Bought a New Cookbook!!! I think...

I don't recall ordering this cookbook from Amazon but I'm so glad I did. The cookbook is called Vegan Junk Food by Lane Gold.  No meat.  No Dairy. I know right?  She is a vegan chef here in Los Angeles.  I was trying to find out where but I couldn't find that information.
This cookbook has everything from breakfast to deli favorites.  Comfort food to bread.  Vegan party essentials and dips to all kinds of sweet things.  Don't let the title fool you.  Although it is "junk food" I don't know too many junk foods with ingredients like carrots, pumpkins and fresh cilantro and parsley.  Seriously.  Last night I stopped by my local Whole Foods and picked up some ingredients I didn't already have and spent less than $25 for dinner.  I adjusted for my own tastes.

Sloppy Joes

serves 4
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill TVP
2 cups water
3 tsps vegetable bouillon base
1 tsp vegan beef bouillon base
1 tbsp oil
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot (to save time I went to my favorite section and bought already shredded carrot)
1 chopped garlic clove (I used minced so like WHATEV)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsps brown sugar
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Annie's vegan worcestshire sauce
4 tbsps tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
Rudi's whole wheat hamburger buns

heat the water and add the vegetable and beef bouillon base to a boil.
add the TVP and stir a little bit and let it rest for 10 minutes
over medium heat, saute onions and carrots in oil until onions are translucent.
adjust the heat so it doesn't burn.
add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
drain the TVP reserving the liquid.  use a wooden spoon or spatula and squeeze out the excess liquid.
add TVP to the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.
add all other ingredients except the buns and stir.
add 1/2 cup of reserved liquid and bring to a boil.
turn heat down to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

spoon the joes onto your buns and enjoy.

This you can you freeze so go ahead and double the ingredients.  It was so good I wish I had leftovers for lunch.

and more beans

Growing up with rice and beans, I did not enjoy them.
We're talking about rice and beans 5 days a week with a break on the weekends when my father would make pasta taste like heaven.
Now as a mom, I appreciate the goodness of this lovely protein.
You can have it with your rice, quinoa or rolled up in a tortilla.
This article from Web M.D. pretty much sums it all up
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/beans-protein-rich-superfoods
It is the perfect food for your budget and when you are stepping away from the rotting carcasses. Too much?
Sowwy.

Last night I soaked 1 lb. of pinto beans.
It's cooking for the day in my 6 qt crock pot for a weekend of doing nothing but lazying around sans kids.

Southwest Beans
1 recipe (see last post entitled "basic beans...")
1 4 oz can drained chopped green chiles
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
adobo

Drain the cooking liquid from the beans, then stir in the chiles, cumino, paprika, and season with adobo.
reduce the heat to low and cover for 30 minutes.
add some water or vegetable stock if you prefer and saucier consistency.

YUM!