To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Click the image above to watch the video.
Vegan Keto Curry Soup with Cauliflower Rice & Kale
Feeds 6 very well
INGREDIENTS
1-2 TBS olive oil
I onion – diced
1 head of kale – ribs removed & chopped
1 head of cauliflower
8 carrots – chopped
5-6 ounces coconut milk
8-10 cups vegan stock
4 garlic cloves – chopped
2 TBS curry powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp crushed red pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the cauliflower into florets & spray with cooking spray (or toss in a little oil). Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, rice the cauliflower by pulsing a few times in a food processor or using the grater blade. Or – grate the cauliflower manually. Set aside.
Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil & saute the onions until soft. Add the garlic & spices & stir for a minute. Add all the other ingredients & bring to a boil. Simmer until the carrots are tender. Season with S&P. Add more water or stock if it gets too thick.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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My friend, Simone Turkington, comes over to treat us to four of her mom’s Sri Lankan delicacies! She makes Bandakka (an okra & turmeric dish), potato & coconut milk curry, mock lamb curry & sambol (a coconut-based condiment). Click the image above to watch!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Click the image above to watch the video.
I fucking love Indian food. I always have. I have posted many Indian recipes & Indian food is the easiest way to feed someone vegan food without them noticing. If you research, you will find that most recipes have largely overlapping ingredients. If you intend to get into cooking Indian food – the critical spices (outside of cumin & coriander) are garam masala & cardamom. If your local market does not carry the spices you need – and there is no local Indian spice source (ethnic markets are THE BEST resource for cheap spices) – buy them on Amazon. This recipe calls for fenugreek (or kasuri methi) but I read that celery seeds are a decent substitute. If you can’t find either – blow it off.
If you are accustomed to cooking Indian food – you might notice I tend to use far larger amounts of the spices than your average recipes. The measurements are very forgiving, though, so don’t worry if you want to use more – or less – than what I suggest.
I used a vegan goat cheese that I bought at a Soledad Santuary stand at the Hollywood farmer’s market. If you live in Hollywood or can make it to that market – look for them. They recently turned vegan & are experimenting making many kinds of vegan cheese. (If you get there – BTW – look for Dave’s Korean stand, too. Their tempeh is INSANE!) You can use any soft vegan cheese (cream cheese or yogurt or goat cheese – if you can find some). If you are not vegan – a Boursin or garlic/chive cream cheese would work. You just need some sort of “dairy” to mellow out the overall flavor.
Vegan Aloo Palak (Indian Spinach & Potato Curry)
Serves 4-6 with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 – 2 lbs fresh spinach (You can use canned or frozen but the flavor will not be the same & you won’t get the vibrant green color. Google Aloo Palak & see how ugly it can look. LOL)
3 large red potatoes – cubed
1 large onion – diced
1-3 jalapenos (to taste) – chopped (remove seeds to lessen the heat)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 TBS turmeric
1 TBS fresh ginger – minced (I used jarred)
1 TBS garlic – minced (I used jarred)
1-3 tsp chili powder (I used 3 but I like heat)
1 TBS ground coriander
1 tsp dry fenugreek (or celery seeds) – OPTIONAL
1 TBS garam masala
1/2 cup vegan soft cheese
Salt
Olive oil
Garnish – cooked rice and/or naan
DIRECTIONS
Boil a large pot of water & blanch the spinach by immersing it for 30 seconds to a minute – so it wilts. Plunge into cold water & drain.
Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil & pan fry the potatoes until they begin to brown – turning often. This might cook them through – depending on how large your cubes are. If it doesn’t do not worry. They can cook more in the spinach. Set aside.
In that same pan – heat another TBS olive oil & add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to sputter, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, & spices. Cook until the onion is soft.
In a food processor – blend the onion mix. Then – add the drained spinach & puree. Return this to the pan. Stir in the cheese & add the potatoes. Heat through & be sure your potatoes are soft. You may have to add between 1-2 cups of water to thin it out. If it is too thick add more water. Too thin? Cook it down.
Serve with rice or naan – or eat it naked! I mean – the spinach & potatoes could be naked – as the potato adds a starch to the dish, already. But – if you wanna be naked yourself – I don’t see a problem with that. Your roommate or children might feel awkward but fuck’m. You just made motherfuckin’ Aloo Palak. What the fuck have they achieved lately? Probably not appreciate you enough, that’s what.
