Vegetarian Frugal Housewife

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. ”
~J.R.R. Tolkien, British Author and Linguist

Last night I finally attempted one of my favorite Asian dishes, Singapore Noodles. Usually served in Thai and Chinese restaurants, Singapore Noodles tend to have multiple types of meat in them, such as chicken strips, pork shreds and whole shrimp. This version has most of the regular ingredients that you find in the restaurant version, sans meat.

This dish is fun, quick and brightly colored, making your table look very enticing and exotic. You can pair it with tofu satay, vegetarian spring rolls or even steamed dumplings if it strikes your fancy.

Two word of advice:

1) This uses a lot of curry powder, if you tend to have heartburn, rethink eating this dish.

2) Make sure that your rice noodles are from Japan and not China. In my experience the ones from China cook up differently and don’t attain the correct texture…you will end up with yellow spaghetti if you don’t use Japanese Noodles. ;)

Always feel free to make replacements for some of the veggies called for in the recipe, if you don’t have the exact ingredients. The restaurant is your own kitchen which means you have free reign over experimentation.

Vegetarian Singapore Noodles
Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Noodles-

250 grams of rice noodles (1 package)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, shredded
1 red bell pepper
2 green onions, (scallions) chopped
1 handful mung bean sprouts
1 cup dried Asian mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, shredded
6-8 leaves of Napa Cabbage or Bok Choy, cut small
1 handful Pea Pods, whole or chopped
6-8 small chunks of pineapple, cut in half
4 tbs Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce
1 cup warm water
6 tbs sesame oil
1 tsp salt

Sauce-

1/2 cup coconut or soy milk
1.5 tbs curry powder
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tsp Nama Shoyu, Soy Sauce
1 tsp turmeric
pinch chili powder
pinch cumin
1 tbs corn starch

1. Prepare your noodles according to the directions on the package. (Usually they say to soak in warm water for 15 minutes.)

2. Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water mixed with the 4 tablespoons of Nama Shoyu Sauce.

3. Chop, dice and shred all vegetables as noted above.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together all of the sauce ingredients except for the corn starch.

5. Add the sesame oil to your wok or frying pan and fry the veggies, save soft ingredients such as green onions, bean sprouts and pineapple until near the end of cooking time.

6. Remove the mushrooms from their soak water once they have soften and add them, along with any other soft ingredients, to the wok.

7. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring well and then add the sauce mixture.

8. Stir everything together and add the corn starch to thicken the sauce a bit. Let simmer for a few minutes.

9. Drain your noodles and pour the vegetable and sauce mixture over them.

10. Mix and serve with chopsticks, hot tea, soy sauce and/or sweet chili sauce.

Bon Appetit!

“The truth is that life is delicious, horrible, charming, frightful, sweet, bitter, and that is everything.”
~Anatole France, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1921

Somehow, it didn’t seem appropriate to call this a bread.

I tried that tact when I first made it but Serge agreed that it was far too sweet and moist to be a bread and must, therefore, be a cake.

Still it is often listed as a “bread” in cookbooks, and it is made in a bread pan.

It’s heavier than most cupcakes or iced cakes though, so I went with it being a loaf. The Victorians would probably call it a tea cake. ;)

Admittedly, as a child I hated anything even remotely lemon flavoured. But, oddly enough, as I got older the taste grew on me. I still favor a cherry cake or a zucchini bread over lemon, but occasionally I get a craving for something sweet and lemony.

All citrus flavours seem very refreshing and invigorating to me, but lemon is the most refreshing of all. Even the kids will like this loaf and you may have to beat them off of it like leftover birthday cake.

It does have quite a fair amount of sugar in it but you could substitute agave or honey and still get lovely results. Some people glaze this loaf and some don’t. I do, of course, but you don’t have too. ;)

Lemon Poppy Seed Sweet Loaf
Makes: Two Medium Loaves

Ingredients:

Loaf-

3 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs poppy seeds
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of lemon or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup water * (The amount of liquids you need will vary, just check the consistency of your dough.)

