Sam's Vegan Root Vegetable Cobbler

This is a deliciously sustaining dish, which works very well with a whole host of different vegetables. Adapt the recipe depending on what's in your cupboards!

1 onion | 1 leek | 4 sticks celery | 4 carrots | 2 tbsp oil | 300g mushrooms | 1 tsp dried thyme | 2 tsp marjoram | 2 tsp paprika | 750g assorted veg, rougly chopped | 100g split red lentils | 300ml vegetable stock | 2 x tins tomatoes | salt + pepper | 400g self raising flour | 100g margarine | 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley | 200ml soya milk

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees / Gas Mark 6. Slice the onion, leek, celery and carrot. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and fry gently for around 10min. Add the mushrooms, thyme, marjoram and paprika, cook for another 5 min.

2) Prepare the veg and add to the pan. Also add the stock, lentils and tomatoes, then simmer for around 20 mins, or until the lentils are just cooked. Season well.

3) Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the margarine. Stir in the parsley and add the milk, little by little, until you have a dough.

4) Roll the dough out on a clean surface (to around 1cm thick) and cut out circles.

5) Pour the sauce into a deep oven dish and top with the dough circles. Brush the top with a little soy milk and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.

Vegan Black-eyed Bean + Ginger Stew

This satisfying and nutritious stew makes the perfect family dinner dish. It's also incredibly easy to make! Black-eyed beans are a great source of protein. Serves 6.

2 x tins black-eyed beans | 2 tbsp oil | 2 white onions | 6 cloves garlic | 5cm fresh ginger | 3 sticks celery | 3 spring onions | bag of spinach | 1 red pepper | 250g mushrooms | 300ml veg stock | 3 tbsp dark soy sauce | 1 tsp yeast extract | salt + pepper

1) Drain the beans and set them aside. Peel and chop the garlic, onions and ginger. Slice the celery, spring onion and pepper. Quarter the mushrooms.

2) Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat, add the onions and celery, cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.

3) Add the garlic, ginger, mushrooms, spring onion and peppers, lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for another 5 min, stirring occasionally.

4) Add the beans, stock, soy sauce and yeast extract. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer over a low heat for 20min.

5) Add the spinach and allow to wilt before seasoning well. Mash a few of the beans if you prefer a thicker sauce. Delicious served with rice or potatoes.

This recipe is taken from Sam's favourite cookery book, 'Another Dinner is Possible', published by AK press. It's packed full of fantastic, no-frills vegan recipes which the whole family will love. We definitely recommend investing in your own copy.

Blend Happy - Our Favourite Smoothie Recipes

Bored of your blender? Need a little liquid inspiration? Here are some of our staff's favourite juice and smoothie recipes to get your creative juices (sorry, couldn't resist) flowing! Got your own recommendation? Post it below on the comments section.

Louise's Turbo Breakfast Booster Nothing beats a Monday morning meeting fuelled by Louise's legendary turbo booster smoothies. Satisfyingly substantial and also totally vegan!

1/2  banana

1/2 avocado or some mango

1 tsp maca powder

1 tbsp hemp protein

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsb baobub powder (optional)

2 tsps goji berries

2 tsps peanut butter (optional)

water or koko coconut milk to mix

Luca's Better Than Coffee Choco Banana Shake

"My favourite smoothie recipe which I have for breakfast as its better than coffee! Or after running as a post workout protein shake."

1/2 tbsp hemp protein powder

2 dates, pitted and pureed

2 tbsp  raw almond butter

1 tbsp flaxseed oil

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 frozen banana

Rachael's Rosewater & Almond Lassi

"Not technically a smoothie, but deserves a mention. I like it a bit on the thick side, but you can adjust yogurt/water ratio to suit. Use decent quality rosewater-  there are a few shops on Mill Road where you'll find this, it's not expensive. "

3/4 cup natural yogurt

1/4 cup water

couple of ice cubes

small handful roasted almonds or dessicated coconut, if you're feeling fancy

pinch of ground cardamom

honey or agave, to taste

Sam's Easy Lazy Smoothie "Aim is lazy smoothie post workout. Is also great as a meal replacement. Rice protein is more digestible than hemp. Coconut milk is high in a type of fat that your body converts to energy. Really important this is organic."

Coconut milk - mixture of the juice and 2-3 tsp of the cream

1 tsp powdered wheat grass

1 tbsp brown rice protein

Half a banana

Becky's Twisted Green Goddess "My fave is a green goddess juice with a twist - made with melon instead of apple with a bit of ginger. Or a summer peach and apricot (which i think is made with a little apple and orange juice)."

cucumber

celery

big handful of spinach

melon chunks

The GOOD cafe sells a wide range of smoothies and juices. Pre-order yours before class to quench that post-yoga thirst!

