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  Virabhadrasans (Warrior Posture 1) and Juliet’s Vegetarian Chopped Liver
warrior_pose_virabhadrasana_print_watermark.jpg    Art and story by J. C. Verdi

Start in (Tadasana) Mountain Pose:
Stand straight and tall like a mountain, hands resting gently next to your thighs) Inhale and jump, feet landing around four feet apart, legs aligned and toes pointing forward.  Arms are shoulder level and parallel to the floor. 
Turn your palms to the ceiling and raise both arms above your head and parallel to each other.

Exhale and turn to the right leg and torso 90◦, rotating your waist and chest, while bending your right knee (from your hip flexor) so that your thigh and calf form a right angle.  Lower yourself with resistance. Hold posture for 15 to 20 seconds.
Amongst its listed benefits: It relieves backache, lumbago, sciatica, strengthens the back muscles, tones the abdominal muscles, relieves acidity and improves digestion,  relieves pain and heavy flow during menstruation and last but not least (according B.K.S. Iynegar) it strengthens the bladder and corrects a displaced uterus.

Which brings us to: Juliet’s Vegetarian Chopped Liver, and how I can relate one to the other?
Inhale, because you will have to have the endurance of a warrior to gather all these ingredients.

 Juliet’s Vegetarian Chopped Liver

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) box baby portabella mushrooms
  • 1 (8 ounce) box sliced white mushrooms
  • 1 (8 ounce) box Shitaki (dried, reconstituted or fresh), or King Mushroom
  • 2 pounds string beans, trimmed and washed
  • 4 medium onions, sliced or chopped (about 4 cups)
  • ¼ cup raw onion, chopped and put aside to add raw and some for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil of your choice
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, or if your vegan add cauliflower
  • 1 cup cooked Urad Dahl or lentils (drained)
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2-3 tablespoons dry onion flakes
  • 2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
  • 3 large clove garlic, pressed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme and one or sage leaves ( preferably a little of each)
  • ½  teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon hot Paprika

In a skillet, fry the onions in the oil until many of the onions are browned, some of them rather dark. Start the onions on high heat and fry for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes or so. Throw in the rest of the ingredients and sauté for five to ten minutes, or just until mushrooms are cooked.

In a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, combine half the walnuts, half the fried onions, and half the stringbeans. Chunk up 2 or 3 of the eggs and add to the processor. Pulse the processor until the mixture is quite fine (but not pasty) and resembles chopped liver. Stir down the mixture a couple of times during the processing. Turn into a mixing bowl and process the remaining ingredients.

Stir the two batches together, add the dehydrated onion and add salt and pepper as you do and reserved chopped onion. Put into a mold or bowl and cover and refrigerate overnight. (Or at least 6 to 8 hours)  It tastes even better the next day. Un-mould, garnish and serve with either crudités and/or crackers.

Links to old recipes