See my point? Might as well swill some wine, too. Haters gonna hate. No reason for you to give any fucks at all. Eat, drink & be proud you just made a yummy vegan meal!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Click the image above to watch my thwarted efforts at making a curry for rice.
Slow cookers. Mmmmmm! So satisfying. Coming home to a house filled with the aroma of a fresh cooked meal is the next best thing to having a wife. Or a husband. Because the dogs just never seem to get motivated enough to cook. Or maybe they do – but they just eat it all up themselves. This recipe can be made either as a curry for over rice or as a soup. If you are doing a version for rice – use a slow cooker. I cannot figure out how to cook something as delicate as red lentils in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker unless I want it to be a soup – which is how I salvaged this potential disaster.
This could also be made stove top in just the time it takes to cook the lentils but you might want to saute the onions a bit first to soften them.
Vegan Red Curry Lentils
feeds at least 2 very well with rice or — make the soup
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 TBS olive oil or coconut oil
10 oz can of Rotel or other diced or strained tomatoes
1 small onion – diced
1 TBS garlic cloves – minced
1 TBS fresh grated ginger – I used jarred
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TBS red curry paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (according to your tolerance for heat)
1 tsp garam masala (recipe below if you cannot find it as garam masala)
1 TBS harissa or other hot sauce – like sriracha
2 cups water
1 (6 oz) can coconut milk
Chopped cilantro as garnish (and cook some rice to serve the lentils over if you did not make soup – I used brown Basmati). A bit of vegan sour cream might be nice to stir into the soup – if you went that way.
DIRECTIONS
SLOW COOKER CURRY (for rice)
Just stick all the ingredientsinto a slow cooker & set it on low. Go away for 8-10 hours. Or set it on high and it should be done in 2-3 hours. Serve over steamed rice. Garnish with cilantro & maybe additional hot sauce.
INSTANT POT SOUP
On the saute setting, saute the onion until soft. Add everything else & cook on manual for 8-10 minutes. Add more water to thin it to taste.
Serve with vegan sour cream & Sriracha & cilantro.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Click the image above to watch the video.
This dish makes an incredible centerpiece for your vegan holiday table but is good as a side, too. I ate the entire thing alone in two days. So yummy! I overcooked my cauliflower in the boiling water just a bit so it did not hold its shape perfectly. So – be sure to only cook your cauliflower the 8 minutes & then drain it under cold running water.
Even if this guy falls apart when you cut into it, the flavor is not impacted. It is really delicious.
Gobi Musallam or Whole Roasted Cauliflower in Curry Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 Head cauliflower (leaves and tough stem removed)
Water to blanch
2teaspoonssalt
1teaspoonturmeric
1teaspoonchili powderoptional
curry sauce
1 TBS olive oil
1/2medium red onion – chopped
1 TBS minced ginger
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS crushed red pepper chili flakes (or to taste)
Garnish – cilantro, pomegranate seeds, cooked rice or naan
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Use enough water so all of the cauliflower can be immersed in it. Add salt, turmeric and chili and cook the whole cauliflower by immersing it in the water – bottom side down. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Drain & rinse under cold running water to stop its cooking.
In a pan, add oil and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until golden, 6-7 minutes. Add ginger, garlic chili and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the spices and mix. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, fenugreek (if using), mix and cook covered until tender. Add coconut milk & yogurt. Heat a bit. Puree in a blender. Taste and adjust salt, spice.
Oil a baking dish – either a cast iron pan or casserole dish that can accommodate the head of cauliflower. Place the blanched cauliflower in a baking dish. Reserve about 1/3 of the sauce & set it aside. Slowly pour the remaining sauce the puree on top to cover the entire head of the cauliflower. Some sauce will fall pool around the bottom of the cauliflower.
Bake for 40-45 minutes till the cauliflower is dry to touch and sauce thickens a bit. Turn the dish around after 30 minutes.
Heat the remaining sauce to just about a boil so it thickens and serve on the side.
Garnish with warmed reserved sauce & fresh cilantro and maybe even some pomegranate seeds – if you are feeling festive. Serve as a side or with rice or naan.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Click the image above to watch the video.
