When I found out I was pregnant, I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet. My fiance and I had recently returned from a week at Rancho la Puerta and were inspired to eat the way we were eating on the ranch.

I found out I was pregnant at about six weeks along and spent a week glowing with happiness and excitement. Then at week seven I became very sick. Very, very sick.

Everything made me nauseated. I hated cooking, food, our house, the dog, my man, every familiar smell triggered the nausea. Also, no healthy food sounded good. The only thing I could eat was fast food, specifically McDonald’s, something I hadn’t eaten in years.

As the weeks went by I became sicker and sicker, throwing up everything I ate - popsicles, water, applesauce, you name it - but most specifically fruits and vegetables so I avoided them like the plague.

The only thing that stayed down or made me feel better was protein. I lived on chicken soup and McDonald’s Bagel, Egg, and Cheese sandwiches for weeks. Processed cheese never tasted so good.

Fast forward to now, I am seven months along and for the past two months have been feeling great! My energy is up, I can work out without feeling sick, and am craving all the healthy foods I enjoyed prior to becoming pregnant. We are eating vegetarian at least half the time and it feels amazing!

Here’s a little selfie of my daily expanding baby bump!

A dish this flavorful and filling makes me hardly even miss meat anyway. And I’m feeding two hungry men (three if you count baby boy!) that are satisfied with this meal, too.

If you have the time, plan to soak the lentils for an hour or so before simmering them. They will cook much faster. You can of course skip it if you’re short on time but the lentils will need to simmer initially for an hour, rather than 40 minutes.

This is my favorite way to cook rice, baked in the oven with coconut milk, butter, and salt. It’s crack rice. And dummy proof. I used to be a terrible rice cooker until I figured out rice can be baked in the oven. Now rice turns out perfect every time.

Lentil Tomato Cauliflower Curry with Baked Coconut Brown Rice

Curry:

1 cup lentils, soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (from a 2″ knob)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (4-5 cloves)

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil

1 small onion, cut in half and sliced into half moons (about 1 cup)

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup coconut milk (or additional half cup vegetable stock, if necessary)

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 head cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces (3-4 cups)

1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

cilantro and/or plain yogurt, for garnish (optional)

Baked Coconut Brown Rice, recipe below

Mix together ginger, garlic, curry powder, tomato paste, and water to form a curry paste. Heat oil over medium to medium high heat. Add onion and sweat about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add curry paste and stir constantly until fragrant and water is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add lentils and stir to coat with curry paste. Add vegetable broth and bring to a heavy simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until lentils are soft, 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, prep vegetables and get the rice in the oven.

Once lentils are soft, remove lid and add either coconut milk or additional vegetable broth, along with cherry tomatoes and cauliflower florets. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and reduce heat, cover, and cook about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add peas and season with salt, heating until peas are cooked, about 3 minutes.

Serve with brown rice, cilantro, and raita.

Baked Coconut Brown Rice:

1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice

1 15 ounce can organic coconut milk + enough water to equal 2 1/2 cups

1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

Place rice in an 8×11 rectangular glass baking dish. Heat coconut milk, water, butter or coconut oil, and salt over medium high heat until simmering. Pour liquid over rice and stir gently. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated 375 oven for 55 minutes to an hour, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven, uncover foil, and fluff with a fork. Check for seasoning, adding additional salt if required.