Pasta with White Bean Sauce

I'm broke. I get paid at the end of the week, but until then I'm being very thrifty and getting to know the contents of my kitchen cupboards. At the request of my son, tonight's dinner was originally planned to be one of our favorite soups, but I realized I was missing a couple of key ingredients. And since I'm determined not to go shopping this week, a special trip to the store for only two ingredients was out of the question. I had the white beans and the pasta though, and thought a white sauce would be nice. I did a Google search for recipes and soon found my inspiration. I added a few ingredients, increased the recipe, and in less than 30 miuntes dinner was on the table with a side of red kale.

This was really easy to make, calls for simple ingredients and is surprisingly satisfying. The flavor is delicate and just slightly "cheesy" with a nice smooth texture. I hadn't made a bean sauce before tonight, but now I'm a huge fan. I know I'll be playing around with this one some more. With a little adjusting, I think it would make a great base for a Stroganoff, too.


You'll Need:

6 T Earth Balance
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 C or 2 15oz cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
2 C soymilk
1 t Spike seasoning
2 t nutritional yeast
splash dry vermouth or dry white wine (optional, but recommended)
salt and pepper to taste

Your favorite pasta–I won't try to guess ounces this time. Plan for 4 - 6 servings.

Method:

While pasta is cooking according to instructions, get started on the sauce. In a deep skillet, melt margarine and saute garlic for 2 minutes. Add a splash of vermouth and cook another minute or so. Put beans in food processor and add margarine and garlic, soymilk, nutritional yeast and Spike seasoning. Puree mixture until completely smooth, adding more soymilk as needed to reach desired consistency. Return mixture to the skillet and simmer on medium-low, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Vegan on a Budget: Gardening and Gleaning

One of the best ways to cut your food bill is to grow your own fruits and vegetables. There are many great resources on the web and at the library about backyard gardening and small space/container gardening. Unfortunately, some of us don't even have a balcony to grow tomatoes on. That's where gleaning comes in. Talk your neighbors, friends, family and co-workers and let them know you'd be happy to help them out with their over abundance of X fruit or vegetable. Anyone who has a garden usually has one crop that they can't keep up with and are more than happy to share the wealth with you. Even if you have your own garden, why not trade some of your extra tomatoes with your neighbor who has an abundance of zucchini? Or maybe you could talk to your friend with that big backyard but no time and work out a deal where you garden on their land and share the bounty? Either way you go, you're saving money and participating in the local community!

Home Gardening links:

You Grow Girl
Anarchy in the Garden, formerly known as Victory Home and Garden
Your Small Kitchen Garden
Small Green Garden
Food Not Lawns Inland Northwest

My New Project

I've been thinking a lot about food lately. More than usual - but maybe that's a good thing. With the releases of movies like Food, Inc. and various authors like Mark Bittman talking openly, albeit not comprehensively, about our current food crisis, it seems almost everyone is reconsidering their relationship to the industrial food chain. Including me. Like everyone else, I've also been thinking about money and budgeting lately. Specifically, how my spending habits impact my community, my bank account and my family's health.

I know that a vegan diet is the healthiest way my family can eat. But how healthy is a Gardenburger? What impact does that processed vegan cheez have on the environment and our community? Am I really getting the most out of the money I spend on food? When presented with the idea, a lot of people will say that they can't go vegan or vegetarian because it costs too much. By offering simple tips such as avoiding processed foods at the grocery store, I hope to dispel that myth in a series of posts about eating Vegan on a Budget. I'll cover topics ranging from local shopping to making your own tofu and non dairy milks. I will keep a focus on eating local, seasonal whole foods, local shopping and above all, creativity and thriftiness. This will be a regular series for the foreseeable future and you should see the first related post within the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I'm going to see Food, Inc. at the end of the week. I'm very excited to see the movie that's been getting so much attention lately and even more excited to start discussing it!