Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Sweet Tahini Dressing.

I crave this salad like it's dessert and I can't help but go back for seconds. Every. Time.

Usually salad aren't my first choice for a meal, but lately I've been experimenting more with toppings and dressings and they've started to grow on me. A while back I discovered this amazing Sweet Tahini Dressing from Happy. Healthy. Life and I've been drizzling it on everything. It's my favorite on roasted cauliflower and carrots!

Not long after I discovered the Sweet Tahini Dressing I came across a recipe for curry roasted cauliflower and knew that I would wanted to try both of them together. So I got to it. I added in chickpeas for some protein and crunch and the combination was just as I hoped: INCREDIBLE!

Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 cups (or 1 can) chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare a baking tray with aluminum foil and set aside.
• Place the cauliflower florets and chickpeas in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.
• Shake the curry powder, salt and pepper overtop of the veggies and toss everything together so that the cauliflower and chickpeas get fully coated with the spices.  
• Pour the veggies on your prepared baking tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until fork tender.

For Kathy's Sweet Tahini Dressing you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Juice of one small lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad 

with Sweet Tahini Dressing

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 servings of spinach
• 1 recipe for Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas (see above)
• 1 recipe for Sweet Tahini Dressing (see above)

Directions:

1. Evenly divide the spinach among four bowls and top with the curry roasted veggies and dressing.
2. That's all there is to it! Enjoy!

Chickpea Cashew Curry

Curry is always my go-to meal when I need something easy and fast. I used to be intimidated by curries, but there are so many easy recipes that don't require too many ingredients. I've been wanting to try this cashew curry recipe and finally got around to it Monday night. I had the main ingredients already in my pantry and only needed to stop at the store for a few produce items. 

I loved how this curry turned out, although I have to say it is very different than the curries I usually have because it calls for lime juice and cilantro. While the lime juice and cilantro definitely change the taste, it was a delicious new flavor and the cashews blended with the coconut milk and spices made the curry oh-so-creamy. I've been wanting to try a recipe that uses blended cashews and after this one, I'm hooked. I think I'll try a "mac-n-cheese" dish with blended cashews next. 

I'll make this dish again for sure, but I think next time I may add more garam masala and curry powder and leave out or add less lime juice and cilantro to keep the flavor more authentic. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Chickpea Cashew Curry

(Makes 4 servings)

 Ingredients:

· 1 small onion, finely minced

· 4 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

· 1 small red pepper, finely chopped

· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

· 1 tablespoon garam masala, divided

· 1/2 cup cashews

· 1 can coconut milk (14-ounces)

· 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (28-ounces)

· 3 ounces spinach, roughly chopped

· Kosher salt to taste

· Juice from 1 lime or to taste (optional)

· 1/4 cup  chopped cilantro or to taste, divided (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and sautee (using pam or water) the onion, garlic, ginger and chili until onion is soft and starting to brown, about 7 minutes.

2. Add the cayenne, 1/2 tablespoon of garam masala and cashews and stir until combined and fragrant.

3. Add the coconut milk and remove the saucepan from the heat. Use a spatula to scrap the bottom of the saucepan to remove any brown bits.

4. Carefully pour the coconut milk and cashew mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, starting at the lowest setting and finishing on high. Blend for about 30 seconds.

5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and put the heat on medium-low. Add the chickpeas, spinach, and salt. Add the lime juice and half of the cilantro if using. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the curry is heated through.

6. Serve over brown rice or with bread and top with remaining cilantro!

 Notes: I got this recipe from here.

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

African Peanut and Potato Stew

I recently went to my first all vegan restaurant in Chicago while Brett and I were on a work trip. It was called Native Foods and everything we had was sooooo delicious. I took one of the menus home to try and recreate some of their menu options.

One of the specials they had the night we ate there was a peanut soup. I searched a little on-line and found one that seemed easy to make and didn't use a lot of ingredients - two things that are still high priorities for me, begin so new to this whole vegan thing. It made a ton of stew, but Brett and I ate it all over the course of the week and it even started to taste richer the longer it was in the fridge. I think letting it sit allowed the peanut butter flavor to become more intense. Unless you're allergic to peanut butter, you should really try this recipe out! It's great in the fact that you can switch up a lot of the ingredients to use whatever you have in your pantry/fridge.

African Peanut and potato Stew

(Makes 6 servings)

 Ingredients:

· 1 medium onion, finely minced

· 3 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

· 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

· 14.5 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes*

· 1/4 + 2 tablespoons peanut butter

· 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)

· 1 lb. sweet potato (about 2 small or one large), peeled and chopped

· 1 can kidney beans

· 1 1/2 frozen peas

· 2 cups spinach (or other hearty, leafy greens)

· Salt and pepper to taste

*  If you are using diced tomatoes, pour them into a blender and give them a quick blend before you use them in this recipe.

Directions:

1. Using a little water or cooking spray in a sauce pan,  sauté the onion over medium heat until they start to get translucent.

2. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook until soft.  Stir occasionally so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. Add the blended tomatoes and peanut butter and stir until smooth.

4. Stir in the broth and add in the sweet potatoes. Give everything a good stir and then cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are cooked and soft, but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

5. After the sweet potatoes have cooked, add in the beans, peas and greens and let the stew cook a few more minutes until the greens wilt.

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and if you want your stew a little hotter add some more crushed red pepper flakes.

7. Eat right away or store in the fridge for a few days.

Notes: Slightly adapted from www.vegangela.com.

Chop up your sweet potatoes and mince your onion and ginger before you get started.

Start by sauteing your onion first and then add the red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger.

Stir in the tomatoes and peanut butter until smooth.

Then add in the broth and sweet potatoes and let the potatoes cook until soft.

Add in the bean, peas and greens and cook until the greens are wilted.

How beautiful does that look!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith