#vegetarian stir fry sauce

[daily-deliciousness]

Supreme soy noodles

[tilbageidanmark]

I made some Tofu stir-fry for my mom (She’s too been a vegetarian for many years).

[spikyseasponge]

Glass noodle stir fry 🍲

[engageandcreate]

Asian - Mushroom Stir-Fry Recipe This vegetarian stir-fry uses shiitake, beech, and enoki mushrooms, delivering a meaty texture and earthy flavor that will please both vegetarians and carnivores!

[blk24ga]

Mushroom Stir-Fry Recipe This vegetarian stir-fry uses shiitake, beech, and enoki mushrooms, delivering a meaty texture and earthy flavor that will please both vegetarians and carnivores! 2 teaspoons honey, 2 stalks celery thinly sliced diagonally, 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 6 green onions, 1/4 pound enoki mushrooms trimmed, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 medium onion cut into 1/2-inch wedges, 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, 2 cloves garlic minced, 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices, 1/4 pound beech mushrooms trimmed, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A close-up on a dish with glossy noodles, spinach, carrot, mushroom, and sesame seeds. End ID]

잡채 / Japchae (Korean noodle stir-fry)

Japchae is a popular Korean dish made with glass noodles. Sweet potato starch noodles are fried in a flavorful sauce, combined with colorful, tender-crisp vegetables, and dressed with sesame; the result is chewy, savory, garlicky, slightly sweet, and highly satisfying. Because of its versatility and the ease of preparing large batches, japchae is frequently served for banquets at weddings and birthday celebrations.

"Japchae" is a compound of "잡" "jap" "mixed," and "채" "chae" "vegetables"; both syllables are Korean readings of Chinese characters ("雜" and "菜"). Like the name, modern japchae dishes combine Chinese and Korean elements: the cellophane noodles now considered central to the dish originated as a Chinese import towards the end of the 20th century. From the 17th century until then, japchae had been a royal court dish consisting only of stir-fried vegetables (frequently mushrooms, cucumber and radish).

Japchae, along with other Korean foods, is becoming more prevalent in the Philippines and Malaysia, by way of privately owned Korean restaurants usually owned by migrants. Dr. Gaik Cheng Khoo writes that, despite the South Korean government's campaign to promote the globalization of hansik (한식; Korean food), it is these independent restaurateurs who actually engage in Korean "gastrodiplomacy" by interfacing with clients in their particular contexts.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Paypal | Venmo

Ingredients:

For the dish:

8oz (230g) 당면 / dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato starch noodles)

1 medium carrot, cut into a thick julienne

1 small yellow onion, sliced

2-3 green onions, cut into 2" pieces

6oz fresh spinach

1 cup (65g) sliced shiitake or wood ear mushrooms

4oz beef substitute of choice, or 1/2 cup (30g) soya chunks (chunky TVP)

1 clove garlic, chopped

Neutral oil, to fry

Sesame seeds, to garnish

Both dangmyeon (which may be also labelled "sweet potato vermicelli") and soya chunks / nutra chunks (from a brand such as Nutrela) may be found at an Asian grocery store.

For the sauce:

2 cloves garlic, grated

4 Tbsp Korean soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar, to taste

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste

For the marinade:

1/2 cup vegetarian 'beef' stock from concentrate, or vegetable stock (only if using nutra chunks, which need to be hydrated)

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables and mix all ingredients for the sauce and marinade.

2. Mix beef substitute and all marinade ingredients to coat.

3. Once the water is boiling, blanch the spinach for 30 seconds to a minute, until bright green. Drain and shock in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, roughly chop, and dress with a bit of salt.

4. In the same water, boil sweet potato noodles for 6-8 minutes, until translucent and softened. A firm pinch should break the noodle.

5. When noodles are fully cooked, drain and shock in cold water to halt cooking. Cut them in a few places with kitchen scissors to make them easier to eat. Toss with a bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

6. While noodles are cooking, begin stir-frying the vegetables. Heat 1 tsp oil in a medium skillet on high. Stir-fry carrots, onion, and a pinch of salt for a minute or two until slightly softened.

