Pumpkin Curry

It's finally documented... my love for pumpkin is getting a little bit out of control! Today I'm sharing a super-easy pumpkin curry recipe. This is a great weeknight dinner, and leftovers store really well, so if you're cooking for a family, you can double the recipe and take leftovers with you for lunch for a few days. (If you're only cooking for one or two... you'll have plenty of leftovers as is.) I love this recipe because it tastes very authentic, using only a few spices that you can buy at a regular grocery store. Usually, when I try to make Indian, I can tell that I've made the sauce since the spice balance isn't quite right. Now all I need to find is a recipe for naan... don't worry, I will share when I do.

I choose to use chickpeas as the protein source in this recipe (I imagine that lentils would work well too, if you don't have chickpeas) and for that reason, I'll take the time to highlight them as a Laudable Legume. In 1/4c dry, you'll find 6g of fiber and 8g of complete protein. Chickpeas are also a great source of manganese, folate, and iron. Additionally, they are probably the most universally loved legume: I don't know anyone who doesn't like hummus and falafels!

Pumpkin Curry

1 can pumpkin puree
1 can light coconut milk
1 can chickpeas, washed & drained
1 package frozen spinach (or 1 package frozen peas also works very well)
1 potato, peeled and cubed (this can be omitted if you're really trying to get dinner on the table quickly!)
1/4c raisins
1/4c walnuts (can be omitted if you're allergic to nuts)
1T (yellow) curry powder
1T turmeric
1T cinnamon
1t crushed red pepper flakes
1t garlic

Peel potato and cut into cubes. Place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, start your rice. Mix pumpkin, coconut milk and spices in a large pot. Use a whisk to combine thoroughly. Taste and add more spice based on your preferences. Once the sauce is appropriately seasoned, add chickpeas, spinach (or peas), potatoes (when ready), raisins, and walnuts. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are cooked and infused with curry flavor (~15 minutes). Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

My apologies for the picture... the curry was gone before I had a chance to take another!

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

With the cold front upon us... it's now chili season! Today I'm sharing a basic three bean chili recipe and highlighting red kidney beans as a Laudable Legume. In 1/4c dry, you can find 9g of protein, 9g of fiber, and 17% of your daily value of iron. The protein in kidney beans is even a complete source of all 9 essential amino acids! It's also a good source of folate and thiamin (two B vitamins), as well a plethora of other essential minerals. Legumes have also been shown to be effective for the long term stabilization of blood glucose levels. One thing to be careful about with kidney beans, is that there is a compound called phytohaemagglutinin that is in a higher concentration, which can be toxic. If you cook your own kidney beans, please be sure to boil them first to denature that toxin! Kidney beans are the one bean that I will use cans rather than dried.

As the weather turns colder, I love to make up a pot of chili to share with my friends. It's also a great recipe to double or triple and freeze up lunch-sized portions to take with you for lunch for the week or the future when you don't have time to cook. I'm never upset when I find that I have chili that I've forgotten about. My favorite part about chili though, is that it's a great crock pot recipe. You can throw all of the ingredients in the pot in the morning and when you get home from work, you have a warm, tasty dinner waiting for you. Plus your kitchen will smell amazing! There are many food to eat with chili, but my favorite accompaniment is cornbread. Yum!

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

5 cans diced tomatoes

1/2c dried black beans, cooked (or 1 can)

1 can kidney beans

1/2c dried beans of choice, cooked (I used leftover giant lima beans)

1c sweet yellow corn

1t maple syrup

sriracha sauce, chili powder, garlic, turmeric and cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for up to 8 hours. Enjoy the luxury of coming home to a warm dinner!

Cornbread

1c whole wheat flour

1c cornmeal

2T brown sugar

1T baking powder

1t cornstarch

1T ground flax seed (pre-soaked in 3T warm water)

1/4c olive oil

1c water

Mix dry ingredients, and then add wet. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes.

