tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:11:45 +0000saladsoupbasiltofuchickpeaskalepastapizzaspinachasparagushummusnoodlespestopine nutsquinoasandwichtahinithaiapplesarugulaasiancauliflowercilantrocurryeggplantlasagnamushroomsnaanparselyrawseitantempehwrapsalmondsavocadobabaganoushbaingan bhartabroccolicabbagecheesecherrieschick'ncoconutcollard greenscorncranberriescrostinicucumberdressingfalafelfettucinigingerhollandaisekoftalimemacaronimashed potatoesmexicanmozzarellaorangespancakespepitaspineapplepitapotatoesscallionsspanakopitasproutsstoring saladstrawberriessundried tomatoessweet potatoestabboulehtacosteriyakitikka masalatomatotomato ginger chutneytortilla soupwalnutsyogurtzucchinihttp://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Julie)Blogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-8626197053777197222Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:41:00 +00002009-06-07T22:53:31.115-04:00almondsapplescherriescranberriesfettucinimexicanpepitaspizzaquinoasaladseitanspinachPhoto credit: www.veganyumyum.comIf someone asked me to fill out one of those surveys that they give to celebrities for the American Express ads when I was twelve, my “perfect day” would have included a Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell.Yes, admittedly, Taco Bell.My reincarnated “healthy” (save the regular indulgence in vegan desserts at Blossom and Red Bamboo) vegan self no longer craves the neon http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/06/photo-credit-www.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-1121438008108993901Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:36:00 +00002009-04-20T22:52:03.595-04:00basilcabbageeggplanthummuskalepineapplepizzarawsaladspinachsundried tomatoesthaiPhoto credit: www.veganyumyum.com Lately, I feel like I’m back in college…during finals. I’m preparing to take the GMAT exam in early May, and so my “free time” has become much more structured. Instead of coming home from the gym and debating whether to watch “Real Housewives” or “The Daily Show” while I savor my vegan mac and cheese, I find myself going through quick-fire motions of showering, http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-says-money-cant-buy-happiness-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-7345208018703610601Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:41:00 +00002009-04-05T21:54:11.685-04:00asparaguscrostinipestopizzaquinoasaladspanakopitaspinachstrawberriestabboulehtomato ginger chutneyPhoto credit: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com With everything that is going on right now between work and all of the things I’m trying to get done outside of the office, last week left little room for cooking. I wandered over to Whole Foods from the gym almost every night to pick out something that was ready to go, so that I could eat as soon as I made it home (which was about 9 pm every night, and http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/04/menu-10-spanakopita-tabbouleh-grilled.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-1345806558054118574Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:28:00 +00002009-03-25T22:00:34.934-04:00asparagusbaingan bhartacurryeggplanthollandaisekalepotatoessoupPhoto credit: Lolo at www.veganyumyum.com Though I grew up eating Indian food at least five days a week, and only want to eat my mom’s home-cooked Indian food when I visit my parents, I have typically shied away from cooking Indian food…primarily because, despite my mom’s best efforts to train me in the art of spices - I remain challenged in this area, and frankly, intimidated by the http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/03/menu-9-potato-pea-curry-kale-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-9150433817191937806Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:25:00 +00002009-03-09T22:42:00.377-04:00asparaguscauliflowerchickpeascilantroorangespancakespestopine nutspitasaladscallionssoupzucchiniPhoto credit: www.vegetariantimes.com This week’s patchwork menu began when my mom sent me a box of Florida oranges and a bag of pine nuts.(Oranges because she can buy them in giant bags at her local farmer’s market, and knows that the ones I get here just aren’t as sweet and juicy as they ones she gets in Florida. Pine nuts because she saw them on sale for a lot less than what I pay in NYC…and http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/03/menu-8-scallion-pancakes-orange-mint.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-4186925380803625766Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:35:00 +00002009-02-23T19:24:54.633-05:00asiancilantrocollard greenscorngingerlimemozzarellanoodlespestoquinoarawsaladsandwichsoupstoring saladtahiniteriyakitofuwalnutsPhoto credit: Lolo at www.veganyumyum.com When I was growing up, and would occasionally go out to eat with my family, I dreaded the moment when our food would arrive. Because, when our food came, it was not time to eat. “Wait, wait,” my mom would say. Despite collective groans from my brothers and me, she’d use her fork to poke around each dish, explaining, “I want to see how they made it, so I http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/02/menu-7-spiced-sweet-corn-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-1089284903023150074Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:49:00 +00002009-02-15T14:06:34.098-05:00I've always believed that if I left NYC, I'd find it hard to enjoy eating out as a vegan. And, thus far, on my long weekend away, I've pleasantly been proven wrong by the city of Seattle.Last night's dinner at Cafe Flora was one of the slowest meals I've ever eaten - because I wanted to make it last as long as possible. One of my tasks this week will be to figure out how to re-create their http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/02/call-for-recipes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-6526357108193793904Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:59:00 +00002009-02-08T17:10:00.949-05:00Photo credit: Lolo at http://veganyumyum.com This week’s menu was born of two thoughts as I poked around in my refrigerator this morning –1. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the vegan mac and cheese I last made, and have a craving for a better approximation of the ultimate comfort food.2. I saved the remaining chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from last week’s saucy, hearty, creamy with a kick seitan http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/02/mini-menu-6-enchiladas-lemon-pepper.