Welcome to The Lotus Kitchen, the title of my upcoming book with co-author Gwen Keannelly, and a place of being and a space of the mind where yoga and vegetarian cooking entwine. This week we visit the lentil, full of fiber, protein, iron, and vitamin B and also focus on Camel Pose.
Lentils are inexpensive and make a great meat substitute or side dish. lentils can be; soups, curries, salads, fritters, and more. Today’s recipe we’ll make a Lentil Salad.
Enjoy,
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Ingredients:
1 cup lentils, cooked and chilled
1 cup brown rice, cooked and chilled
1 pint golden raspberries
2 blood oranges, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup parsley
½ cup green onions
In a large salad bowl toss together and chill for at least one hour before serving. Dress with Blood Orange Garlic Vinaigrette. Four servings.
Blood Orange Garlic Vinaigrette
Great with the lentil salad, and equally harmonious with a big salad of mixed greens and any vegetables that you have on hand.
Directions:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup blood orange juice
Zest from one blood orange
2/3-cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together vigorously. Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 month.
The Practice: Because our life is so much about going forward and sitting hunched over, the yoga practice is used to bring the body into harmony with itself. The backbend creates balance and harmony within the body, by opening the front, which is naturally forward. The camel pose activates harmony within the body by expanding the anterior part of the body. It is a pose that helps fully stretch the front of the body.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana) Instruction: Begin in a kneeling position with knees at hip distance apart. Place the back of your hands on the top of the buttocks. Drop your head back with out straining the neck, and lift your chest to the sky. Option is to place your hand on the heels of the feet to expand the chest.