Cozy Coconut Curry with Tofu, Squash, Kale, and Quinoa

In the depths of winter, there’s nothing like a cozy curry to warm your belly and satisfy your soul. This recipe will heat you up with flavor while providing all the nutrients to support your body. There’s tofu and quinoa for protein, coconut milk for nourishing fats, squash for complex carbohydrates, and kale for all its phytochemical, vitamin, and fiber goodness. And all of this is served up in one bowl!

I make variations of this meal all year round, using the same coconut curry as a base for salmon, chicken, and seafood curries. Once you’ve got the curry mastered, experiment with different vegetables or proteins. You could even double the curry recipe and freeze half for another week - your future self will thank you.

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Cozy Coconut Curry with Tofu, Pumpkin, Kale, and Quinoa

Makes 4 Servings

Tofu
1 (16 ounce) block firm tofu, drained and pressed under a weight for 20 minutes to remove excess water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Coconut Curry
2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
1 red onion, halved and cut into 1¼-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
Small handful curry leaves (optional, but recommended)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 medium tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup vegetable broth or water
½ teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

1 bunch curly green kale, destemmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups peeled, deseeded, and chopped squash (kabocha, butternut squash, acorn, or another fleshy squash)
½ cup broth or water
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon lime juice

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl and toss with safflower oil and salt. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30-40 minutes, until tofu has firmed around the edges. 

3.  Meanwhile, make the coconut curry. In large pot, sauté pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and curry leaves and cook another 30 seconds. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and cook another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, broth, and salt and cook 2 minutes, scraping the stuck pieces from the bottom of the pan. Transfer this mixture, along with the coconut milk, to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Rinse pot and set aside.   

4.  Add squash, kale, and broth to the rinsed pot. Cover with lid and steam over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Return the curry to the pot and add the quinoa and lime juice. Simmer a few minutes, allowing the flavors to alchemize. Taste and adjust salt and lime as needed.   

Three Seed Breakfast Porridge with Spiced Stewed Peaches and Toasted Coconut

Now that there is finally a hint of that fall chill in the air, breakfast porridges are happening full force in my kitchen. The warmth and ease of bowl of slow cooked grains, topped with some fruit and nut butter, offers a delicious, filling, and nutritious start to the day. I love that I can cook a big pot of porridge at the start of the week, and then simply reheat a portion on the stove each morning. It’s efficient, affordable, and my belly is happy.

I’m going to call steel-cut oats the “gateway grain” into the marvelous world of porridge. They are widely available, affordable, totally delicious, and a nutritious choice to start the day. But I’ve found that I can fall into a steel-cut oat cooking rut if I’m not careful, eating oats week after week. Sound familiar?

This recipe provides a bit of variation to the morning oat routine. It’s a combination of millet, amaranth, and quinoa. Often called ancient grains, these three are actually seeds! (You may recognize millet as common bird seed…)

By combining these three seeds, we're upping the amino acid profile and boosting the number of vitamins and minerals of our porridge to provide our bodies with a broader spectrum of nourishing nutrients. We’re switching things up to practice our flexibility, adaptability, and openness in the kitchen and with the foods we eat. 

As we move into this fall season, let's aim for more variety, more colors, and more plants in your meals. Increase diversity! You'll not only make food more fun, but you'll be making yourself more resilient and giving your body the nutrients it needs to feel it's most vital.

Happy fall, all! Enjoy those bowls of porridge with gratitude for the abundance of nourishment this beautiful earth provides. 

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Three Grain Breakfast Porridge with Spiced Stewed Peaches and Toasted Coconut

Makes 4 servings

Porridge
1/3 cup amaranth
1/3 cup quinoa
1/3 cup millet
1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
¼ sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Spiced Stewed Peaches
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 ripe peaches, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
Pinch sea salt

Coconut flakes, lightly toasted for topping

1)   In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the amaranth, quinoa, and millet. Transfer to a small sauce pot and cover with water. Soak overnight.

2)   Rinse the grains and return to the pot along with 2 cups of water, the coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3)   While the porridge is cooking, heat the coconut oil over low heat in a small sauce pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, toasting the spices slightly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peaches, vanilla, lemon juice, water, and salt. Stir to combine and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring nearly continuously.

4)   To serve, top porridge with stewed peaches and toasted coconut flakes. 

Whole Foods Cleanse - New Years Day Quinoa Porridge

On New Years day, I was feeling sluggish, a little out of balance, and like my digestive system needed a major break. After all the holiday parties, culinary school tastings, restaurant work, and baking projects, I needed a full body re-boot.

January is usually the month of extreme diet pledges, juice and raw foods cleanses. While some people swear by their 5-day green juice cleanses or all-salad-all-day regimes, I find they are usually a pain to follow, extremely hard on your system, and leave you with terrible cravings that will send you swinging back out of health.

I would like to offer a simpler, softer, and definitely tastier idea for those who are feeling ready to bring their health back into balance for the new year. The solution: WHOLE foods. 

Rather than pledge to eliminate "naughty" foods from your diet, try to incorporate as many plant-based foods as possible. We're talking about vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. When you begin to increase the quantity of these nourishing, whole foods into your diet, you will naturally find yourself moving away from the processed, the artificial, and the overly sugared. Think more about what you should eat and less about what you shouldn't eat.

Trust me, your body and spirit will thank you.  

This is the Whole Foods Cleanse. Its the way humans have been eating for millennia. Its not complicated or carefully measured. Rather, it's guided by vibrant colors, inspired by nature's bounty, and driven - most importantly -  by what your body needs to feel its best. 

The problem for most people, myself included, is that resolve to eat well fades without continual ideas of "what's for dinner." And we easily turn back to old, less-healthy habits. That is where Carly's Wellness Kitchen comes in. On this site, I will feature plant-based meals (with some high-quality animal products too) and teach you about basic nutrition principles. As I invite you into my kitchen, I hope you will find continual inspiration to nourish yourself with high quality, whole foods. Wellness begins in the kitchen. So lets get cooking! 

Here's a recipe to refresh your breakfast routine. Ditch the refined cereals and turn to whole grains, cooked to a porridge consistency and mixed with fresh or frozen fruit and chia seeds. In this recipe, I've used quinoa and frozen blueberries and topped it with cashews and shredded coconut to add some healthy fats. The combination of fiber and fat helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. It works for New Years Day or any day. 

Culinary Wellness Tip: Don't have time for this recipe on the weekdays? Make a pot on Sunday and reheat portions as needed with a little extra almond milk. All you'll have to do is throw on the toppings and enjoy. 

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Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries, Chia Seeds, and Coconut

Yield: 4 one-cup servings

1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight if possible
1 cup water
1 ½ + 1/4 cups almond milk
1 inch cinnamon stick, or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Shredded coconut
Honey or maple syrup

1. Rinse quinoa and combine with water, 1 ½ cups almond milk, cinnamon stick, and salt in a medium-sized pot. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until quinoa is porridge consistency.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chia seeds and blueberries, adding an additional ¼ cup almond milk. Rest for 10 minutes, allowing the chia seeds to expand.
3. Serve with shredded coconut and a drizzle or honey or maple syrup.