Sign Up for the Weekly Catch-Up!

The best of the blog, in your inbox.

The Kitchen Recessionista

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

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Backyard BBQ Chili.

by

vegan-bbq-chili

Crock-Pot Mondays often come in so very handy. For much of the last year, I’ve used them as a quick dinnertime stopoff between work and tai chi class. And now that class is on hiatus for the rest of the summer, I’m using it as the perfect version of fast food when workdays stretch into dinnertime. There’s just nothing better than coming home after a long day at the office to find dinner already made!

And tonight it was really a savior for us; LeeLee had to head out to a meeting well before I made it home from work, so he helped himself to a bowl or two of vegan backyard BBQ chili an hour before I arrived home and did the same! Set to Low, it remained piping-hot all the while, and each of us got to enjoy all the comforts of a home-cooked meal (and stay away from takeout for yet another night!).

Now, I know I’ve gone on and on about this recipe – one of my favorites from Robin Robertson’s Vegan Planet – time after time after time. But that’s because it’s just so good! It’s easy to make, tasty to eat, and hearty enough to last for meal after meal, leftover after leftover. The vegan beef crumbles provide a meaty base to the chili, and the two cans of kidney beans round out the protein with aplomb. And the barbecue sauce – what a star of the show! This morning I even forgot to add the usual accompanying brown sugar and the slightly-sweet flavor still hung in there just beautifully from the sauce alone.

As usual, I served mine atop a bed of Fritos, and topped with some vegan sour cream and Daiya cheddar. LeeLee enjoyed his Fritos on top of his chili and threw some hot sauce in for good measure as well. It takes all kinds here at Chez Recessionista!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Chik’n Posole.

by

crockpot-chikn-posole

Tonight was my last night of tai chi class for the summer, but don’t worry – Crock-Pot Mondays will definitely continue! For the class’s last hurrah, this evening I came home to a slow cooker full of vegan chik’n posole, one of our favorite go-to summer soups.

I don’t usually cook posole in the Crock-Pot, but this morning I dared to be different and got it all suited up! And what a wonderful hands-off slow-cooker meal it is: The ingredients were prepped and mixed in 5 minutes flat this morning and I didn’t have to do another thing to it until we got home tonight and put a ladle into it for serving! Now that’s a low-key, no-fuss meal I can get behind.

The prep work went as usual: Add a big can of hominy, a bag of vegan chik’n strips, a can of tomatoes with green chilies, some dried minced onion, some garlic powder, some ground pepper, and four cups of vegetable broth to a pot (in tonight’s case, the Crock-Pot) and cook until piping-hot. On the stove, obviously you’d bring it to boiling first, but with the slow cooker, all that’s needed is to flip it to Low and let time work its magic!

The final result was as wonderful as usual. The hominy kept its bite despite 10 hours of cooking, the chik’n strips were wonderfully tender, and the tomatoes with green chilies only intensified in their spiciness. There were only a few spoonfuls left at the end of dinner – a sign of a meal well-loved!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Spicy Vegetarian Beef-and-Veggie Stew.

by

veggie-beef-soup

Well, if it isn’t a new Crock-Pot recipe!

This morning, before work, I whipped up a new vegetable-soup ditty that includes all our favorites: Mixed vegetables, veggie-burger crumbles, and spicy tomatoes with green chilies! What could be better?

Like many of my favorite Crock-Pot recipes, this one couldn’t be easier to make: Simply place a bag of mixed vegetables (we used an asparagus-carrot-corn blend) in the crockery alongside four diced veggie-burger patties and a couple of teaspoons of dried minced onion, then add in a can of tomatoes with green chilies and top with one vegetable bouillon cube and about six cups of water (instead of the cube-and-water combo, vegetable broth would also work if you’re so inclined). Next, just flip the Crock-Pot to Low and cook all the day long!

By the time LeeLee and I got home from work tonight, the house had a wonderful aroma of homemade dinner, and after heating up a couple of garlic breadsticks to complement the stew, we dug right in! The final result was superb. The veggie burgers held up very well in the stew, and the vegetables themselves were crisp-tender for the most part (though a couple of asparagus spears were incredibly soft). The tomatoes with green chilies added a spicy kick to every spoonful, and the hue of onion provided a gentle overtone. The bouillon, meanwhile, had dissolved perfectly well into a lovely, rich broth.

The final analysis: We’ll be making this dish again! Not a bad way to kick off the week, if you ask me!

SPICY VEGETARIAN “BEEF” AND VEGGIE STEW.

