saying goodbye

Oh, mock-kitchen.  You were so loved.  You were reliable + organized [usually] + so out in the open.



I loved the way you came in and took charge in time of need.  You were there for me when I needed you most.  I owe some quick + creative ideas to you, so I wanted to say thank you and good riddance!

Chickpea Herbed Veggie Burgers



Curried Sweet Tater Soup + Curry Grill-Baked Sweet Tater



Same Salad 3 Ways



Grill Baked Tofu

Taco Salad Night

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats

Curry Grilled Tofu

Banana Cornbread Cake + Cornbread Muffin-Cake



Creamy Smoked Kale Salad



Oh, mock-kitchen…..You will not be missed!!



And now for the first real meal, out of my very real kitchen!



At first, I had on our main kitchen light and track lighting on above the stove, but it was terribly yellow.  I need to get bright white lights for the new fixtures!  I thought I would try using my light box lights, instead.  The photos are different, but interesting, in a glowing sort of way.



I like the sort of night-glow quality, but I may just be crazy.



Creamy, coconutty quinoa, cooking away.



And my best curry dish to date!



The mess was so worth it.



Curried Chickpeas with Coconut Quinoa [serves 3-4]

• 2T unrefined coconut oil


• 2c cooked chickpeas


• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped


• 1 large sweet bell pepper, chopped [or about 2c frozen chopped bell pepper mix]


• 1, 15oz can diced tomatoes + juice [can use whole peeled tomatoes as well, just mash them up a bit in the pan]


• 2T apple cider vinegar


• 1.5T curry


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/4t turmeric


• 1/8-1/4t garam masala [depending on level of heat you want]


• 1/4t ginger


• 1/4t cumin


• 1/4t coriander


• 3/4t fine grain sea salt


• black pepper


• few dashes of cayenne [optional]


• 1-2T coconut milk [optional - from a can, low-fat is fine]

1. In a large skillet, melt 2T coconut oil, over medium heat.


2. Add in onion + pepper, stirring every few minutes, until soft and lightly browned.  ~5-8min


3. Add the curry, minced garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant.  ~1min


4. Add the canned tomatoes, with juices, chickpeas and the 2T apple cider vinegar.  Stir and let simmer [reduce heat if needed] for about 15-20min, until the liquid turns into a thick sauce.  Stir every few minutes.


5. Add cayenne pepper and/or more garam masala, until desired spiciness is reached.  Also add more s+p if desired, or possibly a small amount of sugar. *see note below


6. Right before plating, stir in 1-2T coconut milk, for added creaminess.

For the quinoa:

• 1c coconut milk [from a can, low-fat is fine]


• 2c water


• 1c quinoa, well rinsed


• 1T unrefined coconut oil

1. In a medium sized pot, over medium heat, melt 1T coconut oil for the quinoa.


2. Once melted, add in quinoa and toast for 2-3min, stirring frequently.


3. Add in water + coconut milk and bring to a boil.


4. Reduce heat to simmer for 15min.  Do not stir.


5. Fluff with a fork + serve.

A few notes…

*Instead of chickpeas, you could add toasted tempeh or cooked tofu.

*Feel free to mix in other veggies as well, like peas or broccoli.

*If you don’t have coconut oil, sub in butter or earth balance.

*There are many different types of curry powder.  If you have a curry that is a bit earthier in flavor, you may want to add 1-3t sucanat or pure cane sugar to the mix.  I used a curry that has a bit of sweetness to it, so it tasted fine without.



First real meal, in my real kitchen.  It felt like a dream!

Enjoy!

Ashley