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The Kitchen Recessionista

So, here we are, in a recession. Let's eat!

Red Beans and Rice With Vegetarian Chorizo.

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We haven’t had this Cajun classic in awhile, and it was well past time we brought one of our favorites, red beans and rice, back out of the pantry!  It’s one of those meals that tastes so good, it’s hard to believe it only takes 30 minutes and two pots!
Tonight’s rendition was especially good because of the toned-down “dirty rice” I put together.  Along with the regular helping of white rice I always place into the cooker, I added four Lightlife vegetarian chorizo sausages, cut into coins, and stirred everything together thoroughly.  I know that traditionally, dirty rice has all sorts of other ingredients – celery, onion, spices, etc. – but this was a post-work dirty rice, and thus was a bit more minimalist, shall we say. 
But in the end, it got the job done!  LeeLee raved and raved about how good the chorizo tasted embedded in the rice as it was, and the red beans I heated on the stovetop were a perfect complement.  Paired with a slice of garlic bread and topped with sour cream, a little Daiya pepperjack, and my beloved nutritional yeast (as well as a hearty dose of Tony Chachere seasoning!), it was a completely filling meal that satisfied us both.  I do love Cajun cooking!

:)

New Recipe: Vegan “Shrimp” Tacos With Avocado Fries.

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One of my favorite coastal meals is shrimp tacos, and since LeeLee and I have been vegetarian (almost 15 years running now), I haven’t had any proxy for them, not even once.  Tonight changed all that – and we’re hooked!
We called on good old Sophie’s Kitchen again tonight for all our vegan shrimp needs, and once again, we weren’t disappointed.  I baked a batch of “shrimp” for about 15 minutes and tucked a little foil pan of black beans into the oven too – why use a stovetop eye when the oven would do the trick all the way around?  (Near the end of the cooking process, I also tucked four flour tortillas wrapped in foil on the second oven rack to warm up.)
As everything baked, I prepared my side items!  I used shredded lettuce tonight – we normally use the leafy kind instead, but tonight I wanted a coastal, light taste, and shredded lettuce did the trick.  We also had quite a few cherry tomatoes on hand from this weekend’s veggie plate while watching the football game, and I washed a helping of those for garnish.
Finally, I prepared the avocado by slicing it into French-fry-style wedges, putting all the wedges in a bowl, and tossing them with a hearty dose of nutritional yeast and a pinch (or several) of chipotle seasoning.
Within just a few minutes, everything in the oven was ready, and we set to work assembling our tacos.  First we spooned a small serving of black beans in the middle each tortilla, then topped it with three or four (or five) pieces of shrimp.  Then we added a handful of lettuce, several tomatoes, and a generous dose of black olives, and topped everything off with some Daiya pepperjack cheese!  LeeLee added original Tabasco for some flair, while I went the more sedate chipotle Tabasco route.  Diff’rent strokes and all that.
The final product was so incredibly tasty.  We loved the blend of flavors, from the smoky black beans to the crispy shrimp, from the crunch of the lettuce to the juicy cherry tomatoes.  The olives added a salty kick, and the pepperjack gave the dish some spice (to say nothing of the Tabasco!).  And the avocado fries!  They were just great – the creamy avocado really soaked up the nutritional yeast and chipotle powder.
I can already tell you that this recipe will soon be a mainstay at our place!
VEGAN “SHRIMP” TACOS
Serves 2-4
What you’ll need:
1 package vegan shrimp (we used Sophie’s Kitchen)
1 can black beans
1 package taco-sized flour tortillas
1 bag shredded lettuce
1 container cherry tomatoes
1 can sliced black olives
1 package vegan cheese (we used Daiya pepperjack shreds)
Hot sauce, to taste
Cook the shrimp according to the package directions.  Heat up the black beans however you see fit (on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven in a foil pan).  Several minutes prior to the end of the cooking time, wrap the flour tortillas in foil and add them to the oven with the shrimp – just two to three minutes will heat them through.
Just like that, it’s time to put everything together!  Once the shrimp and black beans are hot and fully cooked, spoon the beans onto a tortilla, then add three to four pieces of shrimp.  Next add the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, and hot sauce, as well as any other side items you like (sour cream and avocado are other favorites of ours). 
Dig in – you’re ready to eat!

:)

Vietnamese-Inspired Veggie Dogs With Peas and Potatoes.

