Pity Party Pick-Me-Up

As all of you know, I am vegan by choice. I decided a little under a year ago that I could not in good conscious continue supporting the environmentally unsustainable and cruel meat, egg and dairy industries.

Since then I have embarked on an *insert animal product here* -free crusade of baking, cooking, and experimenting. I never felt limited by my dietary restrictions-there’s so much creativity in vegan baking. Bring on the egg-free, dairy-free pancakes and pasti!

Unfortunately, I may be embarking on meat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free culinary adventures from here on out.

I’ve suffered from eczema for many years now, but since coming to Smith have noticed a definite increase in flares (due to stress, no doubt one of the most common triggers). However, I recently discovered that I have a soy allergy, and most likely a gluten-sensitivity that may be playing a big role in the severity of my eczema.

In this post I wanted to give a quick shout out to blogs like http://ohsheglows.com, who have delicious recipes catered to those of us with ridiculous food restrictions.

Last night, I made a vegan, gluten free yellow curry that definitely gave me some hope.

I know you can't really see the curry, but the sparkly
wine glass was an essential part of
my pity-party.

• 1/2 cup chopped purple onion
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried crushed red chili (chili flakes) - adjust to your preferred spiciness
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/3 tsp. fresh ground or cracked black pepper (or white pepper, if you have it)
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup strong-tasting vegetable stock 
• 1 to 1/2 cups canned chickpeas (drained)
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 japanese sweet potato, cubed
• 1 bell pepper (green is best), sliced
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk (full fat-don’t wimp out and get the “lite” kind)
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup OR good-tasting tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil (or sweet basil)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil OR vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Heat a wok, large frying pan or pot over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, ginger, garlic, and chili. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes. While stir-frying, add the dry spices: coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala, pepper, and bay leaves.
2. Add stock plus the chickpeas, carrots, bell pepper, potato, stirring well. Add coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 to 12 minutes (for a thicker curry, do not cover). While simmering, add the soy sauce, lime juice, syrup, and ketchup. Finally, add the whole cumin seed. Continue simmering until vegetables are cooked to your liking.
4. Taste-test the curry, adding more soy sauce if you prefer it saltier/more flavorful. If too salty or sweet for your liking, add more lime juice. Add more sugar if you find it too sour. More chili can be added for more spice.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and top with plenty of fresh basil, and brown rice.

**recipe adapted from Darlene Schmidt’s entry on about.com “Thai Yellow Vegetable Curry”