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). 

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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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Lentil Soup w/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach Recipe | Vegan Soup YouTube Collab

I love a simple weeknight meal and soup usually falls into that category. I don't know about you but we eat soup All. Year. Long.

It's too inexpensive, simple and delicious to only save for the cold months.

Plus, I LOVE that there's usually leftovers for the next day. Winning!

This soup is perfect for a weekend night dinner and all the ingredients are easy to find in any grocery store. Enjoy!

Watch the video below…

Lentil Soup w/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Keywords: soup/stew vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (serves 5)

  • 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil, to saute onion & garlic
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dry basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups lentils, rinsed (optional: soak them in water for an hour)
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • About 2 1/2 cups of fresh spinach, rinsed

Instructions

In a large stockpot, saute the onion & garlic for about 6 minutes on medium heat.

Mix in basil, salt & pepper and cook for another minute.

Then add in lentils & vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes (or until the lentils are soft)

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

Add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve with rice or solo.

Enjoy!

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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.

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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!

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                                                                                            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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Quick Fried Rice & Pizza Recipes | No Excuses #1 Vegan Family Meals

I have a very down to earth approach to vegan life because I know how difficult it can be to change habits (especially when you go your whole life eating eggs, meat & dairy). Also, I tend to be lazy when it comes to cooking.

Yeah, I have a food blog but I have very lazy cooking days (sometimes weeks).

Life happens and we often get busy with work, family & watching Netflix (I know this life lol).

I just started a new series called No Excuses on my YouTube channel to help with meal planning on those busy days.

Pizza Recipe

Fried Rice Recipe

These will be the most no-brainer recipes ever to help you stay on your vegan journey or get started slowly.

Check out the video for vegan pizza & fried rice

Taco Pasta Salad | Veganize It!

To veganize a recipe is to take non-vegan foods (meat, eggs, dairy, etc) and replace them with a plant-based alternative.

This is the perfect time of year for a simple and delicious pasta salad. This quick and easy recipe doesn't require a lot of cooking, has awesome flavor and plenty of delicious vegetables.

This pic is from the first time I made the recipe and the updated recipe (below) doesn't include avocado

This pic is from the first time I made the recipe and the updated recipe (below) doesn't include avocado

I got this recipe from Divas Can Cook last year, but didn't make it until yesterday for the boys' lunch.

How did I veganize it?

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It was super simple to veganize this recipe because everything was already vegan expect for the cheese. I used Follow Your Heart vegan cheese and grated a little on top before serving. You can also skip vegan cheese and this recipe will be just as good.

The Verdict

I loved it.

Eric loved it (he ate the leftovers at dinner).

Bran loved it.

Elijah and Jason said it was "okay".

Majority rules in our house, so I'll definitely make it again!

All 3 kids asked that I use more pasta and less vegetables the next time around. Ha!

The original recipe has 8 different vegetables, so I called myself trying to "sneak them in" by chopping them into tiny pieces. I guess that wasn't good enough for my 3...this time. lol I even forgot to put in the corn, so yeah, I guess there were too vegetables for them.

I reduced the vegetables down to 5 and re-wrote the recipe based on the fam's feedback below.

Veganize this delicious recipe today!

Taco Pasta Salad

by Brown Vegan & DivasCanCook

Keywords: entree vegan

Ingredients (Serves 5)

  • 8 oz rotini pasta, dry
  • ¾ cup salsa (can add more)
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning (can add more)
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup black olives, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package until al dente.

Drain pasta, rinse with cold water and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss pasta with salsa and taco seasoning.

Add in bell pepper, black olives, onion, cherry tomatoes, & black beans.

When ready to serve, top with optional vegan cheese & cilantro

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