I love chana masala. I have a recipe...somewhere...from my friend Shithi, from Bangladesh. I need to find that. But in the meantime, I decided to surf the web for some potato and chickpea curry recipes.
I had a couple of promising recipes from my shelf - World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey has a Caribbean version and a few other good options. But I was missing a few ingredients. I figured if I was going to adjust the recipe right off the bat (which I almost always do), it should be by a minimal amount.
Then I stumbled upon this recipe from Simply Recipes. It was delicious! Now, I made the following adjustments:
Used 22 oz of diced potatoes (I bought a 10lb bag)
Used dried chickpeas (1.25 c.) that I cooked in the pressure cooker.
Pureed the diced tomatoes and added about 1/2 a small can of paste (I like it thick).
Added a clove of garlic.
Increased the cumin and coriander to 1.5 tsp each because of the increased potato.
Sauteed the onion until browning in canola oil, then added hot peppers, garlic, and ginger for a couple of minutes, then added the other ingredients.
It was yummy!! Definitely a keeper.
Cost breakdown:
2.5 c water (instead of broth): free
22 oz potatoes: 0.49
1.25 c. dried chickpeas: 0.65
1 onion: 0.20
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes: 0.57
1 clove garlic: 0.05
2 tsp. ginger: 0.10
cumin, coriander: 0.15
diced hot peppers: 0.20 (I used poblanos that I roasted last summer from the farm)
salt: 0.01
canola oil: 0.04
tomato paste: 0.12
Total: $2.63 for about 9 cups, or $0.29 per cup
wow that's cheap
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Week's update
Well, with the fire, we decided to ditch town and drive to visit friends for the weekend. So there was not a lot of cooking going on after last Weds.
The hubby made his famous tomato soup (from Betty Crocker? Better Homes and Gardens?) one night. Thursday.
We had a really nice salad a couple of nights this week with lettuce, arugula, steamed beets, carrots, corn, black beans, vinaigrette, and toasted walnuts. And some more of that vegan "blue cheese" (doesn't taste like blue cheese).
And tonight I made this cabbage slaw, with red cabbage 'cuz that's what we had. I cut the oil in half. But I didn't eat it, because I was off running a 5k and got free snacks and beer. Hubby didn't care for it much, said the cilantro was overpowering but the bites with nuts were good. So I added some cashews, shredded kohlrabi, and shredded carrot. I'll let you know how it is tomorrow, when I have it for lunch. It's not too far off from the ramen slaw that I've made, except no ramen and the added cilantro and sesame oil.
The hubby made his famous tomato soup (from Betty Crocker? Better Homes and Gardens?) one night. Thursday.
We had a really nice salad a couple of nights this week with lettuce, arugula, steamed beets, carrots, corn, black beans, vinaigrette, and toasted walnuts. And some more of that vegan "blue cheese" (doesn't taste like blue cheese).
And tonight I made this cabbage slaw, with red cabbage 'cuz that's what we had. I cut the oil in half. But I didn't eat it, because I was off running a 5k and got free snacks and beer. Hubby didn't care for it much, said the cilantro was overpowering but the bites with nuts were good. So I added some cashews, shredded kohlrabi, and shredded carrot. I'll let you know how it is tomorrow, when I have it for lunch. It's not too far off from the ramen slaw that I've made, except no ramen and the added cilantro and sesame oil.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Asian noodles - Fire edition
Yup, my town is on fire again...between the areas where two fires burned last year. Some friends have been evacuated, so lets all hope the sundowner winds die down and no homes are lost.
As soon as I saw the fire (around 3:15), I decided to pack it in, grab my stuff, and go pick up the family. Then I went home and cooked dinner before we lost power (which hasn't happened yet, but did happen to 32,000 others).