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Sunday Cookout Day cometh yet again!  Over the past few weeks, we’ve gotten onto a bit of a veggie-dog kick on Sunday nights, and that’s A-OK with both LeeLee and me.  Tonight, we pulled another recipe from Tablespoon.com – their Vietnamese-inspired hot dogs – and vegetarianized it for a great feast!
First, though, I prepared the side dishes.  To start, I peeled and diced several potatoes and placed them in a foil packet with several pats of butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a generous helping of vegetarian bacon bits.  This packet went on the grill first and cooked for about 40 minutes in all. 
Next, I prepared a grill pan and placed a can of English peas in it, seasoning them with pepper for some extra kick.  After about 10 minutes of cooking for the potatoes, I added the grill pan to the grate and let it cook for about half an hour in all!
Finally, with about 10 minutes left in the process, I put a package of veggie dogs on to cook, and within minutes they were ready to go.  Then I heated up two buns, and we got ready to eat!
But before we eat, a lamentation.  Tonight was gorgeous — the weather was cool and crisp, our first hint of autumn.  But the mosquitos haven’t quite abated yet, and with Alexandria’s first case of West Nile virus on the scene just two weeks ago, LeeLee and I decided to dine inside.  It’s a shame – we would’ve loved to have soaked in some cool air for a change!  But soon, I know, the coast will be clear.
Anyway, on with dinner!  I transferred the potatoes to a serving bowl, took the foil off of the peas, and served the veggie dogs with all the fixins – some fresh spicy pepper rings, the Sriracha ketchup and honey mustard dressings that the Tablespoon recipe recommended, and, for extra flair, a hearty helping of Clean sauerkraut from No. 1 Sons.  It was all such a hit!  We both wolfed down everything on the table and went back for seconds on the potatoes, peas, and sauerkraut.  (LeeLee even went back for thirds on the sauerkraut!)
As usual, the cookout was a great way to wind down our weekend and kick off a new workweek.  Here’s to happy, productive Mondays everywhere!

:)

Potato and Corn Salad With Vegan Shrimp.

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So, as I’ve mentioned now quite often, we have a bunch of potatoes skulking about the house.  Fortunately, other members of my CSA, Great Country Farms, have been generous with their recipe suggestions, and I took one of them to heart tonight!
Along with our potatoes, we’ve also had plenty of fresh corn as of late thanks to our weekly veggie boxes, so this Food Network recipe was no trouble at all to put together.  Since I’m training for a triathlon and this week is a ramp-up week, I’m hungry all the time, so I decided to add a little protein to the mix by way of some Sophie’s Kichen vegan shrimp.  As a Gulf Coast native, I figure shrimp (or, these days, its vegan counterpart) goes with anything!
And so I got started preparing the veggies – though I deviated from the recipe a little and boiled both the corn and the potatoes in the same pot at the same time instead of sautéing the corn separately.  As they cooked, I heated up a pan full of vegan shrimp, which were warm and toasty by the time the potatoes were soft and the kernels of corn were ready to be cut off the cob!
In a large bowl I shaved the ears of corn clean and then added the drained diced potatoes to the mix.  Then I put the shrimp on top and sliced a scallion, and finally tossed everything in the dressing.  Instead of using buttermilk, I used almond milk, and for the first time I tried out Just Mayo, which I liked quite a lot!  I also used white balsamic vinegar for the vinegar, because we had it lying around so why not. :)
The result?  Majesty!  We loved this salad so very much, and the shrimp did indeed make a wonderful addition to the mix.  It was fresh yet filling; healthy yet hearty.  And the dressing was just great!  I was worried that the almond milk would render it too watery, but it maintained a very nice consistency within the salad and coated the ingredients just beautifully.
We were both so pleased with this salad – I’ll definitely make this recipe again!  And heaven knows we’ll have plenty of potatoes to practice on in the next little while.  (Speaking of, if you have suggestions for what we should do with our dozens of pounds of potatoes, please speak up in the comments!  I’d love to hear from you.)

:)

New Recipe: Vegan “Tuna” Noodle Casserole.

