Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Vegan)

When I went dairy free, I really missed scalloped potatoes. The kind where you make a thick, cheesy sauce, pour it over thinly sliced potatoes, and then bake it in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and the potatoes are crispy-edged. Mmmmm.

Instead of trying to create something very cheese-like to replace this dish (I would invariably be disappointed), I instead set out to create a new scalloped potato dish that would be just as creamy and rich, but dairy free.

It took a number of tries, but I think I figured it out! I make a roux (mixture of fat and flour), then stir in a combination of spices, soup stock and a milk substitute (coconut milk or soy milk). It's no cheesy scalloped potatoes, but it's still pretty darn good.

For my St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party, I also added a layer of spinach in between the layers of potatoes for extra flavor (fine, and color :)).

Note: For a delicious and filling dinner, saute the onion with 1 lb ground meat, then add (maybe with a cup of peas) in step 4! This recipe is also Passover friendly if you substitute the flour for cake meal and the soy/coconut milk for additional soup stock.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Vegan)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flour (regular or gluten free)
2 Tbsp white wine (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup milk substitute (soy or coconut milk work best)
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced thinly
1 small onion, quartered and sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and watching carefully so it doesn't burn.
2. Whisk in wine (optional) and vegetable stock a few Tbsp at a time, making sure to incorporate all liquid before adding more. Once all stock has been added, bring to a boil and allow to bubble 1-2 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.
3. Remove from heat and stir in spices and soy milk (mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; if it isn't, return to a boil and allow to bubble an additional 1-2 minutes).
4. Add potatoes and onions, stirring to coat evenly.
5. Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (I spread a single layer of potatoes, then a layer of fresh spinach, then topped it with another layer of potatoes). Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes until potatoes and tender and the edges are crispy.

The cost:
stock/soy milk: 1.99
potatoes: 1.69
onion: .39

Grand total: $4.07; serves 6-8

One Pot Wonder: Dutch Oven Chicken & Rice

One-pot dishes are the best. You throw in a whole bunch of ingredients for a complete meal, and you only have to wash one pot (fine, maybe a spoon, knife and cutting board too)!

Pretty much any combination of vegetables, grain/legumes and protein can work so feel free to be adventurous! If you don't have a dutch oven, either than highly recommending you get one, you can also do this is a large saucepan and baking dish, but you will have more to wash :)

Note: Some readers have asked for more pictures of my preparation/cooking in addition to the finished product. Please let me know what you think!

Dutch Oven Chicken & Rice

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, quartered and sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
8 oz cremini mushrooms
1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
3 carrots, sliced into rounds
12 brussel sprouts, quartered
1 cup white basmati rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 chicken quarters

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in dutch oven and cook onions over low heat until soft and browned, 10-12 minutes (add garlic and mustard seed after 5 minutes). Add mushrooms and cook until they are soft and have released their juices, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add brussel sprouts, carrots and 1/2 cup of stock. Bring to a boil and cook covered 2-3 minutes. Add rice, remaining stock, salt, pepper & bay leaves, stirring to combine.

3. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, slightly submerging in liquid. Raise heat and bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to oven. Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes until rice has absorbed all liquid and chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaves before serving.

The cost:
onions: .69
garlic: .10
mushrooms: 1.99
carrots: .99
brussel sprouts: 1.89
rice: .99
stock: .99
chicken: 3.89

Grand total: $11.53 (5.77/person)

Vegan Palak Paneer

I love palak paneer, but sadly have gone almost entirely dairy free so I can no longer eat paneer (homemade Indian cheese). I had the idea a while back to figure out a dairy free version; it took a couple of tries to get the seasoning and texture right, but I was very happy with the results :)

In order to replicate the consistency of the paneer, I cubed extra-firm tofu; definitely not the same flavor, but roughly a similar texture. I also found that frozen spinach worked better than fresh in order to get the texture I'm used to.

Vegan Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, cracked & peeled
1 block of extra-firm tofu
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
12 oz. frozen spinach
4 Tbsp vegetable stock or water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saute pan and saute onions and garlic slowly over low heat until onions are soft and caramelized, 10-12 minutes (it takes a while, but the flavor is worth it).
2. While onions are cooking, press tofu to remove extra water, then cut into small cubes.
3. Add tofu and spices to pan, stirring to coat (gently so as not to break the tofu).
4. Add spinach and stock/water and bring to a boil. Simmer 30-40 minutes over low flame, stirring occasionally.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .05
tofu: 1.99
spices: <1.00
spinach: 1.99

Grand total: $7.47; serves 4-6 over white or brown basmati rice

Dinner Party Main Dish: Crock Pot Spice-Rubbed Chicken w/ Garlic, Onions & Blood Oranges

I don't use my crock pot nearly enough, so I decided to make a crock pot chicken for my main dish. I layered the bottom of the crock pot with sliced onions and baby potatoes (red bliss, purple & yukon), stuffed the chicken (under the skin and inside the cavity) with sliced blood oranges, onions &amp, and whole garlic cloves, then rubbed the whole thing with a spice mixture of garlic powder, salt, pepper, curry and garam masala. After 8 hours on low, it was succulently delicious, the meat literally falling off the bone, and the potatoes underneath had absorbed all of the wonderful chicken and spice juices.

