Nutrition – Page 2 – Skip Jennings

The Lotus Kitchen-Quinoa Burger

This week’s recipe and yoga thought from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen, is a delicious Quinoa Burger and for yoga practice we’ll explore to know thyself taking an adventure within. Each week I’ll showcase new recipes that explore and engage the meaningful pathway to empowerment through food and yoga. Stay tune next week for another recipe and more.

Quinoa’s superfood status is solid and researchers have recently taken a close look at certain antioxidants. Compared to cereal grasses like wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (in the form of oleic acid). Quinoa can also provide small amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) too! Enough of the science talk, let’s make it.

Quinoa Burger

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup hummus
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
10 basil leaves, chopped
2 sprigs thyme, chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
6 burger buns
Mixed greens to dress burger
Avjar Sauce

Blend all ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Divide burger mix into 6 equal portions and form into 4-inch patties. Grill on medium heat 5 minutes each side, until browned and firm. Place patties on buns and top with avjar and mix greens. Serves 6

Homemade Avjar

8-12 fresh red paprika (mild or medium-hot, to taste)
4 medium-size eggplants
½ cup olive oil
1 large onion, minced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup parsley leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Roast the paprika and eggplants in a preheated 475 F oven until the skin is blistered and darkened, approximately thirty minutes. Remove from oven and place the now roasted vegetables in a paper bag and let them steam in their own heat for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard the burnt skin along with the stems and seeds. Mash the peppers and eggplant pulp together to form a slightly chunky mass. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until very soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper-eggplant pulp, mixing well. Slowly drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture, stirring constantly to incorporate all of the oil. Add the lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

The Practice

This quinoa burger is a real treat. We often associate burgers with gatherings of family and friends and the informal joy of eating something a little messy with our hands. It is so important to enjoy life and indulge in the delights the Universe has in store for us. We must be willing to take the time to experience what we love when it come to food and when it comes to yoga. What’s your favorite pose? What your favorite type of yoga? Who is your favorite yoga instructor? The practice is simple; approach your practice as if it was an expression of joy. Do what you love. To know what practice activates happiness, you must be willing to get out there and explore. Exploration is a practice. To know thyself you must be willing to take an adventure within.

The Shift Radio Guest- Author of Fat to Fearless, Asher Fox

asher-fox Asher FoxAsher joins Skip as his guest on “The Shift With Skip” Radio Show to discusses how he built one of the largest personal training businesses and how his battle with food eventually led him to create the most comprehensive arsenal of psychological tools assembled to date to overcome, convert and enroll the subconscious mind in the healing process. Fat to Fearless: Enjoy Permanent Weight Loss and End Emotional Eating…For Good! .

Asher is a pioneer in the integration of several fields of study into a comprehensive therapeutic approach that creates rapid and lasting improvements in the lives of his clients where prior forms of therapy and treatment proved ineffective.

Listen-in and find out why Asher named his book Fearless and why reaching and changing the subconscious – is so critical. It’s a terrific show!

Listen-On Demand

Skip’s segment with Asher Fox is available On-Demand here

The ShiftWithSkip Radio shows are LIVE every Wednesday at 10 AM PST
Stay up to date with my latest guests or listen to past shows On-Demand via my radio page.

Follow Asher Fox on his social media pages:

The Lotus Kitchen-Cucumber Mint Salad

You will absolutely love the Lotus Kitchen – Cucumber Mint Salad. It’s so refreshing in so many ways, from a main dish on a warm day, to a light palette refresher. This recipe and more is from my collection of vegan recipes from my upcoming book, the Lotus Kitchen with co-author Gwen Keannelly that combines good vegan eats with a yoga practice.

Enjoy,

-Skip

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped cucumber (3 medium sized cucumbers)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, de-stemmed
1 cup fresh cilantro, de-stemmed
1 cup lime juice
1/3 cup grape seed oil
1 cup fresh yellow cherry tomatoes
Raw macadamia nuts, chopped
Fresh basil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve. Serves 4

The Practice: The cucumber is the most perfect food for hydration, nutrients and releasing weight. The practice of yoga also helps release weight and unwanted heavy energy. One of the effects of yoga is building heat within, and allowing the body to sweat out everything we do not need. To balance the body, take the time to hydrate with water and cucumbers.