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Now THIS is a recipe I haven’t had in a long, long time – not for at least 14 years, or since LeeLee and I became vegetarian!
I’ve been noodling – no pun intended (well, maybe a little bit intended ;)) – on how to concoct a vegan version of tuna noodle casserole for a few months now, and tonight I decided to give it a go.  It’s so much easier now that we can enjoy vegan Toona via Sophie’s Kitchen!  And after I concocted a satisfying vegan cream sauce recently, pairing it with my creamed “tuna” over English muffins, I knew this casserole would be doable indeed.
With that in mind, I got cooking!  I put the pasta water on to boil and started in on the cream sauce (details below).  Once the water was boiling, I added a package of eggless ribbon noodles and half a bag of green peas, and after the sauce thickened there on the other burner, I added a jar of sliced mushrooms and a jar of pimientos (like a good Southerner, I keep them on hand at all times!). After the cream sauce was nicely thickened, I added two cans of Toona, stirring well to combine, and then drained the pasta.  After that, it was simply a matter of mixing everything together in my bright yellow casserole dish, topping the meal off with some bread crumbs, and baking it for 20 minutes!
Let me tell you, friends – this toona noodle casserole was SO good.  It tasted just like the seafood version I remember from all those years ago!  The cream sauce was smooth and satisfying; the pimientos and peas played nicely amidst the noodles; and the Toona itself was wonderfully flavorful, with a mix of salt and pepper hanging out within the flakes.  I confess I enjoyed two helpings, and we’ve got plenty more for lunches for the week!  I can already tell you that it’ll be a fight between family members to get the lion’s share for each day’s noontime meal.
OK, enough intro – let’s get on with the recipe!
VEGAN “TUNA” NOODLE CASSEROLE
Serves 4-6
What you’ll need:
1 bag ribbon noodles (think egg noodles, but vegan)
½ bag frozen green peas
¼ cup vegan butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups almond milk
1 jar sliced mushrooms
1 jar diced pimientos
1 can vegan tuna
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
¼ cup bread crumbs
First, set the pasta water on to boil and prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.  Add the frozen peas to the pasta pot as well; they’ll all heat up nicely together!
As the noodles cook, prepare the cream sauce.  First, make a roux by melting the butter in a saucepan and then whisking the flour in to make a paste.  Once those two ingredients are combined, add the milk and whisk continuously until the mixture becomes a cream sauce (this always takes me 5-7 minutes).  Once the sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency, add the mushrooms, pimientos, vegan tuna, salt, and pepper, and stir well to combine.
Drain the pasta and peas and then put them into a casserole dish.  (The casserole dish I used tonight managed to fit almost all of the cooked pasta; your mileage may vary!)  Next, pour the sauce on top a few dollops at a time, stirring to combine as you go.  Keep adding sauce until the sauce is all gone (or until there’s simply no more room left in the casserole dish!).  If you have sauce left over, you probably have pasta left over, too, so just combine the two and you’ll have an auxiliary tuna noodle casserole for later.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs atop the casserole and put the dish in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.  Once the crumbs have browned and the top noodles are a little crispy, you’re ready to eat!
Enjoy!

:)

Vegan Jalapeno-Popper Burgers With Grilled Green Beans and Grilled Potatoes.

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Have I mentioned that we are now the proud owners of 50+ pounds of potatoes?
I know I’ve alluded to the fact that we now have a steady stream of potatoes coming in the door in our weekly veggie boxes from Great Country Farms, but clearly we are gluttons for spuds – this weekend, we ventured out to the farm to pick our own potatoes!  This is an annual event for LeeLee and me; beginning the day with fresh pancakes and then proceeding out to the potato fields (and, later, to the vineyard across the road for a taste!) is a Labor Day weekend tradition. 
But never before have I actually broken the scale when checking out!  LeeLee kept saying that my bag was too heavy, that I needed to cease and desist, but I paid him no mind.  When we went to check out, his bag rang in at a jaunty 20ish pounds and mine was … well, my bag caused the little scale to beep because my haul was over 30 pounds.  Yikes!
After putting the potatoes out to dry and cure for a couple of days, we’ve packed them into big cardboard boxes and lined each layer with newspapers.  With proper protection, they’ll last us till the new year!
If we quit eating them for every meal, that is.  Currently we’re still in the honeymoon phase with our potato haul – they can do no wrong as of yet.  Which brings me to tonight’s dinner: a Labor Day cookout, naturally.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally got the hang of grilling potatoes, and now there’s no stopping me!  Years ago, I tried the same feat, but I didn’t factor in the girth and density of the spuds, and they came out hard and inedible.  (We had to bake them in the oven for another half-hour to render them useful!)  That little experience put me off of grilling them again for quite some time, until a couple of weeks ago, when I cooked out with my mom and dad, and I got the nerve to give it another try.
I’m SO glad that I did!  That time, I washed them (as usual) and cut them into a small dice, then put them in a foil packet with a bit of olive oil.  They turned out wonderfully after about 35 minutes on the grill!  Tonight, I went a step further and used butter instead of olive oil, then garnished them with a little salt, garlic powder, and fresh parsley from our herb garden.  Then I put them on the grill and let them go for about 40 minutes (to be safe!), flipping them every 10.
As they cooked, I also prepared some fresh green beans and placed them – along with some butter, some diced veggie bacon, and some chipotle powder – in a foil packet and let them cook for about 35 minutes, turning every 10.  Let me tell you, friends – the bacon was a welcome addition to this side dish and one that I shall repeat with gusto as time goes by!
But I haven’t even mentioned the main course yet – the jalapeno popper burgers I’ve made from time to time!  I found this recipe over at Tablespoon a long time ago and have used it with great success since.  At first, I took the writer’s advice and prepared these in my cast-iron skillet on the stovetop, but these days I’ve thrown all caution to the wind and grilled them outside several times with no ill effects.  I use a tube of Lightlife Gimme Lean veggie beef as my base and then tonight used Daiya cream cheese with a diced jalapeno from our garden (and a dash of cumin, just because) as the filling.  After about 12 minutes on the grill, these big, thick burgers were ready to go!
We devoured the meal with much excitement – there wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch tonight!  Paired with some leftover beers from this weekend’s football game, it was a Labor Day feast to be reckoned with indeed.