Spicy Cilantro Black Bean Hummus

Today I present the next installment of my Laudable Legumes series with a feature on black beans. In 1/4c dry, you can find 7g protein, 9g fiber, and 15% of your daily value of iron. As if this isn't enough, black beans are complete source of protein, meaning that they have sufficient amounts of all 9 essential amino acids. (If you're new to the blog, I explain what an essential amino acid is here.) Black beans are also a good source of folate (vitamin B6), thiamin (vitamin B1), magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, and manganese. Additionally, beans are amazing at stabilizing blood glucose levels, which explains why I haven't had any hypoglycemic episodes since I became vegetarian!

Today's recipe is a favorite of mine and makes a great high protein snack when generously smeared on a tortilla chip. It's far superior to store bought black bean dip-- I add no salt or oil and if you use dried black beans, you can make a whole bowl for about $0.50! In fact, I like it so much that the picture is just of one chip... because I ate the rest of the batch before I had a chance to take a picture of in the bowl! This black bean hummus can also make a great base to a sandwich topped with avocado, tomato, and spinach. That recipe will be shared in due time...

Spicy Cilantro Black Bean Hummus

1c dried black beans (or one can)
3T sriracha chili sauce
1/2T garlic
1T dried cilantro (or fresh if you really want to make it potent!)
1t apple cider vinegar (this will help it keep in the fridge longer)

Wash black beans, then cook in crock pot for 8- 9 hours on low covered with ample water. Drain and thoroughly rinse beans. Transfer all ingredients to food processor and food process until a hummus consistency is achieved. If you black beans are a bit dry to begin with, you may need to add some water  to get the texture right.

PS. I remade it and restrained myself and some hungry friends from eating it until after I took a photo :)

Balsamic-Garlic Lentils

This is the first post in a series that I will entitle "Laudable Legumes." Here, I'll highlight a different legumes that I think are worthwhile to include in your diet, why you would want to do so, and of course a recipe to get you started. Legumes are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. They are also really inexpensive: it's not hard to find dried beans for $0.99/ lb. I like to buy dried beans and cook them in my crock pot, since the dried version costs about 25% of what the canned ones cost and you can avoid the added salt. 

I thought it would only be appropriate to start off with my favorite legume, lentils. I like the flavor and texture better than most beans (they are firmer) and they are packed nutritionally. In 1/4c (dry) serving of green lentils (which costs less than $0.10), you get 10g protein, 11g fiber, and 20% of your daily value of iron. They also cook much faster than most dried legumes, meaning I have to be less patient waiting for dinner! Lentils are rich in the essential amino acids lysine and isoleucine, although they are low in the sulfur containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine) so a good source such as sesame seeds or egg whites should be consumed with them or later. A good resource on amino acid content of vegetarian foods can be found here. (Sorry I can't find anything more scientific today, guys. I'll keep trying!)

Today's recipe combines lentils with some mouthwatering flavors of fall: sweet potatoes and leeks. The sweet potatoes are cooked up on the stovetop to maximize infusion of the balsamic and garlic flavors. Once the lentils are leeks are added to the pot, they took soak up the flavors for a savory fall dish. This is great as a main course, side dish, or even a hashbrown-like breakfast. This is actually a fairly inexpensive recipe, as sweet potatoes are on sale these days. The most expensive part is the leeks, which can be substituted for onions if you're cooking on a budget.

Balsamic-Garlic Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed ($0.60)
1c dried lentils ($0.50)
1 leek ($1.00)
balsamic vinegar
garlic
Total cost: $2.10

1. Wash, peel, and cube sweet potatoes. Transfer to a large, deep frying pan or pot with plenty of bottom surface area. Add ~3T water, plenty of balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding more balsamic/ water as necessary to prevent the pan form drying out. It should take ~30 minutes until the sweet potatoes soften.
2. Once you've started the potatoes, wash lentils thoroughly and then bring to a boil on the stovetop in plenty of water. These should take about 20 minutes to cook.
3. Wash and slice the leek.
4. Once the lentils are soft, drain and wash them again.
5. When the sweet potatoes are soft and almost ready to eat, add the leeks and lentils. Add more balsamic and garlic and keep stirring. After about 5 minutes, everything should be ready to go. Enjoy!