Yeah yeah. So I'm spouting WWII propaganda. Whatever.
Anyway, just back from a trip to the super market. Here's what I bought:
(1) 5 lb. bag of rice
(2) mangoes
(2) lbs. limes
(3) cucumbers
(2) lbs. zucchini
(1) head iceberg lettuce
(6) avocados
(1) 2 lb. bag of tater tots
(2) 10 lb. bags of russet potatoes (1 for me, 1 for my friend)
(1) 3 lb. package frozen prepared chicken nuggets (for The Booger)
(1) package of kosher hot dogs (also for The Booger)
(1) 24-count package of empanada wrappers
(1) package of garlic powder
Grand Total: $15.34
Hooray for eating on the cheap!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
It's a wrap!
Okay, so I've posted what I intend to eat for lunch this week. This got me to thinking that it might be interesting to share some of the stuff I make sandwiches out of (sandwiches being quite a lunchy thing - although I tend to eat them for breakfast and dinner lots too!)
So - sandwich "outsides":
muffins (both english and regular American ones)
bagels
matzoh (Streit's is my favorite brand)
wonton wrappers/egg roll wrappers
crepes
pancakes
tortillas
lavash
crackers
rice cakes
waffles (I get the whole wheat frozen ones from Whole Foods)
pita bread
sliced vegetables
hollowed out vegetables
sliced fruit
So - sandwich "outsides":
muffins (both english and regular American ones)
bagels
matzoh (Streit's is my favorite brand)
wonton wrappers/egg roll wrappers
crepes
pancakes
tortillas
lavash
crackers
rice cakes
waffles (I get the whole wheat frozen ones from Whole Foods)
pita bread
sliced vegetables
hollowed out vegetables
sliced fruit
For Shawn.
So, for my friend Shawn who is introducing vegetarian and vegan meals into her diet I am posting a list of some of my favorite "go to" cookbooks. (As well as prattling on about other stuff, as I do.)
Cook for Good - http://cookforgood.com/ I like this one because it's seasonal, incredibly practical, and frugal. (And being an eBook doesn't hurt!)
Vegan Lunch Box/ Vegan Lunch Box Around the World - Love both of Jennifer McCann's books. I'd probably go with one, not both. (I'm just obsessed with cookbooks.) Really great ideas for easy meals.
Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon's book blew my mind. Seriously. Really interesting (and disturbing!) read. Lots of great information. The recipes are a little more involved, but once you get the hang of them they are well worth the bother.
More-with-Less - Doris Janzen Longacre's book is one of the World Community cookbooks, and fantastic. The other World Community Cookbooks are also really useful and interesting.
This Crazy Vegan Life - Christina Pirello is a pleasure to read, and this book is quite readable, interesting, and full of really great basic recipes.
Jamie's Food Revolution - Okay, I have mixed feelings about Jamie Oliver. But! This is a great book. The recipes are easy as hell, they use simple and readily accessible ingredients, and they aren't time consuming. Most of them are not vegan or vegetarian, but can very easily be modified.
Mark Bittman. Any of his books - How to Cook Everything, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Food Matters, Kitchen Express... I own them all, love them all and turn to them all time and time again. Pick any one of them up and I guarantee you'll be on the Bittman Bandwagon.
I could go on and on, but I won't - my cookbook collection is a scary thing, I know.
Other sources:
http://www.ivu.org/recipes/index.html - a great source of recipes.
http://vegweb.com/ - another fantastic collection of online recipes.
My personal tips:
1. Cook a big pot of beans every week. You'll end up finding countless ways to use this cheap and tasty source of protein.
2. Be careful about buying vegan/vegetarian ready-meals. Just like the traditional ones they tend to be full of nasty stuff for you, and they are also crazy expensive.
3. Shop the seasons. I can eat for a month on $50.00. This includes buying produce weekly. I mostly manage to accomplish this by excluding meat and dairy from my diet, and only buying produce that is in season - and therefore cheap. You're fortunate to live in Southern California where not only do you have access to all the Mexican markets, but Middle Eastern, Asian... great sources for inexpensive food across the board. Spices, grains and legumes, produce... all at a fraction of the price you would pay in a regular grocery store.