Red Coconut Curry Pad Thai Noodles with Crispy Garlic Tofu
serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 lb tofu
oil
3 TBS red curry paste
1 15 oz can lite coconut milk
1 TBS fresh ginger – minced
2 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS soy sauce
for the marinade
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
1 TBS crushed red pepper
for the noodles
1 lb noodles (either fresh Pad Thai noodles or a pound of cooked & drained noodles of your choice)
1 small onion – diced
1-3 jalapenos – sliced
Your mix of fresh vegetables (I used 1 15 oz can of baby corn, 1 small can diced water chestnuts, 1 cup broccoli florets, 1 cup chopped purple cabbage, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 cup sliced snap peas, 1 cup frozen peas)
Garnish: lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds and maybe another can of warmed coconut milk with red curry paste whisked in to use as a gravy over the noodles – for those that like a saucy dish)
DIRECTIONS
Optional – cut the tofu in half so you have two large squares about 3/4 inch thick. Put them between paper towels & cover with a heavy pan for 30 minutes to release some moisture.
Cube the tofu. Whisk the marinade together & marinate the tofu for 30 minutes or longer.
Heat a TBS or oil & over high heat – fry the drained tofu. Let it sit a few minutes on each side before turning until it is well browned. Set aside.
Heat 1 TBS oil in a pan & saute the onion & jalapeno. When soft, add the remaining vegetables (retaining the frozen peas to add later) and saute a few minutes. Add garlic, ginger & soy sauce. Stir to combine.Add curry paste & coconut milk. Stir & add fresh or cooked noodles. If it gets too dry – add some water. Heat through. Stir in the frozen peas & heat through.
Plate each serving & top with the crispy tofu.
Garnish as you desire.
I warmed another can of coconut milk & whisked in more red curry to drizzle over each serving.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Click the image below to watch a video for this recipe.
OK – this dish is really easy to make & wildly delicious! And – you get to smoke it yourself in just five minutes! This is a really cool new trick I learned & I cannot wait to find new ways to use it.
All you need is a piece of natural charcoal (without lighter fluid or chemicals) – like this:
You heat it up on the stove – like this:
There is one more step but I will get back to that later. There are a few steps involved in the overall recipe but all are very easy! And the only “exotic” ingredient is the garam masala. If you cannot find it or don’t feel like looking for it – you can make it from stuff you likely already have. Look for recipes HERE.
This recipe really makes quite a lot of this stuff – enough for four – more if you serve it with rice or naan or roti. If you don’t have lots of folks to feed & don’t want yummy leftovers – cut the recipe in half – at least. I like my Indian food very flavorful & I tend to double or triple the amount of spices that traditional recipes typically suggest. I will post this recipe with a suggested amount of each thing & then tell you what I used. This dish is spicy but not crazy spicy – but I do like heat. If you have a more tender palate – be conservative.
Oh – and check out this tip on how to cut an onion without crying!
Smoked & Spicy Indian Eggplant Curry
Feeds 4 generously – served with rice
INGREDIENTS
2 small onions – diced
1 red bell pepper – seeded & diced
6 medium tomatoes
30 raw almonds (or raw cashews)
3+ TBS vegan butter
2 lb eggplant (any variety) – cubed
1-2 TBS ginger – minced (I used 2 but mine was jarred. Maybe go lighter if you are using freshly grated ginger)
4-10 garlic cloves – minced (I used 10)
1-2 TBS garam masala (I used 1)
1-3 tsp chili powder (I used 1)
Cilantro – as garnish
(serve with steamed rice or naan or roti or tortillas)
for smoking the eggplant curry
1 lump of coal about the size of a lemon or larger
2 TBS olive or vegetable oil
1 small METAL bowl to safely hold the hot charcoal
You also need a large saute pan & some sort of cover. I used my wok cover.
DIRECTIONS
Soak the nuts in some water for 5 minutes. I used this metal dog food dish & used it again later in the smoking process.
(In the video version – I did not peel the tomatoes so feel free to skip this step.) Meanwhile – poke some holes in your tomatoes with the tip of a knife & drop them into boiling water. After a few minutes – you will see the skins curling off. Drain & run under cool water until you can handle them without burning yourself. Then core them.
Drain the nuts & then puree them in a blender with the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat 3 TBS of vegan butter or olive oil in a large saute pan – large enough to hold ALL the ingredients. Over high heat – saute the onions & red bell pepper & eggplant. Saute until the eggplant begins to brown. Add more vegan butter or olive oil if needed. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the garam masala & chili powder & the ginger – stir to incorporate. Add the garlic & stir for one minute – then add the tomato puree. Boil this for about 5-7 minutes until it thickens. If it gets too thick – add a bit of water.