Frosting-

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 capfuls of lemon extract
Enough lemon juice or soy milk to make the frosting liquid

1. Mix all dry loaf ingredients, except the baking powder and soda, together in a large bowl.

2. Add the liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly until the dough is evenly mixed and not too lumpy.

3. Last, mix in the baking powder and soda very thoroughly.

4. Grease two medium-sized loaf pans and distribute the loaf batter evenly in them. Alternatively, you could use a bundt or cupcake pan instead.

5. Bake the loaf for 30 - 40 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit or 190° Celsius.

6. Remove the loaves and let cool for 30 minutes. Begin making the glaze.

7. For glaze mix all glaze ingredients and be sure that the final result is wet enough to pour, but not too liquid, or it will all run off of your loaf.

8. Be absolutely certain that the loaf is cool to the touch. Warm loaves will cause the frosting to become more liquid.

9. Pour the glaze very slowly over the top of your loaf and let it runs just slightly over the edge.

10. Allow the glaze too harden over the next couple of hours and garnish with lemon peel.

Enjoy this loaf with some nice warm tea or a glass of soy milk. :) Just don’t eat it all in one sitting.

A few months ago I took up yoga, and have so far observed many things about it and about myself. I won’t bore you with the details.

There are two things that apply widely though: you have muscles that you have never dreamed of in places you’ve never felt. And, going with the modern, “women’s magazine,” trendy variety of yoga can be costly. You don’t need ocean views and spa retreats to connect with yourself. :)

In taking up yoga there is some expense involved. The things that you supposedly need are a mat and (if you’re not very flexible) a yoga block, a yoga strap and a bolster cushion. You also need comfy pants, non-slip socks and a tank top. Some of these things I had, some I had to buy (luckily my birthday passed around the same time and I got some nice yoga-related gifts.)

The one thing I did not have was a yoga mat bag. And, being the crafty chick that I am, I decided that I should make one myself. I decided this despite all the ultra-funky and unique yoga mat bags that are available out there.

Now, once I decided to make the bag I set about looking online for a pattern. I’m a frugal girl. I detest paying for knitting and sewing patterns. I do pay for them, but only as a last resort.

There were some cool knit/crochet patterns available online, but then it hit me: have old pants…bingo! Instant yoga bag. Well, okay, not exactly instant, but you get my drift.

I love loose fitting pants, which meant a little more work for me. But you could simply go to a charity shoppe (ie. The Salvation Army) and get a pair of size 8 jeans, or even children’s-size pants, that you think are funky. Go on, it’ll cost you about $3, a lot less than a yoga bag. ;)

The pants that I chose were army greenish, my favorite color, and had loads of funny pockets everywhere. I forgot to take a “before” photo of the pants, but their shredded remains in my craft drawer sit in evidence of the fact that they once were pants. :P

“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.”
~B.K.S. Iyengar, Yogini

Now, on to the process of going from pants to yoga stance…

Homemade Yoga Mat Bag

Supplies:
-A Yoga mat
-Old, unwanted pair of pants
-Long belt that you can sew through (I chose canvas)
-Shoelace or elastic cord, for drawstring
-Round paper template, slightly bigger than a rolled yoga mat
-A good sturdy needle (especially if you are sewing through jeans)
-Thread in a matching or beautifully contrasting color
-Scissors
-Sewing pins
-*Patience*

1. Roll your yoga mat up, but not TOO tightly.

2. Decide which pant leg you’d like to use. (Mine were different from each other, so I chose the one with cooler pockets.)

3. Slide the yoga mat into the pant leg from the bottom end of the pants and see if you like how tight/loose the fit is. Also mark the length that you’d like the bag to be, adding an extra inch or two for seams.

4. Remove the mat from the pants and cut the leg that you want to the appropriate length.

NOTE: The less of the original pant seam that gets included in the portion you are using, the better. IE. Try not to have crotch or back pocket seams over the portions you will be sewing through.

