Mung Bean Curry

I love a curry, and I also love mung beans. So why not put the 2 together!
This meal takes a bit of time to prep with all the chopping, and also to cook the beans, but it's not difficult so don't let that deter you!
If you want to shorten the cooking time, you can pre-soak the mung beans for a minimum of 6 hours & reduce the cooking time by about half. You will only need about 1 litre of stock then too.
I love that mung beans don't NEED to be presoaked, and I don't mind the cooking time because this curry has the most enticing aroma as it simmers away on the stove! 

MUNG BEAN CURRY
(Serves 4)

 
               You'll need:
               250g dried mung beans - rinsed
               1 large brown onion
               1 zucchini
               2 celery stalks
               1 large carrot
               1/2 head cauliflower
               200g green beans
               2 garlic cloves, crushed
               1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
               1 Tablespoon turmeric powder
               1 heaped teaspoon each: cumin, coriander
               1/2 teaspoon cardamon
               1 long green chili
               100g baby spinach leaves
               1.5 litres salt free veggie stock

In a large saucepan or pot that has a lid, put the mung beans. Add 1 litre of the stock, cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. While the mung beans are cooking, chop all the veggies into bite sized pieces.
Add the veggies (except for the spinach) to the pot, along with all the spices and the remainder of the stock. Return the lid to the pot and again bring to the boil then simmer. Allow to simmer for approx 15 mins or until the stock is absorbed and the veggies are tender.
Stir through the spinach leaves until lightly wilted, then serve. 

Quick Dinner - Salsa Rice with Lemony-Garlic Asparagus & Mushrooms

There are very few recipes I make these days that inspire me enough to blog post! The truth is we are eating so simple and repeat many of our favourite meals over and over. We don't get bored of them and they are always super delicious. 
This recipe is one that I have been making for many years, but recently seeing all the beautiful Australian asparagus I just KNEW it was time to finally post this (the pictures were taken 2 years ago)! As much as possible we try to buy only Australian produce which means that our time line for eating asparagus is rather short! So for those readers who are in Australia make the most of this one, and for those in other countries - be sure to let me know how often you get to enjoy asparagus! 

This meal is a super quick one. It's so easy that no matter how busy your day has been or what time of night you get home, its totally do-able! 
We often have cooked grains in our fridge, and there's rarely a week that goes by when we don't have a big tub of cooked brown rice in there. 
It's a great time-saver to have whole grains precooked. 

Growing up my father loved tinned asparagus! Personally, I never saw the appeal so I always thought I didn't like asparagus. But as a "grown-up" I decided to re-try it and discovered that having it fresh really tastes like a whole different vegetable! I have grown to not only enjoy, but totally LOVE fresh asparagus (and I still don't see the appeal in the tinned stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!).

I am showing serving size for one person, however it's really easy to make this for as many as needs be. The flavours work so well together and it feels like a real treat. In fact, it's not too far off what we seem to be served at functions!

SALSA RICE WITH LEMONY-GARLIC ASPARAGUS & MUSHROOMS

You'll need:
1 cup precooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons salsa (your choice store bought or homemade)
1 bunch of asparagus (depending on the size you may only use half)
2 large field mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 lemon

Slice the mushrooms into long thin strips. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus. 

Over high heat in a non-stick pan add the asparagus spears, the mushrooms, crushed garlic and lemon juice. Allow to saute, occasionally stirring gently, until the asparagus is just tender and the mushrooms are slightly wilted.  

While the asparagus mixture cooks, warm the rice either in a microwave or on the stove top. Once warmed, stir through the salsa.

 Serve!

Yes it really is that simple to have a delicious and nutritious meal in minutes!!!

Question of the day:
What time of year do you get locally grown asparagus? 
Do you like the taste of asparagus either fresh or tinned?

Lentil & 3 C's Stew

Here's a nice easy meal that is great in winter because it's so warm and soothing and full of veggies. It is great by itself, but also pairs well with brown rice or couscous or baked potatoes or even freshly baked bread.
We make it in a pressure cooker, as it's super quick & easy. We have the ability to saute first in our pressure cooker which is a feature I love, as I really prefer the taste of sauteed onions over just having them cooked in the stew without being sauteed first. However, if you don't have a pressure cooker you can make it over a stove top -  it will just take longer and may require more water.
This has become a favourite in our home, especially at the end of the week when we have quite a few bits and pieces of veggies leftover and want to use them all up before we buy our fresh lot for the next week. My husband refers to this meal as "pressure cooker lentils" - just stating things like they are ;-)
It works with any different herbs you wish to use, depending on what flavours you'd like to add to your stew. We also occasionally use a drop of liquid smoke which adds a lovely depth to the stew. The options are truly endless. :-) 

LENTIL & 3 C's STEW

(Makes 6-8 servings)

You'll need:
2 cups dried green lentils
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 head cabbage 
2 carrots

2 stalks celery
1 zucchini
1/2 bunch silverbeet 
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon lemon juice 
1 litre veggie stock
1/2 litre water
1 teaspoon fresh rosemany

Chop all the veggies. 
Saute the onion and garlic. Add the remaining veggies to either a pressure cooker or stove top. 
If using a pressure cooker, add remaining ingredients and cook under pressure for 18 minutes. Release steam and serve. (You can use baby spinach in place of the silverbeet, add after steam has been released and stir through until wilted.)
For stove top, add the stock, water and lemon juice and cook for 30-35 minutes until lentils are cooked through and veggies are tender, adding more liquid if required. Then stir through the nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and rosemary.

