crack the plates

My dear friend Jacquie over at Constant Conversion has been doing Photo Friday posts recently. This week she channels Cookie (“‘C’ is for..”) & the rest of the Sesame Street gang with a focus on the letter T & what it stands for in her life right now: tea, teamwork, & treasures. And what a treasure of a post it was! Best of all, she inspired me to start my own “Photo Friday” series: food pics Friday is here!

These pictures were taken when Nate & I visited our friend Catherine (and, to a lesser extent, the Interfaith Youth Core Annual Conference) in Chicago last October. Let me tell you about Arya Bhavan! Just a short bus ride from C’s place in the historically German Lincoln Square Neighborhood (where a piece of the Berlin Wall resides in a bus station), Arya Bhavan is located on Devon Avenue in “the heart of India town in Chicago”. A night view from the other side of the street:

The food was delicious, the setting serene:

You might not expect to have too much contact with wait staff at a buffet restaurant, but Arya Bhavan is different. We were immediately greeted by a polite, kind young host who led us to a table, provided drinks, & invited us to the buffet. I have no idea how he guessed, but it’s a testament to his extraordinary hospitality skills that he immediately confirmed our veganism–and then thoughtfully took us through the the large buffet, pointing out what was “suitable”. (Happily, over 80% of the offerings were vegan!)

I was over the moon for his hospitality at this point–but then he secretly notified the kitchen of our presence & asked the cooks to prepare a special vegan garlic & onion naan! We felt like royalty when our special surprise arrived:

Make no mistake–I later lavished praise upon him in front of the management.

The meal itself was divine, though we both needed Tums later. (Spicy!) Here’s a shot of Nate’s plate:

I highly recommend Arya Bhavan for all of the reasons described (pictured!) above–and particularly for the price. The dinner buffet was $11/person not including drinks (but we just got water). Next time I’m in Chicago you bet I’m showing up with an empty stomach, a handful of antacids, & a few hours to spare.

As a bonus, here are a couple of embarrasing shots of Nate & me enjoying vegan avocado bubble tea in Chinatown:

greasy hair, gigantic grin, tapioca tooth.

Hello friends and foes, les liaisons dangereuses y amigos!

I had hoped to give you an update before the 6th of this month, but I’ve been dutifully working on my thesis before tomorrow’s first meeting with my advisor in the new year. Blessed with a quiet home, good tea and coffee, and bountiful blankets for snuggling, I’ve been able to get a lot done. Today I hope to read many more articles, finish a book (or two) and, of course, write write write! But first, a cheery update re: what I’ve been up to lately.

As this post’s title suggests, my chief kitchen (my chef chef?) concern in 2010 (at least the early part) is finding a way to provide fast, delicious, healthy, vegan meals for myself and Nate …on a budget. Last year my strategy toward eating well & saving money was to to cook exclusively from fresh, raw ingredients–from scratch–all of the time. I was so committed to saving money on the grocery bill that I regarded even a can of beans a luxury and insisted on preparing my own from dry in the crock pot.

While using raw ingredients (including dry beans) definitely saved me money at market, I, like many women, was missing something huge: I wasn’t counting the cost of my time in the kitchen. A good 2-3 hours start to finish every night has a cost–a time expenditure, yes, but also a cost on one’s mental, physical, & spiritual energy. I was so caught up in a routine & way of thinking such that even if I had been at work, school, and volunteering all day, I would still come home, running on empty, and prepare a big lush meal that I barely had the energy to enjoy once I’d finished. While I might have been saving money in the grocery store, I probably expended way more in crucial non-cash resources.

So I’m doing something different this year. I’ll still try to delight you with my elaborate creations on a regular basis, but they’ll be more likely to feature a canned or frozen or prepared ingredient. I’ll still focus on organic, fair-trade ingredients, but will now have to navigate my desire for something prepared/more easily accessible with my desire to avoid a lot of excess packaging.  Of course, if you have any ideas towards these ends–especially recipes–please send them my way!

Here’s one of my early examples in 2010: spicy chick’n pizza. Ingredients: one store-brand organic pizza crust, one jar of non-GMO pizza sauce, chopped shallots, chopped onions, chopped garlic, frozen organic spinach, chopped organic mushrooms, and two Boca brand vegan spicy chick’n patties, chopped. Assemble (15 min), bake for 10 minutes (while reading an article), let sit for 5, voilà!

Cost: $5.59. About the same price as an Amy’s Kitchen organic frozen pizza, only double the size. About half the cost of a commercial delivered pizza, but way more nutritious and delicious (and organic), taking no more time than you would if you drove to pick up your pizza or waited for them to come to you. Win!

Further win, in the Italian theme: our cat Unix as stromboli (paradoxically, wrapped in an American flag throw)! She’s been doing a lot of burrowing lately.

