What’s for dinner? Brown, red, and wild rice with one package of Lehey broccoli vegan cheese soup + more milk to get the consistency I wanted + chopped broccoli; WFoods frozen greens blend with crushed garlic, soy sauce, grated ginger, pepper, Veg-It and lemon; Gardein cutlet with a sauce made from a delicious peppercorn marinade I found at Big Lots a couple years ago that impressed me enough that I went and bought everything they had (not enough - I’ve only two bottles left!), plus milk and cornstarch, and chopped tiny mushrooms. They were so cute but I had to hack them to small pieces so the old man would eat them. DELICIOUS! Now that’s comfort food.
Have I mentioned this stuff already? It’s made with oatmeal and is my favorite thing to put on bagels. I got it at Whole Foods over by the hummus.
A while back I sang the praises of Trader Joe’s Mini Rye Crisps then they went and made them only available seasonally. Well, looky what I found at Whole Foods! They are just good and also low in fat. I like these plain ones even better than the rye, but they did have a rye variety, too.
Also, have you tried this tofu spread/dip? Only the lite jalapeño is vegan (the rest use eggy mayo). It’s so darn good! It reminds me of an egg salad consistency (I’m guessing - I’ve never actually eaten egg salad). It’s spicy and wonderful on crackers - I think I like it best with a Triscuit sort if cracker. I also keep wanting to do a thick layer on bread and make a sandwich with it. Available at my While Foods!
This meal was DELICIOUS! Shredded Brussels sprouts cooked well in water with crushed garlic, a little Chikky seasoning (or poultry seasoning and veg broth), a lot of pepper, and lemon juice. At the end I sprinkled with white balsamic and some spicy sweet pecans. I topped it with lemon garlic orzo pasta, chopped asparagus, and a tad bit of Daiya mozzarella. I will be making this, and many variations of this, in the future!
This is a citrus pie I made. Inspired by a pie I tasted at a cooking presentation (recipe got tossed!), I just blended a little pineapple with orange and lemon zests and fruit and heated it with some corn starch till it bubbled. I’ve made it twice now, the first with just pineapple and lemon and with a crust of processed corn flakes and Brazil nuts per the original recipe (super duper good!). I can think of all kinds of fruit combo fillings to make with the simple process of heat and a little cornstarch. It makes a sauce that reminds me of those evil Hostess fruit pies. It’s a good tip to keep in the old’ vault if you ever need a quick dessert!
PS I didn’t add any sugar to the filling!
Dinner: Potatoes, smashed with salt, garlic, pepper, and rice milk; greens sautéed with garlic, ginger, onion, pepper, red chile flakes, soy sauce, and a dash of OJ; Field Roast slices dipped in Vegg (thevegg.com), breaded in panko-style crumbs, sprayed with oil, and pan-fried; and topped with Road’s End golden gravy.
This was a really yummy way to eat greens. A bite of Field Roast, a bit of greens, potato, and dunk the whole shebang in gravy - it’s relatively low fat comfort food! I’ll be making this a lot and subbing the Field Roast with my own seitan in gravy for a NO fat version.
Why would you add 1/3 cup of oil (630 calories!!!) and two eggs (maybe 80 cal each plus fat plus cholesterol) when a banana and some egg replacer powder work beautifully? This stuff is realllllly good. I like making mini muffins best. A little brown sugar on top makes for a crispy edge. Yum!
*Trader Joe’s*
If you don’t want to make your own nut and nutritional yeast topping you can always buy Parma! See how my jar is almost empty? That’s because it’s really good!
I collect small dishes. They make me happy! They’re cute, practical, and help with portion control. Have you tried eating one little scoop of ice cream out of a big cereal bowl? It looks pathetic. But in a cute tiny bowl you feel indulgent!
Nutritional yeast is called for in a lot of plant-based recipes, but unless you’ve spent time around health food stores you may not know what it is. It looks like yellow mashed potato flakes and tastes a bit cheesy. That’s why it’s used in SO many non-dairy dishes. It’s a great source of b12 which needs to be supplemented in a diet free of animal products. It can be added to any savory food to enhance flavor. My favorite use is to grind it with walnuts, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to make a Parmesan style topping for salads and garlic bread.
