superfitbabe

You guys, I just had the biggest fangirling moment…

The source of this momentous tale started all with a can of tomato paste. Now how could you possibly fangirl over a can of tomato paste? No, I didn’t actually fangirl because of the can. In fact, when I was trying to make curry, I was pretty let down by the fact that upon opening it, I found a festering wall of white mold on the interior of the can that went with an unspeakable stench coming from the tomato paste. Nothing disappoints me more than disposing food, and unfortunately, this is exactly what I had to do with this. What’s worse is that smack dab in the middle of cooking, I found out that I was also out of coconut milk. Applause for my horrible planning skills.

Anyways, since I was totally scarce of curry ingredients, I basically threw whatever I saw appealing in the pot: peas, mushrooms, kale, peanut sauce, curry powder, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, a little miso paste and some seasoning to make it seem palatable. While the stew/curry was bubbling hot, I snapchatted it on my story. Little did I know that a couple minutes later, Brian Turner of HumerusFitness—yes, the Brian Turner that everybody talks about on YouTube—responded back complementing how yummy the curry looked!

I am normally not one to get starstruck, really. I’ve exercised in the same gym as the guy from The Hangover, opened the door for the Kardashians, went to the same restaurant as Julia Roberts and even walked past Benedict Cumberbatch in New York City (well, at least my sister claims that to be so). But if I’m contacted by someone who genuinely inspires me in some way and connects with me on a more personal level, then my inner fangirl is unleashed.

Even though my stew/curry concoction looked decent, I was really apprehensive as to how it actually tasted. The next day, I paired about half of the recipe with butternut squash and tofu for breakfast, and I could not have been more impressed. The slight sweetness of the peanut sauce paired with the butternut squash and bitter kale along with the savory flavors of the peas, mushrooms and miso lent the perfect palette of Asian flavors with a slight twist. There isn’t a lot of broth or liquid, but the sauce and spices absorb so well in the vegetables that you can pair this stew with anything and get so much out of something that looks so ordinary. I seriously recommend this recipe for anybody that doesn’t have a peanut allergy. It’s just that amazing!

RECIPE (serves two)

• 1 cup of green peas
• 1 cup of chopped kale
• ½ cup chopped white mushrooms
• ¼ medium white onion
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 2 ½ tsp peanut sauce
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• Splash of vegetable broth (can sub for chicken broth if not vegan)
• Splash of water (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE

1. Bring a medium pot to a stovetop and set on medium-high heat. Spray with nonstick spray on the bottom if necessary.
2. To start, chop the quarter of your white onion very finely. Repeat with mushrooms and kale if you have them whole.
3. When the pot is very, very warm, stir-fry the crushed garlic and the onions until translucent and fragrant. Add water if necessary.
4. Add the curry powder, miso and cinnamon, stirring around until you create a bubbly paste at the bottom. Pour in a tablespoon of water to prevent anything from sticking.
5. Decrease the heat to medium and add the green peas, kale and mushrooms.
6. Stir everything around until the vegetables are coated with the spices.
7. Pour in a few splashes of vegetable broth and water to spread out the spice paste.
8. Measure out two generous tablespoons of peanut sauce and stir the sauce around evenly.
9. Let the curry simmer on extremely low heat for 8-10 minutes, covered.
10. Season with sea salt, pepper and continue to stir the curry if necessary.
11. Continue to let the curry simmer on low heat for another 8-10 minutes and serve.

Are you a poor recipe planner? What would you do if your favorite YouTuber/blogger contacted you?