Whole30 Vegetarian Day 6: Warm Beet Salad with Kale, Citrus and Pistachio (Vegan, Paleo).

 

 

Day 6! That's 1/5th of the way through the Whole30 program! That's math ya'll!

 

This morning brought another banana + coffee for breakfast. On days when my husband is at work I prefer a lighter breakfast. My husband, on the other hand, wakes up ravenously hungry, and we end up eating heavier fare on those days, so expect some more breakfast recipes as we go through the next few days.

 

Dinner tonight will be leftover soup from Day 1, and some steamed mixed vegetables. Nothing fancy there.

 

So today's recipe is lunch (although you could make it for dinner, or even breakfast if you wanted to).

 

The warm, earthiness of the beets is brightened by chunks of sweet orange, and salty, crunchy pistachios, then drizzled with fresh grapefruit juice and olive oil. It's a quick, tasty and satisfying meal, especially if you prepare your beets ahead of time, like I did. Make the beets the night before, then simply slice and heat in a skillet for a few minutes before topping your salad.  Or just eat the beets cold. It will be great either way.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups of chopped kale

1 orange, peeled and sliced

2 beets

1/4 cup of pistachios

juice of 1/2 fresh grapefruit

1 Tbsp. olive oil

pepper to taste

 

You can roast the beets if you like, but the quickest way is to steam or boil them. Wash beets and remove leaves and stem. Steam for about 30-45 minutes, or until soft but not mushy. Cool slightly and remove skins (they should slide right off). Slice your beets into thin disks.

 

Meanwhile, place your kale into a large salad bowl and top with orange slices, pistachios, beets, grapefruit, pepper  and olive oil. Due to the heartiness of kale, you can enjoy this right away or make ahead and it will keep for a day or so without becoming a soggy mess. Enjoy!

Whole30 Vegetarian Day 5: Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts with Apple, Onion and Dates.

Yesterday had me a little down in the dumps after dinner. I developed symptoms of "detox" like a sore throat and headache. I could post a 99 page rant about how much I hate the word detox, but that might be for another day.

According to the Whole30 program, symptoms of detox are normal and expected. (I can't help but wonder though, why when I switched from meat-eater to vegetarian, or when I jumped, at one point, into Ayurveda, why I didn't develop any adverse reactions or detox symptoms, only felt amazing immediately?) Anyway, I slept almost 11 hours last night (!!!!) And woke up feeling amazing. No adverse symptoms today, and my energy levels are great.

For breakfast I wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so I had a cup of coffee and a banana. Meh.

For lunch I had a salad with avocado, strawberries, grapefruit, tomato, cucumber and broccoli, over romaine, in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner was the main take-away today and is adapted from a recipe I found at Herbivoracious.com. Their recipe uses honey (not allowed in my program) so I used dates instead, and ghee instead of butter (ghee allowed, butter not). This recipe isn't vegan, but you could easily make it vegan by subbing coconut oil for ghee.

The dish came out AMAZING. Better than expected. The dates give it a sort of brown-sugar quality that is delicious.  I'm loving trying new recipes, and the challenge to make them fit with in the program. So far I've found quite a few that will stick around after this month is up.

Oh. And some notes about what I'm noticing: We aren't allowed to weigh ourselves during the program. But my pants feel looser and more comfortable, my waistline is visibly slimmer (probably from dumping some bloat and water weight) and my skin looks great. I am missing wine tonight. A glass of wine would be great.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped

1 apple, cored and chopped (I left the skins on)

2 dates, pitted and chopped

1/2 lb of fresh brussel sprouts, stems chopped and outer leaves removed, then sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1/4 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil of your choice (ghee or coconut)

In a large skillet melt your oil, then saute the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the apple and dates, and cook another 2 minutes. Then add in vinegar, the rosemary and brussel sprouts. Cook until desired tenderness (about 5 minutes for crisp sprouts, longer for more tenderness). Enjoy the savory, sweetness of it all!



