Tofu Stir Fry and Organic Red Rice

One thing that I actually love being home is that I can get organic rice and vegetables fairly easily. A bit pricey for an average Filipino but hey it's organic. Whatever that means. I'm not really that strict when it comes to my food. As long they don't breath through the nose and the gills, move and react to touch, I'm ok with it. :-p

The Lung Center Sunday market is only a jeepney away from where I live and if I try not to be lazy, it's actually a nice Sunday morning walk to the market.

I tried it once last January though it ever happened again as I've been sleeping late on Saturday nights and do my full practice Sunday morning.

This wasn't my lunch today. It's one of last month's meals. Now that I have a fridge, I should be cooking more often. The only problem now is that the kitchen is small and only one person can use it at a time. Anyway, we'll see.

I'm thinking of making tofu with 3 mushroom sauce for dinner later. If the tamas win, then it will be spaghetti and tomato sauce again. Very exciting, aye? At least I make fresh tomato sauce.

Now for tofu stir fry and steamed red rice.

2 small tofu squares (I get the one from SM or Landmark, 2 small squares for only 25php, about half a dollar), cut into strips and fry until golden brown. Set aside.

Mixed vegetables. A cup each of thinly-sliced cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts.

A clove or 2 of garlic, minced.

1 medium white onion, about the size of a ping-pong ball or golf ball, sliced thinly.

Salt and pepper to taste.

3-4 tablespoons Stir fry Sauce (choose from vegetarian oyster sauce, dark/light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, mushroom sauce - or a combination. Be creative. Key is to add little by little until you get the taste that suits you.)

Some chili garlic sauce or kick.

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Only had one class this morning in Makati. Gela apprentices in my Tuesday morning class and when only YM teachers come for practice, I usually ask her to just do her practice. But today, Maritoni, a co-YM teacher, suggested that I practice instead and let Gela teach the class so we could already give her an assessment.

Honestly, it was music to my ear... hehehe. Who wouldn't want to practice instead?

Thus, today was an easy day. Full practice but went light on the vinyasas because I had a tooth extraction last Saturday.

I might go to UP later to watch the UP Pep Team Philippines practice their routine for the Asian Championships this weekend if I'm not mistaken. They'll be leaving for Japan on Thursday and today will be my last chance to see their routine before the competition.

I teach yoga to the UP Pep Squad regularly and man, some of them can do crazy stuffs with their body. I was originally planning on teaching them "Mysore" but with 60 cheerleaders attending the once-a-week class, I thought it would be best to just do led.

Always, I remind them that yoga is not gymnastics. Sure they can do headstand and handstand easily but is the breath calm? The mind quiet and focused? More than anything else, I wanted them to learn that yoga is about being present. In sports psychology, it's about being able to achieve the state of flow.

Oneness in the breath, body and mind.

Here's a photo of the team doing asanas on their dual-purpose puzzle mats.

2 mats attached together = yoga mat.

Several mats attached together in a line = tumbling mat

4 mats attached to form a square = stunting mats

All the mats attached forming a rectangle = safety mat

Good luck UP Pep! Eat more veggies and make us proud!

Happy Mother's Day

Saraswathi was born in 1941 and practiced steadily under the guidance of her father Sri K. Pattabhi Jois from the age of 10-22. She was the first girl ever to be permitted admission to the Sanskrit College in Mysore where she studied the basic Sanskrit works and learnt yoga from her father. For many years she assisted her father, but since 1975 she has been teaching her own classes. In 1986 she created a little Yoga revolution here in Mysore by being the first woman ever to teach men and women together. Saraswathi welcomes all yoga students who come to Mysore. She is the steady link in the Jois family that looks after her father as well as her son, keeps them in line and makes sure they behave properly.

For Saraswathi Yoga has always been the major influence of her life. Playfully she begun exploring various Yoga postures from an early age, but took up a consistent practice from the age of ten. At the age of twenty-two her mother fell really sick and got admitted to hospital. Saraswati naturally took on all household responsibilities and cared for her mother as well as her younger brothers. Her asana practice suffered a little, but she grew strong in other areas of Yoga. (Read more about Saraswathi here.)

The mother of modern day Ashtanga Yoga.

Here's a youtube tribute to the Divine Mother.

Mother and Child
(Mama and Johann)

To all mothers who may come across this entry... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

Pancit Habhab

This famous street food from Lucban, Quezon, is not really vegetarian friendly. Like most dishes here in the Philippines, it is mixed with pork and shrimp bits and the noodles is cooked in pork broth. A hair-raising experience for vegetarians really.

With a little imagination and the help of Knorr mushroom stock cube from Thailand, I was able to make a vegetarian version of pancit habhab.

I can't exactly remember the quantity of the ingredients that I used so here's a rough list of what you'll need.

Carrots, sliced thinly
bean sprouts
cabbage, chopped
garlic
onion
salt and pepper to taste
some fried tofu
mushroom stock cube (just use any vegetable stock cube that you can find -- eerrr that's good luck to us who are in the Philippines, although Knorr ginisa mix is now meat-free. I checked the label. It has MSG though. I'd say make your own stock but we live in the Big City so why bother? We'll all die anyway - ok it's the full moon.)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
Calamansi to taste

450g pancit habhab cooked in 4 cups of water with 1 mushroom stock cube. Drained.

Stir fry the vegetables, add another stock cube, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Either serve over the noodles or mix it together. Serve with calamansi and extra soy sauce on the side. For a true habhab experience, drizzle it with spiced vinegar.

Enjoy.

*** For a meaty experience, add slices of shitake mushroom and if you buy the dried ones, the water where you soak the dried mushroom can be used as your stock.

Ok I'm out of here. Still have a dentist appoinment at 2pm. Ciao.

Guruji

Dedicated this morning's practice to Guruji. According to the KPJAYI website, he has been admitted to the ICU.

Love... peace... and light.

Om.

Upcoming Workshops

An Introduction to the Practice of Pranayama
Yoga Manila Ortigas (Chi Spa, EDSA Shangri La)
May 11, 16, 18, 23 (Mondays @ 5:30pm & Saturdays @ 8:00am)
Click here for more details.

Beginner's Yoga: An Introduction to Ashtanga
Yoga Manila Ortigas (Chi Spa, EDSA Shangri La)
July 21, 25, 28, August 1, 4, 7, 11, 15 (Tuesdays @ 6:30pm & Saturdays @ 9:00am)
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I bow to the lotus feet of the guru
who awakens insight into the happiness of pure Being,
who is the final refuge, like the jungle physician,
who eliminates the delusion caused by the poisonous
herb of samsara [conditioned existence].

I prostrate before the sage Patanjali
who has thousands of radiant, white heads
[in his form as the divine serpent, Ananta]
and who has, as far as his arms,
assumed the form of a man holding a conch shell [divine sound],
a wheel [discus of light, representing infinite time]
and a sword [discrimination].

om