Red Lentil Daal

On Sunday's I typically do my grocery shopping for the week and prep some meals so that I don't have to get up early to make my lunches. But there are a few of those Sunday's that are better spent in bed, watching movies and eating pizza.

I love and treasure days when I can just lay around, not put on make up and chill in my apartment watching all the shows and movies I love BUT I always feel a little guilty for not being productive at all. SO to alleviate that guilt I whip something up in my crockpot with only ingredients I have on hand. It's easy and also stocks my freezer up. Check out this delish, warming soup for these cold days:

Red Lentil Daal

Ingredients

4 cups red split lentils

10 cups water

4 cups veggie stock

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

3/4 cup tomato sauce

1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:

Place all ingredients into your slowcooker and cook on high for 6 hours. 

SOOoooo, normally this would be the spot where I put in a picture but apparently there is a max capacity for storage on blogspot. Ugh. No picture today unless you check out here. AND some good news is that my new site will be up and running in the next couple weeks! So follow me on FB and twitter to get all the pics! Otherwise it'll just be recipes.

That's it! This was some serious case of the yummies kind of soup. And lentils are very easy to digest, full of protein and economical. Add a nice side salad and you have yourself a complete meal. 

Eat better. Feel better.

xoxo

K

Curried Rice Noodles with Tofu

This dish was super easy to prepare. I wanted to do a one pot kinda meal and def winged this one. I've never really made dishes with noodles all in one pot before so I took a risk. It worked out! Phew! As I'm sure you can tell, especially with the last few recipes I've been posting, I have a big obsession with coconut milk. Especially with the colder weather happening right now, I just am feeling like eating comfort food. Creamy foods just spell comfort to me. Being vegan and lactose intolerant, cream is not something I can eat so I improvise with coconut milk. It's also WAY more delish if you ask me. 

Curried Rice Noodles with Tofu

Ingredients

1 pkg fried tofu (350g)

1 head broccoli, chopped

3 bok choy, chopped

2 handfuls snow peas, cut in half

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pkg rice noodles

3 tbsp yellow curry paste

1 cup veggie stock

5 cups water

1 can low fat coconut milk

2 tbsp agave nectar

sriracha to taste

Directions:

1. Pan fry the garlic in a tbsp of grapeseed oil on medium heat for 2 minutes. 

2. Add the tofu and fry for 5 minutes. Add veggie stock, water and rice noodles. Bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, turn down to medium heat, add all remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk. Cook for 5 minutes covered.

4. Add coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and add more agave if needed (or sriracha!)

5. Enjoy!

Curried Rice Noodles with Tofu

I prefer to use the fried tofu in this case as it has a bit different texture than your usual firm tofu. But if firm tofu is all you can find it will work just great! I would just pan fry it separately and add it in the final steps. that way it won't break apart.

If you aren't vegan or are cooking for a meat eater, I think prawns or chicken would be a good replacement for the tofu. Just use a similar amount. I think we should all eat what makes us happy. Just keep it as vegerrific as possible. It will keep you healthy, energetic and regular! :)

Happy long weekend peeps! I'm off to Seattle this weekend.

Peace

xoxo

K

Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

It's that time of year again when I'm making soup or chili once a week! Growing up, I hated carrot soup. Bleck! Now I crave it! So yummy and so versatile. As soon as the weather starts to turn cold I make (in this order) chili, carrot soup, and chili. Lol True story.

One of the other reasons I love making carrot soup, is that it goes amazingly well with coconut milk. I am obsessed with coconut milk. It's so darn tasty! I cook with it quite often so I always buy the low fat version but this time I went a little crazy and bought the full fat. Woah! Slow down Krystle. ;)

Check out the Winter 2012 version of carrot soup from Krystle's Kitchen:

Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

4lbs carrots, chopped

2 cups red split lentils

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic

3 lemongrass, chopped, big pieces

3 cups veggie stock

3 cups water

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp saffron

1 tsp ground galangal (or ginger)

1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for the coconut milk into a slow cooker and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Once the carrots are soft enough to blend, remove the lemongrass. I cut them into large pieces so that they are easily removed. Pour in the coconut milk and puree with a hand blender until smooth. It will take about 5-8 minutes. If you don't have a hand blender, use a regular blender or food processor! 

Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

Chopped cilantro would have been nicer as the garnish but I was out and I'm out of town for the weekend so I didn't want to buy it and end up wasting it. But I highly suggest it for yours! This made a boat load of soup. Awesome for lunches. Goes great with a whole grain bun or a nice salad. Keep it clean friends!

Peace

xoxo

K

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

I have been very much neglecting the recipe portion of my blog....and my diet I guess. lol I have been so busy lately that I haven't had much time to cook. And when I do, it's been really quick food, but still nutritious of course. Just not blog worthy. But I made a commitment last night to make myself a yummy meal as the only plans I had was a conference call. Soooo, check, check, check it out!

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 pkg udon noodles

1 cup fried tofu, diced

2 cups green beans, chopped

2 handfuls mushrooms, sliced

1/2 bunch kale, chopped

1/2 cup veggie stock

1/2 cup water

1 small can low fat coconut milk

1/2 lime, juiced

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp agave nectar

2 tsp yellow curry paste

basil and bean sprouts for the topping

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms in 1 tsp of grapeseed oil for 5 minutes, add the green beans and tofu and saute for 5 minutes. Pour in veggie stock, water, and curry paste. Bring to a boil, add noodles, kale, soy sauce, agave and lime juice. Simmer for 6 minutes then add the coconut milk. Serve in a big bowl and top with bean sprouts and basil.

If you like it spicy like me add sriracha to the broth and on top!Sriracha will warm you to your core. lol 

Naked coconut curry noodle soup

Coconut curry noodle soup with toppings

Spicy! Jazzed up while I blog

You can also use any curry paste you want. I like to mix my curries up with all of them, green or red. Yellow is much milder in spice level, so if you're not into spicy food, this is the one for you. :)

Stay warm my friends.

Peace

xoxo

K

Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

I have noticed that my stock of soups, stews and chilies in my freezer has gotten quite low. I've been eating them up pretty fast which is good and bad. I used to cook a goodie in my crockpot once a week to keep it full. I made sure they were rotated so nothing stayed in there for very long but the summer makes it a little hard to want to eat a soup for lunch. Lol.

That being said, since my accident in Portland, I have been dying to cook. That's actually when I knew that I was getting back to my normal self. As you know, I'm a big lover of cooking. It makes me feel awesome and creative. Its one of my only creative outlets I guess. I'm no painter, sculptor or artist of that kind. And I def don't play any musical instruments. haha. But cooking is where I love to be creative. Its so fun because you can just be so wild with it as long as you are somewhat knowledgeable about the ingredients. But I sure love to pair unusual flavour profiles I've been told. 

The recipe I'm sharing today is not unusual in my books. I love lentils. They are super hearty and provide a good bang for your buck in terms of nutrients, mostly protein. Even if you eat this stew without rice or any side dish, you will be satisfied. I've done both. Had it alone and had it with rice or other veggies.

Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1 cup green lentils

4 small/medium carrots, diced

4 small tomatoes, diced

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp chili flakes

3 tsp tomato paste

2 cups veggie stock

6 cups water

1 bunch kale, chopped small

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for kale into a slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours. At end of cooking time, add the chopped kale and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve on its own or with some brown rice. Makes a nice complete meal that is wholesome and nutritious!! I used dried lentils as lentils don't need to be cooked ahead of time but if you have canned ones you can use those too. Brown ones would work well too but I don't think red would work in this recipe. But hey, give it a shot!

Enjoy!

Peace

xoxo

K

Let's get Vegucated! Cauliflower edition: Creamy cauliflower soup

Cauliflower was on sale the other day at my local No Frills so I picked one up. Usually I roast it and add that to salads or just keep it on hand to munch on for a snack but this time I thought a soup would be nice. If you’re new to the blog you might not know that I’m a big lover of soups. I make them pretty often. I think they are a great way to get a lot of nutrient dense food in one bowl with little effort. If you don’t have a crockpot (slow cooker) then I suggest that you get one. I use mine a lot. Its a great addition to any kitchen but particularly if you are short on time.  You can prep everything the night before (like I do) then pop it in the crockpot in the morning and turn it on. When you get home....voila! Dinner is ready. Just like a good wifey.

