Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Curry

Growing up in the age of processed foods was challenging. My parents tried to put healthy food on the table when there were many mouths to feed. Time constraints and busy schedules always played a role in what was put on the table. Boxed mac and cheese, hamburger helper, mock chicken legs and frozen pizzas were things likely to be served when there was no time for whole foods to be cooked and served. I did not know at the time what was in those prepared foods. Thankfully we have easier access to accurate information about nutrition and what is healthy for our bodies. LOW FAT was the way to go growing up. Now we know that LOW FAT also means HIGH SUGAR, and sugar is no-go in my dojo! Looking back I remind myself that my parents provided as best they could and I have always appreciated that. I am grateful to this day that they provided for me and my brothers even when things were difficult to do so.

Many years later my husband and I would find an unexpected joy in cooking, healthy eating and food preparation. Together we have delved into healthy ways to prepare food for our family at mealtime and have passed down this joy to our children. There are nights where my son doing food prep and my daughter helping to make a meal is not out of the norm.  Eating whole food is powerful. Teaching our children at a young age how to nourish themselves and feed their bodies is empowering for everyone.

Part of learning about healthy food is learning food origins. Discovering foods from all over the world is something we all enjoy learning about. My knowledge about food from other countries growing up spanned tacos and chop suey!

Curry never seemed appealing to me even though my husband had made it several times for the family. After trying it again and again, and using different curry spice combinations, I started to realize there was something unique and satisfying about these spices.

(If you are interested in the origins of curry, or definitions around the world you can read this article published online:  Curry: Where Did it Come From? I found it to answer a lot of questions I had about curry, and if you want to know more please take a peek. Looking at the old English cookbook, The Forme of Cury, the origin of the word 'curry' came from the french word 'cuire' which means "to cook.")

I was looking for a different way to use garbanzo beans while perusing recipes online and I came across this vegetarian dish.  We sill eat meat, but have limited our consumption and strive to eat more plant based foods. They are less expensive to prepare and I think it's environmentally responsible to eat less meat. Also, multiple studies show that eating more plant based foods improves the overall health of our bodies.

I read the last word. Curry. I  decided to give it another try. This recipe is for a curry that we made in the slow cooker and I am delighted with it! The secret for us was to find a blend of curry spices that we really liked. We buy our curry spices from a local bulk store. Experiment with the proportions and find a combination you like. I am glad I was persistent as this has become one of my favorite go to dishes.

Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Curry

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients
6 cups of cauliflower florets
2 cups of garbanzo beans (or 2 -15 oz. cans)
2 cups of green beans ( I use fresh, but frozen would also work)
2 cups of sliced carrots
1 large onion (optional)
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons (or to taste) of favorite curry powder
1-2 cans of light coconut milk
Fresh chopped basil to taste
1-2 tsp. pink Himalayan Salt

Directions:
In a slow cooker combine vegetables, onion, beans.  Stir in broth and curry powder.
Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low-heat, 2-3 hours on high. Stir in coconut milk, basil and add salt to taste (optiona).  Makes 8-12 servings.