Crock Pot Spice-Rubbed Chicken w/ Garlic, Onions & Blood Oranges

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, sliced into thick rings
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced into thick rounds
1 cup vegetable stock or orange juice
2 blood oranges, sliced into rounds
8 garlic cloves
1 whole fryer (4-5 lbs), rinsed & giblets removed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Layer bottom of crock pot with 2 of the sliced onions and all of the sliced baby potatoes. Add soup stock/orange juice.
2. Stuff remaining onion slices, blood orange slices and garlic under chicken skin and inside cavity. Combine spices. Place chicken in crock pot and rub all over with spice mixture.
3. Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low.

The cost:
onions: 1.15
potatoes: 1.99
stock: 1.99
oranges: .99
garlic: .15
chicken: 15.63

Grand total: $21.90; serves 8

One-Pot Wonder: Chicken, Tomato & Red Lentil Curry

I'm a big fan of one-pot dishes--something that I can make in a single pot that serves as a meal complete with all of the important food groups: starch, veggies, good fats and protein.

I've made only a million variations of this dish. My base is sauted onions and garlic, chicken, and canned tomatoes, but you can put any other veggies or starches in that you like (I've added broccoli, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). This time I went with a combination of carrots, celery, brussel sprouts, and added red lentils for texture and curry and garam masala for flavor.

[Doesn't look so pretty but I promise it tastes great!]

Chicken, Tomato & Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
2 celery stalks, sliced into chunks
10 brussel sprouts, quartered
1 lb(ish) boneless chicken, cubed
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup red lentils
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock

Directions:

1. Heat oil and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add carrots, celery, and brussel sprouts and cook 8-10 minutes over medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
3. Add chicken and spices, stirring to coat. Add lentils, tomatoes & stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30-40 minutes until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through.

The cost:
onion: .45
carrots: .99
celery: 1.99
brussel sprouts: 2.49
chicken: 6.53
lentils: 1.00
tomatoes: 1.00
stock: 1.99

Grand total: $16.44; serves 4 (or 2 + leftovers for 2 tomorrow!)

Chicken w/ Exotic Mushrooms & Green Swiss Chard

The wonderful thing about swiss chard is that it has a great flavor on it's own, and doesn't need too much accompaniment. I've done a mushroom & kale dish before (I'm sure the recipe will make it up at some point :)), and I've done chicken and exotic mushroom dish (yeah, that one will make it too), so I decided to put everything together and make chicken with exotic mushrooms & swiss chard. I use simple flavors--salt, pepper, rice vinegar--but you can add soy, sriracha, sesame oil, or any other flavors if you like.

Note: I call them "exotic mushrooms" because that's what the package at TJ's with cremini, oyster and baby shitake mushrooms is called. You can really use whatever mushroom variety you like, but I like how an assortment livens up the dish.

Chicken w/ Exotic Mushrooms & Green Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into quarters and sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 large bunch green swiss chard, cleaned
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
12 oz assorted mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
sea salt & pepper
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saute pan and saute onions until soft, 4-5 minutes.
2. Remove stems from swiss chard and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add stem pieces and garlic to onions and cook 6-8 minutes more until onions are caramelized and stem pieces are soft.
3. Deglaze pan with rice vinegar and add mushrooms, stirring to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. Cook 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are very soft and have released their juices.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook covered 5-6 minutes until it is no longer pink in the center, stirring occasionally.
5. Add swiss chard leaves, turning to coat in pan juices. Cover for 1 minute until leaves are slightly wilted. Remove from heat immediately.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .10
chard: 2.29
mushrooms: 2.99
chicken: 5.99

Grand total: $11.82; serves 3-4 over rice or quinoa with a side of roasted veggies

Dinner Party (Part 4 of 5): Coconut Curry Chicken

I'd had a can of coconut milk sitting in my pantry for months; I'll admit, I was a bit trepidatious about using it (not sure why). Seriously, I shouldn't have waited so long--it made this chicken dish so rich and delicious. And there weren't any leftovers :)

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp curry powder (more if you like it hotter)
1 tsp sea salt
shot of sriracha
1 can coconut milk (I used light, lower in fat)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and carrots and cook 7-8 minutes until onions are caramelized.
2. Add chicken, spices and sriracha, stirring to coat. Add coconut milk, mix and bring to a boil. Simmer 2-3 minutes then add cauliflower. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes covered until chicken is cooked through and cauliflower is tender.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .15
carrots: .99
chicken: 8.99
coconut milk: 1.99
cauliflower: 1.99

Grand total: $14.56; serves 8

Dinner Party (Part 3 of 5): Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard

I had originally planned to do roasted brussel sprouts for my dinner party veggie side dish, but the red swiss chard looked so amazing I just couldn't resist (it hasn't looked good in MONTHS). I decided to pair the chard with chickpeas for texture, and caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar for flavor. It was the hit of the night! (Note: So I didn't realize I had already posted a similar recipe, but this one uses a different kind of chard, and has a super awesome picture!)