As usual, this recipe has a little of this and that, whatever's in the fridge
Asian Noodles (a variation of Sesame Cashew Pasta)
1 lb spaghetti: 0.50
1 T canola oil: 0.03
1 red bell pepper, julienned: 1.10
1 slice onion, into strips: 0.05
2 medium carrots, julienned: 0.15
3/4 lb broccoli florets, steamed 3 min: 0.75
1/4 c. frozen corn: 0.06
2 cloves garlic, chopped: 0.10
2 T. soy sauce: 0.19
2 T. rice vinegar: 0.17
2 T. sesame oil: 0.40
1 T. tahini: 0.16
1/2 c. cashews: 0.65
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 c. water
1 T. olive oil: 0.11
3 T. Trader Joe's soy sesame vinaigrette: 0.25
Total: $4.67 for 8 servings, or $0.58 per serving.
Boil pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, tahini, cashews, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and water.
In same nonstick pot, saute onion in oil until soft and starting to brown. Add carrot and bell pepper, and saute over medium until soft, 5 to 10 min. Start adding noodles and broccoli and sauce, alternating, so that you get the veggies and the noodles mixed well. This is when I added the soy sesame vinaigrette dressing, because I needed more liquid. Then I decided to add the corn for the heck of it.
Warm through. Yum.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Bessara
See recipe here: Bessara
I used only two Tbsp of olive oil and two Tbsp of lemon juice, but otherwise followed the recipe starting with 2 lbs of unshelled fava beans.
I've tried many fava bean recipes. I've shied away from purees because one of the coordinators at the CSA thought it was a horrible way to ruin such a wonderful vegetable.
Best recipe with fava beans I've had so far. But I love hummus, so it's not surprising.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Vegan Sausage and Gravy over (non-vegan) biscuits
So, I've been interested in tempeh. Bought it once, cooked it once, but that's about it. So when I was at the local health-foodie store snacking on the nice cheeses they have out to sample at the end of a workday, I bought a package.
Then I went home and opened up my favorite vegan cookbook Vegan With a Vengeance and looked up tempeh in the index. Now, I also have Veganomicon, but that cookbook kinda scares me (I have made at least one recipe from it). Being that I work full time and have a toddler, most of those recipes look a little bit much for me.
Thus, I found vegan sausage crumbles and white bean gravy over biscuits. Now, making my own biscuits was just not something I was up to, so I paid $1 for a bisquick packet (complete with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, eggs, and buttermilk, so not vegan and not particularly healthy either, but only a buck and only required water).
This was very easy, and very very tasty. Not at all tasting like true southern biscuits and gravy (or even northern), but very good nonetheless. We will be making it again. I did make a substitution, as I didn't have fresh sage leaves, but I did have fresh savory. I did adjust the dried seasonings a bit also.
Vegan Sausage Crumbles and White Bean Gravy (6 to 8 servings)
1 8-oz package tempeh: 2.99
1 T fennel seed: 0.10
1 tsp basil: 0.03
3/4 tsp dried marjoram: 0.02
3/4 tsp dried oregano: 0.02
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes: 0.01
1/2 tsp sage: 0.08
2 cloves garlic, pressed: 0.10
2 T soy sauce: 0.09
1 T olive oil: 0.11
2 Tbsp lemon juice: free for me
Total: $3.55 for 6 servings, or $0.59 per serving
In medium saucepan, crumble tempeh. Mostly, but not completely, cover with water. Simmer over medium heat until most of the water is absorbed, about 10-12 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until brown, 8-10 min.
Meanwhile, make the gravy:
White Bean Gravy
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed: 0.79
1 T olive oil: 0.11
1/2 c. water
1 tsp vegetarian stock powder
salt and pepper to taste
two sprigs fresh savory, leaves removed from stalk: 0.10
Total: $1.00 for 6 servings, or $0.17 per serving.
Puree beans, olive oil, water, and stock flavor in a food processor until smooth. Add to tempeh crumbles when they are browned. Add salt and pepper. Three min before serving, add savory.
The biscuit mix made 8 biscuits, but really only 6 servings (2 biscuits for the adults, one for the toddler, so two meals). Also $0.17 each.
Total for the meal, per serving: $0.93
We ate this with asparagus from the farmer's market (at $0.17 per stalk...hey that's the lucky number for the day). It was delicious.
Sadly, no pictures, as my camera battery died at the park today.