When it looks about like this:
TURN OFF THE HEAT & put your metal bowl in the center of the pan.
Now – heat up the charcoal – like this:
When it is red hot or graying on the outside – USE METAL TONGS & put it in the bowl in the center of your curry. Then pour some olive or vegetable oil on it It will immediately begin smoking so – if you have a hood with vents – turn them on. Quickly – cover it up with a pot cover of some sort. I used my old & very beaten up wok cover.
Let this sit for 5-10 minutes & let the smoke work its magic. I went 6 minutes because I was afraid it would be too smoky. It wasn’t. In the future – I will go for ten minutes. CAREFULLY remove the metal bowl – with two pairs of tongs. DO NOT BURN YOURSELF!
DEFINITELY season this with salt. Do not be shy – but add it in increments. Salt is under-rated as a spice.
Then – just serve this over some rice or with naan or a tortilla or roti – garnished with some cilantro.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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This blog is 5 years old today! And my Youtube channel just hit 1000 subscribers! I am very happy about both milestones.
I have really become obsessed with my slow cooker. Slow cookers – as I have many. The one that I can set to cook for 5 hours & then just keep the food warm is the best because I can set it & go to work & come back 10 hours later to a house that smells delicious & a warm meal waiting for me. If you don’t have a low cooker – I really encourage you to get one. Easy doesn’t get easier than a recipe like this one. Just throw everything in & set the timer for 5 hours & that is it.
I used Beyond Meat vegan chicken because it is, hands down, the best fake chicken on the market. But you could use real chicken or just use chickpeas. Your call.
I used two kinds of saffron:
That Golchin liquid stuff is affordable (under $10) and is GENIUS. If your store doesn’t carry it – buy it on Amazon or something.
The saffron threads are delicate & lovely but very costly. They were part of a gourmet gift box I was given for my birthday – and not usually on my shopping list. Either or both of these work – but I suggest trying to use one – because saffron is such a specific & lovely flavor & adds gorgeous color – but it isn’t really critical for this dish to be a success. So – if you don’t have it, don’t like it, can’t find it – blow it off.
I used dry chickpeas because I am delighted by how cheap they are & I like that they have been processed less & have no added sodium. But – if you want to use canned ones – go ahead! This could be made stove-top easily with canned beans – just don’t add the 4 cups of water.
Vegan Butter Chicken and Chickpeas for the Slow Cooker
Feeds a LOTTA folks – maybe 8-10 with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry chickpeas (or 4 cans – but if you use canned chickpeas – eliminate the water here)
3 cups water (4 cups if you are gonna leave it for 10 hours – like I did)
9 ox vegan chicken
2 jalapenos (red or green) – seeded & diced
1 onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – chopped
2 TBS ginger – minced
8 oz tomato sauce (I used a homemade arrabbiata)
6 oz tomato paste
14 oz can lite coconut milk
1/2 tsp crushed saffron threads (optional)
3 TBS saffron liquid (optional)
1 TBS garam masala
1 TBS curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 TBS turmeric
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
garnish – cilantro, scallions, yogurt (vegan or otherwise), cooked rice
DIRECTIONS
Put everything into a slow cooker & set on high for 5 hours.
If you are using canned chickpeas – do not add water. As you see above – this recipe has lots of gravy (the upper picture is before it cooked & the other is how it looked 10 hours later). If you want it thicker – whisk some cornstarch (2-3 TBS) into a little water & stir it in. It should thicken up. If it is too thick – add water.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Reposting this now here because there is a video to accompany it. Please consider following me on my channel there.
I have posted several variations of cauliflower rice over the years – most of which can be found HERE. This one is likely the richest of the lot due to the added lite coconut milk. Still – if you consider that it isn’t really rice but, rather just grated cauliflower, that added decadence of the coconut milk & curry paste are not that bad.
Cauliflower rice is easiest if you have a food processor with a grating blade. If not – you can grate the cauliflower with a box grater or other grater – but raw cauliflower tends to pop all over the place & can get rather messy.
I’m not sure if some of my earlier cauliflower rice recipes had the added step of steaming the cauliflower & squeezing out the water – but – that is a step not necessary for cauliflower rice. I think that step only matters if you are going to make cauliflower pizza dough or cauliflower tortillas – as seen below.