Mindful Eating Practice: This practice is to be aware that the salad is hydrating, nurturing, and creating a healthy body. With each bite be aware of the water of the cucumber that is hydrating the body. Be mindful of each quenching morsel that is blessing your mouth. Feel the energy that the salad is stimulating within the body. The vibration that is delivered from the food is helping to elevate the vibration of the soul. During the ritual create an affirmation that helps remind you that eating is a practice. For example, “I know my mind, body, and spirit are strong as I eat my cucumber salad.”

The Lotus Kitchen-Roasted Carrot, Asparagus and Ginger Soup

My latest recipe, a roasted carrot, asparagus and ginger soup is perfect for when you need that extra energy and open up your chakras. This recipe and more are from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen, with Gwen Keannelly, a vegan cook book that combines good eats with a yoga practice.

Let me know how you like it.

Enjoy,

– Skip

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium red onions, sliced
1 (4 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
8 cups vegetable stock
2 pounds carrots
2 pounds asparagus
Pinch of kosher salt
½ teaspoon white pepper

Roughly chop the carrots, asparagus, red onions, peeled ginger and garlic. Toss with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about one hour until tender. Move to soup pot and add the stock. Simmer over medium heat until the carrots are tender. Puree and season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6

The Yoga Practice:

As children we’re told to eat our carrots to improve vision. Jnana yoga is the practice of seeing clearly what is right and what is real. As we dive into this soup, ask the Universe to show you what is real, and what is the illusion you have made up for yourself to protect you from transformation. One pose that allows us to see the truth of our strength is the Warrior Pose. When we stand erect and channel the warrior within, we begin to clearly see our strength. The practice is to see who and what you are. You are a divine being who is strong and full or power.

Warrior One Pose (Virabhadrasana One) Instruction:

The Warrior pose cultivates the qualities of a warrior – honesty, righteousness, standing up for justice. Stand tall and focused on your mat. Step the left leg back into a long leg lunge and turn the foot diagonal to the left corner. Deepen the front knee to a 45-degree bend and reach the arms strong over head.

The Lotus Kitchen – Vegetable Stock

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

My latest recipe, a vegetable stock is from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen, with Gwen Keannelly. It’s a vegan cook book that combines good eats with a yoga practice. The beauty of a good vegetable stock is that you can really use any combination of vegetables and herbs that you like. Some strict vegetable stocks can lack the “richness” of a traditional stock, so we lovingly lace this one with seasoning. You can also modify and add ginger, lemon grass and dried Chinese or shitake mushrooms for an Asian flair. For a Southwest/Mexican feel, add diced jalapeno or Serrano chilies and lots of fresh cilantro.

Peace and blessings,

– Skip

The Lotus Kitchen Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:

4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (including leaves)
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of one lemon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup white wine
10 cups water

In a large soup pot combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for one hour. Strain the stock and toss the solids. You should get about 10 cups of vegetable stock. You can freeze half for use at a later time. Or you can freeze in ice cube trays and pop out single servings as needed for sauces.

The Practice: When a recipe requires a lot of chopping we have to stand tall with a strong core. Mountain pose delivers the core strength to face many of life’s challenges. Harness the qualities of the pose while prepping your soup stock. Strength. Power. Longevity. Height. These are the qualities of your divine self. As you stand tall and prepare this dish, connect with the mountain strength that is your life.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) Instruction: Stand tall at the top of your mat, feet hip distance apart, spread the toes to create a strong base. Draw the shoulders away from the ears and open the arms while spreading your fingers.

Vegan Recipes – The Lotus Kitchen – Fresh Zen Spring Rolls

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

This week’s Fresh Zen Spring Rolls recipe comes from my upcoming book with Gwen Keannelly, “The Lotus Kitchen”. This book intends to offer more than just a gingerly curated collection of healthy and boldly flavored recipes; it’s a culinary journey fused with a spiritual component 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. Who doesn’t like spring rolls? They are the perfect finger food that satisfies that hunger pang or main course companion.

