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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Does Your Boo HAVE to be Vegan?

Last month on the podcast (listen here), I had a chat with my girl DeChantell about her transition to raw veganism and struggles with dating as a vegan.

Being in a relationship as a new vegan or while dating can be...interesting.

When I started my journey back in 2010, Eric looked at me like this when I told him I wasn't cooking meat anymore...

At the time, I was a vegetarian, so he was expecting me to continue cooking multiple meals for him and the boys.

Ummm, no.

Going vegan was all good until he realized my decision would affect him. Does this sound familiar? lol

It wasn't an easy transition, but worth all the time that went into making this lifestyle as delicious and family-friendly for us as possible.

These days he's loving vegan meals at home (the kids, too!) and is glad that we made the shift for the animals and better health. :-)

With only about 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it really does narrow down the dating pool when you're looking for a boo who is already vegan. Instead of limiting your options, I think it's best to find someone who is open-minded.

If I were to ever date again, the new guy wouldn't "have" to be a vegan, but he would have to be genuinely open-minded and respectful of my decisions.

He would have to be willing to try the food or cook for himself (I refuse to go back to cooking two meals lol), and we would have to share many of the same values.

Think of it this way, my husband Eric wasn't interested at all but came around once there was more education, consistency, and love.

What are your thoughts? 

Related posts: How to Date As A Vegan

Good Morning Washington Interview | Brown Vegan

I did something incredibly uncomfortable this week!

I went on Good Morning Washington and did not one, but two segments on how to go vegan.

Even though I was stressed the hell out leading up to these interviews (I only had about four days notice), I think they came out pretty good. This was my first time on TV!

I had to take my nerves out of the equation and instead focus on what I can do to get more people to eat plant-based meals. 

It was all about the vegan love!

Check out both segments in the vid below...

In the first segment, I went over some tips on how to go vegan (not in this order, but here are the talking points I gave the producer):

• Get clear on WHY you want to go vegan -- health, protest factory farming, protect the planet, etc.
• Make the decision that this is the lifestyle for you -- You will always flip back and forth or make excuses about why you can't do it.
• Explore your grocery store in a new way -- Try to spend the majority of your time in the produce department and shop the perimeter.
• Always make sure you have a plan -- what will you eat at home/work and how you will handle eating out.
• Always focus on what you CAN eat and not what you CAN'T eat -- There's so much variety as a vegan.
• Get support -- use social media & YouTube for recipes and tips and/or have a friend/family member join you.
• Be gentle with yourself - Understand this is a process and will take time to get used to grocery shopping, meal planning & cooking in this new & exciting way.

In the second segment we did a quick food demo:

Vegan fried chicken recipe

Vegan macaroni and cheese recipe

Kale salad recipe

Resources mentioned:

My podcast

Vegan Starter Kit

I'm so thankful and excited to continue to do this work!

How to Co-Parent Vegan Kids | Q&A Video

One of the ladies on my Instagram asked what to do if you co-parent and want your child to be vegan while visiting the other parent.

This question is very personal to me because my two older kids visited their dad several times a month when we started our journey (he lives in Texas now, so they only see him during the summer and holidays).

Click below to watch my response to this question...

Tips mentioned in the video:

• Have a conversation with the other parent -- let him/her know what you're doing and why you're doing it.
• Pack meals to make it easy for the other parent and the kids
• Set an example for your child -- Educate him/her on how you're eating vegan meals, shop together, cook together and be a positive influence.

Don't Let These Myths Stop You From Going Vegan

I was on Instagram live the other day talking to my peeps (come follow me on there so we can connect, too!) about how and why they should start a vegan journey.

One of the ladies asked if it's normal to start and then "fall off the wagon" only after a few weeks.

This is pretty common! Maybe you can relate.

Before I became vegan in April 2010, I tried it earlier that year, but only lasted about two weeks.

I lived on fruit, sunflower seeds, and water during that time because I had no idea what to eat, cook, or how to vegan grocery shop.

I was sooo overwhelmed!

These days there are a million resources, ingredients replacements (homemade and store-bought) and support, so there's no excuse to not incorporate healthier and more compassionate options.

Even if you tried to do this before, you should never give up!

 

BEING VEGAN IS TOO EXPENSIVE

What do potatoes, spinach, black beans, corn tortillas, bananas, apples, rice, spaghetti noodles and canned tomatoes have in common?

All of these items are vegan and very affordable.

I will admit that our grocery bill spiked when we started this journey, but that was because I was buying all organic for a family of 5. These days, I do buy some organics, but overall I just focus on what we can afford. Period. 

Don't let a tight budget be the reason you don't stay on this vegan journey.

Quick Tips to Keep Your Grocery Bill Down:

*Buy as many whole ingredients as possible - it doesn't take a million hours to cook from scratch. I promise! 

*Think about how you can make enough for leftovers (soup & chili recipes are perfect for this) to save both and time.

*Only shop at Whole Foods (AKA Whole Check- chile!) for speciality vegan products that you can't get at a regular grocery store. Do the rest of your grocery shopping at your regular store. You can also save some coins using Thrive Market

*Buy what you need - I know this isn't popular advice, but in my experience, you will waste money buying produce in bulk because it's hard to eat it fast enough before it spoils.

*If you prefer to buy organics, see if you can get a better deal at the farmer's market. Also, my grocery store has store brand organics that are super affordable. See if you store has this option.

VEGAN LIFE IS TOO MUCH TIME-CONSUMING

I can understand why this is a struggle for many people.
We're all used to grocery shopping and cooking at some level - The problem is, most of us aren't used to writing a detailed meal plan and paying close attention to what we buy while grocery shopping.

This is the reason vegan life can feel time-consuming in the beginning. 

I promise once you get used to those uncomfortable feelings (by pushing passed them) and get into a routine, all of this will become easier.

Hang in there!

RELATED: Here's an episode from my podcast with tips on how NOT to spend all weekend on meal planning.

VEGAN FOOD IS BORING & TASTELESS

Before I was a vegan, I thought we could only eat salad and smoothies. I promise this isn't the case at all!

I love variety just as much as the next person. I wouldn't be on this journey if I felt limited by my food choices.

You can make or buy everything vegan.

Sometimes vegan meals have a reputation for being bland and boring. Vegan life is what you make it! 

I don't know about you, but I'm not interested in blah meals. I live for flavor! Some of the most common spices/seasoning I use: Salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, and oregano. 

RELATED: Blog post and audio with more information about pantry and spices basics here

VEGANs DON'T GET PROTEIN

Some people think you can only get protein from chicken, beef, fish, eggs, etc. but this isn't the case at all. There are sooo many plant-based options that can easily replace the meat on your plate.

Grains: quinoa, brown rice, couscous, barley, cornmeal, wheat flour, oat brans, etc.

Beans: black beans, tempeh, kidney beans, chickpeas, tofu (made from bean curd), etc.

Nuts/Seeds: pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, etc.

There's also a protein in spinach, apple, grapefruit, tomatoes, etc.
 

I hope this post was helpful!