This dish is quick & easy & very tasty. And good for you!
Vegan Spicy Thai Red Curry & Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4 or more as a side
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower – grated in with a food processor or a manual grater
Coconut or other cooking oil
1 red bell pepper – diced
1 onion diced
1-3 jalapenos – minced (use more or less according to your taste for heat)
1-6 cloves of garlic – chopped (use more or less according to your taste for garlic)
In a very large saute pan, heat about 1 TBS oil & add the cauliflower. Saute on high for 5-7 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.
In the same pan, add about another TBS of oil & saute the red bell pepper, onion & jalapeno until they get soft – maybe 5 minutes. Add the garlic & stir for a minute & then add the curry paste & coconut milk & amino acid (or soy sauce) & agave. Incorporate & then add the cauliflower rice. Stir in some cilantro & combine. Garnish with additional cilantro & lime wedges & serve.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
The other day, I made a boatload of Easy Vegan Thai Sweet Basil & Coconut Lentils – seen just above. By boatload – I mean I started with 5 cups of dry lentils. That makes nearly twice as much of the finished product – so – I decided to try to reinvent them. I used two cups of them in this recipe and I still have a ton left. You can either make this lentil recipe (cut in half) or your own favorite lentil recipe. I recommend these because the flavor profiles match but I am pretty sure most lentil recipes will do.
I baked mine for an hour but this loaf was only about an inch deep. I recommend going shallow rather than deep because the deeper the loaf is – the trickier it will be to get it cooked through without drying it out.
I also used this crazy glaze I spotted at Ralph’s. If you cannot find this – either let the loaf be naked or mix up a glaze of your choice – or just top it with your favorite BBQ sauce. Glazes are nice because they add moisture & another flavor component. Here is a CURRY KETCHUP recipe (use agave rather than honey – if you are vegan) and here is a SRIRACHA KETCHUP recipe (again – use agave rather than honey – if you are vegan). I posted Korean & traditional BBQ sauce recipes HERE.
Leftover Lentils Red Coconut Curry & Beef and Bean Meatloaf (Vegan)
11 oz vegan beef crumbles (I always use Beyond Meat)
2 TBS red curry paste (or more – to taste)
5.6 oz coconut milk
1/4 cup oats (more if your mixture seems too wet – less if it seems too dry) – breadcrumbs work, too
1/4 cup flax meal (more if your mixture seems too wet – less if it seems too dry)
GARNISH – your favorite meatloaf glaze or BBQ sauce & cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all your ingredients together. Get it to about the consistency of a wet burger.
I lined my pan with foil but parchment paper is better. I sprayed it with cooking spray & poured the lentil mixture in & pressed it flat.
Top with the glaze of your choice.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until it is cooked through. A testing stick should come out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before transferring or cutting into it.
Top with more glaze, if you desire, & serve with fresh cilantro.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Slow cooker recipes. Is anything better than just dumping a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker, going away for hours and then coming home to dinner – warm & waiting? I think not!
I used yellow split lentils or urad dal – but any variety of lentils will work just fine. I added a ton of random vegetables – because I had them. You can add or omit any veggies you like.
I had a big bag of English peas & some fresh spinach that were going to spoil before I could cook them – so – I froze them.
It was about 2 cups of peas & make 4 cups of spinach but the spinach wilted in the freezer – down to about 4 cups. If you use frozen veggies in yours – add them at the very end or they will just disintegrate.
Vegan Spicy Green Coconut Curry with Vegetables & Split Lentils for the Slow Cooker
Makes a lot – likely enough to feed 6 well if served with rice
INGREDIENTS (very flexible)
2 cups lentils
2 potatoes – cubed
1 small onion – diced
1-4 cloves garlic – minced
1 small head cauliflower – cut into small florets
1-5 jalapenos – seeded & diced (use less or omit – if you do not like heat)
3-5 carrots – sliced
3 TBS ginger – minced
1 (5.5 oz) can coconut milk (use more for a richer curry)
3 TBS green curry paste
1 TBS garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp turmeric
6 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach or 2 cups frozen
2 cups peas
S&P
GARNISH – hot sauce (like sriracha), cilantro & cooked rice (I used basmati)
DIRECTIONS
Put everything except peas, spinach & any frozen vegetables you might be using into the slow cooker. If using anything frozen – all them to thaw. Ignore my photos showing the spinach & peas being added with the other ingredients at the start. They disintegrated & I had to add more of each at the end. I also added the cauliflower after the curry had been cooking for hours – hence the different-looking imagery below.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. If it is too thick, add stock or water. If it is too thin – cook a bit longer with the lid off – or mash some of the curry with a masher or immersion blender to create a thicker gravy.
