African Slow Cooker Stew (Vegan)

African Slow Cooker Stew (Vegan)

Recipe adapted: Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker

This stew tasted and smelled complicated but honestly, it is super easy to make. Just give yourself 20 minutes to prepare the food and then go to class! Come back 6 hours later and you have a gourmet meal. Plus, your house will smell like a top-notch ethnic restaurant. The only thing that requires effort and time is going out and buying the spices. But, because I use curry, cumin, and coriander in almost every recipe, the investment is worth it.

Speaking of investments, check out my blog post about 3 essential investments you need to make if you want to cook in college!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

·        2 cloves garlic

·        2 teaspoons fresh ginger (I use the store-bought squeezable ginger.)

·        1 teaspoon ground coriander

·        1 teaspoon ground cumin

·        1 teaspoon curry powder

·        2 teaspoons water

·        2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

·        1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

·        1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

·        1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

·        1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

·        1/3 cup of peanut butter

·        1 ½ cups vegetable broth

·        Salt and pepper

Directions:

1)    Mince the garlic (here’s a how-to). In a microwaveable bowl, combine the garlic and rest of spices. Add the water and mix well.

2)    Cover the bowl with a plate or a microwavable lid and nuke for 2 minutes. Be careful when removing because it will be very HOT!

3)    Meanwhile, combine the sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and beans in the slow cooker. Stir in the curry combination.

4)    Combine ½ cup of broth and the peanut in a small bowl and mix until combined.

5)    Add the peanut butter mixture and rest of broth to the slow cooker. 

6)    Season with salt and pepper.

7)    Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Easy Vegan Coconut Curry

Easy Vegan Coconut Vegetable Curry

This recipe is so easy that you might assume it will be missing some essential flavors. But, it’s not! This recipe serves 6, so you can make it on Sunday night, along with some instant brown rice, and have it for dinner the whole week. That’s a huge time saver! Like many other ethnic recipes, the only complicated matter is that the Coconut Curry requires curry powder and coconut milk, so you might need to do a little digging to find them! Nevertheless, the local Indian restaurant down the street might have some competition…

Ingredients:

·        1 13.5 oz. can light coconut milk

·        1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce

·        2 tablespoons Indian Curry (I used Orange)

·        2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into dice-sized pieces

·        1 cup of chopped carrots (I chopped up precut mini carrots)

·        1 large zucchini, cut into thin slices and wedges

·        1 medium onion, chopped

·        ½ teaspoon fresh ginger

Directions:

1.     Combine coconut milk, tomato sauce, and curry in a large pan and bring to a boil.

2.     Reduce to medium-low heat and add all of the vegetables. Mix well.

3.     *Cook for 45 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are cooked.

*The aromatic curry and coconut might pull in some hungry college friends. Be cautious! 

Velvety Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Velvety Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Quick, delicious, and low fat. This is a good recipe made with cupboard staples and leftover vegetables. 

Ingredients:

·       1 lb sweet potatoes (3-4 medium-sized)

·       1 lb carrots

·       1 medium onion, chopped

·       1 glove garlic, minced

·       1 teaspoon olive oil

·       4 cups vegetable broth

·       ½ cup unsweetened Almond Milk

·       Salt (optional)

·       (For an exotic taste, try adding 2 teaspoons of both cumin and curry!)

Directions:

1.       Cook the sweet potatoes by poking them and placing in the microwave for 5 minutes.

2.       Peel them after microwaving.

3.       Steam the carrots by placing them in a microwavable covered dish with 2 teaspoons of water, and microwave for 4 minutes.

4.       Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a large pot. Add the broth and vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.

5.       Let it cool until the soup is warm and put into blender until smooth.

6.       Pour the soup back into the pot and mix in the almond milk.