Easy, Yummy, Cheap Cookies!

The Topic: Homemade cookies that make amazing (and affordable!) gifts with Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: I love to bake, but rarely do much of it anymore. Having an entire cake or a couple dozen cookies around the house is, frankly, a recipe for disaster. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, most of the time.

The other night, I got a hankering for homemade chocolate chip cookies. We must have been talking about them at the office that day, or maybe it was an ad for vegan cookie dough I had seen. Whatever it was, I could not stop thinking about spoonfuls of fresh, chip-and-nut-filled dough (my weakness) and hot-out-of-the-oven cookies. I had to have them! So I pulled out Claire Gosse's 2010 cookbook Are  you sure that's Vegan? and got baking.

When I find a great cookie recipe, I always want to share it. And this was no exception. Claire's Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are sinfully delicious, and make a wonderful gift for co-workers, friend's birthdays, or anytime you want say "thanks" to someone special. Hey, anything you can do to get them out of the house, right? This recipe makes a ton of cookies, so each one ends up to cost just pennies. So for not much dough (the green kind), you can share great vegan desserts (always a crowd-pleaser) while saving money on something you would have bought from the store.

Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I absolutely adore any cookie with oatmeal, chocolate chips, and nuts—and this recipe has them all. Since I am recipe-challenged and always have to change something, I added white chocolate chips (purchased at Food Fight! vegan grocery in Portland), slivered almonds, and extra vanilla. Yum.

What You Need:

2-1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup vegan margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Egg replacer for 2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chips
4 ounces grated dark chocolate

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend oatmeal in blender to a fine powder.
2. Cream the margarine and both sugars. Add egg replacer and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts.
3. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

The Final Word: Homemade cookies always make the day a little better, and these were no exception. Pick up a copy of Claire's Are you sure that's Vegan? for excellent renditions of everything from red velvet cupcakes and pineapple upside down cake to vanilla fudge and peanut butter cups. You won't be disappointed.

I am a sucker for raw cookie dough. I love it and eat by the spoonful! But then I don't feel so hot.

Save Big on Spices and Herbs

The Topic: Getting the biggest bang for your buck when cooking with herbs and spices with Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet

The Dish: With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I (like many) have cooking on the mind. I can’t wait to heat up my kitchen and fill my apartment with seasonal aromas and that pleasant sizzle of my favorite dishes on the stove top. Trying out new spices and herbs is one of the most enticing parts of cooking—unfortunately, it’s often one of the most expensive parts as well. But between regularly whipping up exciting dishes like Korean bibimbap or Brazilian feijoada, I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping seasoning costs low.

Bigger is Better

First, adopt my favorite three-word principle: buy in bulk. Last year, Indian food was the name of the game for my kitchen, and I couldn’t believe the price of saffron—just a few vivid threads rivals the cost of my college education. On a whim, I decided to check out the bulk section of the grocery store and I found a whole box of American saffron (which works just as well) for less than $10. So began my love affair with buying in bulk. If you’re buying international spices, check your favorite grocery store’s ethnic aisles, where you’ll likely find huge bags of turmeric, cloves, chili powder, and more, for a lot less than the tiny jarred versions in the spice sections. Or, head to cultural neighborhood stores for a similar experience—independent mom-and-pop shops tend to stock an even greater variety of herbs and spices for all your cooking needs.

DIY

No, not do-it-yourself—in this case, dry-it-yourself! The best time to find cheap herbs is when they’re in season, so ask vendors at your local farmers’ market when you can expect to see your favorites. Once you’ve found the tasty treasures, use what you can that week—nothing beats the scent and flavor of fresh herbs. Then, dry the rest before they rot. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has created a great guide on how to dry herbs using materials you probably already have. Using a microwave, dehydrator, or even a paper bag will help preserve your herbs for the rest of the year. I bought a hearty stem of sage, my favorite herb, and dried it by hanging it upside-down for two weeks. Now I can incorporate this earthy herb into my meals for the rest of the year, without the cost of buying a jar of the dried stuff.

