Posts In: good eats

from Jackie Liu

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

Vietnamese-style Caramel Tofu Bowl

1-2 tbs olive oil
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, finely diced
2 tsp ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 block of firm tofu
4 tbs brown sugar (or 5 tbs maple syrup)
2 tbs vegan fish sauce
rice 
cilantro
green onions
thai chili (if you like spicy)

Quick pickles:

2 carrots
2 cucumbers
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar

Make quick pickles at least 1 hour beforehand. Dissolve sugar and salt in the vinegar. Either thinly slice the carrots and cucumbers, or chop them into small chunks. Toss the veggies with the vinegar mixture and place them in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Drain and cut the tofu into small chunks. Sauté the shallot in cooking oil on medium heat until translucent. Add the ginger and sauté for a bit. Then add garlic and the tofu chunks. Cook until the tofu gets a bit golden, using your cooking utensil to break up the chunks into smaller pieces as you go. Once the tofu is starting to change color, add the vegan fish sauce and brown sugar. Keep moving the tofu around the pan to get everything nicely coated, when you feel like the tofu is brown enough, it’s done. 

Serve on top of rice with pickles, cilantro, green onions, chili. 

Notes on tofu: If you have time (and you remember), drain and cut the tofu into small chunks, freeze it the night before, then thaw in the fridge in the morning. This will help soak up the flavors, make things less watery and mushy, and give a chewier texture. 

Notes on fish sauce: You can buy vegan fish sauce, a tasty brand is Ocean’s Halo, but it has molasses which adds a sweet taste that I don’t love. I love this homemade recipe. There are also many substitutes for vegan fish sauce, the dish will taste different but still delicious! 

Substitutions: If you aren’t going the vegetarian or vegan route, sub the tofu for 1lb of ground pork and sub the vegan fish sauce for regular fish sauce. 

Jackie Liu 
Contributing Writer

Jackie’s relationship with yoga began in 2008 but it wasn’t firmly planted until 2018 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The practice of syncing breath with movement helped quiet her mind and soothe her body. She recently completed the Yoga One 200-hour Teacher Training and wants to use yoga to create positive change and serve as many humans as possible. Outside of yoga she is a self-proclaimed snack expert, and writes about food and cancer for fun: https://tinyletter.com/JackieLiu/

from Kirstin Green

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

Cucumber-Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Sometimes, it is all about the presentation! Enjoy this bright, colorful, fresh, raw, vegan salad on a hot summer day.

SALAD
1 1/2 lbs cucumber (I used a very long one from the garden)
1 avocado
2 green onions
pinch or two of sesame seeds

DRESSING
2 small carrots (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon white onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about 1 inch, peeled)
1 tablespoon miso
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup neutral oil (I prefer avocado oil)

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a blender and whirl at high speed until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preferences.

Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, and then quarters. Cut into bite sized pieces and put in a bowl with about 1/3 cup of the dressing. Toss to coat. Move these onto a beautiful plate or platter.

Cut the avocado in half and scoop the flesh out in one piece from the peel. Slice thinly and use your hand to press the slices into a fan on the cutting board. Slide a knife or spatula under the avocado fan to carefully move it on top of the dressed cucumber.

Sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of the cucumbers and avocado. Finish with sesame seeds and some nice salt. Serve, and enjoy!

(Alternatively, chop up the avocado, toss with the cucumbers and dressing, and eat right out of the mixing bowl!)

Kirstin Green is a former restaurateur and an avid home cook with a long-standing connection to the Yoga One family. After completing the 200 hour YTT back in 2008, she created several mosaic art pieces for the downtown studio. She is well traveled and committed to living a life filled with sensory and aesthetic beauty, filling her days with gardening, art-making, baking and cooking. These days, she is shaping a new career in Expressive Arts Therapy with a special focus on the art of food.

from Jackie Liu 

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

Chickpea Patties

I call this Chickpea Patties (it’s my understanding that to be falafel the ball of chickpeas must be fried). Inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s falafel recipe.  

1 1/4 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 onion, chopped (or 1 cup of chopped scallions)
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
a handful of parsley
a handful of cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you like spicy things)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/3 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Olive oil 

Soak the chickpeas overnight by covering them with enough water so that the water line is at least 2-3inches above the beans. 

Preheat oven to 375F. Drain and toss the beans in a food processor or blender, along with the onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Blend until the beans are crumbly. Add the spices and blend again until you get a small enough crumb that can be pinched together and hold its shape (the size of coarse sea salt is a good reference).  

Generously grease a cupcake pan or mini cupcake pan with olive oil. Press the bean mixture into each mold, filling all the way to the top. Brush the tops with a generous amount of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then turn the pan and bake until you can see the edges browning (about 10-15 minutes). Allow the patties to cool for 5 minutes and then free them from the molds using a spatula or butter knife. Enjoy the patties with something saucy like hummus or moutabal (eggplant dip). Or a quick sauce of plain yogurt, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and salt.  

