Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and bubble for 1 min. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Divide between pots or bowls. Cool to room temperature, cover and chill for at least 3 hrs. Once chilled decorate with raspberries.
half medium size red cabbage shredded (I use a mandolin)
quarter medium size white cabbage shredded
2 medium carrots julienned
2 small handfuls of cooked Edamame beans
2 spring onions chopped
handful of salted peanuts
two tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Ingredients for the dressing
50 ml honey
50 ml olive oil
50 ml rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
salt
1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely grated
1 large garlic clove crushed
Method
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Pour over salad, mix well and serve.
THAI CARROT SOUP
Ingredients
1.5kg carrots chopped
2 onions chopped
4 garlic cloves crushed
750 ml vegetable stock (see below)
one 400 ml can of coconut milk
5 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (I used a ready made one but you could make it if you have time)
coconut oil
juice of half a lime
Method
Make the vegetable stock (see my recipe here).
Fry the chopped onion in one tablespoon of coconut for 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and Thai paste. Fry for a couple of minutes stirring continuously. Add the chopped carrots, the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the carrots are tender. Blend and serve.
VEGETABLE STOCK
Ingredients
2 onions cut into quarters
2 small carrots cut in half
one stick of celery cut in half
small bunch celery leaves
small bunch parsley stalks
2 bay leaves
good seasoning of salt
12 peppercorns
1litre of water
Add everything to the pan, add lid and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 mins. Drain.
ALOO PALAK
Ingredients
500g fresh young spinach washed
500g potatoes cooked but firm
2 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
Put the spinach and chopped green chilli in a saucepan with 250 ml boiled water. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then blend into a purée.
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the cumin seeds and, once they sizzle, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach purée, bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes, a good pinch of sea salt and chilli powder to the pan, then cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the cream, season and cook for 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice. Mix well, and serve with lemon wedges.
RHUBARB CREAMS
Ingredients
400g rhubarb, sliced into chunks
180g golden caster sugar
500ml organic double cream
Juice of 2 large lemons
Method
Put the rhubarb and HALF the sugar in a bowl. Mix up and then allow to macerate for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to fan 140°C. Spread the rhubarb (including all the sugar from the bottom of the bowl) in a single layer over a shallow roasting tray. Bake for 25 minutes until really soft. Tip the rhubarb and juices into a food processor and blend. Press through a sieve. Discard the rhubarb left in the sieve, then cool the purée completely.
Put the cream and remaining sugar in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, dissolving the sugar. Turn down the heat (to prevent it from boiling over) and bubble gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the lemon juice, followed by the rhubarb purée.
Pour equally among 6 glasses or ramekins for large portions. You could equally use smaller pots and make 12 small portions. Cover with cling film and chill for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight
After my Full Moon Yoga Retreat Day today I’m happy to share some photos of my cooking, along with the recipes here…….enjoy!
Winter Salad
serves 4-6
Ingredients
240g spinach
2 oranges, skin and pith removed, cut into segments
100g pomegranate arils
100g pecans
50g dried cranberries
200g feta cheese
For the dressing – extra virgin olive oil, Dijon or coarse grain mustard, lime juice, squeeze of orange, honey, salt and pepper. Mix.
Method
Assemble in a bowl and dress.
Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup
serves 4-8
Ingredients
1kg sweet potato
2 large red peppers
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
500 ml vegetable stock (recipe below)
1 tin of coconut milk
1 tin of cannellini beans, drained
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
splash of cream (optional)
Method
Cut and de-seed the pepper into quarters lengthways and place on a baking tray skin side up and roast on high heat until skins are blackening and bubbling. Remove from oven and place in a plastic bag and tie the top or wrap up in foil and leave for 5 minutes. Remove and peel off skins and cut into large chunks. Set aside.
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and steam or boil until tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan fry the onion for 5 minutes then add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, sweet potato, red pepper, coconut milk, cannellini beans and stock. Bring to boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
Blend then return to pan, adding salt, pepper and optional splash of cream. Serve adding a shaving of Parmesan or Cheddar cheese.
Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
2 onions cut into quarters
2 small carrots cut in half
one stick of celery cut in half
small bunch celery leaves
small bunch parsley stalks
2 bay leaves
good seasoning of salt
12 peppercorns
1litre of water
Add everything to the pan, add lid and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 mins. Drain.
Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry
Serves 2 – 4
I used this recipebut I added extra tinned cherry tomatoes (Muti because they are thick and rich) and blended a couple of the cooked cauliflower florets through the sauce to thicken it a bit!
Pink Grapefruit Posset
serves 4-6
1 ripe pink grapefruit
300 ml double cream
75g caster sugar
Zest the grapefruit and set aside. Squeeze out the juice (75 ml) and set aside. Add the cream, sugar and zest to the pan. Bring to the boil on a medium heat, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the grapefruit juice, stir well and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug and pour into glasses / ramekins. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then put in the fridge for at least 3 hours. I cover with cling film after a few hours if not eating the same day. Of course you can do this recipe with lemon which is the one I most often do.
Date Free Bliss Balls
makes 20
My Lovely Little Lunch Boxis a fab web site for recipes, especially lovely Bliss Balls. I used mixed nuts for the Bliss Balls for the retreat day afternoon snack and mostly pecans for the bars in the little take home treat bag.
Many of you have requested recipes of the food I cook on my retreat days, so here’s the latest ones!
PEA & MINT DIP and ROASTEDBEETROOT HUMMUS
PEA & MINT DIP
INGREDIENTS
250g peas
Juice of half a lemon
Handful mint leaves
2 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
HOW TO
Place the cooked peas into a food processor with the lemon juice, mint and tahini. Blend until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with chilli flakes
Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days
BEETROOT HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 roasted beetroot (cooked whole in foil in the oven)
1 425g tin chickpeas drained
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves crushed
30g tahini
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
HOW TO
Allow roasted beetroot to cool, then peel and chop. Place in food processor and blend
Add remaining ingredients except for olive oil and blend until smooth
Drizzle in olive oil as the hummus is mixing
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, lemon juice, or olive oil if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water
Garnish with lemon zest or crushed salted almonds
Will keep in the fridge for up to a week
These dips can be served with flatbreads, rice crackers or rye crackers.
CRUNCHY RADISH & TOMATO SALAD
INGREDIENTS
350g tomato, chopped
3 red onions, finely chopped
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
200g red radish, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp mustard seed
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
juice 2 limes
2 tsp caster sugar
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
handful mint leaves, shredded
HOW TO
For the dressing, heat the oil in a pan, cook the mustard seeds until they start to pop. Tip the seeds into a bowl and allow to cool. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the bowl and whisk everything together
Add the tomatoes, onions, cucumber and radish to the dressing, stir to coat, then allow to stand at room temperature for 10 mins before serving
FRAGRANTGREEN VEGETABLE CURRY
INGREDIENTS
3 small courgettes
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoon rapeseed oil / olive oil
3 small waxy potatoes
100g green vegetables (tenderstem broccoli and green beans work well)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 onion
2 fresh green chillis
3 cm piece fresh ginger
2 tomatoes
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
400 ml coconut milk
50 ml coconut cream
lemon wedges (to serve)
fresh coriander (to serve)
HOW TO
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan)
Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and then into 1.5cm thick slices. Put into a roasting tin with the garlic cloves (whole, with skin left on), 2tbsp of oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Toss together until the courgette slices are fully coated with oil then roast for 30 minutes, turning half way through.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Cut the potatoes into chunks. Trim and halve the green beans, trim the broccoli or prepare whatever green vegetables you are using.
Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes then add the beans, broccoli or other vegetables for a further 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and cook on a medium heat until they begin to pop.
Peel and finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Slit the green chillis down the side (leaving them whole) and add to the pan. Peel and finely chop the ginger and add to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes. Add them to the pan with the turmeric, ground coriander, cumin and a generous seasoning of salt. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the tin of coconut milk along with a splash of water. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the courgettes, (remove the garlic cloves first), potatoes and green vegetables. Squeeze the flesh of the garlic cloves out of the skin and add to the pan.
Add the cream, then taste and adjust seasoning if required.
Remove the green chilli just before serving, and serve with rice, flatbreads or naan, chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon.
ROASTED STRAWBERRIES WITH MASCARPONE
INGREDIENTS
400g strawberries, hulled and halved
3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
60g icing sugar
HOW TO
Heat the oven to 200°C fan
Toss together the strawberries, balsamic, lemon zest. lemon juice and icing sugar
Tip into an oven dish or roasting tin in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway, until tender and bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin.
