Book - Skip Jennings

The Shift With Skip Radio Guest – Carolyn Gervais

Join me, as I have Dr. Carolyn Gervais, author of I Dreamed I Was Human: Awakening from the Illusion, on The Shift With Skip Radio to discuss how human life connects with soul and spirit. An ordained spiritual psychologist, certified hypnotherapist, Dr. Gervais has a Masters in holistic nutrition, and has been a professional singer for more than 20 years. She is also a regular contributor to the Sedona Journal.

Join me- Skip

I dreamed I was human

My segment with Dr. Gervais is available On-Demand here. All of The Shift With Skip Radio Shows are broadcasts live at 10AM every Wednesday’s, Check my events page on my radio page for the latest upcoming guests or to listen to past shows On-Demand.

Vegan Recipes – Lotus Kitchen – Okra Gazpacho

Today’s Vegan recipe, Raw Fresh Okra Gazpacho is a great fusion of Spanish and Africa and is from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally.

Okra brings a lovely sheen to dishes where it’s front and center and it also is known for its role in healthy digestion. High in fiber and vitamin C, okra is also a fine source of calcium and potassium. Plus, the addition of Thai chilies brings a nice heat to the chilled gazpacho, a lovely juxtaposition that awakens the senses.

Raw Fresh Okra Gazpacho
2 cups fresh okra
2 cups fresh tomatoes
1 cup onions
1 cup cucumber
1 large garlic clove
1/3 olive oil
Juice of two lemons
½ teaspoon Thai chilies, minced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
4 cups tomato juice

Place first five ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Turn to chop and dice setting and begin to puree. While processing, pour in the olive oil and lemon juice. Then add the cilantro and parsley. Lastly add tomato juice and puree briefly to leave a chunky consistency. Refrigerate and serve chilled. Serves 4

The Practice:
Like the tomato, said to heal all of our sufferings and maladies, yoga is a healing practice. We must think of our practice as healing for the mind, body, and spirit. As you eat the tomatoes in the gazpacho, feel the vibration of healing. Upward Facing Dog Pose is the posture that opens the heart chakra, allowing the heart to heal. The ability to love and receive love is magnified.

Upward Facing Dog Pose Upward Facing Dog Pose-urdhva-mukha-svanasana
(Urdvha Mukha Svanasana) Instruction: Lay flat on the mat, stomach down in prone position. Place hands flat on the floor under the arms. Press the hand into the floor and straighten the arms. Drop the shoulders from the ears, and lift the hip off the floor, keeping the legs straight, keeping the feet flat connected to the mat.

Book Review – “Alchemist”

Book The Alchemist I am loving this book! The Alchemist, by Brazilian-born author Paulo Coelho, was first published in 1988 and originally written in Portuguese. Now in over 56 languages, it’s one of the most inspiring stories of our time. This book takes you on a journey of enlightenment and is a must read for sure. The Alchemist follows the journey of a shepherd boy named Santiago. Who’s recurring dream leads him to believe that it’s prophetic and who then decides to travel to a Romani in a nearby town to discover its meaning. A gypsy woman tells him that there is a treasure in the Pyramids in Egypt. The story winds us through an adventure that teaches us, as only a few stories can, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the events of our lives strewn along life’s path, and, above all, to follow our dreams.

I can’t recommend it enough

– Skip

It’s available via Amazon and Goodreads

The Shift With Skip Radio Guest – Cassandra Dunn

Cassandra Dunn Author We have a great show in store this week with literary powerhouse, Cassandra Dunn joining me on The Shift With Skip Radio Show.

Join us as we’ll be touching on powerful topics like empty-nesting, single parenting, mental health, eating disorders, and teenage growth from Ms. Dunn’s new book, “The Art Of Adapting” Ms. Dunn received her MFA in creative writing from Mills College and was a semifinalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and a finalist in Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers. Her stories have appeared in All Things Girl, Midwest Literary Magazine’s Bearing North, Read Short Fiction, Literary House Review, The MacGuffin, 322 Review, Fix it Broken, Clapboard House, Every Writer’s Resource, Rougarou Fiction, and Sand Canyon Review. Cassandra Dunn resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her two children and a beautiful Vizsla.

Tune into the show here The Shift With Skip Radio Shows are broadcasts live at 10AM every Wednesday’s, Check my events page for the latest upcoming guests or to listen to past shows.

Vegan Recipes – Breakfast Quinoa

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Today’s Vegan recipe, Breakfast Quinoa and accompanying maple vine vinaigrette, is from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally. It’s fun way to use quinoa in the morning. Plus Look for more recipe from my upcoming cookbook in the coming weeks.

I recommend that you make the vinaigrette first, then the quinoa.

Breakfast Quinoa

2 cups quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup candied ginger, chopped
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (an assortment of apricots, cranberries, cherries and blueberries works nicely)
1 cup sliced almonds
Mint for garnish

Bring quinoa and vegetable broth to a hard rolling boil. Remove from heat and
cover, fluffing with a fork every ten minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and it has cooled down.

Mix together remaining ingredients and toss with maple syrup balsamic dressing (below). Garnish with mint. Serves 6-8

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and let stand for one hour.

The Practice: Breakfast is exactly as it sounds, we ‘break the fast’ from not eating while we sleep. Yoga is the invitation for us to fast from what no longer services so that we may embrace our true nature by becoming the practice. Like the breakfast, quinoa symbolizes the ending of a period of time and the beginning of a new day, each pose must end so that we may begin one. Before each pose we return to the breath as a way to release that what is in the past and embrace what is the present.