 Cauliflower is kind of an underrated vegetable because of its white colour. We are always taught that we should eat colourful veggies, which is completely true. But just because cauliflower isn’t colourful doesn’t mean it’s not full of nutrients. Here is a quick summary of the nutrient profile of cauliflower:

In 100 grams:

·         25 calories

·         0 grams fat

·         0 cholesterol

·         30 mg sodium

·         3 grams fiber

·         2 grams sugar

·         2 grams protein’

·         77% RDI Vitamin C

·         2% RDI Calcium

·         2% RDI Iron

 Pretty good right? So throw in some cauliflower once in a while. I prefer to eat it cooked. Raw cauliflower is not my fave. Cauliflower curry, roasted with lemon and paprika, mashed, in soup, blended, made into a “rice” are some great ways to utilize this veggie. J  Here’s an easy recipe to get you started:

 Creamy Cauliflower Soup with split peas

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
1 ½ cups yellow split peas
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves
5 cups water
3 cups veggie stock
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili flakes
2 bay leaves
1 160ml can low fat coconut milk

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for coconut milk into a crockpot and cook for 6 hours.  Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend with a hand blender or once the soup has cooled down put into a blender and puree until smooth.

If you don’t have a crockpot, follow the same directions but cook on medium heat until split peas and cauliflower is soft. Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend.

Serve with brown rice or a side salad. J

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of vegucation over here at Vegucated in Vancouver.

Peace

Xoxo

K

Coconut Chickpea Stew with Kale

I made this lovely stew/soup last week for my friend Lauren. I wasn't really planning on making anything special that Friday night because I was just gonna chill at home and watch some TV by my lonesome in preparation of the big day (my 30th bday). But Lauren was looking for a relaxing night too so I thought it would be good to make something. I love to eat out because it's always nice when someone cooks for you and does all the clean up but I have a love affair with cooking. Relaxes me and makes me feel in control. Lol Weird huh? Cleaning does that too. ha

I unfortunately don't have a picture for you of the soup because the pic was on my phone which is now gone from my life. I have major separation anxiety and cannot get on board with my newly reactivated blackberry. I haven't even set up email or facebook or anything for that matter on it because I'm in denial. Lol I will get another one. As soon as I come up with $500. If you want to donate to my fund, please feel free!! HA

Anyhoo, I'm going to give you the recipe because it was DELISH! I'm sure you can tell that I'm pretty obsessed with coconut milk. Its in a lot of my dishes. In fact, its in tomorrows soup recipe.

Coconut Chickpea Stew with Kale

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas (1 lg can)

1/2 white onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups water

2 cups veggie stock

5 carrots, sliced

2 celery, diced

4 cups kale, chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

1 can low fat coconut milk

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili flakes

Directions

Pan fry the onion and garlic in 1/4 cup of water (or oil) until fragrant and translucent. Add the chickpeas, water, veggie stock, carrots, celery and spices and cook on medium heat for 40 minutes. Add the kale and cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes. Once done add the coconut milk, heat for 2 minutes and serve.

TIP: the longer you cook this stew the better. I had mine cooking for 1 hour before adding the kale and coconut milk. Just ensure that you add the coconut milk at the end of the cooking process. :)

Sorry for the lack of picture!! But still make this! I promise its very tasty and satisfying.

Tomorrow I will have pics I promise!!

Peace

xoxo

K

Spicy Thai Lentil Soup

I have a HUGE addiction to Thai food! I just love it. I especially love the flavours of lemongrass and coconut milk. Mmmmmmmm!!! I had a craving for something warm as its been a little chilly these days so I threw a bunch of stuff into the good ole crockpot and went about my day. When I got back home, wow did it ever smell lovely!!

Spicy Thai Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1 cup dry red lentils

1 cup dry yellow split peas

3 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

3 celery, diced

2 yams, chopped

2 lemongrass stalks

2 inch piece galangal (or ginger, minced)

3 tomatoes, chopped

3 garlic, minced

4 red Thai chili peppers, minced

1 lime, juiced

1 can low fat coconut milk

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

3 cups veggie stock

5 cups water

1 tsp cardamom

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander

Directions

Put all ingredients except for coconut milk, lime and cilantro into a crockpot or slow cooker and cook all day. For the lemongrass, I just chop it into 3 large pieces so that I can easily remove it once the soup is cooked. Smashing it a bit will make the flavour more accessible. Once the cooking cycle is done then add the coconut milk, cilantro and lime. Serve with brown rice.

