Coping Mechanism

Urdvahastasana
Uttenasana
Urdvah Mukhasvasana
Adho Mukhasvasana

No, that's not Jackson walking across my laptop. Nor am I having a stroke. Those are actually words. In Sanskrit. If you think spelling them is hard, try saying them. To a roomful of people.

This is what the first weekend of Yoga Teacher Training held for me. While this first weekend was exciting, interesting, and energizing, it was also overwhelming and intimidating. On the third day of our training, we had to "teach" each other the poses of Sun Salutation A. If you have ever taken a yoga class before, this is a pretty common set of poses. Even my father knows Downward Dog. What is not so common is saying the Sanskrit names for each pose to a room of 20 people!

In preparation for my teaching debut on Sunday morning, I did what I normally do to calm my nerves and kill some time. I cooked my little heart out!

For me, cooking serves many purposes. Besides the obvious need for nourishment, cooking is a way of coping with something that may be stressful, of releasing energy, of procrastinating. Maybe you can tell from the photo below just how much "coping" I needed since I cooked enough food for a small army.

In case you can't read my chicken scratch, I made:

• Applesauce
• Beer Bread
• Spicy Broccoli + Red Lentil Dal
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Cookies
• Tomato Pepita Sauce
• Bean-stuffed Poblano Peppers

All before leaving for my training at 1 PM. In.Sane.

One of the dishes I made used my fresh farmer's market broccoli. Yay! This dish is spicy. If spice isn't your thang, feel free to adjust the spices to your liking.

Spicy Broccoli and Red Lentil Dal

by Bonnie Graham

Keywords: entree vegetarian red lentils broccoli

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Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 c red lentils
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 c chopped fresh broccoli
• 2 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 2 c milk
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice + lemon wedges for garnish
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp tumeric
• paprika, to garnish

Instructions

1. Add oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the uncooked lentils, chopped sweet onion, cumin, and mustard seeds. Cook on low-medium heat for about 6-9 minutes until the mixture begins to sizzle.

3. While this mixture is cooking, roughly chop the florets. Place stems and florets into a food processor and process to desired consistency.

3. Add broccoli and veggie broth to saucepan. Stir well. Add salt.

4. Cover and cook this mixture on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. After about 20 minutes, add in milk, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, red pepper flakes, curry powder, and additional salt (to taste) if necessary.

6. Cook on low for another 10 minutes. Serve.

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Lucky Me!

Lucky for me, red lentils are allowed back into my diet during the second week of my detox. Which is awesome since I've been craving the Red Lentil-Pumpkin Dal from my Lunchbox Challenge.

Lentils are one of those tricky little foods for diabetics. They're carby, like most beans, but also have a lot of fiber and a low glycemic index. Which in non-diabetes terms means I can eat them!
Unfortunately, gluten is still not part of the diet during this detox, but I'll share the 5-minute Naan bread anyway because it really is sooooo good with this dish.

Red Lentil Pumpkin Dal


Ingredients
3/4 c red lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp tikka masala spice blend
1 c veggie broth
1 handful of cilantro
salt and pepper
olive oil
Plain yogurt (optional)

Method
1. Heat up oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent.
2. Add red lentils and saute for a few minutes until lentils' color deepens slightly. Mix in spices and seasonings.
3. Add pumpkin, tomato paste, and veggie broth. Stir well. Turn down heat to medium low and allow to simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes or until lentils are soft and most of the broth has been incorporated.
4. Allow the lentils to cool down slight before adding chopped cilantro. Top with a dollop of plain yogurt to finish.

5-minute Naan
Adapted from Edible Perspective


Ingredients
1/2 large egg or 2 tbsp egg whites
4 tbsp milk of choice
1/4 c flour of choice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp curry powder

Method

1. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat with a little oil.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the ingredients.  The batter will be runny.  Add more milk if needed.
3. Pour into the heated pan and turn the pan so it’s evenly spread around.  Let cook for about 2-3min, until bubbles form on top and able to be flipped.
4. With a large spatula, carefully flip and cook for another 2-3min, or until golden brown.
5. Eat right away, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate.

Rrrrrrred Sonja!

There is a cute little Turkish place near my apartment called Mundo. It doesn't have a huge menu, but it is known for it is Red Sonja, usually offered to you by the head waiter with an exaggerated roll of the r's (Rrrrrrrrred sonja! He also happens to wear eyeliner. Just to give you a picture.)

Red sonjas are red lentil-bulgur patties that are wrapped in romaine lettuce wraps with a squeeze of lemon juice. It is really good. If you have never had red lentils, you should definitely try them. They're different from other lentils, both in flavor and in preparation (only 20 minutes!). They actually have a peppery flavor to me.

Red Lentil Patties

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
3/4 cup bulgur
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
small handful of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

lemon wedges
romaine lettuce leaves

Method
1. Bring lentils and 2 cups of water to a boil. Once it boils, turn heat down to simmer and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Add bulgur to red lentil pot and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Saute onions until translucent. Add to red lentils and bulgur mixture.
4. Add paprika, cumin, parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together. Let cool for a few minutes until you are able to handle the mixture.
5. Shape into patties (or whatever shapes you would like). :) Serve on a lettuce leaf and a squeeze of lemon!