Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Another low fat recipe I found in The New McDougall Cookbook by John and Mary McDougall. I have been concentrating on low fat recipes lately. My interested started purely for weight loss issues but then in December I had to have my gallbladder removed. Once that happened, I had even more incentive to cut back on my fat intake. So here I am, learning how to cook and eat without the use of vegetable oils. I have found that it hasn’t been all that hard, once you learn a few techniques and substitutions. Oh, and the food still tastes good!

I am sharing this recipe because I loved it!  So full of flavour and very filling! Just serve over a bed of steamed brown rice.

What you will need:

1 large onion, chopped (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

¼ cup water

1 tbsp cumin

Dash or two chili powder

1-2 tsp curry powder

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup brown lentils

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 cup frozen peas

¼ cup chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Place the onion and garlic in a large pot with water and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add spices and stir. Add vegetable stock and lentils. Mix and bring to boil and then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Add tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and carrot. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir in peas and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coriander.

Golden Spicy Cauliflower

A quick and easy low fat recipe that I found in The New McDougall Cookbook by Dr. John McDougall. I like this served on top of steamed brown rice. The original recipe calls for the use of 2 tbsp of rice vinegar but I found this to be too much, so I suggest halving that amount, unless of course, you really like the sharp, vinegary taste of foods.

What you will need:

1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cloves of garlic, pressed (optional)

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 cup water

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch spring onions, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

½ tsp ground turmeric

Method:

Place the cauliflower, ginger and garlic (if using) in a saucepan with ½ cup of water. Cook, stirring now and then, for approx. 10 minutes. Add another ½ cup of water and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender. (Usually 10 more minutes.) Stir occasionally while it is cooking, to prevent sticking. 

Broccoli Pasta Soup

You can’t get much easier than this for a quick, low fat meal. I found this one in The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or Less by John and Mary McDougall. This is a nifty little recipe for throwing together something for dinner after you get home, too tired from a day’s work to cook something too involved.

What you will need:

8 cups vegetable broth (I use Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder. I have found it in several healthfood shops. )

4 cups broccoli cut into florets (about 1 medium to large head of broccoli)

250g (approx.) uncooked pasta (I like to use Orgran Vegetable Rice Pasta which you can find in health food shops and supermarkets, in their healthfoods section)

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (optional, as it depends on how salty your stock is)

Dash or two of Tabasco sauce

Method:

Place the broth in a large pot and bring to boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until almost done. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Serve with bread. I like having this with plain toast - gluten free, of course!