Gobi Matar Palak Masala (Spiced Cauliflower, Peas & Spinach)

I came home with the idea of making something of the baby bok choy in my fridge, but then I spotted the cauliflower and I knew I needed to use it soon. I didn't eat much during the day, so I wanted something that would really fill me up. I decided to make a spicy cauliflower, peas, and spinach concoction. It was very flavorful and made 4 large, vitamin-rich, low-cal portions. It would be just as good without the spinach, so if you don't have any on-hand, you can easily skip it.

Ingredients

2 TBS canola or coconut oil

3 small onions (or 2 medium onions), diced

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

1.5 tsp garam masala

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch of ginger, grated/minced

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

.5 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste - if you don't love spice, start at 1/4 tsp and work your way up!)

1 tsp turmeric

1.5 cups vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 cup green peas (I used frozen)

3 oz baby spinach

salt to taste (taste it first; I barely needed any)

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cauliflower and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Add in all of the spices and mix it up. It's going to be all pretty and yellow and dotted with seeds! Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer for about 30 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Then add the peas and cook for 5 more minutes and toss in the spinach for a final 5 minutes. You know it's ready when the cauliflower is falling apart or is at least easy to smash with a spoon.

Makes 4 satisfying servings (about 1.5 cups each!) and is tasty over basmati rice.

Nutritional Information (for 1/4 of recipe)

Calories: 198

Fat: 7.3 g

Carbs: 27.6 g

Fiber: 9.5g

Sugars: 11.3 g

Protein: 6.7 g

Vitamin A: 81%

Vitamin C: 171%

Calcium: 9%

Iron: 17%

Kid-Friendly Channa Masala

My daughter pretty much hates tomatoes and onions, so it's weird that she loves this recipe. But love it she does, and that makes me happy!

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes, chopped roughly

1 small onion, chopped

4 clove garlic, peeled

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cans chickpeas

1/2 cup coconut milk

Place tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the blender and blend until frothy. Set aside.

Heat up oil in the pan, then add spices. Warm those spices up, then pour in the tomato mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, covered, then add the chickpeas and cook for another 10-15 minutes until they are nice and tender. While that's happening, whip up some basmati rice, because it's nice to serve with the channa masala. Any long-grain rice will work, if you don't have basmati on hand. Add coconut milk to the pan, then cook until warmed through. Makes 6 servings.

We all rate it a 4, because it's good! It's not the most authentic channa masala you'll ever eat, but we dig it. :)

Nutritional Info (1/6 of the recipe):

Calories: 275

Fat: 9.3 g

Carbs: 36 g

Fiber: 7.4 g

Sugars: 2.9 g

Protein: 12.7 g

Vitamin A: 15%

Vitamin C: 34%

Calcium: 8%

Iron: 17%