Serves 4

What you’ll need:

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 package of veggie burgers
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1 vegetable bouillon cube, broken up a bit
6 cups water

Place all of the above into a slow cooker in the order provided (water last!). Flip the dial to Low and cook for 8-10 hours.

Enjoy!

:)

Crock-Pot Tuesday: Vegan Sausage, White-Bean, and Kale Stew.

by

vegan-sausage-kale-stew

Crock-Pot Monday may have come a day late this week, but it was anything but a dollar short! I ask you: When fresh kale (from our CSA, Great Country Farms) pairs with white cannellini beans and vegan sausage, what could possibly go wrong? Not a dang thing, friends.

This morning, before work, I pulled the Crock-Pot out from its weeklong R&R and put it into service for a vegetarian spin on this Real Simple recipe I’ve used for eons. I put four links of Tofurky Italian sausage, sliced into coins, into the crockery and then added a can of cannellini beans, a can of diced tomatoes, some garlic powder, and as much kale as I could possibly stuff into the pot before pouring a carton of broth over the whole shebang (the recipe calls for a can of broth, but I use a four-cup box) and mixing everything around nicely. Then all it took was about 10 hours on Low, and by the time LeeLee and I arrived home from work, dinner was ready!

Now, longtime readers of this blog may remember another time I made this stew only to find it contained an extra bit of (non-vegetarian) protein upon serving time. You’d better believe that I inspected every leaf of kale with extreme vigilance tonight to ensure I didn’t fall prey to the same scenario a second time! And – at least to our knowledge – tonight’s meal was caterpillar-free for a very welcome change.

And what’s more, our caterpillar-free meal made enough for one of us to enjoy for lunch tomorrow! I love a stew that keeps on stewing.

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Taco Soup.

by

vegan-taco-soup

“Tacccccccoooooo Soup!” LeeLee texted me today while we were both at work. I knew then that he’d come downstairs from his home office and gotten a whiff of the Crock-Pot’s contents, which had been set to Low since early this morning, stewing away. By the time I got home from work myself, the excitement had reached a crescendo: The cat was pirouetting around the living room, demanding her own dinner, while LeeLee met me at the door, both of us starving as well. Tacccccccccooooo Soup, indeed!

I’ve written about my favorite version of taco soup before, I know, and it remains one of my very favorite Crock-Pot meals. (Earlier this year, I even recorded a Tiny Kitchen video on the topic!) That’s because it’s easy to prepare, wonderfully spicy and flavorful, and makes a boatload, which helps us out in the leftovers department for the rest of the week. And it’s a crowd-pleaser: One of our friends, a manager of a Mexican restaurant, came over for dinner one night and couldn’t stop raving about it, saying he would be proud to serve it on his menu! (And if you know this particular friend, you know compliments like this are hard-earned.) So its fandom is legion, this taco soup.

Tonight we enjoyed our soup with Gardein chik’n strips and plenty of add-ins: black beans, chili beans, corn, Rotel, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, dried minced onion, and an entire carton of broth. We topped the proceedings with a hearty dollop of vegan sour cream, plus plenty of Daiya pepperjack shreds, then served some tortilla chips on the side for dipping. We each had multiple helpings – LeeLee may or may not have gone back thrice (yes, thrice!) – but there’s still plenty left for lunches for the week.

Taco soup: It’s the gift that keeps on giving! You should totally make it today.

:)

Flaming Firehouse Chili.

by

flaming-firehouse-chili

First off, this was supposed to be a Crock-Pot Monday contender. But LeeLee and I spent the weekend away in Roanoke, and by the time we got back yesterday we were in no mood to visit the grocery store for a resupply mission. So it took me until tonight to pick up the missing ingredients for tonight’s Flaming Firehouse Chili – which made it a wee bit late to use the good old slow cooker. But not to worry! It will be back in fine form next week.

As has become a custom around here, tonight I pulled another recipe out of Robin Robertson’s One-Dish Vegan, which is surely becoming a well-loved addition to our repertoire.   Her chili recipes have yet to disappoint – actually, no recipe in the book has been anything close to a disappointment! – and so I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that tonight’s meal would be a winner.

So into the Le Creuset all the ingredients went, from diced onion to kidney beans to some Gardein “beef” tips to tomatoes and hot salsa and all the rest. (The woman has a cookbook to sell, of course! I’m not going to give away the store here in these pages.) Then I brought everything to a boil, turned it back down to a simmer, and let it cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Actually, if we’re being perfectly honest, LeeLee stirred occasionally while I ran an errand for a friend who was under the weather. Every few minutes he would text me, saying, “Stir?” and I would respond with “OK!” It was so nice to know the chili was being well-tended in my absence! And sure enough, by the time I got home, it was almost ready to go. So I assembled the side items – tortilla chips, extra salsa, cheese – and then we ladled two bowls’ worth, plopped down in front of our TV trays (that’s quickly becoming a Monday night tradition!), and dug in.

