Entrées, Slow Cooker

Slow Cooked Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
3 cups fresh cauliflower florets (about 8 ounces)
4 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Minced fresh cilantro
Hot cooked brown rice
Lime wedges
Plain yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion until soft and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and spices; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute.

2. Transfer to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker.

3. Mash 1 can of beans until smooth; add to slow cooker. Stir in remaining beans, vegetables, broth, coconut milk, pepper and salt.

4. Cook, covered, on low until vegetables are tender, 5-6 hours. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice, lime wedges and, if desired, yogurt.

Side Dishes

In-Falby-able Biscuits

Ingredients:
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

Directions:
1. Make the biscuits Preheat the oven to 500°.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingers, pinch it into the flour, making thin flakes. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk. Using a rubber spatula and working from the edge of the bowl, fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and gather into a round. Fold the dough in half, then flatten into a 1 1/2-inch-thick round. Repeat this process 9 more times.

4. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch round or square biscuit cutter, stamp out the biscuits as closely together as possible. Gently press the scraps together and stamp out more biscuits. Arrange the biscuits on a large baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown; rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Entrées, Soup

Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils & Kale

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
½ – 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs (690 grams or 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup brown lentils, picked over
4 cups vegetable stock
1 (13.5 oz or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1 small bunch of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped and lightly packed)

GARNISH:
Chopped cilantro
Extra chili flakes
Lime wedges
Nigella seeds, optional

Directions:
1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Saute the spices until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.

3. Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that the steam can escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.

4. Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Cover, and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, 3-4 minutes. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning, adjusting with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.

Serve the stew hot and let eaters garnish however they like.

Breakfast

Egg Cups

Ingredients:
EGG CUP BASE:
10 large eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 dashes of Frank’s Red Hot
Ground black pepper to taste

FILLINGS:
Choice of vegetables—cherry tomatoes (halved), broccoli, spinach, kale, etc.
Choice of cheese (grated cheddar, feta or goat cheese)
Choice of meat (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425˚ and coat a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray.In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, hot sauce and ground black pepper.

2. Place choice of veggies and cheese in each cup (leave at least 1/2 cup for egg mixture).

3. Pour egg mixture over veggies and cheese to fill each cup.

4. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

5. Let cool for 2 minutes and remove from pan.