Cherry Tomato and Zucchini Galettes.

 

 

 

It seems sometime after June, I fell off of posting regular recipes here. It sometimes goes like that. We didn't stop eating, I just either lacked the incentive to post it, or we scarfed it up too quickly to photograph it. Or more often then not, I was in a mode of recycling tried and true recipes and not coming up with anything new.

 

 Maybe I was kidnapped by ravenous vegetarian ninjas. But if I was, I'll never tell. They've sworn me to secrecy.

 

 

So hi again, and welcome back. Or maybe you never went anywhere at all, and waiting patiently for me to post something new, and so I'll say it's good to be back.

 

This recipe was so delightful, and screamingly easy  to make. I cheated a little bit here and used pre-made pie dough (which I almost never do, but I was short on time, so there you have it.) If you have the time to make your own pie crust, I recommend it. 

 

Each pie will serve about 3 people.

 

 

 Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Galletes.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta

1/2 cup good-quality parmesan cheese

1 pie crust

olive oil

about 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes or zucchini

2 Tbsp basil, chopped, for garnish

 

 

 

 

1. Mix the ricotta and parmesan together in a bowl and spread evenly on the pie crust(s). Leave about an inch wide border, this will be turned up and over to form the frame of the galette.

 

2. Arrange your veggies on top of the ricotta/parmesan mixture.

 

 

3. Fold up the edges of the pie crust around your veggies.

 

4. Sprinkle a small amount of olive oil over the top.

 

5. (Optional) brush pie crust with milk or egg wash.

 

6. Place on an oiled cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the pie crust is golden. Let cool slightly and garnish with basil. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

 

Goes well with a fresh green salad. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kourkouto (Greek Zucchini Cake)

This dish is savory and comforting, and was a big hit with the whole family. We paired it with a large salad.

A little like a quiche, but decidedly different, this zucchini cake simply divine. It uses only a handful of ingredients, and would be great as a breakfast, dinner or appetizer. I suggest serving it warm, or at room temperature.

Serves at least 5 for a meal (more as an appetizer).

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large zucchini, diced
1 zucchini, sliced into disks
5 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, combine zucchini and onion. Saute until soft. This helps to release the liquid from the zucchini, so cook down until there is very little liquid left, but the zucchini shouldn't be mooshy.

Meanwhile, in a mixer, combine the 5 eggs, beaten, add in the sour cream, then the flour and baking powder.

With a rubber spatula, fold in the cheese and zucchini/onion mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Oil a large glass pan (about 14x10) and pour your mix into it. Spread it out evenly over the top with your rubber spatula and top with sliced zucchini.

At this point I find it helpful to brush a  little olive oil onto the zucchini slices, as it helps them to brown instead of just wither.

Cook for about 40 minutes, or until set and lightly browned on top.

Broccoli and Brie Calzones

Much like my yoga practice, I have a core set of recipes that I keep coming back to again and again. For yoga, my go-to practice consists of standing poses, some inversions and forward bends.

For dinners, I tend to rotate around stir fry and soups. But  I've been in a major rut lately with dinners, making the same things over and over again and haven't had much inspiration lately. While it's not terrible to enjoy the tried-and true favorites, it does get a little un-exciting. Although I will never, ever get tired of eating this.

Which is why we had some leftover pizza fixin's this week and finally some inspiration hit! I used to make calzones all the time and how I've gone without making them for two whole years  is really beyond me.

Now don't be intimidated by making your own dough, it's really easy, I promise. This dough is hands-down the best recipe I've ever used for pizza or calzones. Try it, you won't be disappointed!


For the dough:

1 package dry yeast
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Mix the yeast and sugar with the water and let sit to "proof" for about 5 minutes, or until it's frothy. Then mix in the oil and salt, and gradually add in the flour, mixing until smooth. Knead the dough on a floured surface until stretchy and soft.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let sit in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Then punch down, and you're ready to go!

