Miso soup with Soba noodles, vegetables and fried tofu Ⓥ

Nothing like a filling and savoury homemade miso soup when you don’t have much time or ingredients to cook.

Ingredients

• Kombu seaweed (about 5-6 big pieces)
• half a package of Soba noodles
• 3 carrots
• half a zucchini
• half a fennel
• 2 cm of fresh ginger
• 1 cm fresh turmeric
• 2 tsp black miso paste
• boiling water

Optional: fried tofu cubes

• 250g of firm tofu
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 2 tbs of Tamari or Shoyu sauce
• Black pepper
• Some coconut oil

Preparation

1. Heat  about 1,5 liter of water
2. Put the Kombu in the boiling water and leave to simmer.
3. In the meantime, drain the water from the tofu (using either your hands to squeeze the tofu (fast version) or placing the tofu between two plates and putting a heavy object on the top plate and wait 30 minutes to free the excess water).
4. Cut the tofu into cubes (approximately 1-2 cm).
5. Mix the other ingredients for the tofu cubes in a deep dish.
6. Add the tofu cubes to the mixture; making sure all sides are well coated.
7. Wash, then slice the vegetables in julienne.
8. Peel the ginger and slice.
9. Peel the turmeric.
10. After the Kombu has simmered for about 10 minutes, add the ginger, carrot, fennel and turmeric, leave to simmer.
11. In the meantime, fry the tofu with coconut oil in a frying pan or wok until it’s nice and crispy.
12. After 5 minutes of simmering the Kombu and the vegetables, add the zucchini.
13. After 5 more minutes add the noodles (mine needed to simmer 5-6 minutes in boiling water).
14. In the meantime, prepare 1 tsp of miso with some hot water in two separate bowls.
15. Once your noodles are perfectly cooked (al dente), turn of the heat source, take a  skimmer (‘serving spoon with holes’) to take out the noodles and vegetables and divide them over the 2 bows with miso. Mix well. Add some of the stock. Finish with the fried tofu and some black pepper.

You can keep the stock for soup or sauce, in your freezer or fridge (couple of days). You can use any vegetable you like, I used what I had in my fridge. Also, if you don’t want to fry the tofu, you can simply cook it along with the vegetables for about 10 minutes.

Important: don’t leave any noodles in the stock to heat up at some later stage: as they will become all mushy. So if you cook for more than one meal, simply boil your noodles in a separate pot and drain them, rinse with cold water and use the desired quantity. I did an easy version in order to save time and water.

Om shanti -ॐ शान्ति

Wraps with kale, chick’pieces and sweet peas Ⓥ

If you ask me, wraps are a great invention ! A hearty and filling, healthy lunch (or dinner) option, that you can mix with basically any ingredient you like. You can make cold or warm (I prefer) wraps. The other day I whipped up some filling for a wrap with the following ingredients from my fridge and pantry. I assure you, it was the best wrap I ever had! The saltiness of the tamari mixed with the crispiness of the vegan chick’pieces , the sweetness of the sweet peas and the slightly bitter taste of the kale: absolutely fabulous!

Ingredients  (2P):

• 2 wraps (check the packaging for hidden animal ingredients), I like to use the brand Amaizin (bio shops in Belgium)
• Vegetarische Slager/ Vivera or Greenway chick’pieces (supermarket)
• A bunch of kale leaves
• 150 g of frozen sweet peas
• A dash or 2 of tamari or shoyu sauce
• Coconut oil
• Black pepper
• Asafetida powder (Indian shops)

For the tahini dressing

• ½ a cup of tahin (sesame paste)
• ¼ a cup of (filtered) water
• 1 tsp of  fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Wash and shred the kale leaves (use the stems for juicing for example).
2. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan or skillet.
3. Add the vegan chick’pieces and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until they’re golden or crispy.
4. Add a dash or two of tamari.
5. Add the kale leaves and stir-fry for 5 to 8 minutes depending on how crispy you like your kale.
6. Add the asafetida powder and mix with the other ingredients.
7. In the meantime prepare your tahini sauce by mixing all of the ingredients in a blender (like Tribest) using the grinding blade. Add some more water if the sauce is too thick.
8. Add the (semi-)thawed sweet peas and mix for 2-3 minutes until the peas are warm, season with some fresh black pepper.
9. Put the 2 wraps on top of the mixture in the pan and put a lid on the pan, this way you warm up the wraps to perfection (max. 1 minute).
10. Put the wraps on a (warm) plate, add some tahini then 2 to 3 spoons of the filling and add some more tahini (don’t fill them too much as everything will fall out 😉 speaking from experience).
11. Serve warm.

