With An Open Heart

Image of Wheel pose from Universal Yoga Center

Last week work was very challenging both physically and mentally, and I expect this week may be more of the same. I was so glad that I took the time to go to yoga on Sunday morning and to go to the gym today. Being physical makes such a difference in how I feel about myself and about the world around me. Each time I have a really great workout, I feel like I have contributed positively to my own being and also to the person I am capable of being in the world. 
Two memorable things happened this week in yoga- I did my first backbend (also called wheel pose), and my yoga teacher read part of the quote below, which I've been thinking about a lot. Sometimes, it is really challenging to have an open heart and to be our best selves. When we can, however, those feelings of love, generosity, kindness, and compassion that we express to those around us build on themselves. When we express our love and gratitude, it helps those feelings grow not just in ourselves, but also in our communities.

"This scarce human body is acquired after many lifetimes; don't waste this opportunity. Every moment of life is precious. Do not think of yourself as weak and fallen. That which was done up to now, understand that this was unintentional. But now, apply yourself to action fit for a human. If having become a human being you do not obtain knowledge of your Divine nature, it is as if you have sold a diamond for the price of spinach.

The world is in need of love. With an open heart, you radiate the light of love to all those around you. Remember, no impulse of love is wasted. As a lover, rejoice in your state of lovingness, and know that every being who reflects a ray of your love is enlightened by the experience. This is your essential state. It always was and always will be.

Do not allow the pervasive worldly demands of life to constrict your heart. The sun does not use the excuse of clouds to stop shining its light, for it knows that clouds will always come and go. It is your birthright to live a life abundant in love. Make the commitment today to open your heart and let your love flow. No matter what has happened in your past, you have an infinite capacity for love. Please use it, for your own sake and the sake of this precious world."-Swāmī Brahmānanda Saraswatī

Spicy Sweet and Sour Sesame Cabbage Salad

Tonight I made a tasty new coleslaw. It's super simple to make if you have a blender or food processor. I plan to take it for lunch and top it with green onions, cilantro, tofu, and pumpkin seeds.

Spicy Sweet and Sour 
Sesame Cabbage Salad
1/2 a small red cabbage, shredded
1 large bunch Italian kale, removed from stems and sliced into ribbons
For Dressing
1/2 cup raw red beets, grated
1 Tbs brown rice miso
juice of 2 limes
2 Tbs seasoned brown rice vinegar
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 inch piece of ginger, cut into smaller pieces
4 squirts of hot sauce (like Sriracha)
Optional toppings (use any combination of these that you like)
cilantro
green onions
fresh basil
toasted sesame seeds
toasted pumpkin seeds
tofu

Puree all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. You will need to scrape down the sides several times to get it well-mixed. It won't be totally smooth, but don't worry, it tastes great on the cabbage and kale and has a nice texture.
Transfer dressing to a large bowl. Add cabbage and kale and mix well. Top with whichever optional ingredients you like.

Cilantro Pesto Quinoa

When I brought home my produce groceries this week, I realized that I already had both cilantro and green onions in my refrigerator. In fact, counting this week's groceries, I had 3 bunches of cilantro and 2 bunches of green onions, so I decided to make a recipe that would use up a lot of both- cilantro pesto. It's super easy to make and can be used as a condiment, or as a dressing for grains or pasta, just use it the way you would regular basil pesto. I made mine without cheese because it's cheaper and healthier, and I don't really miss it when it's not there. If you want to add cheese to this, I'd suggest a 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan, and maybe add a little more oil to get the texture right. I used the cilantro pesto I made to dress a pot of quinoa that I plan to use on green salads with beans for lunches this week.

Cilantro Pesto Quinoa
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water

1/2 cup nuts (I used a mixture of hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans since I had some little bits of each that I wanted to use up, but I bet any nut would work just fine)
1 large bunch of cilantro, washed and stems removed
4 green onions, trimmed and cut into pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/4 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil

Place quinoa and water in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook quinoa for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto: Grind the nuts in a food processor. Next add the cilantro, green onions, garlic, and salt. Blend until you have a vibrant green paste. Now add lemon juice and blend, scraping down the sides as needed. Add olive oil (in a slow stream if possible) and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, lemon juice, olive oil) as desired. When quinoa has finished cooking, mix in a large bowl with the pesto.

Garlic Ginger Pumpkin Seed Sauce

A few nights ago we attempted this recipe from My New Roots. The recipe didn't turn out too well for us (sweet potatoes severely under-cooked and broccoli over-cooked), but the dressing recipe was so awesome that I wanted to repost it here. It's very garlicky and nutty (I added extra garlic to the original recipe and simplified the recipe slightly in the version below). It is so good, and I think it will taste great on pretty much all vegetables, raw or cooked!