Pull off a round of dough about the size of a lemon, and roll out until very thin.  It should be about the size of a corn tortilla, and you will have enough dough to make 8 calzones.

For the filling:

1 cup of baby broccoli, chopped
1/2 of an onion, chopped
brie, sliced
salt and pepper

Saute the onion and broccoli until soft. Salt and pepper to taste.  Let cool enough to handle without burning yo'self.

Lay two brie slices on the dough round, and top with the filling .  Fold the dough over on top and crimp the edges with your hands or with a fork.

Place on an oiled cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Vietnamese Style Noodle Stir Fry

What an eventful week this was. First, I had my initial meeting with the University of San Francisco on the study I'm involved in, testing how yoga can improve female pelvic health. It's really exciting to be a part of this work and I am so grateful that my mentor Leslie Howard has brought me in to teach the study group. But driving from Monterey to San Francisco is a 2+ hour drive, (each way!)enough time to get bored with both NPR and music.  I'm thinking I need to invest in some books on tape. Got any good ideas?

Second this week, my eldest son got his report card and not liking what he saw, he threw it in the garbage. I am so disappointed. Not especially with the grades, but with his behavior. So we're spending a lot of time talking about satya and the way that being honest creates better relationships and better lives. It can be difficult to face the truth, but it is always a better choice than lying. I have seen this to be true in my own life, through all kinds of situations, and honestly believe that it is always worse when you lie.

 Part of the hard part as a parent (or a spouse, etc) is that you have to create a kind of trust when it comes to truth, an expectation that though you might be disappointed, the value in being told the truth is enough that you will be a reasonable person upon hearing it. Does that make sense? So I always tell my kids what my mama told me, "if you tell the truth, it might be bad. But if you get caught lying (and you will, eventually, be caught) it is going to be much, much worse."

Lastly this week, and most exciting, my husband finally broke ground in the backyard and started the long task of building my own little yoga shala. I am so, so, SO over-the-moon excited! A nice little place for myself, maybe some private lessons, which will double as a guest house for the many yogis and midwives that we have stay with us. (We seem to attract wandering vagabonds and adventure seekers, and love it).

This week's most popular dinner was Vietnamese style noodle stir fry. I don't actually know if this would be considered "Vietnamese" but it was the best approximation of a dish I order at our local Vietnamese restaurant.

I don't usually "shop" for stir fry ingredients,  opting instead for what's on hand, but I did go searching for some good noodles for this dish. I ended up choosing Chuka Soba noodles, and they were a big, big hit with the family.

Ingredients:
1 package Chuka Soba noodles
1 package of extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 each red and orange bell pepper, chopped
Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
lime juice
5 tbsp unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup of napa cabbage, chopped roughly

Heat oil in a large wok and saute the tofu until browned. Add in the garlic and the ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add in the bell pepper and peas. Cook another few minutes, until the bell pepper is just beginning to soften. Add in the soy sauce, lime juice and peanuts. Stir and cook until combined..

To cook the noodles, you simply boil them for three minutes then drain.

Serve the stir fry over the noodles, top with fresh napa cabbage and extra lime wedges for garnish.

How to Freeze Avocados

I am addicted to avocados. They are loaded in heart-healthy fats that help to lower cholesterol. They also boast loads of potassium (also heart healthy) high amounts of vitamin B, C, E, K, which are good for the blood (and again, the heart) and for immunity and they are packed with fiber and antioxidants, while being very low in yucky (unhealthy) saturated fat.

But with prices ranging from $1 to $2 a piece, I haven't splurged on these delicious little beauties in quite a while. This weekend though, they went on sale at our local grocer, 3 for $0.99. That's $0.33 each! So I woke up at the crack of dawn, ready to fight my way through hordes of shoppers for the love of avocados.

Gratefully the supermarket was pretty empty at 8 am on a Saturday, and I was able to get my hands on 18 of them, along with limes and fixin's for tacos later on today.

