My New Endeavor

I'm going to make some vegan cheeses.  I tried to make one or two recipes from Miyoko Schinner's Artisan Vegan Cheese book when I first got it a few years ago, but almost every recipe involves so many steps plus fermentation that they take days to make and it just didn't seem worth the work.  Also I didn't know what I was doing and was afraid fermentation might go awry and the food would just go bad.  Now I have more time on my hands during which I can't leave my house, plus increased patience and experience with fermentation from all the sourdough making.  Plus eating dairy cheese seems to make me gain weight faster than anything, while snacking on (store-bought) vegan cheese, no matter how fatty, doesn't seem to have the same effect. 

I flipped through the book today and realized this is why there is an open bag of xanthum gum in my freezer.  I have most of the ingredients for many of the recipes in this book.  The sharp cheddar is the first one that jumped out at me for which I have all the ingredients, so I'm going to make that one first.  The first step is to make rejuvelac, which takes several days in itself.  The first step for rejuvelac is to soak and sprout some whole grain.  I chose millet because I have plenty and have yet to find an appealing recipe in which to use it (I think I originally bought it to mill into flour, but I can't remember why).  So I have a cup of millet soaking until tonight, at which point I have to rinse it out and sprout it for a few days just like with the broccoli seeds.  I think the last time I tried this I hadn't yet successfully sprouted anything, so it should be easier this time around.  This is a picture of where it's at today:  millet soaking in water.  That's it.

Meal Planning

I went grocery shopping on Friday because we ran out of greens and were running low on other things.  I only sort of planned for what I'd make before I went since planning really well still means struggling to use the fresh stuff before it goes bad and then making the recipes that don't require fresh veg. 

This week I'm planning to order a produce box from a local place that delivers such things (you don't get to choose what they include, but if someone will bring fresh produce to my house, I can use whatever) and the next time we need groceries (next week?) I'm planning to order from Instacart again since they will bring things from the Mariano's in Naperville, which carries rice paper wrappers as well as one of the few kinds of coffee Sameer will drink, unlike any stores in our town.  Here is what I'm planning to make:

Idli-Sambar
Making this today because my older container of cashew yogurt has a best by date of Tuesday and I want to finish it off.

Hearty Veggie Hoagies
Assuming the cucumber in my fridge is still good, I will try baking some sourdough baguettes (I'm increasing my sourdough growth and usage to save yeast, which was completely out of stock at the grocery store Friday) and make these sandwiches.

Chilli-Garlic Noodles
I ran across a small container of homemade chilli-garlic paste cleaning out the fridge last week, so I bought a cabbage, green bell pepper, and some green onions to make this. 

Vegetable Manchurian with Basmati Rice
To use up any cabbage, green onion, and bell pepper not used up in the chilli-garlic noodles. 

Pasta Primavera with Pesto Alfredo  
This would use up the last of the half-and-half from the ice cream making.  The ingredients for this will keep for awhile, so this one is not urgent.

Creole Red Beans & Rice
I can still make this whenever.  Still haven't made it yet.


Penne alla Vodka 
I can make this whenever.  

I also have the ingredients on hand to make pizza, tofu pot pie, vegan shepherd's pie, DIY sandwiches, and spaghetti & meatless balls.  I also bought some TVP that will allegedly allow me to make good vegan breakfast sausage patties.  I could make biscuits or pancakes or something if we wanted to turn it into an eggless brinner night.

Meal Planning

I ordered from Instacart for the first time on Saturday because we were down to our last bits of fruit and greens and because I'm sort of afraid of the grocery store now.  So we have some things, though not all the things, so it's time to plan some meals.  I've been sticking pretty strictly to my meal plans, though at least one night per week has ended up being "eat the leftovers" night because we can't always finish them at lunch and I don't want to throw anything away.  Last night I made a loaf of sourdough bread and we had those tofu salad sandwiches with broccoli sprouts again, so we've still got some bread.  Tonight we had veggie tacos with fresh guacamole in honor of still having broccoli sprouts plus the new cilantro and mushrooms and tomatoes and avocados from the Instacart delivery.  Here is the fresh stuff we have on hand to use ASAP:  the rest of the cilantro, the rest of the mushrooms, a large container of spring greens, some tomatoes, and a few avocados.  Here is what I'm going to make:

Vegetable Tagine (The How Not to Die Cookbook, pg. 124) over Quinoa
This will use up the remaining mushrooms, cilantro, and the container of chopped red onion and green bell pepper in the freezer I had originally set aside for Creole Red Beans & Rice.  I'll have to make some broth first too, but aside from the parsley, which may or may not still be fresh, I have everything for that.

Homemade Pizza  and Garlic Knots and Green Salad
Simran's birthday dinner Tuesday night.

