Korma, Curried Garbonzos, and Savory Coconut Rice

I'm really excited about this post. What few Indian dishes I've had, I've really liked. Mostly those have come from the frozen section of the grocery store. While those frozen meals are pretty good, and even healthy (thanks, Amy's Kitchen!), they are pretty expensive to have routinely or to serve a family. So, naturally, when I found out how easy cooking delicious Indian dishes can be, I couldn't wait to share!

This meal consist of three dishes, but don't worry, all three are super easy and will cook up in less than an hour. Korma is a stew-like dish with a silky, coconut milk sauce. This korma is, of course, bursting with veggies. There's also savory coconut jasmine rice and curried garbonzo beans. As always, serve up some fresh fruit for dessert to satisfy that sweet tooth. Tonight, I chose sliced mango.

Let's talk a little bit about the ingredients here since some of you may not be familiar with them. The coconut milk comes in a can, usually found on the "ethnic" food aisle. I use the light milk so there isn't as much fat. Be sure not to buy coconut cream because that's something different, but it'll probably be right next to the milk.  Just to be clear, neither dish is sweet. I know it is hard to think of coconut without thinking of dessert, but the coconut milk just makes the rice and korma rich, flavorful, and creamy, not sweet at all.

The jasmine rice comes in a bag and looks just like regular rice. You can either find it with the Asian foods or with the rice.

You can either use pre-mixed curry powder like I did (usually cheaper), or mix your own (often tastier) if you're so inclined.

For the veggies, you can pretty much throw in whatever you have on hand. This is a good recipe to use up some leftovers. I used a lot of frozen veggies in mine; just use whatever kinds you like. Just be mindful of cooking times--fresh veggies usually need a little more time to cook than frozen.

To make this meal, you'll need:

•  2 onions
• 1 white potato
• 1 sweet potato
• 3-4 carrots
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• fresh fruit of your choice
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
•  2 cans of light coconut milk
• 3 small cans (or boxes) of tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons oil
• curry powder
• cinnamon 
• ginger 
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper

 Begin by chopping the onions--one is for the garbanzos, and one is for the korma, so divide accordingly. Next, chop the white and sweet potatoes and the carrots.

 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pot for the garbanzos and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot for the korma. Add one onion to the small pot, and the chopped veggies to the large pot. 

The potatoes, onion, and carrots for the korma.

 When the onion in the small pot is tender, add one clove of minced or pressed garlic. Then add the can of garbanzo beans, 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder and a dash of cayenne. Cover and let simmer.

These are my garbanzos after simmering. Notice how the sauce thickened up nicely.

 When the veggies in the korma pot are softened and golden, add 3-4 cloves of minced or pressed garlic. Then add the frozen veggies, one can of tomato sauce, and one can of coconut milk. Next, add 1 1/2 or 2 tablespoons of curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Soft and golden.

 Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens up, about twenty minutes. Now, start the rice. Pour 1 1/2 cups of jasmine rice, one can of coconut milk, one clove of minced or pressed garlic, 1 1/2 cups of water, and about a teaspoon of salt into your pot or rice cooker. Cook as you would normally cook rice. Chop about 1/2 or 1/3 of the bunch of cilantro.

Here is my thickened korma.

 After everyone's mouth waters over the aroma coming from the kitchen and the rice is done, stir a small handful of chopped cilantro into the garbanzos, and a larger handful into the korma. Taste and adjust the spices, adding salt and possibly more curry powder.  Slice your fruit for the dessert, and serve!

I could've presented this better, but I was just back from a long run and starving. I'll get a better picture next time.

Bon appetit!

Decadent Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Sauce

Going vegan doesn't have to mean blanched spinach and bland salads all the time. There is room at the Veggie Table for some really delicious treats, too! Just eat them in moderation, and you can maintain your healthy lifestyle while still enjoying things like chocolate mousse.

This rich, chocolatey mousse tastes sinful, but it is high in protein, good fat and calcium with no cholesterol. Also, since it is sweetened primarily with agave, which has a low glycemic index, it won't cause a sugar rush, or that dreaded crash--your blood sugar levels will stay relatively level. (The type of chocolate you use effects the amount of sugar. Generally higher quality dark chocolates have less sugar. Also, be sure to choose a chocolate that doesn't include dairy or artificial ingredients. Read those labels!)