15 minutes before serving – add peas, spinach & any frozen vegetables you selected. Season with S&P.
Serve with rice & garnish with cilantro & hot sauce.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Ever have a bad day? Cat peed on your favorite shoes? Splashed at the street corner by a passing car driving through a puddle? Dropped your phone in the toilet? Smiled your toothiest & flirtiest smile at that cute guy at Starbucks only to later discover you have poppy seeds between several teeth? Someone cut you off in the parking lot & then gave YOU the finger? Just found out your new boss is 25 years younger than you? Asked for a cute bob but walked out looking more like Tom Petty than Taylor Swift? Get spaghetti sauce on that white blouse you just splurged on? Bought a 12x magnifying mirror – looked in it – and you are now convinced you can never leave the house again? Trapped behind zombie walkers at Costco? Sharted? It happens.
Need a little comfort food to go with your box of wine but you can’t really cook or you are too exhausted, anyway? Well…
Beyond Meat has done it again! Very soon, 4 different, single-serving frozen meals will become available. They might already be available at Whole Foods in the frozen meal aisle. I was lucky enough to find one of each kind and I will talk about the Vegetarian Indian Curry here today. The Korean BBQ & Vietnamese Lemongrass & Vegetarian Roasted Sweet Potato Chili were reviewed separately.
Zaps in the microwave in between 3-6 minutes…and a low calorie count with only 300 calories!!! I like my food spicy so I added a TBS or so of spicy chutney to this & it was delightful! And for those concerned about protein intake – this has 21 grams! This dish was filling for 300 calories & I bet meat eaters would never guess it is vegan. I prefer my Indian food with more gravy – the wetter dishes – but despite the lack of a heavy sauce – this really was delicious.
Non-GMO & 100% vegan – this is a welcome new dish in the convenience food market. I highly recommend it! Vegan, non-GMO & right in the ballpark with Lean Cuisines (et al) with a very low calorie count but with the added benefit of exotic flavors and – I feel – a denser & more filling product. Win-win-win-win-win!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
I used a 12oz package of Beyond Meat chicken strips – because they are the best on the market. If you cannot find them – use the brand available to you – preferably not breaded.
This recipe is really just for a marinade (not totally necessary) & for the peanut & coconut sauce. You can whisk each together in bowls & heat the chicken in any pan on the stove. So easy & REALLY delicious!
Vegan Chicken Satay with Peanut & Coconut Sauce
Depends on the amount of “chicken” you use & appetites – but 1 or 2
INGREDIENTS
for the chicken satay
Beyond Meat chicken strips (or other vegan chicken) – in the quantity you require
Cooking oil or cooking spray
for the marinade (an optional step – you can skip the marinade if you want to but it does ratchet up the flavors)
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 shallots – minced
1-2 serrano or jalapeno peppers – minced (seed them for less heat)
Whisk ingredients together & put the chicken in it. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes – or overnight. I did this in a Ziplock bag.
for the peanut-coconut sauce
Whisk everything together. Adjust the peanut butter to coconut ratio to suit your tastes. I put mine in an old pickle jar so I could give it a good shake before using it.
for the chicken satay
Heat some oil or cooking spray & dump the chicken & marinade into a pan. Heat through.
Plate the chicken & drizzle with a light bit of the peanut-coconut sauce (reserve some because there is a lot of sauce).
Serve with rice & garnish with extra sauce, cilantro & lime wedges.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
I have posted several variations of cauliflower rice over the years – most of which can be found HERE. This one is likely the richest of the lot due to the added lite coconut milk. Still – if you consider that it isn’t really rice but, rather just grated cauliflower, that added decadence of the coconut milk & curry paste are not that bad.
Cauliflower rice is easiest if you have a food processor with a grating blade. If not – you can grate the cauliflower with a box grater or other grater – but raw cauliflower tends to pop all over the place & can get rather messy.
