Ok, so this post is kinda about this cookbook and kinda about everything else that’s been going on. You know, like all my other posts? Seems I can’t just zero in on a cookbook – I have to talk about life too! Food first, though. Here goes:
The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook
One of my favorite quick dinners is the Caraway Cabbage and Noodles (pg. 250). It’s the easiest thing ever: just brown a lot of onions in a pot, add chopped cabbage to wilt, and combine this mixture with boiled noodles, vegan sour cream, and caraway seeds. Ok, so Robertson’s recipe has a bit more finesse, but honestly, that’s how I do it.
The main reason Caraway Cabbage and Noodles is such a go-to is because Nate loves it SO MUCH. I think he may have a CC&N happy dance.
I also adore Robertson’s Vegetarian Pot Roast (pg. 167-168). If ever there was a dish to serve to your skeptical grandpa, this is it:
Seriously, can you believe this thing? It looks just like what I grew up with and tastes phenomenal – especially when I use those precious local carrots! I make this during the winter and when I need to do something extra nice for someone I love. The only downside is that it can easily take most of an afternoon to put this recipe together. But it’s SO WORTH IT.
Today I used the aforementioned local carrots – and a whole heck of a lot of other local produce – in several dishes. The first was a giant borscht, the only recipe that didn’t come from Robertson’s book.
Vegetable Husband produce: cabbage, carrots, beets with their greens. I also used their diced local sweet potatoes.
This recipe came from Myra Kornfeld’s Voluptuous Vegan. It is the end-all be-all of borscht recipes. Just stop looking and use her’s. My only advice is to hold the mirin or sherry – I’m not sure it made much of a difference the first time I made it, and when I left it out today it was fine.
Isn’t she pretty? And this soup keeps so well, too! It gets better with age, but still eat it within a few days. Note: this is a hot borscht, not a cold one. Don’t eat this one cold. Warm it up and drop some homemade (or Tofutti-made) vegan sour cream on top if you like. I think it’s just fine without.
Since I doubled the recipe, I had plenty to share with Vegetable Husband’s owner, the magnificent Margie. Margie makes my life wonderful in so many ways; the least I could do was bring her a bit of soup.
Margie and I share a fervent commitment to organics, so I was happy to be able to point out that this was a 100% organic (and considerably locally-derived) soup! I’d say that most of my recipes are usually around 90% organic. I haven’t bought conventional produce in I-Can’t-Tell-You-How-Long. I only buy conventional in, basically, emergency situations. If I can’t get something organic, I usually go without. I’m not Superwoman or a rich person; it’s just one of the things my family prioritizes in our food budget because it’s such an easy way to make such a big difference. And organic produce tastes so much better than the lifeless, ripened-in-the-tractor-trailer conventional stuff!
Enough soap-boxing, back to Meat and Potatoes. I got this Japanese Eggplant Teriyaki (pg. 156) marinade going:
So easy – just whisk a lot of things together and let it sit in the fridge til you’re ready to use it. I think I might sear it up for lunch tomorrow and serve over steamed rice.
I also made the Indian-Spiced Sweet Potato Pot Pie (pg. 175). It is also quick and easy, and resembles your regular ol’ tofu pot pie recipe, only with curry powder added. The sweet potato biscuit topping is a good one. I haven’t baked or served it yet, but here it is assembled and unbaked:
Doesn’t tell you much, does it? I’ll post some more pictures once it’s been baked and cut. I’ve made it before so I already know it’s delicious. Plus I snuck a bit of the filling while I was prepping… oh my.
Let’s see…. what else did I make today? Borscht, eggplant, sweet potato pot pie… oh yeah, the tempeh-orzo thing! Today I received a Vegan Food Swap box from a new friend in New York:
In her super-sweet letter, she said she was excited to see what I would come up with for the locally-made tricolor orzo by Flour City Pasta. Not one to disappoint, I immediately created a new (nameless) recipe:
It’s tempeh browned in coconut oil with chopped fennel seed and red pepper flakes, mixed into a gravy made with caramelized onions, which had the cooked orzo and steamed organic lacinato kale folded into it. A good rich way to get greens, a bit of pasta, and meaty tempeh at once.
I am very pleased with all that my pal sent me. I liked that it was a good mix of things I’d tried before (onion SeaSnax!) and products I’d never heard of. The emphasis on local was perfect. “Better Brittle” West African-style peanut brittle was the clear winner – I had five pieces before dinner! Peanut brittle was one of my favorite treats as a child but I had to give it up when I went vegan because most commercially-available varieties contain butter or milk. Blegh. This brittle is nothing like traditional brittle but it’s also a hundred times better, so I win. Er, my Penpal wins – she’s local to the folks!
Oh, and just so you don’t think I’m a jerk, here’s what I sent my buddy:
I’m not going to tag her name (yet) because her package is probably still en route, but here’s what I prepared. Organic gluten-free flours, a boatload of my favorite spices, Halloween Joe Joe’s, and the ridiculously delicious seasonal Pumpkin Spice Rooibos. Note: do not drink this rooibos (or any rooibos, really) without a bit of non-dairy milk and some sweet’ner. There are few people out there who will argue about putting milk in rooibos, and those who stubbornly do are just wrong. Wrong I tell you! Rooibos needs milk. It requires it! Seriously, though, this tea steeped five minutes (at around 190-200, not boiling!) with some unsweetened soymilk and a bit of stevia tastes is the best “Pumpkin spice” beverage I’ve ever had – it kicks those non-vegan Pumpkin Spice Lattes in the tail! Oh, and did I mention that it’s caffeine-free?
In other life news, I spent Monday up in Northeast Georgia helping my mom with some projects. We stopped midway to enjoy a gorgeous organic salad with lotsa toppings. It was so good to get to spend the time with her doing something I knew was helpful. Afterwards I went over to my grandmother’s house and we ended up chatting deep into the evening. My grandmother is an incredibly special person who always seems to understand me and know exactly what I need. Sometimes we’re so on the same page about things that I feel like we share a brain! I look up to her many ways – as someone who ably runs her household and takes good care of herself, and as someone who is always challenging herself, learning new things, and expanding her skills. I am very lucky to have two such strong, interesting, dynamic and positive women in my life.
That’s about all for now, but I’d be remiss if I signed off without a few baby cat (bitty!) pictures:
Miss Perl giving baby Lua a bath.
Lua got tired of it and bit Perl’s tail.
Grabbling at that fluffy sister cat’s tail.
Happy MoFo’in, y’all!