:)

Vegetarian Koreatown Dogs With Corn and Grilled Edamame.

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In journalism, editors stress one key point above all else: Don’t bury the lede.  With that in mind, let me cut right to the chase and then work backwards.  Tonight, for the first time, I grilled edamame pods – and they were glorious!
Great Country Farms sent us a great big bag of edamame in this week’s CSA box, and at first I was at a loss as to how to prepare it.  Sure, there’s the traditional method of steaming them, but I wasn’t sure when I would get a chance to do it, and I had no idea what meal I’d pair them up with.  This afternoon, as I concocted the final menu plan for tonight’s cookout – I’d already settled on the Koreatown hot dogs from over at Tablespoon.com but was perusing my fresh veggies for good side items – it hit me: Why don’t I cook the edamame in a foil packet?
And so it came to pass that I washed each pod thoroughly, laid them out on a sheet of aluminum foil, doused them with just the slightest hint of olive oil and gave them a little taste of salt.  Then I wrapped the packet back up and put it in the fridge until Go Time.
While I was there at the sink, I pulled two fresh ears of corn out of the fridge and prepared them in foil packets as well, adding a pat of butter and a dusting of garlic powder to each ear before wrapping them up in foil.  Then I paraded outside to light the grill and get the party started!
First I put on the corn, followed five minutes later by the edamame packet.  After they cooked for about 25-30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes or so, I added the veggie dogs to the grill as well, followed closely by two buns for toasting purposes.
Mother Nature kept up her running commentary throughout tonight’s cookout, letting loose with a rumble of thunder every few minutes just to let me know she was on her way.  But thankfully, we made it through our barbecuing time before the rain came and the lightning show began!
As the sky darkened, I hustled everything off the grill and brought the plates into the house for serving.  The veggie dogs were great!  Per the recipe, we topped them with a Korean spicy sauce and a tangy kimchi.  Then we unwrapped the ears of corn from their foil – glorious!  The kernels were sweet and juicy and pleasingly soft.  Then, as the piece de resistance, we opened up the pouch of edamame, and I held my breath for the verdict.  The first soybeans emerged from their pod just perfectly – success!  Thankfully, all the others followed suit as LeeLee and I worked through them.
Every component of this meal worked out beautifully, both together and separately!  I’ll definitely grill edamame again; it added a great flair to an already wonderful vegetable.  Hooray, Sunday cookouts!

:)

Old Faithful Taco Salad.

