Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup Adaptation

Since my last post I've had a chance to try out the soup recommended by Jessie at Prevention.com.

I made some adaptations when I tried it out. And when you adapt a recipe then you can post it without copyright issues.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tb fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tb curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black  pepper
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 c. dried lentils
• 1 quart water
• 14 oz rice milk
• 2 tsp imitation coconut flavoring
• About 3 c. small chopped sweet potato
• 3/4 c. green beans, cut into thirds
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook till soft about 3-5 min. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 more min. Stir in curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 1-2 more minutes, till fragrant. 
2. Mix the imitation coconut flavoring into the rice milk. 
3. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, water, and rice milk/coconut mixture. Bring to a boil. Partially cover and reduce heat. Let simmer about 15 min.
4. Add potatoes and cook 10 more min.
5. Stir in green beans, cover completely and let cook another 10 minutes till lentils and potatoes are soft. Add cilantro and serve.

Notes about this recipe:

1. You can just use coconut milk in place of the rice milk/coconut extract mixture if you'd prefer.

Craisin Coconut Oatmeal

Yummiest oatmeal combination I've tried yet. I was inspired by a delicious cookie recipe I had tried out last month, which I will post soon. This is definitely healthier than the cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. oats
• 1/2 c. water
• 1-2 Tb. craisins 
• 1-2 Tb. shredded coconut
• Honey, for drizzling 

Directions:

1. Put oats, water, craisins, and coconut in a microwavable bowl. Mix together.
2. Cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
3. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

Carrot Coconut Muffins

This recipe is adapted from a fabulous recipe I found in my Taste of Home magazine, originally called Morning Muffins. I was really excited to come across this recipe because at the hospital where I delivered my baby they had some awesome bran muffins that had carrots and coconut in them. I could not get enough of them and was seriously craving some after I came home. This recipe is a close second to those hospital bran muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. butter,softened OR mashed white beans
• 1/2 c. partially packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 c. shredded carrots (about 2 large carrots)
• 1/2 c. flaked coconut
• 1/2 c. raisins 
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. wheat germ
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add eggs and sour cream; beat well.
3. Add the carrots, coconut, and raisins. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Add to the wet mixture just until moistened.
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4ths full. 
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Makes 1 dozen.

Curry & Coconut Vegetable Stew

This recipe comes from Kim (of Kim's Kitchen Concoctions). Her recipe is adapted from thekitchn.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium white or red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced (for milder curry, I used a 4 oz can of mild green chiles)
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (16-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (originally chickpeas, but I used a combo of chickpeas and pinto, you can use any beans you like)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 8 ounces baby spinach (most of a 10 oz package)
• 1 cup coconut milk (I used my imitation recipe here)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker.

To the slow-cooker, add the rest of the broth, beans, pepper, cauliflower, and the tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine. The liquid should come half-way up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH. (Kim's Note: At this point, if you'd like a thicker sauce, remove some of the liquids, wisk them with 1 Tbs cornstarch, then return them to the slow cooker, stirring to incorporate.)

Slice spinach into thin strips, then again into chunks. Reduce heat to warm, stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover with lid for 1 minute to allow the spinach to wilt. Serve, or leave in the warm slow cooker until ready to serve. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed.

Serve on its own or over cous cous, rice, or quinoa.