After returning from our summer trip to Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City I kind of missed our Friday dinners. Yes, we only missed two but still from some reason it felt like the weeks are just getting too long. Maybe it’s the fact that I had nothing to be my “closure” for the week; that family dinner where I know that after I’m done cooking I can finally rest and enjoy the leftovers the day after without having to cook all over again.
I love family dinners and the more the merrier, the more dinners and the more family.
Unfortunately we don’t have any family around here on a regular basis; they’ll visit once a year, sometimes twice but that’s it, so basically our really quiet and intimate family time is these dinners.
Another reason for having our Friday dinners is a Jewish tradition, a beautiful one actually. You see, Saturday is a holy day in the Jewish religion, a day of rest, of peace, of contemplation. And therefore Friday evening symbolizes the transition into our quiet time – Saturday.
Now, I’m not religious or anything, but there is magic in these meals, this family time, because we all gather around the table, without worrying about homework, camps, work, nothing, we’re just there with and for each other, enjoying each other’s company, usually surrounded by good food 🙂
So every Friday I cook, and cook and bake, because I want it to be perfect.
Every Friday there’s a vegetarian dish (at least one) and some form of chicken. Last Friday the vegetarian dish was Vegetables in Coconut Curry.
I literally emptied my vegetable drawer into the pot, so many veggies, so many colors and flavors. The end result was just a little bit spicy and so rich in flavor.
Served over mashed potatoes or white rice it looked like a top notch dish.
- 1 Sweet Potato – Cut into ½" cubes
- 1 Carrot – Cut into medium cubes
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 Zucchinis – Sliced into circles
- 1 Tomato – cut into cubes
- 1 Bell Pepper – Cut into cubes or strips
- ½ Onion – Chopped
- 50gr Spinach Greens
- 200gr Cooked/ Frozen Broccoli (12 Florets) – Divided into small florets
- ½ tsp Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- 3 tsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Table Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
- 1½ Cup Coconut Milk
- ¾ Cup Warm Water
- Boil the sweet potato and carrot in water over high heat, for about 15 minutes (until tender but not too soft) and remove from heat once ready and set aside.
- In a wide pot preheat the oil over medium heat and add the zucchini, tomato, bell pepper and onion and stir. Sauté for 7 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the spinach and broccoli and stir until spinach is wilted.
- Add in the ginger and curry powder, tomato paste and salt and stir to mix in vegetables
- Add in the coconut milk and water, stir, bring to boil and then lower the heat from medium to low and cook for 15-20 minutes
- Serve on a bed of white rice or mashed potatoes