So what does one do with 18 avocados? Freeze them, of course. I love nothing better than fresh, chunky guacamole, but frozen avocados will do in a pinch, especially if it saves me a few dollars.

To start, cut your avocados in half, de-seed them and empty the flesh into a food processor.

The trick with freezing avocados is that you have to puree them with a bit of lime juice to keep them from turning brown. You'll need 1 tbsp of lime juice per avocado. We juice them the old fashioned way.

 

It takes two Garretts to juice them!

 

 

Puree the lime juice and your avocados until smooth. Then place them in baggies or containers by serving size. Leave room for the puree to expand as it freezes.

 

Then when ready to use, remove from the freezer and thaw.For a quick guacamole, I mix it up with a tablespoon or so of premade salsa, salt, pepper and cumin powder.

Spicy Seasoned Edamame Pods

My kids first tried edamame cooked in the pod at a local sushi restaurant. I could go into how that was our first trip out to dinner after the birth of our third son, how Kelly, at 3 months old was furiously grabbing at everything he could get and screaming the whole time, how Cole was literally licking the window (why, I'm still not sure). I could do that.  But what I prefer to remember was the moment that my husband did the most romantic thing: he asked the waitress to box our food to-go and we ate our dinner at home. Yes, that is romance to a new mom, let me tell you!

I usually make these up in two batches, one for the kids without the spiciness, and the spicy-hot one for us.

I start with organic, pre-cooked, refrigerated edamame pods (only because Costco sells them in a huge container for only $3.00, and with a family of five that is quite the steal) but you can start with fresh or frozen ones too, just steam them up before beginning the first step of this recipe.

Ingredients:
toasted sesame oil
about 3 cups of edamame in the pods
spicy sauce of your choice (Sriracha, or Chalula, etc)
red pepper flakes
Braggs Aminos/Soy Sauce or sea salt


Heat a 1 or 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil over medium heat in a skillet.

Add in the edamame and toss to coat, tossing frequently with tongs so they don't scorch.

Once they are heated through (it only takes a couple minutes) stir in a dash or two of red pepper flakes. Then turn off the heat and drizzle with a few teaspoons of spicy sauce of your choice. The pan will still be hot, so toss quickly to coat. Salt to taste.

 The fibrous outer shell is not edible, so use your hands (it's messy, have a napkin!) and pop the shells open and squeeze the seeds directly into your mouth.

Red Lentil and Barley Soup with Homemade Gluten-Free "Meatballs"

Inspired by my recent realization that masa is the key ingredient for a nice, dense veggie "meat." These meatballs are gluten-free and stand up to soup and sauces without falling apart.

This is really two recipes in one blog post. The meatballs are time intensive when it comes to length of cooking, so make them ahead of time. The can also be frozen.


Meatball Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery powder
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 cup masa flour
3/4 cup of finely chopped nuts of your choice
2 cups of vegetable broth

Combine all of the ingredients, except the broth, in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes to thicken. Then form into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They should be browned and firm.

Then place the meatballs in a casserole dish and pour two cups of vegetable broth over them. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes.

At this point you can freeze them or throw them into your favorite sauce or soup recipe.

For our lentil soup:
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp each cumin and chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 boxes (8 cups) of vegetable broth
1 can of diced tomatoes, or about 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of lentils
1 cup of barley
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Saute the onion and celery until soft. Add in the garlic and the spices and cook until fragrant. Next add in the broth, carrot, lentils, barley, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils and barley are soft, about 30 minutes, adjusting the liquid as necessary if it becomes too thick. Remove about 4 cups of soup and blend in a blender until smooth. Pour back into the stockpot.

Place the meatballs in the soup and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes if fresh, about 10 minutes if frozen.

Pasta Primavera

This time of year in Monterey is hard. While our neighbors just across the bay in Santa Cruz are enjoying sunshine and the warmth of summer, Monterey is steeped in fog, overcast skies and blustery wind. Instead of feeling motivated to hit the beach, we're stuck inside with sweatshirts and warm socks.