Sam's Gluten Free Umami Muffin Recipe

Sam has finally been persuaded to part with her top secret , rather legendary umami muffin recipe! Not only are these gluten free, they're packed full of nutrients and will fill you up too! They make a wonderfully satisfying snack or can be served as part of a meal. Enjoy them with salad and chutney, as we do here in the GOOD cafe, or with soup, as a great alternative to bread!

Makes 12

2ooml milk

25g margarine

200g spinach puree

250g gluten free flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

250g cheddar

75g savoury seed mix

1 egg

250g sundried tomatoes, chopped

300g  olives, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5. In a pan, gently heat the spinach, margarine and milk until the margarine is melted. Set aside to cool.

Mix dry ingredients, cheddar and seed mix in a bowl, setting aside a handful of cheddar and seeds for sprinkling on top.

Add all ingredients together and mix well. Divide mixture between 12 muffin cases and sprinkle each with a little cheddar and seed mix. Bake in the oven for approximately 30mins. Enjoy warm or cold!

Love Your Liver: Get Juicing!

It's so easy to overindulge during the festive period, what with the inevitable feasting, drinking and chilling out on the sofa rather than getting outside for some fresh air and exercise. Treats are important - a little of what you fancy really does do you good - but a lot of what you fancy can start to take its toll on sensitive livers.

The liver performs many functions, from storing energy and supporting the immune system, to detoxifying the blood and assisting digestion. When it gets a bit clogged up - a common January ailment - we can experience fatigue, slugishness, irritability and even symptoms of depression.

Raw fruit and vegetables are an amazing tool for cleansing your liver - eat fresh and organic for maximum benefits. Here are our top juicing ingredient tips for liver health this January:

Green Veg: broccoli, spinach, kale

Healthy fats: avocado, coconut, seeds, nuts and extra virgin olive oil

Fruit: Apples, lemons, limes, grapefruit

Alliums: garlic, onion, leek

In addition to juicing, be sure to cut down on caffeine, alcohol and dairy products. Simple!

To help you take care of your liver this January, we're offering BUY ONE GET ONE FREE juices to all of our Gold Members this January!

~ Leafy Greens: Kale, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, and especially dandelion greens purify the blood and stimulate the liver to produce it’s cleansing enzymes. Dandelion root makes a great liver-cleansing tea. Though not exactly leafy, asparagus and artichoke deserve special mention for their liver-supporting properties.

~ Alliums: Garlic, onion, and leek are powerful liver cleansers. Chop raw garlic finely, squeeze lemon juice over it, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to prevent potential damage to the digestive tract.

~ Fruit: Apples for their pectin, which binds to heavy metals and draws them out of the body; and lemon, lime, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits for their cleansing properties and vitamin C content.

~ Chlorophyll: Spirulina, chlorella, and the super dark greens.

~ Curcumin: Turmeric, cayenne, and ginger.

~ Brassicas: Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Especially broccoli sprouts which are particularly high in liver cleansing micronutrients.

~ Healthy Fats: Avocados and cold-pressed extra virgin organic olive (in moderation) help the body produce the liver-supporting HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Walnuts and ground flax seeds are helpful, too.

- See more at: http://www.myhealthylivingcoach.com/cleanse-your-liver-with-raw-foods/#!

The liver is one of the most important and multi-talented organs in the body. It performs more than 5,000 functions, including detoxifying the blood, creating proteins from amino acids, storing energy, supporting the immune system, and assisting digestion. It is the main filtering organ of the body, and all blood flows through it at some point. - See more at: http://www.myhealthylivingcoach.com/cleanse-your-liver-with-raw-foods/#!

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

300g all purpose flour

340g caster sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

170g softened vegan margarine

120ml date syrup

360ml soy milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

115g cocoa powder

For the buttercream:

225g softened vegan margarine

330-450g sifted icing sugar

2 tsps vanilla.

How to:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2x 9" round cake pans. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together and set aside. Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the date syrup and vanilla, mix well. Mix in the flour then the soy milk, mixing well until combined. Pour an equal amount of batter into the 2 cake pans. Bake for 30-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for ten minutes then gently invert onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.

To make the icing, beat margarine for about 30 seconds. Continue beating, adding the icing sugar a little at a time. Beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Decorate with grated plain chocolate and seasonal fruit.

Recipe from the Vegan Society. Photo: Camyoga.

Christmas Treats from Camyoga

All dishes can be gluten free. Please ask for details!