7. Set aside and add more oil to the pan; stir-fry mushrooms for a couple minutes until they have released their water. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.

8. Add green onion and cook for 30 seconds to a minute; do not allow it to soften too much. Set aside.

9. If using nutra chunks: drain and reserve liquid. Fry for a minute on high, agitating often, to brown. Pour in the rest of the marinade and cook until dry. If using another beef substitute: fry according to package directions.

10. Heat another Tbsp of neutral oil in a large skillet and add in noodles and about half of the prepared sauce. Stir fry, tossing often, until fragrant. Remove to a bowl and stir in vegetables, beef, and the rest of the prepared sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve warm.

Leftovers may be served hot or cold, as a side dish or a main, or over rice.

[petermorwood]

Mushrooms in Cream Sauce...

...or Pilze in Sahnesoße.

This is for @killerblackberrypie, who went looking for the version on our "European Cusines" site and found the site gone.

@dduane had taken it down for maintenance, a new theme and to take some new photos, but while the site was down it web-provider went belly-up. These things happen.

"European Cuisines" Will Return - just not quite yet.

Our recipe was, ironically, one of the recipes slated for new pics, so while this text is from the site's offline backup (with a couple of tweaks from me, because why not?) photos are sourced from the web.

There are many, many other recipes online; they're mostly in German, but Google Translate handles Rezeptedeutch well enough. I've linked to a couple, which is only fair since I'm using their pix.

You'll also see the French word "champignons" in German recipes as often as German "Pilze"; I don't know whether this indicates a French origin for the recipe, or refers to a specific mushroom, or makes the dish sound more classy.

Here's one: Champignons in Sahnesauce mit Spätzle.

And here's ours...

*****

Pilze in Sahnesoße from European Cuisines.

Contrary to popular belief, Germany is not a vegetable-free zone.

In fact, unless you find yourself buried in some tiny backwater in the Black Forest or someplace similar, Germany is much kinder to both vegetable-lover and vegetarian than a lot of other places. It will be rare to find a menu that doesn't have at least a few vegetarian or at least mostly-vegetable options on it, often far more creative than you might expect.

But leaving aside for the moment the issue of vegetarianism per se, Germans really do like more vegetables than potatoes and cabbage, especially seasonal ones in their prime. Asparagus season, for instance, has its own name: Spargelzeit - "asparagus time".

And mushrooms (all right, not as true veggies, but at least as fungi) turn up as stars in many entreés, especially in dishes meant to be served in the autumn, "Pilzsaison", mushroom season, when the good little creatures are coming up all over in the woods and the supermarkets.

This recipe calls for the mushrooms to be sautéed with onions in bacon fat (the bacon is added later). The pan is then deglazed with white wine, and various spices are added, one of them being paprika, which instantly suggests that this recipe probably sneaked over the border from Austro-Hungary, possibly via the Czech Republic.

Finally the cream and bacon go in.

The result is substantial, surprisingly elegant, and yummy.

This is definitely a recipe for a high-end Hobbit menu: an entrée for anyone who doesn't want their mushrooms upstaged by overly large amounts of meat.

The bacon-fat and bacon CAN be left out completely, making the dish meat-free. Use more butter along with more mushrooms and a red pepper diced small, and add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika.

*****

INGREDIENTS

NB, we work in metric so that's "correct"; Imperial is converted and "approximate", though it won't make much difference. Just don't combine them or your mushrooms might crash into Mars...

1 kg / 2 lb fresh mushrooms, domesticated or a mixture of wild types to taste

125g / 1/4 pound bacon, diced

60gr 1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 large onions, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

60ml / 1/4 cup (or more if needed to deglaze) white wine, preferably a medium or medium-dry one

A pinch of nutmeg

A pinch of mace

250ml / 1 cup heavy cream

The juice of half a medium-sized lemon, strained

2 sprigs of fresh parsley

METHOD

Clean the mushrooms with a soft brush or dry cloth. (Never wash mushrooms.) If they're big, cut them in half.

