Making it Easier: 2 Products

One of the biggest obstacles to being the only vegetarian at the table is TIME.  If, like me, you are cooking for a crowd of non-vegetarians, it’s easy to skimp on yourself, as you are likely doing more cooking for the omnivores in your life.  On more than one occasion, I’ve been known to eat “just the sides” for this reason.  Disappointing!

There are no easy answers to this, but here are two products to make mealtime preparation a little more convenient.

The first is from the company called Gardein.  This is your answer to an easy entree and a good source of protein!  While the concept of a prepacked vegetarian entree is nothing new, the ones I’ve tried have disappeared from my grocery aisles (O Seasoned Baked Tofu, wherefore art thou?) or have a lot to be desired in the taste department.

Gardein produces products in categories similar to chicken, beef, and fish.  Some are gluten-free, and others are created to help you through holiday traditions!  I enjoy the variety that is available, but also the fact that SAUCE PACKETS that come with each entree.  Let’s face it– processed vegetarian food is often dry, so these packets add a lot of welcome flavor.

Adding to the ease of this product is the fact that it is available (at least here) in my regular grocery store as well as Target.  No need to make a trip to a specialty store!

Target has introduced a similar product in its Simply Balanced line, but based on the one type I tried, I prefer the Gardein variety.  (Ha, ha!)

The other product is from Live Gourmet.  It’s called Living Lettuce.  The lettuce is still ALIVE.

How does this make life easier?  Well, if you’re like me, the fewer trips to the grocery store, the better!  But, when you want fresh produce, it’s necessary.  Living Lettuce bridges the gap between those days when you just can’t make it.  It is also less wasteful because it won’t go bad quickly.

What products do you find make your life easier?

Soup and Crepes

When I went to church as a child, I got excited when I heard that there would be “Coffee-and” in the rectory.  For many years, I didn’t understand the phrase; it just meant there would be donuts in my mind.  Finally, I realized that it meant “Coffee and . . .”  Ah.

I still don’t drink coffee (only because I don’t like it, but I feel sort of left out that I don’t).  Instead, I like the idea of “Soup and . . .”

I started a tradition (out of necessity) whereby I’d serve vegetables first at the meals, and then the rest of the courses.  Soup is one of the most pleasant ways to do it.  Most of my kids still don’t exactly enjoy it, but they go along with it most of the time.  With a soup, you can combine several different vegetables together into one dish, and puree or blend it as needed to accommodate texture preferences.

The combination of soup and crepes creates a delightfully refreshing and interactive meal.  The following recipes address the vegetables in the (vegan!) soup, and the needs of vegetarians and non-vegetarians all at the same table via crepes.

SOUP

No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup.  You have to make this.  It is vegan and it is delicious.  I find that I crave this soup.  Of course, substitute vegetarian broth or bullion for the broth and leave out the chicken.  I always puree the spinach, too.  While the recipe suggests doubling, for some reason my results have not been so good that way.  Why?  Makes no sense, but try to anyway.  One batch doesn’t make much, and you’ll want more for leftovers the next day anyway.  If you don’t want to include the leeks or are short on time, it’s still good without them.  If it’s spring, “beware of the spring leeks,” because they often have a woody stem– just make sure to remove it.

CREPES

Simple Crepes.  Whip up the batter for this before you begin the soup.  I don’t know why, but I just like to let it “sit.”  While your soup is cooling off (I do this before I puree in a food processor or blender because my immersion blender and I aren’t friends), you can start getting these ready.  I use an electric, non-stick griddle (buttered!) and it works well.  I reheat it once the crepes are almost done.

Since the soup and crepes are made from scratch, avoid having to make crepe fillings.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.  Instead, use ingredients that require no preparation other than perhaps chopping.

Use crepe meals as a way to encourage trying new things and being creative with ingredients.  Here are some ideas:

• Various types of cheese.  Fresh mozzarella, cheddar, feta, and Irish cheese are favorites here.  It’s fun to think about cheeses from all around the world just hanging out peacefully at one table together.
• Chopped spinach (you might have leftover from your soup!) or other dark greens.
• Various fresh herbs, like cilantro and basil.
• Mini limes.  My kids had fun with these.  Squeeze some lime juice on the soup, the crepes, or just suck on one.  .10 each at the Mexican grocery store!
• Diced tomatoes or peppers.
• Avocado.
• Hollandaise sauce.  If I feel like making this, I always use a little packet and just add butter and milk.
• Deli meat, including pepperoni.
• Leftovers!  Think of it as “clear out the refrigerator night” and think of what else might work rolled up in a crepe.

And, of course, you can carry your crepe theme all the way into dessert.  Banana and Nutella crepe, anyone?

 

Roasted Sweet Potato Taco Filling

A Mexican meal is easy to adapt when there is a variety of eating preferences.

Here’s what a sample Mexican meal includes for us:

-Ground meat, pan fried in a little canola

-Roasted sweet potato taco filling

-Quesadillas (I make these with both flour and corn tortillas)

-Guacamole (homemade or bought)

-Fixings like shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce

-Plain tortillas, warmed (flour and corn)

-Jarritos, once in awhile, as a treat

-Fruit of some kind

The roasted sweet potato taco filling is really easy, and bakes while you get everything else ready.

ROASTED SWEET POTATO TACO FILLING

Ingredients:

-2 sweet potatoes (medium or large, depending on how much you want, and if you want leftovers)
-1 onion (1 large or maybe 2 small)
-1 can black beans, drained
-oil
-cumin
-salt
-pepper

Directions:

(1) Heat oven to 400 or 425 (this isn’t an exact science!)

(2) Peel and cube 2 sweet potatoes (bite-size pieces)

(3) Thinly slice an onion or two

(4) In a pan (9 X 13) or baking sheet with a rim, add sweet potatoes and onions to form one layer

(5) In a small bowl or mixing cup, mix olive oil (enough to coat the vegetables), salt, pepper, and cumin

(6) Pour oil mixture over vegetables; use spatula or spoon to coat

(7) Bake for about 45 minutes or until tender

(8) Remove pan from oven

(9) Rinse and drain black beans if you haven’t already done so

(10) Add black beans to sweet potato mixture

This is just a basic recipe.  Add more spices, cilantro, cheese, other vegetables or legumes.  How would pineapple taste in there? This filling can be eaten plain, on tortillas, crepes, flatbread, etc.

 

photo credit: USDAgov via photopin cc

Is it too early for lunch?

I get up early in the morning, about 5:30 a.m., and work out between 5-6 days a week.  After I exercise, I eat breakfast.  Lately it’s just been:

-one or two pieces of multigrain bread and some peanut butter.

Not natural PB, but it is low in sugar anyway.  And water.  I almost only drink water, because it’s my favorite drink.

I am hungry within 1 or two hours, and when I get hungry, I just want to eat.  I don’t want to peel anything or cook.  This morning, I had:

-a banana.

By 9:30, I was really hungry, and I wanted lunch.  Is 9:30 a..m. too early for lunch?  I ate leftovers from last night:

-quesadillas (made on flour tortillas)

-roasted sweet potatoes and onions

-homemade guacamole

Probably not enough protein in there yet, and not enough fruits/vegetables.

I’ll go type the recipe for the sweet potatoes now . . .