Fresh Zen Spring Rolls

8 sheets rice paper (6 inch rounds)
1 bunch cilantro
32 basil leaves
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced to long ribbons
16 ounces cooked tofu, thinly sliced
1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced to long ribbons
½ cup peanuts, chopped

Arrange equal amounts of tofu and vegetables in eight separate piles. You will follow this procedure with each of the eight wraps. Moisten the rice paper either by brushing a thin layer of water or simply sprinkling a little water with your fingers. The key is to make the stiff rice paper more malleable. Place the cilantro and basil leaves in the center of the circle. Add the cabbage, red pepper, green onion, carrots and tofu. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the vegetables. Fold rice paper in half, then fold over the sides and roll tightly from the bottom up. Slice the roll in half on the diagonal and serve with peanut sauce. Serves 8.

Peanut Sauce

2 cups crunchy peanut butter
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic
½ cup fresh cilantro

Mince the garlic and ginger. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You can add less pepper if you are shy about the kick. Taste the sauce and add more soy and peppers to suit your taste. Add more orange juice for desired consistency. Add the fresh cilantro just before serving. You can either serve it warm or at room temperature.

The Practice: Like the Fresh Spring Roll creation, there are many unique parts of the body temple. In yoga we begin our practice by becoming aware of our body temple. We gently awaken our body as we invite all parts of self to participate in and benefit from the experience. Ginger, citrus, soy and cilantro all subtly awaken the palate while the peppers startle with power. There are over 1,400 varieties of ginger and its healing properties are legendary. Welcome ginger to quiet rumbly stomachs, thwart a summer cold or even ease the discomfort of osteoarthritis. Red peppers are high in Vitamin A and stimulate circulation.

Mind Awareness Mediation Instruction: meditation

The body awareness meditation can be done two ways:

1. In a seated or standing position connect your mind and thoughts to one body part. As you think about the body part, breath deeply and become aware of how it feels. Send thoughts of healing and loving energy to that particular area and continue the body is feeling whole and complete.

2. The meditation can also be done by taking a moment to contract or squeeze each body part, starting with the hands, moving up the arms and then moving to the thighs and legs, repeating until the body is alive and awake. Like the first option, empowering thought and mantras, along with breathing, will enhance the meditative practice.

Vegan Recipes – Lotus Kitchen – Sweet Beet Soup

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Welcome to The Lotus Kitchen, a place of being and a space of the mind where yoga and vegetarian cooking entwine. 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.

Look for more Lotus Kitchen Recipes soon online and in stores.

Sweet Beet Soup

Beets are a gift for the body temple. They provide an energy boost, purify the blood, offer tryptophan to nurture mental health and contain vitamins A and C and niacin. They’re available year round and this soup is a colorful way to nourish guests and self.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium red onions
1 (4 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
8 cups vegetable stock
2 pounds beets
2 pounds carrots
Pinch of kosher salt
½ teaspoon white pepper

Roughly chop the carrots, beets, red onions, peeled ginger and garlic. Toss with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about one hour until tender. Move to soup pot and add the stock. Simmer over medium heat until the carrots are tender. Puree and season with salt and pepper. Serves 6

The Practice: Beets are also a top source of nitrates, which when converted to nitric oxide actually expands veins and arteries, allowing more blood to flow and carry oxygen to the brain. This makes beets a perfect wisdom food. Yoga stimulates the mind that creates clarity in one’s life. The Hatha yoga pose shoulder stand or any inverted pose is for brain health. The upside down poses allows oxygen to flow to the brain, while releasing pressure from the legs. Shoulder stand is an excellent yoga pose. Like the beets it nourishes the brain with well-needed oxygen and rich blood flow.

Shoulder Stand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana) Instruction: Lie flat on your mat and breathe easy. Place both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart with toes facing forward. Tuck your chin towards the chest and place your hands to the side of the body on the floor. Lift your hips and knees to the sky; raise your hands to your lumbar spine. Steady your body by placing the weight of your body onto the elbows and shoulders. When ready, extend the leg toward the sky. While practicing the shoulder stand, visualize the oxygen flowing to the brain with ease and grace. Create a mantra that incorporates the affirmations that the brain is full of oxygen; therefore thoughts are clear.

