Soymilk Chai Tea

Soymilk Chai Tea by wanwu73 on Polyvore

I found this awesome Aladdin thermos at a thrift store.  Perfect for keeping chai warm. 

This recipe makes 8 (8 fl. oz) servings.  I usually pour some into a thermos or tea pot and store the rest in a Tupperware pitcher in the refrigerator.  

I shop for my spices at a local Indian grocery--much more inexpensive that a conventional supermarket.

Ingredients:

1 TB fennel seeds

6 green cardamom pots

12 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

7 cups water

2 TB Indian tea leafs (I used a British Breakfast)

1 cup soy milk, or other non dairy milk

Directions:

1. Place all spices and water in a pot.  Cover and boil over medium heat for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, add the tea leaves and steep for 10 minutes.
3. Add the milk and return the tea mixture to a boil.
4. Strain the tea into a pitcher.
5. Add sugar if desired.

Chili Mac

 

Chili Mac by wanwu73 on Polyvore

I developed this recipe in a quest to continue to veganize those yummy comfort foods of yesteryear.  This one is a riff off a recipe in the 1958 Cooking with Casseroles (another Savers find, of course).

For those of you whose lunches sometimes involve potlucks this is perfect.  Or, you can just save it all to yourself and portion it out through out the week.  This makes 12 servings.

STEP 1


Ingredients for chili:

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups canned pinto beans or kidney beans
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 can vegetable broth
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1 TB chili powder (my diy chili powder)

Directions:

Heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, stirring to coat.  Turn to low and put a lid on the pot.  Let slowly heat for 5 minutes.  Take off lid, return heat to medium and saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, beans and seasonings.  Simmer for thirty minutes until the chili has thickened.

 STEP 2

Ingredients for macaroni:

1 (8 oz) package macaroni
2 cups Cheese sauce

Directions:

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Stir together the cheese sauce and macaroni until thickened.

STEP 3

Spray a large casserole with cooking oil.  Add the macaroni and cheese.  Pour the chili on top and slightly stir the mixture together.  Bake at 300 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information


Note: I'm thinking that diy chili powder might make another great Christmas gift idea.

Pickle Saver by wanwu73 on Polyvore

Tupperware

BBQ Popcorn Seasoning

BBQ Spice Mixture by wanwu73 on Polyvore

This book was another great find at Savers.  I love thrifting as a recycling option, (not to mention saving money) and these old cookbooks are gems.  They are filled with excellent illustrations (although, I have to say that food photography has certainly improved).  The recipes themselves are often unhealthy by today's standards; and there certainly isn't much vegan information to be found.  But I enjoy riffing off the recipes and adapting them to my lifestyle.  This popcorn seasoning is a riff off of a recipe for Texas BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tsp lapsong suchong tea leafs (optional; it imparts a smoky, umami flavor)
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1.5 tsp salt (you can adjust if you like less salty popcorn)
1 tsp chili powder
.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
.5 tsp celery salt

Blend in ingredients in a spice grinder for approximately 30 seconds.

This makes approximately 16 (.5 tsp) servings.  Add .5 tsp to a 1/4 cup size brown bag popcorn after it has popped (leave out the salt).  Shake well and enjoy. 

Frank Lacano, illustrator, Betty Crocker's New Outdoor Barbecue Cookbook 1967

Hmmmm . . . I'm thinking of brown bag microwave popcorn and popcorn seasoning as gourmet foodie Christmas presents.

Vintage Chop O Matic Infomercial

1950's Chop O' Matic

One of my favorite tools is this awesome 1950s Chop O Matic that I found for a $1 at a thrift store.  I love the design and I love the way it chops my onions.

Chop O'Matic by wanwu73 on Polyvore

Idea! Veggie Burger "Meatballs"

Spaghetti with "Meatballs" by wanwu73 on Polyvore

I found this awesome vintage Aladdin thermos at Savers for a buck!  Perfect for hot lunches.

I had a great idea yesterday.  I took my favorite veggie burger recipe and instead of shaping patties, I shaped little meatballs.  I browned them in olive oil and then added them to spaghetti sauce and had a huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.  Yum.

I'm thinking meatball sandwich next . . . . .