Hello,
I'm at university and recently turned veggie. As I'm a poor student,
I try to save money by taking packed lunch into university rather than
buying food on campus. However, I'm getting bored with soft cheese and
tomato sandwiches, pasta salad and so forth, so I'm hoping you could
recommend some cheap new things to try. I enjoy cooking, so it doesn't
matter if they're really complicated or anything!
Thanks,
Clare

Clare wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm at university and recently turned veggie. As I'm a poor student,
> I try to save money by taking packed lunch into university rather than
> buying food on campus. However, I'm getting bored with soft cheese and
> tomato sandwiches, pasta salad and so forth, so I'm hoping you could
> recommend some cheap new things to try. I enjoy cooking, so it doesn't
> matter if they're really complicated or anything!
> Thanks,
> Clare

If you have access to a microwave, you can cook several meals at once
and store/freeze them in reusable microwavable containers. I do that
occasionally with my standard bean-rice-mixed veggie meals. Curries
freeze well, as do veggie casseroles. One of my favorites is a casserole
of layered TVP chili, sliced veggies, spanish rice, and corn tortillas
(not the fried ones, just plain).

If you want another cold sandwich idea, try hummus instead of cheese. Or
use hummus for dipping raw vegetables. Other mashed bean spreads are
also good on sandwiches and as dips. Try tabouli, rice salad, etc., if
you want some kind of salad to go along with hummus.

Other finger foods are also good, like tamales. Tamales are sort of
complicated to make, but you can make enough to freeze for several
months. Let me know if you're interested in that (or specific recipes
for stuff I mentioned) and I'll find my old tutorial from alt.food.vegan.

On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 14:50:15 GMT, Clare wrote:
> I'm at university and recently turned veggie. As I'm a poor student,
> I try to save money by taking packed lunch into university rather than
> buying food on campus.

Soup's always good - buy yourself a thermos and you're laughing. I do some
work for the Union at my Uni, and so can use the staff kitchen - if you've
access to a microwave you're laughing. Today I had a chilli with bread,
tomorrow I'm probably going to do baked potatoes... the possibilities,
whilst not endless, are rather substantive.
Oh, pitta bread pockets (fill with houmous, salad, and I like a dash of
American mustard) are good, too. You could do some Indian finger-foods,
and have them cold - onion bhajis, vegetable pakoras, etc. would work
quite well.
Fruit makes for a good snack, and is often fairly cheap. Crisps and a
small tub of salsa would be quite pleasant.

Hope this gives you some ideas,

--
Alex Pounds (Creature) .~. LGBTSoc Comms Person
CS2 Student /V\ Website working group chair
// \\ Environmental committee member
"Variables won't; Constants aren't" /( )\
^`~'^

