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Vegetable Shopping

Simply By Cynthia

THE WHOLE KIT AND KABOODLE OF BLOG POSTS

Scroll through the page or click on a category. You can also click on the magnifying glass icon to sear for something that way. May these posts give you new ideas and inspire you to live a simpler, easier and more delicious life!

Simply beefless stew will comfort and satisfy

Nov 20, 2020
4 min

Simply beefless stew will comfort and satisfy

Warming stews are a must-have here in Reno, Nevada. It gets dark sooner, and the nights are colder, dipping into the 20's. That's why a beefless, yet 'beefy' stew - with plenty of vegetables - is essential. Even if you're plant-based. Today's marketplace is filled with perfectly tasty stand-in's for meat, and if you have ventured further than Beyond Meat, then you have delicious surprises awaiting. My freezer always has a good supply of the Gardein products - the meatless Chi

I'll simply be making a Galette for the holiday dinner.

Nov 19, 2020
6 min

I'll simply be making a Galette for the holiday dinner.

I used to make pies, back in the day, but have decided over the years that a galette, in the French tradition is somehow more satisfying - as well as being faster and easier. You can make a galette on the fly. From anything. Really. All you need are some discs of the pâte brisée dough tucked away in your freezer. When I need galette dough, I'll make half a dozen discs for the freezer. Making the dough takes perhaps an hour ... leisurely. It's craft, so I take my time and enjo

"Chowder" or "Chow-dah" it's the bomb.

Nov 17, 2020
4 min

"Chowder" or "Chow-dah" it's the bomb.

I've always reckoned that I made a pretty decent corn chowder. Plenty of corn, potatoes, carrots, celery and such. But, my husband - a native of northern New England - brought it home yesterday. "That's the best corn 'chow-dah' I think I've ever had." Me: "Hmmm. You mean better than your Aunt Clare's?" His Aunt Clare lived in a 400-year-old house overlooking the site of the oldest school in New England. Or North America. I can't remember. She was a cook worthy of the Norman R

Better broth is as close as your vegetable trimmings.

Nov 13, 2020
3 min

Better broth is as close as your vegetable trimmings.

For the last several years, I've kept a zip-lok bag in the freezer to hold vegetable trim: the tops of leeks, onion peels, the butt ends of carrots and celery. A little bit of this and that. Oh, and the other thing. Then, when it's chock-a-block full, I toss it into the Instant Pot with some water. A pinch or two of salt. A few grinds of pepper. Just 15 minutes on High Pressure, natural release for as long as it takes you to vacuum the living room rug. Or, run an errand. Toda

Black-Eyed-Peas. The legume. Not the Band.

Nov 12, 2020
4 min

Black-Eyed-Peas. The legume. Not the Band.

Although I've lived the lion's share of my life in the west, I was born in the South. Florida, to be precise. And, there were some classic southern foods that I still crave. Black-Eyed-Peas (not the band) and Collards. Yes. Any time. I always keep a pound or two the 'meaty' little legumes in the pantry, and when I see big bunches of bright green Collard greens ... my oh my. Collards are one of the easiest of 'greens' to dive into if you're not generally a fan of big green le

Yellow Split-Pea: Is it a soup or a stew? Do I care?

Nov 11, 2020
3 min

Yellow Split-Pea: Is it a soup or a stew? Do I care?

Brrrrrr! Although the sun is out, here in Reno, Nevada, it's still kind raw feeling, and is supposed to snow in another day or two. I was happy to get some branches cut off of the Sycamore tree in the backyard before things turn ugly. To that end, split pea soup sounded like just the thing! Split peas, either the green or the yellow variety, are creamy, hearty and provide a boat-load of fiber and protein. They are one of our favorite soups. Ron - being from northern New Engla

Hooray For Leftovers! Really. I Mean It.

Nov 10, 2020
2 min

Hooray For Leftovers! Really. I Mean It.

I adore leftovers. It's a challenge to repurpose them in ways that are, 1- tasty, 2- appealing, and 3- don't suck. But, seriously (?), leftovers are the main reason that I encourage people to 'batch cook'. Make extra. If you're going to the bother of making something, make it as simply and basic as possible. I know this sounds counter-intuitive. Bear with me. Let's say you're making a plant-based Turk'y roast. Make it as simply as possible. Who knows how you'll want to dress

Turn That Quorn Roast Into a Tasty Facsimile of Turk-y

Nov 9, 2020
2 min

Turn That Quorn Roast Into a Tasty Facsimile of Turk-y

With the holiday fast approaching, you might be wondering which plant-based protein will best work for the feast. The good news? There are several contenders - and having tried them all, I can confidently say that any one of them will work just fine. But, I'm zeroing in on the Quorn mycoprotein Meatless Roast for right now. Right out of the package, it's a little, um pale and unappealing. Stay with me here. The looks belie the reality. It's a first-rate product, and can reall

Creamy Chikin Gravy in Minutes!

Nov 9, 2020
3 min

Creamy Chikin Gravy in Minutes!