Once cooled serve with a dollop of mascarpone
CHERRY BLISS BALLS
Makes approx 20 bliss balls
INGREDIENTS
150 g ground almonds
200 g desiccated coconut
80 ml pure maple syrup
50 g coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt
170 g freshcherries, pitted
100 g dark chocolate, melted
HOW TO
Place the ground almond, coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and cherries into the food processor
Blitz until finely chopped and thoroughly combined
Take heaped teaspoons of the mixture and using wet or oiled hands shape into rounds
Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up
Dip each bliss ball into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off
Place onto a tray lined with baking paper and place in the fridge until set
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog); – the quintessential backbend featured in every ashtanga, vinyasa and Jivamukti class in the land. So often this pose is misinterpreted, misaligned and done incorrectly. So what should we be doing in this pose? Well let’s look at the essence of any backbend. Backbends are front body openers, yes. We want to open the chest, find freedom through the thoracic spine, find flexibility in the shoulders and allow Prana Vayu to move. But is it as simple as that? Backbends should encourage opening of the front body but not at the expense of the back body.
Throwing the head back in this pose shortens the back of the neck and puts undue pressure on the cervical spine, which over time is damaging. Generally, practitioners believe that throwing the head back deepens the backbend when in fact they are simply compressing the vertebrae in the neck, whilst the thoracic spine, which is where we are trying to find movement, remains fixed and immobile.
Look at the picture above; taking the head back may seem like a deep backbend but the fronts of the shoulders are pulling forwards so the chest isn’t even opening and the collarbones are not broad. In addition, the thoracic spine is rigid. And a double whammy – the toes tucking under means even more compression of the spine, this time through the lumbar. In fact, if you look at this picture, from the waist up this person could be standing at the bus stop and simply dropping their head back; there is little essence of a true backbend here.
So how do we access this backbend? Well for starters the fronts of the feet should be on the floor (not toes tucked under). Press down firmly through the feet and the legs so they are active and provide you with a steady foundation. Try not to sag into the hips or lower back, so gently engage mula bandha. Root down through the legs and the pelvis and from there gently expand the upper body. Press down through the hands (knuckles and fingerpads, as opposed to the wrists or the heel of the hands) and have a sense of drawing the chest through the arms, keeping elbows from becoming locked or hyperextended. Shoulders gently roll back without pinching between the shoulder blades. Keep the back of the neck long to protect the cervical spine, so avoid taking the head back. Think more of lifting the tops of the ears. And look down the tip of the nose rather than rolling the eyes back in the head. Allow your awareness to rest at the thoracic spine and let your breath create space in the front and back body. Aim for a smooth even arc through the spinal extension – rather than more movement in the lumbar and cervical spine.
Its worth noting that in the yoga tradition the front of the body is associated with the individual whilst the back of the body is linked to the Universal. So much of our culture favours the individual over the Universal its not surprising this pose is often done incorrectly. Anahata chakra, the heart chakra or heart centre is commonly referred to as residing at the centre of the chest but its true location is deeper and back towards the spine. And so to truly access the heart centre we must honour both the front and back of the thoracic spine. And in order to allow the energy to move freely along the central channel (sushumna nadi) which is the aim of any yoga practice, we need to lengthen the whole spine, not compress it.
Summer has long faded but instead of mourning it’s memory yoga can teach us to stay present with what is…to embrace the new season, with its unique colours, textures and sensations. A wonderful way to do this is to eat foods which are in season. Autumn is a time of reflection, slowing down and turning inwards; a preparation for the hibernation of the ensuing Winter. So after a long, meditative walk through the fallen leaves I love cooking and eating (both grounding activities!) this delicious…….
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
50g unsalted organic butter
1 onion, chopped
1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
75ml good dry white wine
850ml homemade vegetable stock
rind of Parmesan cheese
2tbsp double cream
How to cook
In a large saucepan heat the butter on low to medium. Add the onion and pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes stirring.then add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring.
Add the wine, bubble for a few minutes. Add the stock and Parmesan rind. Bring to he boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the butternut squash is very soft. Discard the bay leaves and rind.
Blend then return to pan to warm and season, add the cream.
I like to serve with Parmesan shavings and homemade bread or breadsticks.
Yoga is a practice of returning to stillness. As our lives become busier and more demanding, is our yoga practice bringing us back into balance, or exacerbating this over stimulation? With the popularity of hot yoga studios endorsing contortions in saunas, the rise of competitive power yoga classes and the advent of yoga selfies promoting gymnastics in bikinis, popular ‘yoga’ seems to be pushing to us to do more, not less.
Now more than ever it is helpful to remind ourselves of what yoga is. And for this we return to the original teachings. Patanjali defines yoga as the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. The Bhagavad Gita advocates meditation so the mind beomes like an unwavering flame. These teachings encourage us to train the mind, via the breath, to find stillness and steadiness, ultimately allowing us to connect to our deepest Self.
A fundamental element of yoga is surrender, letting go, the learning to BE rather than DO. Mindful movement, relaxation, pranayama (breathing) and meditation help us to find stillness and to be with what is.
Most people’s lives are defined by long working hours and stressful commutes – a juggling act between work, family and all sorts of other pressures. Yoga, then, should be the counterbalance to this effort and stimulation. Stepping onto the mat should feel like a liberation – not one more hoop we make ourselves jump through, beating ourselves up because we don’t perform the perfect pose, then relaxing for a couple of minutes at the end of the session without slowing down or really connecting to ourselves.
My practice allows me to become still; surrender; be compassionate towards myself; to let of ego and to simply BE – without any goals, pressures or expectations. This is yoga, and I love to share it with my students.
More and more yoga teachers are offering lifestyle advice including tips on what to eat. But is this really a yoga teachers job? I believe this falls outside the remit of teaching yoga, unless the teacher has experience and training in Ayurveda, the sister discipline to yoga of Indian medicine.
In western culture we are encouraged to eat ‘superfoods’, to make smoothies and to eat as much fruit and veg as we can. But this is an overly simplistic approach to a more complex and subtle issue. Rather than encouraging everyone to eat tomatoes because they have anti oxidant properties, Ayurveda looks at a persons constitution and advocates a diet (and lifestyle) which brings that constitution into balance. This may mean that tomatoes, in large quantities, for example, are not beneficial for certain people.
So what is constitution? It is a persons make-up – a unique combination, in varying degrees, of the elements: kapha (earth), pitta (fire) and vata (air). A person who is predominantly pitta needs a lifestyle and diet which brings out the positive aspects of that fire (motivation, strong digestion, power within) rather than the negative aspects (competitiveness, inflammation in the body and anger).
Instead of promoting a one size fits all approach, both yoga and Ayurveda seek to redress imbalance based on an individual’s unique constitution, to bring into harmony the positive aspects of their physical, emotional and mental being. So rather than advising people to eat something the mainstream is currently pedalling as ‘healthy’ I encourage my students to develop an awareness of their own constitution; noticing which foods, activities and yoga practices feel like they bring them into balance in their lives.
When I first started practising yoga over 20 years ago, classes were a standard one and a half hour long. These days most yoga classes are only an hour, or at most, an hour and a quarter. I guess it’s a sign of the times. As a society, we work longer hours, have busier lives and expect to juggle more. Ironically that is maybe when we need more yoga, not less!
But yoga is becoming increasingly popular and more and more people are doing the practice, even if it is just for an hour a week. It seems just about everyone is waking up to the benefits of this ancient wisdom and making space in their busy week for self reflection and relaxation.
I know the purists will disagree, but I for one am happy people are taking time out, even if it is just an hour, to slow down, turn inwards and listen. That hour when the phone is switched off, and all responsibilities and worries are left at the door is invaluable to people. And in my experience, they start to feel so good they want to practice on a more regular basis. So, the one hour session once a week becomes twice a week. Time and time again my students remark on the benefits they have experienced from coming to class two or three times a week.
As a teacher it’s challenging to cover all aspects of the practice in an hour but it is possible. Stretch and strengthen the body, focus on the breath, warm up, do the peak pose, cool down, relax, do some more breathing and a meditation. It almost reads like a shopping list. But a good teacher can include all these components without it seeming rushed and the students will leave feeling calm and grounded, having developed a deeper awareness of themselves and having connected to their true essence. Plus there’s still time to create something tasty in the kitchen for dinner!
Bending & Cooking 