Category: Recipes

Big Little Bites > Recipes

Brown Lentils with Red Coconut Curry and Vegan Cilantro Cream

Posted on by biglittlebites

For about 10 years now, I have been doing a vegan fast during Lentil. This fast feels good, on my body and my mind and I look forward to it every year! It’s a great time for cleansing and balancing, while contemplating whatever points are meaningful to you about Lent and/or fasting. I’m always craving rich, nutritious meals – so tonights coconut curry dish was a no-brainer! It’s so delicious, hearty and soul-warming, that vegan or not – you’ll be adding this to your repertoire of go-to recipes!

(feeds a family of five)

Ingredients for Brown Lentils with Red Coconut Curry:

1 c sprouted brown rice (you could also use cauliflower rice or quinoa!)

2 tsp coconut oil

1 tbsp coconut butter

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp tomato paste

1 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp Real Salt

1 c brown lentils

3/4 c full fat coconut milk

Directions:

Toss the rice into a small pot with 2 cups of water; bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the oil to a medium sized soup pot on medium heat and add the minced garlic, curry powder, salt and simmer for 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and stir together, allowing to simmer an additional 8 minutes together. Now toss in your lentils and add 4 cups of water, plus the coconut milk and bring it to a boil before covering and reducing to a simmer for 40 minutes. While that’s simmering, make your cream ->

 

Ingredients for Vegan Cilantro Cream:

1 c raw cashews, soaked for 2 hrs in water

1/2 c fresh water

1 lime, juiced

1 fistful of cilantro, stems removed

1 clove of garlic

Directions:

Drain and rinse your soaking cashews. Add cashews, fresh water and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until creamy. You can add more water as necessary, to reach your desired consistency. Top your meal with this and some chopped cilantro and scallion!

Taco Cabbage Cups with Avocado-Cashew Crema

Posted on by biglittlebites

Cups, wraps, whatever you want to call them – they go down easy, pack a healthy punch, have tons of flavor and color… you can’t go wrong! I made these for a big family get-together and everyone loved them! Full disclosure – I had organic corn tortillas on hand too, but everyone pretty much preferred the cabbage cups. Why not?! Guilt-free and full of nutrients, including vitamin C. Did you know that cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, have antioxidant super powers?! Adding more to your life is a no-brainer!

So with no further ado, here’s the step by step:

(feeds a gathering of 6-8)

Ingredients:

1.5 c raw cashews

1 red onion, halved and sliced

3-4 clove of garlic

1 lemon half or whole lime, juiced

Real Salt

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed

1 avocado

1 Tendersweet cabbage, whole leaves separated

2 purple sweet potatoes, peeled

1 eggplant, peeled

2-3 zucchini, peeled

4 cups pre-soaked and cooked black beans

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, seperated

2 c matchstick carrots or spiralized carrots, for serving

2 scallions, thinly sliced for serving

Directions: 

Soak the raw cashews in a bowl of cool, filtered water for at least an hour (I do 2 hrs usually). Then, drain, rinse and add to a food processor with 1/2 cup of water, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp Real Salt, the citrus juice, a handful of cilantro leaves (reserve the remainder for serving) and a whole avocado. Give it all a whir and add more water as needed, to reach your desired consistency (I like mine a little on the runny side, so I can easily drizzle it on the tacos – but a thick dollap is a beautiful thing too!).

Cube the eggplant, sprinkle with Real Salt and set on a paper towel; allow 15-20 minutes to drain some of the moisture from the vegetable. Cube the zucchini, rinse the eggplant and toss both vegetables together with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkle of Real Salt. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread the veggies out and roast them gently at 300 degrees until they begin to brown (30-45 min).

Boil the sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes, careful not to let them get mushy (aim for “fork tender”) and then cube them and set aside. Add your red onion slices to a skillet or pan, with a swirl of olive oil and caramelize on low heat until they begin to gently brown (approximately 20 minutes).

Get your black beans from the fridge, and toss into the pan with the red onion. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan with another swirl of olive oil. Heat bean mixture on low heat for about 10 minutes to meld flavors. Set out all your goodies in a variety of bowls for a taco assembly station!