GIY

Growing-it-yourself doesn’t require much of a green thumb, or a stuffed wallet. In the springtime, plant seeds in a window box and wait for the magic to begin—basil and mint require minimal care, grow like crazy in the right conditions, and will save you a lot compared with buying packs at the grocery store with just a few leaves at a time. Fear not if you missed planting season, as many grocery and gardening stores stock potted herbs during most of the year. The prices for potted basil are not much higher than the cost of packs of the fresh leaves, so why not put your money towards something that will keep growing the green stuff? In addition to providing fresh herbs year-round, potted herbs also add a touch of green to your kitchen, which is essential during the upcoming grey months.

Learn to Substitute

Amateur cooks tend to focus on every individual ingredient of a recipe, whereas the pros know what to use to make the final dish delicious, regardless of what the recipe may call for. Instead of buying every last spice on a huge ingredients list (and racking up a hefty grocery bill), reconsider what’s already in your kitchen. This guide to substitutions is a great place to start for using herb alternatives, such as parsley instead of cilantro, or substituting basil in place of mint. The Cook’s Thesaurus also has a handy guide for international spice substitutions. Bet you didn’t know you could use nutmeg instead of mace or allspice in place of clove! One final tip: If you don’t have a particular herb or spice that a recipe calls for, just leave it out—once you taste your home-cooked dish, you’ll forget that you omitted the coriander seeds (and your guests won’t even know!).

Cooking spicy, flavorful dishes doesn’t have to be expensive—by learning where to find the best prices, how to grow and preserve fresh herbs, and what works when substituting, using spices and herbs is as savvy as it is delicious.

5 Veg-Friendly Deal Sites

The Topic: Becoming an online-coupon-user extraordinare with Assistant Editor Anna Peraino

The Dish: We are Savvy Vegans–we buy in bulk, we wait for sales, we DIY, and we are most definitely familiar with the coupon. With the onslaught of group-based coupons out there (Groupon, Living Social, Scout Mob, and roughly one bazillion others), it's never been easier to save 40 percent on a CSA basket or 65 percent on a haircut at a salon we'd otherwise never afford. But what happens with your daily coupon is to a steakhouse, or that salon uses products that are tested on animals? A major bummer, that's what. Luckily for us, many vegan- and vegetarian-friendly deal sites are popping up, saving us cash on cookbooks and dough on (vegetarian) dim sum. Make sure to subscribe to these five deal-givers to save on every aspect of your life (not to mention upcoming holiday gifts)!

1. Time to Veg Out. This just-launched deal site is pretty much the vegan version of Groupon. Featuring both nationwide and location-based deals (the site currently covers towns like New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, with more cities to come), it's a great way to save. The site is still getting started, but we can't wait to see more.
2. Vegan Cuts. "Shop Vegan. Save Money. Save Animals." Is there anything better than that? Not really. Vegan Cuts helps you save on cookbooks, skincare, jewelry, purses, and basically everything else you'd ever need. (Tofu presses! Energy bars!)
3. Daily Gourmet. If you're obsessed with food, this is the deal site for you. While not 100-percent vegan, Daily Gourmet lets you choose what kind of deals you want to get in your inbox, including vegan, gluten-free, and kosher items (and nut-free, and soy-free…). The site's first offer was a dozen Cinnaholic buns. If that's not reason enough to sign up, I don't know what is.
4. Vegan Coupons. If you're on Facebook 24-7 like we are (side note: like us on FB!), you'll love getting Vegan Coupons on your news feed. Offering printable coupons on everything from cookbooks to loaves of bread, Vegan Coupons will help you out in all your spending endeavors. And don't forget to follow Vegan Coupons' sister site, Vegan Deals, on Twitter (not to mention VegNews on Twitter!).
5. Deals on Twitter. From free Rice Dream to natural foods discounts, Twitter is a great place to save serious cash. It's so effective, in fact, that we wrote a whole post about vegan coupons, tweeted. Click and save!

