Cardamon Curry in a Hurry

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

Warming Winter Stew

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. 

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

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.  

3 Min Clean Green Salad

This is how all fast food should be: Fast, easy, healthy, cleansing, energy providing & nourishing. You can literally make this in 3 minutes.  Its incredibly satisfying and rich in nutrients.

I love when I bite into a salad and every bite is uniform in taste, texture and nutrition. This salad does just that.  

By using beans and hummus with no added oil or fat, I can then use my favorite oil, flax-seed.  Flax seed oil is one of the best sources of clean Omega 3 fatty acid.  Plus this is a very hearty combination.  So your tastebuds and waistline will agree. 

This is a fast recipe.  That means, the individual amount of each ingredient is not important.  You don't need exact measurements.  You can eye everything.  More or less of any ingredients makes no difference.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups Kale, washed and cut up
• 1/3 cup Fat-free, low soduium, organic refried (black or pinto) beans in a bpa-free can.
• 1/3 cup Oil-free hummus (homemade or store bought)
• 2 tablespoons Flax seed oil
• Sprinkling of Hemp seeds
• Spinkling of Himalayan Salt
• (Optional: touch of hot sauce)

Method:

1. Mix everything together in a bowl. 
2. Plate it and eat it. 

Immunity Broth - The Holiday Edition

Tis the season to not get sick! With the weather outside getting frightful, now's a good time to boost your immune system and stay healthy all season long.  So, let the chestnuts roast on an open fire and have yourself a very merry immunity broth! 

(Drops mic...) Seriously speaking though, with the holiday's in full effect, taking some "me" time and making some healthy meals can really save you from getting run-down.  This super easy immunity broth is definitely a Foolproof Eats you can make in a jiffy with a few ingredients.  The onion, garlic and turnips are supercharged foods to strengthen your body's defenses. So bring on the holiday parties!

NUTRITIONAL LOW DOWN

Turnips: Turnips are one of my favorite immune boosters.  For only 30 calories each, turnips will go to bat for you! Its a wonderful  nutritionally dense food, Turnips are chock full of Vitamin C.  Just 2 turnips provide as your daily recommended  amount of Vitamin C.  [They also contain a plethora of B-vitamins, folate, magnesium, and potassium.]

Onions: Onions have certain phytochemicals that allows vitamin C in your body to work.  So the turnips and onion work hand in hand to boost your immune system.  This onion and turnips in this broth are the perfect marriage to give your immune system an edge. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 onions, chopped  (Add more if you wish)
• 2 cloves garlic, cut in half (Add more if you wish)
• 3 Turnips (or 4!) washed and peeled.
• 1 TBL Dried basil (or your favorite herb)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 liters of filtered water
• 1/2 half cup of broccoli florets

Method

1. Briefly saute onions in a large pot with the olive oil.  Olive oil can't handle high heat, so saute for only a few minutes and keep heat lower so it won't smoke or burn. 
2. Add dried herbs, a pinch of himalayan salt, and garlic cloves. 
3. Add water and bring to a boil
4. Drop turnips in and allow it to boil until turnips become soft (about 30 mins)
5. When the broth is done, add in the broccoli florets and allow to cook for another 3 minutes.  You don't want the broccoli to get mushy, so 3 minutes is enough time.  
6. Enjoy!

Leftovers

This is great the next day and even if cold! Just add some fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of himalayan salt.