CURRIED YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup . Sprouted Kitchen

"You'll need coffee shops and sunsets and roadtrips. Airplanes and passports and new songs and old songs, but eople more than anything else. You will need other people and you will need to be that other person to someone else - a living, breathing, screaming invitation to believe better things." - jamie tworkowski

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup . Sprouted Kitchen

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup . Sprouted Kitchen

CURRIED YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP // Serves 4-6

I bake up an extra sweet potato and scoop out the flesh to thicken up the soup. I find it deepens the flavor to not taste so legume-y. Perhaps a personal preference. You could use pumpkin puree or even cooked carrots if you have them on hand. Add more ginger or a sprinkle of cayenne if you'd like some heat. The soup will keep for a week but will thicken up in the fridge, so simply reheat with a touch more liquid.

I wish we'd had some naan on hand. Soup + naan. That would make for a wonderful dinner.

• 2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 3/4 cup roasted sweet potato
• 12 ounces dry yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk, remaining for garnish
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• chopped cilantro, black sesame, micogreens for garnish

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup . Sprouted Kitchen

In a large pot or dutch oven, warm the ghee or butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry, sweet potato flesh, yellow split peas and broth. Stir and bring the mixture up to a boil, down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 45-55 minutes until the peas are very soft. With an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, puree until mostly smooth. I like mine a little chunky. Return to the pot. 

Stir in the coconut milk, orange juice and taste for seasoning. Add cayenne or more ginger if you'd like it spicy. Serve each bowl with dollop of coconut milk on top, cilantro, black sesame and microgreens for garnish. 

This post is sponsored by the U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council. 

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup . Sprouted Kitchen

CURRY ROASTED ALMONDS

curry roasted almonds . sprouted kitchen

I'm not incredibly interested in shopping or putting together the cutest outfit, she would rather go out to eat than cook. My sister and I have a mutual respect for the creative work the other does. I find it pretty special that people can come from the same parents, same house, and be different in so many ways. Sure there are similar mannerisms, but we're different people, which is why I find her consistently interesting. We recently exchanged clothes for snacks - which means I am going to be making A LOT of snacks. I thought I would share part of the recent care package that went out to her today. Care package snacks need to be things that will last a few days in the mail and then a few more days after that to be enjoyed. I also made these peanut butter bites and coated the outside in cocoa powder hoping that would keep them from sticking too much. There are often occasions to give edible gifts that need a longer shelf life than a cookie or loaf cake, both of these options travel well. These nuts are a tiny bit spicy, sweet and textured from the flakes of coconut. There is a kick of salt, as any good nut snack should have. I made the first round with all maple as the sweetener and roasted them at 350'. The coconut burnt before the nuts dried up and nothing stuck together. Second round, as reflected below, I tried them at a lower heat to keep the coconut from burning, as well as a bit of cane sugar to help everything adhere to the almonds. I used the dried coconut I had on hand, but I suggest some of the big flakes if you're heading to the market.  

curry roasted almonds . sprouted kitchen

CURRY ROASTED ALMONDS // Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Watch these closely as the coconut can burn on you pretty quick. I say around 30 minutes but keep your eye on them after 15, turning the heat down if need be. The coconut flakes will be more forgiving on timing than the shredded.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed to a liquid
• 1 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons natural cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon sweet curry powder
• pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup large coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white and/or black

curry roasted almonds . sprouted kitchen

Preheat the oven to 325'. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, agave or maple, cane sugar, curry powder, red pepper flakes, salt and mix together. Stir in the almonds to coat. Stir in the coconut and sesame seeds. 

On a parchment lined baking sheet, spread the nuts in a single layer and bake for 20-30 minutes on the middle rack, until the coconut is just browned. Stir them halfway through, being careful to pull them if the coconut starts to get too brown. 

Remove to cool completely before eating. (They may taste chewy at first, let them cool all the way!)

curry roasted almonds . sprouted kitchen

CURRY SPICED POMMES FRITES + CUCUMBER DIP

Currently Loving:

Adele's newest album. If I wasn't pursuing a career in food, I would try out to be her back up singer. I'm already practicing in the car as it's always smart to have a plan B.

Perusing recipe ideas on Pinterest (Introduction to this organizational wonderland from my sister in law whose offspring can also fall on this list).

Positive, encouraging emails from you party people. I appreciate letters/emails so so much.

Dried beans from Rancho Gordo. Most specifically the Runner Cannellini Beans. Big, creamy, pillowy white beans. Never thought I would be so particular that I would be mail ordering beans, but, here I am.

The last Meyer lemons from my parents tree. Homemade Apricot Jam. Puffins Cereal. Lessons learned. Love.

Because I want to offer more meal ideas, I will point you over to Lovely Morning for these fabulous looking veggie burgers. That tasty recipe and some of these baked fries and you've got yourself a filling and tasty dinner!

CURRY SPICED POMMES FRITES + CUCUMBER DIP // Serves 2

Inspired by Veggie Belly via Pinterest

Because I know you are thinking what I thought, "will this work with yams/sweet potatoes?". I tried it. They have a higher water content than a russet, so they don't quite crisp up like russet. I still ate them, of course, but comparatively, they need a few minutes longer in the oven and were still a tad soggy in texture. Tasty? Yes. Crispy pomme frite? No.

1 Russet Potato (about 10 oz.)

1 Tbsp. Melted Coconut Oil or Ghee

Heaping 1/2 tsp. Curry Powder

Few generous pinches of Salt

Cucumber Dip

1/3 Cup Seeded and Finely Diced Cucumber

1 Tbsp. Chopped Mint

1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley

1/2 Cup Whole or Lowfat Greek Yogurt

Salt + Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 415'

1. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the potato into 1/8'' slices, lengthwise. Pat them dry with a dishtowel or paper towel. Layer up like-size pieces, and cut them into small matchsticks, more narrow than a ballpoint pen.

2. Toss the matchsticks gently with the curry mix. Matchsticks should be coated, but not soggy. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and put lay as many as you can in a single layer, this will have to be done in shifts. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Bake them on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Watch them closely, you want them to have some brown spots, but not turn to charcoal. Mine were super thin, so they got a bit charred.

3. While they bake, mix the diced cucumber, both herbs, yogurt and a pinch of salt and pepper together and set aside.

4. Eat them hot from the oven with the yogurt dip. You can use the same parchment for the second round, or prepare a second baking tray and put it in as soon as the first batch is done. Repeat process of spreading them out in a single layer with a few pinches of salt on top.