>>Clare wrote:
>>Hello,
>>=A0=A0=A0=A0I'm at university and recently turned >>veggie. As I'm a
poor student, I try to save >>money by taking packed lunch into
university >>rather than buying food on campus. >>However, I'm getting
bored with soft cheese >>and tomato sandwiches, pasta salad and so
>>forth, so I'm hoping you could recommend >>some cheap new things to
try. I enjoy >>cooking, so it doesn't matter if they're really
>>complicated or anything! .
..
Hello Clare! I'm <mumble mumble> years out of university, and I'm a
lunch bringer still. Much healthier, too. In general, what works for me
is to vary the flavor profiles of my meals as well as varying the foods.
One trick , again I'm speaking about what works for me, is to vary
Cantonese meals, Italian Tibetan, Indian...You get the idea. Chili can
be made with TVP or even with beans alone. Some cheddar on the chili
is really good, too. If you take these things in rotation, the next
time you have the cheese and tomato sandwich it will be new again. HTH

~~~Gina~~~

Clare > wrote:
> I'm at university and recently turned veggie. As I'm a poor student,
> I try to save money by taking packed lunch into university rather
> than buying food on campus. [...] I'm hoping you could recommend
> some cheap new things to try.

Hi Clare! As others have said, what you can do depends on what
facilities you have available. Do you have anything at all, or just
somewhere you can sit to eat your lunch?

Are there any other students you could get together with to share
lunch? I recently started a new job, and we have kitchen facilities
and a table to sit at and eat lunch together, which is really nice.
We don't like to take too much time out to prepare elaborate lunches
though, and we don't know in advance how many people will be eating on
any one day.

A couple of loaves of nice bread, some hummous, a few avocadoes, salad
leaves, tomatoes, carrots, cooked beetroot, and you have lunch.
Cheese for those who eat it. Meat-eaters can join in too and have
their own cooked meats on the side, so even if you don't know any
other vegetarians you can still try this. Varying the types of breads,
vegetables and cheeses can keep the interest up throughout the week.

If you're stuck eating on your own, though - pasta, rice, quinoa,
barley and potato salads are good. You can make *far* more interesting
sandwiches than cheese and tomato. Vary the bread as well as the fillings.
Pitta bread, rye bread, ciabatta, etc. Sliced avocado with tomato,
grated cheese with sweetcorn, blue cheese and grapes.

Kake

Hi Clare,
One of my favorite cookbooks for veggie soups and casseroles for lunches is
The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Molly Katzen....even if you're a student
and strapped for cash I definitely recommend this.

www.vegetariantimes.com (Vegetarian Times, the magazine) usually has great
recipes too....some of them are great make-aheads.
I love to make a fried rice that gives me meals for days...

1st do-ahead:
2 cups raw brown rice cooked in 3 cups water until done

2nd do-ahead:
1/2 lb cubed tofu
1/4 c. tamari
1/4 c. wine vinegar
8 minced scallions
3/4 slices ginger
1 clove garlic

1tbs peanut oil (I end up using more)
1 tbsp. sesame seeds (again, I like more)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 heaping tsp freshly minced ginger
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diagonally sliced
1 stalk broccoli, chopped
1 green bell pepper, in thin strips
1 cup mung bean sprouts
cashews or peanuts 1/2 cup.....I love nuts, I prolly use more like a full
cup

Heat wok or skillet, add oil. Saute the sesame seeds, ginger, garlic over
medium heat for a minute or two. Add veggies and stir-fry for another 5-8
minutes....add some of the marinade (you can also use 1/4 to 1/2 cup white
wine here) and stir fry about 10 minutes more....(my recipe says 5...I find
veggies are never done on this time frame...not with so many veggies anyway)
Add rice, stir fry until rice is as crispy or chewy as you like it...add
tofu plus marinating companions....stir fry another 5-10 minutes until
everything is heated through and the consistency and taste you desire. Top
with nuts (or stir them in if you use a lot) and serve with sesame oil and
extra tamari to taste. (I add sesame oil while cooking)

This recipe is soooooo good....it's one of my favorite simple week-long
serving dishes And it packs well to reheat for lunch which is bonus.

Jennifer

Jennifer A. Tyler > quoted:

> Heat wok or skillet, add oil. Saute the sesame seeds, ginger, garlic over
> medium heat for a minute or two. Add veggies and stir-fry for another 5-8
> minutes...and stir fry about 10 minutes more....(my recipe says 5...I find
> veggies are never done on this time frame...not with so many veggies
> anyway....

Does this recipe book really use those slo-o-o-o-ow timings? If so, that
might be the source of a couple of disappointing [not the word I had
typed at first] "stir-fries" I've been served.

For tasty stir-frying, it's essential to heat the wok until it's
