Recipes to Balance Your Meridians

Fire Element Imbalance
The Bitter Taste of Power & Creativity
The Fire element is associated with the bitter taste. The bitter flavour is thought to enter the heart, helping to cool it if it has become overheated. Foods that support the Fire element include: slightly bitter greens - endives, rocket, chicory, mustard greens, chives, shallots, Chinese greens, the lighter grains - rice, corn or polenta and fruits such as; apricots, peaches, plums, oranges, strawberries and raspberries.

Chilled Pumpkin and Orange Soup
1 onion – sliced thinly
1 pumpkin – cubed
Sea salt
2 tablesp chopped basil
Juice of 2 oranges
1½ litres water
Bring water to boil. Add pumpkin and cook for a few minutes. Add onions & salt. Cook until pumpkin is soft. Add basil. Puree the soup. Adjust seasoning. Add orange juice and let the soup cool before serving.

Earth Element Imbalance
Sweet Foods For Nourishment & Awareness
The Earth element is associated with sweet flavour. This however refers to naturally sweet fruit and vegetables rather than sugar or processed foods that actually cause an Earth imbalance. Great foods that address an Earth element imbalance include; millet, sweet potatoes, apricots, pumpkins, yams, yellow squash, parsnips, apples, chickpeas, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, dates, lamb, lettuce, mung beans, oats, peaches, pears, plums, pork, rice, spinach and walnuts. These will not only satisfy and nourish you but will also improve your energy levels.

Chickpeas and Vegetable Casserole
1½ cups chickpeas – soaked overnight
1 stick Kombu (from Asian grocers/health food shops)
1 tablesp cold pressed oil
1 onion – finely chopped
1 sweet potato - chopped
2 carrots - chopped
¼ pumpkin - chopped
¼ cauliflower - chopped
½ cup green beans - chopped
Sea salt
Tamari
3 tablesp dry roasted sunflower seeds
Water
Cover chickpeas with water. Add kombu & bring to the boil. Cook on medium heat until chickpeas are almost cooked. In another pan, heat oil, saute onion, add other vegetables. Add ¼ cup water, salt and cooked chickpeas. Cover pan with lid and stew until vegetables are soft. Add tamari and sunflower seeds. Serve.

Metal Element Imbalance
Pungent Tastes For Vitality & Self Expression
The Metal element is associated with foods that are described as ‘biting, hot, pungent, spicy and aromatic’. This means a diet of tougher veggies and longer, more energetic cooking methods like pressure-cooking and heavier soups, stews and curries. Great foods for the a Metal imbalance include; carrots, rice, walnuts, button mushrooms, crab apples, olives, pears, garlic, radishes, wine, chestnuts, tangerines, green onions, peppers, leeks and chives. Dairy foods and orange juice should be avoided.

Baked Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice
½ onion
Few fine slivers of ginger
Sliced almonds
2 cups water
Sea salt
Combine all ingredients and place in a casserole dish. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Water Element Imbalance
The Salty Taste of Drive & Will Power
The Water element is associated with heat and salt. Long cooked stews, thick soups and heavier grains with sea salt feed your body and help address a Water element imbalance. Great foods for a Water element imbalance include; celery, miso, mung beans, sea vegetables, tamari, trout, adzuki beans, kidney beans, buckwheat, millet, barley, rice, beetroot, cranberries, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, dill, fennel seeds, lamb, chicken, garlic and onions.

Kidney Bean Stew
1 cup kidney beans soaked overnight
1 onion – chopped
1 cup carrots – chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 teasp mustard seeds
1 teasp cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
Black pepper
Sea salt
4 cups water
Add beans, onion, carrots, garlic and mustard seeds to water. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped chives or shallots.

Wood Element Imbalance
The Sour Taste For Vision & Order
The taste for the Wood element is sour. Foods that support the Wood element include; lemons, sauerkraut, pickles, green beans, beetroot, dandelions, endive, fennel, kale, mustard greens, parsley, olive oil, radish, watercress, buckwheat, artichokes, lecithin, sesame seeds, turmeric, amaranth and fatty fish.

Watercress Soup
1 bunch watercress - chopped
1 bunch bok choy - chopped
2 pieces wakame
Sea salt
¼ soy milk
1½ litre water
Bring water to boil. Add watercress and bok choy to water. After a few minutes add salt and wakame. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add soy milk. Puree mixture, adjust seasoning and serve.