Many of you were so excited about my Easiest Vegan Brown Gravy that I knew that I had to offer up a lighter version for the plant-based 'poultry' meals, and even something 'white' in the Southern tradition for ladling over mashed potatoes, biscuits and the like. The Brown Gravy used cornstarch to thicken it, but this one uses the Maizena Roux Pour Bechamel product. I've used this for years. It produces reliably lump-free and silky sauces and gravies. I use so much of this stu

Fast & Easy Vegan Red Pepper Soup

Nov 8, 2020
3 min

Fast & Easy Vegan Red Pepper Soup

This is one of my 'go to' fast soups. I make one or two soups every week during the winter. Having soup on hand makes life easier and less stressful - if you forgot to thaw something out, no worries, you've got soup? Didn't have time to shop? No worries, ya got soup. Need a little something 'extra' to stretch those leftovers? You've got soup. All you really need for this one is a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I recommend no-sodium), a jar of those red peppers, some broth, o

Great Udon Soup Ain't Rocket Science

Nov 7, 2020
5 min

Great Udon Soup Ain't Rocket Science

A dear friend asked me a while back to gin up a basic 'how to' for Ramen soup. He was tired of those far too salty packets that broke college students rely on. I boldly said "Sure! I can do that! No worries." I tried one based on a fairly trusted site from the internet, and it was just awful. Boring. Insipid. So, I went back to my own, admittedly not terribly authentic way of making a Japanese-inspired, broth-y noodle soup. I know how it 'should' taste. I've spent enough time

Get the Chow-Chow Cha-Cha On!

Nov 7, 2020
3 min

Get the Chow-Chow Cha-Cha On!

Having been born and raised in the South, I was familiar with the idea of pickled relishes like Chow-Chow. It's one of the thrifty things, meant to use up the last of the season's vegetables. And, since I have a table full of the last of the green 'maters from the garden in my garage, I figured it was time to get my Chow-Chow on. The origins of the Chow-Chow relish are debatable. I didn't realize that it, most likely, originated in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (raised eyeb

Gotta Have Me Some Dumplings

Nov 6, 2020
3 min

Gotta Have Me Some Dumplings

Given the state of the world, vis a vis the pandemic, I sure don't get over to my favorite Dim Sum restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area much. Sigh. Dim Sum - in all of its glorious variety, is one of my very favorite things on this planet. Add to this, the similarly delicious Japanese-style dumplings like Gyoza! Steamed. Fried. In a heavenly broth. All of it! And, as the weather - and season - has turned toward winter, this is sounding even better. Plus, I'd been on a gr

Maple-Miso Baked Acorn Squash

Nov 6, 2020
3 min

Maple-Miso Baked Acorn Squash

My husband is from far northern New England - up near the Canadian border with New Hampshire. So, as you might guess, maple syrup is a thing at our house. He loves to tell the tale about how, as a kid, he helped boil down maple sap from Sugar Maples, drizzle it on the late winter/early spring snow, and eat the hardened syrup taffy. He says it made him "sappy". I'll let that go for now. We go through a lot of the sweet, amber-colored stuff. It originated with the indigenous pe

Cranberry Sauce - Ditch That Can, and Make Your Own!

Nov 5, 2020
3 min

Cranberry Sauce - Ditch That Can, and Make Your Own!

My mother made a unique cranberry relish. Really. I looked forward to it all year. It was straight out of the aqua-kitchen appliance 1950's food scene - it had fresh orange segments, walnuts and celery in it. And, kinda jiggled. She made it with an entire can of frozen orange juice concentrate. It really appealed to a little kid. And, oh boy, was it ever SWEET! I can't deal with that sort of super sweet cranberry dish as I get, ahem, older. And, as I've gone WFPB (Whole-food,

Fall Fruits Are Begging To Become Your Next Salad.

Nov 4, 2020
2 min

Fall Fruits Are Begging To Become Your Next Salad.

Yes, actually they are. You're missing a bet if you're relying on the same, tired lettuce and tomato salads. My eyes are drooping just thinking about that. Salads at my table are required to be crisp, crunchy and refreshing! Lettuce occasionally finds its way into that equation, but not as often as you might think. Autumn provides us with so many delicious fruits and vegetables that it can be difficult to know where to begin - but, let's begin with Persimmons. Originally nati

Get Geared Up For Turk'y Day in A Plant-based Way.

Oct 31, 2020
2 min

Get Geared Up For Turk'y Day in A Plant-based Way.

Wow! We've been so distracted by ahem, current events, that the Big Cooking Day is just 'round the corner! Actually, I've been craving some of my plant-based Turk'y alternatives since last November. I wish they sold them for the rest of the year rather than just during the holidays! It was a nail-biter last T-Day, because it was my first attempt at it totally WFPBNO (Whole Food, Plant-based, No Oil). It was the two of us, since an early snow in the Sierra's made taking a chan

You See Leftover Pasta. I See Potential.

Oct 31, 2020
3 min

You See Leftover Pasta. I See Potential.

I encourage cooks - particularly young cooks - learn the benefits of 'batch cooking'. By this, I simply mean cooking a bit more than you would need for a single meal. For example: you've got a half bag or box of pasta in the cupboard, and you might need half of that for dinner tonight. Cook the whole thing. Instead of just enough beans for tonight, cook enough for a few meals. And, here's the other important thing: keep it simple. Naked. Basic. Cook the pasta plain. Cook the

Beef Tips That You, And The Cattle, Can Live With.

Oct 28, 2020
2 min

Beef Tips That You, And The Cattle, Can Live With.

As the days get shorter, and the temperatures get colder, hearty meals are more appealing. We love these kind of meals, and being WFPBNO (Whole-food, Plant-based, No oil) we can enjoy them any time, rather than just on special occasions! Today, I posted my tried and true vegan brown gravy recipe and technique, and had to try it on some vegan beef tips, asparagus and pasta. We really like the Gardein products, and their vegan Beefless Tips is totally legit. Works just great in

The Easiest Vegan Brown Gravy Ever

Oct 28, 2020
4 min

The Easiest Vegan Brown Gravy Ever

You've been there. Trying to figure out how the gravy got lumpy, and desperately trying to find a way to fix it at the last minute, before the guests - or worse yet, your mother-in-law walks in to see "how things are going". "Oh, they're going FINE!" you scream as you quickly toss a kitchen towel over the offending gravy only to watch it catch fire from the gas flame. Things could get worse, but how? At least there's wine. With the holidays ahead, you might be wondering how t

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