The Final Word: In this day and age, paying full price gets to be as infrequent as eating a bad slice of vegan pizza* and we couldn't be happier. Sign up, follow, and check these sites to save serious money and enjoy some really awesome vegan stuff. Do you know of other great money-saving coupon sites for vegans? Let us know in the comments!

*Just kidding. It is scientifically impossible to eat a bad slice of vegan pizza. Trust me. I'm a professional.

Want to Eat Cheap? Learn to Cook.

The Topic: Rediscover cooking and eating at home (while saving money!) with VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: I recently read an astonishing statistic on how nearly half of Americans don't cook. Instead, people grab a bagel and coffee on the way to work, step out of the office for a sandwich or burger at lunch, and order in pizza or Chinese for dinner. And that doesn't include morning doughnuts at the staff meeting, the afternoon sugar fix, post-work drinks, and that bowl of ice cream at 10pm. Given the (sad) state of our health in this country, there's no question that high-fat and huge-portioned restaurant fare is contributing to our demise. I say it's time to take back our health and get cooking.

By preparing your own food at home, you can control the quality of ingredients (organic, local, GMO-free), the amount of salt and oil used (restaurants are notorious for using excessive amounts of salt and oil to flavor food), and the portions you consume (a one-serving plate of food at the local diner could serve an entire family in other countries). Think about how you feel after a home-cooked meal versus a typical restaurant meal. Whenever I go out, I overeat and feel full for hours. The food is always good, but I pay the price. 

Thankfully, delicious (and budget-friendly) meals can be made at home. But if you don't know how to cook, where do you start? Do we all need to spend $50k on cooking school to learn basic cooking techniques that are no longer passed down in our families? Absolutely not. Here are four ways to become a stellar home chef in no time flat. Your culinary education begins now!

Use Recipes

I am the first one to admit that I rarely cook with recipes. I like to make healthy meals fast, and I don't have the patience to plan my meals or follow instructions. But recipes teach you how to cook. Find a cookbook you love (check out VegNews for recommendations), and force yourself to make one or two recipes a week. Then make them again. After a few times, you'll no longer need the recipe and will have an arsenal of balanced meals to make at home. And you'll have learned the #1 trick in cooking: technique. If you know the technique behind a particularly type of food (curries, pesto, stir-fry, soup, etc.), you are 75 percent there.

Watch Cooking Shows

Unfortunately, there aren't many vegan friendly cooking programs to help you master your culinary skills, but if you find yourself drawn to a particular food personality or their cuisine, watch them. Seeing a chef julienne carrots and zucchini for an Asian dish will stay with you longer than reading that same instruction in a cookbook recipe. And, once again, you'll pick up on technique and start to understand the broad strokes of cooking so that you can then customize whatever it is you're making. Check out our cooking videos on VegNews TV for excellent visual instruction!

Take a Cooking Class

This is the most hands-on way to learn how to cook, and vegetarian cooking classes are easier than ever to find. Whether it's a course on Thai cooking or how to prepare a 10-course vegan Thanksgiving feast, nothing beats real-life practice. You'll always go home with recipes, and you'll want to keep making them while they're fresh in your mind. Soon, these new dishes will be part of your at-home repertoire to dazzle everyone you cook for.

Read About Food

Often times, I find myself inspired by food articles and recipes I read and work those ideas into whatever it is I am making. Let's say I am editing the January+February 2012 issue of VegNews and salivate over Gena Hemshaw's raw pad Thai recipe (this may or may not have happened). That night I am craving Southeast Asian flavors and whip up a salad with fresh lime juice, chiles, garlic, and soy sauce. Think of cooking as a college degree, and read everything you can about it. Peruse magazines, books, blogs, or anything that inspires you to cook.

