We have a number of meals, that I make during the week, that we often cycle through because we like them, they are reasonably healthful, and most importantly — they are quick and easy to make. A winning combination! One of those weekly meals is a curry of some sort. This week I used Patak’s Rogan Josh Curry sauce.*

One has a lot of flexibility making these curries. The ingredients I used this time around was based on what I had available. You can easily change the quantities or use different ingredients altogether. Much like with the Hoover Stew and the Chickpea Tangine, this is a very flexible meal.

Ingredient List

• One 15 oz. (420 grams) jar of Patak’s “Rogan Josh Curry” simmer sauce.
• One cup of dried TVP. I used “Just Like Chicken brand” by Whole Provisions, but any type will do.
• One 15.5 oz. (434 gram) can of green peas. (Fresh or frozen are nice too.)
• 3 oz. (84 grams) of Chickpeas
• Four ounces (112 grams) of Sliced Bella or White Mushrooms
• One ounce (28 grams) of Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• One medium or large Onion, chopped.
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
• (Optional) One to two ounces (28 – 56 grams) of Sliced Almonds
• (Optional) Harissa sauce to taste.

The list above is what I added based on what I had in the refrigerator. What you use and the amounts can vary depending upon what you have on hand and what you enjoy eating. For example, if you like meat I think chicken, pork or lamb would go very nicely with this meal instead of TVP. I am also thinking vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli would be nice additions as would a green onion garnish.

How to Cook

• Reconstitute TVP according to package directions. In general this involves mixing together equal amounts of dried TVP and hot water and then microwaving for about 5 minutes. Then check the consistency and allow for more time until the product has reached the desired softness.
• Sautee onion and mushrooms using your oil of choice or even just a little water in a non-stick pan if you are trying to avoid the added calories. (I used olive oil spray.)
• Add in all other ingredients except the sauce and mix them together. (I included half of the almonds and then sprinkled the other half on top as a garnish.) Add the sauce and mix again.
• Cover and simmer until heated through.
• Serve with rice or naan. We had some garlic naan on hand, so I used that.

Mon, April 12th

• Morning Walk: 3 miles, after which we did a little balance work.
• Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer, 100 lbs.):
  • (Set 1): Left = 4 mm x 5 reps, Right = Closed x 3 + 2 reps
  • (Set 2): Left = 4 mm x 3 + 2 reps, Right = 2 mm x 5 reps
  • (Set 3): Left = 4 mm x 3 + 2 reps, Right = Closed 3 + 2 reps
  • (Set 4): Left = 4 mm x 4 + 1 reps, Right = Closed 3 + 2 reps
• Pinch Grip Lift (Hub): 15 lbs. x 10 sec, 15.25 lbs. x 2 sets x 10 sec, 15.5 lbs x (left 3 sec, right 10 sec)
• Arnold Presses: 35 lbs. x 6 reps, 30 lbs. x 3 sets x 8 reps
• (Super Set) DB Lateral Raises: 10 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps +
  • (Sets One and Three) Finger Extensions (band): 8 lbs. x 12 reps.
  • (Sets Two and Four) Hand External/Internal Side Rotation (indian club) 2 lbs. x 8 reps

Calories: 2113, Protein: 139 g.

Tues, April 13th

I went down to the court at the bottom of the hill near where I live and shot some hoops for about 30 minutes with an almost new-looking basketball I found at the thrift store. I made a point to run around to keep my heart rate up. I worked on some drills and concluded by playing Horse against myself. (I won.)**

Calories: 2127, Protein: 140 g.

Wed, April 14th

• Morning Walk: 2.26 miles.
• I did one set of the MV Workout with my 10 lb. mace. I had to hike my hands up the handle of the mace a bit on the barbarian squats. My eventual goal there is to do those with my hands gripping the bottom of the handle. I didn’t have to with the 360’s but I really felt them in my hands and forearms.
• After this I did: Swing & Catch and Alternating Swing & Catch, Mace Bicep Curls, Mace Reverse Curls, Taekwondo Leg Extension/Snap Kick Exercise. Did 10 reps (each side) for each exercise except for the kicks, where I did 20. Also worked in some dynamic stretching.

