Fire-Roasted Chickpea Stew & Rice Recipe (VIDEO)

I don't know about you, but I live for quick and easy meals on busy days.

Hell, I like my meals quick and easy even when I don't have a lot going on. lol

Here's a quick lunch recipe with chickpeas, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, coconut milk, cumin, salt & pepper...and served with rice & (you can garnish with cilantro).

This meal took under 30 mins and the flavor is amazing!

Get the measurements and full video below...

Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Chickpeas

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Keywords: vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 teaspoon oil or vegetable broth to saute
• (3) garlic cloves, minced
• (2) 15 oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes (drain the juice)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• (2) 15 oz cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• (1) 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• To serve: rice & cilantro

Instructions

In a large rimmed skillet, saute garlic for 10 seconds on med-lo heat.

Add in tomatoes (drain the juice) and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Mix in cumin and chickpeas.

Cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shake the coconut milk can before opening.

Stir in coconut milk, salt, and black pepper.

Reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes.

Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

The sauce should thicken as you allow it to sit (about 5 mins).

Serve with rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

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EASY Vegan Spaghetti | No Excuses #2

It's sooo easy to make a simple, inexpensive and filling vegan spaghetti for any day of the week.  The goal of the No Excuses videos is to show you the most basic recipes that take under 30 minutes to make. This spaghetti recipe is perfect for the days when you don't feel like cooking or if you're new to vegan life.

Check out the video....

Even though I used Beyond Meat crumbles in this video, you can use sautéed mushrooms or cooked lentils as your ground beef/turkey substitute. 

When I became a vegan, I was really surprised that most of the spaghetti sauce on the grocery store shelves aren't vegan because they usually contain dairy. Boo!

Here's a list of popular brands that are already vegan.

I used about 1/2 cup of onion, 2 garlic cloves & 1/2 teaspoon of oregano to add more flavor to jarred spaghetti sauce.

Most brands of boxed spaghetti are vegan...here's a quick list of popular brands:

• Lundberg spaghetti
• Ancient Harvest quinoa spaghetti
• San Giorgio spaghetti
• Barilla spaghetti
• Ronzoni spaghetti

In my experience, the fresh/homemade pastas aren't typically vegan because they usually contain egg.

Be sure to always check your labels when purchasing boxed products. You can also use the Is it Vegan? app or PETA's Accidental Vegan list for assistance. 

Chickpea dal Recipe | 30-Minute Meal

The older my 3 boys get....the more they eat everything that isn't nailed down.

I knew it was coming but goodness! Our grocery bill is currently about $650 a month (family of 5), but I can feel an increase coming soon.

Hopefully, it won't be too bad. I plan to stick to a lot more whole ingredients. Awesome for our wallets and our bodies...of course. :-)

I find myself doubling (and sometimes tripling) recipes and that was the case for this Indian chickpea dal with coconut broth  I found on Steamy Kitchen. 

This recipe is simple, delicious and contains all accessible ingredients.

The "hardest" part is chopping vegetables and you can reduce that time by using canned instead of fresh tomatoes (I think the flavor is better with canned in this recipe anyway-I used fresh tomatoes in these pics). 

This was my first time using coconut milk as a broth and it was just as delicious as I imagined. Add more salt to taste before serving and enjoy!

You can find garam masala in the "international/ethnic" aisles of most grocery stores. There's actually a brand by McCormick that is available in the regular spice aisle. Make your own if you have these spices on hand.

Chickpea Dal with Coconut Broth

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: saute entree vegan vegetarian chickpeas

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 15 oz canned diced tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• (2)15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• (2) 13 oz coconut milk, canned
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh cilantro (chopped), to garnish
• 4 cups of cooked rice

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat.

Add in onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix in garam masala and cumin and continue cooking for one minute.

Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk.

Cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until the sauce thicken a little.

Stir in salt (add more if necessary).

Serve with rice and garnish with a generous amount of cilantro.

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Broccoli & Vegan Sausage Stir-Fry

Stir-fry is one of my "go-to" meals because they're quick, easy and delicious.

The possibilities are endless with the different combinations you can make each week (or night, if your week is super crazy and your family doesn't complain too much lol).

In the recipe below, I show you a fast lunch I put together for us the other day.

I used Field Roast vegan sausage. Even though it comes in a pack of 4 links, I only use 2 and save the others for another meal.

Stretch it out, baby!

                                                                                                                                            Pic credit

Another option for vegan sausage (this one is more accessible) is the Tofurky brand.

Enjoy!

Broccoli & Vegan Sausage Stir-Fry

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 7

Cook Time: 12

Keywords: fry entree vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 fresh broccoli heads (florets only), chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers (I used a green and red one), chopped
• 2-4 links of vegan sausage (Field Roast & Tofurky are good brands), chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (add more if necessary)

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the oil on med-hi heat.

Toss in the broccoli and saute for about 4 minutes.

Add in garlic, onion and bell peppers and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix in the vegan sausage and soy sauce.

Continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Serve with rice, quinoa or solo.

Enjoy!

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Alfredo Zoodles Recipe

My kids have this love/hate thing going on with zoodles. Sometimes my oldest 2 boys love them and other times they look at me sideways when I serve it.

Zoodles are just zucchini used as noodles in a recipe. It's perfect for people who are interested in eating more gluten-free meals and for those (like me) who want to make a quick lunch.

I really like this spiraler from Amazon

This recipe is definitely one that doesn't require that you turn on the stove. All you need is a spiraler (or vegetable peeler like I used in the other recipe), your blender and other ingredients for the sauce.

Our experience with zoodles:

*I've tried making the zoodles by steaming and sauteing them a few times before and they come too watery. We prefer them uncooked/raw.

*My kids seem to like zoodles with marinara sauce more than with alfredo and avocado sauce (I made a vegan version using avocado from FitMenCook).

*We usually eat our zoodles without the skin, so I don't know whether or not there's a difference in flavor/texture with the skin on.

Eric and I love the flavor of this recipe and it didn't take much time at all for me to get this on the table for lunch.

Here it is! Try it and let me know whether or not your family likes it. :-)

Alfredo Zoodles

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: raw entree vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 5 large zucchini
• 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
• 1/2 cup water (add more water if the sauce is too thick)
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 cup spring mix lettuce

Instructions

Using a spiraler, vegetable peeler or knife and cut the zucchini into strips.

To make the sauce: In a blender add in all the remaining ingredients (except the spring mix) and process until smooth.

In a large bowl, cover the zucchini with the alfredo sauce and use tongs to combine the sauce and zucchini evenly.

Mix in spring mix and enjoy!

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