Simple Pleasures & Pancakes, Recipes & Food Inspo
Honestly, sometimes I could eat the same 3 meals a day for a week straight. Sometimes, though, it’s fun to feel inspired to try something new – even if it doesn’t turn out quite as expected. It’s the journey, not the destination 🙂
I was talking with a friend the other day about someone they knew who ate purely out of necessity, just to fuel their body, without fuss. It had nothing to do with pleasure or wellness; it was just about function.
While I can relate to this approach as a creature of habit and seeker of simplicity, I also get so much joy from food – even as I continue working toward a more balanced relationship with it; even if it’s just no-fuss eggs and baguette for lunch.
And while I love simple pleasures, I also believe in embracing both ease and variety when it comes to cooking and eating.
We can still enjoy effortless, quick-fix meals – like rice cakes with nut butter, yum! – for the sake of fueling ourselves. When time allows, we can also take pleasure in crafting nourishing, well-balanced meals – whether completely uncomplicated or a bit more elaborate.
This is not totally unlike the yogic concepts of sukha (ease) and sthira (effort). Yoga is everywhere 🙂
When we learn to cultivate this balance of releasing judgement, honoring personal values, prioritizing health, and leaning into whatever brings us joy – whether it’s crackers or a Michelin Star meal – we can create a nurturing, well-rounded food experience for ourselves.
*Download my free Mindset Self-Care ebook, and join me for 6-week Group Coaching starting March 17 to cultivate a balanced mindset around food and life in general.
Food Exploration & Influential Foodies
If the internet is good for anything beyond providing therapeutically hilarious memes, it’s the accessibility we have to endless recipes and inspiration – from cooking and health to dietary theories and cultural cuisines.
Yes, it can feel like information-overload – whether you’re seeking meal ideas or wellness advice. But the more I’ve been willing to explore and experiment – whether outrageously simple recipes or a smidge more complex – the more joy I’ve found in my overall food experience.
The ever-evolving balancing act of curiosity and the desire to nurture ourselves is what mind-body nourishment is all about. It’s a gift and privilege to eat, cook, and care for ourselves in this way.
All that said, I’m not always motivated to learn anything new (see: eggs and baguette for lunch). It also helps to have an arsenal of go-to recipes on-hand for the days when you’re just not in the mood to cook.
But when I do feel inspired to try something different or just want to bookmark recipes for another time, I turn to chefs, cooks, and friends I trust and admire. Also because I drool over whatever they’re making…
Alison Roman. Easy-to-follow yet elevated recipes that feel a little fancy and always delicious. I love her writing and videos to boot.
Caroline Smith. Mt sweet friend housed me for a month in NYC before I moved to Paris, and we made the tastiest kitchen concoctions together. Now she’s cooking amazing homemade meals for her lucky family of 4.
Deliciously Ella. Perfect for tasty, plant-based alternatives and allergy-friendly eats.
Divya Alter. I’ve learned so much from Divya, especially how to use Ayurveda as a personalized tool for wellbeing and integrating it into modern-day cooking.
Europe! I live in France, have Italian roots, and live with my German partner, so I am influenced by these and other cuisines. It’s fun to revisit childhood Italian favorites and learn about other traditional meals, especially during holidays or seasonal events.
Julius Roberts. A charming cook, farmer, and gardener who makes simple yet incredibly satisfying food. I don’t yet own his cookbook, but I’ve made several meals from watching his short videos – like this cabbage potato soup I make all winter long.
Sarah Pachelli. Founder of a special NYC meal delivery business with a wide range of meals – allergy-friendly when needed – that never sacrifice taste or pleasure. She’s often inspired by her Sicilian heritage and uses several ingredients from there.
The Internet. Sometimes I skim the web for recipes until I find one I vibe with, then modify as needed based on what I have on-hand or what I want the end result to be.
*I curated lists of kitchen staples and Ayurvedic-inspired ingredients and cookbooks on my Amazon storefront (I receive a small commission).
Cook, Eat, Love: Winter Edition
Many repeats, some newbies, all nourishing.
Pancakes
Banana Pancake Variations. Served with chopped apple and pear – raw or folded into a buckwheat x spelt (or whole wheat) batter with cinnamon. Cooked in coconut oil and cultured ghee. Topped with honey, maybe tahini, Raph’s vanilla cream (whipped egg white folded with yogurt and vanilla sugar), and toasted walnuts 🍌 🍎 🥞
Buckwheat Sweet Potato Pancakes. With Ayurvedic curry spices, cooked in ghee and coconut oil, topped with seeds and yogurt – ate it 2 days in a row. Salad with mâche, carrot, mustard vinaigrette, toasted seeds – also on repeat 🍠 🥞 🥗
Matchas
Cashew Mylk Matcha. A blast from my NYC past; a nostalgic craving fulfilled 🍵
Lunch Dessert. Matcha latte with frothy milk (I like whole, cashew, or coconut), plus a medjool date stuffed with Divya’s ghee, tahini, sea salt, and dark dark choc 🍵 🍫 🤤
Treats
Homemade Peanut Butter Date Valentine’s Chocolate. Ended up more like a fudge-consistency, but I wasn’t mad about it 🥜 🍫
Kiwi Tart. Raph’s Valentine’s invention: vanilla cake topped with Greek yogurt “frosting,” sliced kiwi, and orange vanilla glaze. Perfect for breakfast, too 🥝 🍊 🍰
Pear Buckwheat Loaf Cake. With a honey glaze. I followed this recipe and modified with whole wheat flour, less sugar, and combining coconut oil with butter. 10/10 🍐 🍰
Walnut Orange Apricot Cake. Divya’s Ayurvedic-infused recipe, drizzled with orange spice syrup and zest. Raph made this for my 40th birthday – it was divine 🍊 🍰
Savories
Creamy Potato Carrot Soup. Whipped up on a whim based on what I had – including a bit of cream that needed to be used – plus Alpine thyme and German rosemary. Topped with toasted walnuts, served with sourdough and butter 🥔 🥕 🍲
Handmade Ligurian Artichoke Ravioli. Made by a sweet woman who runs her own café, sautéed in butter and Alpine thyme, covered in parmesan. Followed by homemade panna cotta and complementary grappa infused with local honey 🇮🇹
Penne with Spinach, Feta, and Baked Salmon. With a dash of cream, served with a pinch of lemon juice and zest. A nourishing repeat favorite 🌱 🍋
Roast Chicken Sandwich. With homemade mayo on sourdough pan-toasted in ghee, served with a mâche side salad and toasted pumpkin seeds. Very satiating 🥪
Spelt Potato Gnocchi. Plus roasted pumpkin with olive oil, rosemary, sage, salt and pep – great combo. Raph looked up a basic gnocchi recipe and we went from there 🤌🏻
Sweet and Savory Breakfast Toasts. With my homemade bread! Sweet: Tahini, honey, sea salt. Savory: Ghee, 7-minute egg, salt and pep. Recommend both 🍳
*Use code SASHAN15 for 15% off Divya’s ghee and other Ayurvedic pantry staples.
What simple foods or fancy-schmancy meals bring you joy?
What do you love to cook or eat on repeat?
Take good care,
S
No Comments