One Frugal Foodie

After finding out that my “perfect” tea (Good Earth White & Green Tea Blend) is infused with lemongrass, and discovering that the secret ingredient at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant is lemongrass, I have been eager to cook with lemongrass at home.

I finally had the opportunity to do this with the Thai Coconut Corn Stew from Eat, Drink & be Vegan.  And boy was it good!  I made it with regular coconut milk for the full richness effect, and it was one awesomely thick soup.  Rich with corn, yet fairly easy to make (once you have cut up all the veggies), I was delighted when I took my first sip/bite (it was a hearty soup) to unleash a wonderful array of flavors on my tongue. 

Needless to say, I will be cooking with lemongrass again, and I will be trialing many more recipes from this great (and did I mention nutritious?) cookbook.

Since this recipe isn’t posted online, I don’t feel that I can divulge it.  But, next on my list is the Mellow Lentil “Sniffle” Soup, which is posted up on Dreena’s site.  I hate to post and not give you any recipes!

Today is “Black Friday” and my husband has been amused by the many pile of ads for junk we don’t need.  Consistently asking me if I need anything, I can think of not a single response.  While the Target, Walmart, and Best Buy ads flash super-duty appliances to tempt the at-home chef, they look like either overkill or space-wasters to me.

Sure, I have a basic gas stove/oven, refrigerator, and a dishwasher (perish the thought of living without!), but when it comes to small appliances, I like to keep it simple.  I cook and/or bake everyday, yet expensive industrial mixers, multi-part food processors, and food killing microwaves have no place in my perfect kitchen.  As a matter of fact, of the little appliances we do have, we have found that cheaper is actually better.  In my opinion, appliances no bigger than would fit in a New York sized apartment are really all you need for any well-functioning kitchen…

$10 - Spice Grinder - I don’t own a food processor, and haven’t suffered without.  Since we are a household of two, I find that my spice grinder does just about everything I need it to, and with insanely quick clean up.  Of course, I use it to grind down those cumin seeds, and some may like it for coffee beans (I am a tea girl myself) but it also works in a pinch to grind flaxseeds for a nutritious boost to my smoothies and meals, to grind nuts (even into a butter / paste), and to make oat flour in an instant from my supplies of whole oats.  Some may dislike doing things in batches.  But considering that I can make 1/3 cup of oat flour in 30 seconds of whirling, and with a quick “wipe it out with a dry paper towel” clean-up, 1 cup is easily ready with my workspace clean in under 5 minutes.  Oh yes, and did I mention spice (coffee) grinders, such as the Proctor Silex one I have, can be had for $10-$12 at the supermarket.  Go with the cheap ones, they get the job done.

$25 - Blender - I love smoothies.  I also love to make creamy soups, and really, it seems as though my blender gets pulled out for some small task almost daily.  But we have gone through four different blenders, including two higher end models, only to discover that the cheap Hamilton Beach 10-speed blender from Walmart works just as well, if not better.  It has less “juice” then some of the fancier brands, but because of this, the motor doesn’t tend to blow up (like our “high-end” experiences), and it is quieter than many brands.  And yes, it really does blend up every last bit of ice.  Oh, and do splurge on the glass jar (the plastic will break quickly), but this is the only real upgrade I have found worth the price.

$11 - Rice Cooker - I can always make a healthy meal in minutes thanks to my 6-cup rice cooker.  It cooks up grains (brown rice, white rice, millet, quinoa, etc., etc., etc.) with a quick flip of the switch and steams the rest of my meal while it is at it.  I can throw just about any veggie in the top basket (including potatoes) and my meal will be ready when I hear the “click.” You can even steam fish or chicken along with the veggies for a major meal that cooks itself.

$11 - Electric Tea Kettle - Oh Canada!  My Canadian (now American) husband introduced me to this wonderful invention that I didn’t have the good fortune to grow up with.  Boiling water for tea, oatmeal, rice noodles, or any other quick hot water need can be had in just three minutes.  We purchased our inexpensive electric kettle on sale, but you can get a perfect household one for $20 or less without a problem.  Oh yes, and go with the ones that have a switch.  The ones that you have to unplug to shut off are a bit scary!

$15-20 - Hand Mixer - Want those nice toned arms?  Skip the clunky stand mixer and go for a cheapo hand mixer.  Don’t think for a minute that these don’t pack enough power, ours is actually a little too turbo charged.  Make sure you pick out one that has a good range from low to high in power.  Really, I mix most things up by hand, but for whipping and creaming, a trusty little mixer comes in handy, and can be taken out and put away with ease.

