I really need to get back into the habit of at least two vegetarian dinners (or full veggie days) a week. Ever since I reintroduced meat back into my life, especially red meat, I’ve been this red-meat sucking vortex, willing all of the burgers, steaks and Sloppy Joe’s in L.A. County to my belly. That may or may not be an exaggeration. Anyway, I want to get back in a good vegetarian habit and this recipe is a step in the right direction. Now my vegetarian friends can rejoice on the hope that vegetarian recipes will be back here again.

I found a tasty curry dish in my latest issue of Food Network magazine, except that it used tofu (which I can’t have). Great, I’ll just switch out the tofu for mushrooms, I thought. Its main ingredient was Japanese eggplant. Well, the damn store was all out of eggplant and I was impatient, plus I had two bunches of fresh asparagus so I switched that around, too.

VEGAN CURRY

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh asparagus tips
1 package mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
1 jalapeno, sliced (seeded for less heat)
1 medium onion, diced
Fresh pineapple, sliced
4 cloves of garlic
1 can of tomatoes, juice removed (either no-salt added plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes)
1 can coconut milk
3″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 TBS water
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 teapoon garam masala

For Curry Paste:
In a small food processors (I know, who has such a thing as a small food processor? I know I don’t. I have a big ass one) combine jalapeno, ginger, garlic, water, curry powder, cumin and masala and pulse until a thick paste forms.

Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over med-high heat
Add onion, cook until soft but now brown
While you’re doing that, if you went for plum tomatoes, drain them and hand-crush them in a separate bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot followed by the asparagus and mushrooms to the pot
Add the curry paste, cook it all up for another couple of minutes. Add more spice if necessary
Add tomatoes & Pineapple, cook another 2 minutes
Add coconut milk
Simmer until all of the veg & fruit is well cooked
Serve over a bed of quinoa!

Servings: 3-4

NOTES AND ALTERNATIVES
- Don’t use canned jalapenos. I had to because that was what was bought for me and it made my curry watery.
- The original recipe has a lot of liquid, like using the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes. Use if you like.
- Add tofu, eggplant, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli or whatever the hell you want. Go bananas! (but don’t add them, I bet they won’t taste as great)
- I use qunioa because I have a sensitivity to rice. Use brown rice if you like.