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The Kitchen Recessionista

So, here we are, in a recession. Let's eat!

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Sausage-Kale Stew.

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Tonight’s meal is a good news/bad news situation. No, I don’t mean bad news like another time I made this meal and found a caterpillar in it. That was more a bad news/disgusting news situation. Rather, tonight is a legitimate duality of emotions battling for dominance: On the plus side, we had fresh kale in last week’s CSA box. On the minus side, last week’s CSA box was the last of the season.

So you can see my range of emotions here tonight.

With all of that firmly in my mind, I valiantly woke up this morning and proceeded with the pre-work job of putting together tonight’s meal in my beloved slow cooker. As usual, I used this tried-and-true recipe from my friends over at Real Simple, and also as usual, it didn’t let me down. Tonight, I used Tofurky’s Andouille sausage – a first for this dish! – and was so pleased with the results. The sausage is smoky but also a bit mild, vocal in its presence but not quite dominating. This is, of course, a wonderful blend of traits.

By the time I got home from work tonight, the Crock-Pot had done its job just beautifully and the stew was piping-hot and ready to eat. I heated up a couple of slices of garlic bread in the oven to accompany the meal and then, as we do most Crock-Pot Mondays, LeeLee and I treated ourselves to the TV trays and ate our dinner watching the “CBS Evening News.” (We’re a Scott Pelley family.) Generally, we eat at the dinner table, but on Crock-Pot night we give ourselves a little treat.

The final result was glorious! We both adored the Andouille sausage, the beans were so smooth they were almost creamy, and the diced tomatoes gave the stew a bit of a kick. In all, we each enjoyed two helpings, and we would’ve gone back for thirds had we not wanted to save some for lunch tomorrow! High praise, indeed.

:)

Sunday Cookout: BBQ Tofu With Broccoli Rabe and Delicata Squash.

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You guys! It’s getting cold out there!

Tonight, LeeLee and I didn’t even bother bringing our newspapers and magazines outside to read. Instead, we dashed back and forth to the grill when needed, turning our back door into more of a revolving door. Charcoal smoker time is right around the corner – I can feel it! (Which means I ought to order some new accessories for the smoker – I always like to start the season with brand-new charcoal and water bowls.)

Anyway, tonight we made good use of our CSA and farmer’s market; two out of three dishes for the meal were local! Alas, the tofu – which I sliced into six strips and marinated in barbecue sauce for two hours before grilling – came from the grocery store. But what can you do?

Our friends at Great Country Farms sent along some more delicata squash in last week’s box (sadly, the delivery season is now over!), so I washed one and sliced it up for tonight’s dinner. We enjoyed last week’s butternut squash so much that I decided to roast the delicata on the grill in a foil packet in the hopes of giving it the same texture as last week’s oven-roasted variety. So I sliced and diced the squash into inch-long pieces, each one about half an inch thick, then placed the squash into two foil packets for quicker cooking time. I gave each packet a pat of butter and a dash of cherry-pepper/cinnamon spice, and then wrapped them up!

Once the grill was hot, I placed the squash on the hottest part and let them cook for about half an hour, turning the packets every 10 minutes or so. When their cook time was about halfway done, I added the strips of tofu to the middle of the grill and let them cook for about 15 minutes, turning them very frequently so they wouldn’t stick. That’s the thing about tofu, I’ve learned much too late – you have to keep a close watch on them so they don’t plaster themselves to the grill grate, never to be separated again and causing much angst in the process. I’ve toyed with the idea of using a cedar plank to cook them (as well as seitan) – when I give that a try I’ll be sure to let you know!

Finally, I added the broccoli rabe to the mix. We had such a fun time with it last week that we knew we had to try it again this time around! This time, I sprayed them with cooking spray, then added a dusting of garlic powder and curry powder, along with a touch of lemon juice for tang. Then I grilled them for about 10 minutes in all, turning them halfway through. We like a little crunchy-burny-leaf on our green veggies, so if you like them a little less well-done, I’d take ’em off a little earlier.