P.S. Check out parts one and two of the dinner menu, and stay tuned for coconut curry chicken and banana cake with candied walnuts later this week!

Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into quarters and sliced thinly
1 large bunch red swiss chard, cleaned
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp honey or agave
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes.
2. Remove stems from swiss chard and cut into bite-sized pieces; add pieces to onions and cook 6-8 minutes more until onions are caramelized.
3. Add chickpeas and honey/agave and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, then add salt and pepper. Cook 5-6 minutes until liquid has reduced.
4. Tear or cut swiss chard leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to skillet, turning to coat in balsamic reduction. Cover with a lid for 1 minute, just until leaves are wilted. Remove from heat immediately.

The cost:
onion: .45
chard: 2.29
chickpeas: .79
other ingredients: <.50

Grand total: $4.03; serves 8

Ginger-Lemon Tuna Steaks & Roasted Vegetable Medley

Thanks to everyone who has sent me feedback about the blog, both publicly and privately. It really helps to know what people are enjoying, and what they'd like to see more of!

This blog post is for you, DSK--one non-vegetarian full dinner menu coming right up! (P.S. I didn't know you always wanted to be in my Home Ec group. Thanks for sharing that with me :))

I had a long day at work and came home with the overwhelming desire to make a flavorful and healthy meal. I had a lot of leftover veggies from my soup earlier this week, as well as tuna steaks in the freezer, so I decided on ginger-lemon tuna steaks, a roasted vegetable medley, and brown basmati rice.

Ginger-Lemon Tuna Steaks

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey or agave
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 lemon, sliced
2 tuna steaks, defrosted

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish, combine all ingredients except tuna.
2. Place tuna in dish and coat both sides with marinade. Allow to sit in marinade for at least 15 minutes (while you prep your veggies!).
3. Cook tuna on the stove 3-4 minutes on each side (more or less depending on how you like your tuna), or roast in a foil packet in oven 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees (layer lemon slices on tuna while it steams if you do it this way).

Roasted Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:

10 baby potatoes, cubed
1 sweet onion, chopped into large pieces
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper and garlic powder

Directions:

1. Place veggies in a baking pan; drizzle with olive oil and season liberally with salt, pepper and GP.
2. Bake in oven at 425 degrees, 50-60 minutes or until roasted and tender (I like to roast 30ish minutes covered, 30ish uncovered).

Serve over brown basmati rice.

The cost:
tuna: 4.71
lemon: .29
veggies: already paid for in previous recipe
rice: .55

Grand total: $5.55

Brown Basmati Rice w/ Lentils

I usually stick to white basmati rice, mostly because I'm just used to it, but when they were out of white at TJs this week I decided to be adventurous and grab a bag of brown basmati.

A lot of people don't like brown rice because it has a lot more texture than white, but what they may not realize is that in order to turn rice white, it is stripped of many of its nutrients (see more about that here).

Here is a simple and delicious recipe using brown basmati--the texture is nicely balanced by the sauted onions and lentils.

Brown Basmati Rice w/ Lentils

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice, rinsed
1/2 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups soup stock
2 1/4 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium stock pot and saute onion until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir just to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a low flame and simmer 35-40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender.

The cost:
onion: .45
rice: 1.99
lentils: .25
stock: 1.99

Grand total: $4.68; serves 6-8 as a side for fish/chicken and steamed veggies

Shakshouka

Last night, AK made me something for dinner I had never before even heard of: Shakshouka. A popular dish in Israel, shakshouka is a North African dish of eggs poached in a mixture of onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices.

It was, in a word, delicious (and I'm not just saying that :)). It's also pretty cheap, considering you can serve it over toast or pita for a very filling meal.

Shakshouka

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes, half drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
6 eggs
freshly chopped cilantro or chives (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute onion 4-5 minutes until soft and browned. Add peppers and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and spices to pan and stir to combine. Heat until bubbling.
3. Crack eggs and add to tomato mixture, ensuring they are evenly spaced around the pan. Using a fork, carefully stir tomato mixture around eggs so it mixes with the eggs whites and "there isn't any white, everything is pink" (a direct quote from AK). Try not to break the yolks.
4. Cover pan and cook 5-6 minutes until whites are solid and yolks are cooked to your liking.
5. Serve over toasted bread or pita (or in my case, with a side salad). Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or chives.
   

The cost:

onion: .45
pepper: 1.29
tomatoes: 1.49
eggs: .99

Grand total: $4.22; serves 2-3