Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Naan-er - Naan-er Yum-Yum

If you like flat breads or Indian restaurant breads you've got to try this.

We've loved Naan at restaurants and have purchased it at grocery stores to make personal pizzas. Great stuff.

Here is a recipe. It makes about 8 longish flats or 14-16 smaller disks. It is delicious. We've used it as a side for soup, as pizza crust and with grilled meat and veggies.

Naan Bread

4 Cups of flour. ( I used 1 1/2 cups spelt flour and 2 and 1/2 cups of King Arthur unbleached)
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp sea salt (or regular)
2 cups low or non-fat plain yogurt


(I did not sift the flour, and the recipe I used said I might need more but I didn't...other than what I kneaded on and rolled it out on). Dump flour in medium to large bowl, add salt and baking powder mix well. Then add the yogurt. Stir until it gets difficult and you are getting a big blob.

Pour out some extra flour and knead the dough approx 5 minutes. The dough changes and gets smooth and elasticy. Then oil the bowl, drop the blob back in and let rise at least one hour.

Pour more flour out, get a rolling pin, flour it, grab a handful of dough and start rolling into disks.

Once you have it all rolled out. Heat a griddle to medium heat. Lay naan onto griddle. In 4 to 5 minutes you will see air bubbles in the uncooked side. Once it begins to make air bubbles turn on the oven broiler (high) lay on rack or pan, under broiler for approx 1-2 minutes until you see it morph into a big air bubble.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lifer Flexitarian ~ Shopping List and Hints

Vegan/Flexitarian follow-up.

We've not veered from Vegan since last Sunday's first Flexitarian free for all. (the salmon and cheese sauce).

Interestingly, I find myself able to say no to things just because I know there is something else I could have and would rather have. Weird.

Since we talked about costs and wondered how much this adventure would cost I thought I'd share my findings and lists with you.

We averaged $100.00 a week for three adults. This was 90% organic and without pinching pennies. This was also all of the food we purchased. No restaurants etc. We all packed our lunches and/or ate at home.

I'll put a TJ (Trader Joes) or WF (Whole Foods) for items that are a better deal at one place or the other (some aren't available in both places.)

We did a big run every ten days or so, with an occasional jaunt for something we ran out of. I've made comments regarding how often I bought or what discovery I made about the items.

Non-Dairy:

Vanilla Almond Milk (TJ) (2 half gallons)
Coconut Milk (WF) (2 half gallons)

(I have just discovered that Swag Bucks has coupons for So Delicious coconut milk and Larabars. You join Swag Bucks, go to coupons, print them and get Swag points when they are redeemed. This is pretty sweet because the Swag points can be turned into merchandise or gift cards. Each coupon you redeem is worth 10 points and a $5.00 Amazon giftcard is 450 points. Not like I'll earn one every day, or even every week, but a buck here and there adds up. So if you don't swag and want to

ONCE A MONTH or so we also buy:

Earth Balance Non-Soy Spread in the tub (WF)
(I've heard the sticks don't do so well in baked goods so I haven't baked with them...the tub is easy enough)
Soy or Coconut Milk Yogurt (Soy especially plain soy for Naan Bread) (WF)


Fresh Vegetables: (The trick is to plan out what you will be having for the week or so. You don't want so much produce it goes bad, but not too little either. You can be creative with produce. Search for recipes that use the ingredient you have on hand. Throw together a lasagna either with noodles or with eggplant or zucchini as the noodles. Peppers can be chopped and frozen, so can onions. A soup, (even just a veggie broth from stuff that is going south too fast)...then freeze that. Lettuce is probably the hardest to be creative with. But there is always a good chopped salad or wraps.

Lettuces (not iceberg) (2 pkges) (TJ) (NOTE: Sam's and Costco have large bags/containers of organic spinach and lettuce that are great deals, but they are large.)
Mushrooms (1-2 pkges depending on menu) (TJ)
Zucchini or Spring Squash (1 to 2 depending on menu) (TJ)
Eggplant (TJ if they have it fresh, if not they have a frozen bag of zucc/eggplant slices)
Tomatoes (TJ)
Peppers (However, we usually buy the frozen chopped pepper medley at TJs)

ONCE A MONTH or for MENU choices we will also pick up:

Bag of Organic Garlic (TJ)
Bag of Organic Onions (TJ)
Fresh Basil (TJ)
Fresh Cilantro (TJ)
Bagged Organic Potatoes (TJ)
Tofu (TJ) (it's in the produce aisle)

Fresh Fruit:

Bananas (TJ)
apples (in the bags) (TJ)
Oranges ( bagged) (TJ)
Berries (TJ)
Other in season or appealing fruit (TJ) (I'm going to be honest. Whole Foods produce is a little bigger and maybe even prettier. But TJs prices are pretty amazing. I can get a 3 lb bag of organic apples for about $3.50 give or take. That's comparable to what I used to spend at my local grocery store for non-organic apples.)

