30 Day Frugal Vegan Challenge- Day 1: Curry Basmati and Chickpea Salad

Thank God I keep beans and rice in the pantry!

 

  Utilizing ingredients I already had in my pantry, I created this yummy late lunch, then headed to start the most challenging part of this challenge: shopping. 

 

 Yes, this cost $42 dollars. (Cara Cara Oranges and Bananas not pictured)

 

 I am in a deficit by $11 dollars. My shopping budget for next week will be $19 bucks.  Rice and Beans are my best friend. 

Curry Basmati and Chickpea Salad

- 1 8oz can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

-1 Cup White Basmati Rice

- 2 Cups Trader Joe's Low Sodium Veggie Broth

- 2 Tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Mayo

- 2 Stalks of Celery

- 1 Tablespoon of Trader Joe's  Sundried Tomatoes

- 2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt

-1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

-2 Tablesppons Curry Powder

-Half a 16 oz bag of Trader Joe's Organic Romaine Leaves

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting broth for water. Once finshed let chill in fridge for at least 2 hours. 

Drain and rise chickpeas and add to large mixing bowl. Add HALF of chilled rice to bowl. Then, add in celery, sun dried tomatoes, and  seasonings, with  1 tablespoon of mayo. Mix all ingredients until evenly coated.  Add in remaining tablespoon of mayo. Serve on top of romaine lettece.

Feeds 1 hungry person, or 2 full people

 

* I'm also on a 30 Wardrobe Challenge! Read about it on my other blog.

Vegan and Frugal: 30 Day Challenge

Pan-fried Basmati rice and quinoa with cannellini beans, mushrooms and wilted arugula. This was a cheap (delicious!) meal. I can do this.

Is it possible to eat frugal while maintaining a healthy vegan diet?

For the next 30 days, I'm going to find out. With a grocery budget of $30 a week, I'm challenging my appetite and unleashing my creativity in the kitchen. I shouldn't say this, but I'm a bit skeptical. $30 bucks? Gluten free bread cost $5 dollars!  My favorite veggie patties are $7!  One Organic avocado is almost $2 bucks! Oh, goodness!

This is a  CHALLENGE.


Here's what I'm getting myself into:

- Meals must contain a source of calcium and protein. I'm also going to prove that a gluten free, soy free vegan can get these nutrients- on a budget!

- Seasonings and oils are not included in budget allowance. I need olive oil. Olive oil is expensive.

- Existing pantry items must be utilized. I see a lot of baking happening this week.


Since I only have $30 dollars for food, I won't be eating out.. Unless someone else is paying. 

Follow along- Instagram: frugal_jana
                    

My Favorites: Vegan, Gluten and Soy Free Dairy Alternatives

Hey All!


A nice lady suggested I give some recommendations for my favorite dairy alternatives.  Enjoy!

PS- My cat, Russell, makes a guest appearance....

A Vegan Dinner Party!

Last Saturday, I got out the good china, pretty table cloths and played hostess to a few friends! With an all vegan, gluten free and soy free menu, I was set on proving that eating a truly plant based diet is anything but boring. From the empty plates and happy smiles, I think I proved that this vegan food is indeed exciting!

THE MENU

- Celery, Carrot, and Greek Olive Crudites with Hummus and Salsa 

 

- Stuffed Eggplant with Wild Rice Melody and Stewed Tomatoes and Rosemary 

- Arugula and Pine Nut Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing

- Macaroni and Cheese with Roma Tomatoes and Thyme

- Steamed Broccoli in Lemon Butter Sauce

- Kale and Quinoa Salad 

- Coconut, Pineapple, and Banana Truffle with Warm Strawberry Compote 

- Amy's Vegan, Gluten and Soy Free Chocolate Cake crumble with Blueberries

From start to finish I was in the kitchen for a total of 6 hours with prep. I HIGHLY suggest you prep the veggies and supporting ingredients the night before to cut down on kitchen time the next day. I was still putting my face on when the guest arrived!

STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH WILD RICE MELODY AND STEWED TOMATOES

- Eggplant, split in half length wise.

- Equal parts brown basmati rice, medium grain wild rice, black rice and wild rice

- 2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice 

- Fresh Rosemary

-Garlic

-Yellow Onion

-Crimini Mushrooms

- Can of San Marzano Tomatoes (need only 3 chopped)

-Can of Diced Tomatoes

-Tomato Paste

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Kosher Salt

- Freshly Ground Peppercorns ( any pepper will do. This is just the best!)

- Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

- Scape innards of eggplant out with a tablespoon, roughly chop and set aside. Salt hallowed out eggplant and set aside on a baking dish.

- combine rice mixture with boiling water. Add in 3 chopped San Marzano tomatoes; 1 sprig of leaves of  rosemary; garlic powder; salt; pepper. Cook covered on low heat. It's finished when all liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and and set aside.

- Finely dice onion, garlic, and mushrooms. add to pan of heated olive oil. Add in salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add in eggplant innards. Once innards are soft, add in half a can of diced tomatoes, and 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves. Add more salt and pepper. Cover and heat over medium/low heat. Once the mixture is a sauce consistency, turn off heat and set aside in a bowl.