I’m not sure if some of my earlier cauliflower rice recipes had the added step of steaming the cauliflower & squeezing out the water – but – that is a step not necessary for cauliflower rice. I think that step only matters if you are going to make cauliflower pizza dough or cauliflower tortillas – as seen below.
This dish is quick & easy & very tasty. And good for you!
Vegan Spicy Thai Red Curry & Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4 or more as a side
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower – grated in with a food processor or a manual grater
Coconut or other cooking oil
1 red bell pepper – diced
1 onion diced
1-3 jalapenos – minced (use more or less according to your taste for heat)
1-6 cloves of garlic – chopped (use more or less according to your taste for garlic)
In a very large saute pan, heat about 1 TBS oil & add the cauliflower. Saute on high for 5-7 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.
In the same pan, add about another TBS of oil & saute the red bell pepper, onion & jalapeno until they get soft – maybe 5 minutes. Add the garlic & stir for a minute & then add the curry paste & coconut milk & amino acid (or soy sauce) & agave. Incorporate & then add the cauliflower rice. Stir in some cilantro & combine. Garnish with additional cilantro & lime wedges & serve.
This one has quite a few ingredients only two of which might be hard to find – the fenugreek seeds & the curry leaves. Honestly – I think there is so much flavor in this dish that you can omit those if you cannot find them. This dish used unsweetened grated coconut blended with cashews & I did not blend my coconut fine enough & it added a bit of texture to the dish that was not unpleasant – but I will definitely pulse it more finely next time.
Indian foods are often served with one of my favorite condiments in the world – Spicy Cilantro and Mint Chutney (seen below) and I recommend making some because it really adds something special – though it is definitely not necessary.
Vegan South Indian Coconut Curry with Mushrooms & Peas
Serves 4 with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb mixed mushrooms – sliced
2 cups peas
2 tomatoes – diced
1 onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – chopped
4 TBS fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 cup unsweetened grated coconut
20 cashews
15 curry leaves (optional)
2 tsp black mustard seeds (mustard powder – if you do not have seeds)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 TBS coconut or olive oil
5 cups vegetable stock
Garnish – cilantro
Cooked rice
DIRECTIONS
Pulse the cashews & coconut in a food processor or spice mill until the coconut is very fine – more fine than in my photo below. Set aside
Heat 2 TBS oil & saute the mushrooms over high heat until they are soft & beginning to brown. Put in a bowl & set aside.
In the same pan – add another TBS oil & add the mustard seeds heat until they begin to pop then add the fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds.
Stir & add the onion & tomato & saute until the onions are soft. Add the garlic & the ginger & the chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and cumin & stir to incorporate.
Add the coconut/cashew blend & the curry leaves. Blend & then add the stock & bring to a boil.
Boil it down until it thickens a bit & then add the mushrooms & peas. You might want to reserve a few mushroom slices & peas to garnish the servings but this is not necessary.
If the texture is to your liking – serve it on top of rice. I chose to puree about half of it with an immersion blender. You can do this – or use a regular blender to puree some of it – or not. Your call.
Serve over rice & garnish with reserved veggies or cilantro.
The photo of the greens above (which I stole from the internet) is of fresh fenugreek leaves (or methi). I bought some at my local Indian market (India Sweets & Spices). From the internet:
Fenugreek is an annual herb with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor often described as a cross between celery and maple. The seeds can be used whole or ground and are commonly found in curry powder.
I had them, so I used them. If you cannot find them, use spinach or chard or even kale – it doesn’t much matter.
This is an easy but very creamy dish so it would go over a cauliflower “rice” nicely – and you avoid doubling up on heavy starches. The flavors here are subtle & mild – a rare dish I added little spice to. If you cannot find fenugreek SEEDS (any Indian market will have them & they won’t be expensive) – they can be purchased online – Amazon, for example.
I used a random mix of potatoes – and any potatoes would do – even sweet potatoes.
Boil the potatoes until they are just done. Drain & set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan & add the mustard (seeds or powder), fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds. Once the seeds start popping – add the onion & chilies. Cook until the onion begins to brown bit. Add the potatoes, fenugreek leaves (or other chopped greens), turmeric, chili powder & cumin & stir to combine. Cook until your greens wilt.
Add the sour cream, cream cheese and milk (add milk in increments until you get the consistency you like) & stir to incorporate them.
Delightful-Delicious-Delovely 