Frugal Vegan Broth

We are low income. I have an old friend who thinks I should write a book on frugality/money saving tips. I am just doing what I can to allow us to breath a little easier.

Today’s project is broth-making. I make broth every few months, on years that we don’t compost - that’s because broth is made from scraps. So for the last couple of months, every time I cut or trim veggies I add those scraps to a freezer bag....I had a collection of 3 full gallon-sized bags in our freezer, so I decided it was time to make broth. The scraps include: carrot sweet potato peels and potato peels, trimmings from tomatoes, asparagus, onions, scallions, garlic, bell & jalapeño peppers, garlic scapes, cabbage, mushrooms, herbs and I’m sure a few other veg I am forgetting. I’ll also add things like miso (this time dried soup packets), nutritional yeast, seaweed sheets, and mushroom powder....it varies to what’s available in our kitchen.

I place these in my largest stock pot (ours is big enough that it’s an awkward fit on our stovetop) and fill it up with water...I’ll add a Tbsp of ginger paste and garlic/chili paste and 3 heaping spoons of the paste leftover from making Master Tonic/Fire Cider*** and kale flakes bring to a boil, then simmer for H O U R S, adding water as needed. I make it on a day when I know I’ll be home and not too busy. In the evening, I cool it down and freeze it in muffin tins....full size muffin tins makes it easier for adding to recipes.

***Since cooler weather & cold/flu season is approaching, I’ll do a post with my particular Master Tonic recipe. It’s a immune boosting mix of veg/herbs/fruit steeped in ACV...you take a couple of tablespoons when you feel a germ coming on and it helps you avoid or shortens the length. Our family has used this Home Remedy for years and most of us swear by it.

Another Take on the Hummus Stuffed Portobellos on a Bed of Spinach

Making another riff on this- http://gillvegfood.blogspot.com/2015/05/sorry-it-been-so-long.html?m=1

Our “local” chain, Wegmans, is trying to please all of us hummus-heads with a ton of varieties and one of our favorite in the gilleoin household is the Moroccan Lentil version....it has lentils, cumin, coriander, turmeric, etc. So it’s very Indian tasting..... so this time, I generously oiled my baking dish & tossed my spinach with 1/2 can coconut milk, a Tbsp of chili garlic sauce, a tsp of ginger paste, and some curry powder & ground cumin. I cleaned and seasoned the portobellos with salt & pepper and stuffed them with the Moroccan Lentil hummus. I plan on serving with a drizzle of non-dairy yogurt thinned with a bit more of the coconut milk on top and basmati rice on the side.

Mango-Black Bean Salsa

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes....I make it in Spring/Summer every year.

This is a doubled recipe, with slightly different ingredients- I subbed sugar instead of agave/maple syrup bc we are out of those, 1 red and 1 yellow onion instead is sweet onion, dry parsley bc we don’t have fresh right now. It obviously tastes best with all fresh, home-grown ingredients, but it’s still pretty damn good using Pricerite Roma tomatoes, lol.

Mango-Black Bean Salsa (double if you want as much as in the pic)

1 ripe mango

2 med tomatoes

1/2 bell pepper

1 jalapeño

1 sweet onion

1 clove of garlic minced or pressed

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 TBS each lemon and lime juice

1 tsp of agave or maple syrup

salt & pepper

small handful fresh parsley, (we genetically don't like cilantro, it tastes like soap to all of us: if you like cilantro, use that)

Mix sweetener with lemon and lime juices in your container. Cut everything up and mix together. Serve with tortilla chips or over Gardien or other vegan chick’n over rice. Or in a taco or just spoon it right into your mouth, lol.

No real recipe...

Yesterday early afternoon I premade pasta salads for yesterday’s dinner and tonight’s...totally off-cuff.

Last night we had Italian-inspired (pasta, fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, kale, cukes, lentils and herb-roasted tofu in a doctored Italian dressing: about half n half Italian dressing, vegan pesto with some balsamic vinegar and oil… More added), I served it with French’s-type fried onions on top....tonight is a Mexican-inspired (pasta, bell pepper, diced jalapeño, onion, corn, canned diced tomatoes w/chilies, diced cukes, lentils, herb-roasted Tofu and diced veggie burger in a doctored Italian dressing: half n half Italian dressing and salsa, puréed with a pk of Sasón and some Sofrito mixed into it and a little more vinegar and oil). It’ll be served with fried tortilla strips on top.

Why is the off-the-cuff stuff THE BEST? When I try to duplicate it, it’ll still be yummy but DH will inevitably say, “this is delicious but it’s different than last time?” LOL.

Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Earth Balance or other vegan “butter”
• 4 leeks cleaned and thinly sliced, white and light green
• 1 tsp  salt
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 leaves bay
• 3/4 cup vegan white wine (see barnivore.com)
• 5 cups water mixed with 1/4-1/2 c miso paste
• 4 pkts Sazón seasoning (in Goya/Latin Foods aisle)
• 4-5 cups medium potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 cup unsweetened plain soy or nut milk
• Some mashed potato flakes (Aldi & Pricerite brands are vegan)
• 1/3 cup grated Daiya vegan cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Using the sauté function, melt the Earth Balance in the instant pot. Once melted, add the sliced leeks and salt and sauté until soft. Add the crushed garlic; saute for 30 seconds and turn off the sauté function
2. Remove a small portion of the leeks and set aside for serving (I put in cast iron in oven on warm setting)
3. To the leek mixture in the pot add in the thyme, basil, bay leaves, white wine, miso broth, Sazon and potatoes. Give it all a good stir and set to high pressure for 10 minutes

4. Once complete, quick release and open the pot. Remove the bay leaves, add in the soy milk and use a stick immersion blender to puree the soup until it reaches the consistency of your liking- if I s Too watery, add mashed potato flakes until desired consistency- we like our potato soup super thick.)

5. Set the instant pot to warm and heat the soup through, if necessary.
6. Once hot serve up with a sprinkle of extra sautéed leeks and a sprinkle of Daiya.
   
   
   
   

Italian-Inspired Coucous Bowl

Couscous Bowls

2 pk of plain couscous, prepared with vegan chicken broth and olive oil

Protein Mix

1/2 pk Morningstar Farms chicken strips, cut in halves

6-8 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 lg green bell pepper, diced

1 small jar pine nuts

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Basil & thyme

White wine

Veggie Mix

3 crowns broccoli, cut into small florets

2 lb garlic scape, cleaned and cut bite-sized pcs 

1 med onion, diced

1 roasted red pepper diced

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Basil & Thyme

Chili powder

Garlic powder

Take cut veggies for veggie mix and  toss with olive oil until coated. Season with S&P and spices, per your taste. Put on cookie sheets and bake @ 375 F until browned on edges, approx. 30-45 min.

Hear a large deep cast iron skillet. Add olive oil and sauté veggies from protein mix. Once soften, add faux chicken, pine nuts  and brown. De glaze the pan with some white wine, add tomatoes and spices and allow liquid to reduce to about half.

Serve both mixes (1/2 bowl ea) over couscous. Dig in!

Chili Mac on the 4th

Today is hotter than when I’d normally make this but we want to get to the fireworks this evening...

Chili Mac Recipe

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 bell pepper (I used green but any are ok), diced

1 med onion, diced

2 jalapeños, sliced (spines/seeds removed if you don’t love spice)

1 pk Gardein vegan beef tips, halved

a couple tsp ea. cinnamon, cocoa powder, and cumin

1-2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

1 cup vegan beef broth 

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can ea. of kidney, pinto, and black beans, rinsed & drained

1 box macaroni pasta

Cook macaroni in water with some olive oil and salt after you’ve chopped the veg & beef tips. Drain when al dente.

Put oil in a large pan and heat till shimmery.

Add veg and sauté until softened. Add beef tips to brown outsides. Sprinkle cinnamon/cocoa/cumin & 1/2 chili powder over veg mix and sauté a few more min. to cook spices a little.

Add vegan beef broth, stirring well. Let reduce a little, then add tomatoes and beans. Taste and add more chili powder and flakes if you want. Add to noodles, stir and serve. Bon appetite!

Sorry the pic is so dark- had the light blocking curtains down to attempt to keep house cooler.

Playing in The Kitchen- Stuffed Portobello on Spinach Redux (no pictures ☹️)

In my post here,  http://gillvegfood.blogspot.com/2015/05/sorry-it-been-so-long.html , I shared a hummus stuffed portobello recipe....It was in regular rotation at my house and still is. This recipe allows for so much playing around which makes it *so* budget-friendly....I made it the other night using:

regular spinach (cheaper than baby spinach)- I just tossed it with some oil, crushed garlic, wine

roasted garlic hummus, to which I added-

                             1/3 can of diced tomatoes, cut even smaller

                              1 TBS of sofrito

                              1/2 minced jalapeño 

                              2-3 TBS rehydrated minced onion

                              a little garlic powder, paprika, S&P

As you can see, it’s different than the recipe but so tasty. I was in a Southwestern flavor mood. But this is easily adaptable for Italian (Italian seasoning, garlic,  even fresh basil could be mixed in with spinach and some good Olive Oil and you could add a couple of splashes of red wine....use a white bean hummus, tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell pepper, etc.) Indian (Curry and coconut milk in the spinach, lentil hummus with cumin, chili peppers, carmelized onions, etc.).....You see where I’m going? Playing around in the kitchen can be so fun. My husband teases me for watching the food network, because it is NEVER vegan friendly, but it has helped me come up with ideas for vegan dishes and flavor profiles, and sometimes even different techniques to play with. 

Excuses, Excuses

It’s been FOREVER.

Life’s been busy and I’ve maybe not been able to keep all of my balls in the air.


My husband had back surgery #7 last summer (I think he’s had 4 or 5 since the last time I blogged here 😿)

My mom died shortly after that, I spent a lot of time last year in hospital and care homes

The kids are getting older and daring to want to do things

I went back to work outside the house a couple of times for a span

I’ve lost a good friend and really don’t have any IRL

I’ll try to start adding content- we are still vegan and I still enjoy cooking & baking.