Lentil Ginger Stew Recipe

My last couple of recipes have all been looking like big bowls of orange. Maybe it's just my kitchen lighting, or maybe we're really drawn to golden-orange foods! This one is also orange in color, but tastes totally different than Sweet Potato Stew and Easy Vegan Curry.

It's made with lentils and sweet potatoes, both healthy, filling, WHOLE ingredients. I keep the skins on the sweet potatoes because the peel has nearly 10x the antioxidant power as the flesh!

Don't skip the fresh ginger in this one; it's necessary to get that strong, fresh, gingery flavor.

Lentil Ginger Stew

prep time: 20 min | cook time: 40 min
total time: 60 min

Ingredients

1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp ground curry powder
2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1.5 c dry brown lentils, rinced
6 c water
1 tsp vegetable stock bouillon

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Directions

1. Put a large pot on medium-low heat, add onion, garlic, ginger to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes.
2. Add cumin, turmeric, curry powder and stir over low heat for a minute.
3. Add sweet potatoes and bell pepper, stir.
4. Add lentils, water, and vegetable stock bouillon and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer about 20 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Notes

• Can use red lentils instead of brown for a soupier stew. (Red lentils cook faster than brown and get mushier.)
• Top with cilantro to serve.
• Based on this recipe.

From DirtyStove.com

I like to use vegetable bouillon paste instead of buying pre-made vegetable stock. It's cheaper, lasts longer, and I can adjust how strong I want the vegetable stock by upping the paste-to-water ratio. I'm trying to wean us off of vegetable stock altogether, though; it's not the healthiest thing (this bouillon paste has lots of salt and even has sugar in it).





Enjoy!

Easy Vegan Curry Recipe

Every time I make this, it's different. I've made more variations of veggie curry than any other recipe, and I still can't decide on the "perfect" one. So here's just one that I think is pretty good and is relatively simple. The best thing about curry is it's easy to customize. Add additional veggies, get rid of produce in your fridge, or add extra "meat" by doubling up on the tofu. You can't lose!

Easy Vegan Curry

prep time: 20 min | cook time: 45 min
total time: 65 min

Ingredients

1 red onion, chopped
3 big carrots, chopped
1 small chili pepper or jalapeño, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
~2 heads of broccoli, chopped into bitesize pieces
~3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (half of a 4 oz jar)
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk + 1 can of water
1/2 c dry brown rice
1 block extra firm tofu, drained and chopped into cubes (freeze and thaw tofu block beforehand if you have time; it makes the tofu chewier)

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Directions

1. Chop the onion, carrots, peppers, and ginger and put into a big pot.
2. Put pot on the stove and turn heat to medium, sauté for a couple minutes til the onion starts to get soft.
3. Add the curry paste and stir.
4. Add the entire can of coconut milk + 1 can of water.
5. Add the rice and over medium heat, bring the mixture slowly to a slow boil / barely simmering.
6. Add the cubed tofu and stir. Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, add in the chopped broccoli, stir in, and cook another ~5 minutes so the broccoli gets tender but not overcooked. Check the rice to make sure the heat was high enough for it to fully cook. If not, simmer a little longer.
8. Remove from heat and it's done! You'll probably want to let it cool awhile, else it's super hot to eat.

Notes

• Add a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper near the end for extra spiciness.
• Variation: add peanut butter and/or peanuts for a panang/peanut curry flavor.
• Variation: use tempeh instead of tofu.

From DirtyStove.com

Other brands of curry paste will work, too; I just like this little Thai Kitchen brand one (and it's also the only one stocked at our local grocery store). One jar = 2 pots of curry!



The reason I like to freeze my tofu (and then thaw) before using is because freezing changes the texture. It seems to make the tofu chewier, and drier. After freezing and thawing, it's easier to wring out excess water, so it's more like a sponge and soaks up yummy flavors better.



I used to cook rice on the side, but cooking the rice in the rest of the curry adds more flavor. Plus, it makes this a 1-pot meal instead of 2!

Sweet Potato Stew Recipe

When I think about my favorite vegan recipes, this one comes to mind. It's a creamy, hearty stew with a unique mix of flavors. I never would have thought to put onion, apple, chili pepper, sweet potatoes, and coconut milk together. But it's genius!

This is a 1-pot meal, and pretty much a "throw-everything-in-the-pot-at-once" meal, too. Makes it easy. Not too much standing around cooking.

Vegan Sweet Potato Stew

prep time: 10 min | cook time: 35 min
total time: 45 min

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (keep skins intact), cubed
1 apple, cubed
1 red onion, chopped
1 green chili pepper, chopped
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk + 1 can of water
2 c vegetable stock
optional: cilantro for garnish

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Directions

1. Chop sweet potatoes, apple, onion, pepper and add all into a big stock pot.
2. Saute over medium heat while you add curry powder and ginger. Stir and saute for a few minutes while the onion gets soft.
3. Add entire can of coconut milk + 1 can of water and 2 c vegetable stock.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (half-covered) for about 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
5. When potatoes are soft, mash up about half the soup with your stirrer to make it thick and creamy. Top with cilantro for serving, if you wish.

Notes

• If you don't like spicy, choose a mild green chili pepper like poblano. For spicier, add an extra chili and make it a jalapeño!
• For even creamier soup, blend it with an immersion blender or regular blender.
• Based on this recipe.

From DirtyStove.com

Enjoy!