Throw-it-in-the-Pot Dinner

Have you had a crazy day lately? A crazy week perhaps?

Home late in the evenings? Brain completely drained, and your cooking creativity out the window?

It's weeks like this that I dream of collapsing on the couch with sweatpants, banana soft serve, and my Glee re-runs on Hulu. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to this point last night, I was fast asleep before the first Gwyneth Paltrow song had been sung.

*Sigh*

But wait! There's good to come of it all...

During these times, I'm uber-grateful for throw-it-all-in-the-soup-pot dinners. Adam cleaned our cabinets of quinoa, jarred tomatoes, veggie broth, and some frozen veggies. He seasoned the pot with curry and fresh ginger, and placed a steaming bowl in front of my bags-under-my-eyes face.

Boy, do I love that man.

Eat up friends. Maybe tonight I'll make it to the first Glee ballad.

Throw-it-in-the-Pot Curried Quinoa Dinner
(an Adam original)

Since this was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of recipe, I urge you to get creative and use whatever YOU have in YOUR cabinets. Stick with the quinoa-curry base though...it's oh so very good.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch ginger, minced
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 TBSP mustard seed
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) stewed tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen edamame or peas

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce head to low and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed.

2) Meanwhile, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger with a dash of olive oil--over medium heat--until softened.

3) In a large soup pot, combine the cooked quinoa, the onion mixture, and all of the remaining ingredients. Allow to simmer until the liquid has been cooked down and absorbed--about 20 minutes.

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.

The Condiment Club

Yowza.

If it were the 1990's, and Full House was still relevant, I'd be channeling Uncle Jesse right now with a "Have Mercy."

Curried Carrot Dip rocked those fuzzy slipper socks right off my feet last night.

Have you ever made a dip...or a spread...or a condiment...that tasted so good, you just decided you'd rather eat it straight from the spoon?

If you haven't yet, you will join the ranks of spoon-lickin' friends as soon as you make this carrot dip. When I initially stumbled upon the recipe, I was interested but slightly skeptical. How could I make a savory vegan dip that didn't include beans? Aren't beans the staple requirement of such spreads?

Holy delicious-ness did this recipe prove me wrong. The curry + garlic seasoning is potent (in the best possible way), and the toasted sunflower seeds add a nutty crunch and delectable flavor. We made the dip as a topping for our dinner of Falalfal patties, but it was all Adam could do to keep my spoon out of the serving bowl :)

Friends, it's time for you to join the spoon-lickin' condiment club. Welcome to the world of Curried Carrot Dip.

Curried Carrot Dip
(adapted from a recipe in Veganomicon)

This dip is perfect as a veggie burger topping, vegetable dip, or sandwich spread. Or, as previously noted, it's great straight off the spoon as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. carrots, finely chopped and cooked until tender
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (don't forget to toast 'em!)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 TBSP lemon juice

Directions:

Place 3 TBSP of the sunflower seeds in a food processor and processor until it turns into crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Stir in the remaining 1 TBSP sunflower seeds and season to taste. Have mercy it's good!

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.

Toasty Warm Dinner for a Cold Day

When the outside temperature doesn't break 17 degrees, you know you're better off inside...with a big ol' pot of chili. Which is exactly how my evening began.

But first, I'm happy to report that we're back in the hot water business at the Hungry Spoon household. The hot water heater installation was a success, so I can now resume a regular shower schedule. I'm sure everyone around me is just as happy as I am about this.

As a result of hanging out with the plumber all day, Adam was thankfully home to whip up a batch of Thai Coconut Curry Chili. It was teasing me with its delicious spiced curry aroma when I walked in the front door from work.

This Thai Chili recipe, featured in the most recent issue of Clean Eating Magazine, barely resembles the traditional chili you're accustomed to. This baby is loaded with sweet potatoes, bulgur, coconut milk, and curry powder, among other tasty ingredients. And although I don't like hot n' spicy foods, this recipe could easily be made hot n' spicy to your liking.

Now that my belly is full o' chili, I'm off to bake some Outrageous Brownies for a few holiday packages that need be mailed tomorrow. Is anyone else's stand mixer begging for mercy from all of the holiday baking?

Do you have a favorite chili variation?

Thai Coconut Curry Chili

(adapted from a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine)

The coconut milk adds a welcome creaminess to this curried chili recipe. As with most soups, the fantastic flavor in this recipe will certainly only improve with time, so this would a great recipe to make the day before serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
• 1 cups of cubed, uncooked sweet potato
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes, drained
• Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1) In a large soup pot, combine the spices, broth, bulgur, sweet potato, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Set on high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

2) Add beans, coconut milk, and tomatoes to the pot. Stir and cook uncovered until the chili is thick and the bulgur is tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add ground black pepper to taste. (We found that the chili thickened even further after allowing it to sit, removed from the heat for about 10 minutes).

Potato Pancake Power

This weekend I tried my hand at a dish that's new to me: latkes.

With Hanukah in full-swing, Cooking Light did a feature article on latkes (Jewish potato pancakes) in their latest holiday issue. Seeing as I'm not Jewish, I've never been fortunate enough to taste an authentic latke before, but Cooking Light's recipes looked incredibly enticing.

And let's face it: who doesn't love crispy potatoes?

Since I'm never one to shy away from a cooking challenge, I completely by-passed the "Classic Latke" recipe and went straight to the non-traditional feature: "Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa."

The result: Pure potato bliss. I was one starch-happy woman after that dinner.

The seasonings were fantastic--curry, coriander, cilantro, and cinnamon. Talk about a party in your mouth. I subbed in sweet potatoes for regular potatoes, which I definitely recommend (a little extra vitamin A and beta carotene never hurt anyone). And the apple-lime salsa is just not optional--it adds a wonderful sweet n' tart accompaniment to your potato-packed plate.

