Veggie Curry with Coconut Milk

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 large onion, finely diced
2 – 6 garlic cloves minced or pressed (garlic lovers: use the entire bulb of garlic!)
2 – 4 teaspoons ginger finely chopped or use a microplane
2 tablespoons curry paste (I use Patak’s Madras HOT Curry Paste) use a milder version, or use less
2 – 3 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk (full –fat)
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 head cauliflower cut into small flowerets
2 – 4 medium tomatoes, diced (canned tomatoes or fine)
1 – 2 cups cooked chickpeas
Handful of golden raisins
Brown Basmati Rice

Heat coconut oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add mustard seeds and onion and let sauté until onion is soft and translucent.  Add garlic and ginger (turn the heat to low if necessary, garlic and ginger burn easily).  Add curry paste and continue to sauté (allowing the spices to ‘bloom’). 

Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, add coconut milk.  Taste for seasoning, you may want to add a bit more curry paste, or add additional cumin, cardamom, etc.  I do not add salt, but you may want to.  

Add the veggies, chickpeas, and raisins and simmer gently until veggies are cooked thru.  You may want to add more stock or coconut milk to achieve the consistency you like.

Serve over rice.

To cook the rice:  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add 1 ¼ cups of brown basmati rice and gently simmer, covered, until done (about 30 minutes, but times may vary).  Fluff with a fork.  If the rice is not quite cooked, but the water is all gone, add a bit more water, turn off the heat, and let steam, covered for a few minutes.

Options:

- use whatever veggies you like
- add meat
- don't have black mustard seeds?  leave them out, but they add an interest texture and appearance
- serve over quinoa instead of rice
- add more stock to make a soup

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Double this recipe and have fabulous left-overs.  We even eat these for sometimes for breakfast.  Note for the super-organized: bake the sweet potatoes the night before when you have something else in the oven.

I shared a link to this recipe Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal's blog.

4 medium-large red garnet yams (sweet potatoes)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup black beans
1/4 - 1/2 cup vegan sour cream
handful of cilantro, chopped roughly
chipotle hot sauce to taste
sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Pierce yams in several places with a fork.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until pierced easily with a fork (usually 45 - 60 minutes, depending on the size of your sweet potatoes). 

Meanwhile, heat olive oil  in a skillet, add onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onion are caramelized.

Allow yams to cool enough to handle.  Slice in half length-wise and scoop out the flesh leaving a shell about 1/4 inch thick.  Mash the pulp a bit and stir in black beans, sour cream, cilantro, and hot sauce.  Mix well.  Fill the shells with the mixture.  Top with cheese in desired (if you use very sharp cheddar, you can use very little and still have great that great cheddar taste).

Return to the oven until hot and tops are golden brown. 

Options:

- obviously real sour cream can be used

- omit the cheese for a vegan option

- add steamed broccoli chopped very small to the filling mix

- substitute chickpeas, parsley, and curry powder, for the black beans, cilantro, and hot sauce

- use your imagination!