Fry the bacon in a wok or large pan until lightly browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside.

Add the butter to the pan drippings. Add the onions; sauté until lightly browned.

Add the mushrooms; cook them until they're tender, stirring often.

When they're tender, raise the heat slightly and stir in the wine, salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, and mace. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the cooked bacon, cream and lemon juice. Reheat until just warm. Do NOT let this mixture boil!!!

Garnish with parsley and serve with noodles, dumplings, mashed potatoes, whole potatoes... And some crusty bread to chase the last of the sauce.

*****

Our original photo used Spätzle, as in the first pic. Ribbon tagliatelle works just fine as well, while here is Saure Pilz-Sahnesoße served alongside Bohemian Dumplings, a long bread dumpling boiled in water or stock then cut into thick slices.

From the same site, here's a simple potato treatment, Pilz-Sahnesoße mit Kartoffeln:

As far as we've been able to make out, the main difference between mushrooms in cream sauce as a main dish, and creamy mushroom sauce for use with something else, is the proportion of mushrooms to everything else, and often the size of pieces into which they're cut. Really small bits are one more ingredient, large generous chunks are much more front and centre.

Ours is definitely a main course, and though we haven't made it for a while, the memory of that last time still makes my Mind Palate go...

Soon. Soon...

[taosnipple]

Hey anon! Didn't post your message because it was transphobic and vile and you're a fucking weirdo for sending it!

The rest of this isn't for you or people like you.

Anyways hey friends, if you have a giant pot with a lid or a crock pot, you can make massive amounts of deeply nutritionally dense bone broth or vegetarian stock this fall! My go-to is a whole 12 pack of drumsticks that are on clearance, 2 small or one big onion (or one quart-size bag worth of scraps, you can use the roots and skins if you discard ones with too much dirt or rinse them before deep storage in a freezer,) 3 carrots, roughly chopped, mostly for color and earthy sweetness, and up to a whole head of garlic (roasting in the oven beforehand will pump up the flavor so hard and make any cold germs in your home weep in fear) put em in a pot with a bit of oil, do a few minutes of stirring and frying for the veggies to take on color, then add enough water to cover, pop on ur lid, bring to a low boil for 4-6 hours for ready-to-use strength, or 8-12 hours for concentrated gelatinous goodness (for either option pls check in on ur soup occasionally and stir/top off with water. You can add any powdered seasonings u want but bay leaf/onion/garlic/salt/pepper/ginger/cumin is my favorite blend, measure with ur heart!)

I like to get mayyyybe 60-80% of the fat off before storing because its so well seasoned and makes vegetables of any kind go so hard you'll never think about bioessentialism or heteronormativity ever again. Portion as much soup as you can stand into ice cube trays or other means of freezavle storage and squirrel it away for when you feel like shit and nothing will fix it, i PROMISE YOU good soup will at least help you find the first step. Season dish by dish as needed, i like making mugs of steamed egg with chili oil and soy sauce when i use my soup! The higher fat content also makes for a super satisfying mouthfeel if used for ramen (even instant!!!)

Obviously, if you're transphobic, this soup will magically turn into rat poison before you eat it. No way around that one. Suck it up. You'll never be able to enjoy a good soup the way someone too queer to see the boxes any one ingredient fits into can enjoy the experience of unity and wholeness. You'll never be cool. Do a kickflip lol.

[kins-gather-at-the-table]

hiiiii!

Can I please get recommendations for vegetarian foods for a cat?

Ty!!!

Of course, dear, I'm so sorry for the delay.

bang bang cauliflower

garlic broccoli stir fry

spicy tofu with creamy coconut sauce

pepita tofu

watermelon mochi

broccoli cheddar baked egg bites

healthy egg salad with greek yogurt

chia pudding with blueberries

[pinkabrinka]

Mushrooms On Toast 2023

Breakfast and Brunch, Family Recipe, Mains, Simple Meals, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 1

Description:

My ever-so-slightly fancier take on a classic dish. (Only slightly—if you’re looking for a crab meat and bearnaise sauce-fancy version go find Marco Pierre White.) Suitable for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Serve with a simple salad.

