I’ve been trying to learn how to meditate for a few minutes everyday for the last two weeks. As I tell myself to relax and let go of my thoughts, just for that tiny second, I think that I will totally see the white light. And then the next second my composure crumbles; I am bombarded with a million thoughts - did I make that doctor’s appointment?... what am I cooking for dinner?...I need to call the electrician...etc.etc.etc. Well, I guess the white light is not happening! But maybe this could be a good thing - I could grab a diary every time I meditate and write all the things I forgot to do. Yipee!! NOT REALLY!!...I don’t want to be thinking of work when I should be thinking of relaxing. I’ve heard it’s not easy to meditate. However, experiencing the frustration over not being able to hold my mind still even for a few minutes is distressing. Does it really have to be that hard to hear the peace within? What is meditation for me?
The place I feel most comfortable in is the kitchen. I open the refrigerator, look at what’s inside and my mind pops up with different ideas of what I should be creating that day. If I’m at the farmer’s market and see a beautiful cauliflower, I’m instantly excited to make it for dinner. When I’m driving the car, my mind is mentally making a menu for the dinner party coming up that weekend. How is it that I am so focused in cooking than I am when sitting down with eyes closed? This just leads me to believe that meditation does not necessarily have to be with sitting down, crossed legged for forty-five minutes. Meditation can be different for everyone depending on what brings peace and focus in their lives. For one person it could be running, for another reading a book, and yet for someone else it could mean singing. For me it’s the simple joy of being in the kitchen - chopping fresh vegetables in the shapes that I think will make it most appetizing in that recipe, sprinkling the spices that will enhance its flavors or tasting the final dish so that I have the “aha moment”. Seek the thing that
makes you one with yourself and enjoy the aftertaste of such endeavors. That is true meditation!
Grilled Veggie Hummus Wraps
Continuing with the chickpea theme, I made these awesome wraps that were over in seconds. My kids devoured them and still begged for more. The reason I love this wrap is because it is healthy, filling, portable, tasty, and a wholesome meal. This wrap can be a great addition to a school lunch, a picnic, or a quick take-away for rushed meals when prepared in advance.
Makes 5-6 wraps
Ingredients for the grilled veggie mixture:
¼ cup zucchini, sliced in half moons
¼ cup corn kernels
¼ cup mushrooms, sliced thin
¼ cup mixed color peppers, sliced thin
¼ cup scallions, cut into 1” pieces
2 Tbsp vegetable oil ( I use rice bran)
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Other ingredients:
1 recipe edamame hummus (you can also make plain hummus - just don’t add the edamame, zucchini, mint and parmesan to the recipe and adjust seasoning)
1 cup mixed salad greens, chopped
6 tortillas
Procedure:
Pre-heat a cast iron grill. Take one vegetable at a time in a bowl. Toss with ½ Tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables on the heated grill till charred marks are visible and set aside. After all the vegetables are cooked, mix them together in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients (feta, chilli, salt, cilantro). Taste and adjust seasoning according to preference.
Heat 1 tortilla in a skillet for 10 seconds on each side. This makes them a bit softer and easier to work with. Place the tortilla on a clean working surface, spread out 3 Tbsps of hummus on the tortilla, leaving ¼” space at the edges. Take a few chopped salad greens and spread it in line along the diameter of the tortilla. Top the leaves with about 2 Tbsp of the veggie mixture. Now the tricky part is folding the wrap. Bend 2 opposite edges of the tortilla (with the veggie mixture) about 1” inwards on top of the mixture. Now start rolling the tortilla from one of the ends that is not folded, keeping the ingredients tightly inside the roll. You might need to pinch the edges inside as you finish rolling the wrap. Now roll the wrap tightly in plastic cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 20 min. This will help mixture inside the tortilla to bind well with the hummus and set firmly. Once you are ready to serve it, take the wrap out of the plastic and into half on the diagonal.
