I love to cook wholesome, plant-based meals for myself and my family.
And I enjoy trying new recipes, so when the people at The Purple Carrot offered
to send me a sample of their healthy plant-based meals–with all of the ingredients
included–I couldn’t resist.
Eating a whole foods, plant-based diet may sound challenging to some, but it’s actually
easier than you think–and with an array of choices they provide each week, their mission
is to make it easier to eat more plants.
The Purple Carrot is committed to increasing our intake of vegetables and whole grains–or
simply making it easier for people to eat a home-cooked dinner together with family and friends.
They allowed me to choose the recipes I wanted to try from that week’s featured recipes.
When the box arrived by Federal Express, I quickly opened it up to explore the contents.
I was delighted to find everything I needed to make the dishes I selected–including fresh
produce, pre-measured seasonings, condiments, sauces and oils– neatly labeled and packaged
along with easy-to-follow recipe cards.
What a wonderful time-saver for a busy blogger!
I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen to start cooking.
But before I get started I’d like to tell you a bit more about The Purple Carrot.
“What should we have for dinner?”
That’s the question that The Purple Carrot’s founder, Andy Levitt, and his wife Tammy would
ask each other every morning at the breakfast table. With three young children at home, a
busy lifestyle and a desire to eat healthy meals together as a family, they knew there had to
be a better, easier way to answer this question.
In January 2014, Andy and Tammy watched the documentary Forks Over Knives, and were
profoundly moved as a result to make some significant changes to the food they were eating.
The idea for The Purple Carrot started to take shape.
Wanting to inspire and encourage others to make similar changes to their diet, and simplify
people’s lifestyle, Andy spent months sourcing recipes, testing meals, developing this website
and figuring out how to ship perishable items – and a business was born.
The solution:
The Purple Carrot created healthy meals you can cook at home, using all whole, plant-based ingredients,
with easy-to-follow recipes from really great chefs.
So rather than resorting to frozen pizzas, buying take-out meals and scouring through dozens of cook-
books in search of a good recipe, I prepared The Purple Carrot’s Agave Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
in the comfort of my kitchen–with the recipe and ingredients they provided.
I didn’t have to shop for a thing!
The instructions were so easy to follow, that cooking this meal was a breeze.
I was thrilled with how delicious this dish turned out–especially due to the kick of the agave ginger
garlic sauce.
Here’s the easy-to-follow recipe …
Agave Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 tablespoon oil
14oz package extra firm tofu
2 cups asparagus
2 cups shredded carrots
3 green onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 knob fresh ginger
Sauce mix:
2 tablespoons agave
1/2 cup low sodium tamari
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Not included:
3 1/4 cups water, used in 2 steps
Directions
STEP 1
Prepare, rinse and dry all produce.
Drain the tofu, gently squeezing out any extra water.
Chop the green onions.
Roughly chop the asparagus.
Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Peel and chop the ginger.
STEP 2
Bring 3 cups of water and rice to a boil in large saucepan.
Reduce to a simmer and cover.
Cook until rice is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
STEP 3
Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
In a blender puree the garlic, ginger, ¼ cup water, and sauce mix.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the tofu and ¼ of the sauce to the pan, frying until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
When done, empty the tofu onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
STEP 5
Prepare the veggies.
Return the same pan to the heat.
Add the asparagus with another ¼ of the sauce, cooking until crisp, about 2 minutes.
Add the carrots, tossing to coat, cooking for another 5 minutes.
STEP 6
When the rice is cooked through, dole onto plates, topping with tofu and veggies.
Dress with more sauce and sprinkle green onions over the top.
Serve warm and enjoy!
The best part about this experience is being able to say that you made this delectable
meal yourself–albeit, with some wonderful help from The Purple Carrot!
Stay tuned for more delicious dishes prepared from my Purple Carrot vegan delivery.
Want more information about The Purple Carrot?
Contact them at:
The Purple Carrot
460 Hillside Avenue
Needham MA 02492
Website: www.thepurplecarrot.com
Email: info@thepurplecarrot.com
Visit ThePurpleCarrot.com for more delicious plant-based recipes!
Love healthy, delicious vegan recipes?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
“Shared at Healthy Vegan Fridays”
“Shared on From the Farm Blog Hop”
“Shared on Mostly Homemade Mondays”
“Shared on Inspire Me Tuesday”
“Shared on Heart and Soul Blog Hop”
“Shared on Tuesdays with a Twist”
“Shared on Turn it Up Tuesday”
“Shared on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday”
“Shared at the Virtual Vegan Potluck”
Wow this is awesome! You lucky duck being sent a complimentary meal to make =)
I love the idea of taking some of the effort and guess work out of dinner on nights you just aren’t feeling (otherwise referred to as “let’s order pizza” night – this would be waaaay better than take out pizza!).
So pretty and is a complete meal to boot. Love it =)
Hi Deborah,
The purple carrot sure sounds wonderful. There seems to be more of these types of home food deliveries with Real Healthy food starting all the time, which is a giant step to helping busy mothers and working mothers and people make healthier choices and Real food instead of the quick processed foods that cause havoc to our health. This recipe sounds great too and looks delicious. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
Hi Marla,
You would be amazed at how wonderful this experience was. This was my first time having food delivered. All of the ingredients — even the seasonings — were in the package. The produce was bright, fresh, crisp and ready for use. Plus, the recipe challenged me to stretch beyond my usual simple cuisine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it.
This just looks mouthwatering! There’s a similar company started up here in Australia. I must see if they have a vegan option. Such a great idea. Mimi xxx
Hi Mimi,
They are so professional and the food is so fresh! Everything is included except salt and water so it is very easy! I hope you find an option that meets your needs.
Great blog post Deborah. Looks so delicious that I pinned it to my board for plant-based foods. Saw it at Natural Family Friday and glad I did. The Purple Carrot sounds like the perfect solution fpor those who want to eat healthfully, but have little time to shop. Warm regards, Nancy Andres, Health & Lifestyle Writer, Author of Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Self-Discovery, and Bliss, Blogger at http://obloggernewbie.blogspot.com and http://www.nancyandreswriter.com/colors-of-joy-blog/
Hi Nancy,
You are so wonderful and supportive. Thank you so much for pinning this recipe. It was such fun to make and to eat. So glad you liked it!
Looks delicious! Thanks for linking up with our Gluten Free Fridays party!
-Cindy
Hi Cindy,
I always love partying with you at Gluten Free Fridays. I love exploring new recipes. All the best, Deborah
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! I love to cook so a service like the Purple Carrot wouldn’t be for me, but wow what a great gift it would make for the busy person in your life!
Hey! Thanks for sharing. Their website says that each meal will serve 4. Do you find that to be accurate?