Broccoli Rabe Salad

Another simple, but wonderful culinary creation came out from combining some left-over ingredients, that were sitting in my fridge. ("wonderful" as per the in-house food critics...)

There was a bunch of broccoli rabe begging to be used. I could have simply steamed it, but that would be too boring. Life is too short to be boring.

Broccoli Rabe Salad
1 bunch of Broccoli rabe, hard stems trimmed
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 red pepper (this is how you get stuck with left-over ingredients!), chopped
1 can of cannellini beans
1/2 cup of organic white cheddar, shredded
Fresh basil- small bunch, torn into pieces
2 tbSp Olive oil or more to taste
1 tbSp white wine vinegar or more to taste
Salt, pepper

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add broccoli rabe, cover and steam for a couple of minutes until it wilts a bit, then open the lid and let the moisture evaporate. Add garlic, salt and pepper and toss for a minute or so, remove from heat. Add tomatoes, peppers, beans, cheddar and basil and mix well. Eat warm with some fresh crusty bread of your choice.

Meeting a Living Legend

I've been a fan of Tao Porchon-Lynch for a while. Last night I finally got to meet her! Since I was supposed to be in Westchester, NY on Wednesday anyway, I made arrangements to take her class at a local club. Last night when she walked into the room, I realized she was everything I was expecting and so much more. She was wearing a beaming smile , bright red high heel shoes and a matching red top... Yeeees!

Tao is a 92 year old inspiration and a testament to the power of Yoga. This former actress, who was born in India and lived and taught all over the world, teaches 7 yoga classes per week, leads regular workshops all over the US, conducts 200 and 500 Teacher Trainings, takes large groups on annual trips to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and enjoys ball room dancing with her 20-30 year old partners, who can barely keep up with her. This busy schedule would make most of us dizzy, but not Tao!

5 years ago Tao undergone a total hip replacement and was told by her doctor that she wouldn't be able to do all the things that she used to do. In response to that she sent her doctor a photo of herself doing Lotus in a Shoulderstand... Tao says that if someone says to her that she can't do it, then she must do it.... Her motto: "There is nothing that you can't do!"

Ananta Yoga Studio is planning to host a workshop with Tao this fall (the tentative date: 10/30). This will be a unique opportunity for all of us to meet the living legend, someone who'd studied with Indra Devi herself, and someone who proved by example that yoga is the perfect way to keep your body, mind and spirit healthy. Viva Tao!