NOTE: If you a smoothie person, note how much you will use in each smoothie and buy accordingly. 24 drinks breakfast smoothies, Rob and I usually don't. And for smoothies we usually buy TJ's frozen fruit chunks which are very reasonable. And then they are always there and the nutrition is not disappearing slowly every day it sits on the counter. We usually buy several bags (three or so per trip).

And since I'm at frozen, the following TJ's products are terrific and decently priced....frozen asparagus, artichokes and falafel, egg rolls (not pure vegan, have egg white on them) And the peppers. We buy these as needed based on the menu. Yes. I'll share menus next week. : )

Rob and I each take a PB or Almond Butter and Jelly sandwich to work. So we buy a jar of each at TJ's. WF is comparable on PB but not Almond Butter.
Two Loaves of multi-grain sandwich breads. (TJ) They have a great variety and we don't grab the same one each time. Organic and multi-grain are anywhere from 2.50 to 4.00 a loaf....
Also based on menu needs additional breads, rolls, buns, or wraps (TJs)

Dried fruits, juices and nuts are good deals at TJs. We grab what menu need says or what sounds good for nibbling.

TJ's also has tasty cookies, chips and the prices are reasonable. So keep that in mind if you want to plan splurges. The Jo-Jo cookies are Vegan and they are delicious. And their Veggie Straws are pretty tasty, too. Coffee at TJ's is great. I buy the fair trade organic beans and they run about 6.99-8.99 for 14oz. (This stuff is sparingly bought and if we splurge too much we tip over the budget and things will sit there and don't get used up sometimes, too.)

Sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, canned beans, some soups, artichokes in the jar...these are all good prices at TJ and we pick them up as recipes or convenience dictate. (the olives and sun-dried tomatoes are really good prices). TJ's also has good pasta sauces, dressings, marinades and condiments. As needed I buy a bag of brown rice there, too. (again, though these all keep, I don't go too crazy because we don't need to store it on our shelves just because we can).

Finally. We head down the road to Whole Foods. So far the only thing TJ's doesn't have/beat is the Earth Balance Soy Free spread, the coconut milk and the yogurt.

WF is where I get my:

Cane Sugar
Flour (Spelt - which I do buy online, too, Amazon actually) or King Arthur minimally processed.
TVP (Bob's)
Gluten (WF)
Oatmeal (Bulk Organic)
Nutritional Yeast (Bulk)
Ground Flaxseed (whichever is best deal)
Chocolate or carob chips (bulk)
Bagged beans (usually 365 brand is cheapest)
Bagged quinoa (usually 365 brand is cheapest)
Vegetable broth in carton (365 brand...1.00 cheaper than TJ's)
365 Brand frozen waffles (blueberry and flax flavors) ( a fav breakfast, theirs are Vegan, TJ's has some but they have eggs... A waffle, smeared with Almond butter and fresh fruit on top. Yum)

And the above are items we don't need every 10 days and purchase is based on what we plan to eat.

And thoughts. Since we went organic (mostly) a couple of years ago I was getting pretty used to spending high dollar amounts on dairy. Eggs runs $4.00 a dozen, milk $6.00 a gallon, fruits/veggies aiy yiiyii. And meat prices are up there with cheese and organic yogurt....this change is not a huge shock to us costwise. But. If you are shopping with coupons and buying processed food, and store brand, this food list and the cost may shock you. Super processed is cheaper, especially with coupons. But since price was a subject talked about early on, and because I was curious, I thought I'd share my findings with you, and where I found the best deals.

Next week I'll share our menu's for the month.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sunsets, Fun, Family..Great Weekend

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity...some for fun...some for necessary. I don't know why I let things pile up and finally wait until the possibility of death via pile collapse looms, but I do. After all day Saturday, not kidding, cleaning, chopping, cooking I was totally able to enjoy a clean, chaos free home and a great time with family. My Dad, yes Pat, has a birthday on Wednesday and I had the fam over to celebrate. Pumpkin cheesecake bars, Grandma's chocolate cake with the frosting that makes your eyes sweat, home-made from actual pumpkins pumpkin pie by 24 and Naan bread prepared and rolled out by Toad-Boy's sweet wife. Grilled meat, veggies, salad...yum.

Great night, and my brother whom I've never bested in any game, stayed for a few "hands" of Bananagrams. I STOLE this win from him. He had a lousy J to place and had been in the lead throughout the entire game. But I swooped in and scored. Yes!!!!!

And though we were so sad that the sun set at 5:30ish, I did get a beautiful shot of it's "goodnight."

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Menu Ideas

X-ta asked for more menu ideas.

So here are a few....





Cashew no-Chicken
over prepared brown rice or quinoa
Chop Salad with Asian dressing..
Purple Cabbage, Edamame, diced celery, onions, bits of ginger if you like fresh ginger, chopped almonds or peanuts and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Or here's a recipe I think I need to try...


