Yogi Tea

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future."

~Thich Nat Hahn









Yogi Tea

1 Tablespoon cloves
1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
2 Tablespoon cardamom seeds
2 3-4 inch cinnamon sticks
1 piece of ginger, about 3 inches long, peeled and thinly sliced
1 gallon of water
1 bag jasmine tea


Crush peppercorns and cardamon seeds with motor and pestle. Bring water to a boil in a stainless steel pot and add cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger root. Turn heat down so it is just simmering, cover, and let lightly boil for 45-60 minutes. Remove from heat, add black tea, and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and drink with Almond or Soy Milk. It can last for several days in the fridge. This in one of the many different way to combine these 5 spices to make Yogi Tea. I enjoy combing them in different ways and sometimes make with extra ginger for more kick.

Yogi Tea is a basic blends that supports and tonifies anyone with yogic practice. I have many fond memories of completing meditations and yoga classes with a warm energizing cup of this tea blend. Each component has a nourishing aspect that helps to balance the body and redirect focus from the heavens to the drive home. The picture above is the morning yogi tea at Yogi Bhajan's home in Anandpur Sahib, India from my travels in fall of 2008.

Learn more about the great peace activist,
Thich Nat Hahn, at Plum Village.

Tufu Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce is a good source of chlorophyll and vitamin K.
Iceberg lettuce provides choline and Romain lettuce is the most nutrient dense and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, folic acid, manganese and chromium.

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

12 oz firm tofu
1 cup minced red onion
1 cup shitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup red cabbage
Lettuce leaves - romaine, green leaf or iceberg (green is good)

Sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
garlic to taste about 1/8 teaspoon minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
hot sauce to taste
1 teaspoon grated ginger

Saute the onion and garlic until translucent (about 3-5 minutes) in olive oil. Add the and mushrooms. Stir and lightly brown the tofu and mushrooms for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Puree the sauce ingredients in a blender and add hot sauce at the end as much or as little as you like. Mix the sauce and tofu mixture together. To assemble, take the lettuce leaf and fill with tofu sauce mixture and place in center of the leaf and roll as you eat. Tasty and can be made in about 15 minutes from start to finish. The lettuce is a great substitute for the whole wheat tortilla if you have a wheat allergy or are trying to loose weight. Also any filling can go inside the lettuce wrapper...

Vegan Valentine's Day Treats

"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."
- Buddha

Vegan Chocolate Mouse
16 oz Silken Soft Tofu
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar or any sweetener
8 oz chocolate (dark is best)
4 Cherries (or 1/4 cup of fruit of choice for flavour - or none)

This is so simple and quick...

Puree the tofu, cherries and sweetener of choice. Over double boiler, melt the chocolate. When molten, puree chocolate and tofu mixture together. Chill in fridge for 1 hour. Feel free to serve in unusual dishes as well with a little green mint on the side. Any range of spices could be added for flavor including cayenne as this dish lends itself to creativity. Top with gogi berries, nuts, fresh fruit. Serve with rose tea in your grandma's tea cups.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney + Sarma Melngailis

2 C Pumpkin Seeds, soaked 4 hours or more
1 Tb ground ginger
1/4 C Maple Syrup Powder
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt

Drain the pumpkin seeds very well and place in a medium bowl with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to combine. Spread on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-24 hours or until dry and crisp.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 C Pecans1/3 C Raisins
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt

Filling
1/2 C Soft Dates, pitted and packed
1/2 C Agave Nectar
1/4 C Lemon Juice
2 C Cashews, soaked 2 hours, drained
1/2 C Coconut
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/2 C Coconut Oil, warmed to liquid
3/4 C raw 100% Pumpkin

To make the crust: In a food processor, process pecans, raisins, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture begins to stick together. Press the crust mixture evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan.To make the filling: Process the dates, agave, and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cashews and coconut and process until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil and process until well incorporated. Pour the filling onto the crust. Chill at least 3 hours before serving

Note - If you have an aversion to eating raw pumpkin, peeled carrots can be substituted for pumpkin at any time.

Spring Greens

Tomato Cups

6 Medium Tomatoes
1/2 Small Cucumber
2 Sticks Celery
2 Spring Onions
1/2 C Fresh Parsley
1 Tb Fresh Mint
1 Clv Garlic
2 tsp Kelp
1/2 C Sunflower Seeds

1 Tb Lemon Juice
1 Tb Olive Oil (optional)
Celtic Salt to taste (optional)

Cut tomatoes in half scoop out center, add tomato pulp to the other ingredients finely chop all ingredients, mix well + fill tomato halves. Great for a side dish or for finger food use cherry or small tomatoes.

Summer Picnic Slaw

Chef - Kristen Suzaane

Salad
1/2 Red Cabbage, shredded
2-3 Carrots, shredded (i used food processor shredding blade!)
1 Large Cucumber, unpeeled + diced
3 Scallions, thinly sliced
1 C Raisins
1 Tb Garlic, minced
1 tsp Sea Salt

Dressing
1/2 C Cashews, soaked
1/3 C Water, maybe more or less---add a little at a time
1 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Tb Agave Nectar
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
Dash Cayenne Pepper
1/2 C Olive Oil

Dressing - Place all ingredients in a blender except the olive oil. Blend until creamy, while blender is on low speed, slowly add oil + blend briefly.

Sunset Smoothie

Tucson Restaurants

Aqua Vita grocery store
Mediterranean market next door - go explore new flavors
Food Conspiracy Co-op local food co-op
17th St Market farmers market
Govinda restaurant - vegetarian buffet
Lovin Spoonful - Vegan
Gandhi Cuisine of India -Indian
Zeman’s- Ethiopian
Aladdin- Mediterranean
Café Poca Cosa - Regional Mexican
Seri Melaka - Malaysian
Dish- Splurge…