Coconut Curry

I'm a sucker for coconut milk.

It's one of those fabulous ingredients that plays for both sides: the sweet team and the savory team.

Although coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting will bring me to my knees in 3 seconds flat, that tiny impulse-control portion of my brain prevents me from baking them weekly. So, I've got to find alternative ways of getting my c-milk fix.

Enter curry powder, the match-made-in-heaven spice that was designed to pair with the milk o' coconuts.

Tonight's recipe is loosely based on one I found in the most recent issue of Vegetarian Times. This vegan stew highlights all the beautiful hallmark spices of a curry dish: cinnamon, turmeric, and curry. With a handful of cilantro and a dash of chili powder, my taste buds were throwing a good ol' vegan party. Bonus: it's super-fast to throw together, making it the perfect after-work meal to prep.

We paired our vegan curry stew with rolls made from Adam's sandwich bun recipe. Yum.

Curry it up, friends. And yes, I officially turned "currying" into a verb.

Coconut Curry Stew
(inspired by a recipe in the February issue of Vegetarian Times)

I made several substitutions in this recipe, so you may want to make your own based on the veggies you have on hand. Although we didn't have extra fresh spinach last night, the original recipe calls for 2 cups worth, which I imagine would be a delicious mix-in!

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• a little olive oil
  
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 can of light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• optional: additional veggie broth
  

Directions:

In a soup pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil (if you prefer a thinner stew, you can add additional veggie broth to reach your desired thickness). Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Creative Curry

We've all worked the curry circuit in our kitchen at some point, right?

You know the drill: You start with curry powder and build slowly. A dash of cinnamon here, a diced onion there. Maybe some sweet potatoes? And, of course, don't forget the chickpeas. With such endless possibilities of curry-pairings, it's hard to mess up when you're cooking with this traditional Indian spice.

While I love my curry dishes as much as the next gal, I recently found myself with a hankering for a more creative use of the spice. I was suffering from a bad case of the "Been There, Done That" curry syndrome.

Fortunately, I found the solution in my mailbox last week when the latest issue of Cooking Light arrived. They featured an awesome curry dish loaded with vegetarian-friendly (and "outside-the-box") ingredients.

Mango. Edamame. Cilantro. Cauliflower. Does it get any better?

Yep. Throw in some toasted almonds.

And with a few adaptations, I was even able to vegan-ize this bad boy (A veggie-based vegan meal just makes it all the more easy to justify Almond Butter Cookies for dessert, right?).

Rock on Edamame Curry. You killed the "Been There, Done That" curry blues.

Edamame-Mango Curry

(adapted from a Cooking Light recipe)

I had never before considered pairing edamame with curry...and after tasting this delicious dinner, I'm beginning to wonder why?

Ingredients:

• a dash of olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 apples, diced
• 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups of veggie broth
• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 cups frozen edamame
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro,
• raisins (however many you want!)
• chopped green onion, for garnish
• 3 cups brown rice, cooked

Directions:

1) Heat a dash of oil in a pot; add onion and saute until tender (about 5 minutes). Add apple and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add flour, curry, and garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and add mango, salt, cauliflower, and edamame. Cook until everything is tender (about 10 - 15 minutes, but you can let it go 'til it reaches your desired tenderness).

2) Once the curry mixture is cooked to your liking, stir in raisins, cilantro, and almonds. Serve on top of rice, and garnish with green onions.

Kitchen Cabinet Finds

On Tuesday evening I got the urge to clean out kitchen cabinets.

You know how it happens: you're searching for that single obscure item you know is hidden somewhere in your stash (in my case, a pouch of dried apricots). Before you know it, you've emptied the entire contents of your cabinet onto the counter, and you're re-discovering ingredients you had long-forgotten you purchased.

After discarding an expired box of prunes and an ancient can of sweetened condensed milk, I was left with the good fortune of two cabinet items I didn't even know I had: a bag of pistachios (score!) and a jar of roasted red peppers (super lucky).

Now the fun begins--what recipe could I create with these bonus delicacies hidden in my cabinet? When all else fails, I turn to a hearty grain as a base, add some unique mix-ins, and stir in a homemade vinaigrette. Voila! A healthy lunch for the next day was ready to go.

As a side note, I hope you all had a beautiful food-filled Thanksgiving! I enjoyed plenty of garlic mashed potatoes, apple-onion stuffing, sweet potatoes with pecans, and Chocolate-Pecan Pie. The best part of the day, however, was spending it surrounded by my family.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory from this year?

Bulgur with Roasted Red Pepper, Pistachios, and Cilantro Pesto

(Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe)

This is a super light and healthy vegan salad. Pack in tupperware for your lunch at work, or bring it to a holiday potluck--it's red and green colors will fit right in :)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 2 cups low-sodium broth (veggie or chicken)
• a little olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios

Cilantro Pesto Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 3 TBSP fresh, chopped parsley
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• a dash of salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add bulgur, remove from heat, cover saucepan and set aside.

2) In a small skillet, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until just softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

3) Place all of the cilantro pesto ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, and season to taste.

4) In a large bowl, combine bulgur, onion, and bell peppers. Stir in pesto until evenly coated, then stir in pistachios.