MADRAS CURRY CHICKPEAS AND CAULIFLOWER WITH SPINACH

Serves 10

This makes a stewy curry that is a nice compliment to rice or quinoa. There are many curries out there and they will stale in your cupboard, so if you've not gotten a fresh one in over a year go a shopping for a new curry. Curries vary in degree of heat so choose whichever one you fancy. The Capiscum in the curry will help with circulation.

1 large head of cauliflower florets
2T vegetable oil
1 large tart apple,grated
2 large onions, chopped
2T fresh minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2T all purpose flour
4T curry powder
1 14oz can lite coconut milk
1 14oz can lite chicken broth
1 bag of fresh Spinach chopped or 1# frozen
2 cans garbonzo beans
s/p

First set a pot of salted water to boil and cook the cauliflower until crisp/tender, about 3 mins. Remove from water.

In large pot over medium heat add the vegetable oil and sautee garlic and onions until softening then add apple and ginger and sautee another minute. Add the flour and curry to the vegetables and cook for 5 min on medium. This will cook out the flour taste and toast the curry. While stirring add the coconut milk and broth and let this come to a gentle boil and allow to cook for about 3 mins. This will thicken and become gravy like. Add your spinach then the cauliflower and the beans. Allow this to very gently cook for about 15 mins. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Divide evenly between 10 pint containers. Serve with rice.

1 serving -without rice: 170cals, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 23g carbs, 7g proten

CHIPOTLE CHILI

Makes 10 servings

Far be it from me, a New Englander, to think that I know anything about chili, but this one is quite yummy in my book. You can get chipotle chilis in a can in adobe sauce and worth having on your shelf. The smoky spice is intoxicating. The serving in the photo is in an oversized bowl- it really is quite a lot of food. Pictured are lf corn muffins which I'll post the recipe next week for. Don't be afraid of the tempeh. You'll never realize it's there and it adds the texture of meats. If you're really against tempeh you can substitute ground turkey.

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 c corn kernals (I often use frozen)
2 14oz cans of kidney beans
1 14oz can of black beans
1 24oz can of Italian crushed tomatoes
1 heafty T of ground cumin
2 chipotle chillis in adobo, minced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 8oz package of tempeh, crumbled
s/p to taste

In large pan, spray with pam and on medium head sautee onions and garlic until just soft, about 5 mins. Add sweet peppers and zucchini and sautee until soft but not overcooked, about 3 mins. Add the crushed tomatoes, beans, spices and hot peppers and stir to combine. When heated add in the corn and tempeh and simmer for about 20 mins on low, stirring often.

If the chili gets too thick you may add in some water or tomato juice to thin. After letting the chili simmer taste and then add salt. The salt will bring out the heat of the peppers, so don't taste until you get them well melded into the chili.

My brother tells a story of a chef he used to work with that would never salt the chili-he didn't believe in it. He would add in a ton of spices to bring out the flavor. More than on unsuspecting customer would add salt and it would blow their head off.

This makes a fairly spicy chili. If you not into fire omit the jalepeno and only half the chipotle. If after letting it simmer you feel it needs more heat you can add in another chipotle.

Divide the chili into pint containers about 2/3 full. This will leave room to toss in some brown rice on the top and take to work.

1 serving with 1/2c brown rice: 180cals, 2.3g Fat, neg sat fat, 29g Carbs, 10g protein

The offending Apple Pie. My daughter left the note.