For those of you celebrating Hanukah this week, enjoy! And thank you for bringing such wonderful latke recipes to our tables.

Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Latkes with Apple-Lime Salsa

(a Cooking Light magazine recipe)

This recipe has already been marked as a favorite in our recipe notebook (Yes--On the first night we made it!). A word of caution: Our latkes had some trouble sticking together--perhaps because we used more grated potato than the recipe called for. If you experience the same difficulty, you may want to add an additional egg, or simply scramble it up into potato hash (which is what Adam ended up doing with the last batch).

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/2 cups finely chopped apple
• 1 TBSP lime juice
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro (we were out, so we used dried; I definitely recommend using fresh!)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• optional: If you like hot foods, you can add a finely chopped serrano chile
• 3 cups shredded, peeled butternut squash
• 3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 6 TBSP flour
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 - 3 TBSP fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Directions:

1) Combine apple and lime juice in a bowl. Add onion, 2 TBSP cilantro, 1/8 tsp. salt (and chile if you're using). Cover and chill.

2) Combine squash, potato, and onion in a colander. Drain for 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture with 1/2 tsp. salt, flour, curry powder, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, cilantro, and egg. Toss well.

3) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 tsp. oil to pan . Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture into the pan and flatten slightly. Repeat to form about 5 latkes (or however many will fit in your pan). Saute 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Repeat until all of the potato mixture is gone. Serve with apple-lime salsa.

The Best Soup in the Whole World

As the days have started darkening much earlier, I'm less and less able to capture pictures of my food in the natural light.

The result? Sub-par food photos, lit only by my dinky dining room light.

Perhaps most importantly though, I also owe apologies to the delicious bowl of soup pictured here. He was so rich, so creamy, so bursting with flavor...he most certainly deserved a cover-model, natural-light photo that would highlight his best features.

Friends, I think I may have actually made the best soup in the world this week. Yes: the whole world.

Put your chili to rest. File away those bisque recipes. Forget the chowder. "The Best Soup in the Whole World" is otherwise known as "Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup." I can't believe it's taken me this long to discover it.

I owe credit, of course, to Ina Garten for inspiring this ridiculously scrumptious combination: roasted butternut squash, roasted apples, and curry powder. Those three ingredients alone form the base for this super-simple, super-flavorful soup.

After you find "The Best Soup in the Whole World," there's not much left to say, is there?

Except, "I'm sorry my picture doesn't do you justice."

What's your favorite soup recipe?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

(adapted from a recipe in Ina Garten's Back to Basics Cookbook)

The curry powder and apples are what make this particular squash soup stand out from the rest. Ina suggests garnishing with chopped cashews (as I pictured here), but when I took the leftovers in my lunch, I ended up using toasted walnuts instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 3 large apples, diced
• 1 onion diced
• a little olive oil
• 2 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. curry powder
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Place squash, apples, and onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to evenly coat. Place them in a single layer on the baking sheets, and roast for about 35 minutes (or until softened), tossing occasionally.

3) Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the curry powder.

4) When the veggies are done, process them in a food processor with the stock (since I have a mini food processor, I did mine in 3 small batches--a little veggies, a little stock each time). Season with salt and pepper.

5) Serve with cashews (or toasted walnuts, as I later discovered!). Don't forget to thank Ina for introducing you to "The Best Soup in the Whole World."

Curried Bulgur with Roasted Veggies

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a bulgur fanatic. After discovering this gem of a grain last year, I've been singing its praises ever since. Quick to prepare, perfect for salads or main dishes, and it's flavor can vary vastly depending on the liquid you soak it in.

Who needs couscous when you've got bodacious bulgur (I'm only mildly embarrassed that I just used the word "bodacious.")

Tonight's dinner recipe screams simplicity (not an angry scream; a friendly, cooking-happy scream). Better yet, it highlights one of my favorite flavor combos: curry, fruit, and toasted nuts. You could boost the protein-punch in this one by adding a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas. Additionally, I recommend adding a chopped red bell pepper--unfortunately I didn't have one on hand tonight.

Alongside our Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots, we served roasted cauliflower. From beginning to end, dinner was ready in about 40 minutes.

If you're looking for more creative grain salad ideas, you might want to check out my Ode to Grains. (I know, I can't believe I wrote an Ode to Grains either).

Finally, what are your favorite cookbooks right now? I would love to hear what cookbooks and cooking magazines you're running to the most lately. We've definitely been heavy on the Moosewood volumunes and my old Cooking Light recipes, but I'm seeking some creative inspiration!

Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots

This curried grain dish serves perfectly with roasted cauliflower. I included a little of both in each bite I took :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
• 1 cut uncooked bulgur
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder (or more if you're a curry fanatic)
• Dash of cinnamon (maybe around 1/4 tsp.?)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• a little olive oil
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in bulgur, curry, and cinnamon. Cover and allow to sit until broth is absorbed (20 - 30 minutes).

2) In a small skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 - 7 minutes.

3) Add onion, apricots, and almonds to bulgur; stir until combined (You can also add chopped red bell pepper and chickpeas here, if desired.). Serve with roasted cauliflower (recipe below).

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

(adapted from a recipe in The Biggest Loser Cookbook)

You haven't tasted cauliflower until you've tried this recipe. When I got this cookbook a few years ago, I made this recipe every week for quite some time!

Ingredients:

• Florets from one head of cauliflower
• a little drizzle of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. (or more!) of garlic powder
• salt to taste
• sprinkling of dried parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the cauliflower florets (about 1 tablespoon?). Stir pepper, garlic powder, salt, and dried parsley in. Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan in and combine well.

3) Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until lightly browned (stirring once halfway through the cook-time).