Easy Indian-Inspired Supper

My mom has started to turn her diet around! Her cousin and her cousin's husband and daughter have started juicing. Between them all, I think they've lost a total of 50 lbs. in one month and their overall health has improved dramatically! I think that they've finally discovered the power of juicing and of healthy foods! This has rubbed off on my mom who has also started juicing. She's lost about nine pounds and even my dad, who has an aversion to most vegetables, has been drinking a daily juice! I believe it's a carrot, celery, ginger, orange combination, but I'm not sure. Mom made some yesterday and I drank a whole glass of it. It was great! As part of this new healthy-eating-for-life plan, Mom and I have decided to get together once a month to make a healthy vegan meal. For this month, we made an Indian-inspired meal with a potato curry, curried vegetables, couscous, and steamed spinach. It was delicious! We had a plateful and were STUFFED by the end of it!

My potato curry also gave me a chance to try out Gardein's beefless tips. I used a recipe for a spicy beef and potato curry I found online and then I veganized it and "healthified" it. I also left out the spicy, because I just wasn't really digging it at the moment. The beefless tips were good. I like them a lot because I liked the texture of them. My mom liked them too and my boyfriend, who's an omni, said they were good, but not at all like beef. That's okay with me though, since I tend to get weirded out by things that are too meat-like. For instance, I LOVE Gardein's not-chicken nuggets, but they remind me so much of real ones that I have to remind myself they're 100% veg! I really liked the tips in the curry, but I normally wouldn't buy them because they're kind of expensive. This was a special occasion, lol. However, a can of chickpeas would be an excellent substitute and I'll probably do that next time (that is, unless I decide to splurge on that tasty Gardein again).

I made the curry first, while mom made the vegetables. Then, when everything was almost done we put on the spinach and couscous since those both take five minutes. If you like, you can serve with a dollop of vegan yogurt or a vegan cucumber raita. I have an amazing cucumber raita that I make but I can't remember the exact recipe. I promise you I will go out and search for the written copy, and then post it here! Lol.

"Beef" and Potato Curry:
1 Tb. oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
6 medium potatoes, peeled, diced into 1" pieces
1 (15 oz.) can regular diced or fire-roasted tomatoes
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. frozen peas
1 pkg. Gardein Beefless Tips

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in 1/2 Tb. oil over medium-high heat until softened, about five minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon stick, and saute until fragrant, another 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and let simmer another 5 minutes or until the water is mostly gone.

2. Add the diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and potatoes, and another 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are pretty much done. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the frozen peas; let simmer another 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet with the remaining 1/2 Tb. oil, add the beefless tips and saute until browned on the outside, about 4-5 minutes. Stir the tips into the curry and simmer, uncovered (to let it thicken up), another five minutes or until they are completely heated through.
Enjoy!

Next month we're doing Thai food, and I'm super stoked because I happen to have some authentic ingredients on hand (tamarind paste, kaffir lime leaves). Now all I gotta do is find the perfect recipe!