4. Healthy doesn't have to mean boring and tasteless. If you don't already have an herb garden, start one. Herbs can make all the difference between an "eh, well, I have to eat something I guess this will suffice" meal and a "holy crap, I should have made more of this and screw you hippie, get your own!" meal. Just sayin'.
5. Make the investment in a good lunch system. Laptop Lunchbox, Lunchsense, and a lunch jar or thermos as well as a refillable drink bottle. Having something neat and tidy and nifty will curb the temptation to just "pick something up," rather than packing your own. Be sure you pack your lunch the night before, so you're not scrambling in the morning.
6. Avoid "meat substitutes" for the most part. They are expensive, full of additives, and just not worth it. Do I use them? Yes, but infrequently. I rely on beans and grains, which are less expensive, taste better and are better for you.
7. There is nothing wrong with frozen vegetables! Just avoid the ones that come in sauces. 10 minutes and a bag of frozen peas (with some water or stock, a handful of herbs or some pesto) and you have a wicked soup that is awesome for dinner or lunch (and packs easily in a thermos for on the go).
And that's all I can think of for now.
Good luck!
(So... who would you invite to your Presidential VEGAN Dinner Party?)
Cook for Good - http://cookforgood.com/ I like this one because it's seasonal, incredibly practical, and frugal. (And being an eBook doesn't hurt!)
Vegan Lunch Box/ Vegan Lunch Box Around the World - Love both of Jennifer McCann's books. I'd probably go with one, not both. (I'm just obsessed with cookbooks.) Really great ideas for easy meals.
Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon's book blew my mind. Seriously. Really interesting (and disturbing!) read. Lots of great information. The recipes are a little more involved, but once you get the hang of them they are well worth the bother.
More-with-Less - Doris Janzen Longacre's book is one of the World Community cookbooks, and fantastic. The other World Community Cookbooks are also really useful and interesting.
This Crazy Vegan Life - Christina Pirello is a pleasure to read, and this book is quite readable, interesting, and full of really great basic recipes.
Jamie's Food Revolution - Okay, I have mixed feelings about Jamie Oliver. But! This is a great book. The recipes are easy as hell, they use simple and readily accessible ingredients, and they aren't time consuming. Most of them are not vegan or vegetarian, but can very easily be modified.
Mark Bittman. Any of his books - How to Cook Everything, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Food Matters, Kitchen Express... I own them all, love them all and turn to them all time and time again. Pick any one of them up and I guarantee you'll be on the Bittman Bandwagon.
I could go on and on, but I won't - my cookbook collection is a scary thing, I know.
Other sources:
http://www.ivu.org/recipes/index.html - a great source of recipes.
http://vegweb.com/ - another fantastic collection of online recipes.
My personal tips:
1. Cook a big pot of beans every week. You'll end up finding countless ways to use this cheap and tasty source of protein.
2. Be careful about buying vegan/vegetarian ready-meals. Just like the traditional ones they tend to be full of nasty stuff for you, and they are also crazy expensive.
3. Shop the seasons. I can eat for a month on $50.00. This includes buying produce weekly. I mostly manage to accomplish this by excluding meat and dairy from my diet, and only buying produce that is in season - and therefore cheap. You're fortunate to live in Southern California where not only do you have access to all the Mexican markets, but Middle Eastern, Asian... great sources for inexpensive food across the board. Spices, grains and legumes, produce... all at a fraction of the price you would pay in a regular grocery store.
4. Healthy doesn't have to mean boring and tasteless. If you don't already have an herb garden, start one. Herbs can make all the difference between an "eh, well, I have to eat something I guess this will suffice" meal and a "holy crap, I should have made more of this and screw you hippie, get your own!" meal. Just sayin'.
5. Make the investment in a good lunch system. Laptop Lunchbox, Lunchsense, and a lunch jar or thermos as well as a refillable drink bottle. Having something neat and tidy and nifty will curb the temptation to just "pick something up," rather than packing your own. Be sure you pack your lunch the night before, so you're not scrambling in the morning.
6. Avoid "meat substitutes" for the most part. They are expensive, full of additives, and just not worth it. Do I use them? Yes, but infrequently. I rely on beans and grains, which are less expensive, taste better and are better for you.