Calories: 2413, Protein: 154 g.

Thur, April 15th

• Afternoon Walk: 4.58 miles.
• I did some work with both my 1 and 2 lb. indian clubs.
• BB Bench Press (full stop): 75 lbs. x 4 sets x 8 reps
  • It has been over a year since I have bench pressed with a barbell because of the gyms closing down for the pandemic, so I was very conservative with this exercise.
• Incline Overhead Tricep Extension: 15 lbs. x 15 reps, 20 lbs. x 3 sets x 12 reps
• Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer, 100 lbs.):
  • (Set 1): Left = 4 mm x 5 reps, Right = Closed x 4 + 1 reps
  • (Set 2): Left = 4 mm x 3 + 2 reps, Right = Closed 2 + 3 reps
  • (Set 3): Left = 4 mm x 3 + 2 reps, Right = 2mm 6 + 1reps
  • (Set 4): Left = 4 mm x 3 + 2 reps, Right = Closed 1 + 4 reps
  • (Set 5): Left/Right (Guide Gripper, 50 lbs.) = kept fully closed for 30 seconds
• Board Hand Holds (each hand): 1.75 lbs.
  • Pronated: 2 sets x 30 seconds
  • Supinated: 90 seconds

Calories: 2113, Protein: 124 g.

Fri, April 16th

• Morning Walk: 2.19 miles. Afterwards, we did some balance work. Calories: 2321, Protein: 132 g.
• Full Squats: One set of 30 reps, then 70 reps (rest-pause as needed) = 100 reps
• Dead Bugs (2-ct): One set of 37 reps, then 63 reps (rest-pause as needed) = 100 reps
• (Super Set):
  • Standing Cable Leg Curls (ea. leg): 20 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps
  • Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 20 reps
• I followed along with the “30-Minute Recumbent Bike Workout” video on the Vive Health channel, which I’ve done a few times now over the past couple of months. During the workout the presenter has one get off the bike three times and do some squats. For my three sets I did 10 Cossack Squats for the first, 10 Leg Extension Exercise (each leg) for the second, and finally 20 Taekwondo Front Snap Kicks.
• I worked a little on foot dorsiflexion with the cable machine and then did the Muay Thai “Front Teep” lesson on the globalmartialarts.university site.
• I concluded the workout with some stretching and Yoga poses, including the Cat-Cow and Cobra poses, which both seem to do good things for my spine.

Sat, April 17th

• Sandbag (100 lbs.) and Fitness Rock:
  • (Set One) Picked up bag from 16″ platform and walked it outside (40 steps) to the tailgate of our Land Cruiser.
  • (Set Two) Picked up bag from tailgate (~31″) and held in bear hug hold for 45 seconds.
  • (Set Three) Picked fitness rock up from ground and threw it up and back, over my shoulder with the idea of building explosiveness. I did this for 8 repetitions.
  • (Set Four): Sandbag Bear Hug Hold: 45 seconds.
  • (Set Five): Threw fitness rock over shoulder x 8 reps
  • (Set Six): Picked up bag from tailgate and walked it 40 steps back to where it lives inside of our basement.
  • (Set Seven): I walked down the street with my fitness rock on my shoulder, to the yellow 5 mph speed limit sign and then jog-walked back uphill to my house. (I switched shoulders a couple of times.) The trip took 3:07 minutes.

Calories: 2250, Protein: 106 g. (My weight didn’t change from last week. My total loss thus far remains 32.0 lbs.)

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* If eating plant-based is important to you, then I recommend carefully reading the labels with these products. Some of them have milk products and some don’t. Many of the labels on these sorts of products list them as “vegetarian,” which includes lacto-ovo vegetarian eating, which can be problematic if like my husband you are trying to avoid dairy.

My husband started laughing when I showed him Patak’s simmer sauce. I wondered what could possibly be funny about a jar of curry sauce when he said, “I wonder what Worf would think of eating this brand?” “Very droll,” I replied. “Perhaps you should ask him the next time you talk to him?” “I’ll do that,” he said with a nod and wandered off.

** I didn’t cheat. Not badly anyway.