Butternut, Chickpea and Coconut Stew

Despite the fact that we are supposedly working our way towards British summer (key word: British) the sun seems to be having a hard time staying out. Just when I think the climate is getting slightly warmer we plunge back into wind and rain. And although it can be slightly gloomy at times it does mean over here we can eat oatmeal, stews, sweet potato (aka warm comfort meals, aka the best foods) pretty much all year round. Wahoo!

On one particularly cold day last week I got a tagine to take away from a tiny café near my house. It was chickpea, coconut and butternut squash and it was divine. I wanted to recreate something similar. This stew is warming and delicious. It is super comforting and full to the brim with flavour and nutrition.

Ingredients: {serves 6}

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp tumeric

1 tsp ground coriander

2 x garlic bulbs

1 large onion

400 ml veggie stock

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 medium butternut squash

1 large aubergine

1 x can coconut milk (full fat so it is super thick and creamy - yum!)

1 x can chickpeas
1 x 250g bag of spinach

Rice or quinoa to serve! (Or even some courgetti/ zoodles if you fancy it!)

Method:

Begin by grounding the cumin, mustard and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Then prepare the vegetables: peel and finely slice the garlic and onion, peel and de-seed the butternut squash, then cut the butternut and aubergine into bite-sized chunks too.

In a large pan melt the coconut oil on a low heat, adding all the spices, garlic and onion. Stir gently, coating the garlic and onion with the spices, sautéing for 5-10 minutes until the onion in soft.

Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, tomato puree and butternut squash, bringing the mixture to the boil. Place the lid on the pan and allow this to simmer for 20 minutes on a medium heat. Stirring occasionally.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the pan along with the aubergine. Replace the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

By this point the butternut squash should be really soft (yum!). Turn off the heat and add the spinach, mixing it in gently into the stew so that it wilts.

Serve with rice or quinoa or salad or whatever you fancy! Enjoy!!

  

A Raw Vegan Coconut-Mocha Dairy, Gluten, Soy and Nut Free Cheesecake (woah...)

One of my closest friends is allergic to nuts. Combine that with my allergies to soy and dairy, plus veganism, it can be pretty damn hard to come up with any food let alone a dessert that both of us can enjoy. But a few days ago we decided to have a sleepover at my house and no sleepover is complete without One Tree Hill (obvs) and sweet treat, so I knew I had to come up with something.

In Bali I tried two different raw cheesecakes that were out of this world incredible; both were coconut mocha. Usually cashew nuts are used in raw vegan desserts as they provide a creamy base so good I can 100% guarantee it will fool even the biggest health food/ nut-hater! But with Emma being allergic to nuts cashews were just not an option, so instead I decided to trail coconut (actually a seed) to see if that would create the decadent cheesecake texture I was after. I was worried that using coconut might take away from the creamy, I-am-a-delicious-amazing-treat-you-must-eat-me-now feel but it totally didn't. And after a slice (or two) it was decided that this raw vegan mocha and coconut cheesecake that is free from any unnatural/ refined sugar, gluten, dairy, soy and nuts (woah what a mouthful!) was most definitely a success!

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup oats (gluten-free if required)

1 cup medjool dates (soaked for 10 mins in boiling water)

½ cup desiccated coconut

Filling:

1 pack of creamed coconut (200g) (left in fridge overnight to solidify)

3 tbsp pure maple syrup/ raw honey

2 tsp of vanilla extract

¼ cup oats

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp cacao powder

1/2 - 1 tsp coffee powder (depending how strong you would like the coffee flavour)

Method: {serves 8-10}

Grease a spring bottom cake tin with coconut oil.

Place all the base ingredients into a blender and blend until a combined, sticky mixture is formed. (This may take around 5-10 minutes. Add a splash of water if struggling to combine).

Press this sticky base evenly into the bottom of the tin.

Rinse the blender then place in all the ‘filling’ ingredients, aside from the cacao and coffee powder. Blend until a smooth, creamy mixture is formed, adding slightly more water if needed (it should be almost the consistency of thick cream).

Pour half of this mix evenly on top of the base, then place onto a flat surface in the freezer so it begins to set.

