By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

Red lentils are always a winner! I love that this interpretation on lentil dahl is so quick and easy to make and trust me – everyone who’s ever tried it absolutely loved it.

500 g dry red lentils
500 ml of vegetable stock
400 ml coconut milk
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic (optional), minced
2-3 cm knob of ginger, minced
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon of curry powder
Salt, a splash of oil or some ghee

Heat the oil or ghee in a pot, saute the onion, ginger and garlic until translucent, add all the spices.

Pour in the stock and coconut milk, get it all to a boil.

Add the lentils and mix well. Once boiling again, keep it on simmer. Keep stirring once in a while to prevent the lentils of sticking to the pot. You will need about 10-15 minutes to cook the lentils. Serve immediately with some basmati rice or naan.

Find more great vegetarian recipes in our FREE Vegetarian Cookbook! GET YOUR COPY HERE

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By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

The right nutrition is one of the key elements to keep your yoga exercise and experience complete and the most fulfilling. Learn more about yoga nutrition philosophy and principles.

The first and main principle of yoga is moderation. Secondly, it’s the right choice of your produce and food products. Yogis tell us that we are what we eat and that the food is important not to our physical, but also to our mental state and health.

A light body is a key to the demanding yoga poses and the mind that has gotten positive energy allows concentration for meditation.

When you eat the food full of energy, the food that is not polluted, you are able to positively impact your physical and mental state and reach the harmony.

The food of the yogis is quite simple – it includes a lot of legumes, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains. All of the dishes are as natural and as less processed as possible (that means not tinned, not fermented, not fried etc.).

The yogis most often practice vegetarianism basing it not only on the ethical grounds but also stating that the meat is very often toxic, inflicts poisoning, doesn’t have enough important vitamins, minerals and has too much protein. Many yogis state that meat consumption is unnatural and our body (teeth, intestines) are not suited for humans to be carnivores.

The vegetarian diet, according to yogis, if balanced right, is healthy and vegetarians are less prone to get heart, blood-vessel, and kidney diseases as well as are less likely to get overweight. For those who worry that it’s impossible to get enough protein without meat, most of the yogis will suggest getting them in other products – nuts, legumes (including soya), and dairy. Other produce that often finds a way on the yogis’ table is sour bread, rice with legumes (beans, peas, lentils) as well as various seeds, soy products (e.g. tofu) or dairy.

Philosophy of yoga nutrition

According to the yoga philosophy, the food is divided into three categories based on the energy it gives (gunas): sattva, rajas and tamas.

Sattva symbolises purity, cleanliness and clarity. The foods that belong to this category are the most suitable for those practising yoga. It is said that sattva food feeds the body, gives it energy and at the same time calms the mind and helps to reach harmony.

This food group includes grains, fresh vegetables and legumes, fruit, whole-meal baked goods, dairy, nuts, honey, herbal tea.

Rajas symbolise passion, action and anxiety. This food group is the opposite of the sattva – it brings the body and mind out of the balance, it tires the mind even if it feeds the body.

This food group includes various hot spices, coffee, tea, salt, chocolate, onions, garlic, and the food that is to hot, too spicy, too salty or too bitter.

Tamas is the energy that symbolises laziness, fear and ignorance. Foods from this group suite neither the body nor the mind, they suppress the energy, mind and the ability to think, they encourage greed, jealousy and inflict various diseases and illness.

This food group includes meat, alcohol, fermented, fried in fat, chemically affected food, over-ripened fruit.

Find more great recipes in our FREE Vegetarian Cookbook. GET YOUR COPY HERE.

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda, these books are a great way to start!

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If you love frittata, but are not that into eggs – this recipe is for you. Delicious warm or cold and paired with some lovely fresh salad this vegan frittata can be a snack, lunch or dinner favourite!

1 ½ cups of chickpea flour
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon of turmeric
¼ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of parsley
2 cups water
2-3 bell peppers (mixed colors)
1 large red onion
Olive oil

In a bowl mix chickpea flour, baking powder, seasoning, pour in the water and 1 spoon of olive oil. Mix well and let the mixture sit for about half an hour.

Cut the onion and bell peppers in long stripes. Heat some olive oil and fry the vegetables until soft. Season.

Spread the vegetables inside of a tart baking form. Pour in the chickpea batter. Place into a pre-heated 180-degree oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. Serve with a salad and hot sauce.

