vegan stew

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Cardamon Curry in a Hurry

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The other day, I found the most divine recipe that was absolutely perfect for a dinner party I was having.  It was a gorgeous cardamom curried eggplant stew that even got the attention of my husband. I studied the recipe, then looked at all 1,432 steps involved in making it. 

Kudos to those people who can labor for hours to produce a meal.  I am not one of them.  I prefer to prepare my food fast, tasty and healthy.  So needless to say, this 2 hour labor intense stew was just not going to happen.  (Sorry hubs.) 

I took out my secret weapon, the electric pressure cooker (If you don't have one, seriously consider saving your life with one) and created a very FastBeets Approved version.  It took all of ten minutes to prep and another 10 minutes to cook. Leaving me with ample time to do the much harder work, like set a gorgeous table.  

The best part is that if you didn't know any better you would have seriously thought I was in the kitchen forever. 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 -2 teaspoons cardamom powder 
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder of choice
  • 1 onion 
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon liquid aminos (can substitute salt to taste)
  • 1-2 eggplants chopped into squares
  • 1/5 a butternut squash chopped into squares
  • Any other veggie of choice (optional)
  • 2 15oz cans of organic, bpa-free chickpeas
  • 1 can of organic, bpa-free, coconut milk
  • 1 can of organic, bpa-free of diced tomatoes

Method

  1. Set a pressure cooker to the sear/sautè setting.  Add coconut oil and spices, toast for 10 second. Then drop in diced onions and liquid aminos. Sautè until onions are done.
  2. Add chopped eggplant and mix with seasonings for 2-3 minutes.  
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and close pressure cooker. 
  4. Cook on pressure cooker setting for 10 minutes. 
  5. Open, taste, add any additional salt or seasoning if necessary. 
  6. Serve with quinoa, brown rice, or as is. 

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @fastbeets so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

Yum
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Warming Winter Stew

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This quick and easy stew takes minimal little prep time but brings loads of goodness. Since it gets the #fastbeetsapproved seal, you know its loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

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Its perfect for those days you can't make it to the grocery store or those long home-bound snow days.  Because most of the ingredients can be bought ahead of time and stored in your pantry and freezer, you can make this anytime.  So if you're enjoying the great Snowmageddon 2016, grab a pot and get cooking. 

It holds well with a side of brown rice or quinoa and yet so good just on its own.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans of organic, bpa-free chickpeas, drained
  • 3 cans of organic, bpa-free diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of organic, bpa-free tomato paste
  • 4-5 organic carrots with the greens attached (optional if you're snowed in and can't get to a grocery store, but highly recommended)
  • 2 bags of frozen organic mixed mushrooms
  • 1 bag of frozen organic cauliflower (optional)
  • 1-2 cups of butternut squash (optional)
  • 2 heaping tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 onion, chopped 

Spices:

  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 tablespoon organic turmeric (if you're not using top quality or fresh turmeric, you may not want to use as much as it might be too bitter)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon himalayan salt, adjust to taste

Garnish

  • Handful of chopped cilantro
  • Chopped Carrot greens
  • Chopped fresh tomatoes (optional)
  • Juice of one lemon (optional)

Method

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  1. Add coconut oil to a pot on medium heat.
  2. Toast all the spices in the coconut oil for roughly 30 seconds.
  3. Sauté the onion in the seasoned oil until almost tender.
  4. Add the chickpeas and sauté for 3 minutes.
  5. While the chickpeas are sautéing, peel and chop the carrots. 
  6. Add the remainder of the ingredients and let boil. 
  7. Bring to simmer and let simmer until all the veggies are soft and fully cooked. 
  8. Keep simmer until reaches your desired stew like consistency. Aim to keep in on the stove for a minumum of 30 minutes but you can leave it on for up to 2 hours while you attend to other business, like snowball fights. 
  9. Taste your creating and adjust the seasonings. It might need more salt, cumin, or tahini. 
  10. Wash and chop a few strands of the carrot greens and cilantro.
  11. Plate your dish and top with any or all of the garnishes.  
Yum