What's cooking?

Spicy Thai Lentil Soup

Dinner for 2

The soup was pretty spicy, not enough for me. I like it HOT! But my friend Mikey was sweating. LOL But he still went back for seconds! Look at how full those bowls are....he had another one that was JUST as full. He so cray. Lol

Such a healthy night! We went to the gym for over an hour and half, almost 2 to be exact. We did the tough mudder workout. AWESOME! Then did some abs and then went for a swim. Well I did like 4 laps then headed straight for the hot tub. I never get sore anymore so I've been actively trying to make myself sore. Doing more reps and using heavier weights and this week I did it. SO sore. LOL Thankfully I take chlorella and spirulina so my recovery is much faster than normal. I guess that's also one of the reasons I never get sore.

I tried to do a pull up last night to no avail. BUT I did move just a little. LOL Mikey was laughing, well and so was I. Its embarrassing. Everyone is always staring. I'm not sure that these tiny little arms were meant to do a pull up but I'm gonna keep trying! The spartan race is May 12th, I still have to sign up for the BMO half marathon, then Tough Mudder June 23rd then Seek the Peak (maybe) and 5 Peaks....Victoria Half marathon. Jeez, there's like something every month for the rest of my life. So far I'm just registered for the Spartan race and Tough Mudder. Ugh. Those are going to kill me. Lol

Happy weekend! My cousin turns 19 this weekend!!! Exciting!

Peace

xoxo

K

Chickpea Stew

Last night Kevin was coming over for dinner and I had no groceries and no idea what I was going to make. The only thing I knew was that I wanted chickpeas in it. This awesome chickpea stew was created freestyle and I think it turned out pretty good. :)

Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

2 398ml cans chickpeas

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 inch piece ginger, minced

2 jalapenos, minced

3 carrots, diced

2 yams, diced

2 celery, diced

4 tomatoes, diced

1/2 bag spinach, chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

2 cups water

2 cups veggie stock

1 lemon, juiced

2 tsp cumin

2 bay leaves

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp chili flakes

Directions:

Saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in 1/4 cup water (or olive oil) until translucent. Add the carrots, yams, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro, spinach, lemon and agave nectar and cook on med-high temperature for 30 minutes or until carrots and yams are soft. Add the last few ingredients. Remove the bay leaves and serve with brown rice, or a side salad.

TIP: the longer it cooks, the better the flavour. I let mine cook for a total of 1 hour but it would probs be pretty amazing if done in the crockpot. Yum!

Big ole pot of stew

Red rice

I served it with red rice. I try to switch it up with my grains. Brown is my go to and I eat a lot of quinoa but red rice is really good and a nice change. Its a longer grain but a little 'stickier' than brown rice.

YUMMY!!!

Dinner for two. Aw

Of course the stew is loaded with goodness to nourish your body. Its got some greens in it as well as some root veggies and such but its not enough green veggies for me so I roasted up a head of broccoli. I usually just roast it with just lemon juice but I only had one lemon left and that was for the stew, so I just stole a few squeezes and then used a tsp of grape seed oil, cayenne, garlic powder and paprika. YUMMM. Paprika on roasted veggies is super good. SUPER. lol

There was ALOT more but I gobbled it up before I snapped a pic. Ooops. But we all know what broccoli looks like. Lol. But if you're looking for an easy way to get in your greens, this is it. Put some tin foil or parchment paper on your cookie sheet and roast away. I put them in for 20-30 minutes. I like em crispy so just take a look at 20 mins. Roasting is awesome because you can just set it and forget it. Less maintenance and you can just go about your biznass while they cook away. DO IT!

This meal will satisfy any meat eater. Its hearty, warm and filling. Its not that spicy either but do a taste test before you add the chili flakes. I like my food spicy so my tolerance is pretty high.

