Blueberry Couscous Cake

The two opened, half-eaten boxes of coucous in my cupboard reminded me of an interesting vegan dessert (or sweet snack) recipe I learned about back in college. "Couscous cake" isn't actually a cake. Rather, it is a molded block of couscous sweetened with fruit juice or sugar. If not prepared with oil to lubricate the semolina wheat granules and not properly fluffed, couscous naturally sticks together. I suspect that the person who invented the recipe turned a clumpy mishap into a healthy treat that is now embraced by vegetarians who shy away from conventional cakes made with eggs and dairy products.

The recipe that was handed down to me uses apple juice in place of water. The naturally occuring fructose in the juice along with some frozen blueberries serve as sweetening agents. When the cooked and flavored couscous (you can add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract or lemon zest) is pressed into a mold and allowed to chill overnight, it emerges as a "cake" solid enough to be cut into individual slices.

I came across a delicious-sounding recipe on the internet for a "Coconut Vanilla Bean Couscous Cake" that uses coconut milk as the liquid. Since I didn't have a can of coconut milk on hand, I figured I'd make a lactovegetarian version using the organic, grass-fed, non-homogenized* milk in my fridge (since it is illegal for grocery stores in Massachusetts to sell raw milk, Sky Top Farms milk is the next best alternative available at the local Whole Foods Market). I also opted for honey instead of evaporated cane juice (aka. cane sugar) because it is a less refined product and thought its stickiness would help hold the cake together. Note that Ayurvedic authorities do not recommend heating honey. If you are concerned about the toxins that are supposedly formed when honey is heated then you can either substitue agave nectar or just be careful not to boil the honey in the milk as directed.

Blueberry Couscous Cake
Serves 4

1 1/4 cup milk (organic, grass-fed is preferred)

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (no need to thaw!)

3 Tb honey

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

pinch of salt

1 cup couscous

Combine all ingredients except for couscous in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. Transfer prepared couscous to a greased (I used olive oil) pie plate and pat down. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, cut into slices. Serve with whipped cream or Greek-style yogurt if desired.

*Homogenization is the process by which the fat globules in milk are broken down into smaller particles so they can remain suspended within the liquid portion of the milk instead of rising to the top. Consumption of homogenized milk has been associated with increased rates of heart disease and diabetes. Milk allergies have also been on the rise since the advent of commercial homogenization. Because homogenization increases the surface area on the fat globules and disrupts their natural membrane, more of the casein (milk protein) and whey are incorporated into the new one which is formed.

Listen to your tummy

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, insisted that “all diseases begin in the gut.” Unfortunately, most allopathic doctors today do not heed their predecessor’s wise intuition. Rather, educated MD’s poke and prod whatever organ manifests physical abnormality and dysfunction. Modern medical practice employs toxic drugs to treat the predominant symptoms (which often complicates matters with unpleasant side effects) without addressing the foremost cause (I don’t mean to offend any doctors out there reading this blog, just bear with me) of many diseases. This approach is understandable given the pressure placed on doctors to comply with institutional policies and procedures and the alluring kickbacks offered by drug companies.

In contrast to the modern healthcare paradigm, Ayurveda recognizes the importance of strong, healthy digestion for overall wellness and longevity. Agni, the digestive fire, is believed to be the main source of life and is therefore supported by a comprehensive system of dietetics that encompasses what foods to eat (and not eat) as well as when, where and how to dine. When agni is disturbed, food can not be digested properly and turns into Ama, a toxic, sticky substance.

Ama is believed to be the root cause of many diseases. Toxins originating in the colon - from unhealthy, putrid food that is ingested or healthy food which putrefies inside the GI tract due to weak agni - can travel to other parts of the body and become lodged in weak tissues and organs. Once the toxic substance embeds itself somewhere it shouldn‘t, it disrupts normal physiological function. Sounds kind of gross, right? Yet at the same time, vaguely familiar. The Ayurvedic model of etiology concurs with the concept of Leaky Gut Syndrome. Complementary and integrative health professionals recognize that damage to the inner lining of the intestines increases their permeability setting the stage for a variety of disorders including allergies, eczema, autism, ADHD, autoimmune diseases and candida infections.

According to Ayurveda, insufficient agni and Ama build-up within the GI tract may push the doshas (the psycho-physiological manifestation of the elements within the body that support life functions are prone to being "thrown out of whack" in which case they contribute to disease) out of balance. Each dosha is believed to have “a seat” in the GI tract, maha marga (the largest channel in the body), so indigestion is the first sign that one or more of them has been aggravated by improper diet or manner of eating. Vata is located in the colon and can cause flatulence or constipation if disturbed. Aggravated Pitta, which resides in the small intestine, may trigger acid reflux or diarrhea. The symptoms of perturbed Kapha in the stomach include nausea and vomitting.

