Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry

Right after Christmas I made a bit of an impulse purchase (two purchases, to be exact) on Amazon. I ordered "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" and "Veganomicon," both by the same authors. I made two of the cupcake recipes right off for Adelaide's birthday (Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Apple Cider Cupcakes) and they were both delicious! I saved some of the pumpkin ones in the freezer and pop one out every once in a while to have with a morning tea.

This cookbook, Veganomicon, has pretty much changed my life. I finally have a very large arsenal to help me plan our nightly meals. In the past 5 weeks that I have had this book, I have made no less than 15 of the recipes, and a couple I have already made again because they were THAT good. Some of my favorites have been: sauteed spinach and tomatoes (sooo good!), lemony roasted potatoes, roasted portobellos, easy stir-fried leafy greens, Israeli couscous with pistachios and apricots, and a pineapple-cashew-quinoa stir-fry.

Feb 2012. Charlie (14 months) and Adelaide (3 years) enjoying their Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry for dinner. (And yes, some peanut butter toast!)

One of the first recipes that we made though was the Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry. It is a very tasty and easy curry, and mild if kept as the recipe is written, so maybe good for those who are new to curries. We love curries, and I try to keep them on the mild side so as not to worry about the kids. You could definitely add some extra curry powder to this recipe though and keep it on the safe side. The type of pepper used I think will also be a factor as to the heat. Both of the kids enjoy this one, but Charlie especially, as he devoured three bowls of it last night!

Feb 2012. Charlie, very proud of his mad spoon skills that he acquired this week when mum and dad finally handed the spoon over to the kid.

Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry
from the cookbook "Veganomicon" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
serves 4-6, takes about an hour to make

3 tablespoons oil (grapeseed, peanut, olive)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large chile pepper (jalepeno or serrano), minced
2 large shallots, chopped
1 (1/2 in) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons (or more!) curry powder
1/2 teaspoon each: tumeric, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground corriander
1.5 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth or water
1.5-2 pounds cauliflower (about one medium-size head), trimmed and sliced into small florets
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1.5 teaspoons salt

Prepare all ingredients. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute' the onion and shallots until tender and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the grated ginger and chile, and saute' for 1 minute. Add the spices and briskly stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the parsnip and stir-fry for another minute.
Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, then stir in the lentils. Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, boil for 1 minute. Give the mixture a stir, then cover the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Allow the lentils to simmer for 10-12 minutes, until they are light yellow and mushy.
Add the cauliflower, stirring to coat with the lentils. Partially cover pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender but not completely falling apart. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
Allow the curry to sit, covered, for about 15 minutes before serving to the allow the flavors to meld.
Serve over basmati rice with a side of steamed greens and some naan or roti.

Feb 2012. "Who, us? Do we look like we make a big mess every night?"

Brown Lentil and Spinach Curry

I have had a few people ask me about this recipe that we have made several times in the past month. It is really delicious for anyone, but has become one of our favorite vegan recipes. I originally got this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and made it as posted, with red lentils and canned tomatoes. It was good this way but then my sister-in-law, Kerry, tried making it with brown lentils and cherry tomatoes and that became our favorite way to eat it! The fresh cherry tomatoes really give a sweet pop in your mouth and the brown lentils give it some texture.

The kids really love this recipe, too... well, as much as Adelaide loves anything that isn't fruit, which means she will eat it with a little help. I have been going mild with the curry powder. If you like more spice in your curry, up the amount on the curry powder. One tablespoon keeps it mild enough for me not to worry about the kids, but Ben usually adds some hot sauce when he gets his second serving.

Brown Lentil and Spinach Curry
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon grated ginger root (or can use ground ginger)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (16 oz) package frozen spinach, cooked and drained
1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Saute' onion and garlic about 5 minutes or until onions are transparent. Add curry powder, tumeric, ginger and cumin and cook for a couple of minutes. Add spinach, lentils, tomatoes and salt and heat through. Tomatoes should start to soften a bit. Serve with brown basmati rice.