Question of the day:
Do you have a winter comfort food? If so, what is it?

Simple Green Split Pea Stew

For those nights when we need instant meals and we have the morning to prepare, I find the slow cooker is just so handy! 
This meal is so tasty and yet it's as simple as chopping and letting the slow cooker do the rest of the job for you.
 
Don't own a slow cooker - you can also make it over a stove top if you prefer - just bring all the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes.

SIMPLE GREEN SPLIT PEA STEW

Serves 4

1 cup green split peas - (if you have time soak overnight in 2 cups boiling water)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili (optional- adjust as desired)
1 zucchini
1 carrot
1/2 large green capsicum
1 can tomatoes
1 can baby potatoes
2 cups veggie stock (either store bought or home-made) 

Chop all the vegetables to your desired size.
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and leave for 6-8 hours until everything has softened.
Remove bay leaves prior to serving.

Serve with warm bread of choice.

Question of the day?
Do you enjoy using a slow cooker?

Mixed Bean Burgers

I am a BIG fan of bean burgers! I'm yet to find a type that I don't like. But these ones were particularly tasty. Even my hubby who is not a bean burger fan thought these ones were ok.
 

Mixed Bean Burgers

You'll need:
2 cans lentils
1 can butter beans
1 batch okara -or other plant milk pulp (approx 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon garlic
1 Tablespoon Italian herbs

Drain all the canned beans & combine in a large mixing bowl.
Mash the beans together and then add the remaining ingredients.
With wet hands shape the mixture into patties and place on a lined baking tray.
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40 mins until golden brown and firm.

These burgers need to cook for longer than other burgers as the okara adds quite a bit of moisture to them. Don't worry they won't dry out being in the oven that long - they will just brown nicely and be cooked through and won't fall apart.

 

Alternatively you can fry them in a frying pan. Approx 7 minutes each side. Be gentle when flipping.

Makes 12 burgers

Pasta Bake with Cauli-'Cheese' Sauce

 

I love pasta! And I love a good pasta bake. Here's a way of adding some veggies to the mix!

Pasta Bake with Cauli-Cheese Sauce

Serves 4-6

250g wholemeal pasta (shape of choice)

1/2 head cauliflower

Cook the pasta per packet directions. Drain and then place in a large baking dish.

Break the cauliflower into pieces and place in a bowl of water & microwave on high for 10 minutes until softened.

In a blender combine:

1 small onion, quartered
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon sage
And the cooked cauliflower

Blend til smooth and thick.

Pour the cauli-cheese mixture over the pasta & gentle turn the pasta til the cheese sauce has been spread evenly over all the baking dish and all pasta is moistened.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, chives and black pepper.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned on top & warmed through.

Slice and serve.

Meatless Monday - Garlic

Welcome to another edition of Meatless Monday. Today we're using garlic.

I love garlic. I add it to most of our main meals. Here's a great example!

Beat-the-flu Pasta

Winter has really hit here. I hate the cold. I'm lucky that I rarely get sick, but I sure hear lots of people around constantly sniffling & coughing.

Lets fight off that cold & flu season with some good food! Yet when we're feeling down we also feel like comfort food too. This recipe both comforts and provides flu-beating goodness!

To serve 2 you'll need:

200g corn pasta (or other pasta of choice)

1/2 cup chickpeas

small bunch broccolini

1/2 lemon

4 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons tahini

Bring a pot of water to the boil & add the pasta. Cook for recommended time frame, adding the broccolini and chickpeas with 3 minutes to spare.

Drain the pasta and the veggies.

Return the pot to the heat and add the juice of the lemon, tahini and crushed garlic along with a tablespoon of boiling water. Stir well. Pour the pasta/veggie mix over the sauce & combine to make sure all the pasta pieces have a light coating of the sauce over them.

Serve with freshly cracked black pepper.

Butter-less Garlic Bread

I love garlic bread. 
But I don't buy it. 
I don't even buy the vegan-versions that are available.
Too fatty.
I don't make garlic bread at home using dairy-free spreads either....
But I do make garlic bread.....
Because I've come up with a way to make it fat free!
And it tastes just as good :-) 

You'll need bread in whatever form you choose to use! 
I love using a nice big unsliced loaf that is a few days old.

Use about a 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic per slice and spread it evenly round the slice.

 Then pour a tablespoon of soymilk on top of each slice over the minced garlic.

 Place in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until crusty and lightly browned.

(Time will vary depending on the bread you choose to use.)

 Yummy tasty garlic bread without fat :-)

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
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carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies