This rich, savory, and mildly spicy dish is a convenient, healthy alternative to store-bought frozen dinners. It’s high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Plus, one serving has almost half your RDA of vitamin A and calcium!

Vegan Freezer Meal: Thai Green Curry on Brown Rice

Time to make: 40 minutes

Time to heat from frozen: 6 minutes in the microwave or about 40 minutes in an oven

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon Thai Green Curry Paste, store bought (watch out for brands that include shrimp paste and avoid) or homemade

1 tablespoon coconut oil (refined or unrefined)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup onions, sliced

1 Chinese eggplant, sliced into 3” long and ¼” thick pieces. (use a small regular eggplant if you can’t find the Chinese kind)

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

1 tablespoon sugar (or agave)

165 ml coconut milk

1 cup water

3 cups chopped, uncooked, dark leafy greens (snow pea leaves, kale or spinach works well here)

salt to taste

You’ll also need 4 individual-sized containers to freeze each portion in.

Directions

Divide your cooked brown rice into the four containers and set aside.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, break up the curry paste and mix with the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Let it heat up for a minute to open up the flavours of the spices. Add the onions and garlic; cook for another minute while stirring occasionally.

Add the tofu, eggplant, sugar, coconut milk, and water. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Turn the heat to high until the curry starts to boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the greens.

Remove from stove as soon as the greens turn bright. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Divide the curry into the containers. Allow it to cool for 12-15 minutes before sealing with aluminum foil, labelling, and freezing.

To reheat in the oven, cook in a pre-heated oven at 375 F for 35-40 minutes. It’s done when the middle is hot. I find it doesn’t take as long if you use a toaster oven. You can also speed up reheating time by popping it into a covered microwave-safe dish. Nuke for 3 minutes, stir, and then nuke for about 3 more minutes or until the middle is hot.

This will smell so good that you may want to forgo the freezing and have some tonight.

Best topped with raw bean sprouts, a squeeze of lime juice and some smashed peanuts. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information per serving (1/4 recipe)

Calories: 259; Total Fat: 11.7g (Saturated Fat: 8.3, Polysaturated Fat: 1.3g, Monosaturated Fat: 1.0); Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Sodium: 620.4; Potassium: 377.6mg; Carbohydrates: 31.0g (Dietary Fiber: 3.7g, Sugars: 3.7g); Protein: 9.3g