Now, down to business. The ingredients here might surprise you, but don't be scared! It tastes delicious, I promise! And you don't have to tell anyone that your decadent mousse is really made of tofu. Yes, that's right, I said tofu. You won't see much tofu on this blog simply because I'm not a huge fan of it, but soft or silken tofu is great for making things like puddings and ice creams. Just trust me and give this a shot; you won't regret it!

To make this delightful mousse with raspberry sauce, you'll need:

• 1 container of soft or silken tofu (found in the produce section of the grocery store)
• 1 bag of vegan, dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup of your favorite plant milk (I use almondmilk, but soy, rice, or coconut will work, too.)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 bag of frozen raspberries
• about 1/2 cup of agave nectar, divided(honey will do in a pinch, but it has a stronger flavor)

First, drain and puree the tofu in a large bowl. Set it aside for now.

Here's my pureed tofu. Looks like pudding, doesn't it?

 Next, set up a double boiler to melt your chocolate. I use a make-shift one with a small pot and a glass bowl. I don't recommend using the microwave because it is too easy to scald the chocolate and ruin the flavor. The picture shows just a little chocolate in the bowl because I wasn't sure how much it would take to make this. You'll need the whole bag of chocolate.

One day I'll invest in a real double boiler. This'll do for now, though!

When the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the tofu along with the vanilla and 1/4 cup of the agave nectar.

Melted chocolate should have a nice sheen to it. It should never be crumbly or dull.

Now divide the mousse into small dessert cups. Keep the servings on the small side because this stuff is rich! Let them chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. I don't recommend tasting it before it has chilled because the flavors will not have combined yet and it will taste very soy-ish. Some wonderful alchemy happens in the refrigerator that makes it transform from chocolate tofu, to delicious mousse, so resist the urge to lick the bowl!

While the cups are chilling, make the raspberry sauce.

After burning fruit on the stove a few times, I decided to take the safe route and make this sauce in the microwave. Start by placing the berries in a large, microwaveable bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of agave nectar (you can add more later if you prefer a sweeter sauce). Give it a stir, then microwave in two minute increments, stirring in between, until it thickens a bit. Keep a close eye on it because it can boil over, make a sticky mess, and waste some of your delicious sauce!

Once it has boiled down, let it cool, then spoon it over the mousse cups. You can press it through a mesh strainer if you prefer a smooth sauce; I just prefer to leave the fiber of the fruit in there. If you have some left over, it would be great on pancakes, toast, or a nice vegan ice cream. I'm sure you can find something to do with it!

Thickened raspberry sauce.

Now, isn't that a pretty dessert?

Bon appetit!

Lentil Taco Salad

This is a great, easy meal adapted from one of my favorite blogs (budgetbytes.blogspot.com). Lentils are versatile and packed with protein and fiber, and they make a great replacement for ground meat in this veggie version of a Tex-Mex classic.  This taco salad is so good, even my carnivorous husband requests it!

This salad also offers a great opportunity to add some leafy greens to your diet, too. Leafy greens like spinach are high in calcium, vitamins K and A, and 22 other essential micro-nutrients, so pile it on!

Serve with finely chopped spinach, tomatoes, mango, cilantro,  avocado, salsa, or any of your favorite toppings. With fruits like pineapple and cantaloupe for dessert, this is a great meal anyone can love.

For 4-6 servings, you will need:

All the ingredients for this simple meal.

• 1 cup of lentils
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• Fixin's: Tortilla chips, spinach, tomatoes, beans, cilantro, mango, avocado, salsa, etc.

Start by rinsing the lentils and boiling them in three cups of water.

While they boil, measure out your seasonings and chop the fruits and veggies so the fixin's will be ready to go. Make sure that your tortilla chips are additive-free. The ingredients should be corn, oil, and salt.

This would be a good time to make some "Not Refried Beans" (recipe coming soon!) if you like.

When the lentils are tender (after about twenty minutes of boiling), drain any excess water. You want to keep a little liquid in there, so just make sure there's no water over the level of the lentils. 

