This has been a pretty good week. I found $50 that I thought I had lost, one of my cyber-sisters sent me a Terry Blackwell book in the mail: "True Light," the Imaging Center where I had the ultrasound and the CT scan sent me a cute little "thank you" card, AND a check for $10(evidently I overpaid my c0-pay for the ultrasound!), went to the library yesterday which is always a joy, and best of all, Wednesday afternoon at work, I had the time to sit and snuggle with my nine-week old great-grandson!!! He was trying so hard to tell me about the nasty doctor that had stuck the nasty and painful needles in his little legs, bless his heart. So, I told him I understoon how he felt, and that I don't like needles being stuck in me, either. I'm sure he understood me, too. LOL!!!
I've spent the last five hours browsing three new-to-me websites, which mostly don't have much to do with food or cooking. The three of them have been added to my list of favorite websites, on the left of the page, and as of this moment I haven't checked them to see if the links work, but I will, and if they don't, I'll fix them. One is EasyEarth, and that one does have a section about food, and a few vegetarian, not vegan, recipes. The main reason I went there, tho, was to find some recipes for homemade, and "green," cleaning supplies, which I did find. Another site is TheSimpleDollar, and is one man's blog about being frugal, which another subject near and dear to my heart. The third one is Yes!magazine, and it's, well, it's about all sorts of things. I linked to it from the SimpleDollar, I think, to check out an article called "Sustainable Happiness," lol. And have signed up for the newsletter...as well as the newsletter from TheSimpleDollar, too. EarthEasy has one, but for reasons of my own, I chose not to subscribe to theirs.
About three weeks ago, I went into this little town's only...as far as I know...health food store, and altho I was extremely disappointed in it, I did fine some TVP, and some, um, wakame, I think...maybe it was dulse, but I don't think so. Anyway. So, I've been looking around for recipes using TVP, and while I've found several, this one really seemed like a good one, so I made it last night. Yup, it's a good one, and it comes from about.com, thanks to Jolinda Hackett, the vegetarian pages blogger. She does a fantastic job, and if you've never checked the vegetarian pages out over there, do yourself a favor, and do so. Sometime today. Anyway....
Ten Minute TVP Taco Recipe
2 cups each TVP and water
2 Tbs. each soy sauce and olive oil or vegetable oil
1 package taco seasoning
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup salsa
flour tortillas or hard taco shells
In large skillet, heat water, over medium heat and add the TVP, stirring well. Allow the TVP to reconstitute for 2-3 minutes.
Add oil, soy sauce, peppers, and seasoning, stirring well. Allow to cook another 3-5 minutes.
Serve wrapped in tortillas or hard taco shell. Eat as is, vegan, or add tomatoes, lettuce, refried beans, sour cream, cheese.
I made some refried beans with diced onions in them. Spread a tortilla with a goodly amount of plain chevre goat cheese, plopped on some of the beans, and covered it all with a good bit of the TVP taco mix. Rolled it all up, heated the tortilla until lightly browned on two sides, and ate. I will most definitely do this again. In fact, there's a fully made and rolled up tortilla in the freezer right now, as well as a fair amount of the taco mix still in the refrigerator. I think I'm going to top a couple small baked potatoes with it and some cheese for supper tonight, along with some kind of vegetable. I can also tell you that the taco mix and a couple slices of the vegetarian smoked provolone cheese make on helluva great grilled sammich, too!!!!
Yesterday at the library, I checked out another cookbook: "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook," by Cathe Olson, and while I no longer have little kids at home, the book is definitely a winner, seriously. One of these days I'm going to try to find it, and add it to my home collection of cookbooks. One section of her book is called "Sandwiches and Quick Lunch Ideas," and some of these sammich ideas sound really, really good. Now, for the most part, you know I won't post a recipe here unless I've tried it and can vouch for it, but this is one of those times I'm going to break my own rule(hey, at my age, that's subject to happen a LOT!!), and give you three or four sammich recipes that I think look like they would be awfully good. It would take me quite a while to get around to trying all of them myself, so, I decided to post them. And, here goes:
Spinach-Hummus Wrap...vegan
1 large whole grain tortilla or slice flatbread(lavash)
1/4 to 1/3 cup Hummus
1/2 cup chopped spinach
2 to 3 Tbs. each diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and/or shredded carrots(all optional)
Liberally spread tortilla or flatbread with hummus. Layer vegetables over hummus and roll up. Wrap tightly with wax paper, foil, or plastic wrap until ready to eat. It will keep for couple of days wrapped and refrigerated. Makes 1 serving.
