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Vegan Bites:
Meals for Busy People
by Hope Matthews, illustrated by Joseph Stengal; from the October 2006 newsletter
Making recipes from scratch is one of the simplest, most rewarding acts one can accomplish in everyday life. Kneading homemade pizza crust takes time and commitment, but the taste surely beats most that are frozen, prepackaged, or delivered.
Juggling work, kids, volunteering, exercise, being creative, running errands—whatever demands the day puts on you—may so entirely fill up your schedule that waiting an hour for pizza dough to rise or fixing home-made spaghetti sauce is not an option when you and your family are hungry, it is 6 p.m., and you have just walked through the door.
Sure, I freeze pizza dough and chili and soup for later too, but one person can only be so prepared. For those of us whose dinners include ingredients mostly found in the bulk and produce sections, mealtime a la microwave is unthinkable. I'm not exactly Julia Child, but some texture, color and freshness is prerequisite to what I conceive of as dinner. As summer has graduated into fall, our bodies also relish the warmth of a home-cooked meal, as opposed to hearty salads, sandwiches, and fruits.
Unfortunately, it takes a lot longer to make chili than a lettuce and tomato sandwich. As much as I enjoy Amy's Organic Medium Chili or an Organic Sunshine Burger every now and then, these products are not meant to fulfill the needs of a family of 2 or more. They only fit the bill when everyone at my house isn't very hungry and anything is up for grabs. Amy’s chili just cannot compete with sharing a delicious, well-rounded meal with one's family and friends. Enjoying and appreciating food helps us relax and appreciate life's simple pleasures after running around all day.
I've been busier than usual lately, just coming home after being away for several weeks, so creating meals in a jiffy with love and attention has been pretty important to me. One of the ways I show my family how much I care about them and their wellbeing is by creating nourishing, appetizing dishes. This evening, we didn’t get home until around 6ish, but I still wanted to make a full dinner. Instead of several dishes, I decided on stir-fry to cut back on cooking time. Thai Kitchen Lemongrass & Chili rice noodles complemented tofu, green beans, purple cabbage, carrots, and bok choy. Basically, 1 boxed meal became the foundation to colorful proteins and veggies for 3 people, with a little food to spare.
Although keeping Thai Kitchen brand rice noodles handy isn’t really necessary, the key to making quick meals is having stock. Some favorite fresh (and occasionally frozen) vegetables, proteins, and grains or noodles are essential. Quinoa, bulgur, couscous, soba or buckwheat noodles, Ezekiel Sprouted Tortillas and whole-wheat pasta cook quickly and store well. Nuts, beans, tofu, tempeh, and tvp (textured vegetable protein) round out your protein needs. Just be sure to keep a wide variety of your favorite vegetables around in the fridge.
Such a meal looks like this: steamed broccoli or cauliflower, cooked soba noodles sprinkled with sesame seeds or cashews, sesame oil, and soy sauce alongside miso soup composed of miso paste with cubes of tofu, thinly sliced carrot, lots of water and green onions. A quickly put-together side salad like grated carrot, garbanzo beans, mixed greens with tomato or cucumber can supplement cooked quinoa with sautéed onions and peas. Last week I added chopped zucchini, green peppers, and leeks (add veggies 5-10 minutes prior to the end of cooking) to Casbah’s Spanish Rice and topped it off with sliced tomatoes. If anyone would like to share his or her dishes for busy people, feel free to email me. Bon Appetit!
Buckwheat Noodle Soup
From The Self-Healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner
1 pkg. thin buckwheat noodles
6 c. water
1/4 c. carrot
1/4 c. daikon or red radish
1/2 c. broccoli, or use radish greens or kale
1 green onion
1 c. pre-cooked aduki beans (optional)
miso or tamari soy sauce
Cut all vegetables in slender, quick-cooking shapes. Boil the water and add noodles, carrot, and daikon. Simmer 10 minutes, then add broccoli, or greens, and optional adukis. Cook 5 minutes or more, then season with miso or tamari to taste.
Avocado and Carrot Salad
From Vegetarian Dishes Around the World by Rose Elliot
Accompany this salad with a small, heated tortilla that holds cooked pinto beans, parsley (or cilantro), a few baby spinach leaves and sautéed onions.
1 large ripe avocado
A little fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb. coarsely grated carrot
Juice of 1 orange
1/3 cup seedless raisins
Parsley sprigs
Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed. Carefully peel off the outer skin of each half, using a sharp knife- it should come away quite easily if the avocado is really ripe. Cut the avocado into long, thin slices and sprinkle them with lemon juice, making sure that the cut surfaces are completely coated.
Mix together the grated carrot, orange juice, and raisins. Arrange the avocado slices on individual plates, top with the grated carrot mixture, and garnish with the parsley.
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