Black Beans over Quinoa

My family mostly cooked Mexican food growing up. This is my comfort food, the food that makes me feel better and that I must have at least twice a week.   Only most Mexican food has loads of lard, butter, and cheese: all things I've been avoiding because of health problems and now I'm allergic to cheese.  I've been trying to recreate these recipes into healthier, tastier versions. The dynamic relationship between sweet and spicy is what makes this dish fantastic.  Please enjoy!

Black Beans over Quinoa

1 tbls olive oil
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup corn (frozen organic is perfect)
1 chopped poblano pepper
2 chopped tomatos
4 tbls mexican chili powder
1 tbls ground cumin
2 tbls raw cocoa powder
2 cloves minced garlic
S & P to taste
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime
1 avocado
1 mango

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, add onions until they sweat. Add pepper, frozen corn and beans.  Mix in chili powder, cocoa, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, cumin and water and let simmer.  Start the quinoa, following directions on the box.  If the beans get too dry add more water. salt and pepper to taste.
Serve beans over quinoa and garnish with avocado and mango. 

I love tons of avocado & mango on mine! There really are beans underneath!

pretty mango!

We all have off days.

I taught my first community class at South Boston Yoga on Saterday with a group of my fellow teacher trainees and I think we led a fantastic class!  It was the first time teaching at this studio and it was also the largest group of people I've ever taught.  I was so nervous I could barely think, but I got through it.  Afterwards, I was visiting with a friend of mine, Justin, that I haven't seen in months, and telling him about my nervousness.  He said, yea well you haven't been doing this for that long have you?

I said no, I haven't.  I've only been teaching for 2 months and yes, I still get jitters.  That's OK!! 
Why was I being so hard on myself instead of trusting myself?  Then it occurred to me that I'm resisting change. 

There has been so many changes I've made in my life over the past year, that sometimes I feel stressed out and overwhelmed.  Even though all these changes are positive: yoga training, new diet, online classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition,  the old version of myself feels lost.  My body and mind just aren't in sync and this puts me in a funk of a mood. Thoughts of what I want to accomplish during my day/week/month/year bombard me and I forget to calm down.

It wasn't until Justin reminded me that I'm a very new yoga teacher that I was able to remember my new self and values again. So Sunday, I slowed down and did nothing but accept myself as myself, and it felt awesome.

Stuffed Peppers and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Last weekend I became inspired by brussel spouts!  But, I never ate them as a kid and hadn't even tried them until last year. Man, was I missing out.
Anyways, I'm walking through the grocery store, trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. Something good, something Vegan!! Then it hit me, stuffed peppers and brussel sprouts, so here's the recipe. The husband liked it :)  Enjoy!

Stuffed Red Peppers and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

2-4 red peppers (depending on how many you are serving. can split one in half if desired)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
1 cup chickpeas (or one can well drained)
1-2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls earth balance spread
1 1/2 lemon for juicing
1 tbls apple cider vinager
1 cup dry quinoa (follow box directions)
2 cup vegetable stock (for quinoa)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbls ground flaxseed
salt & Pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. add shrooms and onion. saute for 5 minutes.  then add chickpeas, celery, carrots,  1/2 lemon and apple cider vineger, s&p and flaxseed. saute for 15-20 minute.


While this simmers on low start the quinoa, cut the tops of peppers off and remove inside seeds. then strain the shroom mixture and add to quinoa.  (Save 1 cup of quinoa for tomorrow)
Stuff the peppers with quinoa mushroom chickpea mixture and put in oven for 20-25 minutes.
Add 1 tbls earth balance in the saute pan and add the brussel sprouts, lemon juice and s&p.  Enjoy!

self study, self inquiry = Svadhyaya

One of my favorite things about yoga is that it allows ourselves to turn inward and feel without judgement.  Leaving a class feeling elated and free is something I experience often, but other days  more difficult feelings arise.  Handstands are a long shot for me at this point and I know one day I'll get there, or not, but I do remember feeling inadequate and lost in class. And yes, I've even cried through difficult hip opening classes.  Through the practice of yoga our bodies instinctivly turn contemplative and it's at this moment that our hearts soften.

For many years, more than I care to admit (19) I've been angry.  Mainly upset or angry at my mother, at the fact that I've never loved my job,  that I allowed myself to become overweight, that I got married too young, that my wardrobe sucks, and that I have bunions. You name it, I've been angry about it.  So much that this anger has debilitated me from making new friends or from trying fun things that I know I would love, like Tango dancing.  Recently, about a week ago, I realized my anger is so deep within that I can almost feel it climb up the left side of my body.  Yep, I'm that in tune with my body, just like my grandma. 

Then something really amazing happened during a yoga teacher training day.  We picked a partner and did an excersize called "unveiling the mask."  First, it involved our partner giving us a facial masage from the inside of our mouth, then when you think it couldn't get any stranger, our partner gently, with proper lube and gloves, inserted their pinky finger into our nostril and held it there as it slowly moved its' way into the nasal cavity. (thanks Jen!)

This was uncomfortable.  This was painful.  I wanted out.  But instead, I stayed there and confronted this feeling.  It felt like jalapeno peppers in my nose and I wondered what the hell was going on.  The first nostril I couldn't relax so I resisted the entire time; it was my left side, the angry side.  Then the right nostril was easier because instead of resisting, I surrendered and allowed my body and breath to harmonize.  At this moment a shift occurred. I didn't know how to think or feel, I only knew how to be present and how to be human, filled with anger, happiness, guilt, and frustration all at once.  Could I just be?  I think this moment just impacted life in a major way.