Veggie-Apple Melt...can be made vegan
2 slices whole grain bread.
2 tsp. EACH Dijon mustard and mayonnaise(regular OR vegan)
4 apple slices
2 Tbs. shredded carrots
2 to 4 cucumber rounds
2 Tbs. alfalfa sprouts
2 thin slices cheddar cheese(dairy OR non-dairy)
Preheat toaster or conventional oven to 375ºF. Spread one slice of bread with mustard, the other with mayonnaise. On mustard side, place apple slices and carrots. On mayo slice, place cucumber slices and sprouts. Cover each with a slice of cheese. Place on baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
My apologies, because that's only two sammiches instead of three or four. I had forgotten that it was necessary to go to other pages in her book for more recipes for a couple of those sammiches, such as Beanballs for the Beanball Sub I was going to post, sigh. I'm just too darned lazy to look it up, so, again, my apologies. If you do try either of these sammiches, tho, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me a comment. Until next time, Happy Eating!
Showing posts with label refried beans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label refried beans. Show all posts
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tofu Taco Filling(vegan); JB's Burritos(non-vegan)
Another rainy day in Georgia, and again, I'm delighted and hope it will rain some more tonight and/or tomorrow. It never bothers me when it rains on my days off, because, and I'm pretty sure I've said this before, I love rainy days, and always have.
Ok, I have to make a public confession and apology here, altho it's not about anything too awfully serious. Last week I said that my number of cigarettes not smoked was 900+, but I was wayyyyyyy wrong, lol. The number for that day last week was only 222, which really sounds more logical, right? The figures for this week, as of yesterday evening, are: not smoked, 386; lifetime saved, 2 days, 22 hours; money saved, $73.71. By 9:30 this evening, I will be smoke-free for a full two weeks. Yesterday at work, I came awfully close to relapsing, but didn't, managed to white-knuckle it thru the whole day, but it was really hard. Never realized how much anger could influence the urge to smoke, but it does. I honestly don't remember ever being that angry for that long, at work, ever before, because of my boss and a female co-worker. It's too long a story to go into here, even tho I'd really love to vent...again...but if I did, I'd just get angry all over again, so, guess I'll just talk about cooking, lol. About making my homemade burritos...not the tortillas, please understand, but the filling and rolling and heating. The Tofu Taco Filling recipe is from someone named Wendy O, who sent it in to recipezaar.com. Recipezaar has a pretty good vegetarian section, if you didn't already know, and is worth checking out sometime for new recipes.
TOFU TACO FILLING
16oz. firm tofu, frozen and then thawed.
1Tbs. EACH soy sauce and Mrs. Dash Original Blend
2Tbs chili powder
1tsp. oregano, 1/2tsp. garlic powder, 1/8 tsp black pepper
1C canned corn
2C salsa
Directions:
1. Wring out and crumble the thawed tofu.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the tofu[Either she didn't give the amount of oil to use or I didn't copy it down, take your pick, but I used about 1Tbs. olive oil and 1Tbs. of margarine with good results. Vegans just use the oil.]
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook to heat thru and combine flavors.
That's it, easy peasy, and pretty darned good, too. Now, I only used one tablespoonful of chili powder, and it was plenty for me, almost too much, in fact. So, use your own discretion here, ok? I didn't have any of the Mrs. Dash, and have never used it at all, so I don't know how that would affect the recipe. And on top of that, I literally forgot the soy sauce, lol. Even without those two ingredients, tho, it was good. So, what did I do for the rest of the burrito fillings?
First thing I did was rinse and drain a can of pinto beans. While they were draining, I diced up a small onion, and started sauteing(did I spell that right?)it in my usual combination of olive oil and margarine, about two tablespoonsful. When the beans were drained enough to suit me, I dumped them right in on top of the onions...I had let the onions saute for about five minutes, I guess...and started mashing them with my potato masher. After it was mostly mashed, I let it brown a little on the bottom before turning it and letting the other side brown a little bit, too. While the beans were browing, I spread a tortilla with some chevre goat cheese, and put some of the tofu filling on top of the cheese. Then I put two slices of smoked provolone vegetarian "cheese" on top of the tofu, and spooned some of the now-refried beans on top of that. A few pieces of diced tomato, and I rolled it all up, and put it on a hot griddle to heat, took about four minutes to get it warm and slightly brown all over. Oh, man, it was super, it really was. I ate it with some Tofutti "Sour Supreme" sour cream, which just set it off to perfection, lol.
