Yogi Favorites ~ (7) Dessert: Chocolate Mousse & Banana Ice Cream

(1) Chocolate Mousse for a mood boost! 

Dark chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, mild stimulants responsible for it's reputation as an aphrodisiac. Raw cacao is also rich in antioxidant flavanoids that can improve flow of blood vessels and calm inflammation.

Tofu is a great source of protein, calcium, and iron, but it's advised to try and find non-GMO tofu if possible (found at most health food stores) because little is known about the effects of genetically modified foods on human health and the environment. 

If you don't have vanilla extract on hand, vanilla flavor non-dairy milk can also do the trick. This dessert could win over hardcore dairy-lovers, especially when garnished with colorful berries and mint leaves to visually stimulate the appetite even more. 

Recipe:

1 cup non-dairy demi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz. silken or firm tofu
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (soy/almond/rice/coconut/hemp)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh berries and mint leaves, as optional garnish

Directions:
In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. Blend the melted chocolate, tofu, milk, and vanilla together. Chill mixture for one hour before serving.

(2) Banana Ice Cream

Enjoy dessert guilt-free! This vegan dessert is a nutritious treat that proves that ice-cream does not need dairy or added sugar to taste creamy and delicious!

Bananas and dates both provide a good dose of fiber, while bananas and young coconut water are both loaded with potassium. Young coconut water also contains electrolytes, which makes it ideal for hydration (especially in hot, humid tropical weather where they are generally grown). The simplicity of the recipe lets the wonderful flavors of these few ingredients really stand out.

Recipe:
3-4 Bananas
1 cup young coconut water
4-6 dates
Raw Carob powder, cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
If you have an ice-cream maker, blend the ingredients first and run the mixture through, then serve and enjoy, or freeze for later. 

If you have a Vitamix, you can freeze the bananas beforehand and the Vitamix will blend everything into the perfect ice-cream texture. Otherwise, you can do it the good-old fashioned way and scoop the mixture into a BPA-free glass container, then freeze for about half an hour and thaw before eating. 

Text: Lana J. Lee Pictures: Cayla Carapella

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (5) ~ Beet Salad

Ah beets, Nature's rubies...

Several years ago, it was reported in entertainment news that Mariah Carey was on a diet of purple foods, because she was convinced their anti-aging benefits would keep wrinkles at bay. As gimmicky as it may sound, there is some rationale behind this one!

While it's not recommended to limit oneself to such a small group of foods (balance and diversity is key), thinking of nutrition in terms of color can be an interesting and fun way to eat healthy. Betalain, the pigment in beets that gives them their beautiful red hue, is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant that can reduce high blood pressure. 

Beets also help detox the body by purifying the blood and acting as a liver tonic. Combined with Vitamin E packed sunflower seeds and tarragon, a powerhouse herb full of vitamins and minerals also used as an appetite stimulant and digestive aid, Sri Dharma's Beet Salad is deceivingly light but can truly serve as a meal on its own or a great appetizer.

Recipe:

4 raw beets, grated
1 cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
1 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Directions:

Begin by washing and trimming the beets as needed. If you buy beets with greens, you can use the greens for juicing or in any recipes that calls for dark greens. Grating the beets is a chore if you don’t have a food processor. If grating by hand I recommend the boxy type grater, it keeps the shreds from flying all over the place and staining everything they fall on. 

Once you have grated the beets you can add the sunflower seeds, and tarragon and oil. Tarragon leaves are longer than the thyme I used and chopping them releases their essential oils.

 If you choose to use raw sunflower seeds you can soak them prior to making the salad to soften. I usually rinse once then leave them sitting on a wet paper towel for 20 minutes so they don’t get too soft. I forgot to do this when I was prepping this time, so note the seeds will soak up the juice of the beets and soften that way as well if you let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes.

If you use roasted seeds, add them at the last minute before eating so they do not get soft! 

Stir all the ingredients together. Makes 3-6 servings.

Text: Lana J. Lee & Amy Stinchcombe Pictures: Amy Stinchcombe & Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (4) Dharma Salad

Avocados and tomatoes are both superfood fruits in their own right, but together they make a true power couple! 

The Dharma Salad is a great example of how good food combining can provide even more nutritional benefits. 

Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which is better absorbed by the body when consumed with fatty foods like avocados. Lycopene is a pigment-rich nutrient from the carotenoid family that gives tomatoes, among other fruits and vegetables, their red hue. Studies have shown this powerful antioxidant's potential to reduce risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

For the purest benefits, try to purchase organic and locally grown tomatoes. 

Here's how to do it:

Cut one avocado into cubes.

Slice two large tomatoes.

Mix a splash of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil with a splash of Bragg's liquid aminos or sea salt. Add the sprouts (any kind). Stir all ingredients together and enjoy!  (Serves 1-2)

Text: Lana J. Lee Pictures: Cayla Carapella & Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (3) ~ How to make Sprouted Almond Milk

Why sprouted almonds? Seeds and nuts contain vital energy forces that enable them to grow into trees and plants, given the right conditions. With the life essentials of water and sunlight, inhibitor enzymes built in to protect the seed are released and begin to germinate, increasing the power and bio-availability of vitamin and mineral content. 

Note: During germination, the skin becomes toxic, so always peel your sprouted almonds! The germination process transforms the chemical composition of the almond, giving it a nutritional profile more like a living plant than an inert seed. 

Sprouted almonds are anti-inflammatory, diabetic-friendly superfoods packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins - the perfect Dharma yogi food! 

Here is how make it - easy, a little time consuming, but 100% worth it every time.