Mushrooms on toast was always something I considered an easy dinner. It seemed like more of a legitmeal™️ than just making instant ramen or throwing something in the microwave, but not so complicated that I couldn’t manage it on my low energy/high pain days. As a bonus, most of the ingredients are staples in my kitchen.

I started with a fairly basic plan: “sauté sliced white mushrooms in butter with jarred minced garlic and worchestershire sauce. Serve on buttered toast. Top with poached or over-medium egg.” Over time, it evolved to sautéing a mushroom/green onion combo in butter with minced fresh garlic and thyme, then adding whole grain mustard and a bit of milk to make more of a sauce. Finally, one night I didn’t feel up to cooking eggs (because accidentally broken yolks are a freaking tragedy) so I decided to break the damned yolk on purpose and use the egg to make French toast as the base. ✨REVELATION.✨

My step-grandfather, Frank Otis (1932-1998), had worked as a country club chef for years and taught me to make French toast when I was maybe in junior high school. His version involved slices of a dense loaf topped with sesame seeds, dipped in a mix of one egg and just a splash of milk per slice, and shallow fried in a measurable depth of oil. Though I can’t quite remember the variety of bread he favored (maybe it was sold in a pre-sliced loaf as Texas toast?), I still rely on his egg+milk proportions.

Ingredients:

*All measurements given are approximations. Unlike baking, cooking isn’t always science. Some quantities, like garlic, you can only truly measure with your heart.

THE TOAST:

1 thick slice good quality bread (brioche if you can get it)

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Butter or oil for frying

THE MUSHROOMS:

2 large handfuls white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

3 green onions, chopped and separated white/green (reserve some of the prettier green parts for a garnish)

2 cloves OR 1 tablespoon* minced garlic (fresh is great, but jarred is just fine. Conserve your energy as needed).

1 tablespoon dried thyme, crushed

Butter (or butter + olive oil) sufficient for sautéing

1 heaping tablespoon whole grain mustard (my favorite is Maille Old Style)

2 tablespoons whole milk or cream (adjust as desired)

Salt

Pepper

Finishing salt (like that jar of über-fancy fleur de sel your sister gave you a few years ago)

Directions:

For the toast:

Beat egg and milk in container large enough to fit the bread slice. Briefly soak bread in egg mixture. Cook in a sauté pan over medium heat, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Pour any additional egg mixture in the pan and cook it, too. (Let it cool then give it to the cats—no sense wasting it!) Remove from heat; cover and keep warm in a wide, shallow bowl.

For the mushroom topping:

In the pan you cooked the toast in, add more butter. Add the garlic and thyme, then after that’s heated through and fragrant add the whites of the green onions. Cook for a few minutes. Add sliced mushrooms, salt**, pepper, and the remainder of the green onions (except the garnish bits), adding additional butter or oil if needed.

**Add a bit less salt than you think you need because you’re going to add the finishing salt later.

When the mushrooms are almost done cooking, add the mustard and milk and stir to incorporate.

Remove bread from the microwave (or wherever you’re keeping it warm). Spoon/pour mushroom mixture over the French toast. Add reserved green onions and finishing salt. Take a photo for Instagram as proof you cooked.

[daily-deliciousness]

Bok choy and mushroom stir fry

[whentherewerebicycles]

top 10 things i cooked in 2023

this year i made 104 unique recipes (plus lots of duplicates when i liked something enough to make it multiple times). the places i went to most for recipes were feasting at home + the NYT recipes app, although i very much liked the weekday vegetarians, love and lemons, cookie & kate, nora cooks, and the foodie takes flight.

my top 10, in no particular order:

