Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women's Wellness

by Abbey Rodriguez, Jennifer Kurdyla

Overview

Embrace the ancient healing power of plants with more than 100 whole-food, plant-based, gluten-free herbal recipes, as well as mindfulness and holistic lifestyle practices, designed around the most common health concerns of modern women.

Did you know you have access to a potent and sophisticated apothecary—right in your own kitchen? Plants, specifically herbs and spices, have been used for centuries as part of holistic healing traditions around the world to promote health, longevity, and beauty. And as more people become afflicted with chronic stress-based conditions, from inflammation and food allergies to anxiety and depression and menstrual irregularities, a whole new generation is rediscovering nature’s power for long-term wellness.

In Root & Nourish, wellness experts Abbey Rodriguez and Jennifer Kurdyla teach women how to incorporate plant medicine into everyday life through food and self-care. Organized into three areas of health concerns prevalent in women today—digestion, mental health, and female reproductive hormonal health—these affordable, seasonal, and sustainable recipes, drawn from Western herbalism and Ayurveda, are designed to help you curate a personalized herbal apothecary that will serve you for a lifetime.

Inside you’ll find dishes including:
- Thai Peanut Stir-Fry with Tofu to tackle gut health
- Heartwarming Vegan Chili to promote mental health
- Adaptogenic Chocolate Chip Cookies for female reproductive health

Once you come to learn which ingredients offer you the nourishment you need, whether in the moment or to support chronic conditions, you will understand your body—and yourself—as you never have before: as nature intended.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982148539
Publisher:	S&S/Simon Element
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	632,683
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Abbey Rodriguez is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, herbalist, and food content creator. Over the last five years, she has been developing recipes for women and young families on her food and wellness blog, The Butter Half. She is deeply passionate about the power of plants and nutrition, and teaching others about holistic wellness. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three children. Visit her online at thebutterhalf.com and on Instagram: @thebutterhalf_.

Jennifer Kurdyla is an Ayurvedic health counselor, yoga teacher, and writer. For over ten years she has maintained a plant-based lifestyle, during which time she has come to revere whole, natural foods by developing, and sharing, recipes from her tiny New York kitchen. A former book editor, she believes in the power of storytelling as a tool to heal our bodies, minds, and spirits, as well as a way to form a more respectful connection to the Earth. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her online at JenniferKurdyla.com and on Instagram @JenniferKurdyla.

Table of Contents

Seeds of Integration: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Health 13