Now back to shelling the fava beans for tomorrow's dinner...
Then I went home and opened up my favorite vegan cookbook Vegan With a Vengeance and looked up tempeh in the index. Now, I also have Veganomicon, but that cookbook kinda scares me (I have made at least one recipe from it). Being that I work full time and have a toddler, most of those recipes look a little bit much for me.
Thus, I found vegan sausage crumbles and white bean gravy over biscuits. Now, making my own biscuits was just not something I was up to, so I paid $1 for a bisquick packet (complete with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, eggs, and buttermilk, so not vegan and not particularly healthy either, but only a buck and only required water).
This was very easy, and very very tasty. Not at all tasting like true southern biscuits and gravy (or even northern), but very good nonetheless. We will be making it again. I did make a substitution, as I didn't have fresh sage leaves, but I did have fresh savory. I did adjust the dried seasonings a bit also.
Vegan Sausage Crumbles and White Bean Gravy (6 to 8 servings)
1 8-oz package tempeh: 2.99
1 T fennel seed: 0.10
1 tsp basil: 0.03
3/4 tsp dried marjoram: 0.02
3/4 tsp dried oregano: 0.02
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes: 0.01
1/2 tsp sage: 0.08
2 cloves garlic, pressed: 0.10
2 T soy sauce: 0.09
1 T olive oil: 0.11
2 Tbsp lemon juice: free for me
Total: $3.55 for 6 servings, or $0.59 per serving
In medium saucepan, crumble tempeh. Mostly, but not completely, cover with water. Simmer over medium heat until most of the water is absorbed, about 10-12 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until brown, 8-10 min.
Meanwhile, make the gravy:
White Bean Gravy
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed: 0.79
1 T olive oil: 0.11
1/2 c. water
1 tsp vegetarian stock powder
salt and pepper to taste
two sprigs fresh savory, leaves removed from stalk: 0.10
Total: $1.00 for 6 servings, or $0.17 per serving.
Puree beans, olive oil, water, and stock flavor in a food processor until smooth. Add to tempeh crumbles when they are browned. Add salt and pepper. Three min before serving, add savory.
The biscuit mix made 8 biscuits, but really only 6 servings (2 biscuits for the adults, one for the toddler, so two meals). Also $0.17 each.
Total for the meal, per serving: $0.93
We ate this with asparagus from the farmer's market (at $0.17 per stalk...hey that's the lucky number for the day). It was delicious.
Sadly, no pictures, as my camera battery died at the park today.
Now back to shelling the fava beans for tomorrow's dinner...
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread
I felt like chili and cornbread today. Well, I've been feeling like it for awhile, to be honest. I plan my meals 2 weeks in advance, so it's not like I woke up today feeling like chili.
Last night, I soaked the beans. This morning, I cooked them. Then I fired up the crockpot. I make my chili a little different every time. This was excellent, and needed a teensy bit of salt because I used dried not canned beans.
Vegan Chili
1.5 cups dried pinto beans, cooked: 0.44
1 cup dried kidney beans, cooked (I cooked separately in the pressure cooker): 0.44
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes: 1.29
1 cup frozen corn: 0.25
3 carrots, shredded: 0.30
1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced: 0.50
1 bell pepper, diced: 1.00
1 clove garlic, minced: 0.05
"some" cumin, oregano, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder: 0.10
1/2 a packet of low-sodium taco mix ('cuz I had it): 0.30
1/2 cube of chipotle in adobo, pureed: 0.25
1/4 cup bulgur: 0.08
1/2 can tomato paste: 0.15
Total: $5.15 for about 13 cups, or $0.40 per 1 cup serving.
Cook beans first. Saute onion and pepper until soft and carmelized.
Put beans and some of the cooking water, but not all, in the crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low all day.
Vegan Corn Bread:
My spouse ate an egg sandwich for lunch, then realized that we needed 6 eggs for two batches of cupcakes and 1 batch of cornbread. But we only had four. So I looked up a recipe for vegan cornbread, and found one at the ppk here. I have two cookbooks by Isa, and this recipe did not disappoint, even though I didn't make it vegan. I added two TBSP of sugar to the recipe, and used regular milk in place of soy milk.