$10 - Toaster - You just never know when you might want something toasted, so this is always good to have on hand.  At times I miss our old toaster oven, and think about upgrading a few dollars to one.  But really, must toaster oven needs are far and few between, so this gadget has me covered.  Skip the electric eye, one with the basic up / down function, wide slots, and a light to dark guage is all you need.

There you have it.  While it may not suit everyone, we have spent less than $90 for all of our small appliances, and haven’t wanted for a thing.  Happy deal hunting!

The grocery store ads are riddled with wonderful baking deals for flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and other key ingredients.  But did you know, that while seldom advertised, their bulk equivalents also go on sale during the holiday season?  Be sure to check the prices of both, but more often than not, I find the bulk department to be the hands down winner, and I can purchase as much or as little of any ingredient that I like.  Have a special recipe that only needs 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour?  Head to the bulk foods, and just get 1/2 cup for your needs.  Do you plow through oats like farmers?  Watch for the sales and buy out the barrel.  

Really, you may be amazed at what foods you can find in bulk foods.  Every town I have lived in has at least one store with a generous bulk foods department that carries everything from brown rice flour to soup mixes.  Which brings me to this week’s find…

Wild Oats is actually having a great sale for anyone who uses whole grains and specialty baking ingredients.  Anywhere from 25 to 40% off on whole grain flours (spelt, brown rice, whole wheat, etc.), organic sugar ($1.25 per lb), and organic or eco-farmed rice (tons of varieties, all from Lundberg).  The flours are from Bob’s Red Mill, so some are also organic.  I stocked up myself on the products that I like to purchase organic (because we use them frequently).  I loaded up on spelt flour (I really do love this stuff), brown rice flour, and splurged a bit on blue cornmeal for recipe I am trialing.  I will probably stop in again for sugar ….

… While it can cost a touch more, I do recommend the switch to organic sugar.  For those who are vegan, this is an obvious easy choice … but … sugar is a leading GMO product these days, so going organic is a very wise move, regardless of your dietary preferences. 

I believe the sale at Wild Oats will last through at least this Wednesday, but possibly next Wednesday (they usually do two week sales), so stop by when you have the chance.  If there is no Wild Oats in your area, check your favorite store with bulk foods, they will likely be having some sales too. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many people claim that they have found THE diet that keeps them free from colds for years.  Well, we haven’t found that diet as of yet, as my husband seems to have caught a cold.  But, our change in diet has yielded something interesting.  He is the type who gets a cold hard.  Whining ensues for a good 3 to 5 days while the cold is in full swing.  He is pretty much a waste case for a week.  Then he has lingering symptoms (causing more, though less severe, whining) for a good one to two weeks more.  Inevitably, we both end up wondering if he will every really get over the cold.

For the first time since I have known him, he is actually overcoming his cold, and in record time!  He felt something coming on Saturday, but wasn’t under the weather, just a slight sore throat.  Sunday he was sick, definitely a cold.  Today, he is actually working!  No whining at all, and his cold seems to be already in its tail end.  One bad day.  This is almost unprecedented! 

Can I say it is the vegan diet?  Who knows for sure, but he has been very strict to the diet, professing how much better he feels.  Perhaps the extra load of fruits and veggies we have been intaking is actually working.  Or perhaps it was the wonderful homemade soup I made for him yesterday, with love of course …

Healing Mushroom Soup (for two)

• 1-2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
• 3-4 Ounces Extra Firm Tofu (about 1/4 of a package), Diced
• 4-6 Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
• 3 Cups Mushroom Broth (Pacific Foods Organic Mushroom Broth goes on sale often)
• 1 Cup Packed Spinach Leaves
• 1 Cup Bean Sprouts
• 1 Green Onion, Sliced
• Additional Soy Sauce or Wheat-Free Tamari (for gluten-free) to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic, tofu, and mushrooms and briefly saute, for just a minute.  Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer/light boil.  After a few minutes (when the mushrooms are just starting to look cooked), add in the spinach and continue with the light boil for another minute or two, until the spinach has wilted.

Clean the bean sprouts well, and divide them between two soup bowls.  Pour the hot/boiling soup over top of the bean sprouts.  Allow the soup to cool for 5 minute, the bean sprouts will also lightly cook during this time.  Top each bowl with a sprinkling of the green onions, and serve with tamari/soy sauce in case someone wants an extra hit of flavor/sodium in their soup.

With no sign of letting up, and already a week past our designated vegan week, we are joyfully continuing with this delicious vegan-at-home diet.  My husband is loving the food (and quite frankly that I am actually cooking rather than asking to eat out all the time), and I am finally enjoying the kitchen.  Who knew it was meat all this time that was intimidating me?