NYT ricotta pasta with roasted broccoli and crispy chickpeas (super simple but a great yummy pasta to make real quick for friends. I roasted the broccoli instead of broiling and added lots of extra lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a tray of oven-roasted chickpeas)

moroccan vegetable tagine (i blended a bunch of recipes but the one linked was my starting point. this is the one form i like butternut squash in lol. modifications: i went heavy on all the spices but especially the cinnamon and cardamom, added chopped dried apricots to the stew for extra sweetness, and threw in a bunch of extra veggies. yum)

indian-ish nachos with cheddar, black beans and chutney (do NOT skip the multiple chutneys and sauces. it will seem like too much work you will say can't i just make one and be done with it but those sauces are where the magic lies. the great tragedy of these nachos is that i wanted to eat them for DAYS but they do not reheat well. but godddd they were good)

ottolenghi's green pancakes with lime butter (these are SO easy. great for brunch but also make delicious additions to your lunch for a couple days after. also it's a perfect way to eat a pound of spinach and feel very virtuous about it when really you just ate delicious jalapeno-y scallion pancakes. the lime butter is great but it's a lot of work so i usually just top these with some sour cream mixed with a lil bit of lime zest & lime juice)

cauliflower shawarma with spicy tahini sauce (YUM! the tahini sauce as written was too bitter for me with the cholula mixed in. i think i'd try it with sriracha next time so it was a little sweeter. i also added chickpeas yum)

roasted cauliflower daal with chickpeas (my notes say this was "OUTTA THIS WORLD DELICIOUS" but also note that it will "really clean you out GI-wise" lol. lentils always have that effect on me though so ymmv. i added bell pepper, roasted the cauliflower first, cooked the lentils most of the way soft in the rice cooker instead of on the stove, and added two chopped serrano peppers with seeds to give it a lil extra kick. i would recommend halving the recipe if you are cooking for one as there were TONS of leftovers and my GI system could not handle being cleansed that many times lol)

pasta with corn, tomatoes, "onion-bacon," and basil (this method of preparing onions really should not taste like bacon and yet it sort of does????? this was a summer recipe i made multiple times for a range of audiences and it was a hit every time. originally from the weekday vegetarians)

creamy corn pasta (THIS HAS NO RIGHT BEING AS GOOD AS IT IS. IT'S SO SIMPLE AND YET IT'S THE BEST THING I'VE EVER TASTED I COULD EAT IT FOR DAYS. WE ATE IT ALL SUMMER)

ottolenghi's very full roasted veggie tart (it will take you hours to make and no time at all to consume but oh my god it's so good and SUCH a satisfying way to spend a long weekend afternoon. liz and i loved this so much we had to have a serious sitdown to discuss how we would divvy up the leftovers because we felt it could seriously damage our friendship if one of us ate all of it)

bombay burritos (the little sauces and things take a long time to make but you can prep a lot of the stuff a day or two in advance and gosh these are so tasty!! the curried mashed potatoes YUM)

honorable mentions:

ottolenghi's mango soba noodles (skip the eggplant i'd do tofu or something instead)

braised tofu with basil (i made this with a veggie-loaded stir fry and topped it with a fried egg)

this carrot cake (it took forever to make but it was the best carrot cake i've ever had and the only thing i'll ever make on my bday from here on out). she also has a pumpkin cake recipe that is so good and much simpler to make (no grating required)

momofuku's ginger scallion tofu with crispy coconut rice (the recipe is for a shrimp version but we made it with tofu and it was very yummy. i made this at a friend's house and it was so good i wanted to ask to take home some of the leftovers but decided that was too rude ahaha)

and then of course i gotta give a shoutout to my #1 comfort foods this year, SHAKSHUKA (my beloved) + a caprese sandwich with balsamic glaze served on really good bread.

[tsunflowers]

what are some of your favorite vegetarian recipes? i wanna cut down on my meat consumption but i’m really bad at choosing any protein that isn’t “meat”

