Grocery shopping, Pantry items and Leek & Cheese Toastie & Agave Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.

My 99 cents store finds today. Lots of canned beans and a few produce items.

Nayonaise whipped for 99 cents! This stuff is good. Tastes like Miracle Whip. I don't know if it's a popular flavor. They may be discontinuing it.

A well stocked pantry is serious business.

I also stopped at Cost Plus World Market and bought more pantry items. Martini onions, a couple of Moroccan items, capers, HP Sauce, Curry ketchup, crackers and rich tea biscuits...I love it when you only need one thing but end up buying a bunch of other stuff. Recreational food shopping FTW.

Fentiman's cola is so good!

After unpacking all of my purchases, I proceeded to make the Leek and Cheese Toastie from River Cottage Veg cookbook. I subbed Daiya for the cheese and almond milk for the cream. It turned out perfect. It's very rich. The combination of sweet leeks and cheese on the toasted bread made a very satisfying lunch.

Also from the same cookbook, I made the Honey Roasted Cherry Tomatoes but instead of honey I used agave. Also very delicious on toast. The agave lends a very light sweetness.

Beans on Toast, TVP Tacos and Refried Beans

Leftover Heinz beans from last night made an excellent breakfast on toast spread with Earth Balance and sprinkled with black pepper. And I didn't forget the tea.



I couldn't wait to make refried beans from scratch again and this time with black beans. The easiest way for me to do it is to put the dry beans (1 lb. plus 8 cups water) into the crockpot the night before and let them cook. This morning all I had to do was reserve about a cup or so of the cooking liquid, drain the beans and heat them with sauteed onions, garlic, liquid smoke, the bean liquid, olive oil and salt/pepper while mashing with a potato masher. Seriously perfect beans. I also made red chile sauce with the dried guajillo, new mexico and arbol chiles. For the tacos, I used textured vegetable protein. The tvp meat was sauteed with olive oil, onions, garlic and taco seasoning.

EDIT: Still cooking from my pantry!
Pantry staples used: dried black beans, dried chiles, tvp, liquid smoke, olive oil, spices, Heinz Beans, white bread
Other items: onions, garlic, lettuce, tomato
Items purchased: taco shells, Earth Balance

Shells n Cheez Please.

This was dinner. It's the "Instant Cheez It" sauce from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. You prepare it by making a dry mix of ingredients which you keep in a storage container and use 1/2 cup at a time that you whisk with water or nondairy milk over medium heat until it gets thick and bubbly. Then you can add it to your favorite pasta or as a topping for vegetables or anything at all. I had mine with shells. So creamy and much better than that Velveeta crap!

Edited to add: This is still considered "cooking out of the pantry"!

Pantry staples used:
pasta
nutritional yeast
flour
spices/herbs: paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, dry mustard, salt, pepper, sugar

Other ingredients:
plain soymilk
margarine
wet mustard

Ingredients I had to purchase: none

Ramen Noodle Comfort.

When you're having a rough day and doing your best yet nothing is going your way, it's nice to come home to a warm comforting meal such as this one. Well, I didn't actually come home to it, I had to make it myself but it was a pleasure to do so. It was like a warm hug, this bowl of steaming broth with filling noodles, soft vegetables and tofu. I felt better instantly.

Edited to add: This is still "cooking out of the pantry"!

Pantry staples used:
ramen noodles
soy sauce
mushroom soy sauce
black pepper

Other ingredients:
tofu
veggies

Ingredients I had to purchase: none

Cooking out of the pantry: Portobello Tacos, Refried Beans and Rice

Check out my lunch today. It was superb! Portobello tacos, rice and beans. I wanted to make refried beans from scratch weeks ago but never got around to it because I had other things in mind. This weekend seemed just right for it. The bag of pinto beans in my pantry was calling my name as well as another item from my pantry that I forgot to add to my list: a bag of dried New Mexico chiles. I have a book called "The Power of Ancient Foods" and there is a recipe for red chile sauce that I planned to make along with the refried beans. I cooked my pinto beans in the crockpot overnight so they'd be ready this morning. (My crockpot has a new name: "The Bean Machine". I don't use it for anything else anymore.) So anyway back to the beans, I sauteed some onions and garlic in olive oil, added the cooked and drained beans, mashed them up and let them simmer with salt, pepper, about a cup of the bean cooking liquid and a touch of liquid smoke. I don't think I can enjoy canned refried beans ever again! The beans were stellar, just like in a restaurant. The rice was wonderful as well. Fresh guacamole and lime wedges made it all complete.