And with that, it was time to eat! We chowed down with gusto, leaving only a few of the delicata squash pieces as a memento. But the tofu and the rabe: All gone. “We are members of the Clean Plate Club,” LeeLee remarked after surveying the scene. And he’s so right. Though we both decided the Wonder-Cat was definitely the president.

:)

Crock-Pot Tuesday: Vegan Beef Stew.

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This recipe has been on the docket for a week now, just for tonight! I had animal-shelter duty right after work, and the Democratic presidential debate is coming on TV in short order, so I knew time would be short (and so would my energy). So this morning before work I took 15 minutes or so to throw a meal into the Crock-Pot … and boy, am I glad I did!

What I didn’t realize when I put together tonight’s vegan beef stew is that we’d also be getting a little bit of rain this afternoon and evening, giving the air a humid chill. I can’t think of a better main course to serve during these times than stew!

This is a recipe from a longtime favorite cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens’ Crockery Cookbook (which, as I may have mentioned before, my friend Stuart always calls the “Crockery Cookery”). This book is such an old friend to me! We’ve been together through thick and thin, through first recipes and new houses and single life and marriage. I love this cookbook, which is now beginning to separate from its spine with use. And this beef stew recipe is such a great mainstay in the book; I could make it again and again (and have!).

I won’t get into all the ins and outs, since our friends at Better Homes and Gardens have books to sell and whatnot, but I was tickled pink to be able to use all local vegetables today – carrots and onions from Mr. Lopez at the Saturday market and potatoes we picked ourselves back in September. The recipe calls for celery, but I was fresh out. No biggie.

I mixed all of those veggies with some herbs and spices, some vegan ground “beef,” and some vegetable juice, flipped the switch to Low, and went to work! By the time I got back form the shelter tonight, having petted cats for an hour or so, dinner was ready and waiting, and not a moment too soon – LeeLee and I were hungry!

We both dug in and enjoyed a couple of heaping helpings, and there’s still plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. Lunches this week have been a joy, I must say – divan today, spinach lasagna from Saturday’s football game on Monday. I can’t wait to enjoy some stew in my Thermos for a midweek kick!

:)

Meatless Chik’n Divan.

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“Oh!” LeeLee said after coming into the kitchen tonight for a glass of wine, just in time to see me pull a lasagna pan out of the oven. “We haven’t had chik’n divan in a LONG time!”

He’s right about that – for some reason, I always think of divan as more of a cold-weather meal, even though it’s no more seasonal than most of the dinners I make around here. But regardless, here we are, having gone divan-less for the better part of spring and summer! And that all changed tonight.

Though for some reason it hasn’t graced the pages of the blog all that often, chik’n divan is a longtime favorite of mine. I grew up eating it – when I was little, I called it the “sand dish” because of the layer of bread crumbs on top! – and once I moved out onto my own, it wasn’t long before Mama sent me her recipe for the divan (which will at this point remain top-secret, thank you very much!).

While I won’t divulge Mama’s secrets at present, I will say that this dish has some major comfort ingredients going for it: cream of mushroom soup, mayo, broccoli, chik’n, cheddar cheese. (I’ve yet to attempt a vegan version, but anything is possible, so I will vow to do that sometime soon!) But suffice it to say, while this isn’t necessarily a dieter’s special, when enjoyed in moderation it makes a lovely meal for two (plus lots of leftovers). We serve it over rice, which is how my mother always served it, and I can’t imagine enjoying it any other way!

Despite our best efforts, there’s plenty of divan left for lunch tomorrow – a wonderful feat indeed, since I know we’ll both want some and I wasn’t looking forward to figuring out who would get a single serving. No worries about that – we’ve got more than half a pan left! That’s sure to perk up a slow Tuesday afternoon!

:)

Sunday Cookout: BBQ Vegan Shrimp With Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Butternut Squash.

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This was a menu of firsts! Tonight marked the first time I’d ever used our barbecue rosemary stalks for anything as hefty as vegan shrimp; the first time I’d ever grilled broccoli rabe; and the first time I’d ever peeled and diced a butternut squash for roasting.