Peace

xoxo

K

Mexican Lentil Soup with Black Beans

I have majah love for soups. I make them pretty often and in huge batches. My freezer is always stocked full of them and chili. Even though I'm not 100% gluten free, especially after wine fest, I do try to live as gluten free as possible. I was really in the mood for some Mexican style black bean dish and came up with this delish soup. It is so full of flavour that I cannot even being to describe how amazing it was. I'm usually not wow'ed by my cooking but this one really wow'ed me! Try it!

Mexican Lentil Soup with Black Beans

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils

1 can black beans

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced

2 garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger, minced

2 jalapeno, minced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

2 cups veggie stock (Vegeta)

5 cups water

Directions:

1. Cook the lentils in 3 cups of water for 10-15 minutes alone. Then add the black beans and the remaining water. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add all remaining ingredients except for the spices and cilantro. Cook for 20 minutes and medium heat.

3. Add spices and cilantro and simmer on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes. The longer you cook, the better it tastes. The lentils get integrated with the soup and the spices take over.

I was pretty much drooling at this point.

My friend Jimmy was a little bit late but not much, and I was SO hungry. So I steamed a head of broccoli, tossed it in some fresh lemon juice and scarfed that down to prevent myself from eating the soup too early. lol Another bonus of this meal is that its a one pot meal! It can totally stand on its own because of the lentils and beans. AND there is no fat in there. Well just a tad, whatever minuscule amount is in the legumes. But I didn't fry anything in oil. Yah!

So there you have it folks!!! This soup was so good! It even satisfied a meat eater. And I mean a meat eater who is a butcher. LOL Now that's saying something! Right? I served it with some brown rice and buckwheat I had left over. And we covered it in sriracha. I couldn't remember if Jimmy likes spicy food so I kept it on the milder side. Well, what I consider mild. Lol that's been proven not to be so mild sometimes. Ooops.

Its International Women's Day today. I hope you are giving the women in your life some loving. Extra special attention I hope. Thanks for stopping by for a read. Maybe make this soup for a lovely lady in your life? She would love a home cooked meal. I can just tell. lol

Peace

xoxo

K

Japanese Noodle Soup

I decided to make a Japanese Noodle Soup last night with udon noodles BUT they were freezer burnt! Bah! And I didn't realize until it was too late. Sigh. Oh well, we improvised and used rice noodles. Worked just as well.

I made my own broth, which was light and tasty. It was also very easy to make. I accompanied our meal with homemade gomae again. You can get that recipe here. Kevin really liked the gomae. What's not to like? lol

Japanese Noodle Soup

Ingredients

6 cups water

5 shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 inch piece of ginger, chopped

Big piece of Kombu (a type of seaweed)

5 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp mirin

1 tsp agave nectar

2 carrots, sliced

2 handfuls snow peas

2 handfuls bean sprouts

1 sheet nori, shredded

1 pkg tofu puffs, each puff cut into 4

1/2 pkg enoki mushrooms

3 dried chili peppers

2 green onions, chopped

rice noodles

Directions:

1. Put the water, shitake mushrooms, ginger, kombu, soy sauce, mirin, agave nectar, carrots and chili peppers into a big pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Cook the rice noodles according to package. I didn't put a quantity because it depends on how much you want to eat. I did about 1/4 to 1/2 a package for 2 ppl and there was leftovers. I made enough soup and noodles for 3 actually.

3. After the 20 minutes add the snow peas, tofu puffs and enoki mushrooms. Taste the broth to see if you want to add more soy or sweetener. At this point it was good for me. Cook for 3 minutes.

4. Put the noodles in a bowl, add your soup then top with bean sprouts, green onions, and shredded nori and serve!!!

TIP: I used a full nori sheet, folded it a bunch of times breaking it until I had a size that I wanted then I cut it with scissors into strips. I didn't buy it the way you see in the picture below. Also, I would have used udon as they are traditional Japanese fare but mine were ruined! I'm not bitter at all. lol But rice noodles worked great.

Japanese Noodle Soup

Gomae

Yes, that is a heart shaped little plate thing. The bowls I wanted to use were being occupied and everything else was too big. Very romantical indeed. lol

VERY satisfying Japanese meal. But I'm not over it yet. I think I'm going to make Nikujaga soon. Not tonight because I'm not sure if my friend Jimmy will be into it. ALSO I've never made it vegan. Its a traditional Japanese dish of potatoes and beef with a sweet soy broth. I'm going to use TVP instead, so no idea how that will turn out but I'm super excited!!! Reminds me of my childhood. My Baba and Grandpa used to make it. I LOVE it. My Baba makes onishime for me quite often now that I'm vegan, its kinda similar but never made with meat.

