Curried Zucchini-Carrot Soup

Curried pureed soups such as Winter Squash Soup and Curried Zucchini-Carrot Soup are a great way to get people who dislike veggies to eat a variety of veggies. One of my family members hates both zucchini and carrots, but enjoys the soup.

Serves 6

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3  cups vegetable broth, OR 3 cups water + 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 pound carrots (about 4 to 5 medium), peeled and diced
• 1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium or 3 small), trimmed but unpeeled, diced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash cayenne, to taste, optional

Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté onions until translucent, 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 minutes. Puree using an immersion blender or countertop blender.

Tofu (or Cauliflower) Veggie Curry

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed OR 3 cups small cauliflower florets (1/2 medium head)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 medium to large waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 1 inch
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, or to taste
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, or 1 (11 or 15 ounce) can corn, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup (1/2 can) coconut milk
• Hot cooked basmati rice

If using tofu, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or nonstick foil. Slice tofu block into 24 cubes: Halve the depth of the block making 2 even slabs. Keeping the slabs together, slice lengthwise into 4 sections, then widthwise into 3 sections. Place cubes on prepared baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until edges are browned; allow to cool.

In a small skillet on medium-high, toast curry powder and garam masala, stirring occasionally, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer spices to a dish and set aside.

In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium-high, heat 3 tablespoons oil and sauté onions and potatoes until potatoes begin to brown on edges and onions are golden, about 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Push potatoes and onions to outer edge of the pan. In the center add remaining oil, then garlic, ginger, jalapeno and tomato paste, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add toasted spices, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute. Add cauliflower if using, and zucchini, season with salt, and mix to coat well. Add water. Scrape browned bits up from the bottom. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add tofu, chickpeas, corn, peas and coconut milk, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and serve over rice.

Stewed Curried Greens, Sweet Potatoes & Chickpeas

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped 1/2-inch
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 2 to 3 cups water, as needed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 2 to 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2-inch
• 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch, or 1 (15 ounce) can carrots, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 pound greens such as collards or kale, (fresh or frozen, chopped)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 1/2 to 1 cup raisins, optional
• 1 cup halved walnuts, pecans or cashews, optional
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon, optional
• Brown basmati rice, for serving

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart saucepan heat oil and sauté celery and pepper until softening, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, tomatoes and bouillon; break up bouillon and mix well. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, greens, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne. Add raisins and nuts if using. Add water if needed to just cover ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer until sweet potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, turn off heat and stir in lemon juice if using. Serve over rice.

Indian Spiced Lentils

Indian Spiced Lentils over brown
basmati rice and red quinoa

Serves 8 as a main dish

• Olive oil, as needed
• 1 large or 2 small onions, diced 1/4 inch
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups (16 ounces) dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon sweet curry powder
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• About 2/3 cup water or broth, as needed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsely, or 2 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on saltiness of broth)
• Cooked rice, for serving

In a saucepan having a cover, heat olive oil and sauté onions 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes until onion is soft and garlic is golden. Add broth, lentils, curry powder, cayenne, and pepper. Add parsley if using dried. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Check frequently and add more water as needed to keep lentils just covered. When done, remove from heat, stir in parsley if using fresh, season with salt to taste, and serve over hot cooked rice.

Winter Squash Soup

Curried pureed soups such as Winter Squash Soup and Curried Zucchini-Carrot Soup are a great way to get people who dislike veggies to eat a variety of veggies. One of my family members hates both zucchini and carrots, but enjoys the soup.

Serves 8 to 10

• 4 pounds peeled pumpkin, butternut or other winter squash (weigh after peeling)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups vegetable stock, or as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Optional garnish: chopped chervil, chives, parsley or dill

In a saucepan over high heat, combine squash in a saucepan with salt and stock to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 30 minutes. If time allows, cool. Purée using an immersion blender or countertop blender. Return to pan, add pepper, curry and turmeric. Taste and adjust seasonings and heat through. Garnish if desired and serve. Soup is excellent made one or two days in advance, refrigerated and reheated.

Mango Chutney

I found it impossible to find commercially-prepared chutneys with organic sugar, so I found and tweaked a recipe so I could control what goes into mine.

Makes 13 cups (That's a LOT of chutney... I freeze mine in pints but it can be canned.)

• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups granulated sugar*
• 1/4 cup molasses*
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 serrano chili or 2 small jalapenos, minced
• 3 pounds mango flesh, thinly sliced (about 4 green mangoes)

*or 2 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover and slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until thick. Stir more often as it thickens.