I returned to my trusty slow-cooker to make some meals that would last more than one day. I love making refried beans as recommended by The Pioneer Woman. As it turns out one of the remaining dry goods I have from the McMansion are pinto beans - an effing lot of them. For some ungodly reason I bought a huge bag from Costco more than a year ago and despite the seemingly endless number of crock-pots I make, I still have more....I generally cook them a pound at a time which makes me wonder how big was that bag!?! Anyhow, when I cook up a pound of beans that I paid for over a year ago and cook one cup of dried brown rice per night, I can feed my family for three nights. To supplement the beans & rice we purchase avocados, vegan sour cream, tortillas, chips, salsa and cheese (not for me!). We make bean burritos and nachos - the kids are crazy about this dinner. It's too easy!
The other two-night meal we made yesterday is slow-cooker Potato, Corn, & Jalapeno Soup with Whole Wheat Bread. The picture above is taken soon after I plugged in the pot. At the end of the cooking time you add in some plant milk and mash up some of the potatoes to make it thick and creamy. In the past I have halved the jalapeno because I was afraid the kids wouldn't eat it, but then it had no kick. This time I followed the directions and it had kick. Brother didn't complain at all, but it bothered sister who was a trooper and drank a lot of water between bites and managed to finish her serving two nights in a row! She is getting a lot better with finishing the food we offer her - at this point she knows the drill. The Whole Wheat Bread is made in our bread-maker. We finish 2/3 of the loaf in a night so we make a fresh loaf the second night. Yesterday I gave 1/3 of the loaf and some soup to a neighbor who shared food with us in the past. Technically my bread is not vegan because I use 1/4 cup honey - I could substitute Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup, but I don't. I don't have a problem with eating a bit of honey in my bread.
These meals are very low cost, though I don't have an exact figure for you. Tomorrow we will go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving - yes a Whole-Food Plant-Based Thanksgiving. We have celebrated the holiday with vegetarian or vegan fare with friends for years. It's become a tradition! I can't wait to share our menu for that feast...Lots of exciting dishes with tons of flavor! I will take pictures...Happy Thanksgiving!
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