Three-Tomatoes “One-Pot” Grain Bowl

Hi all!

Long time, no post. I just got back from an amazing trip to Turkey and brought back a ton of recipes and inspiration for delicious dishes with me. I didn’t want to spend too much time cooking today, since I had plenty to catch up on at home, so I decided to dive into that “one-pot” frenzy that’s been going around the web.

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Chickpea Curry with Coconut Rice

Let me talk about my dad for a second. I feel like it’s important, because he’s the one who’s taught me how to cook/love to cook, and has been a major source of inspiration for many of my recipes. Not only are his dishes always really good, but they’re also extremely diverse. He’s the type of chef who’ll try recipes from around the world on a regular weeknight. Just because. Just so that cooking doesn’t get boring. Being in college, I’m always tempted to open a box of pasta, heat up some marinara, and call it a night (or most likely go back to the library). But as I’ve told you before, every now and then I want to try something new. Sometimes I cook with a new ingredient (like an acorn squash), or else I try a recipe that I’ve never done before. In that case, I just pick something from Pinterest and tweak it with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Tonight, I chose chickpea curry with coconut rice! And I discovered two things: 1) coconut rice tastes AMAZING! It’s “creamy”, flavorful, easy, and basically perfect. 2) You don’t miss the meat in chickpea curry. And I was really skeptical about a curry without a tender piece of lamb…
Finally, this dish leaves you full and packed with energy, as chickpeas are an excellent source of protein (and fiber!). Don’t be intimidated by the long list of spices, I found them all at the grocery store down my street. Bon appétit!

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Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients for the coconut rice: Note that this recipe serves 2

• 1/2 cup dried jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water

Ingredients for the chickpea curry:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if canned)
• 1/2 small yellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Start by cooking the coconut rice. In a small pot (or a rice cooker), put the dried rice with the coconut milk and the water. Give it a good stir, and let the rice cook until it has absorbed all the liquid. This should take between 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil, over high heat. When it becomes brown, add a splash or water, turn the heat to medium, and stir until the liquid evaporates. This should take about 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the cooked chickpeas and all the spices. Give it another stir for about 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, water, tomato paste, salt (to taste), and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the curry thickens and reaches your desired consistency (add water if it gets too thick, or let it cook for longer if it’s too liquid). Adjust the seasoning.
5. To serve, put the coconut rice in a bowl and top it with the chickpea curry and a good amount of sauce.

TIP: You can use a mix of chickpeas and cauliflower for added flavors and texture. 

Smokey Salmon Pasta

I’ve been on a seafood pasta trend lately. I don’t know why, but I just love all the different combinations possible. As a follow up to my Totally Tuna pasta recipe, I decided to get my hands dirty with some good ol’ smoked salmon. This version blends the fish with a creamy sauce and caramelized onions. The flavors are amazing and really make for an original dish. If you ever get bored of your typical marinara, take a plunge with this salmon sauce (yes, pun intended). Additionally, this dish comes together really quickly. The sauce is ready by the time the pasta is cooked, which takes about 15 minutes total. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 15 min 

Ingredients:

• 100g penne pasta (preferably whole wheat)
• 1oz. cream cheese
• 1-2 slices smoked salmon
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it reaches the texture you like (mine is al dente in 10 minutes).
2. While the pasta cooks, sautée the diced onion in a pan with salt and olive oil. When it becomes brown and slightly caramelized (about 5 minutes), add about 2 tbsp of the pasta water and let it evaporate.
3. Add the cream cheese and let it melt. Next, add the tomato paste with two to three spoonfuls of the pasta water. Stir well so that the sauce becomes homogenous and let it cook for an extra couple of minutes.
4. When the pasta is almost done, add about 3/4 of the smoked salmon bits and adjust the seasoning of the sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in order to incorporate all the ingredients together.
5. Reserve about 1 tbsp of the water before you drain the pasta. Then, toss it with the creamy salmon sauce until it is well coated. At that point, you can use the extra pasta water to make your sauce more fluid. Top with the rest of the smoked salmon and enjoy!

TIP: You can squirt some lemon juice on top of it for extra flavor!