the lotus kitchen – Skip Jennings

The Lotus Kitchen – Vegan Recipe – Roasted Veggie Panini

Roasted Veggie Panini – Vegan Recipe
Comfort food like panini’s really hit the spot when you need something quick and delicious. This roasted veggie panini is from my latest book, The Lotus Kitchen, a collaboration with Gwen Kenneally. Plus, the Veggie Panini is the perfect example of yoga: all the goodness of the practice is sandwiched between two physical anchoring points, the warm-up/sun salutation, and the final corpse pose later below.

Ingredients:

1 red onion, sliced
2 red peppers, halved
2 green peppers, halved
2 yellow peppers, halved
1 eggplant, sliced in rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 large very ripe avocados
2 cups alfalfa sprouts
8 slices multigrain or pita bread
2 tablespoons olive oil for
coating pan

Directions:

To roast the vegetables: Gently toss the garlic, onions, peppers and eggplant in olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Place vegetables in a roasting pan in a single layer. Roast for 45 minutes in a preheated oven.

To assemble: Spread avocado on each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of onion, 1 each of the halved peppers and 1 eggplant round on bread. Add 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts. Close the sandwich and give it a good press.

To Panini: Have a large and slightly smaller skillet ready. Place the large skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with a half-tablespoon of olive oil. Place the panini in the pan and press down with the bottom of the smaller pan. Once golden brown, flip the sandwich and place the bottom of the smaller pan over it. When it is golden brown, remove from pan, cut in half and serve. Continue with the other 3 sandwiches. Serves 4.

The Practice:

Panini and yoga it’s all the body and spiritual goodness sandwiched into two poses. Poses are always practiced starting with intentions and finished with achievements. The asana or pose begins with the willingness, and is finished with an insight. When beginning the pose there is always a sense of struggle until we find peace. Remember that yoga is a yoking or natural expression of bringing or connecting the many delectable pieces of goodness together into one.

Chair Pose (Utkatasana Fierce) Instruction:

Stand tall on your mat and spread the legs at hip-distance apart. Anchor your feet by spreading your toes. Sit your hips back as if you are sitting in a chair. Reach your arms long toward the sky and lengthen the torso diagonally while spreading the fingers or the hands. Look toward the hand and contemplate awareness of the body.

The Lotus Kitchen – Vegan Recipe – Baked Spinach Cakes

Vegan Recipe – Baked Spinach Cakes
These special cakes are from my latest book, The Lotus Kitchen, a collaboration with Gwen Kenneally. They were created for a cooking segment and were a big hit with the crew. They can also be served as an appetizer and are equally delicious the next day. It’s imperative that the spinach is well drained to avoid a runny cake.

Ingredients:
16 ounces fresh spinach (1 bag or 1 large bunch), washed well and chopped fine OR

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and well squeezed, drained of as much liquid as possible

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

2 large eggs, beaten

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a medium bowl add spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Coat a 12-cup standard-size muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 12 cups; they will be very full and very dense. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 30 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and place on a large serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of sour cream or almond yogurt. Serves 6.

The Practice: The Sat Nam “Truth is my reality” — Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practitioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But the importance of Sat Nam is the meaning. Sat Nam has been interpreted as: Truth is my identity, truth is my reality, and truth is my authentic self. The mantra is also a recognition that God, goodness, or truth is in all things and heaven is present in this very moment. The practice is to recognize truth in every bite of the baked spinach pie. Goodness and love is the truth of everything. Sat Nam can be used in every pose to remind you of the truth as a way to focus the mind before meditation.

The Lotus Kitchen
East meets zest as Hollywood caterer/food writer Gwen Kenneally (Sweet and Savory Cookbook) and yogi/transformational coach Skip Jennings (The Shift With Skip) present a boldly flavored and inspired recipe collection to nurture yoga practice and nourish mindful eating.

The Lotus Kitchen-Zucchini Pie

The Lotus Kitchen, Zucchini Pie

8 CUPS ZUCCHINI, SLICED AND CUT IN HALF 1 CUP SUGAR
2/3 CUP LEMON JUICE
1 TABLESPOON LEMON ZEST
1 TABLESPOON CINNAMON

In a saucepan cook sliced zucchini, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon until zucchini is tender (about 10 minutes).

Crust:

4 CUPS FLOUR
2 CUPS SUGAR
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 1/2 CUPS BUTTER

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and butter until crumbly. Pat 1/2 crust mix into 9×13 pan. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Add 1/2 cup crust mix to hot cooked zucchini mix; cool. Pour over baked crust. Add one teaspoon cinnamon to remaining crust mix. Spread over zucchini filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes; cool. Cut into squares.

The Practice:

When we think of pie, we often think of a singular slice of a pie. Yoga is about discovering your wholeness. Like a pie, each slice is essential to create the entire pie. See your mind as a part of the pie, see your body as another part of the pie, and your spirit as the final slice of your wholeness. You are a complete, whole pie of goodness. Today we TK your divine wholeness, and honor how complete you really are.

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 Lotus Kitchen- Quinoa Tabouli

Welcome to The Lotus Kitchen, the title of my upcoming book with co-author Gwen Keannelly and a place where yoga and vegetarian cooking entwine. This week’s recipe is Quinoa Tabouli.

The Lotus Kitchen-Quinoa Tabouli

2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons mint
2 tablespoons basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup olives, sliced

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss together lightly. Chill for 1 hour or more to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with olives Serves 4

The Practice:

Traditionally tabouli, also spelled tabbouleh, is an Arab salad filled with Mediterranean delight. When exploring the connection of tabouli and yoga, we are reminded of what yoga is all about – the practice of seeing the Oneness of two things that appear to be separate. When connecting India and The Middle East, what better way than to do it with food and yoga. It takes a practice to experience the Oneness Consciousness. We must begin to see what cultures have in common instead of what separates us.

Thread the Needle Pose (Parsva Balasana) Instruction:

If you have stiffness and pain, this pose can provide relief by stretching and opening the shoulders, chest, arms, upper back and neck. It releases the tension that is commonly held in the upper back between the shoulder blades. This pose also provides a mild twist to the spine, which further reduces tension. Begin on all fours (table pose), with hands shoulder width apart. Turn the right palm upwards and thread the right hand underneath the left arm. Bring the right shoulder and the right side of the face toward the floor. Rest on the right cheek for three long breaths. Bring the left arm up off the floor and send it straight up towards the ceiling, releasing the left shoulder. Bend the left elbow and see if you can reach around to hold your waist or the right thigh. Stay here for six to twelve breaths. To get out of the pose plant your left hand firmly on the ground and use the weight of it and return to table pose. Repeat on the other side.

The Lotus Kitchen-Black Bean and Corn Salad

Welcome to The Lotus Kitchen, the title of my upcoming book with co-author Gwen Keannelly and a place where yoga and vegetarian cooking entwine. This week’s recipe is Black Bean and Corn Salad. This salad has the perfect balance of everything flavorful. You will feel the love and gratitude from each ingredient.

This week’s yoga pairing is Easy Pose Meditation which will open your mind and body.

Looking forward to your comments.

-Skip

The Lotus Kitchen Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups black beans (drained and cooked al dente)
3 cups roasted white corn (cooked al dente)
1 red onion (raw)
1 red pepper (raw)
1 cup cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 chopped avocados (firm, not overly ripe)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup of lime juice
Arugula lettuce

Instructions:

Combine black beans, corn, red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno, and avocado. Add olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice and mix together. Place on a bed of lettuce and serve. Serves 4-6

The Practice:

Beans and corn sprout goodness. Like a long planting season, after practicing Yoga for a while we begin to see the harvest from our hard work. The sprouts from a practice can be: good eating habits, better perception of one’s self, and a better awareness of the body. These are all fruits of the labor. Part of crop harvest is the practice of gratitude. Gratitude is the highest appreciation for what is good in your life. After a strong and powerful session of yoga, endorphins are released, which can cause a feeling of euphoria or a sense of gratitude. The practice is to maintain gratitude, while preparing this salad. Recognize the harvest of the fruits in your life, and when you sit and partake, be grateful for your life.

The Easy Pose Meditation Instruction:

Sitting with your buttocks on the mat, cross your legs with your ankles under your thighs. Rest your hands on your knees, pressing both hips towards the floor. Close your eyes and breathe. Allow your thoughts to open to knowledge and learning. Set the intention to know and feel gratitude.

The Practice of Love, Get Creative, All is Well, Moon House Rolls and More…

A Body Connection and Meditation on The Practice of Love
This week’s video “Get Your Creativity On”
My latest recipes, delicious 7th Moon House Rolls and delicious lentil salad from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen
Diving deep into an unconventional approach to therapy with leading clinical psychologist, Dr. Denee Jordan on The ShiftWithSkip Radio

The Lotus Kitchen- Harmonious Lentil Salad

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,

-Skip

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.

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.