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Why didn’t I think of this before?
As it happened, last night we had a little bit of our black beans and rice – aka Old Faithful – left over after dinner.  Tonight, I dined alone – LeeLee had a meeting that went through dinner – and I was looking for something easy, yet filling; tasty, yet healthy.  As I drove home, it hit me!  Why don’t I put the leftover Old Faithful on a tostada bowl, add some fixins, and make it a salad?
Genius!
When I arrived home, I got straight to work.  First I heated up the black beans and rice and cooked a tostada shell at 350 for several minutes.  Next, I layered a heaping helping of lettuce in the bottom of the shell, then added the leftover beans and rice, then a handful of cherry tomatoes (from a larger collection I have for this weekend’s FSU football party – nobody will miss them!), then some Daiya cheddar cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, and some Tabasco.  I topped the whole thing with salad dressing, and dinner was ready five minutes after prep had begun!
I really can’t believe I haven’t tried this particular taco salad combination before!  Maybe I’d pigeonholed poor ol’ Old Faithful and couldn’t see it in a new light?  In any case, I’ve seen the error of my ways now, and I won’t make that mistake again.  This would also be an excellent workday lunch; I may make a batch of beans and rice for just such an occasion!

:)

Old Faithful With Tofu.

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It’s been awhile since Old Faithful has graced our table, but tonight it returned with vigor!  I got out of work a little late and had plenty to do when I got home, so I needed a set-and-forget meal to fuel us for the evening ahead.  (It’s Cleaning Night here at Chez Recessionista, you see; after several busy weeks of comings and goings, we’ve both let the housekeeping go a little bit!  I’m proud to say that as of tonight, as I write this, things are back in order.  Phew!)
Anyway, back to Old Faithful.  Those readers who’ve been around this space for a while know that this meal is really simply black beans and rice, topped with whatever we’ve got on hand.  Tonight, those toppings included some leftover tofu from last night’s salad, a can of sliced black olives, a dollop of Tofutti sour cream, and a handful of Daiya cheddar shredded cheese.  And some Tabasco, of course!  I also added some tortilla chips (left over from Sunday’s nachos) on the side, because why not?
Thank heaven for the rice cooker; it ensured the rice was pitch-perfect as usual while I tended to other things!  Paired with a pot of black beans, which I’d simmered with a dash (or two) of adobo seasoning, it was the perfect summertime meal.  The leftover tofu added a zing, as well; I think I’ll use tofu in this dish again!

:)

New Recipe: Tofu and Arugula Salad With Goat Cheese and Pimientos.

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Necessity is the mother of invention, they say (whoever “they” are!), and tonight I had a need: A need to be fed, and a need to redo my salad plans on the fly because the beets I thought I had in the fridge, well, I didn’t have.  (These things happen sometimes!)
I had all the rest of my ingredients, however – arugula, baked tofu, goat cheese – and after a quick scan of the pantry, I added diced pimientos to the mix.  (Every good Southerner keeps a jar or two of pimientos in the cabinet for safety’s sake!)
First, I baked the tofu for 15 minutes to heat it through.  As it cooked, I prepared a bed of arugula on a plate and then added half a jar of drained, diced pimientos to the leaves.  Then I waited patiently for the tofu, and when it was hot, I cut the square into an inch-wide dice and tossed half of the squares onto each plate.
Next it was time to add some goat cheese!  I bought some last week at Whole Foods (a luxury, I know) for just such an occasion and was delighted to crumble a little atop the salad.  After that, I added a little black pepper for garnish, and put a spot of store-bought salad dressing (Thousand Island worked quite nicely) on top.  Then it was time to dig in!
This may have been a last-minute salad, but it was fantastic!  It was so fresh, so summery, and the arugula added a wonderfully peppery bite to each mouthful.  The baked tofu turned out very nicely and anchored the dish, while the pimientos and goat cheese provided both complementary textures and excellent flavors; the push-and-pull of tangy and buttery played very nicely.
We’ll definitely give this dish another try!  It’s incredibly versatile and would be great no matter the season – or the meal!  (I already have big plans for upcoming lunches!)
TOFU AND ARUGULA SALAD
Serves two
What you’ll need:
1 block baked tofu (we used teriyaki flavor)
1 bag arugula
1 jar diced pimientos
1 block goat cheese
2 tsp. black pepper
Salad dressing of your choice
First, remove the baked tofu from the packaging and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the tofu at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
While the tofu cooks, wash your arugula and arrange it on dinner plates.  Don’t be skimpy on the arugula – this will make the bed of your meal!
Drain the jar of pimientos and add half the jar to each plate, atop the arugula.  Try to ensure that the pimientos are evenly distributed across the plate.
When the tofu has warmed up, dice it into one-inch squares and add half to each plate, arranging it evenly as you did the pimientos.  Next, crumble up goat cheese to taste and add it to each salad.
Top each plate with pepper to taste, add the salad dressing of your choice, and serve!
Enjoy!

:)