It's been too hot to cook so I've been surviving on toast and various salads. As I've posted my salad method before, I don't think it's necessary to go into that. I will say that recently a friend shared an AMAZING and super delicious recipe for a vegan potato salad made with avocado dressing. The original recipe is from Vegan Brunch. Give it a try if you go in for silky textured potato salad.
Today is considerably cooler than the past several weeks have been so I am spending the day in the kitchen. I am making a couple loaves of bread, a bean soup (in the crock pot, it's not that chilly outside!), spicy lentils and a big pot of my current favorite red sauce. Last time I made it I used some for pasta, and ended up eating the rest with a loaf of bread. What? It's sort of soup-like. Oh just shut up. You only wish you were clever enough to think of eating it this way yourself.
My food budget is pretty spare this month due to some major expenses, so I'll largely be living off what's currently in my pantry, fridge and freezer. Not a lot of "fresh" this month beyond what I have on hand, grows in my minuscule herb garden, grows in my friend's gardens or on neighborhood trees.
Accordingly, Meal Plan Monday this week is going to look a little different.
I am making three base items, and I'll be eating a week of meals based on those three bases.
17 Bean Soup will be eaten as is, and also mashed up, spiced up and served over jacket potatoes.
Spicy Lentils will be eaten with rice, doused liberally with hot sauce and other spices and served in tortillas and also mixed with barbecue sauce and served "sloppy joe" style.
My Favorite Red Sauce will be eaten over pasta and also thinned out with red wine and mushroom stock and baked with vegetables as a sort of ratatouille.
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it isn't tasty.
