Stocking Your Vegan Pantry

The Topic: Stocking your pantry with vegan essentials with Associate Editor Jennifer Chen

The Dish: At the end of a long work day, cooking dinner is one of my favorite ways to relax. Lately, I've been really into making my own beans and seitan, and stocking up my pantry so that during the week most of the prep is already done. Here are my suggestions for keeping your vegan pantry ready to go for effortless weekday meals on the cheap.

Beans. I used to buy canned beans for convenience, but lately, I've been prepping my own beans. I personally love chickpeas and black beans, which are both so versatile in the kitchen. By buying dried beans in bulk, I can make cups and cups of beans versus one canned container. Soak your favorite beans overnight in two to three inches of water. Cook over low heat for an hour-and-a-half or longer, depending on the bean. Approximately one cup of dried beans will give you three cups cooked. If you have a copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction cookbook, she has a great chart of bean cooking times. And if you love chickpeas, you have to try her Chickpea Piccata.

Seitan. At first, I was intimidated to make my own seitan until I tried Robin Robertson's recipe for basic seitan from 1,000 Vegan Recipes. It's so easy! Really. The main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, which you can find in the bulk section of a health food store or online from Bob's Red Mill. You can flavor it with anything you like. I stick to Robertson's simple additions of nutritional yeast and tamari for a juicy seitan "steak." I make about four pieces of seitan and freeze half for recipes to make later. Here's a basic homemade seitan recipe from Isa.

Tofu. I grew up eating plain tofu with a little bit of soy sauce on it so I love tofu in all forms. If you can get freshly made tofu, I urge you to buy it (such as local brands Hodo Soy and Tofu Yu)—the taste is entirely different. But if you can't, here are my tips for getting the most tofu for your buck. For vegan desserts such as Chocolate Mousse, buy silken tofu in Tetra Paks from a local Asian market. I bought 6 packs for 79 cents each since they have a long shelf life. For firm or extra-firm tofu, buy the packaged kind with two bricks of tofu in one pack so you can use one and save the other. 

Rice and grains. I always buy a huge bag of brown rice from Ranch 99, my local Asian grocery store. And by huge, I mean, it looks like a bag of dog food. While I don't eat rice at every meal, a large bag can cost about $20 and last me at least six months. For grains such as quinoa or millet, I frequent the bulk bins. Quinoa is actually a seed, and this little powerhouse packs protein like nobody's business and magnesium, which helps alleviate headaches by relaxing blood vessels. This little tidbit is especially helpful for someone like me who is deadly allergic to aspirin, or anyone who suffers from migraines.

Nuts. The bulk bin is the best bet for stocking up on almonds, walnuts, cashews, and macadamia nuts. It's certainly not cheap to buy macadamia nuts ($17 a pound!), but for select recipes such as the Luscious Lasagna (Veganize It! November+December 2011), which calls for a macadamia-nut ricotta, the bulk bin is your friend. I've spent ample time buying nuts from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and here are my top choices. Buy pine nuts from Trader Joe's rather than in bulk at Whole Foods since it's at least a dollar or two cheaper. The pre-packaged almonds and walnuts from the Whole Foods generic brand are cheaper than the bulk bin prices. Lastly, store your nuts in the freezer so they can last longer. The oils from nuts can turn rancid if left on a cabinet shelf, so your freezer is your best bet for fresh nuts.

The Final Word: By making some of your own ingredients and stocking up on vegan essentials, you can save big on your final grocery bill. The time and effort to make your own beans or seitan may outweigh the convenience of already prepared goods, but sometimes a splatter of elbow grease and DIY pluck can help you enjoy your home cooking just a little more.

Culinary Adventures

The Topic: Refining your vegan culinary skills without breaking the bank with VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

The Dish: This month, I will be celebrating my 10-year anniversary of being vegan. It feels like just yesterday when I made the decision to no longer eat animal products when I was a junior in high school, but when I really reflect on the last 10 years, I realize that my diet has changed since that time. For about the first five years of being vegan, I subsisted for the most part on convenient, pre-packaged food. This was mainly due to my being in school with little time on my hands, but since graduating, my culinary skills have definitely made a major leap in the right direction, and I'm happy to say that nearly 95 percent of the food in my fridge today is whole ingredients, and I cook a meal almost every night of the week. This has really taken a load off of my wallet, and I'm also much more fulfilled with my vegan lifestyle than I was during the first five years.