While I am just barely dipping my toes in creativity, it is still fun to be able to throw something together that turns out quite tasty.  With some lemony dill seasoning just waiting for a new setting, I thought what better medium than a light cream sauce? Paired with whole wheat pasta, white beans and spinach, it was healthy and filling. 

Since the spinach does shrink down, I would probably add another cup or two the next time I make it (I love spinach), but 2 cups does make a fair bit. You can easily replace the seasoning mix I used with any flavors of your choice, or use some fresh lemon zest and herbs (dill, basil, etc.).  Also, I like my sauce a bit thick, hence the addition of arrowroot at the end, but after a simmer with the flour, you may find it thick enough …

Creamy, Lemony Spinach Pasta

Makes Dinner for Two

• 4-5 Ounces Whole Wheat Pasta (we like angel hair - use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)
• 1 Tablespoon Dairy-Free Margarine
• 1 Tablespoon Flour (your choice, I used whole wheat)
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Unsweetened Milk Alternative (I used almond milk)
• 2 cups Packed Fresh Spinach Leaves
• 1 can White Beans (Great Northern / Cannelini), drained
• 1 Tablespoons Lemony Dill Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.  While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.  Melt the margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir in the flour and garlic, and slowly add the milk alternative, wisking until the liquid is smooth.  Stir in the spinach.  Allow it to simmer at this low heat, stirring occasionally.  Be careful to ensure that the sauce does not boil.

After say 5-10 minutes or so, the sauce should begin to thicken and the spinach will look cooked.  Stir in the beans and the seasoning.  Wisk in the arrowroot until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to thicken for a minute or two before serving.  Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Pour the sauce atop your pasta.  Some chopped olives go nicely as a garnish.

The Lemony Dill Seasoning has gotten some serious mileage, but I still have a ton left.  The package is seriously stuffed.  I tried it the other day as a seasoning for some roasted red potatoes.  While good, it just didn’t shine.  Beyond the pasta above, my favorite backdrop for this seasoning is definitely the Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.  Turned into a dip or salad dressing, this seasoning really shines.  Of course, it isn’t half bad just sprinkled atop a salad for a dressing free mix either. 

I forgot to mention that I just received a copy of Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, the new cookbook by Dreena Burton.  It is the first cookbook of hers that I have viewed, but I may have to go back and buy the other two!  It has sucked me in already.  Her style is to use healthful ingredients whenever possible, which perfectly suits my taste buds.  Last night I took my first stab at her recipes, and it was very successful.  I prepared the Polenta Casserole.  It was quite simple to make, easily customizable, and my husband said “very good,” …. a definite bonus.

The recipe called for fresh thyme, which would likely add a nice flavor boost, but I couldn’t locate it.  I added some extra oregano to compensate and the flavor still turned out wonderful.  I also added a chopped zucchini.  This is an addition I highly recommend.  It melded perfectly in this Mexican inspired casserole and added some needed veggies …

This morning, we used up a past-its-prime banana to trial Dreena’s Banana Cream Pancakes.  They were a wonderful blend of banana, coconut milk, and spelt flour. We used just a bit too much banana, so our pancakes were a little bit dense, but my husband gobbled them up with fervor.  I try not to have sugar in the morning, so I had my pancakes with cashew butter.  They weren’t bad, but I recommend a sweeter topping for this sugar-free pancake.

I have many other recipes marked from this cookbook… so I will keep you posted as the trials continue.  So far, so good!

As some of you may know, I decided to trial a vegan diet for one week, and my husband hesitantly joined in.  I hear often of people who convert from vegetarianism to veganism, making that final leap from dairy and eggs.  However, I hadn’t heard of the other approach, those who already live without dairy and/or eggs foresaking meat to become vegan.  Honestly, I really wasn’t expecting much from the venture … just hoping to incorporate more fruits and veggies into our daily diet as an end result.  After all, how much difference could one week really make?

To give you a little background, one of my husband’s favorite phrases is “if we weren’t supposed to eat meat, then why does it taste so good?”  He has always leaned more toward the carnivorous side of omnivorous eating.  But on Saturday, the final day of our vegan week, he actually said, “you know, I’m okay with continuing on this vegan diet.”  Over a decade we have been together, yet somehow, he always finds a way to shock me.  He said he feels better, less tired and heavy.  He is also hopeful that it might help him to lose those last pounds around his middle.