Nut Roast large: £14.00 serves 6-8 (Vegan) Nut Roast Small: £8.00 serves 4 (Vegan)

Mushroom and Almond Wellington large: £16.00 serves 8 ( Vegan) Mushroom and Almond Wellington small £9.00 Serves 4 (Vegan)

Stollen: 400g (small) £3.60 Vegan Stollen 800g ( large) £6.80 Vegan

Mince pies: 50p each Vegan

To place your order call us now on 01223 857930 or email food@camyoga.co.uk

Pre order by Mon 16th Dec. Pick up fresh 20th Dec between 10 am and 4pm from Central or Shelford

 (please specify). Pick up frozen from town Sat 21st 10am - 1.30 pm, Sunday 22nd 9am to 12.30 or Monday 23rd ring for times ( this will coincide with class times).

tesstin

Our Christmas Party Menu 2013

Finally, we are ready to unveil our rather fabulous Christmas party menu! Three courses for £24 or 2 courses for £19, bring your own wine and enjoy the surroundings of our exclusive private space at Camyoga Shelford. Booking is essential, minimum party size of 6. Email food@camyoga.co.uk or call us on 01223 847 930.

Try something different this year!

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Earlier this year i took a trip to santa monica where i experienced the vegan eggs benedict at real food daily, a fabulous vegan restaurant there. It has inspired many dishes since then, in my home and at camyoga (the legendary vegan brunch!) so i was delighted to find a really good vegan hollandaise recipe, with which to impress my non vegan friends. Louise x

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce:

3 Tablespoons Vegan margarine 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour pinch of turmeric 1 cup unsweetened soy milk 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 Tablespoon vegan mayonnaise (i use plamil organic egg free, but the recipe also works fine without) Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the vegan margarine over a low heat, then add the flour and stir, cooking gently for a minute. Add the turmeric (this just adds the colour, so just a little). Slowly whisk in the soya milk. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Then take off the heat and add the nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast adds a 'cheesy' taste and is quite a strong flavour, so add up to 2 tbsp according to your taste.Then add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the vegan mayo. This recipe works fine without the mayo too if you don't have any.

I had mine served with sea cakes, wilted spinach, sliced crispy potatoes and balsamic tomoatoes.

Delicious!

Autumn Energy Booster Smoothie Recipe

As we all start turning our central heating up, stoking the fire and layering up the woollen jumpers in preparation for the chilly season, it's natural to start feeling a bit under the weather. Keep your energy levels high and your immune system strong whilst making the most of the remnants of the blackcurrant season with this delicious vitamin C packed smoothie. This delicious drink is also stuffed full of beta-carotene, biotin, B vitamins and lots of trace minerals too. Yum! If you're struggling to find blackcurrants then just use canned ones (check to make sure they're in their natural juice). It's good to keep a few cans of these on standby in the cupboard during the colder seasons!

Ingredients

2 bananas

2 heaped tbsps blackcurrants

10 tbsps apple juice (or blackcurrant juice, if using canned)

Method

Whizz together in a blender (you can also use a hand blender for this one - use a tall cyclindrical container to avoid splashing yourself with purple goo though!) Sip and feel that lovely Autumnal glow lighting up your face! Not luxurious enough for you? Why not add a sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings or raw cacao? Wow.

Camyoga BBQ on The Balcony

In case you're in need of further proof that Summer IS definitely here, then here it is - your invitation to Camyoga's first ever BBQ on The Balcony! Join us at our Central Cambridge studios for an evening of delicious vegan fare, including mouthwatering burgers, sumptuous salads, drinks, desserts and a special kids menu too. Our chef Sam will be serving food hot off the BBQ from 5.30-8.30pm.

A great chance to get to know other Camyogis off the mat and only £12.50 per head (£6 for kids). 10% discount for those who book in advance.

Join the Facebook event here and invite your friends...

See you there!

Fennel and Spiced Hazelnut Sesame Roasted Peppers with Pomegranate & Cinnamon Couscous

This recipe is made a lot easier by the use of a blender. You can do it the old fashioned way by bashing with a rolling pin but I’m not sure I’d recommend catching yourself in the mirror red-faced bashing away at nuts….

I know it looks like there is a lot to do but really it takes about 30 minutes to prepare. You can use just about any grain you like. Try Quinoa or rice or Bulgur or go raw and use minced cauliflower.