I haven't had any beans in a while so I'm thinking I'll do a chickpea curry or maybe something Mexican. Hmmmm, I'll think about that while I work out.

The sun disappeared again. Sigh. It sure was lovely while it lasted. :)

Peace

xoxo

K

Recipe Review: Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (Vegetarian Times)

Last night I had a little Oscar party at my place for myself and 3 friends. It was actually my first time watching the whole thing from start to finish. Even the red carpet stuff. Which is the best I think. I love looking at all the outfits. My faves of the night were Gwenyth Paltrow and Mila Jovanich.

Mila Jovanich

Gwenyth Paltrow

Gorgeous! I'm not that into the cape that Gwenyth is wearing but the dress is pure perfection. So classy yet sexy. And same goes for Mila. Love the detail on that dress. I thought the oscar's were relatively well done. Billy Crystal was funny but the commentary was horrific. Like bad. The people were annoying and had trainwreck fashion. LOL 

Back to food, So I got this recipe book from Vegetarian Times and finally made a recipe from it. Well I have but I changed it so much that it turned out completely different. This time I followed it with a few minor changes. 

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Ingredients

2 cups red lentils

4 cups water

2 cups veggie stock

1 onion, diced or 1/2 large

4 celery stalks, chopped finely

3 medium sized carrots, chopped finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Bring lentils, broth and 4 cups of water to a simmer in a large pot. Skim away foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rise. Put back into the pot with another 2 cups of water and 2 cups of veggie stock.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots. and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add cilantro, curry powder and cumin and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the lemon juice. 

Mmmmm big ole pot of goodness.

I put a little brown rice at the bottom.

So the changes were minor. I used less onion, extra carrots because mine were small, more garlic and I more cilantro I think. But I don't think that would have changed the flavour much from the original. I also used 2 cups of veggie stock vs a quart, because I don't know how much a quart is. And I was lazy to google it. LOL

My friend Lauren brought me flowers!!! What a nice hostess gift. I LOVE getting flowers. I def don't get that enough. I guess that's what happens when you're single. LOL I just buy them myself sometimes. AND I don't think she knew that tulips are my fave. My birthday is coming up so for any of my friends reading....I love flowers and I LOVE tulips!!! Lol.

I put together a veggie tray and made some homemade hummus but forgot to take a pic. I'll post the recipe and a pic of the hummus tomorrow though. Its amazingly easy to make and WAY cheaper and better for you.

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Green Curry Soup and Baked Whole Apple Pie!!!

I was a little grumpy yesterday and totally didn't want to go to the gym or eat healthy. But I knew that was just the mood so I persevered through it, ate healthy and worked out. I didn't think I'd make it through my workout. After 2 minutes running I wanted to quit, go home, make a pizza and eat the whole thing. LOL Even after my workout, I thought I would make myself something naughty, but I came out of Safeway with a sweet potato, broccoli, bananas, and oranges. HA!! I just figured that I need to keep it clean and at the end of my journey, I will reward myself. AND on Sunday I ate A LOT of chocolate, so I should be good. I felt good about my will power. 

My next idea for something a little more naughty than usual for my meals was to have noodles. I was gonna make a stir fry and put it on top of some buckwheat noodles. Buckwheat noodles are awesome! And very Japanese. BUT I read the ingredients and they're made with wheat flour! BAH!! SOOOOO disappointed. I need to check out if they are all made this way or if there's a non-wheat version. Such BS. 

OK, time for the food. The reason you come here. Lol

Thai Green Curry Soup

Ingredients

1 head broccoli, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1 carrot, sliced
1 mango, diced

2-3 cups sui choy, chopped

half bunch kale, bite sized

1 160 ml low fat coconut milk

1 tsp dry veggie stock

1.5 cups water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp green curry paste

2 tsp chili flakes

1 can black beans

Directions

1. Pan fry the onions in 1/4 cup water until translucent, about 4 minutes. 

2. Add all remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk, simmer on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and taste. Add any additional seasonings to your own taste.