Garlic-Ginger Pumpkin Seed Sauce


from mynewroots.org

Makes 2 cups



Ingredients:


1 cup toasted or sprouted pumpkin seeds
 (if you buy raw pumpkin seeds, look at the original recipe for instructions on toasting them. I bought the sprouted salted ones from the bulk department at the Co-op)

4 cloves garlic


2 inch piece of fresh ginger


1 Tbsp maple syrup


3 Tbsp olive oil


1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar


3 Tbsp lemon juice


¾ water


¾ tsp fine grain sea salt


¼ tsp black pepper


cayenne to taste

Directions

In a food processor, pulse to mince garlic and ginger. Add pumpkin seeds and blend on high until sand-textured. Add remaining ingredients and blend, scraping down the sides periodically. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Sesame Ginger Blueberry Overnight Oats

Here is another overnight oat recipe. This one is creamier and richer tasting then the ones I've made before. It also has a healthy dose of ginger, which makes it a little spicy and warming. The addition of tahini is what made this batch so creamy, but it also made it a little tougher to blend up easily. Be patient and give frequent stirs and scrape-downs while you're blending.

Sesame Ginger Blueberry Overnight Oats
makes 4 jars
2 1/2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 bananas
Juice and zest of one orange
Juice of one lime
A 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into pieces (no need to peel)
6 Tbs chia seeds
1-2 Tbs tahini (I used 2, and it came out a little too rich for me)
2 cups blueberries (frozen is fine)
2 cups rolled oats
toasted sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Combine first 7 ingredients and blend until smooth. (You may need to do some scraping to get the tahini well-blended). Add blueberries and blend until well-combined. Divide oats between four jars and top evenly with smoothie mixture. Stir each jar well and cover and refrigerate overnight. Top with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Roasted Beets and Savory Lentils On a Bed of Greens

I made this scrumptious dinner last weekend; a nice warm dish of roasted beets and savory lentils on a bed of steamed kale. I wanted to work with ingredients we already had in the house, but I also wanted to try cooking something I hadn't made before. I noticed we had some beets in the refrigerator and also plenty of dried lentils, so I decided to look for recipes that combine the two. My inspiration for pairing these two ingredients came from a salad the Co-op deli sometimes has on the salad bar (props for the inspiration!). Imagine my surprise when I searched for "beets and lentils" and found that this is a classic pairing and there are tons of recipes to choose from. As usual, I took elements from several recipes to come up with my finished dish, but the bulk of this recipe comes from Scaling Back, a blog I discovered during my recipe searching. I hope you enjoy it. If you haven't cooked with beets much before, keep in mind that roasting time can vary quite a bit depending on the age of the beets and the variety you are using. My beets took a lot longer than the time called for in the original recipe. I'd say after about 45 minutes, it's a good idea to check them, and then keep checking every 10 minutes or so until they are done.

Roasted Beets and Savory Lentils On a Bed of Greens
serves 4 generously
For the beets:

2 large beets

1 large onion

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey, agave, or maple syrup

zest and juice of one orange

For the lentils:

1 cup small green lentils

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh rosemay, minced

2 large bunch Italian kale, steamed (if you are only serving 2 people, just use one bunch of kale. You will have lots of leftover beets and lentils, but you can take them for lunch- see note below)

For topping (optional but good)

Toasted pecans, chopped

Feta, crumbled

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off the roots and tops of the beets and peel the beets. Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into strips.

Place the beets and onions in a glass baking dish and toss with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, liquid sweetner, zest, orange juice and salt. Roast the beets for 45-70 minutes until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife.  If your beets take a little longer to roast, the onions may get a little crispy, but don't worry, they'll taste great!

While the beets are roasting prepare the lentils.  Cover the lentils with water, add the salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Drain the lentils, return to the pan and stir in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and rosemary.

Steam the kale (mine took about 7 minutes).

When the beets are done, divide the kale between 4 plates. Top greens with lentils, then beets, then top with pecans and feta if desired. Serve. Mmmmmmm.

Note: I also took this for lunch a few days later and ate it wrapped in a tortilla, which was equally delicious.

Bell Pepper and Kale Curry Soup

Last night I made a new take on the classic kale potato soup that is a winter staple for me. We had some new curry bouillon cubes at the Co-op that I wanted to try out (which were disappointingly uncurry-like). Luckily I had some curry powder on hand that saved the day, and the soup turned out pretty well. I served it with some simple baked tempeh on the side for protein.

Bell Pepper and Kale Curry Soup
3 bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water
2 Tbs oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp vindaloo curry powder (or more to taste)
4 yellow potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 large yam or sweet potato, cut into small cubes
8 cups water
1 can coconut milk
2 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, chopped into small pieces
1 bunch kale, leaves washed, torn from stems, and finely sliced into ribbons
juice of one lime
salt and pepper
cilantro and peanuts for garnish (optional)

First, heat up some water in a kettle on the stove. (You can use this for dissolving the bouillon cubes and also for keeping the spices from sticking to the pan if needed).  Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Now add the ginger and curry powder, sauteing for a few minutes more. If the spices begin to stick to the pan, add a little water from the kettle to unstick them. Next add potatoes, sweet potatoes, dissolved bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, cooking until potatoes and yams are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork (about 20 minutes). Add coconut milk and bell peppers, stirring soup until well combined. Cook for approximately 7 more minutes or until peppers are almost soft. Stir in kale, and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and add lime juice. Taste. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with chopped cilantro and peanuts if desired.

