Vegetarian Chickpea Curry with Turnips

Vegetarian Chickpea Curry with Turnips (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ½ onion, diced

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 Tbsp. ground cumin

·         2 Tbsp. curry powder

·         1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), undrained

·         1 small red bell pepper, diced

·         1 small turnip, peeled and diced

·         1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained

·         1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

·         ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·         1 pinch salt

·         1 pinch cracked black pepper

Directions

1.)    Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, cumin, and curry powder; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.)    Add the garbanzo beans, red bell pepper, turnip, corn, and tomato sauce. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the curry has thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

My first experience cooking with curry and turnips was a major success!  The original recipe calls for simmering for 1.5-2 hours.  I don’t know if that is necessary, my curry was cooked through in about 1 hour.  At that time, I added some more curry powder and cumin as well as ¼ to ½ cup of water and cooked on low for an additional hour.  After it was done, I also added a splash of Sriracha – which, I believe, was the perfect addition!

My husband and I loved this dish!  It was a little spicy, but the curry flavor definitely comes through.  The cumin/curry relationship is fantastic.  The corn, turnip, pepper, and beans all have a nice crunch to them, which goes well if you serve it with rice.  I also served heated mini pita bread bites, and the dish works quite well with those as well.  I cannot wait to make this dish again and again, it is a definite keeper in my book and so easy to make.  If you are a beginner with curry, don’t be scared, this is a great starter dish and so easy to adjust to your taste.  Enjoy!

Chik’n Lo Mein

Chik’n Lo Mein (adapted from Kraft Foods, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         ½ lb. spaghetti, uncooked

·         ¼ cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

·         1 package Trader Joe’s Chickenless Chicken Strips

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, drained

·         ½ cup  fat-free reduced-sodium vegetable broth

·         1 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter

·         ¼ cup  lite soy sauce

Directions

1.)    Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt.

2.)    Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. Add vegetables, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry 3 to 4 min. or until everything is heated through.

3.)    Drain spaghetti; return to pan. Add chicken mixture and soy sauce; mix lightly.

Okay, so I made a major flub on this one that actually didn’t turn out too bad.  I thought I had vegetable broth, but alas, when I went to retrieve it from the pantry – no such luck.  My spaghetti was already cooking and my veggies were frying, so I made a split decision to use water.  When my husband and I ate the final dish, we found it slightly bland and I think that the broth would have helped in the flavor area; however, after refrigerating and reheating the leftovers – flavor!  No problems.  Next time I make this, though, I’ll use the vegetable broth.

I did not top the final dish with cilantro and peanuts (as the original recipe calls for) for two reasons: 1.) my husband doesn’t like peanuts and 2.) neither of us likes fresh cilantro.  I don’t think that took anything away from the final product, though.  The taste has a little bit of peanut butter, but mostly the toasted sesame dressing with a hint of garlic.  I think that the only thing I would change (besides actually using vegetable broth) is to use fresh vegetables.  The frozen and thawed veggies had no bite to them whatsoever and I feel that a little extra crunch would have amped up the meal.  You’ll probably be fine to use frozen veggies if you use the peanuts, though.

Enjoy!  And remember, letting the dish sit for a few minutes will definitely help the flavors meld!

Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 2-lb. spaghetti squash

·         8 oz. Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

·         1 (11 oz.) can no-salt-added corn, drained

·         1 (8 oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

·         2 Tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste

·         2 tsp. chili powder

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Directions

1.)     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Using a fork, shred and separate the spaghetti squash into strands.

While squash is cooking:

2.)    In a medium saucepan, cook crumbles, onion, and garlic until crumbles are thawed and onion is tender.

3.)    Stir in undrained tomatoes and green chiles, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and dried oregano. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

4.)    Serve sauce with spaghetti squash. If desired, sprinkle with cheddar or Mexican shredded cheese.

I am in love with Spaghetti Squash!  My obsession started in December when I ate at Ruby Tuesday a few times and ordered their Spaghetti Squash Marinara.  Tired of the high-sodium option, I decided to make my own dish.  Instead of using a spaghetti sauce, I decided to use this recipe.  I made a spaghetti squash dish some time ago and it did not turn out well – I’m not sure if I didn’t roast the squash long enough or what, so I was hesitant to try again.  I’m glad I did!  This dish is excellent!

I didn’t change much to the original recipe, mostly just using Burger Crumbles and a couple of heaping teaspoons of chili powder.  The whole dish has a very creamy flavored and the chili is not overly “tomatoey” – the garlic and other spices work well with the dish.  The squash is a nice base and, similar to rice, absorbs some of the tomato sauce and flavor of the chili.  It is healthy and satisfying!

Updates Coming

I've been traveling the past few weeks for work, which is why I have been M.I.A.  Updates are coming soon as I have been cooking up a storm since I returned from trips to Toronto and Tokyo.  Toronto was easy to come by vegetarian food.  Tokyo was slightly more difficult, but I had luck in part because of cards I printed from this site: http://justhungry.com/japan-dining-out-cards.  Most of the restaurants understood, though I did end up with chicken in one dish, fish in another, and was horribly sick off a meal at the hotel (it was labeled Vegetarian and the menu was in English!  Not sure what was in it...).  I ate at a few noodle bars (but avoided the broth because I was unsure of what was in it) and some Indian restaurants.  They also have some fantastic Japanese curry!  I also tried Nepalese (similar to Indian) and eggs and rice with some kind of curry sauce.  Delicious!  If you have the opportunity to go to Tokyo, I recommend being adventurous and using the cards from the above site.  My boss, who eats meat and has been to Tokyo before, was not nearly as adventurous as I, and I think he was jealous when I described the type of dinners I had eaten the night previously.  Imagine that!  A vegetarian being more adventurous in a foreign country than an omnivore!  It feels good :-)