The Final Word: Cooking at home is a joyful, therapeutic experience, and you'll save a lot of money in the process. Whenever I encourage friends to do more cooking, I offer this advice: 1) It's not how you start, it's how you finish. There are no rules in cooking, so as long as you enjoy the flavor at the end, you've succeeded. 2) Cook like crazy. The more you practice, the better cook you'll become. 3) Stock your pantry. You'll be more inspired to cook if you're kitchen is filled with fresh produce, a variety of pastas and grains, and spices you love. Bon appetit!

How to Live (Well) Within Your Means

The Topic: Living Simply (but Well) with VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: I've often said that the recent economic recession has a silver lining. Of course, I feel for those who can't find work, who have lost their health insurance, or are struggling in any way. It's a sad situation. But, America, we live way beyond our means, and maybe we need a kick in the pants to stop buying stuff that we don't need and we can't pay for. In many other countries, the idea of credit cards is completely foreign. Why would you buy something if you don't have the money right now to pay for it? Here in the US, we're a credit culture. We want to feel like we can buy anything we want, and since we can borrow money at a moment's notice, why not drop $15 on lunch, down a soy latte every morning, or sport a wardrobe that we really can't afford.

Years ago, right after college, I backpacked through Asia. I started my journey with a 25-pound backpack and thought I needed absolutely everything in that pack. But week after week, I realized how little I really needed. I shed articles of clothing (I could wash what I had every few days and be fine), my CD player (I gifted it to a guy in China who would enjoy it far more than me), and my collection of books (I could swap reads with other travelers and just carry one book at a time). After liberating myself from all of my stuff, I was able to travel the world with a four-pound backpack. It was amazing, and although living this simply certainly doesn't translate to real life, that feeling of freedom has stayed with me for the last 18 years.

So here's five ways I try to simplify my life so that I live within my means, joyfully.

Love Your Bottle

It makes me crazy to see people still buying plastic water bottles. This is 2011! Not only is plastic detrimental to the environment, in many places, tap water is just fine (thank you, Hetch Hetchy). If it's not, invest in a water filter/distiller/purifier so you can make your own pristine water. And buy an adorable (BPA-free) bottle that never leaves your side!

Love Your Leftovers

There was a time in my life that I shunned restaurant leftovers. Ugh, the hassle, and I felt it made me look desperate or something. But as an adult, I have embraced leftovers and never miss an opportunity to take home a doggy bag. Leftovers make a delicious brown-bag lunch the next day, and it cuts your meal cost in half (paid $10 for a Mexican platter? Get two meals out of it, and you've just cut your cost to $5).

Lose the Lattes

I have never been a coffee drinker, so maybe this is something I can't understand. But I don't understand! Have you done the math on these babies? It's crazy how much a latte habit adds up to. And the more we drink coffee/caffeine, the more we need it. Starbucks has made us a country of addicts, and they're making a killing. Full disclosure: I love a good soy chai latte, but I look at it as a treat and only indulge once a month or so. 

Brown Bag It

This is a great way to save moola so you can splurge on something meaningful (but still within your means). A few months back, I penned an entire post on brown-bag lunch ideas, including my favorites: kale salad with baked tofu, baked potatoes with toppings, bagel sandwiches, homemade soup, and, yes, leftovers. With a little planning, you can enjoy healthful, delicious meals at the fraction of a cost of take-out. And is that really how you want to spend your money?

Know When to Splurge

So all of this being said, I am the first to admit that I love a good splurge (that I can afford, of course). A leisurely Friday night dinner with friends over good food, wine, and dessert at a great restaurant? I relish that. A weekend away at my favorite inn? When do we leave? That vintage 1920s table I have been eyeing at a local antique store (and I'll have forever)? Sold. But when you cut out all the extras that really don't enhance life that much, yet keep you perpetually in poverty, we miss the opportunities to do something meaningful that matters.

The Final Word: I know people who make $150k a year and cry poverty and those who make $25k and live like rockstars. Hopefully, the current economic crisis is providing a valuable lesson on cutting out some of the fat and learning to live rich with any income. It can be done.