Blackberry Collard Green Overnight Oats

I've been really into making overnight oats lately, and this is my latest recipe. This version is a deep purple color and has a great tart berry flavor. Something I didn't mention in my last post about overnight oats is that I have been adding Chia seeds to them. Chia seeds function as a thickener in the smoothie base, and nutritionally them are pretty stellar too: "Chia seeds have recently gained attention as an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. They are also an excellent source of fiber at 10 grams per ounce (about 2 tablespoons), and contain protein and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Emerging research suggests that including chia seeds as part of a healthy diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors such as lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure."(from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic website). I hope you enjoy this new recipe as much as I do. You could probably substitute any green for the collards, I just used them instead of my usual spinach because there were a couple of bunches in the reduced bin at the Co-op.
Blackberry Collard Green Overnight Oats
makes 4 jars
2 bananas
Juice and zest of 1 orange
3 cups almond milk
6 tbs chia seeds
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups frozen blackberries (blueberries work too, but smoothie turns out gray instead of  dark purple, and has less of a  "berry" flavor)
1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and torn from stems
2 cups rolled oats
Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender. Blend until well combined. Pour 1/2 of mixture into a bowl or large measuring cup and set aside (unless you have a huge blender, the finished smoothie won't all fit into the blender at once, so this way you can make it in 2 batches). Add 1 cup blackberries and 1/2 of the collard greens to mixture in blender. Blend until well-combined. Place a 1/2 cup of oats in each jar. Top 2 jars of oats with the blackberry-collard smoothie mixture, stirring as you go. Repeat process with the set aside mixture and remaining blackberries and collard greens. Cover jars and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with nuts and unsweetened shredded coconut if desired.

Note: These keep well for several days, so feel free to make the whole 4 jar batch at once, even if you will be the only one eating them. They also make a nice portable breakfast to share with friends and co-workers. Also, this recipe is not especially sweet, so if you like your breakfast sweeter, you might add a little maple syrup to the smoothie mixture.

Quick and Yummy Quinoa with Garbanzo Beans and Red Pepper

Tonight I threw together an easy meal with stuff I had in the refrigerator and cupboard. It's a simple, warm quinoa dish that comes together quickly, and you could easily substitute other ingredients based on what you have on hand (I listed some suggestions below). This dish was so good that my sweetie, our house-guest, and I all had seconds.

Quick and Yummy Quinoa with Garbanzo Beans and Red Pepper
2 cups quinoa
4 cups broth (if unsalted, adjust salt to taste)
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
1 pinch of salt
a few grinds of pepper
1 cup Italian parsley (or cilantro), chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 red pepper (or green pepper or 1 large tomato), seeds removed and chopped
1 can (or 3 cups cooked) garbanzo beans (or cannelini or black beans), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (or other nuts or sunflower seeds)
feta to taste (optional)

Add broth and quinoa to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, and then check. Water should be absorbed, but quinoa should not be mushy. If water remains, cook quinoa for 5 more minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside. In a very large bowl, combine lemon juice, pinch of salt (or more if your broth is unsalted) and a few grinds of pepper. Add oil in a slow stream and whisk. Add parsley and green onions. Now mix in cooked quinoa.  Add all other ingredients and stir until well combined. Serve warm. Makes a very large bowl, but so delicious, it goes quickly!

Cooking Class- Better Nutrition For the New Year

Yesterday I taught a cooking class focused on incorporating healthier, fiber-rich foods into recipes and making New Year's food resolutions stick. I've been reading about the important role fiber plays in the body, and I was excited to present some easy ways to add more fiber to everyday meals. A high-fiber diet reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and diverticulitis (disease of the intestines).  In the class, we made dishes that were full of vegetables, beans, whole grains, and seeds- all great sources of fiber. The class was well attended (20 people!), and I had fun and felt proud of myself. Most of the recipes I used were from my blog, and it was so cool to be able to use pictures I had taken in the class handout.
I still get nervous when I'm teaching, but it makes me feel great to share some of the knowledge I've gained over the past year with people who are interested in improving their eating habits. I'm also really grateful to GRuB for the use of their fabulous kitchen. If you don't know about GRub, they are an awesome community non-profit that works to: "inspire positive personal and community change by bringing people together around food and agriculture, partner with youth and people with low-incomes to create empowering individual & community food solutions, and to offer tools & trainings to help build a just & sustainable food system". They are an amazing organization, and they generously share their wonderful kitchen with the Co-op's classes program. By the way, I'm teaching a class on cooking with greens in March, and there's still room if you want to sign up!