Puma Yoga

Feed your soul with summer recipes

Summer's here, and that means it's the perfect time to find a way to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. And if you can find a little guilty pleasure in the process, even better. Here are a few yummy recipes I found that fit the bill.

Warm Quinoa Salad

Yield: 4 servings 

• 1 cup quinoa (see Note) 
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted (see Cooking Tip)

Cooking Directions: Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add edamame. Cover and continue to cook until the edamame and quinoa are tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Drain any remaining water, if necessary. Whisk lemon zest and juice, oil, tarragon and salt in a large bowl. Add peppers and the quinoa mixture. Toss to combine. Divide among 4 plates and top with walnuts.

Nutrition Info: Per Serving: Calories: 486 kcal, carbohydrates: 49 g, dietary fiber: 9 g, fat: 23 g, protein: 24 g, sugars: 6 g

Still Hungry? Quinoa, a super food from South America, is packed with protein and fiber. Toasting it gives it a slightly nutty taste, a complement to the walnuts and a foil to the lemony tarragon dressing. Try this salad over greens of anysort: fresh arugula, Boston lettuce leaves or wilted spinach.

Notes: Quinoa is a delicately flavored grain that was a staple in the ancient Incas' diet. It is available in most natural-foods stores (Natures Bin, Whole Foods or Mustard Seed) and the natural-foods sections of many supermarkets. Toasting the grain before cooking enhances its flavor and rinsing removes any residue of saponin, quinoa's natural, bitter protective covering. You can use either the traditional quinoa or the red; red quinoa has a nuttier, richer, more complex flavor than traditional. Enjoy!

Drink of the Week: Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

• 2 tbsp. of Cocoa Powder
• 8 oz. unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 tsp Nutiva coconut oil
• 1 tbsp organic coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp organic peanut butter
• 1 frozen banana

Blend all ingredients together on low for about 1 minute and then turn up to high power for another 30 seconds or until well blended. You can add 1 or 2 ice cubes if you'd like the shake extra cold. Enjoy!

Mixed Fruit Smoothie (taken from Whole Foods website)

• 1/2 cup apple juice or berry nectar
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon agave or honey (optional; taste your fruit first for sweetness)
• 3 ice cubes (only if using fresh fruit)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

Nutrition info: Per serving (about 7oz/196g-wt.): 80 calories (10 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 45mg sodium, 19g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 16g sugar), 1g protein

Eat well and be well, Maria 'Puma' Reyes Puma Yoga www.pumayoga.net Twitter.com/pumayoga