Another favorite

TJ's has tasty falafel in their freezer case.
We have a great Dhal recipe over rice. Served with Vegan Naan bread.

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion
1 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 teasp cinnamon
1 clove garlic minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried lentils
1/4 cup cilantro (fresh) or 1 tsp dried

Heat olive oil, saute chopped onion, garlic. Add spices and vegetable broth. Add lentils. Bring to low boil, turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool a bit, blend to a chunky gravy.

And a link to another version.


Have a terrific weekend.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ French Toast Like I've Never Had Before....

I'm nursing a new baby obsession.

An upcoming camping trip has thrown a new Vegan challenge down.

Are we up for it? Do we say "Fie on the Vegan way!" and hit every McD's and convenience store along the way and eat all the things we've been avoiding? Vacations can bring that mindset out in me.

How can we stick with the program, and possibly save ourselves some tummy trouble, too?

I feel more than slightly confident that we indeed can with a lot of planning and organizing I really, really think we can.

So, my friend Google has directed me to some recipes that, of course, I need to tweak and make my own. I have menus picked out, some of the ingredients frozen and ready to thaw for their proper meal while keeping other things cold in the meantime. Tofu may make an appearance, Seitan will, Tempeh is going along for the ride in two different meals. Quinoa is invited to the party and black beans will be joining him. Dahl and Vegan homemade naan are on the list. And. We bought meat and will serve it with a smile because meat eaters are traveling with us. But the meat is organic, so even though one of God's furry creatures died, we feel better about serving the product of the deceased.

While tweaking and planning I had a truly serendipitous moment. One of the sad facts about Vegan is the egg thing. As in eggs are dairy, have a mother and when hatched, a face, or at Easter time, too, but I digress.

You can make French toast without eggs. REALLY and TRULY. Oh happy day. Sometimes a girl just needs French Toast. This one anyway.

Crazy easy. Crazy good. Seriously. (I made a batch and froze them for quick reheating over the campfire.

French Toast

Ingredients.

2 Ripe Bananas (we used the overripe ones we've stashed in the freezer)
3/4 Almond Milk (TJ's organic vanilla)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. (Or a mix of cinnamon and other spices -- ginger, nutmeg)
1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla or 1/2 of each.

10 or so slices of bread (whole grain is good)

Prep a griddle with melted Earth Balance or Vegan fat. Toss bananas, almond milk and seasonings in blender or processor or just mix by hand really well, until smooth. Pour some of the "batter" on a flat plate or in a pie pan. Quickly dip and coat both sides of the bread and lay on the griddle. Continue. Cook like regular French Toast.

Not too bananay and I was afraid it would be...like the brownies made with banana (fail). Really, really tasty. And I'm wondering if we couldn't use pumpkin in the place of the bananas for a yummy fall treat. And use traditional pumpkin dessert spices. I'll let you know when I try that one out.

No doubt I will have stories about Vegans in tents, after a proper recovery time. : ) for all of us.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Panic, the Mother of Creativity... Or At Least Decent Meals

I mentioned an upcoming/looming camping trip yesterday. And that Friday night hit and I needed 4 meals ready to prepare over campfires or to eat out of a cooler. Panic. Did I mention Rob's two meat eating friends wanted to try a little bit of our Vegan food, too? Yikes.


I had leftover Lemon/Olive/Garlic Seitan cutlets. I could have frozen the cutlets. But I needed food ideas now, and since I had them, creativity (for me) often comes from panic. Here are my not so necessarily creative recipes, that worked.

Seitan Phillies

Bread or Vegan Naan

Slivers of seitan slices (3/4 cup or so)

Onion slivers (about 1/2 an onion)

Peppers slivered (a pepper or 1/2 a bag of Trader Joe's frozen Pepper Medley)

Mushrooms (a cup or so)

Saute onions/peppers in a wee bit of oil or Earth Balance. Add mushrooms, When they are all tender, add Seitan. Serve it up. Rob put Vegan ranch on it. I didn't put anything on it. Pretty tasty.

Seitan Three Bean Chili

1 1/2 Cups (or 1 rinsed and drained can) White Beans

1 1/2 Cups (or 1 rinsed and drained can) Pinto Beans

1 1/2 Cups (or 1 rinsed and drained can) Black Beans

1 Cup diced Seitan

1 Small jar Salsa (1/2 Jar Water)

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 diced tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)

Toss all together and let it simmer.

This had bite which wasn't aiyii hot, but nice. The heat of the salsa would make a difference. Mine was a homemade medium.




If my mad dash to prep food Friday night wasn't enough, Saturday morning as I packed up the food, I decided we needed some chocolate treats. It occurred to me that No Bake Cookies would hit the spot.


Come back tomorrow for that recipe.