I've never had mushroom tacos before and I'm glad I tried this. They were so meaty and juicy. The red chile sauce was really nice.

Portobello tacos recipe here.
Mexican rice recipe here.
This short video shows pretty much how I made the red chile sauce.

Pantry staples used:
dry pinto beans
dried new mexico chiles
rice
tomato sauce
corn tortillas
herbs/spices: cumin, oregano, cayenne

Items from fridge etc:
onions
garlic
cilantro

Items I needed to purchase: 2 portobello mushrooms and avocado

Cooking out of the pantry: Kidney Bean and Lentil Chili Dogs

I was in the mood for chili dogs today and I knew that I would have to go out and buy the veggie dogs but I didn't mind because the chili part was all coming out of my pantry. I didn't really follow a recipe, just threw a bunch of stuff in a pot and called it chili. I didn't use a lot of lentils only 1/4 cup or so for a bit of a different texture. I had one for lunch and it was really yummy with sauerkraut and a bit of ketchup. I'll have another for dinner.

Pantry staples used:
brown/green lentils
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
herbs/spices: cumin, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika
hot dog buns (my husband bought these yesterday. Score!)
sauerkraut
ketchup

Other items from fridge:
red bell pepper
onion
garlic
jalapeno

Items I needed to purchase:
1 pack Lightlife Smart Dogs

Cooking out of the pantry: Breakfast Sandwich

Simple tofu scramble between two slices of whole wheat slathered with vegan mayo and topped with ketchup and hot sauce! I didn't have to delve too much into my pantry but it was nice to have these few ingredients for this delicious breakfast.

Pantry staples used:
whole wheat bread
herbs/spices: garlic powder, turmeric
ketchup
hot sauce

Other ingredients:
onion
firm tofu
Vegenaise

Ingredients I had to purchase: none

Cooking out of the pantry: Enchilada Casserole and Sweet Corn Cake

So, day one of cooking from my pantry! I was lazy today to look for a new recipe so I reverted back to my old standby. This time I added tvp to the filling to bulk it up a bit. To go with the casserole, I made a side dish of mexican sweet corn cake which is a recipe from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen.

Pantry staples used:
quinoa
1 can black beans
tvp
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
dried herbs/spices: cumin, oregano, new mexico chili powder
6 whole wheat flour tortillas
masa harina
cornmeal
sugar
canola oil

Other vegetables/fruits and fridge items etc:
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
10 oz. frozen corn
Vegenaise
Earth Balance margarine

Ingredients I needed to purchase: none


Mmm, casserole!


Mexican sweet corn cake. This was really delicious and sweet.

Time to cook out of the pantry again!

No food post today because I've got mounds of leftovers to eat. I've been thinking about what kinds of things I can make out of what's in my pantry in order to save money on groceries. In the next month or so I am going to be budgeting big time and I know that I spend a lot of my money on food. I've made a list of everything in my pantry listed below. What I plan to do is create delicious and nutritious meals out of these things along with any fresh produce that I can afford through the weeks. We'll see how it goes! I'm serious about sticking to this this time around. I always start and then forget about it and go out to eat! Not so good for my wallet. So here's to a good month of pantry eating!

