PUMPKIN CURRY >> balanced & comforting

This seasonal curry gets a boost of nutrition and a beautiful color from fall's favorite ingredient...pumpkin!

I absolutely love curries. Curry is flavourful, nourishing, warm, and comforting! The best part about any curry? It tastes even better the next day! So make a big batch and enjoy the leftovers throughout the week.

Spices add a boost of antioxidants, color, and flavour to the curry without the addition of extra oils and sugars. However, spices are like introverted friends! They take a little effort to draw them out of their shell and experience their true beauty.

Blooming is a technique to bring a spice to life where you use heat and oil to amplify the flavour. The flavor compounds in spices are fat soluble meaning won't easily dissolve water-based solutions. An important step in this recipe is to let the curry paste "bloom" with the olive oil, garlic, and onion before adding the chicken, vegetables, coconut milk, and pumpkin puree! If you add it all at once the flavour from the red curry paste and garlic won't be quite as aromatic and flavourful.

Customize this curry recipe to your flavour or lifestyle preferences. For example you can make the recipe plant based by swapping out the chicken for tofu and adding in a can of chickpeas for a boost of protein and fibre-filled carb. Got veggies to use up? Throw them in this curry! Cauliflower, zucchini, or green beans would make wonderful additions!

PUMPKIN CURRY

* Nutrition Facts are without the rice.

** Search "Vitality Nutrition - Pumpkin Curry" in MyFitnessPal to log this recipe in your food diary.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon (5g) olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 (75g) onion, diced
• 2 large (10 ounces) chicken breast, diced
• 1 (150g) bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree
• 1 can (400mL) full fat coconut milk
• 2 medium (200g) carrots, diced
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Optional: brown rice or naan for a starch and cilantro or fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and Thai Red Curry paste and let bloom for 2 or more minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
3. Add the soy sauce and onion. Saute until the onions are translucent,
4. Add the diced chicken and saute until no longer pink.
5. Add the bell peppers and saute until they are just tender before adding the pumpkin puree. Stir to combine.
6. Add the can of coconut milk alongside the diced carrot. Let simmer until the carrots are cooked through.
7. Immediately before serving stir in 2 cups of raw spinach. 
8. Serve over rice or naan!

NUTRITION TIPS

Let's take a look at how this recipe shakes out in terms of the F4 system we use in our Four Week Transformation group program.

• PROTEIN: from the chicken (or tofu if you prefer!)
• FAT: from the coconut milk
• VOLUME: from the peppers, pumpkin, carrots, and spinach
• FIBRE-FILLED CARB: from brown rice
• FREEBIES: thai red curry paste and soy sauce

Simple, effective, and delicious!

What is the F4? The F4 method is a simple meal planning system that leads to results whether that be losing body weight, building muscle, or improving your energy. It's one of the four core habits taught inside our Four Week Transformation program.

This program is built on the philosophy that setting process goals (ie. habits) leads to reaching outcome goals (ie. results). Let's take a look at a process versus outcome goal.

• Process goal: "Run 3 times per week"
• Outcome goal: "Run a 5km in under 25 minutes"

Outcomes goals are motivating. They are like setting your sights on a mountain in that distance that you'd like to summit! Setting your sites on a mountain (the outcome goal!) is part one. To actually climb it you'll need a roadmap (a process!) to follow. You can think of the Four Week Transformation program as your roadmap to conquering mountains.

“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”  James Clear

This program is perfect for you if:

• You are tired of feeling tired. This program teach you a simple method to build meals that energize you through the day while optimizing body composition.
• You aren't in a place to weigh and measure your food. This program teaches you to intuitively build balanced meals.
• You feel triggered by tracking your body weight. If you are emotionally tied to the scale it might be time to switch your focus from measuring external factors to following internal cues. This program teaches you how to listen to your body to know when, what, and how much to eat.
• You'd like to save time and money. Do you find yourself clueless as to what to make or wasting money on produce that doesn't get used up? This program includes a recipe book, grocery lists, sample menus, and daily meal inspiration to keep healthy eating simple, quick, and affordable. You'll save time in the kitchen and save money by reducing food waste.
• You don't want to make two meals. Many nutrition programs eliminate food groups or require complicated tracking which makes meals complicated to prepare. The F4 is family friendly so you can see results while enjoying meals with the people you love!
• You want to eat out and be social. We teach you how to take this method with you whether you are eating at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party.
• You've tracked calories and macros before. Calorie and macro tracking has its place in learning the fundamentals of nutrition and reaching a very specific goal. In fact, this is one of many strategies we use in our one-on-one coaching. However, once you have the knowledge of macros and are aware of calories, you can use that knowledge to transition into a more intuitive eating strategy!

The next Four Week Transformations starts September 14th. Join the waitlist and read more here. If you have any questions, you can email them to [email protected].

I WANNA KNOW!

Did you try this recipe? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!