Gingery Coconut Stew with Brussels and Rutabaga

In all seriousness, I've been slacking on my daily dinners. School has started up again and I'm back to 15 hour days. I decided I had to find a recipe that was easy to throw together but didn't compromise the flavors of the dish. I came across this stew, which had some of my favorite ingredients in it: Brussels, coconut milk, lime, and ginger. It's a mild dish that definitely didn't lack any flavor and got the stamp of approval from the family.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 heaping tablespoons minced ginger, fresh is always better
3/4 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes- use turnips if rutabaga is unavailable
1 cup carrots, sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz can light coconut milk
1 15 oz can BPA-free chickpeas
Juice of one lime
Zest of 1/2 lime
Salt to taste
Cilantro, for garnish
Jasmine rice, for serving

In a large stock pot over medium best sauté the onion in the oil, along with a pinch of coarse salt, until slightly browned. Push the onions to the edges of the pot, creating a well in the middle, and place the Brussels in the well. If you can get a nice sear on them that would be ideal. Stir the Brussels every now and then. Once they have a decent sear add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pot, sautéing for a minute until ingredients become fragrant. 

Add in the rutabaga, carrots, and vegetable broth- cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chickpeas and lime zest. Cook with lid ajar until rutabaga is tender, about five minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice, and taste for salt. Heat through and serve over rice with cilantro for garnish.

Recipe from Post Punk Kitchen

Quick Lentil Bowl

This is one of my pocket recipes that I always default to when I'm not in the mood to cook. It's hearty, yummy, and easy. Also, it's a very forgiving recipe so you can really make it your own.

1 bundle swiss chard (or other leafy green)
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
Splash of white wine
1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
Bed of baby greens or quinoa to serve it over (I prefer the greens, but the quinoa is great too if you're a fan of it)
A dollop of vegan horseradish sauce made by Follow Your Heart (found at Whole Foods), you can sub it with some some plant based sour cream or unsweetened coconut yogurt for that tang element.

Chop your greens into bite size pieces. In a saute pan over medium heat toss in the greens and cook until wilted, about a minute, then add in your minced garlic cloves and saute for another two minutes. Toss in your tomatoes and a large splash of wine and cook for another three minutes, until the tomatoes have softened. Add in you lentils and saute for one more minute. Spoon mixture over a bed of baby greens or a bed of quinoa.

Makes 2 large portions.