With my new love of cooking, I have dreamt of going to culinary school in order to perfect my skills in the kitchen, but I honestly don't see that happening—I can't just pull 25 grand from my back pocket, no matter how hard I wish. Luckily, I have figured out some great ways to hone my skills without spending too much. Here are three ways to become a super chef in your own kitchen, on the cheap:

1. Stock Up on Supplies and Staples

OK, this is more about preparation, but if you're not prepared, then there's no way that you will improve on your skills in the kitchen. I know it may seem like a daunting task to build your spice rack and to increase the amount of kitchen appliances that you own—I know, I've been there! To make it less daunting, I have followed the motto, "Steady goes it." I have been working on my spice collection for the past four years, and it is finally well-stocked. I have also done this with my appliances, acquiring some as Christmas and birthday gifts, and sometimes just saving up my money. And even though Williams Sonoma is a pretty sweet store, I would suggest you go somewhere else in order to save some dough. Even better, check out garage and yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores—these could have some real treasures. And for spices and other staples? Repeat after me, "Buy in bulk."

2.Use Cookbooks as Your Guide

I have learned all my skills from my cookbooks, and just like with my staples and supplies, I have built my cookbook library steadily. OK, confession time, I am a cookbook fanatic, and in all honesty I have way too many. Seriously, they have literally taken over my small studio apartment, and I know my boyfriend is getting seriously annoyed with my cookbook-collecting ways. That being said, I won't give them up, because I have learned so much from them. However, you really just need a few to start with, and I would really suggest to get a more general vegan cookbook, which also contains a basic cooking skills section, such as Veganomicon or a 1,000 Vegan Recipes. If you don't have enough money to buy even a few cookbooks, then try the library.

3. Recipe Testing
This leads me to my next point—becoming a recipe tester! This is my newly discovered way of honing my culinary skills. I have been recipe testing for Robin Robertson for the last couple of months, and I have just started to recipe test for Joni Marie Newman's new cookbook. Excluding the great perks of recipe testing (being acknowledged, getting a free copy, and getting to know an awesome cookbook author), it's also a great way to learn new skills in the kitchen. Since becoming a tester, I have made a bouquet garni, and jam for my very first time. Unfortunately, the jam didn't turn out too well, but I was able to discuss the problem with the author, and received some good suggestions to succeed the next time I make an attempt. To become a recipe tester, check out various cookbook authors' blogs, as well as their Twitter and Facebook accounts.


Final Word: You don't have to go to culinary school in order to perfect your skills in the kitchen. You just need to practice, practice, practice! Participate in local vegan potlucks, and occasionally cook for friends and/or family members. The ones closest to you are usually the toughest critics, and nothing will make you a better cook than constructive criticism. Finally, be sure to cook food the you want to eat. That way everything you cook will be a spectacular treat!

How to be a Cheap Couch Potato

The Topic: How to be a couch potato and cheap, by VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

The Dish: So I'm going to confess—if I'm not at work at the VNHQ then I'm being a couch potato at home, and a big one at that. Let's just say that if I'm not on the couch, I'm in the kitchen preparing something to eat on the couch. But seriously, you don't have to feel sorry for me, because I absolutely love it. I work hard in my career, so I don't feel guilty about having leisure time, and I consider my big, beautiful couch to be my friend. We've had some great times together. Jealous yet? If so, then read on, my dear friends, because I have made being a couch potato into an art form, as well as a frugal and enjoyable way of life. So here are some tips on how to be a couch potato on the cheap!

1. Netflix! I'm sure you've heard of this awesome movie rental service before, but it is one of my absolute favorite things, so you're just going to have to bear with me. I find Netflix to be a huge money-saver, because I love my movies. If you don't believe me, then I challenge you to a movie trivia duel! I have a really big collection of movies, which I'm guessing I've spent more than $2,000 on, but believe it or not, they are all from my past as a foolish high school and college student. I have not bought a single movie since the age of 21. OK, that might be a little bit of a lie, but almost! And now, Netflix has a great Instant Watch membership where you only pay $7.99 per month to instantly stream movies and television shows to your TV or computer. Yes, it is every couch potato's dream come true. Also, right now Netflix is running a one month free trial for instant watch, so if you haven't signed up yet, you should really check it out.

