Vegetarian Country Captain

I apologize for not blogging as of late.  It's been a little bit hectic in our lives.  Ron's grandmother passed away and we were once again reminded how unfortunate it is for us to be so far away from our families.  I've known Ron's gram for seven wonderful years now.  I must admit that the world is a lot less brighter without her presence.  She reminded me a lot of my own grandma, who sadly passed away a few years ago.  I felt myself drawn to Ron's gram on holidays and other family gatherings, especially when I missed the presence of my own gram.  Ron's gram, Grandma Mitchell, was such a delightful soul.  She was happy, and witty, and smart.  The woman was balancing her own checkbook until it was absolutely impossible for her to do so!  She told the most wonderful stories (here is a fun fact: Her and Ron's grandfather started one of the first cable companies in the U.S... another grandparent fun fact: my own grandmother grew up right next door to Albert Einstein, in New Jersey).  Grandma Mitchell was an absolute ray of sunlight and such a joy to many lives.  She will be greatly missed.

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Otherwise, school, work, and other things in life have been keeping me busy.  Ironman training started on Monday and thankfully we've had some freakishly warm February days that have kicked it off nicely. I won't be chatting about Ironman training on here, but I am slowly starting to post about my 140.2 mile wanderings on this blog.  With the training starting, I've also begun to start mixing up my hearty lunch meals on the weekends to have for the earlier part of the week.  This was a vegetarian meal that I mixed up for this week.  I was pretty impressed by it.  It only took about 30 minutes or so to prepare.  It's packed with healthy ingredients and the flavors are delightful.  I ended up using additional mango chutney in my own individual serving, but I think I may add some sriracha for the next bowl.  Don't forget to add the currants (raisins will work fine) and sliced almonds -- they add a wonderful crunch and sweetness to the rest of the dish.  Serve with some toasted flatbread or naan, and enjoy!

Vegetarian Country Captain

from Cooking Light

Yield: about 4 large servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp good curry powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp mango chutney, plus more for serving, if desired
• 2 Tbsp whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 3 cups hot cooked long-grain white, or brown, rice, cooked according to package
• 1/4 cup dried currants (or raisins)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• sliced green onions (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat.  Add chopped onion, and cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add apple; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add flour, curry powder, and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add broth and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thick.
7. Stir in chutney, cream, and salt.
8. Add cauliflower and edamame; cook for 8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally.
9. Serve over rice, and top with currants and almonds. Garnish with cilantro and green onions, if desired.