Kitchen experiments :)
I have this tendency to spend an obscene amount of money on food. I love to cook and write up new recipes--but lets be realistic. I have a shopping addiction. One that has left me in a pretty tight predicament. I'm incredibly poor at the moment and am being forced to raid the non-perishables. SO, Taylor and I are expirimenting with going grocery shopping once a month (maybe every two weeks).
This will be so hard for me because i like to shop for every meal. I like things to be fresh and ripe. I don't like to use preservative ridden foods nor do I like to use food that are overly processed (i.e. fake meats and frozen vegetables). I'd rather get my nutrient sources from nature... you know, how our bodies like it.
But with this new tight budget, I'm forced to find new ways to satisfy the needs I wish to meet. I told Taylor that I didn't want to grocery shop until we've used up most of what's in the fridge and in the cupboards.
So, I cleaned out the fridge and am so happy to actually see the shelves! And by doing this, I've learned what things are truly shelf stable. Like, vegan cream cheese... it has remained in my fridge for over two months and has yet to show signs of decay. Normally I wouldn't be bothered, but what the hell is in it that is making it preserve for that long??? Other things like condiments, pickled items, fruit butters, hard fruits and vegetables (apples, cabbage, carrots, celery, ginger), and even some breads also remained shelf stable in the fridge for about a month or more.
I've ran out of all my core ingredients: onions (used the last of it this morning), tomatoes, avocados, mixed greens (no greens. none.), buttermilk.... god the list goes on. I do have garlic and smidgem of mushrooms.
So cooking has been quite the challenge, but it's been good. I come up with most interesting things. Just the other day I made an Orzo-Black Bean pilaf with the last of some of my core ingredients. I made Tofu & Kimchi cabbage wraps with a ginger glaze and brown rice. And this morning I made breakfast burrito wraps and Apple cranberry wrap tarts thingy.
I have attached some of my recipes for you guys to try. A lot of this stuff I had on hand, but a lot of it is very cheap or incredibly easy to make yourself.
I will be posting recipes as apart of my progress away from my shopping addiction.
Although I eat meat after may years as a vegetarian, I still really appreciate a good hearty vegan dish. It's usually healthier and cheaper. A lot of the items I use are organic or bought in bulk from where I work.
Apple Cranberry Breakfast Wraps:
Prep: 7 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
1 12" Whole wheat tortilla wraps, halved
2 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
1 granny smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp prepared apple butter
Cinnamon
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and set the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the tortillar wraps in half and place to warm in the oven for 3-5 mins. Meanwhile, core and slice the apple.
Mix together the cream cheese and the butter till smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on the bottom of each tortilla wrap half. Lay 3 slices of apples and cranberries in the middle. Fold the edges across the middle of the wrap. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and serve with prepared apple butter for dipping.
** I put the apple butter inside, but that's just me. It get really messy though.
Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Pilaf
Prep: 25 mins (includes 12 mins for pasta cooking time)
Total Time: 45 mins
Serves: 2
1 cup Southwest Orzo, cooked according to package
(http://www.pappardellesonline.com, or you can get it at the Lake Eola Farmers Market)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed REALLY well
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 roma tomato, corsely chopped
1 avocado, corsely chopped
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add orzo, and reduce heat to medium. Cook orzo no longer than 12 mins. Drain, and set aside.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, shop up vegetables and rinse black beans well (ESPECIALLY if they aren't salt free). Heat oil in a separate pot on medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté till fragrant, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms, black beans and oregano stirring frequently for about 5-7 mins.
Remove bean sauce from heat and serve hot on top of orzo. Splash on some red wine vinegar and salt/pepper to taste.
** Serve with a simple mixed greens salad.
Simple Mixed Greens Salad
Prep: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Serves: 2
1 whole garlic clove, pealed
4 cups baby mixed greens salad mix
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar OR Red wine vinegar
Rub garlic clove on the inside of a wooden salad bowl. Place mixed greens inside the salad bowl. Gently place oil and vinegar evenly on top of greens and toss until greens are fully covered. ***Be careful not to overdo your dressing or your greens will become soggy.
Scrap Chicken and Rice soup -- my hangover cure
Prep: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins (includes 45 mins simmer time)
Serves: 6
Olive oil
2 chicken legs, chopped, with bones in
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks (leaves and white parts added), chopped
8 baby bella mushrooms
2 tbsp thyme, minced - or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp parsley, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
6 cups of water
2 vegetable bullion cubes
1 cup rice
1 cup spinach, corsely chopped
ground pepper
sliced bread
Heat olive oil over medium. Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides, about 10 mins. Add onion, garlic, carrots, thyme, and mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 7 mins. Add mushrooms, parsley, bay leaves, wine, bullion and water. Simmer for 25 mins.
Add rice and simmer uncovered till rice is tender.
Place soup in a bowl and top with chopped spinach and ground pepper.
