We have a grocery shopping excursion planned for this afternoon, because we are not well-stocked at the moment. We've been keeping up with our fresh fruits and veggies, but it's hard sometimes to come up with meals when there's not much else around. Last night, I did come up with a TVP "chicken" salad-style meal, that was very easy and aimed at using up some produce we did have. I put red onion, green bell pepper, and carrot in it, as well as some granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. TVP salad has been a good staple for us during busy spells. It actually came out tastier this time than I think it ever has before, so I will remember these ingredients!
It was good on a whole grain wrap piled with spinach and sprouts...
It was also delicious on a bed of spinach and sprouts, with a slice of toasted homemade bread.
Oh, homemade bread--that was the other staple that we made yesterday. I don't always photograph our homemade loaves, but this one is quite adorable, so I wanted to share it with you:
The recipe came from Fatfree Vegan, but we mix and knead it by hand rather than in a bread machine. This is a favorite bread recipe of ours. In the winter when the apartment is not as warm, we notice a difference in the way our bread turns out--denser, smaller, crustier loaves usually result. I love how this one almost came out in the shape of a ball! It's 100% delicious, though.Oh, yes: Monday was the start of my last semester of grad school. I'm actually very excited about some of my classes this semester. My business curriculum classes should not be nearly as intensive as they have been in the past, so there's a break. And I'm taking a one-hour seminar on endangered species conservation and management (in which we will be reading A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, of which I have read excerpts before and found it to be wonderful literature), a hiking/backpacking class, and a Pilates class! Woo-hoo!
I guess that will leave me plenty of time to study for the CPA exam... woo-hoo...
12 comments:
Your bread did turn out very pretty. So you are a future CPA, soon you'll offer us some great financial advice. :)
Your bread looks amazing. Homemade bread is the best.
Isn't it funny how such great meals can come out of odds and ends?
Good luck at school! Your classes sound interesting. Pilates? Fun!
Good luck with your classes !
The bread looks wonderful ! Perfect shape :)
You are right - that is just the cutest little stout bread. I love baking bread at home, and credit fellow bloggers for inspiring me to do it! I know all about pantry cooking- sometimes it's really good to use everything up- but then I go crazy for wanting fresh fruits!
That loaf is such a little sweetie, very lovable!
I've never used TVP, so I don't know how to deal with it... I guess I just need to buy some. Do you know any good TVP starter recipes?
Good luck this semester, Laura!
Thanks for the link to the oatmeal bread. Oatmeal bread is my favorite and I tried veganizing a recipe last weekend and it just didn't turn out. Yours looks fabulous!
I made a TVP chicken salad a while back and thought it was just ok. The problem, I now realize was with the Nayonaise. I just don't like the flavor of it. I picked up some Vegenaise and made a macaroni salad and it was so much better. So I think I'll make up some chicken salad again. I like the idea of it for sandwich fixins. I get tired of PB&J and Marty gets tired of hummus.
Dissapointing about that book. Unfortunately, I've found that a lot of books like hers are lacking the "real solution." My theory is that they are afraid of sounding to far out there or kooky and they hope that they can win a wider audience if they dumb it down and appeal to the masses.
Oooh the bread is cute indeed! I've been making bread too lately! My school starts on the 16th.. I'm ready to go back I think. What is your major? The classes sound awesome!
Le pain est mignon ;)
Wow - that bread looks great :)
Happy 2007!
<3 Mikaela
That wrap looks so good. I'm a big wrap freak. And that bread, wow! I love to bake just about everything and I love the smell that fresh homemade bread makes. It's amazing. I love that picture you shared because that just looks so much like my kind of bread.
Thanks for all your comments!
Amey, when I work with TVP I usually boil some veggie broth, and then take it off the heat and immediately add the TVP. Stir it in, and just allow it to sit for a few minutes until it has soaked up all the liquid. As far as proportions go, I do slightly less than a one-to-one ratio of liquid to TVP; in this recipe, for example, I used 2 cups of veggie broth and 2 and 1/4 cups TVP granules. TVP is good this way, or stirred into chili or cooked and seasoned for taco filling--be creative!
Crystal, I've never tried Nayonaise. I was thinking about trying it, but after your comment maybe I'll just buy Vegenaise again. I guess it's a bit more unhealthy, but I use so little of it that it can't make that much difference, right?!
Tania, I study accounting. Thrilling, eh?
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