Meditation Mondays :: April Classes

Today is the first day of spring and the perfect time to invite you to join me and my husband, Mike, for our spring Meditation Monday classes! These 1-hour classes will include 45-minute talks on all things Ayurveda (ie. Ayurveda lifestyle, eating for one's dosha, chakra toning, compassionate communication, and more) along with 15-minute guided meditation sessions (details below). Subscribe to OO's mailing list to hear about future courses and events.

Meditation Mondays (4 classes total) at the Grand Canyon Rec. Center (in the Piano Room) — April 8, 15, 22, and 29th; 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm; Free

Pumpkin Soup & Rosemary Flatbread

Sure signs of autumn are the dropping temps, wilting wildflowers, and pumpkins brightening the grocery stores. I bought my first sugar pumpkin of the season yesterday and raced home to make this nourishing soup that really packs some heat! The accompanying rosemary flatbread is a household favorite — it's a tasty replacement for the excessive amount of corn chips we eat. (Note: Both recipes are super flexible; you can swap out and add whatever you like to the base recipes.) 

Pumpkin Jalapeño Soup 

• 2.5 c. pumpkin purée (from 1 small sugar pumpkin)
• 2.5 c. water
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 small jalapeño pepper (seeded, veined, and diced)
• 4 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds, or pepitas (for garnish)

Wash pumpkin, slice in half, and remove seeds and stringy pulp. Place pumpkin halves face-down in shallow baking pan with 2 cups of water; bake at 350° for ~ 45 min.-1 hour (or until flesh is soft when pierced with a fork). When done, allow pumpkin to cool and drain off any excess water. Spoon out soft flesh and discard skin. In food processor, purée 2.5 cups of baked pumpkin flesh, 2.5 cups of water, curry powder, ginger and jalapeño.

On low heat in saucepan, brown onions in coconut oil on stovetop. Add pumpkin mix to saucepan and bring soup to a simmer; reduce heat and warm for 10 minutes. Pour into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Optional garnishes: a swirl of plain yogurt and a squeeze of lime.

Gluten-Free Rosemary Flatbread

• 1 c. almond flour/meal (or, use raw almonds and simply grind to flour consistency in coffee grinder)
• 1/2 c. sesame seeds (1/4 ground to flour; 1/4 unground)
• 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary (ground) — (or, use 1 Tbsp. whole caraway seeds)
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• pinch of sea salt 
• 1 egg
• Optional: May wish to sprinkle rolled-out dough with sea salt prior to baking

In mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add egg to mix and blend thoroughly with a fork. Dough should be moist enough to pack into a ball. If too moist, dough will stick to the parchment — add more almond flour as needed to get the right consistency. If too dry, add a little more egg white. You may need a friend for this part: Using a rolling pin on the countertop, roll out dough between two 9"x12" pieces of parchment paper (roll tortilla-thin). Peel off top-most parchment layer and discard. Place dough and base parchment layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut or break into ~3"x3" pieces and allow to cool on baking racks. Variations: This recipe is versatile; play with your own favorite herbs, spices, nuts and seeds (e.g. flax seed, anise, etc.) and make it your own!

Good Morning, Guilt-free Scones

Gluten-free, sugar-free, guilt-free goodness: For those who must avoid gluten, bread-like breakfast options are often disappointing substitutes full of sugar and other nasties. In my quest to find a scone recipe that satisfies my bakery hankerings, I stumbled upon Writing in White's lovely recipe. I've adapted this recipe to eliminate the sweeteners (honey and stevia) and to bake up as scones vs. muffins since I don't have a muffin pan. You won't miss the sugar or flour in these sweet, muffin-like goodies. And with autumn on the horizon, I can't think of a more cozy addition to chilly weekend mornings by the fire with coffee and loved ones. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Writing in White's Primal Morning Glory Muffins recipe.)
Makes ~1 dozen scones.

• 1 c. ground almonds (ground into fine powder)
• 3/4 c. ground coconut flakes (grind 1/4 c. into fine powder)
• 1 Tbsp. ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large carrots (washed; shredded in food processor)
• 1 medium apple (washed; shredded in food processor)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In coffee grinder, grind almonds into a fine powder (avoid over-processing into nut butter). Grind 1/4 c. of the coconut flakes into fine powder. Add both powders to mixing bowl; add cinnamon, baking soda, salt to dry mix; stir well. In food processor, shred carrots and apple; add to dry mix. Add eggs, oil, vanilla; blend thoroughly with a fork. Stir in the remaining ingredients (raisins, walnuts, 1/2 c. coconut flakes).

