Socca Chickpea Flatbread

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chickpea flatbread recipe, clean eating, gluten free bread recipe, healthy eating, New Years Resolutions, socca recipe, Yoga With Paul

New Year is a great time to revamp your recipe vault. Adding a new staple to your healthful eating routine is a great way to keep your food choices on track.

For me, convenience, simplicity, flavour and nutrition are paramount.

Socca

Socca, aka chickpea flour flatbread, ticks all those boxes. Originating in Provence, this delicious, naturally gluten free and vegan flatbread is perfect for a quick lunch, snack, or to serve along with soup and salad as a light dinner.

The following recipe is adapted from BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

• 75g gram flour (chickpea flour)
• ¼ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients with 185ml water in a bowl.

2. Heat the oil in a 20-25cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

3. Turn the heat up a little and use a ladle to pour half the socca batter into the pan. Cook for 6 minutes on each side, or until golden and slightly crisp. You should be able to lift the edges of the pancake away from the pan and easily lift and flip the pancake without it breaking. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serving suggestions

Socca is fantastic with soups, stews, curries and chilli.
It can be used as a thin crispy “pizza” base.
It is delicious with salsa, guacamole and other dips.
You can top it with nut butters if you’re vegan, cheese if you’re not.

Share your topping ideas in the comments!

photo credit: mcotner socca sliced via photopin (license)

Ayurvedic Cooling Foods

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Ayurvedic foods, clean eating, food yoga, healthy eating, nutrition yoga, seasonal eating, summer food, Yoga With Paul

Whether you’re loving or loathing the relentless Southern Hemisphere-style heat this summer, your body definitely needs a little extra care and attention. Daily life requires more effort on hot days, from the cellular level on up.

Ayurveda, the ancient Indian wellness system, teaches that we need to balance our intake of hot and cold to maintain health and harmony.

When the weather is hotter, we should eat more cooling foods. Here’s what you should be tucking into, according to Indian website NDTV.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Summer fruits

Watermelon, kiwi, strawberries and apricots all help cool the body. They are also great sources of hydration, electrolytes and vitamins, so stock up at your local farmers’ market.

Vegetables

Another great source of water and nutrients are vegetables. Ayurveda recommends mushrooms, tomato, asparagus, lettuce and aubergine as excellent cooling options.

Soy

Not just cooling, but an excellent source of protein. All soy products are supposed to be beneficial, including tofu and milk.

What are your favourite cooling summer foods? Share in the comments!

 

No-Bake Key Lime Pie Bars

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clean eating, gluten free Key Lime pie, healthy eating, Minimalist Baker, no bake desserts, vegan gluten free, vegan Key Lime Pie, vegan recipes, Yoga With Paul

Lime is one of the  most delicious flavours of summer — sour, bright, pungent, it is a perfect refresher in hot weather. If you are looking for something a little more yoga friendly than a mojito (ahem!) try these no-bake Key lime pie bars. They are easy to make, vegan and gluten free.

Photo via Minimalist Baker

The recipe is from the Minimalist Baker, which is a terrific site. It focuses on amazing food made from simple, whole food ingredients. Whenever I browse I immediately want to try every recipe!

The ingredients are below. For the full recipe instructions click here.

Ingredients

FILLING

• 120 g raw cashews
• 240 g coconut cream* (the hardened portion at the top of canned full fat coconut milk or coconut cream)
• 14 g arrowroot starch (or cornstarch, though I prefer arrowroot in this recipe)
• 120 ml lime juice (regular or key lime)
• 4 g lime zest (2 limes yield ~1 heaping Tbsp or 4 g)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 60 ml maple syrup (or agave nectar // plus more to taste)
• 14 g organic powdered sugar (optional // for topping)

CRUST

• 80 g gluten-free oats
• 100 g almonds (I mixed almonds and pecans)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 18 g coconut sugar
• 45–60 ml coconut oil (melted)

What’s your favourite summer flavour? Share in the comments!

3 Life-Changing Food Ideas

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Algarve yoga holiday, changing habits, clean eating, food yoga, healthy eating, summer yoga holiday, vegan food, vegetarian food, Yoga Holiday With Paul, Yoga With Paul

One of the best things about Yoga Holiday With Paul — this year and every year — is the food. It is amazing how alive and energised you feel after eating fresh, simple, veggie food. Even though my daily diet is pretty sound, the difference a week of really clean eating makes is notable.

The trouble of course is that I don’t have fantastic caterers to follow me around London and serve me amazing meals (though if anyone is interested… get in touch!)