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Raw energy truffles are one of our favourite snacks/desserts. They are vegan, completely added sugar or sweetener-free (you get all the sweetness from the dried fruit), the dried coconut and the cacao lift them to another level (closer to the real chocolate truffles) and the lemon juice give that perfect zing.

These truffles are one of our guests’ favourite desserts at the retreats and we’re thrilled to share this very simple recipe with you!

4-5 handfuls of dried fruit (I usually use prunes, apricots, raisins and cranberries, I personally do not like dates, but feel free to use them too!)
Water for soaking
Lemon juice of half a lemon
3-4 spoons of dried coconut flakes (fine ones) + some for coating
2-3 spoons of cacao or chocolate powder

Put the mixed dried fruit in a bowl, cover with water. Now, if you want to speed up the process – cover with hot water and leave for 3-4 hours, but I would recommend covering it with cold water and leaving for half day or best overnight. If you do the hot water process wait until the fruit gets to at least room temperature once drained before you go on.

Drain the fruit, using a food processor blend it to a soft mass (there can be some chunks left, it does not have to be too soft!)

Transfer the mixture into a bowl, squeeze in the lemon (it balances the sweetness really good!), add cocoa or chocolate, coconut flakes and mix it all well.

Add some coconut flakes into a small plate (you will keep re-filling as you go), get your hands wet and start rolling the little balls. If you have a lot of patience – the smaller the better – but I think it is fine to speed the process up and make bite size or even larger balls (it save time!).

Once you form a ball with your hands roll in the coconut to get it coated evenly. Place on a plate and once all are done put in into the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

*Note: you can add ground nuts into the mass or use them for coating too. Alternate coconut and nuts for a beautifully looking result.

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An easy, delicious and simple recipe for a great breakfast or afternoon snack. Chia pudding can be very versatile by just changing up the toppings. Our recipe uses plant milk and yoghurt (e.g. almond, oat milk and coconut yoghurt), but if you prefer dairy – feel free to use that!

9 teaspoons for chia seeds
3 x ½ cup of plant milk
3 x ½ cup of plant yoghurt
2-3 tablespoons of maple or agave syrup
1 cup of blueberries and some for topping

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend.

Transfer the mixture into a bowl. Stir well a couple of times every 5 minutes and let it sit for about an hour.

Transfer into individual cups. Place them into the fridge overnight. Eat as breakfast or dessert topped with blueberries, granola, other fruit.

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180 g various seeds (you can use the seed blend from the toppings recipe, do not toast)
180 g whole wheat flour (you can also try rye!)
50 g butter (or vegan substitute)
1 tsp salt
Various seasonings (pepper, coriander, rosemary – choose your favorites)
30 ml water

Melt the butter, add the water to it, then blend in your seeds and seasonings.

Mix well and spread onto a lined baking tray. Be patient and do not rush the process as otherwise, the dough will crack!

Cut into desired shapes. Bake in a 150-degree oven for an hour.

Find more great vegetarian recipes in our FREE Vegetarian Cookbook! GET YOUR COPY HERE

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Why buy stale and overpriced bars at the store when you can make these divine flapjacks at home with minimum effort?

2 cups of muesli (use the one with nuts and dried fruit or add your own)
½ cup honey
½ cup peanut butter
Few spoons of coconut flakes (optional)

Put the honey and peanut butter into a pot, place it on a small fire and get everything well blended (keep stirring).

Pour the mixture onto the muesli. Mix very well. The mixture has to be sticky, so if you think it isn’t sticky enough melt a little bit more of honey and peanut butter.

Place the mixture onto a plastic wrap. Spread and shape a bar about 1,5 cm thick. Place a large cutting board and then some heavy items (like full jars, cans) on top. Leave for about an hour. Carefully move into the fridge and leave for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars.

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Say bruschetta and I’m there! When I discovered the combination of butternut squash and fresh cheese I was so happy to be able to move on for the classic tomato-mozzarella combo. It is definitely an autumn-inspired dish, but who says you can’t make it all year round?

1 medium-sized butternut squash
8-10 slices of bread (I use bakery bread like ciabatta, you can use older bread)
100 g fresh cottage cheese
A handful of microgreens
Salt, pepper, sage
Olive oil

Peel and cut the squash into small cubes. Spread on a baking tray (lined out with baking paper), sprinkle with salt, pepper, sage, lightly coat with olive oil and put into a preheated 180-degree oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. Take out and cover with foil.

