Local Yogi meets Local Farmer's Market: Delicious Recipe Made with Tasty Local Foods

Focus Yoga is all for encouraging eating locally and in season. To support local farmers, we offered a CSA last year, and this year are linking interested students with a local farmer offering poultry, eggs, cheese and produce (contact us for details).  


Also, this year, Judi asked Focus Yoga instructor Theresa Mikuls to create some recipes using local, in season produce. Theresa is our in-house culinary expert, having worked in restaurant kitchens such as the Ritz-Carlton. Since many Focus yogi's like to eat healthy and locally, Theresa hit the farmer's market to see what local farmers are providing right now. She took the bounty and developed this recipe to share. Greens (chard and beet greens) are an amazing food to include as they are super-alkalizing. Here Theresa uses the whole beet! If you have other veggies you'd like to use, they can be included, or work as substitutions. Try this dish hot or cold. Serves 4. Enjoy!!

Summer Thai Peanut Stir Fry

Thai Peanut Butter Coconut Sauce

• 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 TBS fish sauce
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 TBS hot sauce (optional)
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1 TBS fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, chopped

Directions

In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, fish sauce, coconut milk, hot sauce (if using), lime juice, ginger root, soy sauce, and garlic. Add fresh cilantro or basil just before serving. Sauce may be added to hot or cold pasta.

Sauteed Tofu

• One box of tofu, drained

Directions

Wrap the block of tofu in a towel and cover with a heavy plate or brick to squeeze out excess water. This may take 20 min or more. Heat large saute pan with 2TBS of extra virgin olive oil. Add tofu and carefully flip cubes over until sides are lightly browned. Add browned tofu to finished sauce.

Stir-fry Fresh Vegetables and Noodles

• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 each sliced Shallots and sliced green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
• 2 cups beet leaves, chopped
• 2 summer squashes, sliced 
• 2 orange or red beets, quartered 
• Noodles of choice (try whole wheat, rice or udon)

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot. You can reuse the hot pasta water for blanching off the Swiss chard and beet leaves. Bring pasta water to boil add the chopped Swiss Chard and Beet leaves to boiling water. Boil for two minutes and strain off water (save hot water to cook beets). Boil beets 5 or less minutes check for tenderness. Strain beets. Peel and slice beets.

Over medium heat add oil into a large sauté pan. Add Shallots and Green Onions. Cook stirring occasionally. Add Garlic, chopped Summer Squash and drained Swiss chard and Beets leaves.

Add the beets to the vegetables. Mix sauce with vegetables and pour over pasta.