Cottage Cheese and Crispy Rice

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Cottage Cheese and Crispy Rice

Yield: 2

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

While we generally steer away from heavy and wet during Kapha season, cottage cheese can be an exception. It is easier to digest and lighter than most other dairy products and you can pretty easily make a batch at home yourself if you prefer. To balance it out and make it even tastier, I pair it with a seasoned puffed rice that is simple to make and nourishing. I find this to be especially pacifying during a hotter and drier winter day, where I'm straddling Vata and Kapha influences.

Ingredients

• 1 T Ghee
• 1/4 t black mustard seeds
• 6 basil leaves (or curry leaves if they are available to you), sliced thinly
• 1/2 t Winter Spice Blend
• 1/2 t ground turmeric
• 1 small dried chili, crushed
• 1/8 t salt
• 2 cups puffed rice
• 1/4 c slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 c organic dried cherries
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• honey, for drizzling, if desired

Instructions

1. Remove cottage cheese from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
2. Melt ghee in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add mustard seeds; when they start to pop add the basil/curry leaves, spice blend, turmeric, crushed chili and salt. Stir to blend for about a minute.
4. Add the puffed rice, almonds and cherries. Remove from heat and stir until all ghee and spices are absorbed by rice.
5. Pour a handful of the rice over 1/2 cup cottage cheese drizzled with local honey for a yummy and easy breakfast! You can make bars for your more on-the-go moments with the rest.*

Notes

*One of my favorite things to do with the crispy rice is to morph them into bars. Just take what you have left after breakfast (or just use the whole recipe!) and squeeze some honey onto the rice in the vessel once it has cooled down a bit. Make sure all the puffs are coated; it will take about 1/4 - 1/3 cup. Once they are coated, pour into a glass pie plate that you've prepped with a teaspoon or so of ghee, gently pressing down with the back of a spoon to make even. Then pop it in the freezer for about an hour to bind. That's it. Store in the refrigerator. I love to take these to baseball games or pack with me for hikes or those times I know I won't be home for a sit down meal.

The puffed rice recipe was inspired by Divya Alter's "Crispy Puffed Rice" from her wonderful book "What to Eat for How You Feel".