I was not at all surprised to find, and you shouldn’t be either, that this dinner was fantastic. We loved the spice of this chili, and the tomatoes-two-ways really gave it a lovely red color and sharp flavor that made the rest of the ingredients sing. The vegan beef tips blended in just perfectly while retaining their shape and texture, and the kidney beans softened up just slightly, giving them a wonderful chew. On top of everything else, the seasonings were on point – from cumin to chili powder to all the rest, the sauce couldn’t have been more flavorful!

I’m only too sorry that there’s only one helping left for tomorrow. Who will get it for lunch? May the best diner win!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan World’s Fair Chili.

by

worlds-fair-chili

Crock-Pot Mondays are back in full swing this week, with a hearty helping of World’s Fair Chili from Robin Robertson’s One-Dish Vegan to get the evening going on the right foot! The hearty chewiness of seasoned tempeh was the perfect complement to the smooth tang of crushed tomatoes in this wonderfully reviving chili.

As usual, Robin Robertson’s recipe did not disappoint. From the frugality of her ingredient list to the ease of prep time – simply mix all of said ingredients, from diced onion to kidney beans to tempeh to spices and more, in the slow cooker – this World’s Fair Chili couldn’t be easier or cheaper to make.

And the flavors! There’s a symphony going on in this Crock-Pot, y’all. Of course you’ve got the tempeh and tomatoes, but also the chili powder, oregano, tomato juice, kidney beans, and more. Each component plays its part beautifully, and in concert they’re all just wonderful.

I served my chili on a bed of Fritos, as nature intended. LeeLee insists on topping his chili with the Fritos instead, which I try very hard not to judge. But c’mon. We all know Fritos belong at the bottom of the bowl. Am I right?

At least we both came together on serving our chili with some Daiya pepperjack cheese and Tofutti sour cream! It’s the like-mindedness that marriage is founded on.

At any rate, we both adored this World’s Fair Chili – and it’ll definitely have a place in the menu plan from here on out!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Shortcut “Sausage”-Corn Chowder.

by

shortcut-chowder

Wait a second, I can hear you saying, index finger raised in the air to accentuate the point. Today isn’t Crock-Pot Monday. It’s not even Monday.

You’re right. And I offer only three words in response: Family is visiting.

We did in fact enjoy a Crock-Pot creation last night, and I am in fact blogging about it now, a full day after the blessed event occurred. Because after dinner (and my tai chi class) last night, we all had such a fun time touring the Alexandria waterfront and then catching up on the rest of the day’s at their hotel that by the time I came home at the ripe old time of 11 o’clock, I simply collapsed into bed.

So. Here we are. Shortcut vegetarian sausage-corn chowder!

I’ve made the regular recipe for this chowder a hundred times, and blogged about it fairly often, I know. But yesterday, time was certainly at a premium, and I had only a few minutes to throw something into the slow cooker before dashing off to work! Hence the shortcuts – which worked just perfectly, I’ve gotta say.

As usual, I added a batch of sliced breakfast soy-sausage links to the Crock-Pot along with two cans of corn (one kernel, one creamed) and a hearty dose of basil, salt, and pepper. But where I’d usually add hand-diced onion and potatoes, I went the shortcut route instead and replaced those ingredients with dried minced onion and two cans of sliced new potatoes. Then I topped the whole thing with two cups of water, as usual, and cooked the chowder for about nine hours.

Once I got home from work, I added a can of evaporated milk to the slow cooker, stirred it around, and waited for the chowder to heat through. Then LeeLee and I dug in – and we were thrilled by how the shortcut turned out!

The potatoes held up just perfectly – no mushiness at all, which I admit I was slightly nervous about. And though we missed the texture of the diced onion, the dried minced onion added a nice flavor in its place. The rest of the chowder was perfectly on par with previous renditions, so we had nothing at all to complain about there!

Will I always employ the shortcut method for my sausage-corn chowder from now on? No way. I love the process – and the end result – of dicing vegetables and taking the extra time to do it by hand. But when days are packed and time is short, this shortcut chowder fits the bill in a jiffy. I love when a kitchen experiment pans out in the end!

:)

Crock-Pot Monday: Vegan Tequila Sundown Chili.

by

vegan-tequila-sunset-chili

Here we are once again, enjoying another Crock-Pot Monday! But this one comes with a special kick: It’s also a March Madness Monday, wherein my beloved Florida State Seminoles women’s basketball team earned a berth to the Sweet 16!