The contrast between the luxurious simplicity of having great, fresh food provided for every meal and the ordinary juggle of trying to eat well while rushing between studios, classes, and other commitments got me thinking.

Is there a way to recreate some of that culinary magic without A) breaking the bank or
B) giving up work and spending all day at the farmers’ market?

Mealtime, Yoga Holiday With Paul style

Here are three ideas, ranging from budget to investment… I’d love to hear yours!

1. Simplify:

   Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, focusing on simplicity can help bring us back to eating whole foods in their natural state. A lot of the delicious dishes we enjoyed on the Yoga Holiday were fresh salads. What could be easier than filling a bowl with greens and adding tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrot and beetroot, sliced radishes, etc? A splash of lemon juice and drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil is as clean and easy a dressing as you could wish for.
   Chopped fruit, or even just a bowl of berries or figs, is a perfect sweet or snack.

2. Break one bad habit:

   We all have food weaknesses: crisps, chocolates, second helpings, extra cream in our coffee. When we’re fired up about eating better we often decide to renounce them all at once. The result? We feel deprived, get frustrated, give up. Instead of trying to have a “perfect” diet, why not give up just one thing? Maybe you don’t really like those afternoon biscuits, but they’re a habit; or maybe you pour a glass of wine when you get home without even thinking about it. Find one little habit like that, and break it. Replace the biscuits with fruit, have a glass of iced cloudy lemonade instead of wine… whatever you choose, focus on swapping the less-healthful habit for something that is going to actively make you feel better.

3. Invest in food:

   You invest in yoga classes and equipment to keep your body healthy; you invest in grooming treatments and products to keep it looking its best; you invest in hobbies and holidays to stay happy and balanced. You should also invest in food. If you think about it, the money you spend on fruit, vegetables, and whole or near-whole foods is probably a lot less than you spend on processed products. Make a decision to invest more of your food money in products that are going to actively promote wellness. This might mean setting aside time and money for a weekly outing to the farmers’ market, it might mean upping the fruits and vegetables in your Ocado order, it might even mean trying meal delivery services like It’s Thyme that offer prepped vegan and vegetarian food for home cooking,

What’s your best tip for better eating? Share in the comments!

4 Steps to Eat Right, Now

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clean eating, food for yoga, habit change, healthful food, healthy eating, plant-based diet, yoga eating, Yoga Holiday With Paul, Yoga With Paul

In my last post I talked about the importance of eating well to prepare your body and mind for yoga retreats. But of course, eating well is for every day, not just for holiday!

Eating right can be difficult, though, especially if you feel like you don’t know enough, or can’t afford the time or money to change your diet. The truth is, there are simple ways you can clean up your eating habits, right now.

Eating right on Yoga Holiday With Paul

You don’t have to embark on a diet that is free of this, or loaded with that. You don’t have to measure or weigh or count calories. To begin feeling, looking and being more healthy, you just have to adopt some basic principles.

This advice is from No Meat Athlete, a website about plant-based nutrition for athletes.

For the newcomer or born-again healthy eater, I know of no better source of guidance than the aforementioned Michael Pollan. Pollan is not a vegetarian, and his whole-food-based, local, sustainable approach to eating is adaptable to a variety of ethical and health viewpoints.

What I find most appealing about Michael Pollan is the simplicity of his approach, and the resulting ease of applying his rules.  Start with Food Rules for a quick understanding of all that he teaches, then move on to In Defense of Food for the “why’s.”  A few of his most useful rules-of-thumb:

• Buy foods that are made with five ingredients or fewer.

• Don’t eat anything your grandmother or great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (Go-gurt?)

• Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

• Eat all the junk food you want, as long as you cook it yourself.

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll surprise yourself with how quickly your eating choices become positive choices. As you get comfortable with this, you’ll see that changing your diet and well-being for the better is a manageable, step-by-step process!

What are your best tips for eating healthy, right now? Share in the comments!

4 Steps to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

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daily yoga, healthy eating, healthy habits, holiday weight, holiday yoga, hot yoga, routine, sleep habits, weight-loss, yoga practice, Yoga With Paul

Holiday weight gain is hard to avoid. It’s cold, we’re busy; mince pies, mulled wine and multi-course dinners are everywhere, not to mention the party nibbles and hangover breakfasts. In short, it is easy to put on a few pounds over the holidays. However, with these four steps it is possible to avoid holiday weight gain without abandoning the social circuit or sticking to carrot sticks. Here’s how.