Add the cacao and coffee powder to the remaining filling mixture and blend again until combined (you may want to add an extra tsp of vanilla here or a tbsp. of water to taste to ensure a sweet, creamy mocha flavour and texture).

Take the tin from the freezer and top with the remaining filling – ensuring an even top.

Pop back into the freezer and leave for 3-4 hours to set.

Remove from the freezer, allow to melt slightly, slice and serve! 

You may want to leave the cheesecake to defrost slightly for about half an hour before you eat it. But this is great as the cheesecake slices can be stored in containers in the freezer for a couple of weeks (in the unlikely event that you actually have any left…)

Namaste

I am home. Back in the land of rain and jumpers, and I couldn't be happier. I will admit there is a part of me that is longing for the heat, yoga with the sunrise and my new friends. But. I am home. And nothing compares to that feeling.

The past three and a half weeks have been incredible and at times I find myself wondering whether they even happened. But the certificate hidden safely in one of my anatomy book and the new knowledge in my head remind me that the trip wasn’t just some wild figment of my imagination.

When we started the course we were told that we would leave changed – different people than those that arrived. And I think I have. I’m not saying I have come back from Bali with a completely different persona or as someone you wouldn’t recognise, but I think those three weeks have made me braver. For one thing I am no longer afraid of solo travel; in fact I am already trying to decide how I might chase the sun next. I’ve also realised that there were (and still are) patterns and habits in my life that I need to change, to move away from because they simply do not serve me. I’ve come back with a feeling of potential that I didn’t have before… or maybe my trip has helped me see that; to believe in myself. But I am so excited for what the future now holds.

The end of the course didn’t really feel like an ending; it was more a beginning. The start of making a life out of the thing that changed my whole perspective and makes me so happy, and I now have the chance to share it with others. As a yoga teacher I get to help people find some balance in the craziness that is life – and that is such a privilege and a gift.

So Bali you were amazing. More than I ever could have hoped for. I am sure that someday I will see you again but for now thank you for helping me dream a little bigger. Namaste. 

Thus To Paraphrase Taylor Swift

Last night was amazing. I felt like I was in a movie or One Tree Hill or [insert rom-com name here]. A big group of us went out for dinner to a place called Soma in Ubud town centre. It is a beautiful restaurant where all the seating surrounds a large stone courtyard. The ten of us couldn't fit at one of the usual tables so instead were shown to a one placed in the corner of the courtyard. It gets dark in Bali around 6.30pm so the outside was decorated with an array of fairy lights and lanterns. The food Soma serve is incredible (can you say raw vegan mocha cheesecake!!!! Er, yum!), but it wasn't the dessert that made it so special (admittedly it contributed). What made the evening amazing, to me, was the people, both those who I had gone out for dinner with and the three locals (including the restaurant owner) who joined us especially to play music and to sit with us.

I have always felt pretty self conscious in public places when I'm in front of people I don't know. I hate the thought that others might judge me despite not knowing me. I'll tell myself over and over who care what anyone else thinks, but honestly, me, I do. So I hold myself back and try to fit in. But then last night as everyone else was laughing and singing to the music, being a little loud, but having an incredible time I decided I didn't want to worry about that anymore. I don't want to worry about trying to conform to ideals about normality or what makes someone 'cool' or beautiful. I was surrounded by the most amazing girls (and Adam), who just glow from the inside out. They are so full of life, they grasp every moment and really live it. And, stand out or not, it doesn't matter, because they do what is right for them, what makes them happy, and that is so inspirational to me. The girls I have spent the last three weeks with shine so bright; their happiness is contagious. I think maybe their softness comes from holding so little weight in what others think about them; there is room to love everything and everybody.

So last night trying to bridge a gap between age and nationality we threw out names of songs the local men might know so we could sing to the music they played. I think the most successful was 'Hallelujah', even if some of the verses' lyrics were a little questionable. And rather than sitting feeling silly I decided to wholeheartedly join in. Result? Best night ever.

Thus to paraphrase Taylor Swift... who cares what anyone else thinks you look like? The cool kids might think you dance like an idiot but ultimately who is having more fun? Those putting others down and trying to conform to their own ideas about what is 'cool', or those who are loving the moment so completely and singing from the top of their lungs?

