Chickpea and Asparagus Curry

A nice curry with noddles when asparagus is in season. This recipe came about when I didn't have the ingredients for one of the recipes I had.  

Ingredients:
8-oz dry elbows

olive oil

1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp ginger paste
1 bunch asparagus, with stems snapped off
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
1-2 tsp mild curry powder
1 can lite coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander

Directions:

1. Cook noodles per package directions.
2. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and asparagus and sauté until the onions are translucent and asparagus is cooked to your liking.
5. Stir in curry powder to coat.
6. Add broth, coconut milk, and chickpeas.
7. Heat over low until warm.
8. Stir in garam masala and coriander, plus salt and pepper if desired.
9. Cover and rest 5 minutes.
10. Taste, adding more garam masala or coriander as desired.
11. Divide noodles equally among 4 bowls.
12. Ladle warm curry evenly over noodles and serve.

Notes:

• Serves 4

Spring Roll Noodles

This is a great summer pasta salad. Eating fresh with the noodles and veggies still warm is awesome, but if you eat as leftovers, just eat cold straight out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
8 oz thin noodles, ex soba or vermicelli
16 oz fresh asparagus
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, diced
fresh basil
fresh cilantro
lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 avocado, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. Trim ends of asparagus by cracking them off. Cut remaining parts in half.
2. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, saute ginger, asparagus, and bell peppers. Once you reach desired tenderness, turn off heat.
4. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. 
5. Add cucumber and noodles to the sauteed vegetables. Stir in basil and cilantro.
6. Squirt with lime juice (either from fresh lime fruit or bottled), and pour soy sauce over the vegetables and noodles. Mix thoroughly.
7. Top with the sliced avocado and green onions.

Notes:

• Serves 4

Pasta Alfredo

This is a great winter to not-quite-spring all-in-one meal. There's a little prep, but it's worth it. You can use any pasta shape you like. Bow-ties (farfalle) is a fun and pretty choice.

Ingredients:
Alfredo Sauce 
1 head cauliflower florets 
2 garlic cloves 
1 cup (8-oz) almond milk 
1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1 tsp Italian seasoning 

Main Dish
16-oz asparagus 
10-oz dry pasta 
10-oz cherry or grape tomatoes 
1 cup green peas (frozen works well)


Directions:
Alfredo Sauce:

1. In a pot, cover cauliflower with water. 
2. Boil until very tender, about 15 minutes. 
3. Drain off water (reserving ½-cup). 
4. Meanwhile, mince garlic in a blender.
5. Scrape sides and add cooked florets, working in batches if necessary. 
6. Add milk, nutritional yeast, and Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper. 

Blend until very smooth, adding reserved cooking water as needed for consistency.

Pasta:

1. Cut the bottom ⅓ off the asparagus and discard. Chop remaining pieces. 
2. Cook pasta via package instructions 
3. Add asparagus, cherry tomatoes and peas a few minutes before pasta is done to soften and cook. 
4. Drain and return everything to the pot. 
5. Add Alfredo Sauce and stir to coat.

Notes:

• Per serving: 399 calories, 3.9g fat, 76.2g carbs, 16.4g fiber, 12.2g sugars, 19.8g protein
• Serves 4