraps

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

October 6, 2017 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

It’s that time of year again peeps, Thanksgiving! It’s crazy to think that this time, a year ago, I married my amazing husband, Vikram. The time has flown by, and in just a couple week’s were expecting our first baby – Eeeeek! It’s been a busy year to say the least.

Regardless of the fact that I got married on Thanksgiving, it’s actually always been one of my favourite times of year. I love the cool fall weather, the fall fashion, and most importantly, the food! Food around Thanksgiving is some of my favourite. I don’t know if you can tell, but i’m really food-motivated…

Pumpkin pie. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Butternut squash. Mmmmmm.

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

But one of the biggest challenges I face at any family holiday or get together is what to eat. The rest of my family are meat eaters which means I can almost never eat the same food as them. And honestly, that’s totally fine by me. I personally love making my own food and bringing it with me. I’m also a little bit picky about what goes into my food, so being in control of that works really well for me.

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

The first Thanksgiving I was vegan, I made a full on 4 course meal for me and my husband and brought it with us to my grandmothers house. We had walnut meat balls, stuffed acorn squash with quinoa and veggies, vegan gravy, and our own vegan, gf pumpkin pie. It was magnificent. This year, however, I will be just short of 2 weeks to my due date, and in no shape to be making some elaborate meal, with tons of different moving pieces. I just want to be able to make one dish, that has all the best bits of Thanksgiving in a simple, easy to manage package. I have been brainstorming what I will be bringing for a few weeks now, and I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve come up with:

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

Now I thought about adding a vegan, gf stuffing on top of this (which you totally could). But in an effort to keep things a little more simple, and easier to manage for my pregnant self, I figured I wouldn’t.

This recipe, is seriously amazing and includes all the best flavours of Thanksgiving in an easy to manage burger. The patty is spiced with rosemary and thyme (both super Thanksgiving-ey flavours). The cauliflower mash is so simple to make, and is as creamy and delicious as it’s high carb, high Glycemic Index counterpart, the mashed potato. And this gravy. Oh. Em. Gee. My biggest pet peeve about most vegan gravy recipes is that they call for vegetable broth. And I almost never have vegetable broth on hand. This mushroom gravy recipe my friends, calls for NO vegetable broth. Just some simple ingredients that you probably have in your house right now.

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

Then, there are the fried onions. In my humble opinion, the fried onions on top kinda make the burger. They are crispy, and delicious, and use only 4 ingredients.

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger

I also had every intention of making these into little sliders and putting on a sweet potato bun (which again, you could), but after trying them bun-less I decided against it. Also, putting these between two sweet potato bun’s would make for an extremely messy burger. This delicious meal is finished off with some butternut squash fries on the side as a special fall treat! It’s so exciting to use butternut squash in new, creative ways like fries!

Who have I become that using butternut squash in new ways is legitimately exciting? I must be getting older…

So here it is: The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger! If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think in the comments section below! And don’t forget to take a picture, and tag me on Instagram and Facebook!

