There’s something about fall that beckons us back to routine and comfort in our mornings. Oats, nuts, seeds, and cooked fruits are all foods that build and nourish our bodily tissues, and should therefore be favored this time of year. Below is a recipe for my current iteration of oatmeal that is guaranteed to get me out of bed...
Read moreBreakfast Smoothies
The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, writer, and teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute’s growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.
As the temperature climbs higher still, it's tempting to forgo breakfast altogether. Don't do it! The quintessential summertime breakfast, the smoothie, has been around since the 1970s, but has recently seen a surge in both popularity and creativity. Gone are the straightforward banana/strawberry swirls of my childhood. Now, smoothies are expected to have complex flavor and be chock-full of nutrients. Since I am a yogi on the run (and I suspect most of you don't have time to kill in the morning), I've provided two ways below to combine your breakfast with your morning drink-of-choice. That's right, no more juggling multiple mugs on your commute!
Lime Green Smoothie
3/4 cup coconut water or 1/4 cup greek yogurt plus 1/2 cup water
1 handful baby spinach
1 frozen banana
1/4 of an avocado
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon Matcha green tea powder, optional
Maple syrup to taste (sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't)
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
Beans and Nuts Smoothie
1/4 cup cold brew coffee or 1 shot espresso
1/2 cup milk of your choice (cow, almond, hemp)
2 Tbs almond butter
1 frozen banana
A dash of cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
And here are a few tips to help you become a smoothie pro:
- Pre-freeze your bananas. Anytime you've got a bunch and one starts to go brown, peel it and toss it in a bag in the freezer. I can't tell you how much easier this makes things.
- For the tea drinkers: invest in some matcha! Creamy and mild, matcha is a varietal of green tea processed into a powder. It is known for its ability to simultaneously increase both alertness and calm.
- For the coffee drinkers: cold brew your coffee. With just a bit of foresight, you can be out the door without ever needing to turn on your kettle. I find cold brew to be so much better on my finicky tummy--the acidity can be as much as 65% lower than coffee made with heat! A quick primer: take 3/4 cups of very coarsely ground beans and 4 cups of water and place in a glass container at room temperature overnight (12 hours), then strain with cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate.
- Get creative... but not too creative. It is very easy to end up with too many competing flavors. When in doubt, make a small test batch. Some things you can add that will give your smoothie more oomph and texture while preserving the taste include: chia seeds, hemp hearts, ground flax seed, and rolled oats.
-Liz Montgomery
Mushroom Millet Bowl
The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, writer, and teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute’s growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.
There's nothing quite like feeling nourished by your food. For me, it means a combination of deep flavor and varied texture. It's also got to fill me up and be easy to digest. This recipe fills that tall order, and then some! I've enjoyed it as a hearty lunch, a light dinner, and even as breakfast with the addition of a fried egg. A note about tempeh: tempeh is a loaf of whole, fermented soybeans. It's a good idea to limit one's intake of soy for a variety of health reasons. Look for tempeh that's non-GMO and made with the addition of whole grains, such as brown rice and millet.
Mushroom Millet Bowl
Adapted from Sara Britton's My New Roots cookbook
Serves 4
Ingredients
2-inch knob fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs brown rice vinegar
9 ounces tempeh
1 cup millet
3 Tbs sesame seeds
3 Tbs ghee
3 cups packed spinach
1/2 lb mushrooms, washed and sliced (I use Baby Bella but any variety will do)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
sesame oil for garnish
Method
1. Marinate the tempeh: in a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown rice vinegar, and maple syrup. Cut the tempeh into several thin triangles and place them in the marinade. Allow to soak in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
2. Cook the millet: in a small saucepan, combine the millet with 2 cups water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms and spinach: in a skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 Tbs of the ghee on medium/low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 min. Push the onions to the edges of the pan and add another 1 Tbs of ghee, increasing the heat a bit. Add the mushrooms, resisting the temptation to stir, and let them brown on one side, about 5 min. Mix the onions in with the mushrooms and let cook for another 5 min. Take the tempeh out of the fridge and pour about 1 Tbs of the marinade over the mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach until it wilts. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 Tbs ghee in the pan, increase to hight heat, and add the tempeh. Brown on one side for about 5 minute. Flip the tempeh triangles, pour the rest of the marinade over them, and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and remove from the heat.