1 ½ cup sprouted almonds or brazil nuts

4 cups filtered water

3-5 dates 

1 Tbs vanilla (or fresh vanilla bean seeds)

Pinch sea salt, agave, honey or maple syrup to taste

It takes about 10 minutes to peel the sprouted almonds. Hold the large end in your finger tips and squeeze, the nut slips out of the skin pointy side first into your palm. Rinse after peeling to remove any lingering toxins from the skins. 

About the dates, if you remember to do it, soaked is better, if dry however, they soak themselves in the milk after blending and dissolve away leaving only skin that falls to the bottom.

Pour the nuts and water together into the blender. Close the lid and blend on high for a couple of minutes.

The better blended the more nutrition you will gain from the nut pulp.

Any linen type cloth or very fine cheese cloth will do for straining. It doesn’t have to be a bag but that will make squeezing it easier.  Make sure your bowl is large enough.

Pour the milk through the cloth into the bowl.

When the sprouted nut meal pulp is still in the cloth you can dip, wet it again and squeeze with your hands. This will yield more of the vital essence of the nut. You can add a little more fresh water into the bag as well to help with this.

You can also pour the milk through a second time, again its like squeezing milk from coconut pulp, the more you work it, the more comes out of the pulp. Once you’ve done this to your satisfaction, then you are ready to pour the milk back into the blender without the pulp now, and add the dates (pitted), vanilla and salt.

Store your Almond Milk in a glass container and shake well before consuming. It will last three plus days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Text: Lana J. Lee & Amy Stinchcombe Pictures: Amy Stinchcombe, Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (2) ~ Sprouting Almonds & Making a Dharma Sun Salute Blend

"I think it's the best food." ~ Sri Dharma Mittra on sprouted almonds

Five facts about Almonds:

• Almond oil is excellent for the skin and almonds build muscle, reduces cravings, fight obesity and can prevent heart disease;
• Almonds make for a good flip side to dairy and is officially the healthiest of all nuts;
• If you plant an almond tree it will be covered in lovely light pink flowers in the late winter or early spring;
• In Greek mythology the almond tree is represented by the beautiful princess Phyllis. Left at the altar on her wedding day, Phyllis waited for years before finally perishing of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed her into an almond tree, as a symbol of hope. When Phyllis' fiancée returned to find her as a leafless, flowerless tree, he embraced it and the tree burst into bloom - a demonstration of love not conquered by death;
• Almonds are a Yogi staple and Dharma Yogis are great consumers of Almonds.

Sprouting Facts:

Most raw seeds, nuts and beans should be sprouted to reap their maximum potential.  Sprouting changes the entire chemistry of the seed, nut or bean, flooding it with the Prana (vital life-force), thus turning it into a mature, healthy plant that is easy to digest.

A sprout is a complete food and can supply the physical body with vital nutrients in promoting life and radiant health.  Once seeds and beans are sprouted, they can be placed in direct sunlight for 30-60 minutes.  The sprouts then become a green vegetable, a wondrously complete Superfood.

Sprouting instructions:

Soak the almond for 12 hours and then rinse every three to four hours for a period of 18 hours.  Sprouted almonds should be covered in water and placed in the refrigerator.  The water should just cover one half inch over the top of the almonds.  Peel the skin off before eating, as it becomes toxic during germination. Enjoy!

Using sprouted almonds:

Dharma Sun Salute Blend

Instructions:

Add the following ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy:

2 large bananas or 1 avocado
1 cup of sprouted almonds (peeled)
1 to 2 cups of the fresh juice of your choice or rice/soy/almond milk
Agave nectar to taste (the bananas are naturally sweet if ripe so you may find you do not need an additional sweetener)

While making your blend, chant the Mantra for Purification at least three times.

“I said to the almond tree, 'Friend, speak to me of God,' and the almond tree blossomed.”  ~ Nikos Kazantzakis

Post written by: Enid Johnstone Pictures: Lorenza Pintar

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites ~ (1) Dharma Green Cleanse Juice

Many people know that juicing is good for you and yet not that many people include it in their everyday routine. This is why you should try to:

Celery, cucumber, and lemons are all very effective for balancing acidic pH levels in the body. The body does have its own system for regulating and maintaining homeostasis to keep this balance, but only so long as we do our part. 

Celery and cucumbers contain 95-96% percent of their weight in water that is naturally distilled, making them superior to ordinary filtered water. As its physical shape suggests, celery helps increase bone mass with high levels of Vitamin K  that promote bone tissue activity. The leaves are rich in Vitamin A, while the stems pack vitamin C and various other essential vitamins and minerals. 

The silica content in cucumbers also helps form healthier connective tissue, meaning stronger bones, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and muscles. The skin is an excellent source of vitamins C, A, fiber and folic acid. 

Lemons are high in Vitamin C, which cannot be produced or stored by the human body, meaning it is essential to acquire in our daily diet through nutrition. They are nature's tonic, making them the perfect addition to the Dharma Green Cleanse Juice. 

Here’s how to do it:

Get the celery, cucumber and lemons ready. Wash the celery stalk by stalk in salted or ‘veggie wash’ water. Rinse well. 

Peel the cucumber if it’s not organic, otherwise it is a matter of taste. Cucumber peels are generally bitter and may not be that good to consume.

For this amount of juice at least 2-3 lemons are needed. Celery is a hard vegetable for juicers, so use the high setting.

If you love lemons and the lemons are organic you can juice the peel as well. Otherwise use only the juice. 

Add the lemon juice at the end. One whole large celery bunch and one large cucumber yields about 36 oz of juice. 

While making your blend, chant the Mantra for Purification at least three times.

Drink immediately while the enzymes are still living. Enjoy!

Post written by: Lana J. Lee & Amy Stinchcombe Pictures: Amy Stinchcombe

Recipe Source: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual