Pure Food & Wine Red Beet Ravioli

with cashew cheese filling, tarragon and pistachios

serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course

for the filling

3 cups cashew nuts, soaked for 2 hours or more

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 1/4 to 2 teaspoons of salt

2 green onions, white and 1 inch green, minced

3 tablespoons minced tarragon

2 tablespoons minced parsley

In food processor, blend the nuts, lemon juice and zest, yeast and salt until smooth. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and fold in the onions, tarragon and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more slat or lemon juice, if needed. The filling should have the consistency of ricotta cheese. Store it covered in the refrigerator if not using right away; it tastes best if you bring it back to room temperature before assembling and serving.

for the pepper puree:

3 yellow or orange bell peppers, cored and cleaned

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 green onion, white part only

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts (plus 2 tablespoons, if needed, soaked 30 minutes to 1 hour, 1 small pinch ground (or fresh) tumeric (optional for added color)

In a Vita-Mix or high speed blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth. If the sauce is too liquid, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of soaked pine nuts. Place in a squeeze bottle or other covered container and refrigerate if not using right away.

for the assembly:

1 large bunch of red beets (2 inches diameter or more)

2 to 3 tablespoons macademia oil, other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

coarse sea salt

1 handful chopped pistachios, preferably Sicilian

1 teaspoon pistachio oil, other nut oil, or extra virgin olive oil

1 small handful fresh tarragon leaves, torn left whole

Microgreens for garnish (optional)

1) Using mandoline, slice the beets very thin (about 1/16 inch or less). Mack stacks and cut into 2-inch squares. The size doesn’t matter much, as long as they are all roughly the same. You should have a t least fifty slices. In a medium bowl, add the beet slices, macademia oil, lemon juice and a generous pinch of sea salt. Toss to coat: there should be enough oil and lemon juice to coat all of the slices, but not so much that they are dripping in liquid.

2) Arrange half the beet slices flat on serving plates. Place a generous dollop of the filling on each slice. Sauce the plates with the pepper puree, using either a squeeze bottle or just spooning it over the beets and filling (this way some of the sauce will be inside each ravioli). Top each ravioli with a beet slice, pressing down gently.

3) In a small bowl, toss the chopped pistachios with the oil and a pinch of sea salt. Sprinkle each ravioli with the pistachios and the top with the tarragon. Grind a bit of black pepper over the plates and garnish with microgreens, if desired. We use beet microgreens at the restaurant – they’re pretty and delicate.

Yoga Props

Even if you don’t practice yoga regularly, you can really benefit from using yoga props—especially if you are new to the practice of yoga. Here’s an intro to what the props are and how they are used:
Yoga mats are thin and provide light padding. Their “sticky” surface is ideal for yoga poses because it prevents you from slipping and sliding. Extra-thick yoga mats are a more comfortable choice for many practitioners.

Yoga blocks (bricks) allow you to stay in proper form, even if your strength and flexibility levels don’t. Blocks are rectangular-shaped, allowing you to use them at three different heights, depending on your knees. One use for a block, for example, would be during a forward bend. If you can’t touch the floor, you can place the block accordingly so that you can remain in proper form, resting your hands on the block itself. Since each pair of sides is a different height, you can slowly progress in your poses until you don’t need a block at all.

Wedges are triangular shaped, like a door stop. They provide extra support and prevent overstretching while sitting (underneath the hips), standing and squatting (underneath heels), and when your weight is in your hands (underneath palm/wrist).

Yoga straps are great for beginners or individuals who are less flexible. By holding a strap with both hands, it can help you stay in a pose longer and make a better connection. They can be used for seated stretches (around the feet in a forward bend) and one-legged standing poses (placing the strap around foot to aid in lifting or reaching your limb). Straps are also great for general flexibility training.
Time Involved: Incorporate props into your workout in just a few seconds

Body Benefit: Great comfort and better workouts
Source: Sparkpeople.com