coconut curry bonanza

sometimes you just want a meal with nary a bean in sight. this is one of those! (addendum: i just ate this and got thinking about the birds and bees of beans. bean sprouts. i’m going to ignore this fact. ok? ok.)

INGREDIENTS:

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 sliced boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 can unsweetened light coconut milk

curry powder/paste (either’s fine, whatever curries your coconut)

bag of bean sprouts

red and green peppers, sliced

green onions

crushed peanuts

olive oil

salt/pepper/artificial sweetner

MAKE IT: Heat olive oil in a medium pan, add garlic until it starts to smell delicious. Turn the heat to med-high, and add the chicken. When the chicken is about half-cooked through (3-4 mins), pour the can of coconut milk over it, plus half a can of water. Add in curry powder, lower heat to med, and simmer for about 15 mins or so, until your desired consistency. Then add salt, pepper, and if you like your coconut curries sweet, a bit of artifical sweetner. Keep tasting it until it’s delicious.

Now, add your sliced green and red peppers. Cook until they’re a bit soft. When you are pleased with their consistency, remove pan from heat and add in as many handfuls of bean sprouts as you like. Plate, and sprinkle with green onion and crushed peanuts.

HOT TIPS: You could even do this with a nice mixed bag of frozen vegetables! Whip up some coconut treats and you’ve got yourself a bean-free feast.

chickpea delight

There’s some debate as to whether or not chickpeas are ok if you’re doing the 4HB. The book itself gives it a thumbs down (calling them a domino food, but there’s definitely not a consensus about this). Chickpeas are aweome! You can judge for yourself if you’d like. Click away if you decide they’re not for you, but many 4HBers have pulled rank and made the executive decision to include the humble garbanzo on the roster. I include myself among them.

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil

black mustard seeds

cumin seeds

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 big cans garbanzo beans

1 big can crushed tomato

1 can tomato paste

curry powder (chef’s choice, whatever is your favorite — paste, garam masala, whatever you like)

salt and pepper, to taste

MAKE IT: Heat a couple tbsps of olive oil in the pan, med-high heat. Pour in a couple tbsps of both cumin and black mustard seeds. Toast in the oil until they snap, crackle and pop. Then add the chopped onions and garlic, cook until soft. Add everything that’s in a can all at once, plus half a tomato can of water. Add curry powder, a few tbsps. You can add more later, if you want. Crank the heat, get this simmering for an hour. Taste — add spices to taste.

HOT TIPS: This meal is a great way to sneak in some spinach. Throw in a few handfuls and they’ll wilt really nicely into the sauce. Also, unsweetened coconut! A couple little handfuls make the sauce a true nutty delight. If you’re really ambitions, fry up some chicken in some of these same seeds and spices, and serve as a full-on feast.

half-a-thanksgiving chili, feat. pumpkin and turkey

Making chili is many things: (1) easy, (2) cheap, (3) totally awesome, and (4) delicious. Open a bunch of cans, put in a pot, simmer, then eat all week. What’s not to like? Especially this — with turkey and pumpkin, it’s half your thanksgiving dinner.

Sometimes traditional chili might get tired of supporting your four hour body, so when it needs a break, try this recipe for a nutty new flavor. The great thing about chili? If you don’t like any of the ingredients, just substitute something you *do* like. Chili doesn’t mind.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

1 big can pureed pumpkin

1 big can crushed tomatoes

3 cans black beans

1 package ground turkey

2 tbsps of unsweetened cocoa

2 onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pack of prepared chili seasoning

1 avocado, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

MAKE IT: Heat some olive oil in a large pan, med heat, then add the onions. Cook until they’re soft, then add the garlic. After the garlic starts to smell awesome, add that turkey — increase the heat to med-high, and cook until browned.

In your most jumbo pot, open any ingredient that’s in a can, and put into the pot. Stir in those 2 tbsps of cocoa and the pack of chili seasoning until all the ingredients are blended, then add the onion/garlic/turkey mixture.

SERVE: This recipe makes enough for 6 meals. It’s delicious and gorgeous when served with avocado sliced on top. It keeps well for at least four days when packed away in the fridge.

HOT TIPS: Feel free to experiment with different spices and herbs for a completely different flavor. You could even fully substitute pumpkin for tomato, add some peppers, other beans, more garlic… whatever’s your fancy.

lettuce wrap genius

Burritos are one of the best foods in the universe. You can still have them on the 4HB, so long as you follow our simple and sage advice.

INGREDIENTS:

seasoned chicken (whatever spices you’d like)

head of iceberg lettuce, halved

chopped tomatoes

chopped green onion

chopped green and/or red pepper

warm refried beans

avocado slices and/or guacamole

chopped cilantro

MAKE IT: Grill chicken with your fave seasonings in a pan, 6 minutes a side or until juices run clear. Chop it into delicious squares. Chop off the root end of the lettuce, then halve the head. Give the other half to someone you love. To assemble a wrap, you get to freestyle with the other ingredients, spooning a little bit of each into the middle of an iceberg lettuce leaf. Wrap, eat, enjoy — a new variation on one of the best foods in the universe, with the bonus of a juicy crunch.