3. Serve in a big bowl with rice noodles or like me, with nothing. YUMMY!!!

I also roasted the whole sweet potato with a lemon, sea salt, garlic powder and veggie seasoning. OH man was this meal satisfying. Then I went and made dessert. How I had time for all this plus a workout.....I have no idea. Lol It really didn't take much time at all to prep and make all this.

All I did was hollow out a green apple and blend together the following ingredients which I stuffed into the apple and baked for 20 minutes. Another 5-10 minutes would be a little softer, but I'm like mine a little crunchy still.

Baked Whole Apple Pie

Ingredients

2 green applles

1 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tsp agave nectar

Directions:

1. Cut the top of the apple off, and hollow it out. 

2. In a food processor blend all the ingredients, except for the apple, until well mixed. Stuff the apples and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

3. Eat it up!!

A little cinnamon would have been good but I forgot. Another idea for next time would be to use mixed berries. Mmmmmm

Peace

xoxo

K

Black Bean Soup

I haven't made a black bean soup in a long time. It usually doesn't last long in my house because I just love it so much. Its such an easy filling meal. You top it with a little salsa and avocado/guacamole and BAM!!! Delish meal right there. Its filled with fibre, vitamins and minerals. 

I figured the soup would be pretty safe if I made it back to back with another soup. That way I'd have too many options for lunch and would HAVE to freeze some. Yah! Plus I used way more beans this time.

Pureed Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

4 cups dry black beans, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

3 garlic cloves

6 cups water

2.5 tsp cumin

4 tsp chili powder

2 bay leaves

3 tsp Vegeta (dry veggie stock)

3 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and cook for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and puree until smooth. Taste and add any additional seasoning to your taste. 

TIP: Make sure you soak your dried beans overnight and rinse them. The more you soak and rinse the easier they will be to digest. And by that, I mean you won't fart as much. You know what they say, beans are the magical fruit. But the more you soak them the better. If you use canned beans make sure its 4 cups, which should be about 2 of the larger cans. And rinse those too. But they don't need to be soaked. 

Black Bean Soup

Yummy!!! And super filling because its pretty much just pureed beans. It kinda turned out like refried beans so if you want it to be a little more "soupy" I'd add one more cup of water. I like it thick like this. Delish!

I'm still totally obsessed with collard greens. I pretty much eat them every day as wraps. Snack on those suckers and you're one happy camper. I started adding jalapenos and sprouts to them. SUPER good!!! I love spicy food!

This one has hummus, carrot, jalapeno, roma tomato and sprouts. I even got a friend at work obsessed with them too. Its such a great way to get major nutrition in a delish way. 

My new thing is making my own protein balls. I tried last week and it was a partial fail. Not sure if I talked about it. I say partial because they were damn tasty but they wouldn't ball up. Jerks. So I just ate them straight from the bowl. Lol. I'm classy like that. So I picked up about 5 or 6 different recipes and I'm gonna try a couple out tonight I think. At least one. And these are all no-bake balls. Lol Mmmmm 

I was so surprised  that the gym wasn't a gong show last night. It was pretty busy but I was able to get on a treadmill! Yay! But I couldn't' take a shower after, I had to wait. It was a zoo. I think the snow scared everyone off. And tonight I have my first skype date with a friend in Korea so I'll be going a bit later, so there better be a treadmill for me then! You hear that?!! LOL 

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

A couple of friends jetted off to Thailand in December and since then have had a real craving for Thai food. I LOVE Thai food. I eat it pretty regularly. I am a confessed addict of coconut; coconut ice cream, coconut yogurt, coconut milk, coconut meat....ANYhoo, I popped a soup in the good ole crockpot and came up with this bad boy. 

Thai Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

2 cans brown lentils

1 onion, chopped

5 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili flakes

3 tsp Vegeta or any other dry veggie stock

7 cups water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp ginger powder

2 inch pieces dry or fresh galangal (use ginger if you can't find it)

1 handful dry lemongrass or one stalk fresh 

1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for the coconut milk into your crockpot and simmer on low all day. Add the coconut milk at the end, keep cooking for 10 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 

Serve on its own or on top of quinoa. Super good that way. This soup has a little kick to it. Adjust the chili flakes to your liking. I was totally fine with this, as was my gorgeous friend Jessica. 