Still, a gloomy day is always good for settling myself into the kitchen, and I've been there a lot lately. Yesterday I made some homemade chapati , into which I mixed some cumin seeds prior to rolling out (highly recommend!) and chana masala and finished reading one of the many books I am reading this summer (pictured below).

Today called for something that reminds me of the bounty of spring and summer. Pasta Primavera.
And let it be known, dear reader, that this dish is where Cole, (you'll remember him as my pickiest eater) declared that tomatoes just might be alright afterall.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed into 1 inch pieces
2 green onions, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5  cups of low-salt vegetable broth
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 package of spaghetti noodles
1 cup of chopped fresh spinach
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
red pepper flakes, to garnish
pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat a few spoonfulls of olive oil. Saute the asparagus for 1 minute. Add in the garlic, green onion and Italian seasoning, cook another 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and place the vegetables in a large bowl, set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet you used to cook the veggies,  heat the broth to simmering. Add in the butter, salt and pepper . Whisk to combine and let simmer for 3 or 4 minutes.

Into a large serving dish pour your drained, cooked, hot noodles. Pour the vegetables on top, followed by the Parmesan and spinach. Finally pour in the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using.

Serves 5.

Spinach Patties

I've been using our new chalkboard table to begin teaching my children about yoga philosophy. Each day I use one simple lesson. I figure the 8 limbs of yoga is an age-appropriate place to start.

Today's lesson on Satya seemed well-timed, as Cole came home from camp with complaints from his counselors of not following directions. We talked about how being thoughtful of others might come to play in his behavior at school and how he could be more respectful.

You may have noticed that I don't have many, if any, homemade burger recipes here. True, I have made a few batches over the years, but I haven't really found the perfect burger recipe. So many times they are too dry and crumbly, or they stick and fall apart when cooking, or they stay too mushy on the inside. Until today.

The secret ingredient? Masa flour. Masa is the cornmeal flour used to make tamales and unlike flour, it expands when cooked and stays dense. The result is a burger that is hearty and dense, not crumbly and not soggy. I may just use masa in all my burgers from here on out!

This recipe was adapted from http://thevillagecook.com/spinach-burgers/

Ingredients:
1 large bag of fresh spinach, chopped (about 6 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 cup masa flour
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 jalapeno, minced
1 green onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 of a diced onion
1 cup of shredded cheese

Bring to boil a large pot of clear water. Pour the fresh spinach into the pot and cook for one minute. Then drain in a large strainer and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to touch, press and squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl.

Add to the spinach the rest of the ingredients, mixing well with a spoon, and/or your hands. Form into four patties and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (I like using a seasoned cast iron skillet, as it uses less oil than our stainless steel skillet).

Serve with your favorite sauce and burger fixings. We used a vegetarian Caesar dressing that paired nicely. The next day we had the leftovers with mayo, a stoneground mustard, shredded cabbage and pepperoncinis. Even better.

Finally, I leave you with a happy picture of Kelly, a big smile and an even bigger ear of corn.

Yogi's Delight

Stir fry is a staple in most vegetarian households, as it basically takes the everything but the kitchen sink and makes it into one delicious meal. So while the vegetables listed here are the ones I used, absolutely feel free to mix it up and use what you have on hand. For best results, use fresh produce, instead of frozen.

Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, diced
3 Tbsp each soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar, combined
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, cut into small, 1 inch sticks
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1 cup of sugar snap peas
1 cup of chopped bok choy
1 bunch of green onions, chopped


Marinate the tofu cubes in the soy sauce mixture for at least an hour.

Heat some oil in a wok. Drain the tofu, reserving the sauce,  and fry the tofu until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add in the broccoli, carrots, reserved tofu marinade and veggie broth and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add in the snap peas, bok choy and green onions. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Spicy Green Torilla Soup

        We eat so much soup in this house that sometimes I think I need to rename this blog the "Yogic Soup Kitchen." In fact, I give so much food away to the neighbors, it would be a fitting name indeed!

