Now that the weather is changing, making that weird transition where sometimes it’s still summer and then it’s fall with tons of rain, it’s time to get creative. My mind and my belly are still in summer mode, expecting tons of options at the grocery store, but the reality is much different.
For example, the lettuce options are drying up and what’s in the stores honestly ain’t all that great. I haven’t been able to find Romaine lettuce in a few weeks, and the local stuff–valeria, butter & lollo–wilt easily which means if I don’t eat them the day I buy them, they’re trash. That’s not budget friendly or tummy friendly so I’ve been improvising. To get my fresh veggies in, I’ve downgraded to tomato, scallions, cucumber & bell pepper salad.
But for the rest of my meals? Sometimes you just have to go back to basics and by basics I mean pantry staples.
Year round Fruit & Veggies
One of the things we all need to be aware of when planning meals is what you can get easily from local farms and the produce aisle. Whether you just want fresh food or you’re looking for options that won’t break the bank, consider the fresh items you can always get.
Think of things like onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage, peppers and potatoes. These can make tons of vegan recipes anytime of the year, so if you need to tighten your belt–financially or otherwise–these are your go-to options.
Other Pantry Staples
Full disclosure: I don’t keep a full pantry, at least not the way my grannies do. I try to buy what I need and little else but of course sometimes life gets in the way and you don’t use something you planned to, but for the most part I keep it tidy.
With that being said, I do keep lentils (red, black, green, yellow, black & brown, tyvm!) and grains on hand simply because how much can you possibly make at once. I was really in the mood for beluga lentils and there wasn’t left because it was so close to grocery day, so I kept the vegan ingredients simple: carrot, onion, garlic, TVP, black lentils & mushrooms.
That’s it. Other than herbs & spices that was the extent of the ingredients, and you could swap lentils for bulgur or rice, or even potatoes. Change up the spices and you’ve got a week’s worth of meals with very little effort.
Kitchen Tools:
*Stock pot
*Baking mats
*Tongs
*Large mixing bowl
*Cutting board
Ingredients:
*TVP (or other vegan meat alternative)
*Beluga lentils
*Onion
*Carrots
*Garlic
*Mushrooms
Instructions:
*Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F
*Bring TVP to a boil in the stock pot, cooking according to package instructions.
*In a smaller pot, get the beluga lentils going using 3 parts water to 1 part lentils ratio. Cook 25 minutes, or whatever the package says.
*Chop onions and carrots in similar sizes. Slice the top off a head of garlic. Place them all on a baking mat and cook in the oven 20 to 25 minutes or until carrots are tender and onions are slightly browned.
*Season TVP and place on another baking mat in the oven, baking for 25 minutes to get the pieces slightly crispy on the outside and soft & juicy on the inside.
*In a small ramekin, mash the garlic and mix it until you have a paste. Set aside.
*Place the vegetables, lentils and TVP into a large mixing bowl and toss until blended. Add cooked garlic paste and mix again until everything is combined.
*Plate it up & enjoy it!
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The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?