Normally, I polish off a bowl of our Crock-Pot creation du jour, then hustle out the door to my tai chi class, leaving LeeLee with the dishes. But this morning, I dashed off a note to my instructor to inform her that I’d be spending the evening watching the Seminoles instead. As she, too, spent the weekend following her college team, she understood fully, to my relief. I ask you, how often does one have the opportunity to watch one’s basketball team advance in the NCAA tournament? (Don’t answer that, UConn.)

And so it came to pass that tonight I lingered over my bowl of piping-hot Tequila Sundown Chili, made fresh from Robin Robertson’s One-Dish Vegan cookbook, as I waited for FSU to take the court. This time it was LeeLee’s turn to dine and dash instead; he had an evening meeting to head off to. So the cat and I cheered on the home team all by ourselves, and judging by the final score, we must’ve done OK.

Now, on to the dish at hand. This chili is one unlike any other I’ve made so far in my life! First of all, it calls for pinto beans instead of kidney, which threw me for a loop initially. Secondly, it has no faux meat product of any kind, which is also an ingredient I’m accustomed to adding to my chili. And, finally, it contains tequila. Which I can absolutely get behind when the rubber meets the road!

Before work this morning, I added every ingredient except for the orange juice and lime juice to the slow cooker, flicked the switch to Low, and headed out for the day. By the time I got home, the chili was piping-hot and had thinned out just a tad, which was to be expected. (I also added a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes instead of the 14.5-ounce version, primarily because the Safeway didn’t have any smaller cans and I like crushed tomatoes so who cares.) Then I added the orange juice and lime juice, gave the wheel a final spin (as they say on Wheel of Fortune), and waited about 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle.

As is customary on Monday nights, LeeLee and I busted out our TV trays for our meal and feasted while watching a mix of news and The Golden Girls. We both were immediately smitten by the taste and texture of this chili! We loved the light, tomato-sauce base blended with the creaminess of the pinto beans. And the tang of the tequila and juices really added a wonderful second layer of flavor that made the dish much more complex. Topped with some vegan cheese and sour cream, and served with tortilla chips on the side, it would have easily fortified me for tai chi, but it also gave me the stamina to cheer loudly for two halves of the basketball game! And, ideally, it has given LeeLee the energy to endure what’s sure to be a boring meeting (sorry, LeeLee).

So once again, Robin Robertson hit it out of the park with this one. Why am I not surprised? This cookbook (and recipe) is just amazingly good. I can’t wait for our next culinary adventure together!

:)

Pantry Cleanout: Minestrone in a Jar.

by

vegan-minestrone

This is turning out to be a pantry cleanout kind of week! But I certainly don’t mind. And on a night like tonight, when I once again turn to a premade meal-in-a-jar, I’m downright thankful.

Remember how I made a rendition of Five-Bean Soup last week, which was in actuality the direct result of a batch of Christmas gifts I made for family? Well, along with that recipe I also made a batch of vegan minestrone, which – if I do say so – opened to rave reviews with my relatives down South. I figured if they liked it, I would too, so I kept a jar for myself. As with the five-bean soup, I only wish I’d kept a jar or two more! Having a full meal mixed together and ready to roll at a moment’s notice is invaluable – and tasty, too.

Before the holidays rolled around, I pulled this recipe out of the archives and retrieved some unused mason jars from the cabinet. The preparation was simple: Just layer the ingredients into each jar (I prepared them assembly-line-style for efficiency’s sake), put the lid on, print out the instructions, and voila! Instant Christmas gifts that are hearty, healthy, and fun. I paired this soup with the five-bean variety, plus a few jars of preserves and jellies, in decorative baskets, and Santa was on his way!

Tonight, I added the contents of the jar to my trusty Le Creuset and then tossed in a few sliced baby carrots, some celery, half a head of chopped cabbage (left over from St. Patrick’s Day!), and a can of diced tomatoes, plus a quart and a half of water. I brought everything to a boil, then covered the French oven and let it simmer for an hour or so. A few minutes before we sat down to eat, I warmed up some garlic bread to go alongside the meal, and before we knew it, dinner was ready!

And boy, did we love the results. This minestrone is certainly heartier than some of the others you’ll find out and about; I have another recipe that is much heavier on the broth and tomatoes and lighter on the filling, that’s for sure. But we loved all the flavors and textures of this soup and found it difficult to compare the different styles of minestrone on a level playing field. The barley, split peas, pasta, and more all added up to a wonderful, flavorful, comforting soup that stretches forever!

Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we’ve got plenty of minestrone left for lunch tomorrow (and Saturday). It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

:)