Because I went to bed last night and woke up this morning with some severe stomach cramps, I decided to take today easy with light meals. No-chix noodle takes a little bit of effort, but I figured it was worth it to make my favorite soup on a day when I’m feeling so crummy. It always lifts my spirits and doesn’t cost all that much to make–especially considering what it yields. (And besides, I couldn’t very well go buy a can of Amy’s at nearly $3 a pop during NoMoCoFo, now could I?)

Ardent readers will re-call an earlier post devoted to this dish; tonight’s recipe probably wasn’t much different. Since I didn’t do the world’s best job explaining how I made it then, here’s a little guidance in the event you’d like to re-create it:

• Chop a bunch of onions, garlic, carrots and celery
• Sautee these vegetables in your cast-iron skillet with some organic herbs of choice (I pinch dried Frontier marjoram, basil, oregano, and thyme. Mostly marjoram and thyme.)
• Prepare a big pot of broth (about half-full to accomodate all the add-ins); put the burner on high to get it boiling
• Add the vegetables to the broth; bring to a boil; add a couple cups of frozen cooked chickpeas and a couple ounces of soba noodles, broken into small bits
• Meanwhile, have some large-chunk TVP reconstituting in broth in your microwave; it takes about 7 minutes in mine; check half-way to make sure there’s plenty of broth to do the job
• Once the TVP has cooled, chop it into bite-sized pieces; dump it into your hot skillet and season with tamari or Bragg’s and about a 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• Dump seasoned TVP into pot, bring up to temperature
• Serve and enjoy!

Of course, I’m always up for questions if you do find you need help.

For dessert we mined a pomegranate for its bizarre corn-like jewels. Nate’s first time = adorable bewilderment.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the proper way to eat a pomegranate is decadently, i.e., by the handful.

NoMoCoFo: an absurdity characterised by the long o, or the new theme for this month’s blogging adventures? If you guessed both, then you are correct–welcome to November, the Month of No-Mo’(re) Costly Food! (Technically NoMoNoMoCoFo, but I’m cutting myself a break.)

My November blogging project concerns itself with reigning in my (and my household’s) food expenditures. Whether this comes as a result of relying more heavily on pantry and freezer stores, or by taking up offers to potlucks more frequently, or by not eating out, or through a combination of these and others, I’m setting out to save money this month and I want to keep you updated re: what I encounter and learn.

As a practical note, we’re closing in on day six now–which means I’ve got a bit of backtracking to do. I’m going to start by describing tonight’s dinner and then move on to writing some new, yet back-dated, entries on what I’ve been up to for the past couple days. (If you’re interested in good vegan eats in Chicago, be sure to scroll down a bit further, as I’ll be highlighting a great Indian buffet as well as panning another place.) This’ll be a slow game of catch-up, but it will happen–so check back.

Tonight I turned to one of my most favorite cookery books, The Grit Restaurant Cookbook, for their “Spicy Thai Noodles” salad. It wasn’t very spicy at all (owing, I think, to subbing chili oil for the chili paste) but it was packed with flavor. Whether they sing in the butterbeans or zing in the collards or ding in the noodle dishes, flavors in Grit recipes hold their own. There’s not a lot of room for subtlety–but then again, I like that. This recipe doesn’t call for it, but I punched up the protienaciousness with a block of tofu and added some peppers for color:

This dish was cheap, in part, because I relied on noodles I bought at the B&D for 80 cents, noodles that were just languishing in the cupboard. I had all the materials for the sauce on hand, too.

Come to think of it, there’s not a cookbook that I’d recommend more highly than The Grit’s. (No, not even VWaV, though it is definitely up there.) Many of my “signature” recipes–for gravy, chocolate cake, southern-style vegetables–have been adapted from the ones in this book. Over half of the recipes are vegan and many of those that aren’t can be easily veganised–think subbing Earth Balance (eBal) for butter. The Mock-Cream of Chicken Soup is a divine wonder of vegan trickery; the “Ted Bread” and Old-time Grit Buns always come out perfect; the “Chicken” Salad will earn you instant celebrity at any Fourth of July picnic.

Not to mention this: the first time my momma (think Steel Magnolias) ever ate the butterbeans (“Baby Lima Beans” in the book, but I use fordhooks), she swore up and down that there must’ve been a hambone in there. Well, perhaps not quite that dramatic–but she was astounded at the depth of rich flavor…and had a second helping. If that doesn’t convince you that you need The Grit’s cookbook, I have no idea what will.

Available at Amazon.com and BetterWorldBooks.com.

Tonight I test-drove Gardein “Meat-free Chicken-style filets,” a surprisingly tasty product composed of non-GMO soy protein, wheat gluten, and ancient grains(R) shaped into chicken breasts. With 11 grams of protein and 20% DV of iron per serving (2 per pack) it’s a nutritional powerhouse for just two ounces of food. If I could continue to get the product on Manager’s Special at $2.19, as opposed to regular price–$4.39–I might consider these more often. As it is…I’ll stick to my cheap, reconstituted TVP.