This will serve 2- 4 people (depending on how hungry you all are). Sam Dyer

Stuffed peppers 2 red peppers: halved with the green stalks still attached, deseeded and the pith removed (that’s the white, slightly furry bit!) 1 bulb of fennel A few Kalamata olives Olive oil Salt and pepper

Hazelnut & Sesame Spice Mix 1tsp Cumin seeds 1ts Coriander seeds 1tsp Sumac ½ tsp fennel seeds ¼ - ½ tsp chilli flakes (or whatever amount floats your boat) 50g roasted hazelnuts (preferably with the skins removed) 25g Sesame seeds

Couscous Salad 250g Couscous ( in the picture I have used a whole wheat large couscous just for the pure joy of seeing the little balls and because I live on the best street ever where I can get any ingredients going….. use whatever you can forage) 1 Pomegranate: deseeded 150g Mange toute: topped and tailed and cut into bite size pieces A handful of coriander, mint and parsley.

Cinnamon Dressing 3tsp of agave syrup or maple syrup or you can use good old white sugar but just reduce to 1 or 2 tsp as it’s more powerfully sweet. 1 tsp cinnamon powder Drizzle of olive oil Juice of half a lemon Salt to taste

Here’s the Method: Make the spice mix first by gently frying all the ingredients in a dry pan, making sure it doesn’t burn and waiting for the sesame seeds to start popping.

Remove from heat and blitz in the blender

Add salt to taste and divide between the peppers, putting the mix in the bottom of the peppers.

Next comes the pretty bit… Slice the fennel from top to bottom so you have 1cm (ish) slices of heart shaped fennel. Trim if necessary and place in the bottom of the halved peppers. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and roast in a medium oven until roast peppers are soft and sweet. Add a olive to each and voila…

While the peppers are in the oven prepare the couscous salad….

Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the packet or lose yourself in a google search on the ancient art of couscous preparation.

When the couscous is cooked, cool and then add the mangetout, pomegranate and chopped herbs

Make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together and then mix through the couscous. Add salt to taste.

Serve with leaves. It’s a great time of year for wild picking. Try some dandelion leaves in there or some edible flowers.

Eat….mmmmm!

Electrolytes 5: Magnesium

Final part of Jozef Wiewel's Electrolytes series!

Magnesium regulates the absorption of calcium and is involved in the structural integrity of bones and teeth. Magnesium regulates the contractility of the heart muscle. It is concentrated 18x greater in the heart muscle than in the bloodstream and is also used for cardiac contractility. Has a role in neuromuscular transmitters and actives vitamin B-complex. High intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and protein increase the requirement for magnesium. In short, magnesium is an essential mineral needed in the body to balance the equation with calcium, protein, vitamin D; iron, manganese, copper and iron for energy metabolism.

The principal function of magnesium that is critical in thyroid disease is that it enables muscles to relax. With inadequate magnesium, the muscles cramp.

Foods you will find magnesium in are green vegetables such as spinach which are good sources because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of magnesium.

You should note that refined grains are generally low in magnesium. When white flour is processed, the magnesium rich germ and bran are removed. Bread made from whole grain wheat flour provides more magnesium than bread made from white refined flour. Tap water can be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as "hard". "Hard" water usually contains more magnesium than "soft" water.

Read more

Electrolytes 4: Chloride & Calcium

Chloride

The major anion (negatively charged ion) outside cells. Chloride also maintains a normal level of fluids in the body.

Chloride is obtained primarily from salt, such as standard table salt or sea salt. It is also contained in most foods, especially the vegetables. Seaweeds (such as dulse and kelp), olives, rye, lettuce, tomatoes, and celery are some examples of good chloride-containing foods.

Read more: http://www.healthy.net

Calcium

Calcium is essential for the normal growth and maintenance of bones and teeth, and calcium requirements must be met throughout life. Requirements are greatest during periods of growth, such as childhood, during pregnancy and when breast-feeding. Long-term calcium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, in which the bone deteriorates and there is an increased risk of fractures.

Foods you will find calcium in are most dairy products, cheese, fish, broccoli, soya, eggs.

Electrolytes 3: Potassium

Part 3 of series of articles on electrolytes by our Hot Yoga teacher Jozef Wiewel!

Potassium is the major positive ion found inside cells. Among many other functions it regulates the heartbeat and the muscle function. Potassium reduces the amount of lactic acid in your muscles and keeps your bones healthy. Lactic acid is present in your muscles during exertion, which eventually tires your muscles out and reduces your strength and endurance. Therefore, if you ingest potassium, your muscular strength and endurance will maintain at higher level for a longer time. It also reduces how sore your muscles feel the next morning.

Foods you will find potassium in are raisins, prunes, apricots, dates, strawberries, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, beets, greens, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, soy, products, peas, beans, turkey, fish, beef, salmon, cod.

