Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Curry

I like recipes. For so long I have clung to recipes as if they were life or death. I am slowly getting over that however because some of my favorite meals are those that you just throw together.

You know the kind; figure out what you have in your house, mix it in a pot, add some spices, and hope for the best. I have a friend that is a pro at that- although 9.9 times out of 10 it ends up being something Mexican. The moral of the story is that salsa, chili powder, and black beans make everything better.

Which we all know is true.

This is my throw it together for Sweet Potato & Cauliflower curry. It is the shell of a great recipe so you can add to it what you would like. It really came out of me having sweet potatoes and cauliflower that I needed to use, throwing them together in a skillet, adding some spices, and here you go.

Do you have a favorite throw it together recipe? What is it? 

Recipe after the jump…

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Sweet Potato Lasagna

“Normalizing” vegan food is one of my favorite things.

I always say how often people get scared of what vegan food is. I had someone ask me once, “Did you try the food before you decided to go vegan?”

Why, yes. I have eaten a vegetable before.

Normalizing vegan food to me is about making things that don’t sound odd or scary to non vegans. I guess people get freaked out by words like seitan and tempeh. If you say tofu; it usually equals an instant nose scrunch.  That would never stop me from making it; I might just conveniently avoid saying it… (CV Disclaimer: Please tell me if you have a soy allergy. I don’t want you kicking it at my next chubby party)

This recipe is from one of the kings of normalizing vegan foods, VILF Rip Esselstyn. Rip is the author of the Engine 2 Diet, which is an excellent book detailing how a vegan diet dramatically improved the health of a group of firefighters in Austin, TX. The stories in his book are great and the recipes are all really simple and sound delicious! The book is a great gift for someone who is thinking of “easing" into a vegan diet.

If health reasons turn the switch to a plant based diet for someone, I will take it!

This lasagna is big and unbelievably hearty. There are just so many vegetables in it; I don’t even know what to do with myself. Make this… Now!

Recipe after the jump…

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Corn Chowder

For some reason, I relate food to childhood memories. Good food for good times. Bad food for bad times. You know the drill.

For so many people, food is a comforting drug when things are going poorly in their life. You can always reach for a pint of ice cream when you had a bad day. Of course, most of us don’t feel any better once the sugar high wears away and you realize you just packed away a pint of ice cream.

Do you ever wonder where that comes from? Do we bring upon this level of emotional eating onto ourselves? Do we learn it as children? Is it just a contemporary problem for well developed countries where food is abundant for so many people?

 

I watched Oprah yesterday and Dr. Phil was on. I am getting deep.

Chowder is a specific comforting food for me. I have really good memories of going out to eat with my family to this local fish joint called McMenamy's. I would always get a plate full of fried something and a bowl of clam chowder. Growing up in New England, creamy chowder is a rite of passage.

When I saw this recipe from a local vegetarian blogger, I thought it sounded like the perfect chowder “fix” I have needed lately. It was delightfully wonderful and paired perfect with a crusty dinner roll. Easy and delicious; my favorite combination!

Recipe after the jump…

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I don’t like being negative.

In fact, I think being a positive vegan is one of the best things we can do. With so much anger pointed towards us by meat loving omnivores, it is nice to be positive in return. I firmly believe this is the best way to spread the love and message of veganism.

I think this is especially true when it comes to food. I talk about how awesome vegan food is so much that I am sure people are sick of hearing about it. “Yes, we know fried tofu with nutritional yeast is the best thing ever… We get it!”

When it comes to vegan recipes I have been pretty lucky. There are so many creative vegans out there coming up with really clever concepts and twists on old classics. I bow to these people because I am totally unable to be as creative as these folks. Maybe someday I will. But, until then just talk about others stuff. Which, I am perfectly okay with.

So, my latest attempt it a definite twist on old classic, shepherds pie. If you have never had it, it is basically a bowl of stuff mixed together, add gravy, and cover it in potatoes. Umm, awesome! So when I saw this super easy recipe for vegan shepherds pie, I had to try it!

Sadly, this just did not live up to my expectations. It was just okay. When you cover something in mashed potatoes, there is no excuse for it not to be at least okay. Alas, you can judge for yourself. I have included some extra special thoughts, along with the recipe, after the jump.

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Cuban Style Sweet Potatoes

I didn't have sweet potatoes or yams around when I was a kid.

I remember my Aunt would roast a few at Thanksgiving, but I never ate them. She also made spinach too and she and my dad were the only ones who ate it. I don't know if I ever tried it or was just told I didn’t like it. Cut to me 20 years later and I can tear up some spinach AND sweet potato. 

Sweet potato was just never a prevalent food item in my New England home. Seems strange, right? They are such a fall food and New England is pretty much fall food central.

When I moved to Georgia I was first introduced to sweet potato casserole, which is close to godliness in my world.  Now, I could eat sweet potatoes like Bubba Gump eats shrimp.

Bake, boil, mashed, fried, or roasted; bring it on! I have a love affair and it is with sweet potatoes.

I made this Kind Life sweet potato recipe last week and fell in love with it. Lime, parsley and garlic just work together so well. Cuban food always has some of the greatest food combinations and this does not disappoint! 

Try this scrumptious and easy Cuban sweet potato recipe after the jump…

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