Lazy Non-Chicken Parm

I took vegetarian chicken patties, microwaved them for half of the time prescribed on the package, then added storebought chunky tomato sauce and Daiya shreds and finished microwaving them.  Took less than 5 minutes.

Here they are, served up with creamy chive mashed cauliflower.

What convenience veggie foods do you enjoy?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Baby Taro

I love boiled baby taro. They are tender mini versions of the large root vegetable. They're quick, easy, and so filling and satisfying. Just boil the taros until fork tender (like a potato), peel, and enjoy with a little salt. So good!

Here they are in the pot:

Here they are peeled and ready to eat:

How do you like your taro cooked? Do you prefer to mash them, or make chips, or something else?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Corn Chowder

I adapted the corn chowder recipe from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook (by Marion Cunningham) to make it vegan.

Corn Chowder

• two onions, diced (or one jumbo onion)
• 3-4 minced cloves of garlic, optional
• 8 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (the extra large ones that each make 2 cups of broth)
• 4 cups unsweetened milk (I have used Almond Breeze or soy milk)
• 4 cups corn, either frozen or fresh
• 4 Tablespoons butter, optional (I used Earth Balance, which made the soup rich and yummy)
• salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of oil (or water, if you're watching the fat) until transluscent and fragrant. Add the potatoes, bouillon, and 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the milk, corn, butter, salt (it's important to taste the soup before adding any salt, because it may already be salty enough between the bouillon and the butter) and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes or so. Then, if you like a thicker soup (like I do), pull out 2 to 4 cups of the soup and blend it until smooth, then add back into the pot with the rest of the soup and stir until thoroughly combined. The soup is hearty and yummy (and omni-approved!) and is the soup equivalent of wrapping yourself in a blanket. It's even better served with bread, crackers, or croutons.

What food(s) do you make when you seek warmth or comfort?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Candy Cane Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels

I put parchment paper on a baking sheet. Then I put candy canes in a sandwich bag and crushed them with the bottom of a pint glass (classy!) and put them in a wide, shallow container. Then I melted some chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave. I coated each pretzel with chocolate, shook off the excess or wiped any drips with a spatula, then held it over the candy cane container where I liberally sprinkled the candy cane crumbs on, then laid it on the baking sheet. When the sheet was full, I put it in the fridge until the chocolate solidified, about 15 minutes. I repeated until I reached the desired amount of pretzels. One bag of chocolate chips was juuust enough to coat half a pound of pretzels (I was scraping the bowl of chocolate with a silicone spatula), and 9 crushed candy canes was enough to stick to the chocolate.

These might look really candy-caney, but they were not overly minty at all. The saltiness, sweetness and minty-ness were perfectly balanced.

What sweet treats do you enjoy this time of year?


Vegan on a Shoestring