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The Kitchen Recessionista

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

Recessionista on the Road: Vegan Picnic Wrap!

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vegan-picnic-wrap

Yesterday, I took a little road trip for work, and before I even woke up in the morning my heart was already singing with joy for one particular reason:

Road trip = Picnic!

Oh, how I do love a picnic. For special occasions (July 4, a performance in the park) or for just regular old run-of-the-mill occasions (a pretty summertime Friday night, some national park adventures close to home), it doesn’t take much for me to pack up a picnic basket and get moving. Yesterday, since I was the sole adventurer, I didn’t go all-out as I do when we’ve got guests to feed. Instead, I focused my efforts on making the best dang veggie wrap in the history of veggie wraps. And friends, I think I succeeded.

Veggie wraps are one of my go-to picnic staples, it’s true. But never have I mastered it quite like I did yesterday. I don’t say this out of arrogance, but out of wonderment. What’s usually a nice, filling main course became a culinary masterwork, a symphony of fresh flavors! And it didn’t take but a few minutes of prep time to put together. Here’s how I did it.

First, I laid out a large flour tortilla (think burrito size) atop a sheet of aluminum foil. Then I added a generous dollop of Just Mayo in a strip down the center. Next, I laid five Tofurky deli slices (I used the peppered kind this time around) atop the mayo, and then added two slices of Daiya Swiss. Then it was time for the veggies! In order, I placed a large handful of spinach leaves, half a diced peeled cucumber, seven or eight cherry tomatoes, and half a sliced avocado right on top of the Tofurky and cheese.

Then came the difficult bit: Wrapping it up! Carefully, carefully, I began wrapping both the tortilla and the foil to keep everything in place, and then picked up speed to ensure no veggies snuck out in the process. I secured the wrap with one more sheet of foil, tucked it into an insulated lunch bag, and voila! It stayed fresh and cool until lunchtime, at which point I enjoyed it from the comfort of my car (because the temperature was 38 degrees outside!) at a lovely overlook in Pennsylvania. Chips were served alongside to round out the luncheon.

Now that spring is supposedly on its way, I foresee plenty more picnics in my future! Perhaps LeeLee and I will sneak over to view the cherry blossoms in a few weeks, dinner in tow? Time will tell!

:)

Baked Penne With Vegan “Beef” Sauce.

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baked-penne-with-vegan-beef

Now, before we get down to business, a disclosure. LeeLee and I enjoyed this meal last night, but I got so caught up in the evening’s events (namely, cleaning the house in advance of family coming this weekend!) that I neglected to blog. I’m sorry about that. But here I am, albeit a day late and a pasta short. Hee.

Every quarter or so – though, honestly, it feels like more frequently than that! – I whip up a batch of baked penne, ziti, or rotini. It’s such an easy dish to put together, and it lasts in the fridge for days and days after the fact; a true budget-stretcher and time-saver! And last night, I was in need of some time savings, that’s for sure. As I mentioned above, some of our relatives are coming to visit this weekend, and who has the time to toil away in the kitchen for hours on end when I’ve got to clean it right back up afterward to make it look like upstanding, presentable people live in our home? (Pro tip: They do not, in fact. But don’t tell my mother-in-law, OK?)

Anyway, as per usual, I boiled up a pot of penne and in a lasagna pan mixed the drained pasta with a can of sliced mushrooms, a package of Lightlife Smart Ground “beef,” and a large jar of prepared sauce. (You could also make your own tomato sauce, as I do for lasagna and other occasions, but again, time and patience were both short for us last night.) Then I topped the entire pan with a generous helping of Daiya mozzarella shreds and baked the whole kit and caboodle for 20 minutes at 375. Everything’s cooked by this point; you just want to heat the sauce and “beef” through and melt the cheese on top.

After that, we feasted like royalty! We both adore this meal and were only too happy to polish off more than we should have. LeeLee even snuck back into the kitchen later in the evening for a little penne snack! A true sign of a successful dinner, that.

And, of course, we’ve got plenty of pasta left for lunches (and perhaps the occasional dinner) this week! I can’t wait.

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Tequila Sundown Chili.

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vegan-tequila-sunset-chili

Here we are once again, enjoying another Crock-Pot Monday! But this one comes with a special kick: It’s also a March Madness Monday, wherein my beloved Florida State Seminoles women’s basketball team earned a berth to the Sweet 16!

Normally, I polish off a bowl of our Crock-Pot creation du jour, then hustle out the door to my tai chi class, leaving LeeLee with the dishes. But this morning, I dashed off a note to my instructor to inform her that I’d be spending the evening watching the Seminoles instead. As she, too, spent the weekend following her college team, she understood fully, to my relief. I ask you, how often does one have the opportunity to watch one’s basketball team advance in the NCAA tournament? (Don’t answer that, UConn.)

And so it came to pass that tonight I lingered over my bowl of piping-hot Tequila Sundown Chili, made fresh from Robin Robertson’s One-Dish Vegan cookbook, as I waited for FSU to take the court. This time it was LeeLee’s turn to dine and dash instead; he had an evening meeting to head off to. So the cat and I cheered on the home team all by ourselves, and judging by the final score, we must’ve done OK.

Now, on to the dish at hand. This chili is one unlike any other I’ve made so far in my life! First of all, it calls for pinto beans instead of kidney, which threw me for a loop initially. Secondly, it has no faux meat product of any kind, which is also an ingredient I’m accustomed to adding to my chili. And, finally, it contains tequila. Which I can absolutely get behind when the rubber meets the road!

Before work this morning, I added every ingredient except for the orange juice and lime juice to the slow cooker, flicked the switch to Low, and headed out for the day. By the time I got home, the chili was piping-hot and had thinned out just a tad, which was to be expected. (I also added a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes instead of the 14.5-ounce version, primarily because the Safeway didn’t have any smaller cans and I like crushed tomatoes so who cares.) Then I added the orange juice and lime juice, gave the wheel a final spin (as they say on Wheel of Fortune), and waited about 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle.

As is customary on Monday nights, LeeLee and I busted out our TV trays for our meal and feasted while watching a mix of news and The Golden Girls. We both were immediately smitten by the taste and texture of this chili! We loved the light, tomato-sauce base blended with the creaminess of the pinto beans. And the tang of the tequila and juices really added a wonderful second layer of flavor that made the dish much more complex. Topped with some vegan cheese and sour cream, and served with tortilla chips on the side, it would have easily fortified me for tai chi, but it also gave me the stamina to cheer loudly for two halves of the basketball game! And, ideally, it has given LeeLee the energy to endure what’s sure to be a boring meeting (sorry, LeeLee).

So once again, Robin Robertson hit it out of the park with this one. Why am I not surprised? This cookbook (and recipe) is just amazingly good. I can’t wait for our next culinary adventure together!

:)

Sunday Cookout: Smoked Vegan Meatball Subs With Eggplant and Tater Tots.

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smoked-meatball-sub

You know, I’ve been barbecuing with our charcoal smoker for years now – ever since we brought it home from its resting place on the curb in advance of trash day many moons ago – and never once have I thought to use it for veggie meatballs! But what better food to grill on a smoker than a thick, hearty meatball, a protein that is so versatile, so downright malleable that smoking it for a couple of hours would seem to be the perfect cooking method?

Well, tonight I took matters into my own hands and whipped up a dozen or so meatballs, forming them from a tube of Lightlife Gimme Lean and basting them with pizza sauce. Then I fired up the smoker, let it heat up for half an hour or so, and placed the meatballs on the bottom grate, brushing each meatball with extra pizza sauce before putting the dome back on and leaving the smoker to its own devices.

meatballs-on-smoker

As the meatballs cooked, I prepared some marinated eggplant to augment the subs. I peeled a hefty purple eggplant and then sliced it into half-inch-thick rounds, then sliced some of the larger rounds in half lengthwise to form little half-rounds. (I wanted them to be able to fit nicely atop a steak roll, you see.) Then I put the eggplant slices in a zip-top bag, added salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, and marinated them for half an hour or so before adding them, too, to the grill.

eggplant-on-smoker

In all, the meatballs cooked for about an hour and a half; the eggplant cooked for an hour. Near the end of their cooking time, I heated up a baking sheet of tater tots in the oven and, with just a couple of minutes left before dinnertime, I toasted two steak rolls until their open faces were crispy. I also heated up a small saucepan of pizza sauce on the stovetop for extra flavor on the subs.

Next, it was time to put everything together! On our subs, we first laid down a layer of smoked eggplant, and then added three meatballs. Then we spooned some additional pizza sauce atop the meatballs and added some vegan mozzarella to the equation. Then we replaced the top of the roll, added some tater tots to the side, and dug in!

And boy, did we love the result. The meatballs absorbed the smoky flavor of the grill perfectly, in just the right amount – it wasn’t too heavy, as I’d sort of feared it might be, and it certainly wasn’t too faint – and the initial marinade of pizza sauce brought a sweet tang that tied everything together quite nicely. The eggplant soaked up the extra sauce, which melded amazingly well with the balsamic marinade. And, finally, the tater tots were the perfect side item, adding some carbs and starch to the protein-rich subs.

It comes as quite a relief to us both that we’ve got plenty of meatballs and eggplant left for tomorrow’s lunch! I’m ready for a reprisal of tonight’s dinner, that’s for sure, and I know LeeLee is too. Having enough meatballs for us both means we can keep a harmonious home – always a bonus on a Monday morning!

:)

Pantry Cleanout: Minestrone in a Jar.

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vegan-minestrone

This is turning out to be a pantry cleanout kind of week! But I certainly don’t mind. And on a night like tonight, when I once again turn to a premade meal-in-a-jar, I’m downright thankful.

Remember how I made a rendition of Five-Bean Soup last week, which was in actuality the direct result of a batch of Christmas gifts I made for family? Well, along with that recipe I also made a batch of vegan minestrone, which – if I do say so – opened to rave reviews with my relatives down South. I figured if they liked it, I would too, so I kept a jar for myself. As with the five-bean soup, I only wish I’d kept a jar or two more! Having a full meal mixed together and ready to roll at a moment’s notice is invaluable – and tasty, too.

Before the holidays rolled around, I pulled this recipe out of the archives and retrieved some unused mason jars from the cabinet. The preparation was simple: Just layer the ingredients into each jar (I prepared them assembly-line-style for efficiency’s sake), put the lid on, print out the instructions, and voila! Instant Christmas gifts that are hearty, healthy, and fun. I paired this soup with the five-bean variety, plus a few jars of preserves and jellies, in decorative baskets, and Santa was on his way!

Tonight, I added the contents of the jar to my trusty Le Creuset and then tossed in a few sliced baby carrots, some celery, half a head of chopped cabbage (left over from St. Patrick’s Day!), and a can of diced tomatoes, plus a quart and a half of water. I brought everything to a boil, then covered the French oven and let it simmer for an hour or so. A few minutes before we sat down to eat, I warmed up some garlic bread to go alongside the meal, and before we knew it, dinner was ready!

And boy, did we love the results. This minestrone is certainly heartier than some of the others you’ll find out and about; I have another recipe that is much heavier on the broth and tomatoes and lighter on the filling, that’s for sure. But we loved all the flavors and textures of this soup and found it difficult to compare the different styles of minestrone on a level playing field. The barley, split peas, pasta, and more all added up to a wonderful, flavorful, comforting soup that stretches forever!

Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we’ve got plenty of minestrone left for lunch tomorrow (and Saturday). It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

:)

Pantry Cleanout: Vegetarian Pinto Bean and Chik’n Tacos With Rice.

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veg-pinto-bean-tacos

We’re back in the pantry tonight, working our way through the random canned goods and assorted freezer finds in an effort to save a buck and eat like royalty! The latter, especially, works out well today, seeing how Prince Charles and Camilla are just down the road in Washington, D.C., as I type this (and were in fact down OUR road earlier today, visiting Mount Vernon!). So, royalty it is.

Anyway, tonight’s meal was so simple to make and yet was so very filling. First, I placed some rice (Arborio style, actually, since I didn’t have any regular old medium-grain white rice!) in the rice cooker and added a couple of pinches of saffron as well as a healthy dose of adobo seasoning. I added the requisite water and clicked the cooker to On, then turned my attention to the tacos themselves.

First off, if you haven’t tried freezing flour tortillas yet, I implore you to do so immediately. With just two of us, it’s nearly impossible to work through a full package of tortillas before they go bad, so I’ve taken to putting them in the freezer and have never looked back. Tonight, I pulled out four tortillas, wrapped them in aluminum foil, and cooked them at 350 for 10 minutes in the oven. They were perfectly crisp-tender and hot by the time their baking stint was finished!

Next up, I pulled two chik’n patties out of the freezer and heated them up in the microwave, cutting them into strips after they were cooked. Chik’n strips work great in tacos, and I knew we’d both love the extra protein!

And then we’ve got the beans. I opened the pantry to find a can of pinto beans looking back at me, as well as a small can of diced green chilies. Magical! I drained both the beans and the chilies as best I could and warmed them up over low heat until they were heated through. I gave the bean mixture a dash of cumin and some chili powder, and they were none the worse for wear, let me tell you!

As soon as the rice was ready – and, despite my apprehension, the Arborio turned out just great – the rest of the meal was too, so LeeLee and I sat down to work, the cat sitting atop a chair just out of reach, peering over our shoulders. (She does love when we bring out the Daiya cheddar, that’s for sure!) For toppings, we added shredded lettuce, a diced tomato, and an avocado cut into strips to our tacos, and we also enjoyed a dollop of vegan sour cream and just a pinch of the aforementioned Daiya cheddar to round out the meal! And, of course, our beloved Tabasco.

As is traditional with tacos in our home, there was nary a tortilla, bean, or grain of rice left by the time we were finished. But that’s perfectly fine! It was for a good cause.

I can’t wait to peer back into the pantry and pull out another treasure!

:)

St. Patrick’s Day Feast: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie and Sautéed Cabbage.

