Waste Not Want Not Wednesday: the Brinner Edition

I've been looking for ways to use up leftover ingredients. You know, when you buy a bunch of green onions, but could only use up the dark green tops? Or when you have half an onion and a metric crap-ton of leftover baked potatoes in the refrigerator? Or half a bunch of kale? or half of a bell pepper? or five slices of bread left in the loaf? Or whatever...

Whenever I throw away leftover ingredients that have spoiled because I couldn't figure out how to use them, it always brings to mind the saying that my Grandma (and probably every one else's grandma) used to say: Waste not, want not. 

Welcome to my first post celebrating that frugal concept!

Tofu scramble, soy chorizo hash, biscuit

Breakfast for dinner, or Brinner, as it is affectionately known in our household, is a classic standby on days when I don't feel like cooking. The whole meal whips together very quickly, and easily utilizes leftover ingredients. The skillet potatoes and scramble are both great ways to use up leftover veggies and herbs. Try throwing in broccoli, onions, kale, sweet or hot peppers, or asparagus. Serve with toast or biscuits. Fresh fruit or juice would make this a complete meal.

Tofu Scramble

serves 4

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1/4 tsp turmeric

1-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (to taste)

1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 block extra firm tofu, squeezed of excess moisture

up to 1 cup leftover veggies

1 tablespoon oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix liquid smoke, soy sauce, ketchup, turmeric, and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Crumble tofu into medium sized chunks onto a plate or into a bowl. Add seasoning mixture and stir well to combine. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until just cooked, taking care not to burn. Add the seasoned tofu. Cook, stirring often, until hot and browning slightly. Add in your veggies and saute until hot. Toss in green onions, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. 

Skillet Potatoes with Soy Chorizo 

serves 4-6

1/2 link Trader Joe's soy chorizo

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cold baked potatoes, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

up to 1 cup leftover veggies

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring every few minutes, until golden brown. Add the chorizo and leftover veggies, and cook for about two minutes. Add the bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper is crisp tender. Season to taste and serve. 

Aloo Gobi

This is probably not a very traditional Aloo Gobi. I don't actually know. What I do know is that I love it, and it tends to go pretty quickly whenever I serve it. I like to garnish it with fresh tomato, cilantro, and caramelized onions. To make it less spicy, reduce the amount of chili, starting with the cayenne.

One thing that is important to note: you really want to do all of the prep before you begin cooking. Have the ingredients, especially the spices, close to your pan. Read the recipe through a few times, and make sure you understand the order of operations :)
Happy cooking!


Aloo Gobi
makes a whole bunch
1 medium head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed and cut into medium florets
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 Tablespoons shredded ginger
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (or more) jalapeno or serrano chilis, diced
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
5 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2-3 Tablespoons oil for cooking
1/4 cup of water, plus more if needed

Garnish:
1 tomato, chopped and set aside
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, set aside
1/2 large onion, diced

In a small bowl, mix turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and 1/4 cup of water to make a spice paste.

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil. Drop one cumin seed in the hot oil. If the seed cracks, add the cumin seed and saute for about 30 seconds.

Add the ginger, bay leaves, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds to one minute, just until cooked. Do not burn the garlic or the ginger!

Add a little more oil if your pan seems dry. Next, add the spice paste and stir until the spices and the oil begin to separate. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, about 1/4 cup of water, and salt to taste. Stir well, then cover the pan. Cook over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower and potatoes are fork tender. Stir every 3-4 minutes. Add more water as needed if things begin to stick.

About ten minutes into cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a dollop of coconut oil (or veggie oil of your choice). Add the chopped onions and season with salt to taste. Saute until the onions begin to be caramelized. They should be tender all the way through, and a lovely golden brown. Taste and add more salt as needed.

When the cauliflower and potatoes are tender, pour into a serving bowl. Toss it gently with the onions, diced tomato and cilantro. Serve with hot rice or chapati.

Three Bean Chili

I didn't actually watch most of the Superbowl. To be honest, I don't know anything about football, except that the men wear bright spandex and throw around an oddly shaped ball. I watched it to see Madonna's halftime show, which was actually pretty cool. 

Anyway, the Superbowl is always a time for chili and chicken wings, and since I am a vegan for the most part, I don't do chicken wings (and, Martha Stewart has the right of it: if we eat so many millions of chicken wings on Superbowl Sunday, what happens to the rest of the poor bird?!). Here is the chili I made. I was looking for a pretty chili that didn't have the usual deep, dark, spicy flavors. I like those flavors, but I also like to change things up.

So I did. 

This chili is bright. Like, a punch in the face from the sun after a long, rainy Seattle winter bright. It's also sweet, because of the roasted veggies, and well spiced, though you can always add or remove jalapenos to your liking. If you want to alter the heat, don't mess with the chipotle. It's there as a flavor component, not as a heat element. Without it, your chili will be a less awesome. Instead, substitute milder chilies for the jalapenos, or just leave them out. No big deal. 

Three Bean Chili 

serves 6

1 lb total weight of Anasazi, Black, and Great Northern beans soaked for several hours, cooked until soft, and drained (in a pressure cooker, 15 psi for 12-14 minutes)

2 medium red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped into half inch chunks

1 medium yellow onion sliced into 1/2" rings

1-2 jalapenos, or hot chilis of choice, roasted, peeled, and minced.

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3/4 lb ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks

3 cups water or veggie broth

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 of 1 chipotle chili**

1/2-3/4 tsp cumin seed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)

1-3 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil, or combination

salt to taste

green onions cilantro for garnish

Serve with whole grain tortilla chips, cooked rice, or sourdough rolls

Preheat broiler and place oven rack into lower 1/3 of oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lay out the onion ring slices and brush or spray lightly with olive oil. Put in preheated oven and cook until onion is lightly charred in places and softened most of the way through, around 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them without melting yourself (I often skip this step, but only do so at your own risk!). Chop them up into little pieces, picking out any bits that went black instead of lightly charred (the outer rings are usually the ones that get burned in my oven. Also, I tend to forget about things in the oven, so yeah...)

Heat a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add oil. When it is fragrant, add the fresh onion and sautee until the onion is starts to go transluscent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until the onion is fully transluscent. Add the chopped charred onion at this point, and cook until it is fully softened. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes. You want the heat fairly high for this part, so you may need to turn it up. Cook the tomatoes until they break down and no longer smell raw. Allow much of the water from the tomatoes to reduce. Continue to stir often so that nothing burns to the pan. You want to reduce the liquid, not scorch it. Add the roasted chilis, the chipotle, and the beans. Stir. Add the water, ground coriander, and tomato paste. Allow to simmer on the stove for 15 minutes or so, long enough to let the flavors mingle, but not long enough to break down the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let the chilli cool off for another 15-20 minutes. This step seems stupid, but it was important for letting the flavor develop. Stir and adjust seasonings if necessary. I liked this best served with rice and garnished with green onions.  

**I'm talking about canned chipotles that come in adobo sauce near the Mexican foods in your grocery store. Since most people don't just eat an entire can of these babies in one meal, I like to toss the remainders in a sandwich bag in the freezer. I shave off what I need, when I need it. This method is great because it's easier to chop them when they're frozen, and the plastic bag protects your skin from the capsaicin in the chili. If you've ever rubbed your eyes after chopping chilies, you know all about capsaicin. (If you don't know all about it, you shouldn't chop chilies and rub your eyes to find out what all the fuss is about. Your life will suck for a couple of hours.)