7. There is nothing wrong with frozen vegetables! Just avoid the ones that come in sauces. 10 minutes and a bag of frozen peas (with some water or stock, a handful of herbs or some pesto) and you have a wicked soup that is awesome for dinner or lunch (and packs easily in a thermos for on the go).
And that's all I can think of for now.
Good luck!
(So... who would you invite to your Presidential VEGAN Dinner Party?)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The high road is hard to find.
Listening to: Rammstein - Pussy
Munching on: Nothing at the moment.
Doing my Meal Plan Monday a day early this week. Mostly because I haven't slept in, um, I'm not sure. Days, anyway. After the matches today I hit the Whole Foods on the way to the 90. If I'd had to detour I probably wouldn't have managed it. Yeah. Still, I'm pretty stoked that I didn't end up with a basket of seriously random selections - which has been known to happen when I'm this tired.
As a change, I'll be posting my dinners and new and excitingly - lunches.
Monday
Lunch: Cheese and chutney sandwich, black grapes, green salad with almonds and
raspberries.
Dinner: White pizza, watermelon, and a green salad with olives and tomatoes.
Tuesday
Lunch: Leftover pizza, watermelon, cheese and crackers and black grapes.
Dinner: Tortellini with tomato sauce and olives, watermelon and raspberry sorbet.
Wednesday
Lunch: Cinnamon bagel with banana and honey, some funky melon that's an heirloom
varietal and I have no idea what it is - looked tasty in my sleep-deprivedyness, green salad
with black grapes and almonds.
Dinner: Veggie chorizo, green rice, black bean and fresh salsa burritos, sliced mango and
avocado salad.
Thursday
Lunch: Cheese and chutney sandwich, green salad and curried butternut squash soup.
Dinner: Fruit salad, black bean tacos, and tomato slices.
Friday
Lunch: Mexican fatoosh with black beans, black grapes, pineapple, and the last of the melon.
Dinner: Slump. (various and sundry bits and bobs from the week turned into a skillet meal,
served with bread or tortillas, depending on what's leftover.)
Saturday and Sunday: I'll be out doing the World Cuppery thing, so I'll be eating stuff I probably shouldn't. Oh well!
Munching on: Nothing at the moment.
Doing my Meal Plan Monday a day early this week. Mostly because I haven't slept in, um, I'm not sure. Days, anyway. After the matches today I hit the Whole Foods on the way to the 90. If I'd had to detour I probably wouldn't have managed it. Yeah. Still, I'm pretty stoked that I didn't end up with a basket of seriously random selections - which has been known to happen when I'm this tired.
As a change, I'll be posting my dinners and new and excitingly - lunches.
Monday
Lunch: Cheese and chutney sandwich, black grapes, green salad with almonds and
raspberries.
Dinner: White pizza, watermelon, and a green salad with olives and tomatoes.
Tuesday
Lunch: Leftover pizza, watermelon, cheese and crackers and black grapes.
Dinner: Tortellini with tomato sauce and olives, watermelon and raspberry sorbet.
Wednesday
Lunch: Cinnamon bagel with banana and honey, some funky melon that's an heirloom
varietal and I have no idea what it is - looked tasty in my sleep-deprivedyness, green salad
with black grapes and almonds.
Dinner: Veggie chorizo, green rice, black bean and fresh salsa burritos, sliced mango and
avocado salad.
Thursday
Lunch: Cheese and chutney sandwich, green salad and curried butternut squash soup.
Dinner: Fruit salad, black bean tacos, and tomato slices.
Friday
Lunch: Mexican fatoosh with black beans, black grapes, pineapple, and the last of the melon.
Dinner: Slump. (various and sundry bits and bobs from the week turned into a skillet meal,
served with bread or tortillas, depending on what's leftover.)
Saturday and Sunday: I'll be out doing the World Cuppery thing, so I'll be eating stuff I probably shouldn't. Oh well!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Through the storm.
Listening to: Eminem, Recovery
Munching on: Tortilla chips
Yeah. I like Eminem. For some reason that always surprises people. Whatever.
Tonight for dinner I am making Stroganot. No, that's not a typo. I call it Stroganot because it's in the spirit of stroganoff - but it doesn't even come close to being authentic. Recipe to follow.