_really_ hot (hot enough, you're reluctant to put your hand anywhere
near its surface and there's a faint blue haze over it), before adding
the oil. At that heat, frying the ginger and garlic for "a minute or
two" would result in little crispies--you'd only need a few seconds
until they are coloured. Then add the veggies (but no more than about
200 grams at a time--split the quantity if there's more) and stir-fry
for only a very short time, to seal the flavours into the veggies. If
you have to take ten minutes to do this, you are not stir-frying them,
but braising them.

This might not be possible on an electric stove, though.

__________________________________________________ ______________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!

Actually, I find the 'stir fry' part largely irrelevant, as it's going into
fried rice....
You are totally correct about the proper method, and I thank you for posting
it here for everyone
J

Jennifer A. Tyler > wrote:
> Actually, I find the 'stir fry' part largely irrelevant, as it's
> going into fried rice....

I used to have a Linda McCartney cookbook with a recipe for fried rice
in, and it too asked for what I thought was an overly low temperature
and a ridiculously long cooking time. It worked really well, though -
possibly because the vegetables used weren't the usual ones I'd
stirfry. If I remember right, it called for brown rice, and the
vegetable content was mostly fresh tomatoes and button mushrooms. The
recipe sounded totally wrong yet it always turned out tasty. I guess
it's kind of a weird cross between risotto, paella, and fried rice.

Kake

usual suspect > wrote:
> Other finger foods are also good, like tamales. Tamales are sort of
> complicated to make, but you can make enough to freeze for several
> months. Let me know if you're interested in that (or specific recipes
> for stuff I mentioned) and I'll find my old tutorial from alt.food.vegan.

I'm interested in the tamale thing.

Kake

Gina * > wrote:
> Chili can be made with TVP or even with beans alone. Some cheddar
> on the chili is really good, too.

Guacamole is good with chilli too! Just mashed avocado with lemon
juice and garlic. Cover the other half of the avocado tightly with
cling film and have it sliced in a sandwich with tomato the next day.

Here's my cook-in-bulk veggie chilli stew recipe:
http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery//r...illi-bulk.html

When I asked here a few weeks ago for good toasted sandwich ideas,
Alex pointed out that chilli is good in toasties.

Kake

Jennifer A. Tyler > wrote:

> Actually, I find the 'stir fry' part largely irrelevant, as it's going
> into fried rice....

Is it irrelevant? I use stir-frying when doing Egg Fried Rice--it's a
two-step process that takes only a few minutes overall. I'll confess I
cringe at the thought of bean sprouts that have been heated for over 20
minutes, since they turn to mush so easily.

__________________________________________________ ______________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!

> wrote:

> >This might not be possible on an electric stove, though.
> >
>
> It's not possible on my inadequate, crappy old gas stove
> either. I cannot make a successful stir-fry on it, it just
> cannot be done. I've had lots of electric stoves that
> worked for stir-fries MUCH better than this gas stove.

I had a bad attack of jealousy when I saw my not-sister-in-law's new gas
stove--it has a dedicated wok burner in the center, between the four
"normal" burners. It's twice the size and the trivet is curved to hold
the wok steady, so it's safe for deep-frying too. I want!

> I even called a repairman to make sure it was functioning
> correctly: yep. It's just inadequate. This is VERY
> annoying and I hope to get a better stove someday. I used
> to make stir-fries for dinner at least twice a week. I
> still try it now and then but really, the foods are
> *simmered*. Not the same at all.

*Stewed*. I agree.

__________________________________________________ ______________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!

Per Kake's request, here's my tamale tutorial originally posted to
alt.food.vegan.
-------------
This is not a quick-n-easy process, but it's worth the effort. I did a
lousy job of measuring as usual. Rather than giving precise amounts of
ingredients for a fixed quantity of tamales, what follows is a general
guideline based on using packaged corn flour with a ratio on the bag
(use your own bag for guidance). Sorry for any inconvenience and/or
disappointment.

You will need the following equipment (plus other stuff):
A large stock pot. A large steamer (a tall bamboo steamer will work, but
the smaller ones will require you to roll very short tamales). A large
bowl to soak corn husks, and a plate to weigh them down. A collander or
large sieve to drain corn husks (you can take them straight from water
if you want). A skillet or pan to prepare the filling. If you are not
used to chili burns, wear a pair of food-service gloves.

CORN HUSKS
First, corn husks should be soaked in water at least six (preferably
