Thrive Magazine Archives - Journey With Healthy Me

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas and Kale Bowl

I was excited to try out this recipe that I found in the latest issue of Thrive Magazine. I’m enjoying my subscription to this plant based publication, and find much inspiration within the glossy pages.

Dinner tonight, for Try This Tuesday, was Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas and Kale Bowls.

This recipe comes from Sapana Chandra. Sapana is a holistic health coach, wellness blogger, food stylist and photographer, and a plant based professional chef. Visit her website HERE.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas & Kale Bowl

Assemble ingredients in this order:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl combine cubed sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss until sweet potatoes are well coated. Arrange in a single layer on parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway.

Spicy Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan pan, warm oil on medium heat. Add chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss until chickpeas are well coated. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm.

Additional ingredients

4 cups kale, spinach or other greens, washed and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/4 pomegranate seeds -when in season

Massage kale with olive oil. Or if using other greens, chop. Chop tomatoes.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or organic honey

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

Assemble the bowls. Divide the roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, greens and tomatoes between the two bowls. Drizzle with lemon tahini dressing.

Creating this recipe is a simple step by step process. As the sweet potatoes roasted in the oven, I prepared the chickpeas and allowed them to simmer. I whisked together the dressing ingredients next and popped the bowl into the fridge to chill and thicken slightly.

Before I chopped the greens…I used a mix of spinach and baby kale…and the tomatoes, I turned off the oven and removed the chickpeas from heat and kept covered.

I assembled two bowls and Greg and I sampled this new recipe. It was so savory. The mix of roasted sweet potatoes and spicy chickpeas was a delectable combo. And the lemon tahini dressing lent a complementary tartness.

I am enjoying this health journey. Greg pointed out this evening that when I first switched to plant based, I mostly prepared simple salads or baked potatoes. As I’ve become healthier I’ve turned my focus to preparing wholesome, delicious meals that often combine a variety of veggies, fruits, textures and flavors. And sauces. I’ve discovered that healthy sauces add a nice kick of extra flavor.

I also reminded Greg that this is Tuesday. And what do I do on Tuesdays? I try new things. Sampling or creating new recipes has become a weekly Try This Tuesday tradition. I love it.

Garlic Brussels Sprouts

For Try This Tuesday, another delicious recipe by Lauren Hallman, from the plant based magazine Thrive. Not everyone likes Brussels sprouts, in fact, most people are sure they don’t like this vegetable that resembles miniature cabbages. I love them, and any recipe that features them is sure to be a hit with me.

The recipe is easy to prepare, using fresh organic Brussels sprouts and pantry items at home.

I opted to use coconut oil and a plant based “butter” that can be purchased in the dairy section at most grocery stores. The brand I use is dairy free, made from olive oil. I found that I could probably use far less oil in the recipe. One could water sauté as well, and eliminate the oil completely.

I was preparing oven roasted potatoes, both sweet and regular, so I timed both recipes to finish at about the same time. I sautéed the garlic, Brussels sprouts, and onions for 20 minutes, then added a small amount of water, reduced the heat to low, and covered the pan. During the last five minutes of cooking time I uncovered the sauté pan, raised the heat slightly and finished cooking.

These Brussels sprouts were amazing! The garlic wasn’t too much, in fact, it was perfect. Greg is not a fan of this vegetable at all. When I asked him to try a bite at least, he countered that he already knew what they tasted like and declined. However, seeing the finished recipe he changed his mind and spooned a small helping onto his plate.

His verdict? He liked them! He was surprised how tasty these Brussels sprouts were and said he would eat them again if they were prepared in this way. That’s a huge win.

If you like Brussels sprouts, you will love this simple recipe. And if you are borderline about this veggie or think you don’t like them, perhaps giving this recipe a try will change your views about Brussels sprouts. I will definitely be making this recipe again.

Sweet & Savory Curry

I love curry. Fortunately, there are many plant based curry recipes available. I’ve enjoyed madras curried lentils and aloo matar. For Try This Tuesday, I tried another recipe from the most recent issue of Thrive Magazine. This yummy curry was created by vegan Lauren Hallman.

Here is Lauren’s easy to follow recipe:

These are all ingredients I keep on hand, in my cupboards and my wooden vegetable box. That makes this recipe a cinch to put together, and dinner was ready in under 30 minutes. I started a double batch of brown rice cooking in the pressure pot, before beginning the curry, so both would be ready about the same time.

To ease the process, I chopped and diced veggies, opened the can of chick peas and drained and rinsed them, and opened the coconut milk and tomato paste as well before beginning the cooking. Using a small glass bowl, I measured out the spices and combined them in the bowl, so I could dump them all in at once.

This curry lived up to its name. The sweet potatoes provided the “sweet” part, while the spices contributed the savory, without adding too much heat. Children would enjoy this curry dish.

I know I certainly enjoyed it! The recipe makes plenty of curry, enough to savor for a couple of meals at least. I topped my first bowl of curry with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. For lunch today I added sliced avocado to my bowl.

This delicious and nutritious recipe goes into my Keep File!

Coconut Curry Sauce

I had fun today trying out my first recipe from the gorgeous Thrive Magazine that I purchased recently. I made notes as I thumbed through the publication, about all the recipes I wanted to create. First on my list was a coconut curry sauce.

This simple to make sauce, loaded with goodness and flavor, can be eaten over spiralized veggies, such as zucchini, or used with gluten pasta. It would be wonderful too added to stir fried veggies and brown rice or used as a dipping sauce for roasted potato wedges. This recipe was created by Julie Van Den Kerchove, a plant based chef in Belgium.

I purchased organic produce from Natural Grocers, as well as organic coconut milk. Full fat coconut milk is best, for the most flavor. Organic minced garlic and ginger in jars can be substituted for freshly minced.

After blending the sauce, I poured it into a mason jar and popped it into the fridge while I spiralized a zucchini and a yellow squash. I am in love with spiralized vegetables! They are easy to prepare, with an inexpensive spiralizer, and so good for me. I ended up with two bowls of veggie noodles.

I sliced a dozen cherry tomatoes in half, dividing them between the two bowls, and added hemp seeds. These provide protein and have a light, nutty flavor. After spooning coconut curry sauce over the raw noodles, I topped my meal with chopped cilantro.

This was so fresh and so delicious! I love curry in any form. This sauce is not too spicy. For more of a kick, increase the cheyenne pepper to taste. I have plenty of left over sauce to try in a variety of ways. I think oven roasted potatoes might be on the menu for tomorrow night, with a side of coconut curry dipping sauce!