Homemade Vegan Birthday Cakes

The Topic: Homemade vegan birthday cakes that taste great and are budget friendly

The Dish: It’s no secret that I love to bake. I’ve always enjoyed baking, and grew up spending hours in the kitchen making cookies, brownies, cakes, and bars any chance I got. When I went vegan 16 years ago, a whole new world of dessert-making opened up to me, and I learned everything I could about what to use in place of eggs, butter, and cream. I discovered that incredible baked goods can be made without the use of any animal products, and it’s the binder, the fat, and the liquid that’s necessary in the chemistry of baking—not the dairy products themselves. Plant-based alternatives work just as well, if not better, and my baking repertoire now includes everything from egg replacer and white vinegar to non-hydrogenated margarine and soy creamer.

Here at the VegNews offices, we celebrate a lot of birthdays. And what better way to fête someone’s special day than with a homemade, vegan cake in the birthday guy’s/gal’s favorite flavor? After a few years of ordering in cakes for staff birthdays, I realized that the quality would be much better if I made the cakes myself (nothing beats a freshly made cake), and, guess what? The cost to make a cake is at least half of what it costs to buy one from Whole Foods or a local bakery. Yes, it takes time, but if you enjoy baking, I promise the reward will be worth it. It’s a wonderful feeling to give something from the heart to someone you care about, and now I look forward to our VN birthday celebrations all year long.

So what recipes do I use for my cake-baking? I’ve found a few tried-and-true favorites that our staffers seem to love—and then I customize it for the particular person. For VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig and VN Editor-at-Large Laura Beck’s recent birthdays (just days apart), I made a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercrème filling and frosting, all topped with fresh strawberries (which had just come in season). For Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria’s June soirée, I whipped up a cocoa cake with vanilla buttercrème filling and frosting, and topped it with raspberries. And for Art Director Sutton Long’s upcoming celebration (Sutton, don't read this!), I am planning a triple-threat chocolate cake given her love for all-things chocolate. And the cost for each one? A very budget-friendly $12.

Lyndsay and Laura's vanilla cake with vanilla buttercrème filling and frosting, topped with fresh strawberries

Elizabeth's chocolate cake with vanilla buttercrème filling and frosting, topped with fresh raspberries

Here are some of my go-to cake and frosting recipes, all courtesy of the incredible vegan recipe resource, VegWeb.com:

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake

Coconut Pecan Frosting

And here's my favorite vegan buttercrème recipe:

Colleen's Vegan Buttercrème

This filling/frosting is easy to make and easy to customize. Add 3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder or three 1-ounce melted squares of unsweetened chocolate for an out-of-this world chocolate version.

Frosts and fills one 9-inch cake

What You Need:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum)

1/2 cup non-hydrogentated margarine (I like Earth Balance)

2 teaspoons vanilla or one scraped vanilla bean

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 to 4 tablespoons soy creamer

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and margarine. Alternatively, whip together in a food processor, but the frosting won't come out as light and fluffy. Add vanilla or vanilla bean until combined.

2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, while beating at a medium speed. When all sugar is added in, add soy creamer one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If need a slightly thicker frosting, chill for one hour before frosting your cake.

The Final Word: For a birthday to remember, bake up a customized cake that will be loved by all and is good for the pocketbook. The sky's the limit on how creative you can get, and don't forget the candles!

Budget Splurges

The Topic: Living Simply but Fabulously with VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: I've never liked to buy stuff, unless I really need it. Having more stuff means more maintenance, more stress, and more money out the door. And then what happens? You forget about the stuff and it just clutters your space and your life. I say buy what you need, but buy quality. Then it lasts a long time and you don't need to think about replacing the (quality) stuff for years to come.

