Cooking as Meditation

Cooking > Meditation. Especially when it’s a PEANUT SATAY that sets you up for a week of stress-less meals. Because when the point of meditation is to free the mind and live in the present….that’s cooking. At least in my book. So ya know what? No longer am I going to try to “practice” meditation when….maybe it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for other ways to find mindfulness, read on for a few thoughts…and a recipe for a ZOODLE PAD THAI that will keep your mind off meal prep all week long.

When I first tried mediation, I thought maybe I’m just not “good” at it. Or maybe I need to “practice” more. See, I’m not someone who likes to sit still. And generally, my mind is going a mile a minute and my husband might even claim that “multi-tasking” is my middle name. I don’t lose sleep over it, but like a lot people, I could stand to put my phone down more often, focus my full energy on the task at hand and live more in the present. The thought occurred to me this weekend though, that maybe stillness isn’t the only answer to achieving a meditative state. Maybe, like so many things in life, mindfulness can be achieved in a multitude of different ways. One of those, for me, is cooking.

You might be familiar with mindful eating (savoring the taste, textures, smells of your food, truly enjoying the experience and nourishing your body), but mindful cooking is next level euphoria. It’s being present in the process and changing you perspective from cooking as a chore to cooking as an opportunity to get creative, an opportunity to do something good for you and your family, an opportunity for meal prep to free up your time for the rest of the week. That sense of calm after meditation, is exactly how I feel during and after cooking.

This revelation that meditation doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter definition, actually came to me after taking a Soulctivate class at Soulcycle. If you’re familiar with Soulcyle, you’re probably imaging the traditional high cadence dance-a-thon that made this cycling studio a cult favorite. Soulactivate, in contrast, is a high intensity interval class that encourages you to push yourself to your limits for short bursts (imagine 50 strangers on bikes, red lights blaring, sprinting with all their hearts and some literally screaming out loud) followed by complete motionlessness. It’s a bit animalistic and entirely freeing. Everyone is living in the moment, shutting out everything else. And isn’t that the whole point of meditation? To free the mind and live in the present? So for me, cooking is mediation. Motion is mediation. And meditation, doesn’t have to have one definition.

Here’s a few thought starts for how you can find that meditative state:

1.) Cooking as Mediation
2.) Movement as Meditation
3.) Art as Meditation
4.) Music as Meditation
5.) Stillness as Meditation

The freeing part is also knowing that you can choose your definition. And if cooking is your meditation of choice, or you’ve just been waiting for that amaze ZOODLE PAD THAI recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Get the much-awaited recipe below so you can whip this up and zen out the rest of the week.

ZOODLE PAD THAI with PEANUT SATAY
Makes: 1 mason jar of thai peanut sauce and countless meals!

Ingredients:
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water

Additional Ingredients
– veggie noodles of choice (zucchini, butternut squash and carrot are great choices!)
— protein of choice (hard-boiled eggs, tofu and chicken are fantastic options!)
— optional fresh veggies (sliced bell peppers, diced carrots and snow peas as shown)
— top with crushed peanuts and cilantro for extra texture and flavor

Directions:
Step 1: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Cook the veggie noodles by placing in a large saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Heat for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until desired doneness.
Step 3: Assemble the pad thai by distributing the veggie noodles to individual serving dishes, top with as much sauce as you’d like and add protein along with additional veggie and toppings of choice. Enjoy!