4. Assemble the bowls: a generous scoop of millet serves as a base for the mushrooms and spinach. Layer 1-2 pieces of tempeh on top. Drizzle with sesame oil and adjust seasonings to taste. East slowly and savor.
-Liz Montgomery
Glo Bars
The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, and a teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute's growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.
Before I discovered this fantastic recipe, I was always diving into coffee shops and street corner markets for a snack between teaching engagements. I was consistently disappointed, though, by the huge sugar and carbohydrate loads these on-the-go snacks delivered. Then I discovered that I could make granola bars at home, and everything changed. I make a batch of these every weekend, varying them slightly so I don’t get bored. It is worth investing in some of the ingredients that you may not have on hand—who knows, you might even be inspired to seek out other recipes that make use of them!
Glo Bars
Adapted from Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows Cookbook
Base Recipe Ingredients:
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ¼ cups rice crisp cereal
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbs sesame seeds
2 Tbs chia seeds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup + 1 Tbs brown rice syrup
¼ cup almond butter
¼ teaspoon salt (only if your almond butter is salt free)
1 tsp vanilla extract
parchment paper
tin foil or small waxed paper storage bags
Optional Add-Ins (use your judgment in determining what goes well together):
¼ cup dried cranberries OR chocolate chips
¼ cup pepitas OR chopped pecans
¼ cup candied ginger
2 Tbs flaxseed meal
½ tsp ground cardamom
Method:
- Line a 9-inch square or rectangular pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, rice crisp cereal, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, chia, cinnamon, and salt (if using). Mix.
- In a small saucepan, stir together brown rice syrup and peanut butter until melted and combined. Cook over medium high heat until the liquids start to gently bubble. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
- Pour the liquids over the oats. Use a spatula to scrape every bit out of the pan. Stir with a large spoon until the dry ingredients are completely coated with the wet. If using any add-ins, allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding them in.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, once again scraping the bowl with the spatula. Spread out in an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press out to the edges of the pan, evening out and compacting the surface.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Using the edges of the parchment paper like handles, lift it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. With a pizza roller or serrated knife, slice in half once horizontally and then several times vertically (I’ll let you judge how big you want your granola bars to be).
- Wrap the bars individually in foil squares or waxed paper sandwich bags and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Grab a bar as you head out the door and enjoy an energizing snack!
-Liz Montgomery
Warming Winter Lentils
Lentils and rice are a fantastic combination for this time of the year when, as the air gets drier, our bodies need foods that contain moisture. This is my go-to lunch for late fall. It’s vegetarian: a good balance for those meat-heavy holiday meals. The spices are warming and stimulate good digestion. You can eat the pared down version or embellish it, making each meal feel like a special preparation even though the leftovers take no time to throw together. Convinced yet? Here’s the recipe:
Warming Winter Lentils
Ingredients
1 cup long grain basmati rice (I prefer white with this recipe, but brown is fine if you’re looking for that extra nutritional punch)
6 ½ cups water
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbs. unsalted butter (or ghee!)
1 cup onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. powdered turmeric
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed
Coarse salt to taste
Preparation
- Rinse rice with cold water and then place in a medium-sized pot with 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a boil; while you’re waiting, pre-mince the ginger & garlic and pre-dice the onions. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and set a timer for 20 minutes if using white rice, 35 if using brown.
- Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds to toast, shaking the pan every few seconds for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Transfer toasted cumin to a plate. Add butter to the pan and once heated, add onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir ever few seconds with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, or until tender, being careful not to burn. Add turmeric and toasted cumin. Stir to combine.
- Add the lentils and remaining 5 cups of water to the spice mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Cook until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in coarse salt to taste.
- To serve, spoon out some rice and top with lentils. Embellish as you see fit!
Embellishments – put these on top!
- fresh cilantro
- mango chutney (store bought or homemade)
- plain yogurt
- sliced avocado
- oven roasted carrots
- diced cucumber mixed with a splash of salt, sugar, and white vinegar
-Liz Montgomery