Super yummy (and EASY) Curry Recipe

I'm feeling a lot better today - still not 100%, but getting there!

Over the weekend I bought a bunch of veggies at the Farmer's Market to use in some kind of vegetable curry dish (that I hadn't even picked out yet). I figured I'd go with some safe bets: red potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, etc.

Turns out, I got many ingredients required in the curry from my favoritest cookbook ever - "How it all Vegan"! (Have I mentioned how much I love this cookbook enough times? Because I love it. A lot). I created my own version of the recipe, adding / subtracting things here & there. I really wanted to add another form of protein too, so I bought some red lentils for the extra healthy kick.

What's awesome? Now I'm set for dinners for the rest of the week! YAY!! No more cooking attempts at 9:00pm when I get back from derby practice. Just heat & eat!

Beth’s Bodacious Curry

Everything is a bit of a guess here – I kind of just went with whatever! Use your own judgment with what you like / textures / consistencies / etc. Have fun with it!

INGREDIENTS
- ½ head of cauliflower (broken into florets)
- about 4 medium sized carrots (chopped), skins left on (for added nutrition!)
- about 4-5 small red potatoes (diced), mine were pretty small
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
- approx 2 cups low-sodium veggie stock
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
- approx 2 cups coconut milk (or soymilk)
- 1 ½ cups red lentils
- 1 medium zucchini (sliced)
- frozen peas (optional)
- Cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder, salt
- 3 tbsp Braggs (or Soy sauce. I prefer Braggs - which can be found in the same section of the grocery store as Soy Sauce - because it contains less sodium, and is stock full of amino acids)
- 1-2 large tomatoes (diced)

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, warm coconut oil (or olive oil). Sautee carrots, onion & garlic until onion starts to become clear.

Add cauliflower, potatoes, zucchini and spices (eyeball how much you’d like – be generous with the curry though, I used about 1 ½ - 2 tbsp), and stir well. Add coconut milk & veggie broth – simmer for about 15 minutes (check to be sure that the potatoes are starting to get tender).

Add red lentils, stir well, and cover. Let simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Check to be sure the vegetables are tender, and turn off heat. Add diced tomatoes, peas (optional), and Braggs. Stir to combine.

Serve over Cous-Cous, or Quinoa! Yummy yum!

And yes, I put everything into separate portion-sized containers. I am a nerd, but I love being organized! :)

Another fun treat? Here is what I had for lunch earlier that day:

The very nice & friendly woman that runs the Grateful Bread Company booth at the Farmer's Market promised me a trade (I hooked her up with a few tickets to a show), so I got a FREE loaf of Ciabatta bread from her! It is so yummy, and I've been enjoying it all week.

Anyhoodle, I made my "pink soup" recipe again - yep, another recipe from "How it All Vegan" - you surprised? It's just their carrot soup recipe with 1/2 of the carrots replaced with fresh beets. It's my new favorite soup.

I also made their homemade hummus recipe (which I've never done before - I'm usually a hummus buyer), and it's FANTASTIC! I smeared it on some of my Ciabatta bread, topped it with fresh sliced tomatoes & a little sprinkling of Gomashio (sesame seed seasoning), and made some Kale chips for the side. The crusty bread was perfect for dunking in my soup too!

If you haven't had Kale chips, they're a must try! Super easy to make too - Just wash them well, cut out the spines, roughly chopped 'em, spread the leaves on a cookie sheet, coated them with spray oil, sprinkled with salt/pepper/garlic powder, and bake for 5-7 minutes at 425 degrees. Crunchy, savory, delicious - and one of the few ways that I have learned to LOVE kale!

I was so in LOVE with this lunch that I had the same thing again the next day (with roasted green beans in the place of the kale).

Who says vegan food is boring??