Using a tablespoon, drop large dollops of mix onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until browned on bottom. Cool on baking racks.

Easy Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is easy-peasy with this wonderful little electric yogurt maker from Euro Cuisine (~$30). I love the single-serving glass jars and the simple recipe. For ease, use one store-bought (6-8 oz.), plain, organic, greek-style yogurt as the "starter"; of course, you can opt to use actual yogurt starter cultures instead.

Recipe: Remove "starter" yogurt from fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Bring 40 ounces of your favorite organic milk just to a boil (watch carefully so it doesn't boil over and make a big, fat mess!). Remove pan from burner immediately and allow milk to cool to room temperature. Whisk "starter" yogurt into cooled milk, then fill all 7 glass jars with mixture but do NOT put individual lids on jars until yogurt has "cooked". Place jars in yogurt maker and add yogurt-maker cover; switch yogurt maker on and leave for 8-10 hours. Cover individual jars with lids and chill in fridge for 4 hours or more; good refrigerated all week. Optional toppings might include: gluten-free granola (see recipe); fresh strawberries, blueberries, or banana slices.

Strawberries & Sugar-free Cornbread

Sugar causes inflammation in the body, so many of us are trying to keep sugar to a minimum or completely cut it out of our diets. However, once in awhile we may want to have a sweet dessert around for a treat, for guests, or for a celebration. Here's a nice no-sugar dessert that you can feel good about — and, it's completely delicious, too!

Follow the recipe on the back of a package of Pamela's Products Cornbread & Muffin Mix, but eliminate the sugar (it will still bake up beautifully, I promise :)). For topping, use fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries; just cut them up and mash them with a fork. Spoon mashed strawberries over fresh-from-the-oven cornbread and enjoy!

Baking Tip: Using two buttered, 8-inch ceramic pie pans, divide mixture into pans and bake as directed. This will ensure that the bread cooks evenly throughout. Often I'll just use half the mixture and make one pan (as pictured above); 6 oz. of the mixture is just shy of 1 cup.

Gluten-Free Granola

Makes ~6 cups. (Use organic and fresh ingredients whenever possible.)

Mix up a big batch of this wholesome granola and have it available all week for sprinkling on yogurt, blending into smoothies, or preparing like traditional oatmeal. Personally, I like stirring a tablespoon of my favorite crunchy peanut butter (Safeway's O brand) into a 1/3 cup of granola and snacking on it when I need to feel grounded and really full.

• 3 c. gluten-free rolled oats; toasted (ie. Trader Joe's Gluten-free, non-GMO rolled oats)
• 1 c. slivered or sliced almonds; lightly toasted
• 1/2 c. white (or black, or a combination of both) sesame seeds; lightly toasted
• 3/4 c. shredded coconut; lightly toasted
• 1/4 c. chia seeds
• 3/4 c. raisins
• 1/4 c. ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. Ceylon cinnamon (or Cassia cinnamon)
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

In dry skillet, toast oats until golden brown. Pour toasted oats into a large mixing bowl. In same skillet, toast almonds next, then place with oats. Finally, toast shredded coconut and sesame seeds together (watch them carefully as they will brown in just a minute or two) and add them to oats-almonds mixture. Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and gently stir together until well blended. Once cool, store in airtight container (flax seed can turn rancid quickly, so store granola in refrigerator unless you opt not to include the ground flax seed). Will store well for several weeks.

6 Tastes :: Free Mini-Class

Suffering from food cravings? Always hungry despite eating enough calories? Ayurveda teaches that these are symptoms of not eating all "6 tastes" at every meal.

Long before the USDA told us what to eat, people listened to their taste buds to ensure all major food groups and nutrients were being consumed. The SAD (Standard American Diet) is high in salt and sugar — an imbalance which can interfere with our ability to "listen" to our wise bodies.

Learn More: Interested in getting back in tune with your body and feeling good again? Attend my 6 Tastes mini-class on Tuesday, July 17, 2012; 7-8 pm at the Grand Canyon Rec. Center. This class is free to the public; an RSVP is appreciated but not required. I look forward to seeing you there!