Busy, Busy, Busy
I am part of a number of vegan/vegetarian Facebook groups. I tend to do more reading of the comments and questions and then try to offer a solution or a recipe and of course, try to get them to read my blog and recipes! One of the most common themes surrounds the concept that vegan cooking is expensive and takes a ton of time. And they can be right – it can be expensive and time consuming. Many of the recipes you find online and even on my site take extra time. You are making the salad dressing v. using one out of the fridge or you are chopping lots of fresh veggies v. opening a can and on and on. BUT, it doesn’t always have to be that way. In addition to a number of great sites where the niche is Vegan in a Hurry or Vegan on a Budget, there are simple things you can do on your own to keep an eye on your budget and your clock. Everyone is busy, busy, busy, but that is no excuse to eat poorly.
Scratch that Itch
This week I had a nasty craving for some type of comfort food. Something that you really love, maybe takes you back to good times in your life and maybe isn’t the absolute healthiest thing in the world. You know what I’m talking about! For me this week, it was Vegan Meatball Subs. We love them! Toasted french bread, deep Italian red sauce, Gardein Vegan Meatballs, green peppers, onions and some vegan mozzarella with a dusting of vegan parm on top. Hits the spot every time! This also gives me the excuse (not that I need one) to make my Vegan Caesar Salad with homemade croutons. Until you taste this dressing, you will never know what you are missing. Don’t let the ingredient list fool you – it is deep in flavor, garlicy and tastes better than any other Caesar salad dressing you’ve ever had – Vegan or not.
Back to Busy, Busy, Busy
So, where am I going with all this. Back to considering everyone is busy, busy, busy and make it easy. When I make my vegan meatball subs, I will always make a large pot of my Simple Red Sauce. I know that I can use that sauce in a number of different ways throughout the week. AND, I always make a large batch of the Caesar Salad dressing so that we can have that multiple times throughout the week. This salad is a great beginning to any dinner, but it can also stand alone as a lunch or even a dinner with a veggie as another side. This week I decided to make spaghetti and meatballs. To change it up a little I added some balsamic vinegar to the sauce to give it just a little different depth of flavor. I also added some carrots and celery to give the sauce a little more body. I threw in the leftover meatballs and let it simmer and infuse all the flavors and viola! A second dinner and probably a lunch or 2 out of basically one night of cooking. It can be done – Easy is good – Easy still tastes Amazing!
Go ahead and allow yourself a break sometimes. Eat some good ol’ comfort food once in a while. And don’t be afraid to re-purpose some leftovers, or just eat them as leftovers. Everyone is tight on time and most people are on some type of budget (or should be)! Get creative with your meal planning, prep and cooking. It does NOT need to be expensive to be healthy and delicious. Now go find some leftovers and make a simple and fantastic dinner tonight!