Tip 1: You can make endless variations, or use leftovers in your wrap. The other day I had a wrap with oven roasted spicy cauliflower and avocado with tahini dressing, simply fabulous and ready in 2 minutes (time to warm up the cauliflower and wraps).

Tip 2: you can replace the vegan chick’pieces by (home-made) seitan or well marinated tofu or tempeh or pulses, ….

Om shanti -ॐ शान्ति

Vegan recipe: pasta alla norma Ⓥ

I love this sicilian dish which normally contains only eggplant, tomato sauce and basil (and often parmesan or ricotta cheese), so I’ve transformed it into my own vegan version with some added proteins.

Ingredients (mine are all organic) for 3 to 4 portions

• 2 eggplants (medium size)
• 400 ml or a  carton of tomato sauce (passata) or a portion of home-made sauce
• 1 pack of vegan chick’pieces (I used Greenway, there’s also De Vegetarische Slager in The Netherlands and Beyond Meat in the USA)
• 1 small purple onion (optional, non-sattvic)
• 1 tsp of asafoetida powder or 1 garlic clove (optional, non-sattvic)
• Pasta of your choice (I used orecchiette)
• Half a cup of fresh basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Himalaya salt
• Nutritional yeast (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut the eggplants in 3 or 4 slices (lengthwise), then cut them in strips
2. Put the strips in a colander and rinse
3. Put enough Himalaya salt on the strips to coat them all lightly and leave covered with a clean cloth for about 20 minutes, or until the strips are ‘sweating’  (water drops form on the strips)
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C
5. Cut the garlic and onion (optional) in small pieces
6. Wash the basil leaves
7. Once the eggplants are ‘sweating’, rinse of the excess salt and pat them dry with kitchen towels or a clean cloth
8. Toss the eggplant strips with olive oil in a bowl, enough to coat each strip lightly, put the strips on a non sticky baking sheet and put in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until well baked. Turn the strips after 10 minutes
9. Boil a big enough pan with (filtered) water for the pasta and cook following direction
10. In the meantime, fry the chick’pieces in olive oil, add the asafoetida (or garlic & onion) until golden
11. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt & pepper
12. Add the eggplant strips once nicely roasted
13. Add most of the basil leaves, but leave some for decoration of the plates
14. Strain the pasta once ‘al dente’, cover with the pasta sauce and serve with a couple of leaves of fresh basil and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (optional)

=> Serve directly with a side salad of aragula (rucola), roasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds with an olive oil/ lemon juice dressing

=> You can make your own vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top: in a coffee grinder, mix an equal quantity of brasil nuts (or almonds) and nutritional yeast and sprinkle this over your pasta dish (or salad). Save the left-overs in the fridge in a closed jar.

Free yoga classes ! Open door day at Sampoorna Yoga Studio on 14 September 2014

Come and join us next Sunday 14 September to kick off the new healthy, happy Yoga season: Open Door Day !

The doors will be open 11:00-18:00 and there will be:

FREE yoga classes for adults (60 minutes) at 12:00, 13:30, 15:00 & 16:00.

FREE Children’s yoga (60 minutes) at 13:30.

FREE Mantra Chanting (45 minutes) at 15:00

There will be special offers on yoga passes and products: buy 10 lessons, get 5 free & on all products in our shop you get a 10% discount. It’s the perfect time to buy a (new) yogamat.

We will prepare delicious sattvic (vegetarian & vegan) snacks and herbal tea.

No pre-registration required, just come along and meet the teachers and other yogins !

Location: Sampoorna Yoga Studio,  Hopstraat 40 Rue du Houblon, 1000 Brussels.

More info on the website.

Vegan recipe: pear vinaigrette

Nothing beats changing your salad dressing in order to add a whole new taste to your regular veggie side or main dish or green salad.

Ingredients (for a big salad)

• 0,5 a ripe pear
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A dash of lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dried parsley (can be fresh)
• Himalaya or sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of agave sirup or ginger & pear jam (recipe will follow) – optional

Preparation

Put all the ingredients (except the salt & pepper) in a blender and mix until you obtain a nice consistency. If the consistency is too liquid, add some more pieces of pear. If it’s too thick, add a bit more olive oil and lemon juice.
Season with salt & pepper.

Tip: replace the ripe pear with red fruits such as strawberries, or with Cantaloupe melon. If you don’t have jam at home, use some agave syrup if you like.

Vegan recipe: beet & humus spread

Years ago when I discovered humus I was so happy ! I was even happier when I started making my own humus and its variations. It is a very nutritious and healthy snack that’s so easy to make yourself, and cheap as well.