Electrolytes 2: Sodium

Sodium is the major positive ion in fluid outside cells. The transmission of sodium is a critical body function especially in brain, nervous system and muscles which all require electrical signals for communication. Sodium is an important electrolyte that helps maintain the balance of fluid in a person's body. This means that sodium helps to regulate the amount of water in and around your body's cells. If the fluid levels in your body are not balanced, your cells will swell and medical issues may occur.

Without appropriate amounts of sodium, your body may have a difficult time cooling down after intense exercise or activity. When the body is hot, you sweat. If you do not have enough sodium, your body may not sweat as much and you may then become overheated. This could then result in a stroke, exhaustion and dehydration. Sodium is also important because it plays a major role in the regulation of your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too high, it places you at risk for such illnesses as heart disease. Too much sodium can result in high blood pressure and could spark a heart attack and too little sodium could make you feel weak and exhausted all of the time.

This electrolyte plays an important role in ensuring that nutrients are passed into the body's cells. Similarly, if you want your nervous system to operate correctly, then you will definitely need the right amount of sodium in your diet. If you do not have enough sodium in your diet, you could even experience seizures.

Foods you will find sodium in are meats, grains, dairy, nuts, fruits and vegetables in modest amounts. Salt can be used in moderation to enhance sodium levels, but should not be overused.

It is said healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

High-sodium cheeses include cheddar, parmesan.

Many fast-food items contain high levels of sodium

Other high-sodium baked goods include biscuits, muffins, baked pie crust and sweet rolls.

Canned goods contain salt, which preserves the vegetables and prevents them from spoiling quickly. Salt also adds flavor to canned goods. High-sodium canned foods include canned kidney beans, pickled vegetables and sauerkraut.

Salted nuts, pretzels, tortilla chips and potato chips add sodium to your daily diet.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com

Electrolytes & Yoga: An Introduction

Our Hot Yoga teacher Jozef Wiewel has prepared a series of articles about Electrolytes and their importance. His first articles will explain why we should care about electrolytes when doing Hot Yoga...

Electrolytes are charged particles (minerals) that become ions in fluid which conducts electricity.

The most common known electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Magnesium and Calcium.

When you do Hot Yoga you sweat a lot. You sweat to remove excess heat from your body. When the sweat evaporates off your skin it cools the skin, the blood which circulates closest to and in the skin is subsequently cooled and transports this coolness deeper into your body to keep the core temperature at an acceptable level.

Sweating is a vital function of your body, it is the way it thermo-regulates itself.

This outpore of fluid also means that we risk dehydrating and with that losing also valuable electrolytes. If you have ever had a bead of sweat drip on to your tongue or mouth you will have noticed that, because it is salty. The reason for this is because our sweat is an ionic solution. These ions are collectively known as electrolytes and they can be found in certain sports drinks and in certain foods as mentioned below.  There are also supplements on the market from which ‘elete water’ is one of them (www.eletewater.co.uk) which requires just a few drops in a litre of water to give you the required amount of electrolytes back. Or you can make it yourself, there is lots of info on the web on how to.

....

Next article in the series will be about Sodium.

Here's our Vegan Brunch Menu!

Come by Camyoga on Saturday the 6th of April for our Vegan Brunch, all the food will be freshly prepared by our vegan/vegetarian chef Sam. No bookings are necessary, just come by anytime between 10.00-15.00 and order one of our delicious meals at reception.

Check our menu here: Vegan brunch

Our bodies are amazing, it is in their normal process to naturally detox everyday. However, the pollution in water, air and food makes it difficult for our bodies to keep up which means that toxins remain inside our tissues. This means that our bodies get overloaded with bacterias, viruses and parasites which are very harmful to our body. To get rid of these toxins we should put an extra time in detoxification.

•  ‘The human body possesses an incomprehensible wisdom that we have yet to fully grasp, a wisdom that enables us to heal from a multitude of injuries, illnesses, and traumas. However, our bodies were not designed to manage the magnitude of toxicity we expose them to every day. The result is an epidemic of cancer, respiratory and heart disease, diabetes, allergies, and a multitude of other environmental and physical illnesses. Detoxification, on both a global and a personal level, has become a necessity in our modern world.’  (excerpt from the book by Michelle Schoffro Cook)

If you feel like your body needs a powerful boost and are ready to get rid of some toxins then come along to our...

Detox Day retreat with Louise Lloyd

Date: Saturday 12 January 2013, 10:00-16:30, £65 including all refreshments

Location: Great Shelford

For more informations and bookings go to our website.