5. If you think that the fit of your bag is too loose, which is most likely the case with adult pants, then cut the inner seem of the pant leg and, using your rolled mat as a template, wrap the pant leg around the mat (inside out) and pin the sides together about two inches away from the mat edge (or more, for ease of removing the mat.) I wanted a snug-fitting bag so I did 2 inches, but it is a bit of a struggle to get the mat in and out so I suggest going with 3 inches. :)

6. Now you must sew up and down that pin line twice. I sewed my bag by hand so, using doubled thread, I sewed one seam close to the pins and then followed back up with a separate, second seam about a 1/4 inch out from the first.

7. If you are adding a drawstring, leave the top 1.5 inches of this seam unsewn.

8. For drawstring, turn in the edges of these unsewn portions and sew a little hem on them, so that they won’t fray when you pull your drawstring in and out.

9. Roll this top bit over to create an open channel wide enough for your lace to pass through and sew it down. Make sure to have a nice sturdy stitch line.

10. Create a round template for your bag bottom using one of these two methods: Find a plate that is just slightly bigger than your rolled yoga mat and use that, or flatten the pant leg and measure the length across the bottom of the leg then add a little bit for seam allowance, this will be the circumference of the paper circle that you need to cut out.

11. Once you have your circle-shaped piece of fabric (which does not HAVE to be the same fabric as the rest of the bag) you want to pin it to the bottom of the bag. With the right sides together, start by pinning it at the four corners and then working on the pins between each quarter section. You will most likely find that you need to do some small finger tucking (or pleating) to make the circle attach properly. (I fiddled with the pleats and pins for nearly an hour to get it perfect.)

NOTE: If your circle is far too big and you use it anyway, the bottom of your bag will look like an upside-down mushroom. I had to take it apart once for that very reason. ;)

12. Sew the bottom on with a double seam.

13. Turn the bag right-side out and find the proper length and placement for your belt/strap. I used pins to try several different placements and lengths before cutting the belt and sewing it in place. I laid the bottom end of the strap flat against the bag and turned the top end under a bit to make it hang nicer. *Remember to do this part with the mat IN the bag, you never know how the weight will effect where you want your strap.

Now, if you have sewn on your strap, checked the strength of all your seams and threaded a drawstring through, you have a functionally complete yoga bag!!!

For fun you can add embellishments using embroidery, puff paint, sequins or patches. I took some extra pockets off of the jeans with a seam ripper and sewed them to my completed bag so I can now carry my wallet, house keys and yoga socks. I also added some embroidered om symbols, the word “YOGA” and am planning a little Buddha, once I draw out the design in a form that I am happy with.

Have fun with your new yoga bag!

Namaste. :)

“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”
~Henry David Thoreau

So you’ve all had the chance to stock up on your dry goods and on your spices & flavourings, now we get to delve into my favorite place…the fridge. This is where most folks keep all of their fresh fruits & veggies, which you should be indulging in at every meal if you’re being a healthy vegetarian.

I love to go to the local market and savor the organic produce as well as other people’s homemade jellies and preserves. And I always buy organic, wherever possible, because modern large-scale farming douses our foods in chemicals, strips the soil of most of the nutrients and therefore produces a substandard, nutritionally deficient crop.

Local farmers markets and small whole foods shops always carry a variety of whatever is in season as well as some responsibly grown imports. Plus you can often get more information in the form of pamphlets, or actual conversation, from the people who grow your food.

When it comes to the freezer, the vegetarian kitchen doesn’t always require a whole lot of freezer space. But a few staples are good to keep around.

As much of what you keep in the fridge is fresh and perishable, I am not suggesting that you keep ALL of what is listed below in your fridge at all ties. Instead just considered some of the suggestions that I make, experiment for yourself and keep those things that you use most regularly. They say that if you have all of the colors of the rainbow in a dish, such as salad or stir-fry, then that is the most healthy way to eat your fruits & veg. (This means, for veggies, Red-Green-Orange-Yellow-White.)

