Coconut Chickpea Masala

Today was kind of floppy.  I was supposed to have a meeting at school, but it kind of snowed a lot.  I probably could have made it but, I called to see if it was still on, and they said that they weren't expecting everyone to show, so...duh, I didn't go.  I mean, an hour in the snow or...stay at home.  Hmm...difficult.  But then I felt kind of guilty and lazy.  I normally would have went to the gym, but I already was going to yoga tonight.  I made some muffins, which were a disaster.  I tried using the gluten free all purpose flour again, and it was disgusting.  I just can't shake that bean flavor.  I can smell it on my fingers over an hour after using it.  Bah.  I just threw out the rest of it.  I'll just use the rice and buckwheat combo that I've been using so far.  

Anyway, I did go to the grocery store to get out of the house for a little.  I needed some bananas.  But...who can go to the grocery store and *just* buy bananas??  Not me.   

This is so yummy.  If you can't see the label, it is Vanilla Chai Tea from Bolthouse Farms.  Not all of their drinks are vegan, but this one happens to be.  It is sweetened, but with apple juice, which I find to be acceptable!  It has 160 calories and 10g of protein per serving.  Oh, and it is delicious..did I mention that?  Fabulous.  Not an everyday thing, but an awesome treat.  

Between the grocery store and yoga though, I was bored.  So I prepped everything for dinner before I went.  Awesome.  I mean, that sounds lame, but it made making dinner so much faster.  

   

So pretty, right?  I got those bowls for Christmas, they certainly came in handy today.  I can see this becoming a trend too, it made things so much faster.  Yoga was okay.  Thursday is kind of slow because there are usually new people, but it was still okay.  My instructor said that class Saturday is going to be 1h40min minutes long instead of the usual 1h30mins.  I'm totally excited!  It means he has something new planned, I'm sure.  Either that, or he wants to be able to do group stuff, which takes up a lot of time.  We did that last week.  Anyone do a double downward dog?  My partner was scared, so my instructor did it with me instead.  To give you a mental picture, he is about 6'2'' average build, and I am 5'4'', kind of small.  I was on the bottom:  

Nothing like that today though.  One of the woman was brand new, another was only her second time, and one guy hadn't been there in a long time.  There were only 12 people, so enough to tailor the class towards them.  They don't hold back on Saturday though...can you tell I am looking forward to it?  It had BETTER not snow.  You hear that weather??

Anyway, those pretty bowls did eventually turn into dinner.  It was really good, I just made it for my brother and I.  My mom was out, and I didn't want him eating frozen pizza for another meal.    

Coconut Chickpea Masala

1 cup of potatoes, in bite sized chunks (I used fingerlings, but any sort of yellow/white would be okay)

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 small red pepper

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 medium onion

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced/pressed

1 tsp ginger (you might want to use a little more, actually)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup lite coconut milk

1 cup water

15oz can diced tomatoes

15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5 cups spinach

1. Lightly coat a pretty big pan with cooking spray, and saute the onions and peppers over medium heat until soft.  Make sure you move it a lot or else it will stick.    

2. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, garam masala, and chili powder to the pan, and cover, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.  You will also probably want to add a few tbsp of water every few minutes, just to keep things from sticking.  

3.  Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and cayenne, along with 1/2-1 cup of water.  Simmer for 20 minutes, until most liquid has been absorbed, and the potatoes are tender.  

4.  Add the spinach, mixing until wilted.  Add chickpeas, and stir until heated through.  

5.  Remove from heat and add the coconut milk, plus any salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Nutrition Information:  309.2 Calories;  12.4g Total Fat;  9.7g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  43.2g Carbohydrates;  9.5g Fiber;  9.9g Protein.

This was good.  Spicy, sweet, coconutty.  Yum.  Plus, you've got to love anything with garam malsala.  You've got to.  Not a question, an order.  Love it.  Also, this is not as high in calories as what I normally have for dinner, but it was really filling.  It'd obviously go well with some brown rice though.  

Also, I've said this before, I'm not against using fats, I just don't like to use them in places where I don't feel like they really affect the taste.  I think you can really see that hear, since I used no oil to saute the onions, but still added the coconut milk at the end.  Gina fact of the day, I love coconut...all things coconut.  I always have, and my mom hates it.  She hates the smell, the taste, hates anything even remotely to do with coconut.  When I was a "rebellious" teenager, I think every scent I owned was coconut because I knew it drove her nuts.  My shampoo was coconut, my body lotion was coconut, body spray was coconut.  Ah, to be a pain in your mom's ass again.  Oh wait, I'm pretty sure I still am now.  But we're friends, don't worry.

You get a Gina fact AND a Cooking Song, feel special!:  "Gamma Ray" - Beck