Are you adjusting to the time change? {She asks as she nearly slumps over with drowsiness.} Because it's not going so well over here.
Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the fact that the sun is still out when I leave the office. It's the dark, snoozy mornings that are killing me. And the fact that I can't make my body go to sleep an hour earlier no matter how hard I try. Add in extra projects, lack of caffeine and constant places to be and things to do, and we're really in trouble. Suddenly, a week passes by and not one recipe gets posted. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. {Note: I love everything I've been involved with lately, just not the lack of time for posting.}
Getting into new routines is a challenge for me. It always has been. I cried for the better part of Kindergarten through 3rd grade because, just when I'd feel like I was getting into the swing of things, it was time for a change. By 4th grade I got the hang of it all, but I'd still start off the year slightly anxiety-ridden. Yes, I was a weenie.
Though you won't find me in tears anymore {most days, anyway} it still takes me a while to get into the swing of new things, but I've gotten much better at it. Keeping one of my mini-routines within the grand scheme of things helps me to keep calm and adjust to change.
Cooking has become one of those soothing, familiar mini-routines for me. No matter how busy I am or what's going on, it's nice to know that I will most likely end up in the kitchen at the end of the day and get into autopilot mode. The key is coming up with recipes that allow for quick and easy preparation when times are a little crazy as they have been lately.
That's how these Coconut Red Curry Chickpeas happened.
Just because my normal schedule is turned upside down doesn't mean that I'm not hungry for something comforting and delicious. With just a few pantry staples and a handful of other things, this meal comes together super fast.
Chickpeas -- which are both nutritious and hearty -- are flavored with aromatic veggies and red curry paste and bubble away in luxurious coconut milk to create a silky sauce while hardly lifting a finger. Tossing in a little knob of ginger into plain white rice while it cooks infuses it with an unexpected fragrance that pairs perfectly with the chickpeas.
It's just the right balance of different and familiar...exactly how I like it. 🙂
Are you a creature of habit or do you crave change? How do you deal with changes in routine? Hope the time change is treating you well!
Coconut Red Curry Chickpeas with Ginger-Scented Rice
½ large yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 ½ tablespoons red curry paste {I use Thai Kitchen}
¾ cups canned, full-fat coconut milk
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
{Optional} Dash of cayenne pepper
1. In a large pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until softened and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini begins to soften.
2. Add red curry paste to vegetables and mix to coat, cooking for about 1 minute. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add chickpeas and combine gently with the veggies. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until the coconut milk has reduced a bit and thickened. {I like it saucy but not soupy.} If desired, add a dash of cayenne pepper for an extra kick and mix well.
Serve hot over Ginger-Scented Rice {See below}
For Rice:
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 cup white rice
1 ¼ cups water
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut in half
¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt
1. In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir to coat with oil.
2. Add water, stir and cover and allow to come to a boil, about 3-4 minutes.
3. One boiling, remove lid and add ginger and salt. Stir well, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover once again and let simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 5-6 minutes. {You'll see little craters start of form on the top of the rice.}
4. When most of the water has been absorbed, give it a good stir {scraping up any rice that has started to stick to the bottom of the pot}. Return lid to pot and reduce the heat to the lowest setting on your stovetop. Let the rice steam and soften for about 7-10 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Remove ginger before serving.
Christine at Cook the Story says
Chickpeas are such a highly underrated food! This looks delicious. Pinned and shared!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
I love Asian-inspired chickpeas! I wish I could try this. chickpeas upset my tummy a little bit so when I eat a meal like this I'm in trouble. It looks really good! Maybe I will try it with half chicken or something 🙂
thekitchenprep says
@Christine - Thank you! 🙂
@Karen - Don't you just hate it when a food you like doesn't like you back? I have the same issue with cauliflower. Sometimes I suffer through it just because I really like it. Haha! But yes, maybe cut the recipe with less chickpeas and more of something else. 🙂