Sweet Potato Cashew Curry

We have finally gotten the hang of menu planning for two people with busy jobs, I think.  The trick is to plan meals that allow for advance prep, but don't require it, and to allow for a few slacker meals.  This week's menu plan:
-Pear, Leek, Goat Cheese Pizza
-Potato, Mushroom, and Leek Croquettes
-Pad Thai
-Sweet Potato Cashew Curry

Theoretically, we were going to do all the prep work on Sunday.  That didn't happen - we got to the leeks, the onions, and the stuff for my grandmother's 90th birthday party.  So instead, last night, I prepped everything for the potato, mushroom, and leek croquettes and the sweet potato cashew curry while also making pad thai.  This means that this morning, I just tossed the curry in the crockpot and came home to a really delicious meal.  Since I adapted the original recipe, I'm going to share my changes here.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil
1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup raw cashews
3 tbsp (or a conservative pour) Trader Joes yellow curry sauce
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into small chunks (I only used one, but two would be better)
1 can diced tomatoes (with juice)
2 cups water
1 cup frozen corn
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp (or generous pour) yellow curry sauce

-Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, saute onion, saute until translucent, then add cashews.  Saute until golden brown.

-Add yellow curry sauce and sweet potatoes, fry for another minute or two.  Transfer to crockpot.  

-Add can diced tomatoes, water, frozen corn, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, and remaining yellow curry sauce.  

-Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.  Serve over rice.  

Slow Cooker Challenge

So next week, I'm meeting with my moot court team, dealing with Christmas, and undertaking a Challenge.
The challenge will be to use our slow cooker all 5 nights of the week. This is not a very big challenge, but usually when we menu-plan, at least one thing gets clipped.
So far the possibilities I have assembled for the week are these (from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes):
-Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna
-Tofu in Indian-Spiced Tomato Sauce
-Rigatoni with Fennel and Spicy Peppers
-Cheesy White Chili with Cauliflower
-Cider Baked Beans
-New Potato Curry
from Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes
-Arroz Con Queso
-Sweet potato casserole
-Company Chicken Casserole (what should I substitute for cream of chicken soup? Creamy silken tofu? Cream of celery soup? Heavy cream? I think all of these are possibilities. Cream of mushroom and cream of brocolli are not opitons. Maybe it would be good with a creamy tomato soup)
There are others out there. The only rule is that it can't be something I've made before. There is also nothing stopping me from maximizing our available slow-cookers. We are currently housing a guest slow-cooker, so if we really need to we'll use that. But I think I'll do the cider beans and sweet potato casserole one night because that sounds like a good combination.

Slowcooker Curry

I don't like Indian food. Some of my friends from college claimed that our mutual dislike of curry made my roommate and I racist. I dispute that by pointing out that I have a number of Indian friends, and that I dislike as many American foods as ethnic dishes. That being said, I dislike spicy food. Like, a lot. It burns my mouth and I find it uncomfortable. I don't like the sensation of having my mouth set on fire. Some people apparently do. So I don't go out for Indian food.
However, making it myself? So I can adjust how much curry goes in? Yum.
Here is the recipe for a simple "No Hurry Vegetable Curry" based on the recipe in "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker." It is adapted slightly for our mondo-normous six quart slow cooker.
Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2-4 potatoes, diced
• Onion - 1 medium, diced
• 2-3 carrots, sliced on a diagonal
• garlic, minced
• curry powder
• cayenne pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
• 8 oz string beans, sliced into 1 inch pieces
  
• frozen peas - half cup
• half cup of coconut milk.
  

Equipment:

• Six quart slow cooker
• Pan (I've renamed my 2 inch deep frying pan/skillet/cooking dish the "always pan" because I use it daily.)
• Spatula
  

Procedure

1. Put onion and carrot in pan on medium high heat in some olive oil to soften
2. Add garlic, curry powder, and cayenne pepper (this is where your personal spice tolerance comes in). Allow to coat and heat.
   
3. Put in slow cooker stoneware.
   
4. Add potatoes, chickpeas, green beans, tomatoes, and anything else except the frozen peas and coconut milk.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (If your crockpot is defective like ours and runs too hot, go for 5-7.)
6. Add coconut milk and green peas 1/2 hour before serving. Stir into curry.
   
7. Serve over naan bread or basmati rice. (I love the Trader Joe's Na'an bread. Its amazing.)