Eat, Pray, Gainz: Coconut Red Lentil Curry
By Whitney Hubbard
Our latest installment of EPG comes from a guest chef… Coach Whit! This vegan recipe makes 6-10 servings, depending on how much you eat! Taken as 8 servings, they’ll each be about 225 calories with 14 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 27 grams of carbohydrate (10g fiber). See hacks below for how to up the protein on this one.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium carrots
- 5 celery stalks
- 1 onion
- Olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp red curry paste (I use Maesri brand)
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can light coconut milk
- 1-3 cups water
- 14 oz red lentils (can work with anywhere from 12-16 oz, but macros listed for 14)
Prep:
- Chop carrots into half moons, relatively thin
- Slice celery stalks down center and roughly chop
- Chop onion
- Rinse the lentils and pick over for small stones
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat until starting to soften, 3-5 minutes.
- Add celery and carrot and allow to cook 8-10 min, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
- Add 1-2 tbsp red curry paste and stir to combine… more = spicier.
- Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, and at least 1 cup of water, then add lentils.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until lentils are very soft, about 20-30 min. Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom isn’t burning.
- You made want to add up to 1 cup of additional water if it’s getting very thick but the lentils aren’t soft, yet.
- Optional to add salt and pepper to taste. The curry has great flavor on it’s own!
Hacks!
- You can add other spices to make this more exciting, but the red curry paste pictured is more than enough flavor for me. Last time I added a few teaspoons of turmeric… delicious!
- Bump up the protein by adding your favorite source! I love this as breakfast with eggs on top or for lunch/dinner with a big dollop of greek yogurt or handful of shrimp. I’ve heard chicken is also great…
- To bump up the carbs post-workout, just heap the lentils over a serving of rice or quinoa.
- Fancy garnish ideas chopped scallions and chopped peanuts work well, or use sliced avocado if you need to bump up your fat (or use full fat coconut milk).
- I make a big pot of this on Sunday and have enough for a whole week for two people. It’s a great recipe if you have multiple mouths to feed or want to share with friends. If you don’t think you’ll want 8 servings, simply cut the recipe in half OR freeze half in ziplock bags until you’re ready for more!
News and Notes
- Fit 55+ begins its expanded schedule this week! Class will now meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am.
- Our beloved Jaclyn K. is moving to Philly to attended Physical Therapy school. As a result, there will be no longer be 9am Yoga classes on Thursdays as of this week. Congrats, JK—we’ll miss you!
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