So, will we remain on a vegan diet?  Mostly.  At the moment, we have a lot of non-vegan food in our freezer that must be eaten.  Seeing as how neither of us feels like eating a lot of meat at this point, it may take us a while to get that cleaned out.  As well, we may not be ready to dissect menus even further when it comes to eating out.  (okay, okay, we both love seafood and sushi too, what about a pesce-vegan?) However, we both agreed, that once our old stocks of food have dwindled, our home will become vegan.

It sure will save on grocery bills!  Our groceries this past week were 1/3 cheaper, we didn’t waste an ounce of food (a truly amazing victory), and our appetites were always fulfilled.  I think we were both quite surprised. 

So last night, I finally made that watermelon-sized spaghetti squash, going the pesto route, with VeggieGirl’s suggestion to add sun-dried tomatoes.  I served up just 1/2 a squash, but the portion sizes were huge!  The dish was yummy, even my husband finished every last bite.  For added “meat” the pesto was spiked with sunflower seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds.  Overall, a delicious dish, but really not photogenic.  The beauty was on the inside.  Regardless, here are a few more photogenic items that we have enjoyed in our continued vegan week …

Pumpkin Bread - Another successful recipe trial, not to sweet and perfectly moist.

Vegan Pizza - Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Gourmet “Cheese” did melt … with a little coaxing.  It was good, I will admit, very mild in flavor (I have always hated the pungent taste of real cheese).  However, I think I am still okay with a cheese-free pizza.  This one is on a homemade whole wheat crust, with some garlic tomato sauce, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and chopped olives.  Simple enough!

Veggie Burger Salad: We picked up a box of Nature’s Burger Mix from Fantastic Foods on clearance.  It was an insanely good price, especially since the box makes 6 veggieburgers with just the addition of water.  Alas, it was on clearance for good reason.  These bland veggieburgers received two thumbs down from this household.  Luckily, the avocado dressing helped to save the day.

Amy’s Thai Coconut Soup - Our spirits were lifted by this awesome souop.  It is quite hearty on its own due to the coconut milk, and full of flavor.  however, there weren’t many bonuses, it was truly soup.  So I spiked it with some sweet potatoes and poured the whole thing over a bit of brown rice for that full meal feel.

More great meal ideas to come!

So, I am technically writing this in the wee hours of day 6, but day 5 was a long day.  Nutrition took a back seat today, as I didn’t quite make it to the store until after dinner.  Luckily, I scrounged up some healthful items to go with our carb-loading and sugar-cravings.  But, still no meat cravings…

First, I must report a good deal.  We just ordered Nutiva’s Coconut Oil from Amazon. Several months back, after reading how wonderful coconut oil is for you, and that it is supposed to be good for thyroid disorders, we purchased 2 jumbo jars.  Well, it did nothing for my thyroid, but the stuff is fantastic!  After many months, our supply is just beginning to run low, but Amazon has a great deal on it (free shipping, $10 off, etc.) so we decided to restock.  If you are willing to buy in bulk, this is a great deal.  We got 108 ounces (almost 7lbs) of the organic extra-virgin coconut oil for $34 delivered.  It is our oil supply for months. I absolutely love the wonderful buttery taste, though it does have a coconut vibe.

Okay, aside from the great nutiva deal, the first half of the day was rather uneventful food-wise.  Cereal, leftovers, a clif nectar bar.  For lunch, I once again turned to the freezer.  We gave Amy’s Samosas a shot, but I did pair it with a boisterous salad of our remaining lettuce, a lone carrot, and a can of peas, oh yes and some yummy, creamy, homemade dressing with that Vegannaise.  I have tasted some awesome foods from Amy’s, but alas the Samosas failed to excite.  While they had nice big potato chunks and were wonderfully organic and flavorful, the dry texture just didn’t work for me.  But, it was quite filling.

Some recipe trials led to a very successful batch of Chipmunk Chunk Cookies (to be in an upcoming food-allergy cookbook) …

And then, the delivery …. chocolate … loads of it …. it was like Christmas!  Wonderful organic, vegan chocolates from Sjaaks.  My husband and I dove into the regular dark bar first.  It was more like a semi-sweet, easily satisfying my sweet tooth.  Of course, the cookies helped too.  We had to ration though, just one bar for today.

For dinner we once again turned to pasta.  With 1/2 jar of that precious Amy’s Garlic Marinara remaining, I quickly threw together a chickpea marinara with basil, mushrooms, and onions, atop whole wheat angel hair, and garnished with chopped black olives.  Who needs parmesan when you have flavorful olives?

After a quick shop this evening, we are now stocked with enough veggies to last a few more days, and enough squash for a week.  Does anyone have any idea what to do with a watermelon-sized spaghetti squash?