Fresh from two minutes in the microwave:

Available at Kroger; more info at www.gardein.com.

Tonight’s dinner has a decidedly unglamorous name: TVP & peppers. I came up with this recipe last fall when I wanted something warming, packed with protein, and with the potential for general appeal. TVP & Peppers succeeds on all counts. It was created in my former Zoomie’s wok (RIP) but it easily re-created in my all-purpose cast-iron skillet. To make,

• reconstitute some TVP in veggie broth. As I’ve mentioned before, I like Dixie Diner’s chick’n NOT! strips. We purchase a 10-lb bag about twice a year.
• heat a little oil in the skillet, add an onion, cook, add peppers, cook, add garlic, cook
• Add a little high-quality cinnamon, some cayenne pepper, a bit of ground ginger; cook
• Add reconstituted TVP to the pan, sautee over med-high heat to get a bit of a sear; add tamari (or soy sauce) and some vegan Worchestershire sauce (most store brands are vegan, particularly Kroger’s) to taste
• Add in several tablespoons of good-quality garam masala; mix briefly
• Incorporate a 14.5oz can of chopped tomatoes, kind of drained, into the mix
• Let simmer and thicken for a few minutes; serve!

This recipe was born at brunchtime but is great for any time of day. The ingredients have natural warming properties to keep you glowing from the inside on the chilly days. Bonus: It is, in my experience, extraordinarily omni-friendly: in the winter months, this is my favorite to take to pot-lucks. You could also use the dish as a kind of filling in soft-tacos for an Indian Mexican fusion main course.

Let me know if you try it or if you have any questions!

You know it, I know it; best of all, Hobbitses know it: taters are cheap, delicious eats. For the inaugural dinner of VeganNoMoCoFo, Nate & I scrubbed, chopped, boiled and bludgeoned some beautiful heirloom potatoes from the Saturday morning farmer’s market. Beauty:

Beast!

Your eyes aren’t fooling–that’s purple potato soup! Apparently Nate gave his co-workers quite a fright when he brought it in for lunch the next day.

Based off of a potato soup recipe in The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook by Louise Hagler and Dorothy Bates–another one of my favorites and a recommended addition to any vegan’s bookshelf.

Vegetable plates are mainstays of deep south diners. Most keep about eight different kinds of cooked(to death, mind you) vegetables in chafing-dishes for customers to mix & match. Green beans, field peas, creamed corn, fried okra, collards, squash casserole, and, perplexingly, macaroni & cheese, are routine offerings. Choose any four, add a cat-head biscuit* or a piece of cornbread (no sugar, please–that’d be cake) on the side and it’s a meal. Small-town holes-in-the-wall sell ‘em for about $5 for a 4-veg plate; big-time city joints like Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta will ask double, but you get more options. No matter where you are, vegetable plates are the cheapest full meals on the menu. Unfortunately most of the vegetable sides are laden with eggs, cheese, and whole milk. (In Atlanta, choose Soul Vegetarian or Calabash Vegetarian Kitchen for sublime vegan vegetable plates.)

I grew up with vegetable plates because I was raised by poor gardeners. On at least a large portion of an acre, my parents grew everything, and we ate all of it–except for the eggplant, of course. (Woefully, it was mostly for looks.)Our parents worked hard so that my brother and I could pile our plates. We may have received a new pair of shoes only once a year at Christmas, but boy, did we eat.

Because I babysit for a precocious first grader every Tuesday night, I had to put together a quick dinner. Seeking onions, I stopped by Richmond’s Tuesday evening farmer’s market shortly after it opened. I picked up two lbs of skinny sweet potatoes ($1), four acorn squash (.50/ea), and an enormous cabbage ($1) from Preston for a measly $4. For all that food, I felt guilty about accepting my one buck change.

Once home, I rapidly split the cabbage & boiled it just like momma taught me: a little water in the bottom of your pan, precious, a tablespoon of Earth Balance vegan margarine (she’d use butter), salt & pepper and let it steam a while til near-mush. I made short work out of the sweet potatoes, too: washed, cut, boiled, and mashed with unsweetened soymilk, a little eBal, salt & ground white pepper, and they were ready to go. Our proteinacious side was Road’s End Organic penne & chreese, an absolutelydisgusting and dreadful approximation of cheesy macaroni that I make palatable with the addition of tons of nutritional yeast, tamari, spicy mustard, eBal, and a splash of soymilk. It was on close-out at the Co-op.

Even factoring in what I paid for the spices, tamari, soymilk, Earth Balance and other ingredients, the entire meal cost about $6 to make. Since each side made about four servings, I made out with two meals for two people at $1.50 a pop. Eating locally, eating cheap…everyone wins!

*”cat-head biscuit” : not quite what it sounds like, this simply refers to a soft, fluffy white-flour** biscuit about the size of a cat’s head.

**My mom, and many other Southern women, swear by White Lily–but I go for the unbleached stuff.