How to Use This Book 15

A Note about Dietary Restrictions 17

Healing the Earth & Connecting to the Divine Feminine 18

Kitchen Apothecary 23

Herbal Actions 26

The Five Pillars of Health 33

Tools for Integration 36

Herbal Pantry 39

Plant Mylk 43

Vanilla Extract 44

Nut & Seed Butters 45

Pumpkin Seed Butter 46

Almond Butter 47

Tahini 47

Cashew Cream 48

Soaked Dates 48

Whipped Coconut Cream with Marshmallow Root 49

Plant Parmesan 50

Umami Spice Blend 50

Dried Beans 51

Elderberry Syrup 53

Herbal Waters 54

Warming Digestive Water 54

Cleansing Spring Water 54

Cooling Summer Water 55

Deep Hydration Water 55

Anytime Digestive Water 55

Herbal Balsamic Vinegar 56

Herbal Cooking Oil 58

Herbal Vinegar Bitters 59

Part I Digestion 61

Breakfast

Avocado Sauerkraut Toast 66

Weekday Chia Seed Puddings 67

Calming Vanilla & Oats 67

Probiotic Elderberry 67

Savory Green Goddess 67

Double Chocolate Cacao 67

Chai This 67

Essential Banana Bread Muffins 70

The Rule of Threes for Rooted Digestion 72

Chamomile Moong Dahl Porridge 73

Berry Probiotic Açai Bowl 74

Mains

Slow & Simple Congee 76

Coconut Fennel Cashew Curry 77

Betty Yoga 79

Probiotic Quinoa Cabbage Stir-Fry 80

Restorative Kitchari 81

Wild Dandelion & Mint Pesto 85

Chunky Fennel, Beet & Chickpea Salsa 86

Thai Peanut Stir-Fry with Tofu 89

Sweets

Baked Apples with Whipped Coconut Cream 90

Spiced Fig & Berry Compote 93

Seasonal Eating 94

Chocolate Almond Butter Oat Bars 96

Teas & Drinks

Cooked Water with Lemon 97

Ayurvedic CCF Tea 98

Peppermint Licorice Tea 99

Chicory Root Cacao 101

Part II Mental Health 103

Breakfast

Spirulina Bliss Smoothie 109

Blueberry, Rose & Walnut Granola 110

Gratitude Reflection 112

Morning-Of Oats 113

PB&E (Peanut Butter & Elderberry) 113

Cherry Vanilla 114

Nuts for Nuts 114

Mighty Miso Mushroom 115

Scrambled Plants 115

Vanilla Bean 5weet Potato Banana Pancakes 116

Energizing Sun Salutations 118

Mains

Ginseng Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice 119

Leafy Greens Salad with Walnuts & Berries 120

Heartwarming Vegan Chili 122

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes 123

Lemongrass Spring Rolls with Tempeh 124

Cauliflower Pizza with Cashew Cream, Fennel, Arugula & Honey 127

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Basil & Oregano 128

Sourdough for the Soul 130

Spinach Artichoke Cashew Dip 131

Warm Winter Citrus Salad 132

Grounding & Connecting to Plant Energy 135

White Bean Celery Root Soup with Thyme and Rosemary 136

Jackfruit Tacos 137

Sweets

Super Seed Squares 140

Savory Sage & Flower Tea Biscuits 141

Chai Brown Rice Pudding with Mucuna 142

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama) 143

Mint Cacao Avocado Pudding 145

Adaptogenic Double Chocolate Brownies 146

Happy Lemon Bars 148

Teas & Drinks

Passionflower Mocktail 149

Lemon Balm Lemonade 150

Creamy Chai Latte 152

Cayenne Cacao with Tahini 153

Ayurvedic Psychology (Sattva, Rajas, & Tamas) 154

Lavender, Chamomile & Rose Tea 157

Gentle Yoga for Relaxation 158

Herbal Lullaby Tea 159

Part III Female Reproductive Hormonal Health 161

Breakfast

Balanced Beauty Bowl with Schisandra 167

PMS Smoothie 168

Apple Oat Smoothie Bowl 169

Grain-Free Seed Granola, Four Ways 170

Moon Glow-Lunar Cycles & Rituals to Connect to the Divine Feminine 176

Mains

Avocado Womb Bowl 179

Shakshuka with Plant-Based Egg 180

Crunchy Seaweed Wrap 182

White Bean Beet Hummus 184

Supported Goddess Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) 185

Golden Cream of Beet Soup 186

Creamy Broccoli Soup 188

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato & Tempeh Bowl with Fenugreek Dressing 189

Mushroom Risotto with Spinach, Peas & Nettles 193

Sweets

Bliss Bites 195

Matcha Bites 195

Dark Chocolate Fig Oatmeal Bites 197

Cookie Dough Bites 197

Pumpkin Seed Cacao Bites 198

Moon Glow Bites 199

Double Chocolate Bliss Bites 200

Curate Your Own Wellness Altar 201

Peanut Butter Licorice Fudge 204

Adaptogenic Chocolate Chip Cookies 207

Tahini Truffles 208

Teas & Drinks

Spicy Turmeric Latte 209

Cycle Support Teas 210

Milk Thistle & Nettle 210

Red Raspberry Leaf & Hibiscus 210

Garden Goddess Tonic 213

Rose Cacao 214

Self-Love Self-Massage (Abhyanga) 215

Pink Moon Mylk 217

Ojas Mylk 218

Your Ojas is Glowing 219

Root & Nourish-Daily Rituals 220

Further Study 223

Herbal Suppliers 224

Acknowledgments 225

Index 228

Editorial Reviews

“Root & Nourish is a gorgeous cookbook that showcases how herbs and spices make the most of a plant-based lifestyle while being friendly to the planet. These heartwarming recipes show how easy it is to incorporate plants into delicious vegan dishes like Spaghetti Squash Boats with Basil & Oregano and White Bean Celery Root Soup with Thyme & Rosemary—nourishing for the mind, body, and spirit” —Chloe Coscarelli, Vegan Chef and Author of Chloe Flavor

"I love the concept of a Kitchen Apothecary. In Root and Nourish, Kurdlya and Rodriguez share their infectious love for food and herbal medicine. One of my earliest Ayurveda teachers told me she considered herbs as food, and used them as such, an integrated part of daily nutrition. This is a lesson I never forgot, and I continue to work with spices, herbs, and foods together, to this day. This book shares some very inspiring recipes for medicinal foods, while educating about how to use herbs in our cooking. This book will help women build a strong relationship with food and its healing nature, and unlock intuitive healing potential in the kitchen. Root and Nourish is an excellent addition to the growing resources for medicinal eating." —Kate O'Donnell, author of The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care

“Having trouble thinking of what to cook tomorrow? We’re here to help with a simple vegetarian meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Indulge with fluffy pancakes, a quick soup, a delectable mushroom risotto, and tasty peanut butter fudge brownies. Each recipe is adapted from Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness by Abbey Rodriguez and Jennifer Kurdyla. The book offers an herbal guide to holistic health, with every meal helping with a certain area of wellness. For instance, the pancakes—delicious in their own right—are designed to support mental health, while the soup, risotto, and fudge support female reproductive and hormonal health. Use these recipes as a part of your self-care ritual, while simultaneously nurturing both your body and mind.”—Yoga Journal

"I simply love Root & Nourish! It's a wonderful collection of recipes (not to mention beautiful photos) grounded in a sound, earth-based philosophy." —Rosemary Gladstar

From the Publisher