Well, I don’t like to boast, but: The first time was a charm all the way around!

Before lighting up the grill, I grabbed a butternut squash from my winter-squash stash (because this time of year, I have plenty of varieties to choose from!) and brought it over to the cutting board, where I gave it a proper side-eye and talking-to before I began to attempt to peel it. The skin of a butternut is so incredibly tough that quite often I’ve started to peel the squash and within minutes threw in the towel, opting instead to simply slice it in half and roast it that way. But tonight, I was determined, and with a very sharp paring knife I made short work of the peeling job!

All that was left after that was to slice the squash up, dice it into chunks, and then toss the diced squash with some olive oil and a generous amount of cherry pepper-cinnamon spice from our friends at Rosetta’s Farm Spices. Then I spread the butternut out on a baking sheet, placed it in the oven, and cooked it for an hour at 400 degrees.

As the squash baked, I got to work on the shrimp. I pulled two of my strongest rosemary stalks from the plant outside, stripped the stalks of leaves (which I saved for use later this week!) and then laced about eight thawed vegan shrimp (from Sophie’s Kitchen) onto each stalk. Much more than that and the stalk began to sag and carry on, making a huge mess.

When the shrimp went on the grill I painted each stalk with barbecue sauce and let them cook for about 10-15 minutes, turning once throughout!

Finally came the broccoli rabe – an impulse buy at the farmer’s market yesterday, but one I was incredibly happy to have on hand tonight! I sprayed the newly washed rabe with cooking spray, then added just a dusting of garlic powder. Then I placed them straight onto the grill grate for about 10 minutes in all, turning once throughout! By the time they were ready, the tips were blackened but the stalks were so very tender. I topped the serving plate with a little cheddar cheese, but you can certainly feel free to omit that or use a vegan version!

When everything came off the grill, I had only about a minute left in the butternut squash’s cooking time, which was a marvel of epic proportions. We got everything arranged buffet-style on the table and then sat down at our TV trays to eat – a rarity for Sunday nights, admittedly, but we were both excited to catch up on the morning news shows, since we left the house to go apple-picking before they’d even come on!

This doesn’t happen all the time in our house, but with nearly every bite tonight one of us would say “Wow,” or “I love this,” or “Have you tasted the spice in that yet?” Everything turned out just wonderfully, if I do say so myself. The barbecue shrimp were tender and spicy, the tang of the sauce melding quite nicely with the vegan shrimp itself. The broccoli rabe was crunchy yet tender, pungent yet mild. And the butternut squash! They were almost like candy, they were so full of flavor, and the dusting of pepper-and-cinnamon certainly helped them rise to the next level. Yum!

There’s not a single molecule left of anything for tomorrow’s lunch, but that’s OK. Tonight was worth it!

:)

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai.

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Well, now, here’s a use for spaghetti squash that I never would have anticipated!

A couple of weeks ago, I was thumbing through The Kitchn (as I am want to do) and came across a recipe that immediately piqued my interest: Spaghetti squash pad Thai. With tofu, of all things! With the CSA autumnal season in full swing and winter squashes arriving at our door every 45 seconds (or so it seems), this recipe proved to be quite timely indeed.

I’ll admit it: Though I’ve been working fairly late hours this week, I came home relatively early tonight just to put the spaghetti squash in the oven. I knew it would take an hour to bake, after all, and I was just dying to get the pad Thai party started!

So when I got home, I immediately put my biggest squash atop a baking sheet and placed it in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour, turning the squash over halfway through. In the last half-hour of baking time, I sliced up a block of tofu, pulled out my favorite cast-iron skillet, and stir-fried the tofu until it was golden brown on both sides.

