Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

 

Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons oil or ghee
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
  • 1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 pound baby spinach
  • 15-ounce can coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
 
Directions
 
Whole roasted sweet potatoes
Cilantro leaves, to garnish 
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish
 
Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
 
Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.
 
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.
 
Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with cilantro leaves and toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish.
 
Serving note: This is thick enough to eat on its own with a fork; it's not terribly soupy. But it's saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa, or another grain.
 
serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side
 

Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Turmeric & Coconut Milk

Ingredients

  • 4 Tsp sunflower seed oil
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup finely diced winter squash, sweet potato, or zucchini (or some of each)
  • 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 tbs. cilantro stems, minced (lots is good)
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed well
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 4 cups vegatable stock
  • juice of 1-2 limes, or to taste (don't forget the zest)
  • freshly ground pepper

Preparation

  • Over medium heat, heat the oil in a wide soup pot. Add the veggies and cilantro stems and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, turmeric and cumin, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes before adding the rinsed lentils and 4 cups of vegatable stock.
  • Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils have broken down and are sufficiently tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Puree about half of them in a blender and return them to the soup.  Stir in the coconut milk (yum!) and return the soup to a boil.
  • Taste for salt and add several grindings of pepper and season to taste with lime juice.

 

Thai green curry with tofu and vegetables

Ingredients

Sesame oil

1 tsp Green curry paste (1.5-2tsp for more heat)

4 Cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tbls ground ginger

1 green onion

4oz tofu (cut into bite sized cubes)

2 large carrots (chopped)

Green beens (cleaned and halved)

1 small zucchini (sliced)

Broccoli

1 can coconut milk

Half can of water (use coconut milk can)

Preparation

Stir fry the curry paste, green onions, garlic and ginger in the sesame oil.

Add the tofu after a few minutes and continue to stir fry for another 10 min.

Add the vegetables, coconut milk and water, cover and let simmer for 10-15 min.

Serve in a bowl over rice.