**full disclosure: this recipe is time-consuming. Sometimes I don’t even go the extra mile of blending and molding these patties. My “none patty” method is to roughly chop all of the ingredients (including the beans) and throw them in a pan with lots of olive oil and saute until the onions and garlic are soft. If the beans aren’t tender enough, I pour in a little bit of veggie broth and let it simmer until I’m too hungry to wait. If you choose to go the none-patty route, then you can skip the soak and use canned beans instead. 

Jackie Liu 
Contributing Writer

Jackie’s relationship with yoga began in 2008 but it wasn’t firmly planted until 2018 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The practice of syncing breath with movement helped quiet her mind and soothe her body. She recently completed the Yoga One 200-hour Teacher Training and wants to use yoga to create positive change and serve as many humans as possible. Outside of yoga she is a self-proclaimed snack expert, and writes about food and cancer for fun: https://tinyletter.com/JackieLiu/

from Kirstin Green

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

Jackfruit Tacos
This recipe was adapted from Vegan Huggs 

2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 14 oz cans young jackfruit in water or brine, rinsed and drained well
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning 
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt, to taste
1 cup vegetable broth
Corn tortillas
Sliced avocado
Shredded cabbage
Salsa Crema or plain yogurt
Anything you like on a taco!

Shred the jackfruit in a food processor. Pulse a few times to get a “shredded meat” texture. Don’t over pulse or it will be mushy. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the jackfruit up by hand. 

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes, until it darkens a little bit. Add the spices and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add the shredded jackfruit and sauté for about 3 minutes.  
Pour in the vegetable broth and simmer until the liquid has cooked down completely, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Remove from heat. 

Warm up your corn tortillas in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds on each side. Build tacos to your taste. I made a quick pickle relish with green beans, fresh corn, shallots and jalapeños and it was delicious on the tacos!

Kirstin Green is a former restaurateur and an avid home cook with a long-standing connection to the Yoga One family. After completing the 200 hour YTT back in 2008, she created several mosaic art pieces for the downtown studio. She is well traveled and committed to living a life filled with sensory and aesthetic beauty, filling her days with gardening, art-making, baking and cooking. These days, she is shaping a new career in Expressive Arts Therapy with a special focus on the art of food.

from Kirstin Green

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

If you haven’t heard of or tried aquafaba, this is a great chance to do so! It might seem strange to use the liquid from a can of chickpeas as an emulsifying agent but I promise it works and creates a creamy texture with no nuts, seeds, or dairy. This recipe was adapted from Save the Food.

1/4 cup aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil (such as grapeseed)
1/2 cup fresh parsley and chives
1 tsp dried dill
1 lemon, juiced

In a blender, add the aquafaba and cream of tartar. Blend, gradually increasing speed for about 1 minute. Add the mustard, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. With blender on low speed, slowly stream in oil until thickened. Pulse in herbs and lemon.

Try it over your favorite salad, with a plate of crudités, or drizzled over a goddess bowl of rice and veggies. Enjoy!

Kirstin Green is a former restaurateur and an avid home cook with a long-standing connection to the Yoga One family. After completing the 200 hour YTT back in 2008, she created several mosaic art pieces for the downtown studio. She is well traveled and committed to living a life filled with sensory and aesthetic beauty, filling her days with gardening, art-making, baking and cooking. These days, she is shaping a new career in Expressive Arts Therapy with a special focus on the art of food.

from Kirstin Green

Looking for the perfect meal to complement your yoga practice? Maybe you just need a jolt of inspiration for the weekday dinner line-up. May we suggest…

Creamy Hemp Seed Salad Dressing (base recipe)

2 TBS hemp seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup fresh orange juice (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Salt & black pepper to taste

Using a blender, combine ingredients together until creamy. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. 

Variations (add to base recipe before blending)

Cilantro-Lime: 1 bunch cilantro, sub lime juice for the lemon juice (toss a jalapeno in too, if that’s your jam)

Honey-Mustard: 1 tablespoon each of dijon mustard and honey

Herb-Ranch: one bunch of parsley, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Umami-Ginger: sub sesame oil for olive oil, 1 teaspoon miso or soy sauce for salt, and a nob of ginger

Roasted Garlic: if you’ve got roasted garlic laying around, toss a bunch of that in there. (omit the fresh garlic) It’s off the hook.

Basil-Tomato: 1/2 cup fresh basil, and 1/2 cup fresh tomato

Kirstin Green is a former restaurateur and an avid home cook with a long-standing connection to the Yoga One family. After completing the 200 hour YTT back in 2008, she created several mosaic art pieces for the downtown studio. She is well traveled and committed to living a life filled with sensory and aesthetic beauty, filling her days with gardening, art-making, baking and cooking. These days, she is shaping a new career in Expressive Arts Therapy with a special focus on the art of food.