Black Bean Burgers on Pretzel Rolls 
I'm getting quite sick of these, but there are more burgers in the freezer still, plus I still have the vegan chipotle mayo I made last time (which is really the best part of these burgers), and this will use up some avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

Garden Pretzel Sandwich
To use up the rest of the pretzel rolls from the previous night, as well as some of the homemade vegan basil pesto mayo and fresh veg in the fridge.

Green Bean Casserole and Boxed Mashed Potatoes and Veg Chik'n Tenders
After Simran's birthday, I will have some milk or half and half or something left over from making ice cream, so I can use that to make the mashed potatoes.  The green bean casserole will use up some of the sour cream in the fridge.

Tofu Pot Pie

Vegan Methi Chicken Curry and Basmati Rice 
I can make this from just ingredients we keep on hand.  It's better with fresh cilantro though, so I might save it until after I have fresh cilantro again, unless the cilantro is still fresh come Wednesday.  I tried freezing cilantro last week but it looks pretty questionable.  I'm not sure if it would make the dish better or worse.

Idli-Sambar
Again, only in need of fresh cilantro to make this.  I have a good amount of cashew yogurt to use up, which I put in both the methi chik'n curry and in the sambar.

Pasta Primavera with Pesto Alfredo  
This would use up any remaining half and half or whole milk too.  I'm out of frozen broccoli, so this would be better after I go to the other local grocery store and stock up on all the frozen produce and fresh greens I couldn't get from Instacart over the weekend, presumably later this week.  

Vegan Shepherd's Pie 

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls
An easy meal we can make any day now that I have a jar of marinara and don't have to invest the time in learning to make some.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Bisque
Because I can always make bread again (as long as I have 36 hours notice), and I have three big cans of tomatoes in my house, which is comforting.

Creole Red Beans & Rice
I could substitute the red bell pepper in my freezer for the green I'd normally use in this and it would be fine. 
 

Whole Vegetable Broth

This is the recipe for broth from The How Not to Die Cookbook.  It's the easiest broth I've ever made, and I like that I don't end up wasting a bunch of vegetables because they actually get blended into it.  It's a great base for sambar or other thick soups.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 dried mushrooms
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbs white miso paste
2 tsp Savory Spice Blend

Directions

1) In a large pot, heat 1 cup of water over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.

2) Stir in the mushrooms, parsley, and black pepper.  Add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil.

3) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes.  Let cool slightly and then add miso and savory spice blend.  Transfer to a high speed blender and blend smooth.

4) Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in freezer.

Savory Spice Blend

From The How Not to Die Cookbook.  It's integral to a lot of recipes from that cookbook. 

Ingredients
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs dried parsley
1 tbs dried basil
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dry mustard (mustard powder)
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp celery seeds

Directions

1) Combine all the ingredients in a spice grinder or blender (I have a cheap coffee grinder I only use for spices) to mix well and pulverize the dried herbs and spices.  Transfer the blend to a shaker bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Store in a cool, dry place.

Meal Planning

It was lack of leafy greens that precipitated my last grocery store trip.  This time it'll be lack of fruit (though I'm also nearly out of greens).  It's currently Sunday and I'm planning to go shopping tomorrow, just over a week and a half after my last trip.  Meal planning has been going fine.  We ate all the vegan methi chik'n, summer rolls, penne alla vodka, saag paneer, tofuna salad (which Sameer has requested henceforth just be called tofu salad because even the suggestion of fish freaks him out but the recipe was really good) sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta primavera with pesto alfredo, and a brinner of egg and cheese biscuits with hashbrown patties (still have some biscuits leftover from last night).  Meals have been yielding 1-2 servings of leftovers if any, which can easily be finished off for lunches the next day, so that's a pretty appropriate amount of food. 

Here is what I plan to make from tonight onward:

Vegan Shepherd's Pie
I'm making this tonight with the intent of using up the half-and-half in the fridge on the potato topping and using up some frozen veg.  It yields one smallish serving of leftovers or none depending on how much Sameer eats.  It's also very easy to scale.

Idli-Sambar
Monday.  I was going to make it earlier but realized too late yesterday that I hadn't started soaking the rice and dal.  This yields more leftovers than almost anything I make, though I have been halving the idli recipe, which helps.  I'll end up eating this for lunch most days this week, so I don't want to make anything else that creates a lot of leftovers.  It's healthy though and helps me not to gain weight.

Tofu Po'Boy Sandwiches and Zucchini Cakes 
Because I like these dishes and there's lots of fresh veg in them, which I want to utilize early in the week while it's all still fresh.  I'm thinking Tuesday.

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Garlic Bread made from leftover baguette and Leftover Zucchini Cakes
To use up leftovers Wednesday so they don't get too vast.

