The First Couple Days (and a New Recipe!)

Hey all!  Checking in to keep you informed on my progress. Its day 3 of the vegan challenge, and so far its been pretty easy. The first day though, I actually didn't eat much because I was feeling a little under the weather.  (I may have had a bit too much fun heralding in the New Year with my friends.)

Here in Peru, they are really REALLY into fireworks. So, a couple burn holes in my sweater later, I was ready to start the new year as a vegan!

Pretty colors!

So, happy 2016 everybody! It's day three already. After a lazy day one and two, I decided to get out and get some fresh air, reconnect with nature and all that jazz. So today I laced up my boots, filled my water bottle, and headed out of town for a solo hike up to Temple of the Moon.

 Some friends I met along the way! 

The ruins of Temple of the Moon are only about a half day trip, but far enough out of town you can get out of the hustle and bustle of Cusco, and its mostly a straight uphill climb (with ample opportunity for a little free climbing.) So you can get in some good cardio.

The view from the first place I free climbed

I got a bit sunburned on the way, but it was worth it for the sights at the top.

You can take horse tours to many of the ruins

Cusco from a great distance

 I worked up quite an appetite on my trek, so for dinner tonight I had a protein and carb packed meal.
Chickpea Curry! (I have yet to come up with a more clever name for it.) I used to make a crockpot soup version of this back in the United States, but this is a simplified version served over rice. Perfect to keep as leftovers, or put in a container to go! If you need something delicious and full of protein after a long day outside, check out the recipe below!

Chickpea Curry (About 3-4 big servings)

Ingredients

* 2 Cans or 1 bag dried chickpeas
*1 Cup uncooked spinach
* 2 cups Broccoli
*1.5 cups rice
*Curry Powder
*Soy-Sauce
*Salt
*Pepper


Instructions

1. If you are using dried chickpeas, they must be soaked overnight and then cooked according to the package. This usually takes several hours so plan ahead. If you are using canned chickpeas, make sure they are rinsed well, and skip this step.

2.  Cook rice according to package. I like to use brown, but you can use whatever kind you want. Let it cool for a bit. When you are ready to put the recipe together, stirfry with a bit of souse soy-sauce and black pepper for flavor. (You can just stir in the soy-sauce and pepper without frying the rice if you want.)

3. Boil the broccoli for about three minutes, and while you do this heat up a pan with olive oil (Or other oil.)

4. When the broccoli looks bright green, add broccoli, chickpeas, and spinach to the pan with the oil. Cook over medium heat, adding in several good shakes of curry powder, salt, and pepper. When the chickpeas start to look toasty, and the spinach looks wilty, serve atop your rice. Feel free to mix it all together if you want!

5. Enjoy with lots of water to recover from your hike!

Now I know that this isn't the most extravagant curry dish out there, but again I live in Peru and don't have access to a lot of spices. My dishes are mainly going to be for people who want something simple, but healthy and delicious!

Thanks for reading! I plan to make lots of dishes that would be good for an active or athletic vegan, so stay tuned!