Eat

The problem with gaining weight over the holidays is not that we eat too much, it’s that we eat too much of the wrong things (and then compensate by cutting back elsewhere). This year, make a rule that you eat three healthful meals a day. Think soup, chili, stews, veggie curries, rice and beans — anything that is filling and nutritious. When your body has everything it needs it won’t crave junk, meaning you’ll be able to have a few bites of this or that Christmas treat and not feel deprived.

Sleep

It isn’t just extra calories that trigger weight gain, it’s how our body processes the energy we put in. The best way to keep your hormones and metabolism on track is to be sure you have enough sleep. When you’re sleep deprived, your body tries to compensate in all kinds of ways, including increased appetite and fat storage. It can be tempting to burn the candle at both ends but making rest a priority will make you happier and healthier.

Yoga

Moving your body is essential. Right now it is so tempting to stay bundled up and hunker down. Don’t! Every single day you go to the studio is a different day than if you don’t. You will work, energize, cleanse, and align your body. Yoga will keep your digestion on track, your skin glowing, your muscles toned, and your mind at peace. If you absolutely can’t make it to a class do 20-30 minutes at home. You’ll feel the difference.

Repeat

Creating a routine is one of the best ways to get through the holidays with your waistline and sense of good cheer intact. Try to get the same amount of sleep every night (even if it’s a bit less than normal), go to the same number of yoga classes each week if possible and, of course, eat! You’ll be amazed how how good you feel come January.

Share your best tips for maintaining your weight during the holidays in the comments!

 

6 Super Prebiotic Foods

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best yoga foods, British autumn food, clean eating, healthy eating, prebiotic foods, seasonal food, yoga food, Yoga With Paul

There are probiotic and prebiotic foods. What’s the difference?

photo credit: wuestenigel Products, garlic and onion via photopin (license)

Probiotic foods contain friendly bacteria that can help promote health. Prebiotic foods are foods that support the action of probiotics, meaning your body gets more benefits. It sounds a bit confusing, but the point is, the two types of foods are thought to work together to improve your digestion and overall wellness.

According to One Green Planet:

Prebiotic foods are like fuel for good bacteria. They have certain fibrous carbohydrates that nourish the good bacteria to help it to grow. This process helps build a healthy microbiome, which is our defense system against toxins we encounter from animal products, the environment, poor quality tap-water, and common yeast and viruses or other types of fungi.

So, get out your grocery list and make note. Here are six super prebiotic foods to add to your eating plan.

Apples

This is the perfect time of year to enjoy lots of fresh, crisp seasonal apples — and it will do your gut a world of good. Apples are rich in a fibre called pectin which feeds good bacteria. They are also high in vitamin C, to help boost your immunity in cold weather.

photo credit: Mal Booth Still Life – Fruit via photopin (license)

Bananas

Everyone’s favourite smoothie starter is also a great prebiotic. Bananas are high in fibre but gentle on the stomach. They are a great source of potassium, making them ideal for topping up your electrolytes after a sweaty hot yoga session. I like to chop up a few ripe bananas and keep them in the freezer to add to smoothies.

Beans

The complex starches in beans feed the good bacteria in your gut. Some people find them hard to stomach at first, but you can ease any problems by soaking them overnight and cooking them till they are very soft. One of my favourite ways to eat beans is whizzed up in a dip like hummus, which is even easier to digest.

photo credit: Scot Nelson Cabbage (Brassica oleracea): Black rot via photopin (license)

Cabbage

It’s the main ingredient in sauerkraut and kimchi so it’s no surprise cabbage is good for you, even un-fermented! Shred it up in salad or coleslaw, or add it to hearty autumn soups or stews. You can even use whole leaves to make gluten free wraps.

Garlic & Onions

Garlic and onions have so many health benefits, they should practically be on prescription. Their antibacterial properties help defend your gut against bad bacteria while promoting the growth of good. Yogis also benefit from their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Sweet potatoes

Another autumn staple, sweet potatoes are can be roasted, fried, baked, boiled, mashed or made into crisps. They are packed with soluble fibre which is important for your gut health. Hot yoga fans take note, they are another great source of potassium for post-studio refueling.

Have a seasonal recipe or food tip? Share in the comments!

 

British Summer Berry Salad

Tags

British seasonal food, British summer berries, clean eating, fruit salad recipes, healthy eating, hydration, summer berry salad, yoga, Yoga Holiday With Paul, Yoga With Paul

Fruit salad was a favourite dish at Yoga Holiday With Paul. It is fresh, seasonal, packed with nutrients, and very hydrating. So I decided to create an “at-home” version using seasonal British summer berries.

