New Vegetarian Recipes!

After much avoidance over the holidays, I am back to blogging! This is gonna be just a few recipes I've been enjoying during doing the Daniel Fast with my church. The idea is to eat only fruits and vegetables, specifically avoiding alcohol, sugar, meat, dairy, and wheat, though you can choose to eat other grains. Thus I've been challenged to eat vegan/vegetarian with a few more limitations.

Fasting is an incredible way to maximize the body's ability to clean and heal itself, as well as removing mental and spiritual clutter and making room for literal "soul" food. In addition to better sleep, digestion, and a revitalized spiritual life, I've found both of these recipes incredibly satisfying.

Sweet Potato, Red Kale, and Quinoa

The sweet and savory flavors of this dish make it quite complex and very satisfying.

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch red kale pieces
  
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
  

Dice sweet potatoes into triangles and roast for 15-20 minutes with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, until soft. Heat olive oil on medium in a large skillet and add kale. Stir for about 2 minutes, add quinoa, sweet potatoes, and remaining seasonings and stir until everything is hot and mixed, about 4 minutes.

Easy Coconut Curry
I don't have a picture of this, but the fat in the coconut milk combined with some starchy vegetables provides nutrition that satisfies. Once again, the sweet-salty combination fulfills the desire we have for a variety of tastes so many modern meals are lacking. I've kept this curry simple, and the combination of umeboshi vinegar and soy sauce makes the curry milder yet brings out a variety of flavor.

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves or tsps diced garlic
1 can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 turnips or rutabagas, peels and chopped
1 cup cabbage (or napa cabbage), chopped
1 cup daikon radish, peeled and sliced
1 cup carrot, peeled and sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can green beans, drained
2 Tbsp umeboshi vinegar (ume plum vinegar)
2 Tbsp soy sauce (nama shoyu if you can get it)

Saute the onion in coconut oil on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes; add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add coconut milk and veggie broth, bring to a boil, add turnips or rutabagas and reduce heat to medium. Chop cabbage, daikon, and carrot and add along with the curry powder, stirring to mix it in. You may need to add a little more broth if the curry is too thick.

After vegetables have cooked about 5 minutes more, toss in chickpeas, green beans, and umeboshi vinegar. If you're using regular soy sauce, add this now; if you're using nama shoyu wait until you are ready to eat to include it to get the maximum benefit of it as a raw, fermented food. You shouldn't need to add any salt because the vinegar and the soy sauce will provide it.

Simmer curry for at least twenty minutes, longer for more flavor, and serve plain or over quinoa or rice.