This recipe reminds me of Pho, in the way that it is made, but with a distinct difference in flavor. It is very light in nature, but the jalapeno added at the end gives it a real kick.


Ingredients:
1 head of garlic, seperated and crushed
1 box of veggie broth
2 cups water
1 carrot, halved and sliced thin
1 head of broccoli, chopped
2 stalks celery
4 corn tortillas, chopped and fried until crispy
1 tbsp soy sauce

To garnish:
avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, chopped thin
cilantro


Combine the water, broth, soy sauce and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain and discard the garlic.

Add in the broccoli, celery and carrot, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and add in tortilla chips, avocado and cilantro. For those who like it spicy, add in 3-4 jalapeno disks per bowl.

Lemon Basil Grilled Tofu Sliders

I'm grateful that my meat eating family humors my vegetarian meals. They eat 99% vegetarian at home, and usually without complaint. Though, truth be told, it can be tough sometimes, with picky eaters. Cole, my middle son, doesn't like condiments of any kind, while the rest of my family will try anything, it's not often that we get a unanimous vote of yumminess.

I recently tried to take a different look at the ol' veggie burger, using tofu instead. A first for me, it was decided that while the Mister and myself enjoyed these immensely, the kids did not. I'm not sure why, except maybe that they are used to having tofu fried or baked, instead of grilled. Still, this was very tasty and I would make it again, albeit maybe as a lunch for us grownups.

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2  inch rectangles
juice of one or two lemons
3 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste

Hamburger buns or rolls and favorite burger fixings

Mix together the lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, oil, basil, salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the tofu slices and let sit for at least an hour.

Grill over medium heat until the tofu is heated through and has those fancy grill marks on each side. Fix burgers as you like, with mayo, pickles, tomato, lettuce.

Gazpacho

When I was a kid, my mom used to make this soup, Gazpacho, which is a cold tomato soup. While I'm sure she never used a blender to make hers, I find that this way is quick and cleanup is a breeze, and it makes for a nice, thick soup.  I'm not sure how my mom got me to love this, as my kids wouldn't be caught dead eating cold soup, especially not tomato soup. I'm still trying to convince them that tomatoes are really delicious. It's an ongoing battle.  Still, it makes a nice light lunch for the resident grown-ups.

Serves 2

4 tomatoes, quartered

half of an onion, quartered

1 bell pepper, quartered

1 cucumber, chopped

2 green onions, roughly chopped

 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until roughly blended. Add water to adjust thickness level as desired. Serve immediately and garnish with avocado.

Pasta e Fagioli: A Poor Man's Meal

I'm excited to announce that the Yogic Kitchen will be featuring recipes from guest yoga teachers! Today's recipe comes via guest blogger Cori Fratelli, a yoga teacher and mom from Colorado.

Cori Says:

While it may have seemed, at the time,  like my parents could afford the many luxuries of life, looking back I recall many hardships and I make the conclusion that my parents perhaps lived from paycheck to paycheck, like so many of the American population currently do. Time and again....well more specifically, several times a week, my father would cook us "the poor man's meal," as he called it. In my Italian neighborhood growing up, we called this dish Pasta e Fagioli, or pasta and beans. Today I make this meal for my family, and I recall my loving  father standing over the stove cooking this very same scrumptious meal for his family.

Ingredients:

1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil,
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
1 can white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
1 box spaghetti

Cook it up

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Meanwhile, saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the spinach, onion and cook until the spinach wilts. Add the beans and heat through. Finally, drain the spaghetti and toss with the spinach mixture, cook another 2 minutes.  Add in more olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Shakshuka

Shakshawhata?  Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen, this dish is apparently an Israeli dish of poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce.

