Running. Cooking. Yoga. Life

I found another mouth-watering vegetarian Christmas recipe that I’m sure would be a hit at any Christmas dinner table.  Lasagna is definitely one of my favorite foods to indulge in every once in a while, and it goes great with some toasted garlic bread and a nice, big salad.  Here it is:

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

• 1  onion, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 x 400 g cans chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 pinches sugar, optional

For the filling

• 1 kg frozen spinach
• 300 g cream cheese
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 8-10  lasagne sheets

Method

1. For the tomato sauce: soften the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the olive oil. It’s best to do this over a really low heat – try not to let them colour. Stir in the tomato purée and continue cooking for another 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

2. Using a liquidiser or hand held blender, purée the tomato mixture – it should be pretty thick and well reduced. Add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste acidic.

3. For the filling: while the sauce is cooking, put the frozen spinach in a saucepan and heat gently until it has defrosted. Drain off any excess liquid. Set aside to cool.

4. Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

5. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add the spinach, half the Parmesan and the chopped mint and mix well.

6. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in an ovenproof dish. Follow with a layer of the spinach mixture and top with half the lasagne sheets. Repeat the process, ending with a layer of tomato sauce.

7. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan and bake the lasagne for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Yummm!  Enjoy and Namaste,Lyla

Namaste!

Tis the Season my friends, and in celebration of Christmas I will be posting vegetarian Christmas recipes and the like. The first one is this: mini mince pies with lemon icing.  It’s pretty quick, easy, cheap to make, and can even be prepared ahead and frozen so they are ready to cook when your guests arrive.  I stumbled on this recipe today while I was looking for Christmas party ideas, hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 200g plain white flour, sifted
• 100g cold butter, cubed
• 25g ground almonds
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp water
• 410g jar mincemeat
• 50g icing sugar

For the icing:

• 8tbsp icing sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Place the flour, butter, ground almonds, icing sugar, cornstarch, and water in a food processor and whizz until the mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a 6cm pastry cutter, cut out 36 rounds and line 3 x 12-hole mini bun or muffin tins. (You may have to re-roll the pastry; if you have fewer tins, make the pies in batches.) Fill each case with mincemeat.
3. Bake the pies for 10-12 minutes, or until the pastry is just beginning to brown around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
4. Mix the icing sugar with just enough lemon juice to make a smooth but thick paste. Cover each mince pie with icing and top with a little lemon zest. If packing into boxes, allow to set first. The pies will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.  Makes 36 pieces.

Yum!  I will definitely be whipping up some of these soon.  Enjoy and Namaste,

Lyla

Namaste everyone!

Feels great to be back after a long time!  Forgive me, I was having personal and computer problems that prevented me from being here.  But now I’m back!  I’ll be posting another blog post soon.  Thanks for your support and thanks much for sticking around,

Lyla

I was stumbling around for recipes again, and here’s one I found that looks irresistable.  I’ve got a bunch of my friends’ birthdays coming up, and I think this recipe is definitely one I’ll be trying for them.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

          Makes about 3 dozen

Yum! Enjoy and Namaste,

Lyla

(Source: marthastewart.com)

Spices are a gift.  They are tasty and great for you, and can be used for so many different things.  They are little things that add a lot to the food we eat, and that also add to our well-being.  Here are some benefits of a few of my personal favorites.

Cayenne

Other than it’s amazing taste, cayenne eliminates gas from the stomach and intestines, soothes sore throat and helps relieve cold and flu symptoms.  It also aids in weight lose by increasing metabolism.  It helps clean arteries and keep blood pressure levels normal.  Cayenne also prevents cancer, and it’s great for your digestive and intestinal tract, and can help heal ulcers.  Cayenne is a truly amazing spice.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon tames nausea and stomach ulcers and functions as a mild anti-inflammatory.  It can lower LDL levels, and in some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.  Mixed with honey, cinnamon has been known to alleviate arthritis.  It is a natural food preservative, and smelling cinnamon can boost cognitive function and memory.  Cinnamon also relieves menstrual discomfort.  It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Oregano

Oregano helps loosen mucus, treat respiratory illnesses, and help relieve indigestion.  It has antiviral and antifungal properties and can help kill organisms that contribute to skin infections.  It has antioxidant and antiparasitic qualities, and it helps strengthen the immune system.  It improves respiratory health and is rich in fiber, iron and manganese as well as calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin A. It also has omega-3 fatty acids.

Tumeric

Tumeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent and is thus useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.  It may prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide, and it reduces the risk of childhood leukimia.  It is a natural liver detoxifier, is anti-inflammatory, and can aid in weight management.  Tumeric has also been used for a long time in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.  It is a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and is a natural painkiller.

So go on, add in those extra spices!  They will do wonders for your health and will make your food much more enjoyable. Here I leave you with a recipe that uses two of the above mentioned spices, Fragrant Pilaf.  Enjoy!

Until next time, Namaste!

Lyla

I always wanted to know how to make bread.  One of those skills that seemed would be very, very nice to possess.  So here’s a simple bread recipe I found:

Ingredients

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add remaining water, dry milk, oil, sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Punch the dough down, and divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 9 X 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Grease the tops of the loaves, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove bread from pans to cool on wire racks. Brush with melted butter or margarine.

Yum! Enjoy and Namaste!

Lyla

(Source: allrecipes.com)

Namaste!

Today’s yoga pose is Kati Chakrasana.  This pose was taught to me in my very first yoga class, and it’s been one of my favorites since then.  It’s simple yet feels great and has many benefits.

Kati Chakrasana massages the abdominal organs.  It helps cure stiff back, and it tones the lower back, shoulders, and neck.  This pose strengthens the nervous system and endocrine glands.  It is also good for those suffering from diabetes, asthma, constipation and obesity. Also, performing this pose 10 times a day for 6 months helps you achieve a flat stomach.  This pose also strengthens the muscles near your spinal cord and backbone and makes them more flexible.  This asana is also good for improving posture.

Enjoy and Namaste!

Lyla