Trust me when I say this recipe is random.
The truth of the matter is that I’ve started a pantry project. I have been cooking for months and months for my forthcoming book, as well as other freelance projects, and my pantry is overflowing. to the point of being ridiculous, actually.
So I’ve given myself a project. Before grocery shopping, or trying other new recipes, I’m either going to create new recipes using my existing staples or grab cookbooks around the house. I will create or find recipes in which I have the ingredients in my pantry and this should result in a much smaller grocery list – which will save me money, offer a good deal of variety to our meals, and clear this pantry out! At least that’s the plan.
Would you like to join me?
Is your pantry overflowing? Is it time to get creative in the kitchen and save money? If you’re interested, here’s how it works:
- Email me a “before picture” of your pantry.
- Then start emailing photos and recipes (or links to recipes) when you create or make something as part of your My Pantry Project.
- If you’re a blogger (or micro-blogger via Instagram or Facebook), send me a URL so I can link up to you. (VEGAN recipes and photos only, please!)
- I’ll post your photos and ideas here on my site and on my Facebook page so we can help each other clear out our pantries and save money.
My Pantry Project began with three ingredients: farro, red lentils and TVP. For no good reason except that I knew they would cook up fairly evenly (similar cooking times) in the pressure cooker. Red lentils make me think of dal, which made me think of curry and then I started grabbing other spices and seasonings that complement Indian cooking (hey, look, a mini project: use up existing spices before buying new!).
Truth be told, when I opened the pressure cooker lid I was stumped. What exactly had I just made? It looked a lot like a sloppy joe mixture, bulked up with the farro, and then it was obvious. It’s a Curry Joe Sandwich!
Curry Joe Sandwich
Keywords: pressurecooker sandwich vegan lentils
Ingredients (Serves 8)
- 2 cubes curry bouillon
- 5 cups water, divided
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 juniper berries
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 inch ginger root, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup TVP
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1/2 cup farro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon iodized sea salt (optional)
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns
- Spinach (or other leafy green)
Instructions
Heat 2 cups of water and mix with the curry bouillon.
Toast fenugreek, cinnamon stick, and juniper berries in an uncovered pressure cooker on medium-high to high heat until you smell a spicy aroma.
Reduce heat to medium-high and dd celery, onion, ginger and parsley. Sauté for 3 minutes.
Add curry broth and remaining water. Stir in TVP, lentils and farro. Cover, bring to pressure and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Use a natural release (about 10 minutes).
Stir in lime juice and ground black pepper. Taste before adding salt
Serve with sautéed or raw spinach leaves on your favorite bun or roll.
Guess what? You can make a fun, Indian-inspired curry taco, too! Just quickly wilt spinach in rice vinegar.
(Thanks, Marukan Vinegar, for providing me the opportunity to sample your flavorful vinegar! The Sweet and Tangy was perfect in this taco)
Okay, you’re next! Staring sending me your My Pantry Project photos and recipes and let’s inspire one another, and other readers, to cook out of our pantries!
12 thoughts on “Introducing My Pantry Project: Curry Joe Sandwich recipe”
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I embark on a pantry project about once a year. As “Executive Chef” in my kitchen I buy so much stuff that I end up using once, or even things I had good intentions of using but never did. My pantry seems to overflow quite regularly! I love this idea. I will see about sending a photo tonight and committing to cleaning out my pantry (what DOES one do with about 17 types of flour, anyway?!?). Your timing is impeccable– I am about due!
Awesome, Lee! I know you will make all kinds of creative dishes in the @VeganVersion:disqus kitchen!
First, curry bouillon is a thing? How have I lived this long without knowing that?
Second, for those who might not have juniper berries and fenugreek in their cupboard, could you make some alternative spicing suggestions?
Third, I love me some farro. We call it the hipster grain at our house, and I mostly use it for tabbouleh-esque salads. Much preferable to kamut, which seems to take forEVER to cook.
I just love this project, in part because I desperately need the kick in the pants to get going on something like this. Will you allow people to suggest ingredients they don’t know what to do with? (Says the woman who has a box of red quinoa that maybe scares her just a little bit.)
Great post!
mb
Yes, MB, curry buillions a thing! I love it!
When I’m reading recipes and see spices I don’t have, I simply google for substitutes. So if you don’t have fenugreek, you could google and find substitute suggestions, like this: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=substitute%20for%20fenugreek
You can do the same for the juniper berries. Having said that, here’s my new favorite thing: I buy spices in bulk. Yep, that’s a thing, too! The only reason I had funugreek and juniper berries on hand is because I purchased them for a recipe I was using in a cooking class. In Colorado Springs you can go to Whole Foods or to Mountain Mama and buy spices in bulk – which usually implies in large quantities but I actually buy in small quantities. I was making a recipe that called for fenugreek, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods. Rather than paying $10 per jar of organic spices I bought only the amount required for the recipe (+ a few more) and spent just $3! It’s such a fun way to experiment (without wasting food and money).
YES, I love the idea of people asking for cooking or recipe suggestions for ingredients. Fantastic suggestion! As for red quinoa, I often add it to my “regular” quinoa – red quinoa seems to take just a wee bit longer to cook. Here’s a recipe in which I blended quinoa varieties: https://jlgoesvegan.com/make-ahead-meals-one-pot-black-beans-quinoa/
And I’m so glad you like this project idea! I know all of you participating will help me cooking through my pantry! 🙂
Carlo and I were talking about doing something like this last night! I totally want to do this.
Our “pantry” is an insane onslaught of spices, flours, beans, grains and vinegars (seriously 7 varieties of vinegars).
Yay! Do it, @The Food Duo:disqus!
This sounds fantastic, and I think I have all those things in my overflowing pantry too! My Mofo theme this year is Pantry Raid, and my goal for the month has been cooking from my pantry. It’s mostly working, but I’m finding that I’m still buying more than I need to. Oh well!
Gah! I’ve been so overwhelmed by the MoFo (and not doing it) that I didn’t even know that was your theme, @vegancrunk:disqus! I’ll have to check out what you’re doing to help get me through my own pantry!
This comes at a very good time for me… my pantry AND freezer are both total disaster areas. I keep telling myself I need to cook more or less solely from both, but haven’t been all that great at it. I even bought more this weekend – dried adzuki and cranberry beans from the bulk section (because how could I not?!). This will hold me accountable.
That said, I need some curry bouillon.
Ha! You DO need curry bouillon, @SomeoneElseNotMe:disqus! Glad you’re going to join the project!
I’m in. I’m moving which means my post-cookbook writing pantry needs to disappear before the moving truck arrives. It is time to get creative with all those spice jars.
YAY! I’ll bet you have all kinds of wonderful things to cook through, @theveganlisa:disqus! (And I can’t WAIT for your cookbook!) xo