Now, this Kitchn recipe and I did deviate in terms of our technique. The recipe calls for putting things in and out of the pan piece by piece; I did that once, between the tofu and egg, but otherwise I refrained. That’s probably because I neglected to purchase any spring onions, or cloves of garlic. No, rather, when dinner was nearly done I simply sprinkled some minced onion over the top, mixed it in, and called it a day! Also, in the sauce, I did not use the tamarind paste or the fish sauce (naturally), opting instead for a soy-sauce/water/brown sugar blend. I also added a dollop of peanut butter to the spaghetti squash at the last, because … well, why not?

I did, however, add the peanuts, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to the top of the dish for garnish, along with some lime. So I didn’t go completely far afield!

Oh, and did I mention that my cast-iron skillet is now smooth enough to scramble eggs without a lick of sticking? This is by far one of life’s greatest feats.

Anyway, ingredient substitutions or no, this meal turned out great. LeeLee and I enjoyed a couple of helpings apiece and polished off nearly an entire spaghetti squash between us. (Oh, that’s right – whereas the recipe called for half a squash, we used the whole thing. It’s what we do!)

The beauty of this recipe is that the “spaghetti” strands absorb so many of the dish’s flavors, without adding to the heaviness at all! The tofu, too, picks up the spices and richness of the dish, from the soy sauce to the Sriracha (did I mention I added Sriracha?) to the peanut butter and even the cilantro. In combination, it’s an amazing marriage of flavors and texture that just can’t be beat.

As it happens, we’ve got another spaghetti squash hanging out on the dinner table presently! I may have to try this squash-as-Asian-noodle thing again next week. Stay tuned!

:)

Green Chile and Mushroom Quesadillas.

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Now, to be fair, this meal had a bit of a bumpy start.

First, these quesadillas were supposed to be Swiss chard quesadillas. But my chard went to pieces on me, becoming all brown and soft before I ever had a chance to put them together into a meal! Not all is lost – we can compost them in our smart little kitchen compost pail – but still, my heart sunk at the realization.

And before that, before I’d even entered the house, the avocado I bought today for tonight’s meal somehow managed to fall out of the grocery bag, roll down the dark Alexandria street – while I chased behind, eyeglasses hanging halfway off my face as I scurried down the way – and then into the storm drain! Oh, I was not amused. Actually, I take that back – I was quite amused. I couldn’t stop laughing, in fact. I still keep giggling every time I think of it!

So by the time I got in the house and discovered the Swiss chard situation, I merely shrugged and moved right on to Plan B. Which, I might add, happened to be an excellent plan indeed!

First, I pulled out a nonstick pan and sprayed it with cooking spray. Then I diced half an onion – the other half from Sunday night’s Italian sausage extravaganza – and added it to the pan, setting the heat to Medium. Once it started to turn translucent, I added in several handfuls of sliced white mushrooms, the larger of which I broke in half.

I scanned the cabinets, looking for more ingredients. Then my eyes fell upon one of my very favorites – whole canned green chiles!

Onto the cutting board they went, where I roughly chopped them and added them to the mix. Finally, I added some ground cumin and chipotle powder to the veggies as well, let everything heat through and soften nicely, and then took then pan off the heat.

I like to bake my quesadillas – I find they stay crispy this way, and aren’t quite as unhealthy (or unwieldy!) as cooking them in the pan with oil. So I placed about a quarter of the onion-chile mixture atop a tortilla, then topped the veggies with cheese, and finally placed a second tortilla on top, spraying it gently with some cooking spray. Then I repeated the process three more times!

All that was left then was to bake the quesadillas for about 12 minutes at 450. By the time they were ready, they were crispy and slightly brown, and the cheese was bubbly. Time to eat!

I tossed a small side salad to accompany the meal, and we feasted with aplomb. The green chiles gave a tang to the quesadillas that I hadn’t experienced before, and the mushrooms and onions are always perennial favorites. The cheddar cheese was sharp enough to handle all of the competing flavors without losing any ground itself, and soft tortillas were a wonderful bed for every ingredient to rest upon.

I have no idea why it took me so long to try green chiles in quesadillas, but you can bet that they’ll soon be mainstays in this meal! And to think, all it took was some rotten Swiss chard and an avocado in the storm drain to get me to this point. I can think of worse outcomes!

:)