I was going to call this “Summer Berry Salad Recipe” but I’m not sure fruit salad needs a “recipe”. My approach is to buy the best fruit I can find, preferably at a farmer’s market, then mix into a heaping bowl suitable to share, or to put in containers and take to the studio for a pre- or post-class snack.

Here are some ideas for summer berry combos and extras to make them even more nutritious and healthful.

Berries

Selection of seasonal British berries such as

• blueberries
• strawberries
• raspberries
• currants
• tayberries

Extras

• whole-grain muesli
• plain dairy or soya yogurt
• shredded coconut
• chopped almonds or walnuts
• raisins or dates
• chia or sunflower seeds

Assembly

1. Mix 200-500g of gently washed berries
2. Add 50g muesli
3. Add 150g yogurt
4. Top with: chopped nuts, dried fruit and seeds

Eat immediately or pop in the fridge for later!

Share your favourite summer berry tips in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul

 

 

 

Vegan Breakfast goes Benedict

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avocado breakfast recipes, clean eating, healthy eating, vegan benedict recipes, vegan breakfast recipes, yoga food, Yoga With Paul

I’m not often one to go for vegan “substitutes” for processed foods. Though they’re fun as an occasional treat I enjoy whole foods and simple ingredients so much that veggie sausages, or what have you, don’t have a huge appeal.

What I do like are recipes that suggest fun, nutritious, whole-food takes on traditional favourites. Like this tofu avocado Benedict. Eggs Benedict is such a brunch classic that you can almost feel left out if you don’t eat eggs, or buttery Hollandaise. This clever recipes from My Darling Vegan uses simple, whole food ingredients and easy preparation to make a delicious version of the classic. So you’ll never miss this posh brunch option again!

Vegan benedict, photo My Darling Vegan

Ingredients below, please visit My Darling Vegan for the full recipe.

Ingredients

1. 1 muffin
2. 2 thick slices of tomato
3. 120g firm or extra firm tofu
4. a small handful of romaine lettuce
5. 1/2 small avocado vegan
6. hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)
7. salt and pepper
8. 2 tablespoon canola oil

VEGAN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

1. 2 tablespoon vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
2. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3. 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
4. 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
5. 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)
6. salt and pepper
7. pinch of cayenne
8. pinch of turmeric (optional, for color)

Share your favourite brunch treat in the comments!

Butternut Squash and Cashew Soup

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autumn recipes, British food, butternut squash soup, clean eating, food for yoga, healthy eating, hydration, seasonal eating, seasonal food, soup recipes, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, yoga, Yoga With Paul

Autumn is the perfect time to retreat to the kitchen. Nights are longer, days are chilly, and a home-cooked meal is so comforting. Soup is a staple of mine. It is easy, you can make a big pot and freeze the extra, and it delivers a hit of nutrients and hydration that is perfect before or after yoga.

I like to add a few new recipes to my soup collection every year, and this one caught my eye because of the addition of toasted cashews to an old favourite, butternut squash. Adding nuts boosts the protein, fibre and healthy fat content of the soup and makes it filling enough for a meal.

The original recipe from What A Girl Eats calls for dairy but I might substitute coconut milk or soya cream diluted with a little water. I’m tempted to add some spice too — either fresh chopped birds’ eye chillies or a dash of hot sauce.

What would you add? Share your variations in the comments!

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, cubed.
• 400ml chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 60g butter or coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Heavy cream or coconut milk
• Kosher salt, and white pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Halve squash and place cut side up in a baking pan with ½” of water. bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Squash won’t be fully cooked, but slightly tender. Cool.Using a vegetable peeler, peel of outer skin and scrap inside to remove seeds and stringy fibers. Cut into cubes.
3. In a Dutch oven or large pot heat butter/coconut oil and olive oil until hot and shimmering. Add shallots and stir, for a minute or two. Add garlic, stir. Add squash and broth and bring to a boil. Add thyme and bay leaf, reduced heat and cover. Simmer on low about 45 minutes until squash is tender. Remove bay leaf and thyme sticks, if there are any
4. Puree soup using an immersion blender or upright blender, until smooth.
5. Return soup to pot, add cream or coconut milk to thin to desired consistency. Finish with toasted, chopped cashews and a drizzle of cream.

Read the full recipe at What A Girl Eats

photo credit: prideandvegudice Butternut Squash Soup! via photopin (license)