Ingredients (all organic)

• 2 small raw beets
• About 200 g cooked chickpeas*
• 1-2 tbsp sunflower paste
• Sesame oil
• Himalaya salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Filtered water

Preparation

1. Peel the beets (to have a less earthy taste) and cut them in 4 pieces.
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse.
3. Put the beets in your blender/ food processor and turn it on, let it run until the beetroots are finely chopped.
4. Add the sunflower paste and cumin powder and turn on the blender for 1 minute.
5. Add the chickpeas and let it run for at least 1 minute or until nice and smoothly mixed. You can add some more chickpeas if you want a thicker paste.
6. Add some sesame oil and water for texture, blend it in.
7. Add salt at the end to your liking. Save it in a jar in your fridge, it’ll keep for a couple of days.

This spread is fantastic on toast but also with a salad, with grilled potatoes, in a wrap, … 

• Discover the health benefits of beets: promote optimal health, antioxidant benefits, anti-inflammatory benefits, support of detoxification, …
• Discover the health benefits of chickpeas: digestive tract support,unique supply of antioxidants, decrease cardiovascular risks, better regulation of blood sugar. 
• Discover the health benefits of sunflower seeds:  anti-Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Benefits from Sunflower Seeds’ Vitamin E, sunflower Seeds’ Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol, calm Your Nerves, Muscles and Blood Vessels with Sunflower Seeds’ Magnesium, improved Detoxification and Cancer Prevention from Sunflower Seeds’ Selenium.

* Discover this great blogpost by my friend & yogini Katariina on how to cook and store chickpeas.

Yogi recipe: roasted cauliflower

Yogini & friend Maja taught me a delicious cauliflower recipe during my stay in the wonderful Sivananda ashram in Val Morin this summer.

Ingredients (serves ~ 3-4 people):

• 1 (organic) cauliflower
• Olive oil
• Spices of your choice (turmeric, ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, …)
• Salt & pepper

How to ?

• Cut the cauliflower into florets, wash and set aside.
• In a big bowl, add about 1/3 cup of olive oil and blend in your favorite spices in equal quantities, i.e. 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, paprika, garam masala, …
• Mix all the spices with the oil, add the cauliflower florets, marinate for ~30 minutes.
• Season with salt & pepper
• Put the cauliflower in the oven and drizzle with the remaining oil mixture.
• Leave for about 20-30 minutes until nicely crispy.
• Serve with quinoa and stir fried tofu and a tahini dressing for example. Bon appétit !

Make sure the florets are well coated with the oil/ spice mixture, the cauliflower shouldn’t ‘swim’ in the oil, nor should it be too dry.

Yogi recipe: vegetable spreads

This week, I’ve started an evening course (5 times, once every 3 weeks) on food sovereignty @ Rencontre des Continents in Brussels. We don’t really ask ourselves a lot of questions as to where our daily food comes from (from production, to transformation & distribution), but we should. The course will elaborate on the impacts of our everyday decisions as to what we put on our plate and how these have direct effects on the planet & people. The course strives to provide  us with knowledge & tools in order to make ethical and well-informed decisions every time we consume (literally) in order to have a much needed (collective) positive impact on the ecosystem of food.

All the students brought some food to share (potluck style) & luckily there was no meat or fish at all! Just some dairy which I could easily avoid as everyone was very informative about what they brought.

As a practical assignment we prepared different vegetable spreads. There were 4 groups of ingredients: legumes (pulses), vegetables (cooked beetroots, carrots, parsnip, leek), oils & nuts, spices, herbs & condiments (lemon, red pepper, ginger root, tamari, white sweet miso, fresh garlic & parsley), all organic! We had to prepare a vegetable spread with at least one ingredient out of all groups. It was a lot of fun, as we formed smaller groups and discussed which flavors would go well together, a lot of improvisation went on there! 1/3 of pulses & 2/3 of vegetables is recommended & the wet ingredients first to make it easier to blend (blades are at the bottom). You blend it all to a smooth texture in a simple hand blender, i.e. this one by Braun that I use.

Some combinations

• chickpeas, beetroot, cumin powder, garlic, walnuts,  olive oil, lemon juice
• brown lentils, ginger, cashew nuts, carrots & parsnip, tamari sauce, lemon juice
• silken tofu, parsley, almond paste, ginger root, tamari sauce, leeks, lemon juice
• brown lentils, silken tofu, sesame oil, cumin, ginger, garlic, carrots & parsnip, lemon juice
• kidney beans, white miso, sunflower seeds, garlic, leeks, olive oil, turmeric powder, red pepper

PS: garlic is not considered sattvic food in yoga, so I prefer to stay abstain from it.

It’s a great exercise as you simply try to combine flavors & it basically always works! It’s delicious as a spread on bread or with a green salad & a full meal as you combine all the food groups to a perfectly balanced meal (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins).

Soon I’ll share more about the theory & the other recipes we’ll create. The next session is in 3 weeks.