In October I tried to use what I had on hand, and use up my veggie stockpile in the pantry for my meals. I loved the challenge, and really enjoyed the meals too.
This post I’ll be sharing which part of the stockpile that the ingredients came from. Some are leftovers from the fridge, reused into a new meal. Most are from just what I had on hand hanging out in the kitchen.
Super Toasty Vegan Nachos
Well the chips got a little too toasty under the broiler, but the nachos were pretty darn good. I used homemade salsa, black olives (fridge), and sushi rice (leftover from handmade sushi) to build the “nachos”. I love meals like this. They are easy, fast, and use what I have.
Vegan Pasta with Lemon and Veggies
I keep a lot of pasta on hand in the pantry. There are always various varieties, and sometimes I’m down to odds and ends. I boiled up a bit of odds and ends, and called it lunch. I added Lemon Juice (fridge),Capers & Marinated Artichoke Hearts (fridge), and Cauliflower (freezer) this dish is a vegan twist on Chicken Picatta.
Agnes’ vegan Sushi
Nothing makes me happier than when Agnes suggests that I make Sushi for us for dinner. She is my only kiddo that will eat it, and it is my favorite too. I keep nori and sushi rice in the pantry, and they both keep well for when the “sushi snack attack” strikes.
Spicy Vegan Sushi with Kimchi
I made her dish, just rice and nori. I like to add Kimchi (fridge) to mine and spice them up a bit. O.k. so if you haven’t tried Kimchi, it is weird and delicious, and keeps forever in the fridge. It is fermented Cabbage, and it is really delicious. I use Kimchi in lots of dishes, and it is a fantastic vegan staple to keep around.
Vegan “crabcakes”
Speaking of Sushi Rice, I used Panko (pantry), Marinated Artichoke Hearts (fridge), and Sushi Rice (leftovers) to make a batch of delicate Vegan not-crab-but-Artichoke cakes. They were so amazingly delicious, but very delicate. This also fit the bill for using only what I had on hand to make another meal for dinner.
Vegan Taco Salad
One more “clean out the fridge” dish. I piled on homemade salsa, corn chips (pantry), shredded lettuce (fridge), corn kernals (freezer), chickpeas (fridge/pantry), and black olives (I keep these in the fridge all of the time). This made for a filling lunch, and helped use up some bits hanging out in the fridge.
Vegetarian Rice & Lentils with Mashed Potatoes
You could easily make this vegan, but I had run out of vegan “butter”, so I used margarine instead. Some nights I made homemade rice-a-roni for the family, and I make a big batch of rice & lentils for me. They keep well in the fridge, and you can use them for so many meals. The Rice, Lentils, and Good ‘Ol Russets are all staples in my pantry.
Vegan Chili
I make this a few times through Autumn and Winter. I pile it into a Crock Pot and let it slow cook all day, then I transfer it into small batches for the freezer, and you have meals ready to go.
I make little changes here and there but the basic recipe usually has: Tomato Sauce (pantry), Petite Diced Tomatoes (pantry), Seasonings (pantry), Onions (pantry), Light Red Kidney Beans (pantry), Black Beans (pantry), Quinoa (pantry), Lentils (pantry), and Corn (freezer).
This is another multi-meal recipe. The chili makes great burritos, tacos, and vegan spaghetti red.
Vegan Pasta Sauce Soup
I bought a new brand of Pasta Sauce, and the kids didn’t like it at all. I didn’t want it to go to waste so I sauteed up some veggies (fridge and pantry) , added in the pasta sauce (fridge) with some veggie stock (fridge), and then raided pantry for pasta. I let it boil and then simmer. I thought it needed something green so I added in spinach that was hanging out in the freezer.
The soup was delicious, and I made several meals out of it.
Vegan Sick Day
So when the cold/flu/overall nastiness hits I always have Ginger Ale & Saltines on hand.
Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken Nuggets” with Mashed Potatoes
Here’s a dish that looked good, but wasn’t that good. O.k., I’ll admit it, I miss chicken nuggets, and sometimes you just really want one, but you don’t want to give in, so you try to replicate them with Chickpeas. And to be perfectly honest, they aren’t chicken nuggets.
I used chopped celery (fridge), chopped chickpeas (fridge), panko (pantry), and served them alongside mashed potatoes (pantry). I pan fried them, and they were a little dry, and needed a bit of something more. I might revisit this recipe again, but then again, maybe not.
Vegan Rice Noodle Bowl
This is a fast lunch, and it is delicious too. Whether you call it “pho”, noodle bowl, or soup, it is spicy and perfect for cold days. I keep a few sizes of Thai Rice Noodles in the pantry, they are a fantastic vegan staple. I add vegetable stock (pantry), kimchi (fridge), and cauliflower (freezer) to make this meal filling, and useful.
D.I.Y.Vegetarian Bowl
This dish comes with a story, and I’ll tell you it wasn’t a success. I went to Taco Bell with the kids for dinner, and I wanted to try something new besides my usual bean burritos. I decided to try a “Cantina Power Bowl”, and it wasn’t very good. It wasn’t very filling, and honestly, it cost way too much for what was in it. I decided to make my own at home, and let the kids make theirs too.
Well turns out, my kids really hate burrito bowls, even though they picked out all of the ingredients that went in it. I liked mine though.
I used beans and rice (fridge), monterey jack cheese (fridge), pico de gallo (fridge), and avocados. I think I added some salsa too. I liked mine better than Taco Bell’s.
Vegetarian Boiled Red Potatoes
Again you could make this vegan, but I ran out of vegan “butter”. This dish is easy, filling, and one of my favorite comfort dishes. Just quarter red potatoes (pantry), rough chop an onion (pantry), throw it all in a pot with water and seasonings. Boil the potatoes till tender, and poof awesome dinner!
Vegetarian Red Potato Burrito
And if you have cooked red potatoes and rice hanging out in the fridge, make a burrito out of them. I know it looks strange, but man, it was really good.
Vegan Spaghetti Red
Growing up in Missouri, “Spaghetti Red” is a staple of Missouri cuisine. Every once in a while I have to have it, and thankfully I had vegan Chili in the freezer.
It’s pretty easy you just need cooked spaghetti (pantry) and top it off with vegan chili (freezer). It hits the spot for lunch, and used what I have on hand.
Vegan handmade Sushi
When it was Agnes’ birthday, she asked for homemade Sushi. Of course I had to make it for her. We got out the mats, and supplies from the pantry, and she learned how to put it all together. Vegan Sushi is really, truly, my very favorite meal.
And this how I ended the month, lots of Halloween Candy!
