crack the plates

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!

Tonight I threw together what I am simply calling PVS: Pre-vacation soup. Everything in the two crispers that wouldn’t've made it six more days made it into the pot tonight: a large Ziploc bag of some local celery (mostly tops) that I chopped a couple weeks ago, 2 local japanese eggplant, a bunch of local carrots and a bag of not-so-nearby-sourced organic carrots. I also added an overgrown onion, four red potatoes sliced thin, and most of a head of garlic. An obscene amount of Bragg’s aminos, a 1/4 cup of Dixie Diner official vegan broth powder, majoram, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil and white pepper later, viola: PVS.

To make the soup proteinacious I added about four cups of kidney and pinto beans I’d cooked overnight in the crock-pot with a slice of KOMBU. New to kombu? It’s a delicious sea vegetable that allegedly helps beans help your insides…not make quite so much gas. I don’t care one way or another–lookit, VEGANS TOOT–what’s significant is that it makes the beans taste great! I picked up my bag, pictured below, at the Whole Foods Market in Ann Arbor while I was visiting Jiji; it was about $6.

Since I have a bit to spare and I’m thinkin’ it’s light enough to require a 44-cent stamp only, leave a comment with your address (I won’t reveal your details when I approve the comment) and I’ll mail you a slice big enough for a pot of beans. Not that I expect a ton of requests for this admittedly bizarre giveaway, but if any ARE many forthcoming I’ll have to limit it to the first few.

…Any takers?