The Shift With Skip Radio Guest – Charles Chen

This is the perfect show for anyone who wants to go hardcore healthy and learn to eat raw foods. Our special guest on the ShiftWithSkip Radio Podcast, Charles Chen is going to share with you all about his 7 Day Detox program. Plus, Charles describes first hand how to eat raw (in a fun and exciting way).

Charles was like many people who didn’t like how they felt eating the ever present processed foods, he was overweight and needed a change. Eating raw changed his life and can change yours too!

Listen On-Demand

My segment with Charles Chen is available On-Demand here
Visit Charles Chen’s web page: RawYouth.org

Stay up to date with my latest guests or listen to past shows On-Demand via my radio page.

My Live shows are currently on break, but return January 2015 every Wednesday at 10 AM PST

Vegan Recipes – Lotus Kitchen – Minestrone

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Today’s crowd pleasing Vegan recipe is minestrone from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally.

In addition, this and most of the recipes in the book are paired with a practice and yoga balance piece and this one has one at the bottom of the recipe.

Enjoy,

-Skip

P.S. Liked a recipe, let me know via my facebook page.

Crowd-Pleasing Minestrone

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
6 stalks celery (including leaves), thinly sliced
3 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian herbs (dried blend of oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme)
Serves 12

Sautee above ingredients over medium heat in large soup pot, then cover to sweat for five minutes.

Uncover and add:
4 cloves garlic, minced

Sauté 5 more minutes, then add:
12 cups vegetable stock
1 box chopped tomatoes or 3 cups canned chop tomatoes
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 cans (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained
1 small head Savoy cabbage, quartered and sliced

Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Then add:
8 ounces pasta of your choice
6 more cups of vegetable broth
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

Simmer 15 minutes. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The Practice:

The Karma Yoga practice is the act of serving others. This crowd- pleasing soup serves many. When serving this dish focus on how you may serve the universe and others to better the planet. Like a breathing meditation that helps one to connect with the universe, Karma yoga serves as reminder that we are all connected.
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 your inhale and your 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.”

Sugar Science

Liquid Sugar

Did you know that the sugar (corn syrup, cane, etc..) added to soda, sports drinks and energy drinks makes up 36% of all the added sugar consumed. That makes liquid sugar the single largest source of added sugar in the average American’s diet.

There’s been much discussion about sugar in the media and the use of it into almost everything we consume. On a recent radio segment I caught the other day on my local public radio station, KPCC, host Alex Cohen, from Take Two, spoke with Laura Schmidt the lead investigator with SugarScience.org and a professor in the school of medicine at UC San Francisco. They discussed the abundance of the different types of sugar in our world and the launch of their new website to educate the public about all the effects of sugar on their recently launched SugarScience.org The interview is terrific and I’ve put the links below. Two things stood out for me, after I heard it, the differences of the types of sugar and sugar belly.

Are ALL sugar equally unhealthy?

According to SugarScience.org, research has found a difference in the health impact of added sugars vs. sugars naturally occurring in food. For example, eating more fruit over time appears to protect us from heart disease, which is currently the number one cause of death in America and worldwide. Meanwhile, those consuming sugary drinks and sugar-laden processed foods appears to increase the risks of acquiring heart disease and, ultimately, the risk of dying from it. Scientists are studying a range of reasons for this. It may have to do with the ways in which sugar comes packaged in the fiber in fruit, and wrapped with beneficial nutrients (such as antioxidants) that are known to protect us from heart disease.

Sugar belly?

Much like a beer belly, sugar belly refers to weight gain around the abdomen as a result of eating too much sugar – what doctors refer to as “visceral fat.” Fat stored around the midsection is different from other fat and can send signals that disrupt the body’s ability to sense fullness and stop eating. If a person’s waist circumference is significantly larger than his or her hip circumference, this may be a sign of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). In such a case, it is important to consult with a physician, who may want to run some blood tests to assess whether MetS is a concern.

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