Toast the bread: lightly brush each slice with olive oil and toast until nicely golden and crunchy.

Spread the cottage cheese on each slice, sprinkle with salt, top with micro greens and squash cubes. Serve right away.

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By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

Thai cooking! Do I have your attention yet? Those who follow us on social media may have noticed that our retreat team is spending some time in Southeast Asia. And we’re not just traveling or escaping winter, we’re also trying to get new ideas, inspiration and training for our own retreat and you – our lovely yogis.

Vanessa (our yoga teacher) is doing her Thai massage course in Chiang Mai and I (Milda – chef of the kitchen) took a Thai vegetarian cooking class as I’ve been dying to learn a few new tricks and add some new recipes to our retreat menu. Boy, was I right to take the class!

Even if it’s called vegetarian – all the recipes were actually vegan – which made it all even better!

Starting with a local market visit just across the street I got a chance to learn a little bit more about the Thai produce. Various herbs (local basic, kaffir, the special Thai ginger, coriander…), veggies (Thai aubergine for example looks completely different than the one in Europe), various types of tofu, delicious mangoes…

Don’t forget all the local grandmas selling all that stuff or cooking on the spot – if you’re willing you can just grab your fully cooked lunch here. It all looked and felt so alive and was just calling to be bought and eaten.

After the tour I got to the kitchen where my teacher Diana explained the most important elements of Thai cooking (you’ll have to take a class to find out what those are  ) and then… I finally got a knife and started chopping!

In a few hours I made what felt like a hundred dishes – green, red, massaman Thai curries (I personally am completely obsessed with the Thai curries…) , fresh rolls, dips, salads, sticky rice… And it all worked out perfectly! I am not bragging here – just pointing out that Thai cooking can really be so easy and quick and if you’re a fan you can very simply incorporate a few dishes in your meals.

Guys, the class has awaken my inner menu generator and I already know which of the dishes I will be offering to our guests and which ideas I can implement or adapt to our kitchen.

Bon apetit and namaste!

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By Cynthia Mitchell

Why not choose a plant-based diet? My diet for the past 13 years has been plant-based, and over the years I have been faced with many comments from friends and family such as…. “I could never do that.” “What do you eat?” “How do you get enough protein?” “So you eat chicken right?” “Are you hungry all the time?”

To answer these mysteries…. I eat food, just like you, minus the animal. Chicken is not a plant, so No, I do not eat chicken. I get all the protein necessary for human existence from plants like spinach, lentils, edamame, quinoa, nuts, beans, avocado…. the list goes on and on.

No, I am not hungry all the time, I am fully satisfied and not lethargic. And you can do it if you WANT to. That last one is the real challenge. WANTING to is the real reason why so many people do not choose a plant-based diet. We have to WANT to. We have to WANT to take care of our bodies. We have to eat like we give a damn about ourselves. Most of us live our lives as if we have another body stored away in the back of our closet that we can just jump into when this body becomes unhealthy. But in reality, we do not. We have ONE body. ONE life. ONE opportunity to feel good in the body we live in.

Let’s face it, our health industry pays no attention to the food industry and the majority of our food industry pays no attention to health. Your health is in your hands.

So let’s briefly look at some of the benefits of choosing a plant-based diet.

Less cholesterol from meat = balanced blood pressure = less pressure in the arteries in your heart = less risk of heart attack.

More fiber from plants = better digestion = happy waistline and tummy. Less saturated fats from meat = less clogged pores = better complexion.

Hormones injected in mass-produced animals = a higher risk of hormone cancers like colon and breast cancer.

And those are only a few benefits of a plant-based diet. I encourage you to do your own research on those facts in more depth.

We have all been told before, read in a magazine, or seen on a billboard why we should eat less meat and more plants. In today’s society, it is impossible to claim negligence with media and technology. There is no excuse other than not WANTING to. So why don’t we WANT to? Have you ever asked yourself? Every time you put food in your mouth you get the opportunity to nourish your body or damage your body.

When your body is hungry it wants nutrients, not calories. Nutrients that can be found in plants. Plants that are grown in nutrient-rich soil from the earth.

Eating well is a form of self-respect. Respecting your body. You know – the only one you have for the next 40-60 years? So why not choose a plant-based diet?

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