The Spicy Spatula

Sick of the same old meals week in and week out? Yeah, I get that way sometimes too especially with things being the way they are and the limited vegan take out options in my adopted town. Despite all of my recipes on everything from sushi bowls to warm salad recipes, not to mention the wealth of vegan recipes available online, sometimes it feels as if I’ve made everything.

Everything.

But that can’t be, can it? Of course not. That’s why when I get into a vegan cooking rut, I decide what I want to eat first. Am I in the mood for broccoli or mac & cheese or a Gnocchi Bake? And then I just do a little switch-a-roo. Take an Italian dish and turn into something else like, Asian style. It doesn’t always work, but it’s always worth a shot because when it does work…whoa boy!

Sunday night is the night before I hit up the grocery store so often I try to use all the odds & ends to make room for fresh items, mostly produce. I went through my spice rack and came up with a few things to make a Jamaican style curry and put it all in a bowl.

It looks like a whole feast, doesn’t it? Well it was and the other it was? Super easy to make.

Any type of vegan Buddha bowl you make will require prep work. It will make your job easier so you can listen to music or episodes of Dawson’s Creek on Netflix.

First thing, grab your ingredients:

Textured vegetable protein (rehydrated)
Green cabbage
Onion
Brown basmati rice
Eight ball zucchini (round green squash)
Chili sauce
Mustard
Hot sauce
Rice vinegar

Step One:
Rehydrate the TVP in broth or water, the choice is yours. When it’s done, let it sit in a mesh strainer for 5 to 10 minutes to get rid of the excess water. You’re going to want this crispy so if you opt to make this an oil free vegan recipe as I’ve done, give it as much time as you can. If you fry or air-fry it, you have a bit more wiggle room.

Step Two:
Cook the brown basmati rice according to instructions. You might want to get this going right away because brown rice usually takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Step Three:
Peel and slice the zucchini (I keep referring to it as squash but apparently it’s a zucchini), and season it with salt, pepper, smoky paprika, garam masala and curry. Roast it in the oven about 20 minutes.

Step Four:
Season the TVP with salt, pepper, smoky paprika, turmeric, ginger, hot madras curry, allspice & fenugreek. If you don’t have these or Jamaican curry powder, use what you do have or use a regular yellow, red or green curry. Toss the TVP well and place it on a baking sheet until crispy, about 20 minutes.

Step Five:
Cut the onion, garlic and cabbage, sauté with water, broth or soy sauce. Add to a skillet on medium-high heat and sauté until all of your cabbage is soft & tender. Stir frequently. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, ginger, yellow curry and scotch bonnet powder.

Step Six:
Mix together the sweet chili sauce, mustard, hot sauce and rice vinegar in a large bowl. When the TVP is done, toss it into this mixture until well-coated. If you have the time, pop it back in the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes, or enjoy it as it.

Plate it up and get your grub on.