Welcome to The Lotus Kitchen, the title of my upcoming book with co-author Gwen and a place where yoga and vegetarian cooking entwine. This week’s recipe is  Vegetarian in The 7th Moon House Rolls. These house rolls make the perfect snack or appetizer and the hot mustard dip  is a natural decongestant, aids in circulation and helps restore bacterial balance. This dish warms you up inside with the heat and flavor of the ginger, garlic, and mustard.

This week’s yoga pairing is Sun Salutation (Suryanamaskara), which is used to heat the body. The Sun Salutation is designed to pay homage to the sun that heats the planet, and to activate our own internal sun from within.

Looking forward to your comments.

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Vegetarian in the 7th Moon House Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 each red and yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, de-stemmed
• 2 teaspoons sake
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4-cup vegetarian hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 1 package pot sticker wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten
• Peanut or sunflower oil for frying

Instructions:

Heat wok (or stock pot if you are wokless) over high heat until very hot. Add oil then garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute and then add the vegetables and cook about 6 minutes more, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl and add sake, rice vinegar and hoisin sauce, chili sauce and cilantro.

To make Moon Rolls, place 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable filling in the center of the wrapper. Using your fingers or a pastry brush spread egg all around the edges. Fold in half and pinch the edges tightly. They will resemble little half moons. Wipe the wok clean. Heat 3 cups peanut or sunflower oil on high heat. Drop egg rolls in batches of three and cook for one minute, or until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon, place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towel to drain oil and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
• ½ cup apricot preserves
• ½ cup raspberry preserves
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar (and/or sake) In a small bowl whisk together until smooth.

Serve with: Chinese hot mustard. Everyone can create their own dipping sauce by blending the two.

Sun Salutation (Suryanamaskara) Instruction:

Stand at the front of your mat beginning in Mountain pose. Inhale; raise your arms above the head. Exhale, and hang from the hips to a forward bend. Inhale and lift the chest half way. Step back into plank position. Exhale and lower the body to the mat in a push-up. Inhale to Upward Facing Dog pose. Exhale, and push the body back to a Downward Facing Dog pose. Inhale and lift the heels, then exhale bending the knees, and step or hop forward with both feet. Inhale the chest half way up. Exhale and release the chest to the legs. Inhale the upper body to a standing position, and exhale the arms to Mountain, the first pose. During the Sun salutation, visualize the sun heating your body from the inside out. Also notice that each pose will move you in a complete 360◦ circle.