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-2922589788356954156Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:56:00 +00002009-01-31T17:26:06.877-05:00basilcucumberkalekoftanaannoodlespastasandwichseitanspinachtempehtofuyogurtPhoto credit: Lolo at VeganYumYum.com This week’s menu is about the simplicity of ingredients.While I am always excited to try new combinations of flavors, and to find those specific little ingredients that elevate a dish to something I might have never conjured up in my own culinary dabblings, it’s nice to bring a list to the grocery store knowing exactly what you’re looking for, and feeling http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-five-spinach-kofta-tomato-basil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-6875189911283071067Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:27:00 +00002009-01-25T19:35:11.982-05:00asianbroccolicheesecoconutmacaroninoodlespastasandwichsoupthaitofutortilla soupI miss cheese the most.When I became vegan, it was the hardest thing to give up - really good substitutes are hard to come by. While there is nothing that can replace baked brie with walnuts and figs in my heart and tastebuds (sigh), I have been able to enjoy vegan versions of the ever-comforting Mac and Cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Especially satisfying is that, with the vegan http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-4-mac-and-cheese-tortilla-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-7730747249424063891Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:37:00 +00002009-01-31T17:25:11.852-05:00babaganoushcauliflowerchickpeasfalafelkalemashed potatoesnaansoupsweet potatoestempehtikka masalaOver the holidays, my cousin Rupal was crowned my mother’s new favorite nephew.Why, you ask? (Especially if you are one of my mother’s many other nephews, angling to be in her good graces.)His recipe for babaganoush earned him the honor – which I’m not so sure he’s happy about, since once he made the dish, he was “promoted” to her official sous chef, squeezing fresh orange juice for fifteen http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-3-mashed-potatoes-babaganoush.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-8460410798611671675Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:17:00 +00002009-01-15T21:34:37.302-05:00arugulabasildressinghummuslasagnamushroomsparselypastapine nutssaladsproutstahinitofuwraps*All changes made here will be made in the original menu. So, if you're cooking Menu 2, all of the changes are incorporated into one post - you don't need to go back and forth between posts.*Faced with a very large pile of mushrooms on a cutting board I was nervous.Was this wild mushroom pasta really going to taste good?Good news is - I followed the recipe exactly, having never made it before, http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/changes-to-menu-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-5884030257698121626Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:23:00 +00002009-01-15T21:43:15.580-05:00applesarugulabasilchickpeashummuslasagnamushroomsparselypastapine nutstahinitofuwraps What’s new: Last week’s menu (Menu 1) is now edited to include all of the changes that I made as I was cooking. So, if you’re following the blog a week behind, that menu is all set with tips and suggestions. This week, I’m making herbed lasagna, hummus wraps (with homemade hummus!), an arugula-based salad with apples and marinated tofu, and wild mushroom pasta. The menu, recipes, and grocery http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-2-herbed-lasagna-hummus-wraps.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-4961088209412552986Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:09:00 +00002009-01-10T20:48:11.788-05:00(All of these suggestions have been incorporated into the original post for Menu 1.)As I'm watching last night's episode of Top Chef this Thursday evening, I'm reflecting on a very pleasant week of food. If you tried the Thai Chick'n Pizza, I hope you liked it, because I found it to be delicious. The one thing I would have changed would be to use red curry paste or a chilli paste instead of the http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/changes-to-jan-3rd-menu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-508189863341393533Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:28:00 +00002009-01-11T12:31:26.471-05:00avocadobasilchick'nchickpeascurrypizzasouptacosthaitomatoThis week’s recipes:I’m vegan, so I draw mostly from vegetarian recipes. The recipes can easily be adjusted – make a vegetarian dish vegan by substituting soy cheese, for example. Or, make a vegetarian dish non-veg by using chicken, instead of chick’n strips.Some of my recipes are my own. Others come from websites and cookbooks. Here are this week’s recipes:Thai Chick’n PizzaThis recipe is my http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-1-thai-pizza-chickpea-tacos-tomato.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-6230321250204854164Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:16:00 +00002008-12-30T12:43:29.986-05:00So, while this whole thing is fun for me...how can it be useful to you?Here is how cooking works for me (and through my blogging about it, I hope that it works for you) -1. Create a menu for the week: Each weekend, I choose three dishes (which each have 2-4 servings) that I want to cook during the week. Because I'm cooking for one, three recipes is generally enough food for lunch and dinner for http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-menu-drawer-works.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388799439011807745.post-855975335611515658Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:47:00 +00002008-12-30T12:45:33.322-05:00My impulse to begin something, each time it has tugged at me, has never come to me as a single, linear force. More often, a confluence of sitting ideas and long-standing interests begin to flicker and then merge, forming a swelling tide that ultimately pushes me to do the thing it is that I want to do.Launching The Menu Drawer was the same. Several factors and reasons have brought me to this http://themenudrawer.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-im-writing-menu-drawer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Julie)0