Adopting healthy eating habits can keep the doshas happy and balanced. Choosing the right foods and cooking meals properly are vitally important, but you'll find that simply bringing intention and attention to the act of eating is powerful medicine. Bon Appetit!

1. Eat the proper quantity of food: the amount of food that should be taken depends on each person's constitution and strength of agni as well as time of day and season of the year. Eating more slowly will allow you to better guage how much to eat.

2. Eat fresh, wholesome foods: freshly cooked or carefully prepared raw foods are better than leftover, reheated meals. Consume organic and local vegetables whenever possible and try to avoid overly processed, convenience products.

3. Eat in a relaxed, calm environment: slow down, put work and TV aside and really focus on eating.

4. Adopt an attitude of gratitude: even if you don't believe in dieties, you can feel reverence for the people who toiled in the fields so you could satisfy your nutititional needs and enjoy a good meal. Take a moment to pay homage to agni, the fire inside of you which fuels digestion.

Rasa Rx

You're probably wondering by now what the title of this blog means. For readers unfamilar with the Sanskrit language, the subtitle serves as a good working definition and sums up my philosophy of healthy eating. Simply put, Food that is pleasing to the tongue promotes health and well-being. As an Ayurvedic consultant and cooking instructor, I prescribe delicious, natural, home-cooked foods to my clients because I whole-heartedly agree with Hippocrates' advice: "Let medicine by thy food, and food be thy medicine."

A brief lesson in Sanskrit is necessary to fully convey the role that taste plays in Ayurvedic nutritional theory:

Rasa has several meanings including: "taste," "melody," "enthusiasm," "juice," and "essence." The word is made up of two parts: 'ra' and 'sa.' Ra means "to relish" or "to praise" while sa translates as "sap" or "juice." According to the first and most common definition, rasa is the sensation experienced when a substance touches the tongue. The sense of taste relies on the presence of saliva, or the "juicy" secretions of the mouth, as implied by the root sa. And the other root of rasa suggests that this sensation is associated with pleasure and praise.

Why would anyone put an edible substance in their mouth that they knew in advance would not taste good? For a bet (in which a lot of $$ was at stake)? To lose weight (perhaps, a meal-replacement protein shake)? Because a celebrity or a good friend swears by it? Nonsense!

Eating foods you don't like just because they are supposed to be good for you is pointless. Scientific studies have actually shown that people absorb more nutrients when they eat things that they like. A simple experiment was conducted involving Swedish and Thai women who were fed meals from their own and the other culture. The subjects absorbed more iron when they ate food that was familiar and appealing to them (check out the book "The Gospel of Food" by Barry Glassner).

The Six Tastes

Ayurvedic nutrition (and pharmacology) is predicated on the idea that every substance is made up of some unique combination of the five basic elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth). Each taste - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent - is likewise composed of the elements. The two predominant elements in each taste determines its effect on the body and mind. For example, sweet consists of mostly earth and water so it exerts a cooling and downward force. Excess consumption of sweet foods (especially concentrated sources of sugar) results in sluggishness, weight gain and eventually obesity and diabetes. Eating sweet things appropriately and in moderation (like fruit and whole grains) can be quite beneficial because they bring about stability, strength and energy. The upshot of this reasoning is that healthy foods are selected based on their taste. In a way, the six tastes take on the role of nutrients.

Ayurveda recommends that each meal consist of all 6 tastes in the proper proportion (the relative quantities will depend on the consumer's constitution and state of health as well as other factors like the time of day and season of the year). To bring about balance in the body, the consumption of foods containing tastes predominantly comprised of those elements that are lacking is usually prescribed. Spices are used extensively in Ayurvedic cooking because they contribute to the taste profile of a meal and have digestive properties. Good digestion is crucial to health and longevity (more about this in future posts).

• Sweet = Earth + Water : promotes growth of tissues, gives strength & longevity, relieves thirst


• Sour = Earth + Fire : stimulates appetite, improves digestion, energizes body, enlightens mind


• Salty = Water + Fire : promotes growth; aids digestions, absorption & elimination


• Pungent = Fire + Air : aids circulation, promotes elimination, kills germs, brings clarity


• Bitter = Air + Space : antitoxic, relieves burning sensations, relieves gas, digestive tonic


• Astringent = Air + Earth : helps heal ulcers and stop bleeding, cooling & drying