Vegetarian night (Post #8)

As someone whose engaged to a vegetarian and does a vast majority of the cooking, I try to make a good amount of our meals vegetarian so that we can both enjoy them and I can save time and money. I really enjoy this meal because it's delicious, filling, and includes a meat substitute that everyone I know who's tried it seems to really like.

 
Cookware 
10 inch cast iron pan
2 quart sauce pan
5 quart glass baking dish 
4 quart pot
(Various other options will work just fine.) 

Ingredients
Cornbread (Vegetarian modified)
1 box of Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix
1/2 banana
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup almond milk

Vegetarian Chili 
2 cans of Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chili
1 package of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo
Olive oil
Shredded Cheese

Cajun Spiced Potato Wedges
Gold potatoes
"Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Seasoning
Olive oil
Baking soda

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. 

Cajun Spiced Potato Wedges
Cut several potatoes into wedges by cutting them in half long ways, into quarters long ways, and finally into eights long ways. Be sure to always cut down the middle and towards the edge of the potato pieces. Use a medium sized pot to rinse them at least three times in cold water, this removes the starch and will help them crisp in the oven. The water should be clear after three rinse cycles instead of murky, that's how you'll know the starch has been removed. Refill the pot with water, place on a large burner, cover, and turn the heat up to high. Once boiling, turn down the burner to medium high and add a small spoonful of baking soda, this cause the pectin (outer layer) to breakdown and become crispier while cooking. After a minute or two, gently insert the tip of a knife into a wedge. If the tip goes in fairly easy but doesn't cut through the center, then they're ready. Strain and toss them around in the strainer to break down the outer layer more, this will also help crisp the outer layer. allow them to steam off. While doing so, add some olive oil to a large bowl, enough to coat the potatoes generously. Also add some "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Seasoning to the oil and mix. This stuff is spicy and a little strong so be cautious. Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss until the potatoes are coated even and generously. Spread a little more oil on the inside of your baking dish and add the potatoes. Spread them out and be sure not to put the skin side down. 

(This dish and the corn bread will go into the oven at the same time.)


Cornbread
Using a large mixing bowl, mash the 1/2 banana, add the milk and oil, and whisk. Once whisked, add the cornbread mix and whisk until blended, do not over mix. Pour the mixture into a greased (with a little vegetable oil) cast iron pan. Place into the oven along side the potato wedges and cook for 30 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can insert a knife into the center and remove it clean. 


(Once removed from the oven, turn a few of the potatoes to see how well they've crisped, if they look crispy, turn them over and allow the other side to cook until both sides are crispy, if not, let the first side to continue cooking then turn them all when they're crispy.)


Vegetarian Chili
Place sauce pan on small burner over medium heat. While pan is heating, open two cans of Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chili. Once pot is heated, add some olive oil and swirl around. Add one package of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo by cutting the filling out of the casing. Cook and stir for a couple minutes then add the two cans of chili. Once it comes to a through simmer, add shredded cheese on top and stir it into the chili. 

Once all three are done, serve and enjoy.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cookware types (Which should you choose?) post #11

Image
There are so many different types of cookware out there now, so for this post I decided to write about three of the most common and what the pros and cons are of each. The three pans you see below are stainless steel, non stick, and cast iron. All are about the same size but perform differently, cost differently, and last differently. When buying cookware, heat conduction (how well the cookware holds onto the heat after food is added), heat distribution (how well the heat spreads throughout the pan), cleaning, and price are important factors to consider. Stainless steel Pros: Good heat conduction and distribution. They're great for cooking just about anything but avoid cooking delicate foods such as eggs and fish, chances are they will stick and get torn up. Most can be safely cooked over any heat including in the oven and broiler, but be sure to read the information provided in the packing to know for sure. They can also last a very long time is taken care of properly....
Read more

Grilling in the winter (post #7)

Image
Are you in the mood to grill but is the rain or the fact that you don't have a fancy stove with a built in grill preventing you from satisfying your craving? Well there is another way. All you need is a grill pan and they can be used right on your stove top. Here's how I like to use mine.  1.) Pour some oil in the pan and use a basting or pastry brush to evenly coat the inside of the pan. 2.) Place the pan on a large stove top and set the heat to medium/medium high. 3.) Once the pan starts to smoke, food in the pan with the top of the food pointing towards 10 o'clock.  (Be sure to not move the food for at least a couple minutes to allow to grill marks to establish.) 4.) After a couple minutes or once first grill marks have established, turn the food so that the top is facing towards 2 o'clock. Let cook for another couple minutes or until second grill marks establish.  (This creates the the diamond shaped grill marks.) 5.) Fli...
Read more

Grandma's Tortilla Recipe (Post #5)

Image
The first I made these was on a weekend afternoon in elementary school. At the time my dad was talking a lot about the tortillas that my grandma used to make and had me call her up and get the recipe. She hadn't thought about it in a long time but did her best to remember and I'll never forget the time I tried one. Yes they do take time and it is work but once one try the real deal, it's very hard to go back.  Ingredients  4 cups of flour 2 teaspoons of salt 6 tablespoons of shortening 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 1/4 cup of fairly warm water Put all of the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the shortening, and work it into the flour. Once blended, slowly add the water and form into a ball until there is no more flour in the bowl. Knead the dough on a board, form small balls and let them sit covered with a dish towel for 15 minutes. Once rested, cook the small dough balls on a low-med low heat on a skillet or griddle, 2 minutes on 1 side, 1 minute on t...
Read more