People sometimes ask me if I cook, and I have no idea how to answer them: Do they mean can I cobble together a meal (yes) or am I Martha Stewart the Second (no)?
However, I do have a very easy vegetable recipe that can be used three ways, and decided to share it.
Vegetable Recipe
Spice mix: cumin, paprika, turmeric, basil, oregano. optional: pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, zaatar.
Take spice mix, marinara sauce, white wine, olive oil, a little bit (a capful or two) of orange juice, and put in baking pan. Mix in sliced mushrooms, tofu, tomato, baby spinach. Put in oven (make sure to preheat oven to 350 beforehand) and bake until the mushroom feels soft but not mushy when you stick it with a fork. I usually bake it for 20-30 minutes at 500 degrees but a) I have a fast oven b) its better to bake it for more time at 400-450, I'm just really impatient.
If you have less wine, you can vamp up the oj quantity, but don't use too much oj or it becomes too sweet. I use Kedem white wine because its kosher and cheap-ish, and use just enough wine to turn the sauce/oil mixture into a an actual liquid. When I mix the veggies in with the sauce before baking it, I usually turn each piece of mushroom and tofu over to make sure each side of each piece soaks up some sauce.
3 Ways to Serve:
1. Serve the veggies with rice. Also, if you're doing a shabbos meal, you can make a large mix of sauce, divide into two bake pans: In one put the veggies, in the other, put a bunch of chicken-thighs. This saves time and energy, since you only have to make one batch of sauce/seasoning for two dishes, and chicken+rice+veggies is enough for a basic shabbos dinner. You can also cook the veggies and chicken together, but I prefer to keep them separate in case guests want a pareve vegetarian option. When you grocery shop for this meal, if you buy enough baby spinach and tomatoes, you can cook some of them, and leave the rest to make your shabbos salad. I like to mix in avocado and hearts of palm, which I find go well with baby spinach and tomatoes, and those four ingredients are enough for a good salad.
2. Take the veggies and put them in a tortilla with chumus, and fresh (i.e. raw) tomatoes and spinach.
3. Preheat the oven. Take a tortilla. Spread marinara, olive oil, basil and oregano on the tortilla. Add
the veggies and muenster cheese. Fold the tortilla closed, and on top of the fold, add some havarti cheese. This keeps the tortilla closed, and tops everything off with a delicious extra layer of cheese.
A note on economics: Personally, I find it more economical to buy a large pack of the same ingredients at the beginning of the week and use them over and over in as many different ways of possible, than to buy different foods, even if, at the end of the day, I suppose that either way I probably consume the same amount of groceries. I understand that everyone has different eating habits and food prices vary (if in NY, I strongly suggest Trader Joes for the above recipes, because it has cheep veggies, tofu, hummus, and tortillas, although the line is enormous), so I am not sure it would be the most economical for everyone, but I can remark that I have found it the most economical for myself.
Enjoy :)
