Toluu : Geek, Poet, Housewife Wannabe

Geek, Poet, Housewife Wannabe

A cooking, knitting, gardening geek who not-so-secretly wants to stay at home and knit by the garden.

Vegan Acorn Squash filled with Boca Burger Bread StuffingNovember 18

I love me some winter squash! The last Acorn squash recipe I posted was cooked in the slow cooker. I did this one in the oven, but you could also cook it in the slow cooker if you prefer.

I wanted to try using Boca burger in it because I’m trying to use up some I have in the freezer. It would be great with your leftover homemade burger or not-meat loaf as well. I also bought stuffing mix, but you could certainly make your own or use leftover stuffing from another meal.

Be aware that most stuffing mixes have chicken broth in them. The mixes my Whole Foods is carrying this year are not vegetarian. In years past they were. So read your labels carefully. I ended up getting mine at the local co-op instead. Just one more reason not to buy mainstream!

Vegan Acorn Squash filled with Boca Bread Stuffing - serves 4

2 medium size acorn squash
1 bag stuffing prepared using instructions on the bag
4 vegan Boca burgers
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp liqu

Veggie Menu MondayNovember 17

Still eating from the pantry and the freezer. This week I bought romaine, brown sugar and veggie stuffing. We’re going to Asheville for our first real vacation this year and I’m treating myself to the spa on Sunday. I’ll be posting more about it next week.

Monday: Acorn Squash stuffed with sausage bread stuffing with vegan Cesar salad

Tuesday: Layered Mexican Burrito Casserole - recipe to follow

Wednesday: Fried rice and green beans with garlic sauce

Thursday: Hazelnut Ravioli with marinara sauce and vegan Cesar salad

Friday: Something from the freezer

Saturday: Vacation in Asheville, dinner at Laughing Seed

Sunday: Vacation in Asheville, dinner at Biltmore

Check out more menu’s here:

See More Veggie Menus:

Budget Friendly Chickpea Winter Squash StewNovember 14

Most of us have a can of chickpeas in the pantry, if not some dried ones. You can make a great stew, minestrone, hummus, and a tuna salad substitute all from this great bean. The chickpea, sometimes know as a garbanzo, is very multicultural!

Remember that dried beans cost much less than canned, and have nothing added. Canned beans tend to be high in salt, so at least rinse them before using. You can always cook up a whole bag of dried beans and freeze them in can-sized packages for the next time you need them.

You should be able to get a winter squash for about 89 cents a pound right now, or you may have some from your garden. Mine were lost to squash borers.

You’ll need a can of tomatoes, which I think is a must in the pantry. Next year I’m hoping to can enough to not buy any from the store. But this year I’ve gotten some from Whole Foods on sale, organic ones from Big Lots, and some more with Muir Glen coupons.

You can substitute the veggies and spices to fit with what you have on hand. If you’re like me a run to the store for that one thing turns in to 5 things I didn’t have to have…

Slow Cooker Chickpea Winter Squash Stew

The Budget-wise PantryNovember 13

No matter how much money you make or how secure your job is, all of us are trying to start saving more money. Maybe it’s for a rainy day, or maybe it’s to pay off that mound of debt that we’re keeping at bay.

Your food budget is usually a great place to shave a few dollars off. Most of us (me included) splurge more than we need to when it comes to food. Menu planning, only going to the grocery once a week, and buying what you can in bulk is a great start. It’s good for the environment and for your wallet.

But what about those weeks that you’re waiting on a check to come, or you have to get a new furnace? An emergency tends to happen during the leaner times. Having a stocked pantry and freezer can really be handy.

For this post, I’m assuming that you have a few dollars that you can use to stock up. If you don’t you may be able to find a food bank in your area that can help you right now. Feeding America is a website that can help you find out what’s available in your area.

It’s easy to build up your

My Sleepy MistakeNovember 11

Last night I decided to be a good housewife and make some hot cereal in the slow cooker for breakfast. Even better, I thought I’d be extra nutritious and use quinoa instead of my usual steel cut oats.

A great idea, and if I hadn’t been half asleep when I did it I would’ve had the best breakfast this morning. Instead I had a pot of bitter nastiness. Why? I forgot to rinse the quinoa. It’s used like a grain but it’s actually a seed. You have to make sure you rinse it well, to get rid of the bitter tasting saponins that surround the seed.

So don’t make the same mistake I did, rinse and rinse it again. My compost pile is happy and well fed at least!

Slow Cooker Breakfast Qunioa - serves 2

1/2 cup quinoa - thoroughly rinsed!!
1 1/2 cup filtered water
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
dash of freshly grated nutmeg

This is the perfect opportunity to use your little dipper slow cooker. Again, don’t be like me - rinse your quinoa well, and combine everything in the slow cooker and cook on low overnight. Add some honey or brown sugar when serving.

Let me know how it turns out for you!

Posted in food, recipes, slow cooker thursday, vegan, vegetarian