2. Make Your Own Snacks. I'm not your typical couch potato—I don't just snack on junk food such as potato chips and Sour Patch Kids (although, those can sometimes be super good). I get a lot of satisfaction from making my own tasty treats to munch on while being on the couch. Here are a few of my favorites. You've heard about these before, but Abby's biscuits are so simple and oh so delicious! These are my go-to snack on Saturday and Sunday mornings with some maple syrup or jam. For a low-fat snack chip, I like to cut some corn tortillas into pretty little triangles, spray some olive oil on them, and toast them at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, being sure to turn over once. Then I serve them up with whatever dip I have on hand, be it some fresh salsa or hummus. Finally, if I'm in the mood for something a little more nutritious and substantial, I make myself a big ol' salad with whatever greens I have on hand, some baked tofu, and some really good homemade dressing. I recently scored a copy of Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and I'm in total love with the Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing—a little sweet, a little savory, and just the right amount of spicy.

3. Get Your Read On! Yes, I love my movies, but I also love my books, and nothing's better than reading on a comfortable couch. Luckily, I have a huge collection of books that I still need to read. I also was gifted a really cool Nook Color for Christmas, and I've found that e-books are a bit cheaper than physical books. There's also the library, which is such a great resource—just don't rack up late fees, because they will haunt you for a lifetime. Lately, I've been obsessed with reading cookbooks, because as everyone knows, cooking homemade meals are way cheaper than buying from restaurants. Some of my favorite vegan cookbook authors include Robin Robertson, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and Joni Marie Newman, but there are so many great ones.

The Final Word: It's not hard to spend a lot of money while being a couch potato. Believe me, I've learned that you can waste a ton of money on GrubHub, and though takeout is good some of the time, it's not the healthiest. Also, I don't condone spending every minute of the day on the couch, even though it's great. I ride my bike at least five days a week, and go out on the town when I can afford it. You can even use the couch as an exercise tool—sit on the edge and do some bicep curls and some leg lifts. Take it from a true couch potato, your couch can truly be your friend, not your enemy. Now sit back, and relax!

Staying in for Brunch

The Topic: Sunday brunch, by guest blogger Brooke Still

The Dish: I hate to say it, but I am without a doubt someone who lives for the weekends. And one of my absolute favorite things to do on my favorite days of the week is go out for brunch. There's nothing quite like sitting at a table, whether it be at a crowded diner or at a sidewalk café, and feasting on delicious tofu scrambles or amazing French toast as a server endlessly fills my coffee cup. Heaven. But, living in the city, what once was a simple Sunday morning treat can easily become an entire weekend's budget. And so when my boyfriend visited this past week, it seemed like the responsible thing to do was to eat brunch at home.

At first, eating brunch at home broke my heart just a little bit. Some of our best memories take place in our college town at a little hole-in-the-wall diner, nursing our headaches from too much, um, studying the night before. But with Savvy Abby's biscuit recipe and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch as my ammunition, I was determined to make our stay-in breakfasts just as amazing. Spoiler alert: They were. I won't give you a run-down of every single meal I prepared during my bf's stay, just the highlights. Of course, Savvy Abby's biscuits were amazing, especially mixed with chopped parsley and eaten with hot coffee right before we headed out to a San Francisco 49ers game. I also made some pumpkin mini-muffins from VegWeb that took about 30 seconds, and were absolutely delicious. But what rose to the top above any other brunch dish was Isa Chandra Moskowitz's A-MAZING East Coast Coffee Cake. This stuff literally melts in your mouth and I could not get enough. It really doesn't get any better than the buttery, crumbly, sweet coffee cake. We made ours with organic blueberries, though Isa has about 80 variations of the recipe. Isa was kind enough to share the East Coast Coffee Cake with us. Make it and you will not be sorry!

What You Need:

For the topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 tablespoons more if needed

For the cake:

3/4 cup nondairy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease an 8-inch round springform pan or 8-inch square pan (I used the square). In a small bowl, add milk for the cake and vinegar; set aside to curdle.

2. Make the topping: In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drizzle in canola oil by the tablespoonful. Use your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form. Alternate swishing and adding canola oil until all the oil is used and large crumbs have formed.

3. To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, mix together milk mixture, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until smooth.

4. Pour the cake batter into prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle on the topping and pat it down just a bit. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

The Final Word: I can't tell you the exact amount of money we saved not eating brunch at restaurants all week, but at meals between $20 and $25 for the two of us, it was easily more than $100. Plus, because I love to bake, I already had most of the ingredients on hand! But the best part of it all was the quality time we spent every morning, slowly sipping coffee and eating delicious, homemade vegan treats. It really doesn't get better than that!