As I continue my training in Ayurvedic nutrition, it is profoundly reshaping how I think about food. Not as one-size-fits-all rules, but as a way to support digestion and energy for bodies and minds that can be wildly different and bring them back into balance. You will see that influence clearly in these three dishes: the Sweet Potato, Tempeh and Feta Burgers, the Moong Dal and Red Rice Flatbread, and Avial, a South Indian vegetable stew. Each one is proudly protein-forward, but also designed to be deeply nourishing without feeling heavy.
This also happens to be a milestone moment for me. Three years ago, I sent my book baby out into the world. The Vegetarian Reset became the foundation of my midlife pivot, and the seed of what I hope continues to grow into a legacy of helping people eat well. The journey has been thrilling, vulnerable, humbling, and far more emotionally demanding than I ever imagined.
But every time one of you tells me you cooked a meal from the book, or that it changed how you think about everyday vegetarian food, it makes all of it worth it. I carry your words with me:
“The Vegetarian Reset made me fall in love with cooking again.”
“I’ve bought many veggie and low-carb books over the years, but this is one of the best ever.”
“What a wonderful book, full of recipes even carnivores get excited about.”
“Innovative, flavorful, and deeply motivating.”
“This is one of the first cookbooks I grab when meal planning for the week.”
If you already own the book, consider this your sign to do the Vegetarian Reset Challenge and start the year feeling grounded, nourished, and strong. And if you are cooking along here in Weeknight Simple, I am so glad you are part of this next chapter with me.
For those who are new around here, Weeknight Simple is my monthly recipe club where you get:
3 protein-rich dinner recipes, like the ones in this newsletter
A bonus recipe every month, could be breakfast, dessert, an exclusive from a new cookbook, etc.
A comprehensive shopping list, organized by supermarket aisle, plus meal planning tips
Access to the full recipe index, with dozens of recipes and counting
Seasonal subscriber-only perks such as free workshops and giveaways
If you wish to stay a free subscriber, you get to vote on which recipe will be featured in next week’s free newsletter—so don’t miss the poll at the bottom.
And now, here’s what’s on the menu this month.
Sweet Potato, Tempeh and Feta Burger w/ Chimichurri Mayo
I’ve been really enjoying my recent experiments with tempeh. It can feel a little unapproachable at first, with its characteristic bitterness, but I’ve found that once you break it down and really bombard it with flavor, it blends seamlessly into dishes.
In this burger, tempeh is paired with sweet potato - which naturally offsets any bitterness; and feta, which adds depth and that lingering sweet-salty finish I love. Privately, I’ve been calling this my “six tastes” burger from an Ayurvedic perspective. It brings together all six tastes that ideally show up in a meal: sweet (sweet potato), salty (feta), sour (the addictive chimichurri mayo), bitter (tempeh and turmeric), pungent (the other spices), and astringent (tempeh, with a little help from hidden cauliflower).
Each patty delivers about 10 grams of protein and eats like a complete meal, while being perfectly suited to a quick meal prep session. Serve it as a salad, as shown here, stack it between slices of your favorite bread, or tuck it into a wrap, as my recipe tester did. This is my first burger recipe, and in my not so humble opinion, it was worth the wait.
Moong Dal and Red Rice Flatbread
In Ayurveda, moong beans and red rice are considered pathya - gentle enough to be eaten daily. They’re revered for their rejuvenating qualities: naturally sweet, cooling, and easy to digest, absorb, and assimilate, even when digestive fire (agni) is on the weaker side.
Here, I use a combination of yellow moong dal and red rice (such as Lotus Foods), with a small protein boost from nutritional yeast, to create a gluten-free flatbread that’s something of a blank canvas. It’s inspired by adai, the hearty South Indian lentil flatbread, but the flavor is intentionally more neutral. That makes it incredibly versatile - sturdy enough to work as a pizza base, yet soft enough to scoop up curries or pair beautifully with chutneys.
I’ve shared two ways I like to use it in the photo, but I suspect you’ll find your own favorites quickly. And if you love it as much as I do, don’t be surprised if it starts showing up regularly in Weeknight Simple.
Avial
Ayurveda considers yogurt as nourishing — but this comes with caveats. Its cold, heavy, and slimy qualities can make it harder to digest and, if eaten improperly, capable of clogging the body’s channels. Surprising? It was for me too. To make yogurt more digestible, it’s traditionally brought to room temperature, whipped with water or a touch of honey, or gently spiced before eating - ideally at lunch, when digestive fire is strongest. Traditional preparations like takra (Ayurvedic buttermilk), raita, and kadhi get this balance just right.
In that same spirit, I’m sharing Avial (pronounced uh-vee-yal) - a traditional dish with roots in Kerala, and beloved across South India. It’s a vibrant mix of vegetables coated in a coconut-chili yogurt sauce that’s simple but deeply flavorful, often served with rice or adai. I usually make it with green beans, chayote, and carrot, though it’s wonderfully flexible — red pumpkin, drumsticks, or whatever vegetables you have on hand work beautifully too.
Fresh or frozen coconut is usually easy to find at Indian grocery stores, but I’ve also included instructions for rehydrating dried shredded coconut - the kind available at most supermarkets — and it works beautifully. To boost the protein, I add edamame and use Greek yogurt as an easy swap. Serve it with the Moong & Red Rice Flatbread or quinoa, and enjoy.
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