- Using the same pan from the eggplant mixture, add remaining can of diced tomatoes and about a teaspoon of tomato paste (measurement is depended on your serving). Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat over medium heat. Once the sauce starts to "stick" remove from heat and set aside.

-  Remember the rice? We are now going to add it to the bowl of eggplant mixture. To avoid too much rice and not enough eggplant, s-l-o-w-l-y add in rice a tablespoon at a time. Consistency should be "gooey".  Once mixed, spoon mixture evenly into split eggplants.

- Spoon cooked tomato sauce over rice mixture. Add a very light sprinkle of salt and pepper.

-  Cover with aluminum foil and Cook for about 20 mins. It's ready to eat once eggplant is soft!

- Serve on a bed of Arugula Salad. 

It looks like this.....

ARUGULA AND PINE NUT SALAD IN LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING  

- 1 Bag of Arugula from Trader Joes

- 1/4 teaspoon of  lemon juice from a FRESH lemon

- Apple Cider Vinegar 

- Pine Nuts

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Kosher Salt

- Freshly Ground Peppercorns

- Add arugula to bowl. Set aside.

- Add equal parts olive oil and apple cider vinegar to bowl. Usually, about 2 tablespoons for 2 serving. Add in lemon juice and sprinkle of salt and pepper. Whisk together until consistency is "cloudy" and "thick". Set aside.

 - Heat pine nuts in pan. Toss. Remove from heat once they start to brown. 

- Add roasted pine nuts to bowl of arugula and pour lemon dressing on top. Lightly toss with salad thongs. 

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH ROMA TOMATOES AND THYME

- 1 Bag of Tinkyada Brown Rice Macaroni

- 1 bag of Daiya  Mozzarella Style Shreds 

- 1 cup of Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

- 2 Roma Tomatoes

-  1/2 cup diced Yellow Onion

- 2 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance Soy Free Spread  ( Vegan butter substitute!)

- 1/2 cup pasta water 

- 2 sprigs of thyme

- Olive Oil

- Garlic Powder

- Salt

-Pepper 

- Set oven to 375 degrees.

- Grease baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon Earth Balance. 

 

-Add  diced onion to heated pan of olive oil.  Sprinkle in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute over medium heat until translucent. Add in 1 sprig of thyme. Toss with onion. Once tossed, turn off heat and set aside.

- Slice 2 firm, but ripe Roma Tomatoes into even rounds.

- Cook pasta according to directions. Although, stop short of the cooking time by 2 minutes for al-dente. Drain, but RESERVE 1/2 CUP OF PASTA WATER.

- With Pasta drained, add back into pot with the pasta water. Add in 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance;   half the bag of Mozzarella Daiya; and onions. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss and coat all ingredients. Because the pot is still hot, the cheese and butter should melt and coat macaroni very easy. 

- Sprinkle a even layer of macaroni on bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese on top. Creating a second layer, sprinkle macaroni on top of that, followed by 1 cup of Cheddar Cheese.  Sprinkle Macaroni on top of Cheddar Cheese followed by remaining mozzarella cheese. NOTE: Cheese should completely cover macaroni between all layers. 

- Place tomato rounds on top of macaroni, spreading evenly. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of tomatoes and place a few thyme sprigs on top of tomatoes. 

- Bake for 20 mins and enjoy! Also, I wanted to mention that I LOVE Macaroni and Cheese and can  eat this entire pan in one setting. Yeah, I'm kinda greedy... To prevent my over indulgence, I use portion control with ramekins. If you have zero self control like me, I suggest you use ramekins too!

Oh, and it looks like this.....

STEAMED BROCCOLI IN LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

- 1 Bag of Frozen Broccoli ( Hey! The fresh gets bad real fast. Frozen is just as good...)

- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Earth Balance

-  Salt

- Pepper

- Garlic Powder

- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

- In bag, heat broccoli in microwave for 5 mins.  If still feels "crunchy" and cold in some spots, add an extra minute. Oh, and please use caution. The bag gets real hot!

- Once heated, pour broccoli in bowl. Add in Earth Balance, salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice. 

Enjoy! 

Sorry...I don't have a pic for this. :( We ate it too fast. 

KALE AND QUINOA SALAD 

I've cooked this before! You can find this recipe here!

Here's it's picture...

COCONUT, PINEAPPLE, AND BANANA TRUFFLE WITH STRAWBERRY COMPOTE 

 Here's the thing: I am not a good baker. I originally wanted this to be a coconut cake, but since vegan g-free baking presents some challenges, the cake was way too dense. I could not serve folks that mess! So, I improvised and created this truffle.  I figure, just like I'm a fashion stylist and not a fashion designer, I'm more of a cook and not a baker.

- 1 box of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix  (This is the only g-free cake mix that does not require eggs!)

