Notes from last week:
Green Bean Casserole was a huge hit with the family. I sped up this recipe by basically making a green bean and mushroom gravy (skipped the sherry because we just don't have any at the mo) and made our own fried onions by just frying onions with vegan margarine and breadcrumbs. I use this method a lot you'll come to see. I skip the baking step of a casserole and opt for a gravy or stew as it's pretty much done off the stove and it saves us a bit of time and money to not bake it.
The Mac & Kale was done in the same was as above, just skipped the baking. I almost never bake mac & cheese dishes. I did change the linked recipe a bit by using sunflower seeds rather than cashews (don't have any) and no mustard as we only have English mustard at the moment which I felt would be too strong for the lighter flavors of the sauce. Again, family gobbled it up.
I'll finish up with my streamlined stew. I started with this recipe and adapted for my ingredients and time. The family really really liked this. It is a fabulous stew and I would encourage anyone to try it out in either method. I'll probably make it again in the coming weeks and only change it by adding dumplings.
"Beef" and Pepper Stew
(heavily inspired by Jenn's recipe here)
1/4 c vegan margarine or vegetable oil
1/4 c all purpose flour
8 c veg broth (or water with appropriate number of stock cubes)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 c soy chunks
1 heaped Tb marmite
1 tsp mustard
3 Tb vegetable oil (I often use canola/rapeseed or sunflower)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch ground nutmeg
1 med onion, chopped
2 sweet bell peppers (anything but green in best here)
2 sm-med potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
1 (14oz?) can diced tomatoes (or whole and squish 'em up)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c corn starch mixed with 1/4 c water (optional)
In a med/lg pot melt margarine, stir in flour until fully incorporated. Whisk in stock a couple cups at a time to avoid clumps. Add bay leaves and thyme and leave this to heat over med heat and carry on with the rest of the stew. Turn it down if it begins to simmer before it is needed.
In stock pot/soup pot combine soy chunks and about 2 cups water (this may vary depending on the brand of chunks you use, no worries though, this is stew after all) with marmite and mustard, heat over med/high heat. Once chunks are hydrated and any extra water has cooked off add oil, garlic and spices and mix. Saute this mixture for about 5 mins to cook the garlic and heat all the spices well.
Add veggies to the chunks. If there are any stuck on bits at the bottom of the pot the juice from the canned tomatoes should help loosen these up. Cook until onions are translucent and potatoes begin to become tender. Pour in heated stock (carefully of course). Stir well. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Bring up to simmer and continue cooking until veggies are tender. At this point if your stew is not thick enough, combine cornstarch and water in a cup and add to pot stirring well. This should thicken things up in a few minutes.
I know it doesn't look like it but I actually had my meal plan ready on Sunday but it's taken me this long to get this post out. My only excuse is usual life maintenance + teething toddler = not much time left to sit at computer. Seriously, the poor Noodle will chew her hand off if I don't watch her.
Monday - Moroccan Lentil Soup
Tuesday - Sweet & Sour Stirfry with veggies & kidney beans
Wednesday - Boston Baked Beans & Brown Bread
Thursday - Cheesy Broccoli Bean Bake
Friday - Pudla with Besi Bele Bath
Saturday - Pasta with Lentil Balls
Sunday - Tom Yum Curry (have an open jar of this paste in my fridge to use) with rice & soy chunks
No comments:
Post a Comment