Almost Instant Noodle Soup

Instant noodle soup is really convenient. All you need is hot water. But since you have to boil the water anyway, why not toss in some veggies and protein while it boils? It'll make the soup healthier, heartier, and prettier. It might also relieve any guilt for all the sodium in the noodle seasoning.

The idea was taken from my teenage cousin who makes instant noodle soup and adds whatever vegetables he wants from the fridge, and an egg. He once made it for my boyfriend and I (mine was eggless) and it was one of the best noodle soups we'd ever had.

I put water in a pot to boil. Meanwhile, I cut up some mushrooms and bok choy and added them to the water along with some fried tofu cubes and peanuts (not pictured). When it all came to a boil I let it keep going for a few minutes. In a big bowl I put the instant noodle and its seasoning, as well as some bean sprouts and cilantro. I poured the boiled mixture over everything in the big bowl.

That thing was huge. I got about halfway before giving up and putting it in the fridge.

A lot of instant noodle soups have meat or fish in them. Top Ramen's "Oriental" flavor is vegan. If you have access to an Asian market, there is a much wider variety of vegan noodles (spicy, kimchi flavor, seaweed, etc). Read labels carefully. I saw a "mushroom" flavor and got all excited, but it contained seafood.

Do you eat instant noodles? What veggies would you deck them out with?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Bananas Behaving Badly

I melted about a half cup of chocolate chips in the microwave (who'd have thunk it, but Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips is the cheapest dairy-free chocolate I've found, at $3.50-$4 per 12-oz bag). I peeled two bananas, coated them with the melted chocolate, and pressed some dried shredded coconut and walnut pieces onto them. I placed the bedazzled bananas on plastic wrap (you could also use parchment paper) and froze them for 4 hours so the banana got frozen and creamy.

I encourage you to naughtify the bananas with whatever toppings you want: sprinkles, any type of nuts, sunflower seeds, caramel.

Coating the bananas was messy (there was a lot of finger-licking) but the end result was worth it. Maybe next time I will use skewers or popsicle sticks. Or, I could try not being such a beast and only coat one side of the banana's length (unlikely).

What is your favorite fruit to dress up? What do you do with it?

Vegan on a Shoestring

Cheap Chia Seeds in NYC

Chia? As in, "Ch-ch-ch-chia"? Yup, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Chia seeds, like flax seeds, are high in protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber. Unlike flax, you don't need to grind chia in order to digest it and reap the benefits. I never substitute chia for flax because flax is a lot cheaper, but there is one thing chia does that flax won't do:

You can make a pudding out of chia seeds which is kind of like tapioca pudding. It's tasty, filling, nutritious, and easy to make.

Lazy Pudding:

• 4 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup of milk. The chia seeds don't have much flavor, so you will want to choose a milk that tastes really good on its own. (My favorite is almond milk.)
• Sweetener of your choice (I've been using maple syrup).

Stir well so all the seeds are wet, and let thicken for at least a half hour stirring every 10 minutes (the longer, the better, and overnight will give you the thickest result). Add sweetener to taste.

You can flavor the pudding with any spices and toppings you want. Here are some ways I've made it:

• Dash of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, little splash of vanilla extract.
• Dash of cardamom, sprinkle of crushed almonds or pistachios, little splash of vanilla extract. Tastes like kheer (Indian rice pudding). I think a tiny splash of rosewater would be nice in it too.
• Sliced fresh strawberries.

Chia pudding travels well. Just throw the ingredients into a jar (gee I really have a thing for glass jars, don't I?), shake, and go on your way, shaking it a couple more times before eating. The pudding will set by the time you get wherever you're going. For breakfast, you can stir it up the night before and when you wake up the pudding will be set very thick.

You can get cheap chia seeds in NYC, at Perelandra (175 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights), which has organic chia seeds in the bulk section for about $6.50/lb (which is almost half the price than packaged ones in any store or online). A little goes a very long way. One pound of chia will make about 15 one-cup servings of chia pudding.

Have you ever used chia seeds? What do you do with them?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Asian Markets

Expanding your palate beyond continental American food helps to ensure that you will be able to maintain a vegan diet. Asian cuisines tend to be particularly vegan-friendly. American supermarkets sometimes have an "international" section with exotic sauces and ingredients, but the prices are very high. I make special trips to go to Asian supermarkets, to get ingredients on the cheap.

Here are some foods that can be found for much cheaper (up to about 75% less) in an Asian supermarket:
Tofu (and bean curd in various other forms), soy milk, soy sauce, sesame oil, sauces, nori sheets, rices, noodles, and fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs (including exotic ones like bean sprouts, bok choy, mushrooms, lotus root, lychee, ginger). One caveat is that you will probably not find anything organic. I think I may have seen organic tofu once, but that was it.


Tips for shopping in an Asian market:

• When buying packaged foods, check all labels carefully. Stir-fry sauce might contain oyster flavoring, or Thai curry paste might contain shrimp. Also, watch out for an ingredient named "bonito" which is fish.
• You might want to avoid walking by the fish and meat areas. Unlike American markets, a lot of whole animal bodies (cooked, raw, and still alive) may be in plain sight.

Places to shop in NYC:

Chinatown (4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, J, Z trains to Canal Street) - Several stores within a 5 block radius of the trains, along Canal Street.
Flushing (7 train to Main Street) - Several stores within a 4 block radius of the train, both along Main Street as well as on the side streets.
Elmhurst (M, R trains to Elmhurst Avenue) - Several stores within 5 blocks of the train. Two are on 45th Avenue (across the street from the park) and there are more up Broadway toward the hospital.

Do you shop at international markets? What foods do you buy?


Vegan on a Shoestring