Hi Friends!
Before I share the BEST vegan coconut curry ever, I want to share my vegan journey a little bit with you!
So I went completely vegan for 3 weeks and was so surprised because I really hadn’t been craving any meat or dairy! This is probably because I’ve been very good about PREPARING myself and cooking up really yummy vegan recipes and finding delicious vegan restaurants or even vegan choices at non-vegan restaurants. It’s seriously all about preparation! I was pleasantly surprised to find so many non-vegan restaurants with plenty of vegan options! The BEST discovery was at the happiest place on earth, DISNEYLAND!! + California Adventure. I’m a huge fan of Disneyland and never want to grow up, but was genuinely worried when I decided to go with my boyfriend and some friends that I wouldn’t be able to eat anything. But thanks to @libra_ina, I discovered SO many awesome vegan choices at both parks!! See the links she found for me here and here! I ended up having the vegan pizza 🍕 at California Adventure for lunch, which was SO amazing and definitely made my tummy happy since I was starving!
My favorite vegan choice was definitely the BABY GROOT SOURDOUGH BREAD!!!! Who knew sourdough bread could be vegan?! It was so yummy and adorable! I really didn’t want to eat it because it was so cute but enjoyed it very much once I tried it especially the eyes because they were made of olives! Hehe my fave!
So it’s been a good 3 weeks of very strict vegan only diet for me, but this weekend, I went to San Diego to celebrate my friends’ housewarming. I was still very strict on myself with ordering vegan pizza from an Italian restaurant we went to for lunch (thank goodness they had this option!) and felt really thankful that Eve and Vince were super supportive and went to Cafe Gratitude with me for dinner. We went to The Rooftop by STK at the Andaz hotel at Gaslamp Quarter at night and had such a great time with our friends! It was a huge college reunion with our buddies! The next morning, a few of us went to get brunch at the beautiful Bella Vista Social Club, but I was honestly so hungover, it was hard to enjoy the acai bowl I had ordered. Hangovers are a real thing for me now. Definitely can’t drink like college days anymore! Going to be real with y’all that the egg craving was REAL!!!! Breakfast is my weakness and suddenly, all my meat and egg craving pounced at me! Hangovers are not the best for you when you’re a transitioning vegan I must say! On the way home from San Diego, we went to Riverside to help our little brother move, which was so not fun in the 100+ degrees Riverside heat + being hungover.
When we finally arrived home, guess what I had?? A PIZZA!!! I couldn’t resist because I was soo starving and didn’t have anything vegan prepped for me in the fridge. Like I said, it’s all about preparation! I decided that I’m going to be a part time vegan as a way to balance my lifestyle. I think the most difficult part about transitioning was going out to eat with friends. My girlfriends and I love to order a bunch of plates and share, but when I went vegan these past 3 weeks, I found myself avoiding social events like that to prevent my cravings. I want to be able to enjoy the food I love, but I do also want to help make a difference in the world and for my health by being vegan but I really can’t say I can commit 100% right now so I decided to be MOSTLY vegan! I still love exploring vegan recipes and alternatives so I’m definitely going to continue this journey, but probably 80% of the time!
So on Monday, I felt super amazing and recovered after sweating it out at Basecamp Pasadena for their Labor Day class and immediately went to TJ’s after to load up our fridge with my meal prep necessities for the week! I decided to whip up my FAVORITE vegan coconut curry and share the recipe with you guys! It’s seriously soooo yummy! It’s got no meat or dairy, but it was approved by both the little brother AND the boyfriend! They’re both avid meat eaters so getting their approval was a hallelujah moment for me! Let me know if you try this out because it’s seriously my go to meal prep dish now! It’s soooo simple and quick to prepare! I usually make a huge thing of it that can be meal prepped out for the week. Eve actually helped a lot with the cooking and she approved of its “easiness level”. She only cooks the breakfast in this house so you know it’s a simple recipe when she approves! 😉
I also want to give a big shoutout to my family and Vince for being my test taste bunnies on all the vegan food I’ve been cooking up in the kitchen! They’ve been such AMAZING sports and so so so supportive of my vegan journey!! Couldn’t have done 3 full weeks without them! They really do enjoy all the plant based meals I’ve been coming up with and I’m so thankful for that! Definitely going to share more with you!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups uncooked Bob’s Red Mill basmati white rice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 medium sized potatoes, diced (you can omit if you like a smoother curry. I like it thick and chunky!)
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup eggplants, diced
1/2 cup beefsteak tomato, diced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 ounce light coconut milk
1 cup veggie stock
cilantro for serving
salt and black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the cooking instructions on your pack of Bob’s Red Mill basmati white rice.
Peel the potato skin and dice before cooking in boiling water until fork soft.
Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the ginger, eggplant, carrot, cauliflower, and salt and pepper and stir. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until softened.
Add curry powder, chili powder, veggie stock, coconut milk, and stir. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Add the cooked potatoes and raw tomatoes in and stir to mix well.
Serve over basmati white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
ENJOY!!
This is the basmati white rice I used from Bob’s Red Mill! It’s so easy to make and delicious to taste!
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lisa