Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virginia One weekend at this lovely, kind ashram is a weekend of great yoga, friendly people, and scrumptious vegan fare at every meal.

Easy Crispy Kale

Easy Crispy Kale Buy kale in a bag or by the leaf. Remove large stems. Preheat oven to 400°. Spread on a cookie sheet. Spray with spray oil, your favorite brand and sprinkle with seasoning if you like. I don't personnally. I like it plain. Bake for 5 minutes, remove and toss a little. Bake for five more minutes. Check if it is crisp enough for you. Put it in for a little longer if it isn't. Keep checking. It is easy to burn. Let cool. Put in a bowl and eat like chips!

Veggie pizza. Use trader joes fresh pizza dough in their deli. Spread corn meal and some oil on pizza pan, let dough rise a bit, flattened on pan under cloth, add water to tomato paste and stir, spray oil on pizza dough spread tomato paste, and herbs. Use fresh mozzarella (lots), spread half of grated fresh mozzarella (freeze to help with grating), add fresh baby spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, halved black olives. Bake for 20 minutes. Yummm!!!!

Tempah for the Masses

Pan fried tempeh in olive oil has mass appeal. Slice the tempeh block along the short way in 1/4 inch pieces. Heat a quarter inch of olive oil in a frying pan. Keep a watch. Olive oil gets hot fast. Cook each side of the tempeh slices for about a minute. Then drain on a paper towel. Salt if desired. Or use a seasoned salt. Or low sodium salt. Or just eat straight. It will go quickly so why not cook two blocks? This same technique can be used with the tempeh cut in blocks and added to curries. Delicious!!

Won Ton Variations

Ingredients:

won ton wrappers

Filling One:

herbed chevre

mushrooms

pesto sauce

Topping Two:

mushrooms

fresh ginger

soy sauce

Filling Three:

mushrooms

fresh ginger

indian style sauted okra (recipe included)

Fill won ton squares with layers of the toppings to equal about one tablespoon.

Dip fingers in water or use brush and coat the edges of won ton and close up at top (see picture).

The fresh ginger should be finely grated ginger--use just a pinch.

For the okra, cook some butter in a skillet, grill cumin seeds, turmeric, ground coriander in the butter. Add fresh okra cut in inch sized pieces and saute. Very yummy plain, but also nice in this recipe.

The master chef continues the exploratory journey across the human palate--Sarah Winkowski

Stuffed Pears from Barefoot Contessa

Cut pears in half and take seeds out with a spoon. Mix bleu cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together. Spoon evenly into pears. Mix port wine, brown sugar, lemon juice and pour over pears. Bake for half hour at 350. Very yummy.

Stuffed Greek Tomatoes

Start with big fresh home grown tomatoes or vine ripened.
Slice tops off and reserve. Dig pulp out and simmer with salt, pepper and sugar.
Saute onion, garlic, in olive oil.
Add cooked short or medium grain rice.
Add roasted pine nuts, fresh mint, rice, raisins, fresh parsley salt and pepper.
Strain sauce made from pulp.
Stuff tomatoes with rice mixture and put tops back on.
Place in casserole dish. Add dry white wine to pulp sauce and pour over tomatoes.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375.

Yum