12-24) hours ahead of preparation. Place a plate on the husks so that
they stay submerged. Soak more than you think you will use. The ones you
do not use can be laid out on cooling racks to dry for future use.

MASA (corn dough)
If you are using masa harina (corn FLOUR, not corn meal), prepare
liquid:flour ratio according to directions on package. Leave out the
lard or shortening. In place of water or animal broth, substitute the
following stock.

Per gallon of cold water:
4 tablespoons Spike seasoning mix or other similar mix
2.5 pounds whole fresh jalapeno peppers (more if you are brave)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (chopped)
Salt to taste

Bring to simmer and let cook till your whole neighborhood smells of
jalapenos. Let cool.

You will get a lot more flavor if you leave the peppers whole. They will
not burst as long as they are brought to temperature with the water. If
you put them into boiling water, they WILL burst and you will have to
strain the seeds (unless you are a real heat freak).

Once broth is cooled to touch, de-seed the peppers. I use a small
strainer that fits over the stock pot so all the juices from inside the
chilis go into the broth. Toss the de-seeded chilis into a blender.
Discard the seeds or reserve for cruel practical jokes.

Strain out the rest of the veggie bits and toss into the blender with
chilis. Puree veggies till smooth. Add back to broth. This adds
tremendous flavor and substitutes vegetable fiber for lard/shortening.
Taste for salt, add if necessary (better not enough than too much).

Mix chili broth and masa harina per ratio for amount you will make. You
want it to be a little thinner than peanut butter -- thick enough that
it holds shape, thin enough that it's easy to spread without breaking or
getting lumpy.

If you make too much masa, it can be stored in the fridge for a few
days; it can also be used for other recipes, rolled into tortillas, etc.
I ended up mixing my leftover masa with some spaghetti squash and beans
(three sisters: corn, beans, squash), and rolling that mixture in corn
husks; it was out of this world.

FILLING
You can fill with your favorite meat substitute (beans!), use a prepared
filling (Yves or Lightlife taco filling), or use whatever vegetable
makes you happy.

For roughly 1.5 cups of prepared filling, use the following:
1 cup TVP
1 cup water
splash of oil (just enough to sautee onions)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
2 tablespoons of ground red chili
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Note: if you do not have real dried red chilis or cannot get plain chili
powder, you can substitute a prepared chili seasoning powder (since that
will likely contain cumin, you could leave that out).

Sautee onions in oil. When transluscent, add garlic and jalapeno. Sautee
till garlic is soft. Add ground chili and cumin (or chili powder).
Sautee a minute and add water. Let simmer slowly for 5-10 minutes. Add
TVP. Let simmer slowly till water is fully absorbed. Let cool.

ROLLING
This is the most subjective part of making tamales. If you like the corn
part of tamales, use more masa. If you like more filling, use more. If
you like big, fat tamales, make sure you have really big corn husks. If
you like thinner tamales, you can rip your larger corn husks.

I prefer to use a spatula for spreading masa, but you can use a spoon,
knife (butter knives work well), or whatever you like.

Drain your corn husks (I put them in a collander just when I get ready
to roll). Hold a husk in one hand, spread masa about halfway across and
halfway down. You can play with it to get it right for the size of your
husks. Add as much filling as you like. Roll halfway, fold up bottom
portion, and finish roll. Place in steamer with loose end to wall so it
will not come undone.

STEAMING/COOLING
When you have them all rolled (or as many as your steamer will hold),
steam for 45-60 minutes. Let the heat come down for a few minutes, then
remove tamales. They will be a little mushy at first. Lay them out on a
plate (or two or however many) to speed up cooling/firming and to keep
them from squishing into strange shapes. In 10-15 minutes, they will
roll easily out of the husks and be soft, moist, and succulent.

EATING
It's so hard to stop, but you'll have to when you run out or when a
fight breaks out over who gets the last one.

Good luck. I think I included everything. If not, ask me for clarification.

Whoops that was actually my mistake, thank you for pointing it out!!
The bean sprouts go in at the end....to be crunchy as they should be
Sorry about that confusion....everything else was from the recipe, I swear

Jen

Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven't gotten back sooner! (I've been very very very busy,
even more busy than usual...) Thank you all so much for coming up with
such great ideas for me - I'd never considered putting avocado in
sandwiches before! I'm sure my boyfriend (also a veggie) will be
highly appreciative too, I think he'd getting quite bored with his
packed lunches.
Clare