These are my boiled lentils. 

Add the oil to a large skillet and saute the onion until tender, then add the lentils and spice mixture.
Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors come together. 

Looks like taco filling to me!

Now for the fun part! Call the family, and have everyone assemble their tacos (or taco salad in my case).Then sit down and enjoy good food and company.

A simple "roll your own" weeknight meal with fresh pineapple  dessert.

Bon appetit! 

Why Veggies?

I love fruit and adore vegetables. I frequently spend half an hour browsing the produce section. I get excited when I come home with a veritable cornucopia of fresh, healthy food. But as much as I enjoy preparing and eating good food, what I really love is sharing it. That's why I created this blog--so that I can share the health and spread the word on how fun and delicious fruits and veggies can be.

You may be wondering,  or, "What about protein?", or "What about calcium?" These are great questions, and ones that I get asked a lot.

 As far as calcium is concerned, think of it this way. Where do most Americans get their calcium? Cow's milk, right?  How'd the calcium get in there? From the grass, of course! While I don't recommend grazing in your back yard, leafy greens like spinach, collard greens,  kale, and even herbs are excellent sources of calcium.

Now, about the protein. For the vast majority of people, protein isn't an issue; if you're getting enough food, you're getting enough protein. Athletes, bodybuilders, and maybe pregnant women may need to make sure that they get enough, but even they can meet their protein needs with a plant-based diet. If you think of food in its primal sense, it is energy to fuel our bodies; that's why we all have to eat. We must eat to live, to keep our bodies going. So, which foods are the best sources of energy? To answer that, we'll turn to basic ecology. To the right is an energy pyramid; it illustrates the amount of energy available at certain levels of the food chain. Notice that the base of the pyramid (where the most energy is available) is filled with plants! Each step in the pyramid (called a trophic level, if you're interested in searching it out on your own) represents a 10% decrease in energy. You may think, "Ten percent isn't that much of a loss." You're right, it's not. But when you eat tilapia, for example, you're not getting a 10% loss, but a 20% or 30% loss in energy because tilapia are carnivorous fish, meaning that they would be in the fourth part of the pyramid. There are aquatic plants, insects and tiny fish that eat them, larger fish that eat those, then tilapia. This is just one example, but it is clear that it is much more energetically beneficial to eat foods from lower on the pyramid.

You'd be right in asserting that mere efficiency is not reason enough to eschew meat and dairy, but wait, there's more! The standard American diet (or SAD) is bursting at the seams with animal products. But these products in such quantities are not good for a healthy body. Just look around you--how many people are obese, diabetic, have cardiovascular problems, or other chronic disease? The truth is, most disease in the US is diet-related and absolutely preventable. Even people in ancient times knew the importance of good food--Hippocrates, the "father of western medicine" said, "Let thy food be thy medicine." A healthy diet is basic preventative care. 

 The majority of Americans are not taking care of their bodies at the basic, dietary level. On a typical day, an American could eat bacon, eggs, buttered toast, and chocolate milk for breakfast; a ham and cheese sandwich or fast food burger for lunch; grilled chicken and canned green beans for dinner. This type of eating is high in LDL (or bad, artery-clogging) cholesterol, and low in HDL (or good, artery-cleaning) cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is only found in animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, while good cholesterol is found in whole grains, nuts, and in extremely high amounts in flax seeds. Meat and dairy products are also lacking in micronutrients, those vitamins and minerals which are necessary for a healthy body. Guess where these are found? You got it, fruits and veggies.

Aside from bodily health, there are a host of environmental reasons to lessen the amount of meat and dairy products that you consume, but I'll save that for another post. 

It's not that meat or dairy are altogether terrible for your health, but we could all benefit from increasing the amounts of produce in our diets. That's where my blog comes in! I'll be posting recipes and tips for a healthier, plant-based menu. It'll be delicious too, I promise!  So check back soon for some meal ideas. In the mean time,

Bon Appetit!

Sources for more information about plant-based nutrition, I recommend these documentaries (all available on Netflix streaming):

"Forks Over Knives"
"Food, Inc."
"Fresh"
"Engine 2 Rescue"
"The Gerson Miracle"
"Deconstructing Supper"
"Ingredients"