Savory Lapsang Souchong Tofu

I’ll never forget the first time I encountered the unique, sweet pine-smoked aroma of lapsang souchong tea.  I had recently begun my work with Arogya.  I walked in on a cold winter day and contently went to pour myself a cup of tea.  I noticed a beautiful, warm, and smoky scent drifting up from one of the teapots.  As I soon learned, this was lapsang souchong, a traditional black tea from the Wuyi mountain region of Fujian Province.

Lapsang souchong is most likely the world’s oldest black tea. 

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Tahini with Love

Just over two weeks ago, my mother cooked a delicious Middle Eastern supper for our entire immediate family. We were so excited to be together as my older brother and his husband had just returned from a couple months of summer travel. The menu included yogurt marinated lamb kabobs, hummus, tabouli, and tzatziki.   Eager to contribute, I offered to make babaganoush with a bulbous eggplant I had recently purchased at Easton’s Sport Hill Farm.

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Coconut Black Rice Pudding

This coconut black rice pudding makes a delightful and healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert.  It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and processed sugar-free, too.

Black rice is indigenous to Southern Asia and an excellent source of iron, vitamin E, fiber, and flavonoid antioxidants called anthocyanins.  In Chinese medicine, it’s considered a good blood tonifier.  Black rice has been consumed for centuries in China.  In fact, because of its rich nutritional value, legend has it that it was reserved solely for the emperors’ consumption.  As a result, it was granted the names “emperor’s rice” and “forbidden rice.”

Enjoy this simple pudding warm or cold.  As always, feel free to be creative in the kitchen!

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Comfortable Postures for Meditating

Occasionally, yoga students will ask what are the best ways to sit during meditation.  Today, let’s examine 4 basic meditative seats that can help your practice and your posture.  Each of these poses encourage an upright spine, which helps the breath flow deeply and the mind remain alert.  They’re also excellent seats for practicing pranayama, or breath control exercises.

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Our Liji Red Pu’er

We recently enjoyed a tasting of one of our most unique teas – a 2012 red pu’er made by the head tea master of Liji Gu Zhuang in Yunnan Province, China. In fact, we’re the only tea specialists in America to have an artisan red pu’er.

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Vegan Cashew “Goat Cheese”

Though I’m an omnivore, I enjoy finding creative ways to reduce my dairy intake.  I especially love solutions that help me confront my true milk-product soft spot for CHEESE.  This vegan cashew “goat cheese” does just that.  Plus, it’s very easy to make.  All it requires is a bit of wait time to let the nuts soak and the “cheese” set.

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Gluten-Free Blueberry-Chia Muffins

We’re passionate about eating well here at Arogya.  We also love a sweet, guilt-free indulgence from time to time.  For this reason, I devised this recipe for gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, paleo-diet  friendly, and yummy blueberry-chia muffins seasoned with a touch of Earl Grey tea.  They’re super easy to make and satisfying.  Additionally, they make a wholeness after school snack for kids!

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