Recipe: Vegan Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Easy to make Vegan curry that’s great stand alone dish, or side dish.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, medium cube
2 cups carrot, diced
1 white onion, small dice
2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1-15 oz can cooked potatoes, medium cube
2 cup frozen peas
1-15 oz can coconut milk
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Using soup pot, water sautee onion over medium heat for 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and additional water as needed for water sauteeing.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high and add cauliflower, 1 cup water, coconut milk, curry and turmeric – bring to slow boil and then turn heat down to medium-low for 15 minutes.
4. Pulse 3 cups of mixture in a high powered blender (I use @Blendtec) until smooth and add back to the pot. [WARNING: Blending hot food has a high potential of exploding out of the blender, so blend carefully with the lid tightly secured]
5. Add carrots and potatoes, covered and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add frozen peas, mix through and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Serve with lightly toasted naan, basmati rice. Chopped cilantro and sriracha for garnish.

I’ll see you at the table.

Recipe: Thai Coconut Chicken

I haven’t cooked this favorite recipe for years, but had a dear friend ask me for the recipe again, which I happily obliged. I love it when old friends continue to enjoy my recipes again and again… brings me much joy to my heart!

For you, sweet Lisa! xo

Thai Coconut Chicken: serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2-14 oz can coconut milk
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot julienne sliced
1 medium broccoli crown, cut into small florets
Olive oil
1 while onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Dry rub ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like spicy)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish:
1 bunch of cilantro, rough chop
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup of crushed peanuts
Spicy chili sauce – my favorite is Sriracha

Directions:
Using a gallon sized Ziploc bag, add all the dry rub ingredients and shake to mix together. Add raw chicken breasts and seal, leaving some air in the bag. Shake the bag to coat the chicken breasts evenly. Rub it around from the outside, if needed. Place in bowl and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

In large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onions and garlic, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

Add the chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes per side. Be careful to not let the chicken breasts cook in one place in the pan for too long because will burn and rip off a section of the meat. Your goal is to keep the chicken breasts in one piece so that the juices will sear into the meat.

Slowly pour in the coconut milk and scrape up all the seasoning and bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over halfway through and stir the coconut milk to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan, plus helps to loosen all the yummy bits of cooked onion and spices and blend into the coconut milk. You’ll notice the milk turning a yellowish/orange color from the spices.

Add bell pepper, carrots and broccoli and stir until covered with the coconut milk. Cover and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately. Best served over rice – I prefer black rice or basmati rice. For garnish, toppings of cilantro, lime, peanuts and chili sauce are the best. I love it all, but best to allow others to choose how they want to garnish, so put these in individual bowls on the table for self serving.

To my old friends and new friends, enjoy!

Recipe: Curried Quinoa

curried quinoaIngredients:
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 clove garlic, diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup raw cashews Lemon

Directions: Cook quinoa per package instructions. In another pan, water sautee garlic, onion, and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add all ingredients to quinoa and mix through. Turn off heat, leave covered for 5 minutes. Squeeze juice of half of lemon over the quinoa and serve immediately. Great with veggies, like roasted Brussels sprouts.

Recipe: Chickpea Ginger Curry


chickpea2Love Indian food, so created this vegan curry.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium white onion, diced
2 clove garlic, sliced
2 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger
2 15-ounce can chickpea (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup carrot, diced
2 bay leaves
5 dried chiles
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 15-0unce can light coconut milk
Water

DIRECTIONS:

In medium sauce pan on medium heat, water sauté onion, garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of chickpeas and blend in high-powered blender with coconut milk. Return to sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and stir occasionally for 20 minutes.

chickpea

Before serving, remove bay leaves and dried chiles. Be careful to remove all pieces of chile because will cause serious gastronomical pain!

Serve with wild rice. We used forbidden rice cooked in rice cooker. Sprinkle with cilantro for garnish. Enjoy!