There was enough of the beans and the tofu filling for me to have two burritos, and enough tofu leftover to freeze about a good cupful, I think. My plans for it are to let it thaw, see if I can't refry it and crisp it up some, and then add it to homemade vegetarian chili...I'm getting the urge for chili again.
Until next time, Happy Eating!!!
Ok, I have to make a public confession and apology here, altho it's not about anything too awfully serious. Last week I said that my number of cigarettes not smoked was 900+, but I was wayyyyyyy wrong, lol. The number for that day last week was only 222, which really sounds more logical, right? The figures for this week, as of yesterday evening, are: not smoked, 386; lifetime saved, 2 days, 22 hours; money saved, $73.71. By 9:30 this evening, I will be smoke-free for a full two weeks. Yesterday at work, I came awfully close to relapsing, but didn't, managed to white-knuckle it thru the whole day, but it was really hard. Never realized how much anger could influence the urge to smoke, but it does. I honestly don't remember ever being that angry for that long, at work, ever before, because of my boss and a female co-worker. It's too long a story to go into here, even tho I'd really love to vent...again...but if I did, I'd just get angry all over again, so, guess I'll just talk about cooking, lol. About making my homemade burritos...not the tortillas, please understand, but the filling and rolling and heating. The Tofu Taco Filling recipe is from someone named Wendy O, who sent it in to recipezaar.com. Recipezaar has a pretty good vegetarian section, if you didn't already know, and is worth checking out sometime for new recipes.
TOFU TACO FILLING
16oz. firm tofu, frozen and then thawed.
1Tbs. EACH soy sauce and Mrs. Dash Original Blend
2Tbs chili powder
1tsp. oregano, 1/2tsp. garlic powder, 1/8 tsp black pepper
1C canned corn
2C salsa
Directions:
1. Wring out and crumble the thawed tofu.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the tofu[Either she didn't give the amount of oil to use or I didn't copy it down, take your pick, but I used about 1Tbs. olive oil and 1Tbs. of margarine with good results. Vegans just use the oil.]
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook to heat thru and combine flavors.
That's it, easy peasy, and pretty darned good, too. Now, I only used one tablespoonful of chili powder, and it was plenty for me, almost too much, in fact. So, use your own discretion here, ok? I didn't have any of the Mrs. Dash, and have never used it at all, so I don't know how that would affect the recipe. And on top of that, I literally forgot the soy sauce, lol. Even without those two ingredients, tho, it was good. So, what did I do for the rest of the burrito fillings?
First thing I did was rinse and drain a can of pinto beans. While they were draining, I diced up a small onion, and started sauteing(did I spell that right?)it in my usual combination of olive oil and margarine, about two tablespoonsful. When the beans were drained enough to suit me, I dumped them right in on top of the onions...I had let the onions saute for about five minutes, I guess...and started mashing them with my potato masher. After it was mostly mashed, I let it brown a little on the bottom before turning it and letting the other side brown a little bit, too. While the beans were browing, I spread a tortilla with some chevre goat cheese, and put some of the tofu filling on top of the cheese. Then I put two slices of smoked provolone vegetarian "cheese" on top of the tofu, and spooned some of the now-refried beans on top of that. A few pieces of diced tomato, and I rolled it all up, and put it on a hot griddle to heat, took about four minutes to get it warm and slightly brown all over. Oh, man, it was super, it really was. I ate it with some Tofutti "Sour Supreme" sour cream, which just set it off to perfection, lol.
There was enough of the beans and the tofu filling for me to have two burritos, and enough tofu leftover to freeze about a good cupful, I think. My plans for it are to let it thaw, see if I can't refry it and crisp it up some, and then add it to homemade vegetarian chili...I'm getting the urge for chili again.
Until next time, Happy Eating!!!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Noodles w/Sour Cream and Applesauce
The holidays are over, and I'm totally relieved. We have been wicked busy at work all week, and I'm just plain exhausted. Today is my one day off, and I'm back in there at 7am in the morning, sigh. I just hope the tips will be as good this weekend as they were the past few days, lol.