Fast forward to present day and I am still aware of this shift.  Maybe it was forgiveness, I really can't tell you right now. But, I know I felt my heart soften.  I know I felt kind and for once in my life I was able to let it all go. When things go bad at work I remember this.  My heart can be open and it's not going to kill me.  It makes me a better person for myself, my husband, dog & cat, my boss, and whoever else I come in contact with.  Now I realize how much courage it takes to open your heart, to allow others to see the softness that we so frequently guard and protect out of fear or anger.

Avocado, Mango, Tomato Salsa

For real, this salsa is so yummy and it's good on EVERYTHING! I put it on my salads or you could put it in some tacos or over fish if you're into that.

Ingredients:
2 avocados
2 tomatos
1 mango
1 jalapeno (take out the seeds and don't touch your eyes)
1/4 cup red onion
juice from one lime
a hand full of cilantro
1/4 teas garlic powder
salt to taste

Chop everything up, mix it in a bowl and enjoy!  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

The Spirit of Tapas!

I'm not talking about yummy, delicious Spanish cuisine, although now I am craving that.  Tapas is one of the Niyamas (disciplines) of yoga that means to burn or heat.  So, the concept of tapas truly translates to igniting the fire within ourselves.  I see tapas as an intense passion that we have for something to be in our lives or to be out of our lives. What are your goals that will mentally or physically satisfy your inner core? 

To improve our lives we must first decide to make a change.  What?? Change??  The very thought of change terrifies many people, but if you recognize the value of possibility, change can become a welcoming, comforting challenge to each of us. 

Tapas takes practice and dedication to reap the benefits of the end result. Sort of like starting an exercise routine. In the beginning, it really stinks and it's so hard to keep up with it.  You need the drive (tapas) and discipline to stick with it, even though you can barely move a muscle.  But, in a few months, you really see results.  Same goes with a yoga or meditation practice.

What am I burning into my life:
-Re kindling my meditation practice
-organization in my house and mind
-stepping up my yoga practice

What am I burning out:
-my anger and inability to "let it go"
-my tendency to become overwhelmed (teacher training, IIN, art studio, working, cooking, blogging, web site designing--eeek!!)
-negative thought patterns that fuel fear

Tapas is the rich seed that ignites our journey to achieve a certain goal or to make important life changes.

So, what are your Tapas?

Mexitarian Enchiladas

So a Mexican girl gone vegan? Let's just say my parents were a little nervous about my trip back to Houston for the holidays.  I planned on bringing a few key food items with me (nutritional yeast, coconut flakes, tea, agave nectar, ground flax seed)  and buying more once I got there. My mother made her fantastic guacamole so my husband and I would have something to snack on when we arrived.  As I stuffed my face with yummy avacado, my mom expressed that she had no idea what to make for Christmas dinner for my new diet, new lifestyle.  I said, don't worry I'll make some amazing things.  I've been cooking vegan now for about 5 months, so there has been some horrific things my sweet husband had to taste, but there has also been some mouth watering, "will eat again" meals.

What I didn't plan on in Houston was my strong cravings for Mexican food that I didn't even eat while I was there. Well, besides guacamole and salsa.  Amazingly, a recipe passed my way via nytimes.com.  It was for vegan enchiladas!! Yayyyy! The recipe is adapted from Ayinde Howell from ieatgrass.com

VEGAN ENCHILADAS
yield 2 to 3 servings
time 1 hour and 15 min

Ingredients

For the sauce:
1/4 cup safflower oil or other vegetable oil
half a medium onion, died
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano peppers, seeded and diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 ground cumin
1 tbls chili powder
1 tbls chipotle powder
1 can diced tomatoes
juice from one lime
salt to taste

For filling and Assembly:

1 pound firm tofu, drained and loosely crumbled
10 7-inch corn tortillas
1/2 medium onion
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 handful of coursely chopped cilantro
2 tbls cumin seeds
2 tbls garlic
3 tbls all purpose flour
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 or more of chili powder to taste
2 tbls Tamari sauce
juice of 2 limes

If you happen to have a molcahete, I recommend putting the cumin and garlic in it and make a paste.  Add hot water to the paste before you dump it in the tofu mixture.

For Salsa:

1 can of diced tomatos OR  6-8 fresh tomatos
1 or 2 jalapenos. this is good fresh or roasted--add one first, then taste and decide...
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion
1 handful cilantro
1 lime juice
salt to taste

For Guacamole:

4 avacados
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
juice of 1 lime
(a very simple guac serving as a refresher for the complex spices)

Method
Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering.  Add onions, garlic and jalapeno (or other peppers).  Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add cumin, chili powder, and flour, whisking until browned and thickened. Slwly stir in 3/4 cup vegetable broth and tomatoes, mixing well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat or just keep it to low.

For Filling and assembly: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil until himmering.  Add tofu and cook until l brown and somewhat crispy, and its liquid has evaporated, stirring from underneath to prevent sticking 10-15 minutes.

Once tofu looks brown and cooked on all sides, add two-thirds of the onion and 1/2 of the red bell pepper. Stir, and add garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin and chili powder. Mix well. Add soy sauce and mix well.season with salt to taste. Saute until until the onionand red bell pepper beginto soften. 5-10 minutes. add 1-2 tbls water if mixture seems partched, but it should be dry and the tofu should resemble criped dried pieces of meat.

While the tofu mixture is cooking, wrap the tortillas tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, keeping them wrapped, and set aside.

In a shallow 9-by-7-inch casserole (or large enough to hold the enchiladas snugly in one layer), add 1/3 of the sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole. Unwrap the hot tortillas, and place one in the sauce to coat it, then turn it over so that it is coated on both sides. Add one-sixth of the filling, and roll the tortilla tightly. Place it seam side down on the sauce. Repeat to make six filled tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining uncooked onion and red bell pepper, guacamole, and salsa. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve, if desired, with a green salad or brown rice.