Cobb-conut Curry

Cobb-conut Curry:

The flavors in this are amazing, and is a great addition for those of you looking for a new salubrious addition to your weekly variety.

Some of my favorite Indian curries include tomatoes, and Thai Curries make Coconut Milk an essential. However, this is also familiar to a Japanese curry as it has a robust number of ingredients -- multiple flavors interacting --  and can be served all by itself.



Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil / EVOO 
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Ground Corriander

1 Tbsp Turmeric
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
1 Large White or Sweet Onion (Diced)
4-6 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1-2 Tbsp Ginger (finely chopped)
1 16 oz can Tomatoes (Diced)
12 oz water
1/2 - 1 12.5 oz can Coconut Milk

1 cup Cauliflower (Chopped)
1-2 cup Mushroom or Eggplant - or both - (Chopped)
1/2 - 1 of 16 oz Tempeh (Cubed) 
2 Tbsp Cilantro (chopped) - Garnish
*optional* 1-2 Carrots (finely chopped)
*optional* 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers

Directions:

1: Heat Oil in a wide 2 inch (approx) deep skillet over medium-high head. Add in Mustard Seeds and Cumin Seeds and cover skillet with lid. When the Mustard Seeds begin to pop make turn the heat to medium level. Once the popping begins to slow to 1-2 every 10 seconds, remove the lid and add Garlic, Ginger, and Onion to the skillet; sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat.

2: Add remaining spices to the mixture and let seasoning roast for approx. 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Depending on which oil you've used, you may need to add a small bit extra so as not to burn the spices. Add chopped Tempeh, Mushroom/Eggplant, and Jalapeno (no matter desired temperature of spicy heat, add only one jalapeno now) stir and coat the new ingredients with the spices. Let mixture sauté for 2-3 minutes longer.

3. Add can of tomatoes (including tomato juice), carrots, and enough water to barely cover the ingredients - depending on how big the pan is this may be a little more or a little less than the water.  Raise heat to high and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes.
*Note* If you want a thicker consistency to the curry then use 3/4 amount of water. If you desire a bit thinner consistency then replace coconut milk with soy milk or lowfat milk.
-- This is also when you can decide on your level of heat you desire. Adding another half pepper to a full pepper will give you a good level of kick or keep it out for a mild level --


4. After 20 minutes of simmering add Coconut Milk, stir and raise temperature to return to a simmer, reducing heat again to continue to simmer. After 25-30 minutes of cooking add Cauliflower to simmer for last 10-15 minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or naan with the added Cilantro. FYI letting it sit and marinate overnight will enrich the flavors even more!

~Enjoy~

The cold and the comfort

Think of something that reminds you of a bone-chilling cold sensation. Perhaps it's the dark blue numb on your feet. The small pickax-wielding legions of Jack Frosts hacking away at your mental resistance, as the last attempts at wiggling your toes to stir up circulation remain futile!

With that in mind, think of a time when you were snug, cozy, and warm. My personal favorite is a time when I was in Innsbruck, Austria. Surrounded by my family as we sat in the cabin, snowfall hammering the windowpane outside, cuddled up with a great novel - "If on a winter's night a traveler" by Italo Calvino - sipping mulled wine by the fireside. My quintessential "cozy."

Now, my question for you is this: in reflecting on the times where you remember feeling the most snug, cozy, and warm, is it more profound because of the cold that surrounded your warm bubble? Perhaps, your memory was of sharing a warm moment with your spouse, family member, dog or favorite teddy bear. Was there something frigid that you were dealing with?

Most likely, the answer is yes. Naturally, we hold onto comfort when it's freezing outside. What we can take away from this, is that some of the best moments are made during the times when there is a blizzard of chaos surrounding us. Remembering these cozy, warm and touching moments in our lives could be a key in dealing with our most tumultuous times, without erasing the importance of the difficulties that magnify our positive memories.


The Danes already do this magnificently. In Denmark, where physical warmth is an ephemeral and fleeting caller, one of the ways the Danes keep themselves the happiest country in the world is by using hygge. By reminiscing about a favorite cozy, warm, and loving scene, hygge helps prevent the frigid, gloomy weather from getting the Danish down. Rather than mope, change their environment, leave, or give up, they persevere.

  
Whether or not you live on the beaches of California, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, or the intertwining cobblestone roads of Boston, we all have things that ice our hearts and get us down. Warming ourselves up through positive memories could be the difference between staying in bed all day or having the willpower to get out, press on, and make the best of our chilly situations.