Dry Legumes:
fava beans
black beans
pinto beans
kidney beans
chickpeas
aduki beans
salvadorean red beans
mung beans
green lentil
red lentil
yellow split pea

Grains:
pasta
vermicelli
rice noodles
somen noodles
arborio rice
basmati rice
jasmine rice
calrose rice
quinoa
couscous
bulgur
millet
pearl barley
oats
oat bran
chickpea flour
all purpose flour
spelt flour
cornmeal
corn flour (masa)
farina

Canned Foods:
tomato sauce
diced tomatoes
chipotle chiles
Thai curry pastes (red, green, massaman, panang)
kidney beans
black beans
white beans
Heinz beans

Frozen:
green peas
veggie mix
veggie burgers
corn tortillas
whole wheat pita
walnuts
sunflower seeds

Other:
TVP
rice milk
soy milk
peanut butter
jam
maple syrup
tahini
tamarind paste
sauerkraut
condiments (mustard, ketchup, bbq sauce, HP sauce, hot sauce)
dried herbs and spices

Pantry List (again).

I like lists so I don't mind doing this every now and again. Here's what I've got in my pantry. I seriously have to stop going to the market every other day for stuff when I can make perfectly good meals out of what I already have. I hope to cook with these items and I will try to keep purchased ingredients to a minimum.

-jasmine and basmati white rice
-sushi rice
-corn pasta
-white pasta
-quinoa
-bulgur
-millet
-pearled barley
-oats
-TVP (textured vegetable protein)
-whole wheat flour/all purpose flour
-masa
-split red lentils
-green lentils
-yellow split peas
-black olives
-roasted red peppers
-tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned diced and stewed tomatoes
-1 can split pea soup
-1 can pinto beans
-2 cans kidney beans
-5 cans chickpeas
-2 cans blackeyed peas
-dry aduki beans
-dry red salvadorean beans
-dry black beans
-miso paste (red and white)
-3-4 cans coconut milk
-various thai curry pastes
-frozen corn
-frozen green beans
-frozen lima beans
-frozen peas
-russet potatoes
-onions/garlic
-pita bread
-corn tortillas
-flour tortillas
-taco shells

Hopefully I'll get inspiration from my cookbooks...




I've got a few non veg cookbooks as well. Good for getting ideas and I'm not averse to veganizing recipes that require animal products!

Using up what's in your kitchen!

I had this plan to make pizzas this weekend with some vegan mozzarella that I bought but I didn't have any of the other ingredients that I needed like pizza dough and the right veggies for toppings (I was in the mood for red onions, green peppers, olives and pineapple). I am trying to save money by not going to the market every other day for stuff so I opened up my fridge and pantry and perused my stock. I had quinoa. I had black beans. I had canned tomatoes. I had fresh kale. I had fresh mushrooms. I had flour tortillas. "Burritos!" I said.

Pantry staples used:
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
tomato sauce
quinoa
flour tortillas

Other vegetables/fruits/misc. ingredients etc:
kale
onion
garlic
mushrooms
vegan mozzarella
vegenaise
lemon

Ingredients I had to purchase: none

So here they are, wet burritos (aka "enchilada style" burritos) with a delicious quinoa, black bean and kale filling, topped with tomato sauce, a bit of the vegan mozzarella and drizzled with lemon spiked vegenaise. I based the recipe off of the burrito recipe I posted on my blog several months ago. Find it here.


Looks like enchiladas and they smelled like pizza!


Insides.


I got this cookbook recently and it looks really good. There are a variety of vegetarian recipes from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria that I can't wait to try.


I made a Tunisian Boisson aux Fraises, a refreshing strawberry drink flavored with lemon, orange flower water and sugar.

Cooking out of the Pantry: Red Lentil Dhal

While compiling my list of pantry staples yesterday I already had in mind the first thing I was going to make: Isa's Red Lentil Dhal. I had all the ingredients, so this afternoon I got to work. I've never made dhal before, I've only had it at indian restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised how wonderful, complex, rich and flavorful this dhal was! The first step of toasting and grinding your own spices really contributes to the tasty flavors.

Pantry staples used:
1 cup split red lentils
assorted spices
veggie broth powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste (I only used 2 TB and freezed leftovers)
white jasmine rice

Other vegetables/fruits etc:
1 lime
1" piece of ginger
1 onion
3 cloves garlic

Ingredients I had to purchase: none



Look at that rich color!


My little lunch serving. This recipe makes A LOT so I will be eating this for a while... Money has been saved!

Cleaning out the pantry.