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vegan-shepherds-pie

Happy St. Patty’s Day, friends! I hope you’ve enjoyed a little luck of the Irish today.

We’ve had a wonderful time here at Chez Recessionista, and our workdays were perfectly lucky indeed. I even managed to survive a trip to the lab to get my blood drawn (routine tests, nothing fancy!), and limped back to the office under my own power. Victories! I’m sure it can be attributed to the bright green beads I wore today for the occasion.

Today has been lucky on the food front, as well. I’ve known for two weeks that I wanted to make our traditional vegan shepherd’s pie for dinner tonight, so before I left for the office this morning, I got started on some of the prep work. Namely, I washed and diced some potatoes, put them in the Crock-Pot, and covered them with water, flipping the heat to Low to let them cook all day long. This saved a ton of time tonight! All I had to do when I got home was drain the water off, add some almond milk, and mash them down with my trusty potato masher (a wonderful invention if I’ve ever seen one!). Magical!

As per usual, I followed the trusty recipe I received in a PETA Vegetarian Starter Kit a thousand years ago, and once again, it didn’t dare fail me. As the potatoes sat to the side, waiting to serve as the pie topper, I pulled out a deep-dish pie pan and mixed a container of Tofurky ground beef – the second container from yesterday’s meal – with a can of peas and carrots and a carton of mushroom gravy. Then I added some spices – garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and crushed red pepper – and mixed everything together. Finally, I topped the pie with the mashed potatoes and put the plate in the oven for about 40 minutes. Easy as … pie!

When the shepherd’s pie had about 15 minutes left in the cooking time, I got to work on the cabbage. Often I’ll steam or boil the cabbage, but tonight I decided to try something new and sautéed it in a big pan instead. First I coated a large nonstick pan with cooking spray, and then I placed the separated leaves of half a head of cabbage (I’ll use the other half later this week) into the pan. Halfway through this process, I added some chipotle seasoning, and then added the rest of the cabbage leaves. On top, I added a pat of butter (which would later melt and give the cooking spray a little depth) and a generous helping of parsley. Then, as the cherry on top, I sprinkled a dash of nutritional yeast, because I simply adore the stuff.

I turned the burner on Medium and let the cabbage cook, stirring and tossing the pan every couple of minutes. A few of the leaves got a little brown around the edges, which looked and tasted just wonderful in the end! And every piece of cabbage took on a bright green sheen, which added additional flair to the meal.

Bu the time the shepherd’s pie was ready, so was the cabbage, so LeeLee and I popped open some Guinness and sat down to eat! We both loved the pie, as usual – who can resist the meaty, hearty goodness of a gravy-laden dish topped with potatoes? And we both went crazy for the cabbage, as well. I think sautéing it really brings out the best in cabbage, and we’ll certainly do so again. It was crisp-tender and teeming with flavor, having soaked up the spices and butter magnificently. Each bite made our taste buds sing!

On the leftover front, we’ve got plenty of shepherd’s pie left (and no cabbage). I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan BBQ Chili.

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bbq-chili

It’s been awhile since we’ve enjoyed one of my very favorite Crock-Pot creations – the Backyard Barbecue Chili from Robin Robertson’s Vegan Planet! Tonight, our wait was over, and (not to spoil the surprise) LeeLee and I dug right in with gusto and glee.

I know I’ve waxed poetic about this dish a hundred times over the years on this blog, but I trust you won’t mind if I do so again now. There’s just something about this chili that makes it our steady Eddie, our reliable go-to, whether we’re entertaining friends for a football party, hosting family for the week, or just sustaining ourselves before an evening of tai chi class (for me) and work at home (for LeeLee). Tonight, we used it for the latter, and we couldn’t have been more pleased!

But though this is a faithful recipe for us, one we’ve turned to quite often over the years, tonight we made a couple of tweaks we’d never done before. First, I opened the cabinets this morning to find I was lacking one can of diced tomatoes (the recipe calls for 28 ounces, and I had only one 14.5-ounce can handy), so I substituted Rotel for the second can. Then came the matter of the vegan ground beef. Tonight, we took the Tofurky ground beef out on its maiden voyage in our home, and we couldn’t have been happier with the result! We both loved the meaty taste and texture and I was thrilled with how far one package stretched in the dish. The packaging was slender, so I wasn’t sure whether I’d need one box or two; turns out I only needed one. (We’ll use the other one tomorrow night for a St. Patrick’s Day-themed meal!) Thanks to LeeLee for spotting it in the grocery store and picking it up – it’s a keeper!

As usual, this chili makes enough to feed an army – or a married couple for three or four days, at the very least. I’m thrilled to be able to bring some with me in a Thermos for lunch tomorrow! And I’m sure LeeLee will dig right in on his lunch break, too.

Hooray for the Crock-Pot, and hooray for Robin Robertson!

:)