As for the lists below, these are just the frequent residents of our fridge/freezer, what you keep around may be different. Our selections vary according to season. We love to have fresh berries in summer, corn-on-the-cob in the autumn and Serge prefers sauerkraut in the winter. My fridge also has lots of condiments in it, I guess those could also have been listed with the flavourings post, but I’ve put them here because that is where they are stored.

Have fun and let me know if you have a favorite item that you don’t see on the list. :)

The Vegetarian Fridge/Freezer

Preserves:

Apple Sauce
Strawberry Jam
Grape Jelly
Marmalade
Salsa
Pickles
Sauerkraut (Serge loves this stuff.)

Condiments:

Ketchup
Mustard
Relish
Chutney (I like Mango Chutney.)
Sweet Chili Sauce
Nama Shoyu- Soy Sauce
Rice Wine
Cooking Sherry
Homemade Salad Dressings

Vegetables:

Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Large Onions
Green Onions (Spring Onion)
Red Bell Pepper
Green Bell Pepper
Mushrooms (Assorted)
Celery
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Broccoli
Carrots
Potatoes
Cauliflower
Green Chillis
Corn-on-the-Cob
Butternut Squash
Avocado
Snap Peas
Green Beans
Bean Sprouts

Fruits:

Oranges
Grapes
Kiwis
Pears
Apples
Cherries
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Plums
Apricots
Nectarines

Liquids:

Soy Milk (Regular)
Soy Milk (Vanilla)
Rice Milk
Apple Juice
Orange Juice
Cranberry Juice
Spring Water
Homemade Iced Tea

Other Fridge Items:

Tofu (silken)
Tofu (firm)
Peanut Butter
Cashew Butter
Eggs (if you eat them)
Garlic cloves
Ginger Root
Soy Yogurt

Freezer Items:

Ice Cubes
Vegetarian Sausages
Vegetarian Hot Dogs
Veggie Burgers (a selection of them)
Frozen Veggie Mince (faux ground beef)
Frozen Veggie Pot Pies
Frozen French Fries
Vegan Ice Cream (chocolate or vanilla)
Italian Ice (I like strawberry flavour.)

If you enjoyed this post, perhaps you'd like to buy me some tofu or make a tip jar donation.

“Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.”
~Georges Auguste Escoffier, French Chef

This recipe is just what it says!

Got a cold? This stuff has as much (actually more) protein in it as Mom’s Homemade Chicken Soup, minus the chicken!

And, with the antibiotic properties in the onions, you’ll be right as rain in no time.

It tastes so close to the real deal, folks would have a hard time telling the difference. :)

Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of water
1-2 celery stalks, slivered
3 medium mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced fine
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, cut in rounds
1 package firm tofu, cubed OR
1 package vegan “chicken” cutlets, cut in chunks
1 tsp thyme
pinch of ground cumin
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
2-3 cubes vegetable bullion
2 large bay leaves
1 tbsp sea salt
2 handfuls of pasta, I use rotini shape
6-8 tbsp of nutritional yeast OR
2 cups of “No-Chicken” broth
1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

1. Cut tofu in small cubes and fry in olive oil until slightly browned.

2. Marinade tofu in 1 cup water with salt and 3 tbsp dissolved yeast flakes, or in 1 cup of “No Chicken” broth, for 2-3 hours.

3. Heat the rest of the water with the remaining “No Chicken” broth or yeast flakes, until simmering.

4. Add the onions, spices and carrots, continuing to simmer.

5. Once tofu has finished marinating, add it to the soup pot.

6. Let tofu simmer in the broth for 35-45 minutes and then add any remaining vegetables.

7. Let the completed soup simmer until all veggies are cooked thoroughly, throwing in the pasta about ten minutes before serving.

8. Remove the bay leaves from the pot, add more salt and flavorings to taste.

9. Serve with a nice artisan bread and some cool iced tea.

* You can add other veggies such as broccoli, asparagus or corn kernels, if that’s how your Mom made it. ;)

Bon Appetit and Get Well Soon!!!