That said, I do have a few splurges that I like to partake in, but I've figured out a way to not have to spend a fortune when doing something nice for myself. Here's my list of must-have budget buys:

1) Massage. Being in a creative business with constant deadlines is stressful. Although I love it, sometimes I need a deep-tissue massage to feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Over the years I've received gift certificates from friends and family for fancy spa massages (charging upwards of $150 for a one-hour massage), but I've discovered even better massage at a third of the price. You might not be greeted with chilled mint lemonade and organic chocolate brownies (not vegan anyway!), but I can get an incredible massage at Jin Healing for Women (four locations in San Francisco) for less than $50. Chinese "Foot Spas" are all the rage in Northern California, and you can often get a one-hour body massage and foot soak for $25. Ask friends for recommendations or search Yelp for affordable spa services in your city, and never pay ridiculous massage prices again!

2) Movies. I love going to movies. It's a great way to relax and check out for a few hours, especially with a tub of 1,000-calorie popcorn (I digress). But the $10 ticket is just a hard price to swallow, so I try to hit matinees whenever possible to save a few bucks. And most independent theaters have five-ticket passes, so I always have one of those going for my favorite movie houses and pay only about $6 per flick.

3) Yoga. I am addicted to yoga, but do I really want to pay $20 a class at a fancy downtown studio? The answer is no. After a bit of research, I discovered a local yoga class with a wonderful instructor just minutes from my home. The studio (if you can call it that) is nothing fancy, but 90-minute classes are just $10 each and the small class sizes provide a really nice community atmosphere. And many studios offer weekly free or discounted classes taught by their junior teachers, so just ask around or search online for affordable options.

4) Lunch specials. Sure, nothing beats dining out with friends over an extravagant multi-course meal with wine and dessert. But I secretly have a thing for lunch specials at Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurants. For around $6, you can enjoy a plate of your favorite entrée alongside steamed rice and a bowl of soup. And then you're full for the day! What's even better? Hit a matinee, then a lunch special, then a massage, and you really have it going on.

5) Antiques. I adore antiques. And buying vintage is good on the pocketbook and the planet, as you're not buying new. Plus, those 19th century French chairs have already lasted 100+ years, so you know they're not going to fall apart anytime soon. So where do you find good deals on vintage finds? Flea markets, estate sales, and antique stores—but always remember to bargain. Shop owners expect everyone to ask for at least 10 percent off and have marked up the prices accordingly, so be sure to take advantage of the built-in discount. 

The Final Word: Living on a budget does not mean you have to sacrifice your quality of life. I enjoy the satisfaction of living within my means but splurging every once in a while on things that bring me joy without breaking the bank.

Guest Post: Robin Robertson, Part 2

The Topic: Cheap Cooking with Vegan on the Cheap

The Dish: So you've taken Robin Robertson's advice from her previous post and upgraded your grocery-shopping technique. Now that the kitchen is stocked and loaded, she's back to arm you with cheap cooking tricks to really make the most of it.

Top Five Savvy Cooking Tips

By Robin Robertson

1. Big-Batch Cook and Freeze. Once a week, prepare large amounts of a few basic foods, then portion and freeze them for later use. Choose items that can be used throughout the week or portioned and frozen, such as a big pot of brown rice, beans, seitan, marinara sauce, or vegetable stock.
2. Make Your Own Convenience Foods. From salad dressings to seitan, there are a number of ways to save money when you start making your own convenience items, such as mayonnaise, chutney, and peanut sauce.
3. The Vegetable Chop. When it's time to chop an onion for soup, chop an extra one and also make chili or stew. If you need to wash two celery ribs for a recipe, take the time to wash the whole bunch and cover and refrigerate the rest until you need it. Peel and mince an entire head of garlic at a time, so it's ready when needed. Store it covered in olive oil in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Wash and spin-dry your lettuce as soon as you get home—it will last longer. If veggies are cut, cleaned, and ready to use, it saves time when you cook. It also encourages us to use and eat more veggies. Carrot and celery sticks, for example, can be stored in zip-top bags in the fridge to enjoy as a healthy snack or to chop up in your next soup. Tightly covered chopped onions will keep refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen for three to four weeks. The same is true for bell peppers.
4. Get Creative. Use leftovers in creative ways to transform them into a new meal. For example, leftover seitan pot roast can be used in a hash, stew, or skillet meal. Even leftover mashed or baked potatoes can be transformed—use extra cooked spuds to make shepherd's pie, potato pancakes, samosas, stuffed dosas, mac' and cheese, pierogis, potato bread, potato muffins, and more.
5. Make Your Kitchen a "No-Waste Zone." Save vegetable scraps and odd bits of veggies for stock. Add leftover cooked veggies to salads or put them in the bottom of your soup bowls and pour servings of hot soup over them. If you can't convince someone in your family to simply eat that last apple in the fruit bowl, incorporate it into dinner. A sliced apple or pear makes a great addition to a green salad. Or, you can combine the fruit with other wallflower fruits, such as those grapes and berries or that last banana, and you'll have a nice fruit salad for dessert. If there's not enough to stretch, add a small can of pineapple and some dried cranberries.