My husband and I actually got in a little to-do about whether or not it resembled juevos rancheros, and Italians might think it resembles "eggs in purgatory." Suffice it to say, a good thing is a good thing in any language, so let's just call it delicious and keep it at that.

 My recipe probably falls somewhere in the middle, as I used what I had on hand, which makes it half Israeli and half Mexican.

I'm not usually a fan of messing with eggs in ways other than my tried and true recipes, but being a little bit of a culinary adventurer, I could not wait to make this! And what a delight it turned out to be, complete with eye-rolling, yummy sounds and head shaking. So so good.

Serves 2-4

olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped pickled or fresh jalepenos
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 14 oz. can of Italian stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
salt to taste
dash of red pepper flakes
feta
cilantro
pita or tortillas for dipping

Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot and add jalepenos and onion. Cook until soft. Add spices, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Pour tomatoes in to the pan with 1/2 cup of water and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Salt to taste.

Crack eggs evenly over the pan, being careful not to break the yolk. Cover  and cook until the whites are set, about 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with feta and cilantro and serve with pita or tortillas.

Warm Goat Cheese and Herb Salad

What a delightful lunch or accompaniment to your dinner plans! The tangy chevre, once baked, oozes out all over the salad, creating a delicious topping to a baby green and herb salad.

Ingredients:
1 log chevre, chilled
1/2 cup coarse chopped walnuts
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
olive oil
Mixed baby greens
a handful of fresh dill, chopped
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the walnuts and the crumbs into a bowl and mix well.

Combine the spring greens and dill in a large bowl, then transfer to individual salad bowls, one for each person. Drizzle with balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Divide the kalamatas between each salad.

Cut log into thick circles and dip in olive oil, ensuring that it covers all sides, then coat them, one at a time, with the walnut mix.

Cook the cheese on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. When done, using a spatula, carefully transfer the cheese (it will be soft!) to top each salad. Serve immediately.

Curry Rice with Garbanzo Beans and Spinach

Ahhh the end of the month. When the fridge is bare and making dinner feels a bit like MacGyver, except instead of diffusing a bomb with an apple, a bit of twine and a rock, I'm trying to make dinner out of 6 seemingly incongruent ingredients.

Plus, I have to get my kids to actually eat it. Right.

After some time spent in the kitchen scratching my head and wracking my brain, I came up with this and let me tell you, it was both delicious and a HUGE hit with the kids. And yes, my kids do actually eat like this. Hard to believe, I know. I could regail you with all the things they don't eat, but let's just get to it already.

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups water

Garbanzos and Spinach:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
3/4 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
1 to 2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked or canned
dash of water or veggie broth

Combine all of the ingredients for the rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a large skillet for about 2 minutes. Add in the cumin and stir, cook over medium-low another two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garbanzo beans and a dash of liquid to deglaze the pan and heat the beans through. Stir in the spinach, cook another two minutes.

Serve with the rice.

Teriyaki Tofu Lettuce Wraps

A veggie spin-off on the more traditional chicken version, this recipe uses tofu and lots of veggies to make a fresh and crunchy meal.

Ingredients:

one block of tofu, drained and sliced into thin rectangles

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

12 lettuce leaves

1/2 cup shredded carrot

a cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons

pea shoots or other sprouts

Combine the teriyaki and sesame oil in a bowl, place the tofu in a single layer on a glass baking dish and cover with sauce. Marinate for an hour, flip the tofu and marinate the other side for another hour.

Drain the marinade from the tofu and set aside for dipping sauce.

Bake the tofu at 350 degrees for 15 minutes each side, then remove from the oven and cool.

Cut the spiney bottom off the lettuce leaves (I used Romaine) and discard.  Layer one slice of tofu, 1 tbsp. shredded carrot, 2 slices of cucumber and pea shoots. You might also get creative and try other toppings like mint, cilantro or chopped peanuts.

To eat, wrap the sides of the lettuce around the filling.

Serve with dipping sauce.