Cost:
2 c. milk (from dried): 0.25
2 c. cornmeal: 0.50
1 c. flour: 0.16
2 tsp baking powder: 0.15
2 T. maple syrup: 0.54
2 T. sugar: 0.05
2 tsp vinegar: 0.05
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. canola oil: 0.20
Total: 1.90 for 20 slices, or $0.10 per slice, not counting the honey that my honey douses it in.
We topped the chili with sour cream and cheese, and had the whole thing with chips, guacamole, and salsa.
The guac was AWESOME. There's the one guy, at the farmer's market, and his avocados are so rich and creamy. 2 weeks in a row, he hasn't let me down (sometimes, there are issues with avos anywhere). I wish I'd bought two. They were only 50 cents each. Next week: two.
Salsa is my new fave - Trader Joes garlic chipotle.
Last night, I soaked the beans. This morning, I cooked them. Then I fired up the crockpot. I make my chili a little different every time. This was excellent, and needed a teensy bit of salt because I used dried not canned beans.
Vegan Chili
1.5 cups dried pinto beans, cooked: 0.44
1 cup dried kidney beans, cooked (I cooked separately in the pressure cooker): 0.44
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes: 1.29
1 cup frozen corn: 0.25
3 carrots, shredded: 0.30
1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced: 0.50
1 bell pepper, diced: 1.00
1 clove garlic, minced: 0.05
"some" cumin, oregano, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder: 0.10
1/2 a packet of low-sodium taco mix ('cuz I had it): 0.30
1/2 cube of chipotle in adobo, pureed: 0.25
1/4 cup bulgur: 0.08
1/2 can tomato paste: 0.15
Total: $5.15 for about 13 cups, or $0.40 per 1 cup serving.
Cook beans first. Saute onion and pepper until soft and carmelized.
Put beans and some of the cooking water, but not all, in the crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low all day.
Vegan Corn Bread:
My spouse ate an egg sandwich for lunch, then realized that we needed 6 eggs for two batches of cupcakes and 1 batch of cornbread. But we only had four. So I looked up a recipe for vegan cornbread, and found one at the ppk here. I have two cookbooks by Isa, and this recipe did not disappoint, even though I didn't make it vegan. I added two TBSP of sugar to the recipe, and used regular milk in place of soy milk.
Cost:
2 c. milk (from dried): 0.25
2 c. cornmeal: 0.50
1 c. flour: 0.16
2 tsp baking powder: 0.15
2 T. maple syrup: 0.54
2 T. sugar: 0.05
2 tsp vinegar: 0.05
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. canola oil: 0.20
Total: 1.90 for 20 slices, or $0.10 per slice, not counting the honey that my honey douses it in.
We topped the chili with sour cream and cheese, and had the whole thing with chips, guacamole, and salsa.
The guac was AWESOME. There's the one guy, at the farmer's market, and his avocados are so rich and creamy. 2 weeks in a row, he hasn't let me down (sometimes, there are issues with avos anywhere). I wish I'd bought two. They were only 50 cents each. Next week: two.
Salsa is my new fave - Trader Joes garlic chipotle.
Fava Leaves
So...we got fava leaves from the CSA this week. Now, every year there's always at least one "new" thing. This time...I think the CSA is trying to get a two-for-one. Give them fava beans, and hey, we can give them the leaves too, fill up the share, bonus!
Fava leaves apparently going to be the "next big thing" for foodies. At least that's what google tells me. In fact, if you google fava leaves recipes, you get exactly two recipes. One, shred for salad, two, steam.
So I decided to saute, mix with garlic, pesto, cheese, and pasta.
It was okay. The fava leaves are a bit strong-flavored. I love chard. I love kale, but these fall in the collard-green category. So if I get them again, I will steam, puree, and mix into something like pasta sauce, lasagna, or soup or rice. It was too big of a part of this meal.
FYI, check out my new blog (click the link on the top right), where I'm trying to post my meals and exercise each day. Just to be honest with myself on what I'm eating.
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