So - Meal Plan Monday.
Monday: Stroganot with noodles, salad, and these kick ass pluots I bought at the farmer's market.
Tuesday: Tortellini with my version of Puttanesca, salad and blueberry shortcake.
Wednesday: Taco Salad, mango-lime-slush.
Thursday: Homemade pizza, salad, and blood orange sorbet.
Friday: Going out. And stuff.
Stroganot
Okay, authentic stroganoff is it's own thing, and awesome - when you are eating meat and cream and such. Then there's the bastardized Suburban version of stroganoff - made with beef mince, canned cream-of-whatever soup, and sour cream. My Stroganot is neither, but incorporates what I like about both.
Saute a couple handfuls of good mushrooms in a glug of light oil - vegetable oil is good for this. I don't use olive oil because I don't want the flavor. Remove mushrooms from the pan. Make a paste with mustard powder and white wine. Put this in your pan, add some water, stir and cook for a couple minutes. Stir in some crumbles (Quorn, whatever), and your mushrooms. Stir in "sour cream" and quickly remove from heat. Serve over egg noodles, buckwheat groats, or rice.
Munching on: Tortilla chips
Yeah. I like Eminem. For some reason that always surprises people. Whatever.
Tonight for dinner I am making Stroganot. No, that's not a typo. I call it Stroganot because it's in the spirit of stroganoff - but it doesn't even come close to being authentic. Recipe to follow.
So - Meal Plan Monday.
Monday: Stroganot with noodles, salad, and these kick ass pluots I bought at the farmer's market.
Tuesday: Tortellini with my version of Puttanesca, salad and blueberry shortcake.
Wednesday: Taco Salad, mango-lime-slush.
Thursday: Homemade pizza, salad, and blood orange sorbet.
Friday: Going out. And stuff.
Stroganot
Okay, authentic stroganoff is it's own thing, and awesome - when you are eating meat and cream and such. Then there's the bastardized Suburban version of stroganoff - made with beef mince, canned cream-of-whatever soup, and sour cream. My Stroganot is neither, but incorporates what I like about both.
Saute a couple handfuls of good mushrooms in a glug of light oil - vegetable oil is good for this. I don't use olive oil because I don't want the flavor. Remove mushrooms from the pan. Make a paste with mustard powder and white wine. Put this in your pan, add some water, stir and cook for a couple minutes. Stir in some crumbles (Quorn, whatever), and your mushrooms. Stir in "sour cream" and quickly remove from heat. Serve over egg noodles, buckwheat groats, or rice.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Ain't nothin' please me more than you.
Listening to: "Home," Edwin Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Munching on: Carman's Original Fruit-Free Muesli Bar
If you are not familiar with either of the above - go out and get them right now! As a firm believer that raisins should stay the fuck out of my food, Carman's Fruit-Free Museli Bars were a thrilling discovery. They are absolutely delicious. They also happen to be good for you and really filling. I just happen to care more about the deliciousness of them.
Munching on: Carman's Original Fruit-Free Muesli Bar
If you are not familiar with either of the above - go out and get them right now! As a firm believer that raisins should stay the fuck out of my food, Carman's Fruit-Free Museli Bars were a thrilling discovery. They are absolutely delicious. They also happen to be good for you and really filling. I just happen to care more about the deliciousness of them.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Lazy.
Currently I am more sleep-deprived than usual thanks to obsessive World Cuppery which makes me even less inclined to participate in time-consuming cookery.
So, the meal plan for this week is super simple.
Monday: Honestly? Totally ate on the fly. Toasted bagel and some fruit salad.
Tuesday: Cheese enchilada stacks.
Wednesday: Tortellini salad.
Thursday: Taco salad.
Friday: Grilled cheese.
Saturday: Eating out.
Sunday: Eating out again.
So, the meal plan for this week is super simple.
Monday: Honestly? Totally ate on the fly. Toasted bagel and some fruit salad.
Tuesday: Cheese enchilada stacks.
Wednesday: Tortellini salad.
Thursday: Taco salad.
Friday: Grilled cheese.
Saturday: Eating out.
Sunday: Eating out again.
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