Back on the Vegan Path

So after a few days of slips and tumbles from the vegan way (particularly due to an amazing spinach and artichoke dip that was made because we were guests)... James and I are back on track.

Tonight, I was determined to make a really good, well-rounded vegan meal. We had lots of veggies in the fridge, so I was well prepared to make something delicious, and so I did!

Here's the final product:

This plate of vegan veggies is comprised of spinach, garlic, yellow squash, sweet onion, green bell pepper, asparagus, russet potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Now, this whole thing costs less than $5 a meal, so its a super filling meal with lots of leftovers. But, each component was done very specifically, so let's make a meal!

First, I washed and diced three small russet potatoes and two small sweet potatoes, then threw them in a deep baking dish. I salted and peppered them as I do with pretty much everything, but put a few small dollops of vegan butter in to help soften and flavor the white potatoes. This butter is made mostly of oil, so you don't have to add oil to the pan to cook. Then I set these aside to make the other food that would go in the oven.

Sprouting!

Next we have the asparagus. Now, the asparagus that James had gotten from ALDI a few days ago had started growing in its container which sat on top of the fridge. So, I took the asparagus out of the container, rinsed it, then chopped off the thinnest sprouts and the whitest, hardest bottoms of the stalks. I put these on a cookie sheet spread out pretty evenly, poured on a little (about 1 tbsp) of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

I put the asparagus and potatoes in the 300* preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes... I don't usually measure or keep track of time, I just go til it looks, tastes, smells, and feels good.

While the potatoes and asparagus were in the oven, I ripped up some spinach into a frying pan with some chopped garlic, honey, olive oil, and.... wait for it... balsamic vinegar!! This was my FAVORITE part of dinner. It was so good that I have decided that I'm having it for lunch tomorrow! So what I did was turn the stove top on VERY LOW and turned the spinach over and over til it just began to wilt, then I turned off the stove.

In a soup pot, I cut in thin slices of yellow squash, green bell pepper, and sweet onion and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I let these cook in their own juices for a while... until the yellow squash began to soften. Then I turned the stove off again. I checked on the asparagus and potatoes, they needed about 20 more minutes. So I stirred them both and put them back. I turned back on the squash, pepper, and onion pot on low and let them cook while I waited on the potatoes and asparagus. In the last 5 minutes of cooking for what was in the oven, I turned back on spinach to a very low heat and turn the leaves until they were well-warmed and delicious.

And, TADA! Dinner is served!!! Overall, it was absolutely amazing! In retrospect, I would have sauteed the peppers and onions well before I added in the squash, but they added a good crunch to the dish. The spinach with honey and balsamic vinegar added a nice tang and sweetness that actually paired well with the salty asparagus. I honestly did not miss meat! I really think that it had to do with the potatoes. The white potatoes gave the filling feeling of meat, whereas the sweet potatoes gave the hardy feeling. This was easily one of the best vegan meals that we've had since starting the experiment. I told James that I felt like this and this is what he had to say:

I am incredibly happy to say that I agree with James. And I am beyond thrilled to say that the Farmers Market will be opening up in South Orange very soon... be prepared to see some really awesome meals coming soon.

Good eating!