Black Bean Burgers on Pretzel Rolls with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Loaded Tater Tots
I've been wanting to make loaded tater tots ever since my BFF Jackie posted a photo of some she got from a local restaurant last week.  It'll be tater tots (the component I'm currently missing), nacho cheese (which I'll either buy in a jar or just make from the last of my American cheese slices), sour cream, and chives.  The black bean burgers I'm mostly just making because I already have them in the freezer ready to go and they're healthy.  This time when I make the pretzel rolls, I'm going to let them rise again for 40 minutes after rolling them into balls and see if they fluff up better.  They were a little denser than I wanted last time.

Fruit Pizza
A special springtime dessert in honor of Easter, though we'll probably make it mid-week and eat it through the weekend. 

Red Chile Enchiladas and Red Cabbage Slaw
Because red cabbage takes forever to wilt, so I can buy it tomorrow and just leave it in the fridge untouched for a week with no negative repercussions.  The timer starts once you make it into slaw, so I want to make sure we have no other leftovers left when I make this.

Grilled Avocado Enchiladas with leftover Red Cabbage Slaw and Black Beans

Vegan Beef & Broccoli
We made this once from Morningstar veggie beef tips (or similar Morningstar beef product) and leftover wonton dipping sauce, but it was more vinegary than the sauce from beef & broccoli, so I'm going to try the sauce from the linked recipe this time.

Other Dishes that Could Be Made from what's on hand:
Creole Red Beans & Rice
Tofu Pot Pie
Veggie Dogs
Vegan BBQ Ribs
Green Bean Casserole
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup 
DIY Sandwiches with fresh bread

My goal is not to go out again until a week from Friday or later.  Simran's birthday is two weeks from Tuesday, so I want to be well stocked again by then. 

Simran's Quarantine Birthday

We were originally having an indoor pool party for Simran's 8th birthday later this month, with a store-bought cookie cake and ice cream, plus the pizza included in the pool party package from the Park District.  Everything was planned and the pool was booked; we just hadn't sent out the invitations yet.  Simran has rolled with the punches incredibly well when it comes to sheltering in place and all the plans it has involved canceling.  We started preparing her a few weeks ago for the possibility that her birthday party would have to be postponed until her half birthday in the fall (or some other time, depending on the state of the pandemic) and that we'd have a small three-person family party at home for her actual birthday this year.  She mentioned around the same time that her favorite place in the world is TCBY because of the toppings bar and that the best day of her life was the time last fall when our windows were being replaced and we had to go to Ace Hardware and they were unexpectedly giving away birthday cake in the store.  She said it was her favorite day because I took her to the park later where we had a little picnic of sandwiches from home just to get away from the house for a few hours while the work was being done, and she keeps talking about that picnic, as basic as it was.  So for her 8th birthday, I'm re-creating some of that.  I'm also keeping most of it a surprise because she likes surprises more than looking forward to specific events (unlike myself) and because it keeps it lower stress for me.  All she knows at present is that I have something small at home planned that I think she will enjoy and that there will be a small number of presents (I started ordering them from Amazon and Target weeks ago just in case shipping times got longer -- AND THEY DID -- so they've already arrived).

For lunch we'll have a picnic on our deck.  I don't know what we'll eat.  Maybe veggie dogs and baby carrots like she might normally have indoors for lunch.  I'll just cook whatever and bring it from the kitchen on a tray.  Maybe fancy mocktails (which is generally just ice + some kind of juice + sparkling water) to drink.  She likes fancy drinks.

For dinner I'll make cheese pizza with black olives -- her favorite.  For dessert we'll have cookie cake that she can help me bake and decorate (probably the day before), and the big treat will be an ice cream sundae bar, like TCBY but with decent ice cream instead of garbage fro-yo.  I've already started collecting toppings (pirouette cookies, Oreos, malted milk balls, Reese's pieces), and at my next grocery store trip I'm going to buy Neapolitan ice cream (her favorite) and ingredients to make a batch of homemade ice cream too.  She told me she wants me to make cinnamon ice cream, which wouldn't be great for toppings other than Biscoff cookies or maybe Teddy Grahams, but she'll probably mostly want the Neapolitan anyway, so the cinnamon ice cream might end up being primarily for me, which is not a problem.  I asked her what her favorite sundae toppings are (so I can make sure to have them) and she unexpectedly said strawberries, so I'll buy those on my last shopping trip before her birthday (which is projected to occur sometime between 4/16 and 4/20).  The true beauty of the sundae bar as I see it is that it can look like a grand buffet of choices without generating a lot of food waste.  We can just package up whatever doesn't get used and put it away for later because store-bought junk food has a really long shelf life.