Winter Solstice II

The short and gray days at this time of the year can sometimes get to me, but hosting the Solstice Retreats negates any sort of lack of energy.  Winter Solstice Hatha Yoga Retreat II was really special.  The group brought light and energy to Little Renaissance.  Last weekend’s retreat was the punctuation mark at the end of a great year!

One of the retreat participants wrote a succinct poem which captures the essence of Winter Solstice II:

The Little Renaissance
Inhale laugh eat  share bond exhale
Buzz left with prana Om

–Carrie Flexer

This blog post is full of some delicious recipes from the retreat weekend that will warm your body and soul….just in time for the solstice!  The recipes are interspersed between photos.  I think another of my projects will be to put together a Little Renaissance Cookbook  (when-oh-when will I fit in the writing of a cookbook?)

Zucchini Skillet Cakes

5 cups grated zucchini (from about 3 lbs), grate and sprinkle with salt, set aside for a half an hour..when ready to use, squeeze as much liquid out as you can.  A lot of liquid will squeeze out (the more liquid squeezed out the better).

2 eggs, beaten

5 scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, cut finely

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

2 tablespoons of thyme

zest of one lemon

1 cup of dried bread crumbs (if making this gluten free, as I did, use two cups of rice flour)

1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup of capers

oil for pan frying

Toss the zucchini (squeezed of excess liquid as explained above) with all of the above ingredients.  The mixture will look like a batter.  Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper according to your preference in taste.  Film 2 large skillets with olive oil and when hot, add the batter in 1/2 cup measures.  Spread the batter out a bit and cook over medium heat until golden, flip and cook second side.

Peanut Sauce (served with the Zucchini Skillet Cakes):

4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind liquid  (I buy this at Pike Place Market at one of the shops where you can get many Thai food items)
1/2 sambal ulek  (or chili)   (bought at same source as above)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk

Morning Glory Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely grated carrot, packed
1 cup coarsely grated apple (including peel)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 eggs
1/3 cup mild-tasting oil
6 tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate (or orange juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 F with the rack in the center position.  Butter the rims of a 12 cup muffin tin and line 10 cups with muffin papers.

Mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the carrot, apple, raisins, coconut, and almonds and toss with your fingertips until all the fruit and nuts are coated with flour.

Blend the eggs, oil, apple juice concentrate, and vanilla in a bowl or blender and pour on top of everything else.  Mix until combined with a rubber spatula, and mound the batter into the 10 muffin cups. These muffins are quite dense and don’t rise very much, so you will need to shape them.  There should be about the same amount of batter above the rim of the paper as below.

Bake 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 10-15 minutes or until the muffins no longer look gooey inside.

Cranberry Scones

Cranberry Scones
makes 8 large scones

2/3 cup non fat yogurt
1 egg
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut up in small pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Heat oven to 375 F.  Mix together yogurt and egg using a fork.  In another
bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the
pieces of butter using a pastry blender or using your fingers until mixture
looks like fine granules.
Add cranberries, sugar and orange peel.  Add the yogurt mixture.   Stir with
a fork until a soft dough forms.
Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface. and give 5=6 kneads, just until
well mixed.   Divide into 8 balls and form into  8 wedges.  Place onto
ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until medium  brown.

Green Soup with Sweet Potatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onion, chopped

1 1/4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

3 1/2 cups water

2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves

1 bunch kale

1 bunch chard

8 cloves garlic, peeled

3 cups vegetable broth

freshly ground black pepper, sea salt

fresh lemon juice

1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot, add the onions and some salt, and saute until the onions are golden.

2. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes in the water, add sage and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring water to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Wash kale and chard, trim away tough stems, chop. Add to sweet potatoes, along with garlic and vegetable broth.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the onions to the soup and let cool slightly.

4. Puree the mixture in a blender in batches. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Thai Curry with Sweet Potatoes  (serve over brown Jasmine Rice)

one pound sweet potatoes

1 can coconut milk

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 carton firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil

sea salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

6 large shallots, peeled and sliced

4 baby bok choy

1 lime quartered

1. Start cooking the jasmine rice.  Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes.  Steam them for 20 minutes.

2. Heat coconut milk with one cup of water in a wide skillet.  Stir in the curry paste and chopped cilantro. Add the cooked sweet potatoes and water chestnuts and lower heat.

3. Meanwhile, put tofu in a single layer in a non stick skillet over medium heat. Cook until the water is evaporated and the tofu is golden, about 5 minutes, adding a little oil for crispness and flavor.  Season with salt, douse with soy sauce and shuffle the pan until the tofu is covered with soy sauce and a deep brown color.   After 3-5 minutes, add the tofu to the sweet potatoes, wipe out the pan, and return to the heat.

4. Add two teaspoons of peanut oil to the pan.  When hot, add the shallots.  Season with salt and cook over medium high heat for several minutes until golden.  Set aside. Simmer bok choy in salted water until tender, 4-5 minutes.  Add the bok choy and shallots to the curry mixture.

5. Serve over rice with lime wedges on side, or squeeze the lime juice directly into the curry mixture.