Kitchen Sink Curry

I am taking a little break from vacation posts to talk about getting back on track after overindulging. While away, I did go on two good runs including a hill workout and a 13 miler. I also ate my fair share of butter, chips with garlic sauce, fried fish, scones, Czech bread dumplings, wine, and beer. I enjoyed every last bite, but by the time I returned to Boston, I was craving some serious veggie love. Veggie love in the form of curry with everything we had left in the house, plus a few extras.

I started my first day back at work with fresh orange juice and a pile of fruit in a company wide meeting. I followed that with a spinach, beet, chickpea, cabbage, and pepper salad, then more salad from another company meeting. By the time I got home I wanted something “real”, something with a bit of heft and depth to it. Curry is always the answer.

My Kitchen Sink Curry included a little bit of everything:

1 can coconut milk

1/2 can water

2 cups dried lentils, soaked overnight

1 cup cubed butternut squash

1 cup corn

2 apples, chopped

1/2 cup leftover green beans

4 large carrots, chopped

close to one head of garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 large spoonfuls of red curry paste

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

freshly ground black pepper to taste

The fun part of this random mix was layering the flavors. After chopping everything, I heated the garlic and shallot in olive oil and half of the crushed red pepper until soft. Then I tossed in the firm ingredients, the carrot and apple, for about 5 minutes, before pouring in the coconut milk and all of the other veggies. I added the spices and curry slowly through the cooking process, strengthening the flavors. The smell of the bubbling mixture was intoxicating and filled the entire house.

The rich, spiciness of this dish was just what we needed to kick start our normally healthy lifestyles again. I am feeling better already!

What do you do to get back on track after holiday indulgences?