I also roasted up a head of cauliflower and broccoli. Tossed it with fresh lemon juice, red onion, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and sea salt. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

Since I've busted up all my wine glasses and didn't get any for Christmas, we had to drink our wine outta regular glasses. Meh. I'm just classy like that. Lol. The meal was yummy, warming, nutritious and filling. Went great with a bottle of red, the bachelor and a good gf. We gossiped, judged, ate, drank, and were merry. Ha. I'm not sure about this season of the bachelor....I don't dig Ben. His hair is horrendous. And the chicks seem to be EXTRA crazy this season. Maybe the producers realized he was boring after they signed the deal so they picked insane in the membrane chickies to make up for it......maybe. 

Here's another look at what I eat daily. 

I have this every morning. I usually have 2 smoothies in the morning. Well I make one REALLY big one and add lots of water. I had leftover soup and collard wraps for lunch. I'm totally addicted to those wraps!!! I need to get more cuz I just finished the last of them before lunch. Somebody brought freshly baked carrot orange muffins in to the office and I got hungry. They weren't vegan so I couldn't eat them anyways, but I wanted the wheat so bad. I'm glad I didn't give in. One point for willpower! And my waistline! lol

Tonight I'm making dins for a couple of stud muffins. I'm thinking a chickpea spinach curry, brown rice and steamed gai lan. Not exactly Indian but I need a side of greens. You always needs a side of greens peeps.

Peace

xoxo

K

Daily eats

I get asked a lot what I eat on a daily basis. SO here's another look into what I eat for breaky and lunch. I make a boatload of soup and chili and freeze them for my lunches. My lunches are almost always something from my freezer and a salad or fruit.

I make a green smoothie every morning and have that as my breaky. My go to recipe these days is the one I posted yesterday. 1 banana, 1 carrot, handful spinach, 1 lemon (or lime), juices and some hemp seeds. Lots of water, blend on high. Today I threw in a pear as well. YUM!

This recipe makes about 2 16 oz servings. So I have one from 8-9am ish and then the next serving at 10-11am ish. Its a great way to wake up the digestive system. I also start first with a glass of hot lemon water, but having a liquid breakfast is amazing. It also sets you up for eating right the whole day. You have a better chance of making the right choices if you start off with a healthy breaky folks. 

Veggie Leek soup with carrots, kale and mixed grains and legumes

I just threw all the ingredients into my crockpot one day because the leeks would go bad soon and it was Christmas in a couple of days and I knew I wouldn't eat what was in the fridge in time. I thought it was going to be boring and too light. But the leeks are amazing! They add so much flavour. YUM. I used Vegta and very little spices. I can't even recall but not much.

So there you have it. This is what a vegan eats. Lol I think for dins I'm going to whip up a fried rice. I was at T&T on Saturday and picked up some bok choy and gai lan. I think I'm going to make a very green veg fried rice. That's gonna take a lot of chopping I think....sigh. Lol

Can you tell I got an iphone? lol Pics are much better now than with my blackberry and much more stylized. Ha

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

Last night I prepped a soup for dinner tonight with Kevin. I am trying to create recipes using JUST what I have in the apartment and not having to pick anything up. It makes it more fun and way more creative. It actually took a while to think this one up and it turned out ever so amazing. I LOVE soup. I will eat it any time of year but its always so comforting to have soup in these winter months. 

Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

2 cups dry yellow split peas

2 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 leek, diced

1 stick lemon grass

3 tsp Vegeta (Veggie stock powder)

8 cups water

2 tsp chili flakes

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 can low fat coconut milk (400ml)

Directions:

1. Add all the veggies to a big pot and saute for 5 minutes or until fragrant. I used a 1/4 cup of water instead of oil to make it lower in fat. Use oil if you'd like.

2. Add all other ingredients except for the coconut milk and cook on high for 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes on high.

4. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Ensure the split peas are soft. Serve and Enjoy!

Yummerly!

There it is folks, a BIG pot of soup. I'll have better pics tomorrow. In cute bowls. lol I also made a really delish sauce for a quinoa salad, but I'll post that tomorrow along with pics.

Peace

xoxo

K