4 Cans Curry—Garbanzo beans, Yam and Coconut Curry

I would like to say I only use fresh Ingredients but that is not true- in fact far from it. Sometimes I just don’t have fresh ingredients left in the fridge so I rely on some canned staples lying around the pantry. I almost always have a few cans of garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and yams. These 4 ingredients plus curry powder make a quick and easy curry.

4 Can Curry—serves 3-4

2 tbsp of Canola oil
1 can of yam
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of coconut milk
1 can of diced tomatoes drained
1 cup of frozen peas and carrots
1 cup of chopped yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tbsp of fresh ginger minced
1 tsp of crashed red pepper
1 tbsp of curry powder
1 tsp of garam masala
4 cups of cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a heavy saucepan heat the oil and add onion, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
2. Add curry powder (until fragrant) about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper.
3. Add the yam, garbanzo beans , coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the peas and carrots, tomatoes and garam masala. Cook until heated through.
5. Serve over rice.

By the way this recipe is inspired by the Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry recipe in Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian: Food Made Fast; Williams, Jacobi and Bettencourt.

Summer Squash Pasta

I am not a very good gardener. At least not yet anyways. In my community garden, I swear everybody else has 5 times more Tomatoes, beans, etc. But one thing I have plenty of— squashes. So I did summer squash pasta! I am constantly looking for recipes to use up my squashes. Please let me know if you have good squash recipes.

Summer Squash Pasta (Serves 4)

3/4 package of pasta about 400g (use vegan pasta for vegans)
1 zucchini chopped
1 yellow squash chopped
1 small yellow onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
½ package of mushroom sliced
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
2-3 leaves of fresh basil minced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta according to package, drain.
2. In a sauté pan, heat oil and add garlic, be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. When garlic releases its fragrance, add vegetables; cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add stewed tomatoes and seasonings; simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add pasta into the pan and stir in minced basil, and serve.

Summer Squash Bisque

August has arrived. Finally there are some squashes ready to harvest in my small vegetable garden. Picking vegetables from your own garden is life’s simple exquisite pleasure. Walk down to the garden with my dog is little bit more exciting now these days.

This recipe is inspired by fellow food blog.
veganfeastkitchen.

In my version, I added minced onion, celery and vegan sour cream for added creaminess. Fresh diced Tomatoes for garnish.

BRYANNA’S DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BISQUE (can be soy-free)(WW CORE PLAN COMPATIBLE)

2 1/2 lbs zucchini (unpeeled), cubed (any size, but with tender skin, that you can scrape easily with your fingernail)
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 3/4 cups vegetarian broth
3 Tbs nondairy milk blended with
3 Tbs silken tofu or raw cashews (soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
vegan parmesan substitute (Parma or Galaxy Foods Vegan Soy Parmesan)

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the zucchini cubes and garlic and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes. Don’t brown it.

Add the broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Puree 2/3 of the mixture in a blender (take the middle part of the lid off to allow hot steam to escape and cover it loosley with a folded tea towel) and then add back to the pot. OR you can puree it right in the pot with a hand immersion blender, leaving it slightly coarse.
Add the “cream” made from the blended milk and tofu or cashews, and taste for salt and pepper. Heat briefly. Serve with vegan parmesan sprinkled on each serving.

Servings: 6

Tofu and Apple Curry (Vegan)

Tofu and Apple, really? I know what you’re thinking: what an unusual combination. But it works really nicely. Trust me, once you make curry with fruit you will be hooked. You’ll be tempted to try it with other fruits too. I also like Pineapple and mango curry. When I make curry with fruit, I make it a little hotter than normal to balance the sweetness of the fruit.

I packet of fried tofu, chopped to ½ inch squares
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1tbs of vegetable oil
1tsp of crashed hot pepper
3 c vegetable broth
2 apples cored and chopped
½ c of minced carrots
1 yellow onion, minced
1 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 tbsp of curry powder
1/3 cup of green peas sawed
1 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan, sauté garlic. When oil is infused with garlic aroma, add onion, cook till it is soft. Add curry powder.
2. Stir in apples and cook until it gets soft, add tofu, carrots and stewed tomatoes, cook for about 5 min, while crushing the tomatoes with wooden spoon(s).
3. Add vegetable broth, and soy, cook for about 10 min to reduce.
4. Add green peas and cook for a few minutes, salt and pepper to adjust the taste.
5. Serve with rice.