- 1 box of  HOH Coconut Pudding (Haupia)

- 1 can of Crushed Pineapple

- 2 ripe bananas

- 1 bag of Frozen Strawberries 

- 1 tablespoon agave nectar 

- Heat oven according to package directions. 

- Prepare cake according to packaging directions. Once cooked, set aside. NOTE: I advise you prep and cook according exactly to package directions. Also, be careful to not over mix. I wanted to be creative and made the mistake of substituting the water in the cake mix for crushed pineapple. A dense head creates a dense cake... Set cake aside to cool.

- Slice banana into rounds

- Cook Coconut pudding according to package instructions. Set aside. 

- Cut cake into even squares. 

- Using a large bowl, create layers of cake, followed by crushed pineapple, and sliced banana. finish layers by pouring hot coconut mixer on top. Repeat steps for about 2-4 layers depending on how deep your bowl is. 

- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. All the ingredients need to set with the pudding. 

- When ready to serve, heat bag of  strawberries over medium heat in saucepan with agave nectar.  Pour on top of truffle. 

Sorry, I did not get a picture of this dessert. :( It came out better than expected! Light, and not too sweet! Although, I did not do this, it would be pretty to sprinkle layers of coconut in the truffle. How delicious would that be? 

Because I am not confident in my baking abilities, I had a "just in case" dessert...

AMY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BLUEBERRIES

Amy's chocolate cake comes frozen and can be purchased at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and select Ralph's. I defrosted in fridge and heated it up in the microwave for a minute. It became more of a brownie texture instead of a cake texture, which is fine by me and my guest tummies! I then heated up a frozen bag of blueberries and poured that on top. Chocolate and blueberries are sin! 

You can check the cake out  here..

If you have difficultly finding any of the ingredients or have questions about anything, send me an email! 

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Daiya Cheese

I love kale and quinoa!

When I first discovered these food geniuses, I would saute the kale with garlic in some olive oil and serve it on top of some quinoa.  Eating it as a salad green was too adventurous for me. Since I've been up to creating some fun salads, I deided to combine my two favs with some mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and Daiya Cheese.


Some folks say that they can't go vegan because they can't imagine a life without cheese. They have not had Daiya Chese. Their soy free,gluten free and vegan cheeses are very reminiscent of the real thing!

The Havarti style with jalapeno and garlic has the same texture as feta. I stumbled upon it at a Ralphs's by my folks house in Redondo Beach but have yet to find it at my local markets. Sad Tummy. But, the shredded mozzarella version is available at all Fresh & Easy stores.

Now, back to what's in the salad:


- Finely chopped Kale
- Sliced crimini mushrooms
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Warm quinoa ( Cook quinoa with veggie broth instead of water for flavor. Also, add in some salt and pepper to the water.)
- Crumbled Daiya Havarti Style Wedge
- Equal parts apple cider vinegar and olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper 


The apple cider helps break down the coarseness of the kale and the warm quinoa taste awesome with the cheese. This is a perfect salad.

EDIT:  I forgot to tell you where you can get these ingredents for yourself!

Quinoa: Fresh & Easy- As of this posting date, F&E has it on sale for $2 bucks!

Kale: Trader Joe's- Get the bagged organic kind. It cost about $3 and some change.

Crimini Mushrooms: Whole Foods or Farmer's Market- I like to pick and feel my own 'shrooms and avoid getting the pre-packed kind. It's about 5 bucks for a pound, but I always get 1/2 a pound.

Sun Dried Tomatoes: Trader Joe's- Cost about $2 bucks for a 3oz bag.

Daiya Havarti Style Wedge: Ralph's Redondo Beach on Hawthorne Blvd- This one will possibly be the trickiest ingredient to find. You can do what I plan on doing and looking up store locators on their website and calling each store to see if they have this specific variety. http://www.daiyafoods.com/where-to-buy


Seasonings: I use Kosher Salt I picked up at Ralph's ; and some cracked pepper from Trader Joe's. any brand of Apple Cider Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil will do.

Lunch Time: Sandwiches

To keep myself motivated in the kitchen, I've challenged myself to create new lunch time meals. I've started with the easist thing to create ever: Sandwiches.


1. Toasted Food for Life Pecan Raisin Bread stuffed with Cashew Butter and Banana with a sprinkle of Brown Sugar and Cinnamon. Seved up with sliced Gala Apples and a glass of Coconut Milk.

2. Toasted Food For Life Brown Rice Bread with sliced Avocado, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Basil. Drizzled with Olive Oil, squeeze of Lemon and a sprinkle of Salt and Pepper.

3. Open faced Sandwich! Rosemary Cannellini Beans and Portobello Mushrooms with Arugula in a Red Wine Vinaigrette loaded on top of Toasted Brown Rice Bread.

4. Sunshine Veggie Burger with Avocado sits between two slices of Brown Rice Bread. Served up with Hummus and sliced Persian Cucumbers.

My next challenge: Salads!

Hey! That's Me!

About a month ago, I contribute my two cents to Frugivore Magazine's Black Female Vegan Series. You can check out the interview here!