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.