One Frugal Foodie

Two of my favorite blogs are up for nomination, if you get the chance go over and give a quick vote.  No sign-up is required, just a click.  These are my picks:

Best Food Blog - Writing - Bittersweet Blog (Hannah is only 18!)- http://wellfed.net/2007/12/10/vote-best-food-blog-writing/

Best Food Blog - Theme - Fat Free Vegan (Susan’s vegan recipes are awesome, tested & approved!) - http://wellfed.net/2007/12/10/vote-best-fod-blog-theme/

I think my favorite dessert of all time is apple crisp.  I have never liked pie very much in its traditional form, that pesky crust getting in the way.  Just the fruity filling topped with those sugary sweet crispy crumbles makes my tastebuds swoon.

Of course once in a while you have to mix things up… well just a bit anyways.  I found a great recipe suggesting a fruit crisp using apples, pears, and cranberries.  Some added spices, a few quick alterations to make it dairy-free, and what the heck, just another little tweak to make it vegan, and we had a winner! 

Alas, my favorite dessert happens to be one of the most unphotogenic, so please forgive me for the lack of an image showing the luscious contents.  Somehow the jumble of crumbs and fruit compote is best left to professional photographers rather than my rookie attempts.  Nonetheless, here is a quick view and recipe!  Enjoy….

Fabulous Fruit Crisp

(Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

• 5 pears and/or apples (I used 3 pears, 2 apples, and I like to leave the skin on for flavor and fiber), cored and cubed 
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour (really, any flour will do)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
• 7-8 tablespoons margarine or a scant 1/2 cup (I like Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 inch baking dish.

Mix the apples, pears, cranberries, 1 tablespoon flour, maple syrup, and juice in the prepared dish.

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, oats, walnuts, spices, and margarine to the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle loosely over the fruit mixture.

Bake 30-40 minutes, or until brown and crisp on top.

In my house, this makes about 6 servings, but we like our crisp!

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!

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?

Forming quite the routine, my day started out with preparing our smoothies (kiwi-berry this time), snacking on rice cakes with nut butter, and sneaking some of VeggieGirl’s pumpkin bread from the freezer.  I regained some virtue with an apple later in the day.  However, both lunch and dinner had to get a bit more creative as we were tragically running out of vegetables!  Not a good thing to have happen when you are eating vegan.

With more of that wonderful Amy’s Soup on hand (organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free) I had a good option for lunch.  I set the rice cooker on with enough rice for two, and topped it with a steamer basket filled with the last two small sweet potatoes I had, diced into 1/2 inch square bites.  I put the Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable soup on low to warm and went back to my work.  The rice cooker went click about 10/15 minutes later and viola!  I had two wonderful lunches ~ two bowls of rice topped with sweet potatoes and some southwestern style soup…

The soup had quite a kick, much more than either of us expected.  I was glad that it was tempered by the rest of the meal, as on its own, the soup definitely would have been too spicy for our taste buds.

I had planned to get out for some grocery shopping before dinner … but … that didn’t happen.  Then, I settled on giving that Vegan Gourmet cheese a real go, on pizza.  But, when I went to proof my yeast to make the crust, I discovered that it had completely fizzled. 

So, I reached for what little veggies I had left, and some of those fun products/ingredients I was trialing out.  With just two tortillas remaining, I made us each a super-stacked medium-sized burrito.  Piled with rice, black beans, carmelized onions (saute in a bit of oil for 15 min over med-low heat), spicy guacamole, shredded vegan “cheese” (a bit gratuitous, I really don’t think this was needed), some chicken-free chicken (smoky), and a few dollops of mild salsa for that tomato vibe…

Of course, we needed some greens though.  So I made up some little salads with greens, shredded carrots (all the veggies I had left), the rest of the beans, and that dressing I made the other day (yum!).

All in all, not a bad day, but I must get out for some groceries tomorrow.  I like to make those prepared foods last as long as possible by using them more as a base for recipes or as a flavorful “condiment”, but with too few vegetables in my crisper, they seem to be moving into starring roles. 

My husband gave today’s meals a “good.” He liked yesterday’s better, but is still amazed that really, nothing seems different about our diet.  Not a meat craving in site : )

Overall it was a tasty day.  It was refreshing to find comfort in a pasta marinara, a dish I take for granted.  Just a quick low down for some vegan meal ideas … 

Breakfast: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free) The smoothie has become our routine.  It seems to be the best way to break our “nightly fast” (otherwise known as sleep) with the least amount of disturbence.  Plus it is a great energizer for morning workouts, and we headed out for one today.  Frozen mango and pineapple are the best deal (at Trader Joe’s) I have found around here when neither the fresh or frozen fruit is on sale, so I prepared our old reliable mango coladas.

Snack: We were both starving when we got back as some major traffic detours made for a late arrival home.  I sliced my husband up a thick slice of the Banana Orange Chip Bread (still awesome even though it deflated), and held my hunger back with my usual rice cakes with a thick layer of almond butter and cinnamon.  Yes, I really do like rice cakes.

Snack II: Still hungry, but husband isn’t yet, ate an orange.

Lunch: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free) Needing something in a jiffy (in the middle of a project), I turned to Amy’s, Amy’s Kitchen that is.  They are a mainstream organic vegetarian company, with a huge vegan line-up.  I have long been a fan of their chili, which can often be fetched on sale for under $2 a can and makes a very hearty lunch for two with some rice (I have even spotted it at Walmart).  Luckily, their soups have been on sale quite a bit lately as well.  We tried the lentil vegetable - low in sodium variety.  Sadly, my first thought was “needs salt.” Refraining, I reached for the pepper grinder instead, which helped to give it a little of the spark that it was missing.  It was more like a chili with very little liquid, so I dished up two large bowls of leftover brown rice, and divided the soup between the two.  It was hearty enough with the lentils and brown rice to tide us both over for a couple of hours.

Snack: Oh goodness, the remaining 1/2 of the quick bread loaf has magically disappeared!  Wherever could it have gone?

Snack II: Feeling guilty about the two mongo slices of cake-like quickbread I had just downed, I steamed up some kale and broccoli.  Just enough to meet a bit of my greens quota.

Dinner: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, nut-free) It seems my husband had been into the bread and the cookies, so he wasn’t very hungry.  I had planned pizza, but decided to go with a simple pasta instead, featuring a very non-frugal pasta sauce from Amy’s.  The price tag keeps it off of my purchase list, but it was a gift.  Considering the virtues of this organic, all natural, vegan (and loaded with garlic) pasta sauce, I figured it should pretty well be able to handle its own atop some noodles. 

I cooked up some brown rice rigatoni, topped it with the sauce (added a bunch of sliced mushrooms), sprinkled some vegan gourmet cheddar cheese atop (a splurge for the week, really I must try a vegan cheese during vegan week, don’t you think?), and fired it in the oven to see if that cheese would melt.  I have heard that vegan gourmet does, but apparently I didn’t have it in for long enough.  I baked it for 10 minutes, and tried a quick broil for 3.  It really didn’t go anywhere, but it was quite tasty. 

Overall, my husband gave this very simple meal two thumbs up, and even said “wow, I don’t feel sick and I haven’t had meat for three days.  I’m not even craving it.”  Leave it to my husband to think that not eating meat would make him feel sick.

Oh, before I forget, if you live near a Wild Oats that hasn’t been shut down by Whole Foods, they have a few good items in their weekly flyer beginning on Halloween.  I added the Oetker Organics pudding mix, Pacific organic broth, and bulk organic quinoa to my shopping list, you may find a few other deals. 

Now where are those cookies?