no time

My last post has made a big fat liar out of me. I mentioned not being too busy and how I was more or less just enjoying some free time before all the hustle and bustle of the holidays began. Well the very next day I was placed on a new project at work and there have been times when I've been busy at work, but this doesn't even compare, I've been completely SWAMPED. If I'm not sleeping, eating or at the gym, then I'm working. I'm not saying this to complain because I have a great job and I work with awesome people, so if ever I was stuck in a situation like say being swamped at work during the holidays, I couldn't imagine a better place than this - I'm just letting you know that I haven't totally slacked off with my blogging, I just haven't had a spare second to bake, let alone update this! So enough with the explanations, I will try to update as often as I can. I just cannot let December slip by without plenty of Christmas cookie making!

Last Sunday I threw this together in the crockpot before I, yes you guessed it, went to work. Earlier that week my friend Heather and I grabbed lunch from the Souper Market where I had their delicious Curried Cauliflower, Chick Pea & Rice soup. It reminded me of a similar recipe I had printed off ages ago and when I made it last Sunday, it definitely didn't disappoint.

Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
2 cups water
2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, diced (I used red)
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup coconut milk

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker.

To the slow-cooker, add the rest of the water, chickpeas, bell pepper, cauliflower, the pepper, and the final teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come half-way up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH.

Stir in the coconut milk. Enjoy!

recipe adapted from thekitchn.com