Breathing Meditation Instruction: Sit in a comfortable position. Relax and place the hands lightly on the knees. Close your eyes and begin to breathe. Be mindful of when you inhale and when you exhale. Begin to count each breath. As you breathe create a mantra that incorporates your intention. “I breathe this breath for the preparation of this meal. I am aware of the Universe. This food and breath are one.”

Vegan Recipes – Vegan Paleo Cookie

Celebrate this weekend with a cookie recipe from my upcoming cookbook, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally.

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

The Lotus Kitchen, combines delicious and easy to make vegetarian cooking entwined with yoga. This book intends to offer more than a gingerly curated collection of healthy and boldly flavored recipes; it’s a beacon that shines light toward an awakened way of life. A journey that encourages you to explore an engaged and meaningful pathway to empowerment through yoga and enhance your existing practice with thoughtful food preparation and mindful eating.

Vegan Paleo Cookie

4 cups almond meal
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dark chocolate or 1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup candied ginger

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the almond meal, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped chocolate (or cranberry) and ginger. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. For a variation, sprinkle a little sea salt before baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet until the edges are golden. Let them rest on the pan for 5-10 minutes to firm up before removing. Makes 3 dozen.

The practice:

Each yoga class ends with the practice of Namaste. The Lotus Kitchen Namaste is performed by placing your hands on your third eye and allowing your hands to drift to Anjali Mudra in front of the heart chakra. Close the eyes and bow down to show deep respect for self, others and our practice.

Vegan Recipes – Black Bean and Lime Quinoa

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

More of my recipes from my upcoming Cookbook with Gwen Kenneally. This week, Black Bean and Lima Quinoa.

Black Bean and Lime Quinoa

3 cups water or vegetable stock
Juice and zest from 3 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup quinoa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together lime zest and juice, oils, salt, pepper in a large bowl. In a medium sized pot cover the quinoa with the water or vegetable stock and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Cover and remove from heart and let sit until all of the water or stock is absorbed. Cut vegetables while you wait. When liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork and toss in the bowl with the lime zest dressing and add the black beans, tomatoes, scallions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro.
Serves 4-6

The Practice: Side dish or main course, Black Bean and Lime Quinoa can be enjoyed either way. Yoga is the same, it can be your complete physical practice or it can be a side dish to a physical practice you may already have in place. You decide by using a contemplative meditation. Go within during mediation and ask the simple question “is yoga my only practice?” or “what is it that my body needs?” Once you have asked the question have faith that you will receive the answer. Self-exploration is one of the main principles of yoga; know thyself.

The Shift With Skip Radio Guest – Dr. Susan Allison

Dr Susan Allison Love and relationships are built into our DNA, it’s what makes us human. Love and be loved this week as Dr. Susan Allison joins me on the Shift Radio Wednesday at 9am PT. Dr. Susan Allison shares her tips for finding long lasting love. Join us as we talk dating, relationships, getting back into the dating life and so much more. Your questions on love will be addressed. There’s someone out there for everyone, we just have to know where to look.

Follow us on Twitter @ShiftWithSkip or on Facebook here.
Tune in here LIVE this coming Wednesday morning Aug 20th @ 9 AM or anytime after as they are archived.

Meatless Mondays – Recipes from my book Lotus Garden – Seitan and Quinoa Salad

Seitan and Quinoa Salad

For the next few weeks I’ll be sharing recipes from my upcoming Cookbook with Gwen Kenneally. This week we’ll share our Seitan and Quinoa Salad. Seitan is a popular vegetarian meat substitute and has been consumed in Asian countries for generations. It is derived from the protein portion of whole wheat and you’ll find it stands in nicely in a variety of meat recipes. And seitan has more protein than either tofu or tempeh.

2 cups quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt to taste
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups cooked seitan, finely chopped (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups green and red grapes, quartered

Bring quinoa and vegetable stock to a hard rolling boil. Remove from heat and cover, fluffing with a fork every 10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and it has cooled down. Whisk vinegar and oil. Add seitan, grapes, pine nuts and quinoa. Toss well and add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4

Grilled Seitan
8-ounce piece of seitan
Poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix olive oil and poultry seasoning. Add seitan and let marinade for 1 hour. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill for four to five minutes, until slightly charred. Flip and cook the other side for four to five minutes.

The Practice: Quinoa and seitan are each an independently perfect source of protein. They could happily and effectively stand alone but when combined, they offer an explosion of great taste. It reminds us of the saying, “some things are better done with someone else.” Group practice is the same way. We could do Butterfly Pose at home by ourselves, but it is so much more fun with a group of practitioners holding that pose simultaneously in one accord. If you are a home Yogi, it might be time for you to step out of your box and experience the collective.

Vegan Recipe Corner – Dandelion Fritters

This week’s Vegan recipe actually revolves around dandelions and come from Irish chef Darina Allen by way of an NPR segment on her book “30 Years at Ballymaloe”, that I heard this week. I found it fascinating that I had to share. Let me know if anyone tries it or better yet, invite me over to try. There are so many photos, terrific writing, and wonderful recipes, many with stories. more fun recipes in this great book. To order your copy of “30 Years at Ballymaloe” click here.

Enjoy,

-Skip

Dandelion Fritters: Serves 4 to 5

Sunflower oil, for frying

24 to 30 fully open dandelion flowers

Vanilla sugar, for sprinkling

For the batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1 organic egg

1/2 cup lukewarm water

First, make the batter. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and break in the egg. Using a whisk, bring in the flour gradually from the edges, slowly adding the water at the same time.

Preheat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F or use a shallow pan with at least 1 inch of oil.

Shake the flowers, just in case there are any insects hidden inside. Holding each flower by its stem, dip them in the batter (add a little more water or milk if the batter is too thick) and fry in the hot oil a couple at a time until puffed up and crisp — approximately 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss in vanilla sugar and serve immediately.

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