Almost-Instant Chickpea Tomato Soup

From Vegan on the Cheap © 2010, John Wiley & Sons.

This rich tomato soup couldn't be easier or more economical. It's also delicious served chilled.

Makes 4 Servings

What You Need:

1-1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup plain unsweetened soymilk

Salt

Ground cayenne

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

What You Do:

1. In a high-speed blender, combine chickpeas and garlic and process until finely ground.
2. Add tomatoes, cumin, juice, oil, 1/2 cup soymilk, salt, and cayenne, to taste. Blend until smooth.
3. Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup soymilk as needed to achieve desired consistency—not too thin or too thick—and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and cayenne if necessary.
4. Transfer soup to a large saucepan over medium heat and stir, until hot, about 5 minutes. If serving hot, ladle into bowls, top with minced cilantro, and serve. If serving chilled, let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Then ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cilantro.

The Final Word: Want more of Robin's tips and tricks on being a thriving vegan with very little cash? Well, aren't you lucky! I have one copy of Vegan on the Cheap, and despite my initial inclination to keep it for myself, I'm going to share it with one of my awesome readers. It's easy—just tell me in the comments: What's your top money-saving tip in the kitchen?

Cheap Eats: Tortillas!

The Topic: Flat-Out Fab Food

The Dish: Besides biscuits, there's one other recipe I rely on regularly when I'm in need of cheap food and/or the illusion of a fancy (read: homemade) meal: motherflippin' tortillas. And by that, I mean my Mother taught me how to flip them—her recipe and tortilla expertise has guided me to where I am today.

Using dirt-cheap ingredients, similar to their quick-bread counterpart, these tortillas are easy peasy and turn taco night into a high-class affair. If you're not in the mood for a rice-and-beans burrito, that's okay—Mom has a ton of delicious suggestions for this flat-bread base, including cheesy garlic, sweet saffron, and even chocolate dessert variations. For now, I'll share two secret recipes with you: The Original, and Classic PB&J.

"The Original" Tortilla

What You Need:

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes.

2. Form dough into a ball, then place onto lightly floured countertop. Divide into 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a round, and, with a rolling pin, roll out lightly on one side.

3. Over high heat, place cast-iron skillet. Cook tortillas in ungreased skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook other side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Classic PB&J

What You Need:

1 cup flour

Dash sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon agave syrup

What You Do:

Same as The Original! Except when these are finished, smother with your favorite jam, maybe some more peanut butter, and devour the best PB&J ever.

A few tips from Mom aka the Tortilla Queen:

• When rolling out tortillas, only roll on one side—no flipping!
• Don't be afraid to sprinkle the PB 'tillas with a little more flour when rolling. These will have a slightly different texture than The Original.
• You'll probably just want to make a double batch, because these will be gone in no time.

The Final Word: Sure, you could just buy a pack of tortillas at the store, but that isn't fun, and it's more expensive (unless you're buying those mega-packs of corn tortillas for like 50 cents or something insane, but do those have peanut butter in them?). Don't be afraid to experiment with add-ins—these are really hard to screw up. And if you try out a really awesome (or awful, god forbid) let me know!