Times are tough. Very very tough. Business is slow for me and it has been since January 1st. It's a bummer and there's not much I can do except keep on looking out for a part time gig that will help me out. In the meantime, take a look at my shop, you might find something you like!

I've been reading up on the vegan blogs and came across some great ideas at Melomeals. Melody is on a strict budget and has been spending $3.33 per day on food. She has been using up all of the food in her pantry which is what I plan to do this month. I've got a ton of stuff in there that I haven't used and/or have forgotten all about. My challenge this month is to use up as much of it as possible and try to spend less than $15 per week on fresh veggies/fruits and any miscellaneous ingredients that I may need. I told my non-vegan husband that if he's not too keen on eating out of the pantry, he may go ahead and make his go-to pastas, grilled cheeses and whatever he wants to make for himself.

I, on the other hand will try to work with these items:

-brown rice/white rice/sushi rice
-corn pasta/white pasta
-quinoa
-bulgur
-millet
-pearled barley
-oats
-TVP (textured vegetable protein)
-whole wheat flour/all purpose flour
-split red lentils
-green lentils
-yellow split peas
-instant mashed potatoes
-black olives
-roasted red peppers
-tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned diced and stewed tomatoes
-2 cans white beans
-1 can black beans
-1 can fava beans
-1 can refried beans
-2 cans kidney beans
-5 cans chickpeas
-dry aduki beans
-dry red salvadorean beans
-sundried tomato pesto
-chinese style plum sauce
-1 large can pure pumpkin
-plain soymilk
-2 cans coconut milk
-various curry pastes
-frozen corn
-frozen spinach
-russet potatoes
-onions/garlic
-white bread loaf
-german rye bread
-whole wheat pitas
-corn tortillas
-flour tortillas
-taco shells

Lots of things with potential to be great meals! I see a few curries happening, maybe some tacos, burritos as well as casseroles (my favorite kind of dish!). I think it will be a fun challenge. To those of you out there going through tough times and having to pinch pennies, all the best to you and hopefully you are eating well.

VeganMoFo: A Vegan Pantry

I pulled out some items from my pantry to give you an idea of what goods I use the most in every day cooking. Sometimes when I'm low on groceries, I can go in and find stuff that will pull together a quick meal without having to run to the store.


Rice/Bulgur/Quinoa: these things will provide a good base for a meal. I can use rice or quinoa for a casserole or for a side dish with curry. I can use bulgur for a salad or a casserole as well. I also have couscous and brown rice. If you buy these in bulk you will save money.
Red and Green Lentils: used for a bunch of things from soup to stew to salads to lentil patties to lentil loaf.
Split peas: for soup! I also have yellow split peas.
Canned Chipotle Peppers: to add a smoky spicy heat to burritos or enchiladas. I also have canned green chiles.
Agave Syrup: I use this to sweeten tea or if I want to add a slight sweetness to a dish without using sugar. I get this at Trader Joe's for $3!
I also have maple syrup and regular unrefined sugar.


Canned Beans: black, kidney, fava, chickpeas, white...I love them all!
Canned Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce: A must have. I use these the absolute most for sauces and additions to different dishes. I also have tomato paste.
Canned Olives: to add to salads and pasta.
Thai Curry Paste: I like to have small tins different flavors of thai curry paste for curries. You can find these at thai grocery or asian grocery.
Pasta: We have a lot! This can save our lives if we have nothing else. Pasta with some garlic and olive oil is one of the cheapest and most favorite meals around here.
Roasted Red Peppers: for pastas or salad and a component in making vegan "cheez".
Strawberry Jam: For toast, PB & J!


Unsweetened plain soymilk: used a lot in cooking for mashed potatoes, cream sauces, gravies etc. I also have chocolate soymilk, yum.
Coconut milk: for thai curries and desserts.
Indian spice mixes: for indian curries (my favorite!) You can find these at indian grocer or order online.
Nutritional Yeast: for "cheez" sauces as well as a B-12 supplement. KAL is the best tasting brand.
HP Sauce: to put on anything. Ketchup and BBQ sauce are missing from this picture but they would be right next to the HP sauce.