The Noodles and Sour Cream, etc., is from "1000 Vegetarian Recipes," by Carol Gelles. I'd been thinking about making it for quite a while, and this afternoon, I did. It's excellent, rich, creamy, sweet but not too sweet. So here it is:
Noodles with Sour Cream and Applesauce
8-oz. broad noodles
One 8-oz. container sour cream(3/4 C.)....I used the soy-based Tofutti brand
3/4 C. chunky applesauce....I bought the smooth kind but it works fine
2Tbs. sugar
1/2C golden or dark raisins
1/2tsp. salt, or to taste
1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain.
2. Return noodles to pot and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cook, stirring, until heated thru.
Variation: Stir in 1/2tsp. ground cinnamon....I didn't use the cinnamon.
Like I said, this stuff is wonderful, and I will definitely make it again sometime. And next time I'll remember to buy the chunky applesauce, lol.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping, and bought some salsa and tortillas. Today I cooked a pot of pinto beans, and plan on making refried beans from them, and then making a bean burrito, using my soy sour cream, and some goat cheese crumbles I found yesterday. And one of these days, I might even make myself a breakfast burrito, who knows? When I make either of these, I'll let you know how they turn out.
My other fantastic find at the store was a tub of miso paste. I honestly don't know if Kroger has carried this all along and I never looked in the right spot for it(it was in the refrigerated section of the health food department), or if they've just started carrying it. Either way, I'm delighted to have found it, and can see miso soups in my future. Again, I'll post about those when I finally get around to making one of them.
Basically I haven't cooked much lately, I've just been too tired. I made some cashew butter, so have had a few cb&j sammiches...the other night I fried some vegetarian hotdogs, heated up some green beans, and baked a potato...and, last week, I used the frozen leftover squash/beans/red pepper mixture to make a soup, like Sherrie suggested. First I sauteed some onion and garlic, then added water and a veggie buillion cube, the squash mix, and about two small potatoes, peeled and diced. When the 'taters were good and soft and falling apart, I used the immersion blender to puree it. Turned out great, and hopefully I'll be able to make it again sometime. I love soups.
Until next time, happy eating.
The Noodles and Sour Cream, etc., is from "1000 Vegetarian Recipes," by Carol Gelles. I'd been thinking about making it for quite a while, and this afternoon, I did. It's excellent, rich, creamy, sweet but not too sweet. So here it is:
Noodles with Sour Cream and Applesauce
8-oz. broad noodles
One 8-oz. container sour cream(3/4 C.)....I used the soy-based Tofutti brand
3/4 C. chunky applesauce....I bought the smooth kind but it works fine
2Tbs. sugar
1/2C golden or dark raisins
1/2tsp. salt, or to taste
1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain.
2. Return noodles to pot and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cook, stirring, until heated thru.
Variation: Stir in 1/2tsp. ground cinnamon....I didn't use the cinnamon.
Like I said, this stuff is wonderful, and I will definitely make it again sometime. And next time I'll remember to buy the chunky applesauce, lol.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping, and bought some salsa and tortillas. Today I cooked a pot of pinto beans, and plan on making refried beans from them, and then making a bean burrito, using my soy sour cream, and some goat cheese crumbles I found yesterday. And one of these days, I might even make myself a breakfast burrito, who knows? When I make either of these, I'll let you know how they turn out.
My other fantastic find at the store was a tub of miso paste. I honestly don't know if Kroger has carried this all along and I never looked in the right spot for it(it was in the refrigerated section of the health food department), or if they've just started carrying it. Either way, I'm delighted to have found it, and can see miso soups in my future. Again, I'll post about those when I finally get around to making one of them.
Basically I haven't cooked much lately, I've just been too tired. I made some cashew butter, so have had a few cb&j sammiches...the other night I fried some vegetarian hotdogs, heated up some green beans, and baked a potato...and, last week, I used the frozen leftover squash/beans/red pepper mixture to make a soup, like Sherrie suggested. First I sauteed some onion and garlic, then added water and a veggie buillion cube, the squash mix, and about two small potatoes, peeled and diced. When the 'taters were good and soft and falling apart, I used the immersion blender to puree it. Turned out great, and hopefully I'll be able to make it again sometime. I love soups.
Until next time, happy eating.
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