Print Recipe
The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger
The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
burgers
Ingredients
Lentil Walnut Burgers
  • 1/2 cup lentils (dry)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup finely chopped wanuts
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped kale
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp chia or flax seeds + 3 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup ground walnuts or almond flour
Cauliflower Mash
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower broken into florets
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
Mushroom Gravy
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1-2 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Fried Onions
  • 1 medium/large onion
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
Butternut Squash Fries
  • 1 medium/small butternut squash
  • 1-2 tbsp tbsp olive oil/avocado oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
burgers
Ingredients
Lentil Walnut Burgers
  • 1/2 cup lentils (dry)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup finely chopped wanuts
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped kale
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp chia or flax seeds + 3 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup ground walnuts or almond flour
Cauliflower Mash
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower broken into florets
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
Mushroom Gravy
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1-2 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Fried Onions
  • 1 medium/large onion
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
Butternut Squash Fries
  • 1 medium/small butternut squash
  • 1-2 tbsp tbsp olive oil/avocado oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Burger
Instructions
Lentil Walnut Patty
  1. Place 1/2 cup of lentils in a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil on high, and let simmer uncovered on medium heat until all the water is gone, and lentils are a nice soft texture.
  2. Place your finely chopped walnuts on a baking sheet, and put in the oven at 350 for about 7-10 minutes or until toasty brown. Take out and let sit.
  3. Place mushrooms, and garlic in a frying pan with 1-2 tsp olive oil and saute until mushrooms are soft. Add in the spinach or kale, walnuts, and herbs. Saute for another 5-7 minutes until all the flavour have meshed together.
  4. Place the saute mixture, lentils, ground walnuts (or almond flour), and chia seed/flax seed paste in a food processor with salt and pepper. Pulse on high until a thick mixture has been created. You don't want this to be too pureed, and some chunks are good! Taste, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
  5. Form into patties, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes per side. Flip once. PRO TIP: Set these aside until you put the butternut squash fries in at the end. Their total cooking time is about the same!
Cauliflower Mash
  1. Place cauliflower florets in a pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Let the cauliflower stay in the boiling water until they are tender and can be easily poked with a fork. Strain.
  2. While the cauliflower is boiling, saute garlic in olive oil. The garlic is done once it is a nice, golden brown.
  3. Place the cauliflower, along with the garlic and oil into a food processor with salt and pepper. Add salt sparingly to start. Process on high until the cauliflower resembles mashed potato. Taste and add salt, pepper and additional olive oil to your liking.
Mushroom Gravy
  1. Saute onions, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the mushrooms in a pot over medium heat in olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add in 1 cup of water. Let simmer.
  2. Place this mixture, along with tamari, 1 tbsp arrowroot starch and nutritional yeast in a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds. Place back into the pot, and add the rest of the mushrooms. Let simmer on low, whisking throughout.
Fried Onions
  1. Peel and cut your onion in half so that the rings of the onion are cut in half. Thinly slice the onion halves.
  2. Place in a mixing bowl with oil, arrowroot starch and chickpea flour. Mix well.
  3. In a frying pan, place approx 1/4 cup of avocado or coconut oil over medium/high heat. After about 5 mintues of letting it heat up, put the onions in. Continue frying until the onions have achieved a golden brown colour. Depending on the kind of pan you are using, you will want to stir them around a little!
  4. Once they are done, place them on a plate with a paper towel on top to soak up some of the oil. Serve on the top of your burger!
Butternut Squash Fries
  1. Peel and chop your butternut squash into french fry-esque shapes.
  2. Place in a mixing bowl with oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and let bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350, flipping once. PRO TIP: If you are baking these at the same time as the burgers, place the fries on the bottom rack. This will help them crisp up more quickly.
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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: Gluten free, health, Recipe, Thanksgiving, Vegan

Shiitake mushroom sliders on sweet potato bun

June 30, 2017 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

Summer time and burgers just go together. I always crave them in the summer time. But I have two challenges – finding buns and burgers with minimal crap in them….

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes

Nona’s Finest Lentil “Meat” Sauce with Vegan Parm

June 20, 2017 by Melissa Singh 2 Comments

Part of my old job was helping people who had been in awful car accidents, get their lives back. Sometimes that meant doing physical rehab with them. And sometimes that meant making pasta….

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes

Vegan Caesar Salad with Simple Tofu Bacon

June 15, 2017 by Melissa Singh Leave a Comment

Caesar salad is one of my all time favourite salads. I’ve always felt it’s more of a meal than other salads – I don’t know why. It’s just so much more satisfying to me….

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner, Recipes

8-Ingredient Easy Vegan Mac n’ Cheese

June 2, 2017 by Melissa Singh 1 Comment

I have some seriously fond memories when it comes to Mac n’ Cheese. It brings me back to my childhood. Kraft Mac and Cheese was the first thing I ever learned how to “cook.” I remember feeling so proud that I – young Melissa – was able to cook food on my own….

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Filed Under: Lunch & Dinner Tagged With: Dairy free, Gluten free, Main, Vegan

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Hi. I'm Mel! I combine the ancient wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda with modern science to help you uplevel your health, your practice and your consciousness.From delicious recipes, to online courses and coaching, and The Yogi Fuel Podcast, there is something for every step of your journey.

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Melissa is a Mindfulness teacher, a Culinary Nutrition Expert and a Registered Kinesiologist. Her passion for sharing simple healthy living has been the driving force behind this blog and website!

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