Your Vegan Mom

Your Tuesday Tip: Coffee ice cubes

 

I've been freezing leftover coffee and using it to make afternoon milk and cookies that much more delicious (and caffeinated).  This afternoon I'm going to put my caffeinated ice cubes in the blender with some soy milk and agave nectar to make a coffee slushie.    

Update: 4 coffee cubes + 1 cup soy milk + a quick swirl of agave nectar blends into a nice coffee slushie, but my favorite use of the cubes has been iced coffee to go - coffee cubes, soy milk, (unbleached) sugar in a (clean, repurposed) jam jar, stuck in my bag to take to the park with the boys.  An hour later, when the cubes and the sugar are fairly melty, and I give it some vigorous shaking, and open up my frothy, sweet, cold coffee drink, I am so much more cheerful about pushing Felix on the swing or helping Desmond make decorations (again) for Rocketjohn's (new imaginary friend) birthday party (again). 

Baked Tostada Shells

 

We eat tostadas approximately once a week.  They are easy, endlessly varied according to what vegetable odds and ends we have on hand, enjoyed by every member of the family in slightly different forms (Desmond - just beans on tortilla, vegetables on side; Felix - pre-salted beans, plain chunks of avocado; Trina and Paul - everything plus hot sauce), and an excellent use of less than fresh tortillas.  The only down side is the tortilla frying.  So we ditched it.  We now smear the tortillas around in a bit of oil and then bake them in a hot oven until crunchy and browned.  Topped with refried beans and a quick salsa or slaw of whatever you have around, dinner is ready.  Here are some topping options:

• corn, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, touch of agave, salt and pepper
• cabbage, onions, cumin, oregano, orange juice, lime juice, salt and pepper
• shredded zucchini and carrot with lemon juice, cumin, minced chile, olive oil, salt and pepper
• sliced avocado, squeeze of lime, dash of salt, shake of hot sauce
• leftover tempeh asado

Baked Tostada Shells

• 6 corn tortillas
• about 2 tablespoons mild cooking oil

Heat oven to 400.  Drizzle oil over cookie sheet.  Smear each tortilla around in the oil to lightly coat each side.  Bake for 15 minutes, flipping tortillas once so that they brown evenly.

Samosa Quesadillas and Creamy Mango Salad Dressing

 

I'm kind of excited about this recipe.  I had been meaning to put this idea into action for a long time, but it wasn't until I had a slew of leftover mashed potatoes and a last minute gaggle of moms and kids to feed that I made it happen.  And it was just what I thought it would be - everything good about a samosa - squishy, mildly spiced potatoes and peas encased in a crisp, pick-up-able package, but with all the ease of slapping together a quesadilla.  Good stuff.  And perfect as a super-simple, kid-friendly, mid-week dinner.

We ate this with a salad of red lettuce, spicy pickled onions, and chickpeas, all drizzled with the creamy mango dressing.  Everything was served separately so that the boy could dip all his component parts in a tiny cup of the sweet vinaigrette.  The pickled onions were a nod to the grown-ups in the party, because everything else is mild and easy on a toddler's sensitive taste buds.     

We dipped the quesadillas in the dressing, but if you're not making the salad, these would also be good with store-bought mango chutney.

 

Samosa Quesadillas

• 3 cups left-over mashed potatoes (I've also made this with half sweet potato.)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
• 1 cup frozen peas (run them under cool water to get rid of any freezer taste and defrost them a little)
• salt to taste
• 6 whole wheat tortillas

Mix together the potatoes, peas, curry powder and salt to taste.  Heat a griddle.  Spread half of each tortilla with potato filling, fold over, and grill on each side. 

Creamy Mango Salad Dressing
makes 1 cup 

• 1 cup mango chunks
• 3 tablespoons lime juice (or the juice of one big juicy lime)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Leftovers: The Sandwich

 

Take one slice of really good bread.  Slather it with vegenaise.  Pile on slices of tofurkey roast.  Mound a bit of stuffing on top. 

Take another slice of really good bread.  Slather it with vegenaise.  Mash on about a half a slice of jellied cranberry sauce.  Carefully flip this onto the tofurkey half.  Eat.  

How are you enjoying your leftovers?

Spaghetti Sandwich

 

Best thing I've eaten all week.  True, my recent days have not been filled with particularly sumptuous feasts.  I'm still getting the new kitchen in order, and there have been a lot of frozen dumplings and soy nuggets (man, those things aren't even good), but still, I say this is a satisfying sandwich under any circumstances.  It's a manwich with a slightly italian bent, but composed of leftovers, and delicious.  

You start with a roll.  Spread it with margarine, nutritional yeast, and a tiny bit of garlic powder.  Toast it.  

Then slap on the reheated leftover spaghetti that is really mostly all sauce.  (Please don't make me tell you that this was Morning Star crumbles and a jar of Prego, okay?  It's a nostalgia thing.  We call it college spaghetti because it was Paul's specialty in the olden days.  I'm sure you have some trashy food cravings up your sleeve too.  Come on, what are they?)