Just Call Me A Yoga Teacher

Just call me a yoga teacher. Today I taught my first ever yoga class! I won't lie, I was freaking out before. Not in the hours directly leading up to my class (MY class!!!) but the days before I suspect there's a few people who could vouch for my insanity. I'm trying to pinpoint what exactly it is I was freaking out about, but honestly it was everything. Comfort me about one and I would become anxious about another. I wanted to achieve perfection.

A few days ago in class we were speaking about the patterns we create in our lives; about the habits that are so ingrained within our everyday that we can't help but keep falling into them. For me, it is the need to always be perfect, in Absolutely. Everything. And when I inevitably fall short? I beat myself up big time. Always rubbish. But right then I realised I don't want that anymore; I don't want to feel like that. It will take energy to lift myself from the rut I've created - that pattern in my thinking - but I don't want to hear that tyrant voice, especially when it is my own.

So I have decided to take responsibility; to choose to recognise my own potential and be kinder to myself. Leading up to teaching my class it was in learning to be softer. Realising that every time I have helped someone with their handstands after class, or given a friend an alignment suggestion I have been teaching. Realising that yoga and teaching are my passion; share that, share my practice and that will be enough.

This morning I did my class and it went well. Was it perfect? Of course not. I messed up a few breathing cues, missed some of my warm up exercises and could have made a couple of the transitions in the flow a little smoother, but as a first ever lesson, it was more than adequate.

I'm learning to see my own potential. Just call me a yoga teacher...

Travel

I've always liked the idea of travelling. I think the photos I see pinned on Pinterest boards, airily named 'wanderlust', always fitted with an idea I had of myself... A carefree girl with beachy long hair, who drank juices, decorated her room with bohemian throws and surfed (don't ask, I have no idea either, I'm actually a little scared of swimming...) But in reality, much like being in the middle of the ocean, travelling always scared me.

I'm a home bird. I like routine and I like feeling safe. I've never had the whole independent thing down. So although the idea always looked nice deep down I never thought I would actually end up wanting to travel. But today entirely changed my perspective.

This morning me and one of my new friends wandered into town. I've spoken before about how magical Ubud is and this is something I definitely stand by. The people, the feel, the colour, the vibrancy of the whole place; I love it.

Living in the moment is something I always try to do, but I know how easy it is to get caught up thinking of other things. I am still that person on auto-pilot, arriving somewhere and not really remembering the journey, and yet somehow I think traveling stops that. Today as I wandered around this incredible new place I felt so engrossed in the moment. Time passed but I wasn't really aware. Everything being new to me I couldn't get enough. I didn't want to be anywhere else and I felt so happy.

So when I think about travelling now it doesn't feel quite so scary. Instead it excites me. I've realised that I want to uncover new places... To spend a few weeks here and there, finding magic that I didn't know existed before. The more I think about it the more excited I get. Maybe it is time I made my own 'wanderlust' Pinterst board. Hey, I might be a surfer girl yet...

Appreciation

Today we watched a DVD by a guy called Paul Grilley that I think was really important; not only for someone learning to be a yoga teacher but also for all those practicing yoga and learning to accept your body.

In the DVD Grilley explains how no two skeletons are the same and how this can have a huge impact upon your own yoga.Trying to achieve a pose, to look outwardly 'correct' or more aesthetically pleasing, sometimes just isn't possible for some people. Sometimes it isn't tight hamstrings or triceps that are stopping someone from making a certain shape, instead it is their bones.

All our bones are different. I can guarantee that your femur bone does not look like mine. And because of this we are all put together in different ways. Muscle might stretch, but when a bone hits a bone (i.e. compression) you aren't going anywhere. I'm not saying necessarily that you can't get your heels to the floor in downward facing dog because of a smaller range of joint flexion in your ankle, but it's a possibility.

For me this was so interesting in learning to appreciate my body. We need to reach out of the box that suggests that there is a 'right' or 'wrong' way to do yoga. It just isn't effective to believe that making a certain shape with your body is correct simply because it is the one on all the posters. Adhering to this idea will only result in injury or aggravation (or both!).

So remember next time you can't get your feet onto the floor in downward facing dog that yoga is not 'perfection'. It is about doing what is right for you; about feeling your way into a pose, making variations so that it benefits you and your body.