*** I bag this up in ziplock bags once it has cooled and place them in my freezer. When I want to defrost them, I take the frozen bag out and place it in a pot with about 6 cups of water over medium low heat. This soup makes for the best hangover cure or flu remedy I have ever made.
This will be so hard for me because i like to shop for every meal. I like things to be fresh and ripe. I don't like to use preservative ridden foods nor do I like to use food that are overly processed (i.e. fake meats and frozen vegetables). I'd rather get my nutrient sources from nature... you know, how our bodies like it.
But with this new tight budget, I'm forced to find new ways to satisfy the needs I wish to meet. I told Taylor that I didn't want to grocery shop until we've used up most of what's in the fridge and in the cupboards.
So, I cleaned out the fridge and am so happy to actually see the shelves! And by doing this, I've learned what things are truly shelf stable. Like, vegan cream cheese... it has remained in my fridge for over two months and has yet to show signs of decay. Normally I wouldn't be bothered, but what the hell is in it that is making it preserve for that long??? Other things like condiments, pickled items, fruit butters, hard fruits and vegetables (apples, cabbage, carrots, celery, ginger), and even some breads also remained shelf stable in the fridge for about a month or more.
I've ran out of all my core ingredients: onions (used the last of it this morning), tomatoes, avocados, mixed greens (no greens. none.), buttermilk.... god the list goes on. I do have garlic and smidgem of mushrooms.
So cooking has been quite the challenge, but it's been good. I come up with most interesting things. Just the other day I made an Orzo-Black Bean pilaf with the last of some of my core ingredients. I made Tofu & Kimchi cabbage wraps with a ginger glaze and brown rice. And this morning I made breakfast burrito wraps and Apple cranberry wrap tarts thingy.
I have attached some of my recipes for you guys to try. A lot of this stuff I had on hand, but a lot of it is very cheap or incredibly easy to make yourself.
I will be posting recipes as apart of my progress away from my shopping addiction.
Although I eat meat after may years as a vegetarian, I still really appreciate a good hearty vegan dish. It's usually healthier and cheaper. A lot of the items I use are organic or bought in bulk from where I work.
Apple Cranberry Breakfast Wraps:
Prep: 7 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
1 12" Whole wheat tortilla wraps, halved
2 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
1 granny smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp prepared apple butter
Cinnamon
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and set the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the tortillar wraps in half and place to warm in the oven for 3-5 mins. Meanwhile, core and slice the apple.
Mix together the cream cheese and the butter till smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on the bottom of each tortilla wrap half. Lay 3 slices of apples and cranberries in the middle. Fold the edges across the middle of the wrap. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and serve with prepared apple butter for dipping.
** I put the apple butter inside, but that's just me. It get really messy though.
Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Pilaf
Prep: 25 mins (includes 12 mins for pasta cooking time)
Total Time: 45 mins
Serves: 2
1 cup Southwest Orzo, cooked according to package
(http://www.pappardellesonline.com, or you can get it at the Lake Eola Farmers Market)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed REALLY well
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 roma tomato, corsely chopped
1 avocado, corsely chopped
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add orzo, and reduce heat to medium. Cook orzo no longer than 12 mins. Drain, and set aside.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, shop up vegetables and rinse black beans well (ESPECIALLY if they aren't salt free). Heat oil in a separate pot on medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté till fragrant, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms, black beans and oregano stirring frequently for about 5-7 mins.
Remove bean sauce from heat and serve hot on top of orzo. Splash on some red wine vinegar and salt/pepper to taste.
** Serve with a simple mixed greens salad.
Simple Mixed Greens Salad
Prep: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Serves: 2
1 whole garlic clove, pealed
4 cups baby mixed greens salad mix
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar OR Red wine vinegar
Rub garlic clove on the inside of a wooden salad bowl. Place mixed greens inside the salad bowl. Gently place oil and vinegar evenly on top of greens and toss until greens are fully covered. ***Be careful not to overdo your dressing or your greens will become soggy.
Scrap Chicken and Rice soup -- my hangover cure
Prep: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins (includes 45 mins simmer time)
Serves: 6
Olive oil
2 chicken legs, chopped, with bones in
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks (leaves and white parts added), chopped
8 baby bella mushrooms
2 tbsp thyme, minced - or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp parsley, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
6 cups of water
2 vegetable bullion cubes
1 cup rice
1 cup spinach, corsely chopped
ground pepper
sliced bread
Heat olive oil over medium. Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides, about 10 mins. Add onion, garlic, carrots, thyme, and mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 7 mins. Add mushrooms, parsley, bay leaves, wine, bullion and water. Simmer for 25 mins.
Add rice and simmer uncovered till rice is tender.
Place soup in a bowl and top with chopped spinach and ground pepper.
*** I bag this up in ziplock bags once it has cooled and place them in my freezer. When I want to defrost them, I take the frozen bag out and place it in a pot with about 6 cups of water over medium low heat. This soup makes for the best hangover cure or flu remedy I have ever made.