I feel like I'm the wrong vegetarian to ask bc my fave recipes just don't have meat and I sometimes throw fried tofu on at the end. but I will tell you some plant-based proteins that I like using

beyond beef

you can put this stuff in pretty much any recipe in place of ground beef. it even holds together well enough that you can make your own meatballs or burger patties. other companies have ground beef substitutes that are cheaper and taste as good but they tend to be dry. this one tries hard to replicate the fat content of beef and that makes it really versatile. but you can buy any "meatless ground," cook it in a sauce, and put it over pasta. easy

gardein chick'n

this is my mother's favorite chicken substitute and she actually eats chicken sometimes. a little bland on their own just like real chicken but you can toss them in oil and seasonings. you can buy them packaged with teriyaki sauce and then you have the start of a stir-fry right there

morningstar farms veggie bacon

if you cook it just right the red part is crispy and the white part is fatty and chewy. not really comparable to pork bacon but good for adding a little fake-meat crunch

chickpeas. these are some high protein little legumes and you can just throw them into a lot of pastas and salads. here's a recipe I like with chickpeas from vegetarian chef deborah madison

shes so pretentious but I love her. ignore all her shit about things being freshly milled. you can buy breadcrumbs in a box and use any dried spice mix instead of fresh chopped parsley

tofu. extremely versatile but some people just don't like it. since it's so plain the way you cook it changes it a lot. experiment with marinades. I like tofu in a soy sauce and sugar based sauce like in this bibimbap recipe

this guy is so full of shit when he says the bok choy stems will turn golden but the recipe is solid otherwise

[fcukfodmap]

Day 42: Low-FODMAP Gluten-Free Strawberry-Custard Pie

This recipe came together because another recipe completely fell apart. I tried to make these graham-cracker waffle things for a whole s'mores situation, but, turns out, baked goods made from gluten-free flour completely lack coherence, and I couldn't get them out of the waffle iron intact. So instead of graham-cracker waffles, I had graham cracker crumbs. So let's turn that frown upside down and make pie with a graham-cracker crust!

Low-FODMAP Gluten-Free Strawberry-Custard Pie

Ersatz Graham Cracker Crust

1 c gluten-free flour

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt and cinnamon

4 tbsp melted lactose-free butter

2 tbsp lactose-free milk

1/4 c maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the crust: 6 tbsp melted lactose-free butter

Mix together the dry ingredients into a bowl, then pour in the wet ingredients except for the 6 tbsp of melted butter for the crust. Stir until a dough forms, and let sit for 5 minutes. You could either pour this into a waffle iron or pan fry them like pancakes, cooking until the waffle/cakes have a nice brown crust. Let cool for a bit, then break up and pulse in a food processor until crumby. You should have about 1 1/2 c crumbs.

Melt 6 tbsp lactose free butter, and mix with the crumbs. Press into a deep dish pie pan while still warm, and put into fridge to set up. Meanwhile, make:

Vegan Custard

1 1/2 c plant milk such as almond or oat

2/3 c coconut milk

1/2 c cornstarch

1/3 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp turmeric

Off-heat, mix together everything but the turmeric in a sauce pan; whisk out the lumps. Over medium heat, cook stirring constantly until the custard thickens, 2-5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep stirring for another minute to keep it from clumping.

Let it cool for 5-10 minutes, then stir in the turmeric (which is for color, because the pudding is otherwise an unpleasant gray.) Spread custard over the graham cracker crust, and put back in the fridge. Meanwhile, make:

Strawberry Pie Glaze

1 pkg strawberry flavored Junket Danish Dessert

1 3/4 c water

1 lb strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters

Mix the Junket packet with the water, and cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Arrange strawberries in an even layer over the custard, then pour the pie glaze over the strawberries. Put back in the fridge to set up.

Once the pie sets up, serve with vegan whipped cream.

So this whole project was ridiculous from beginning to end, but the results were pretty good! I liked the plant-milk custard, especially the hint of coconut from the coconut milk. I thought it paired well with the fruit, which was the sweetest thing in the pie. I like my pies not very sweet, so that was perfect. I could have used less butter in the graham cracker crust because it ended up being a little hard. It could also use a little ginger and cinnamon in the ersatz graham cracker crumbs. But really, no complaints.

Even though there was some dairy in the crust -- a little milk and some butter -- I decided I was going to make the filling vegan? Honestly, I have no idea why I committed to that, but you could easily make this recipe 100% vegan by using shortening and a plant milk in the crust instead. I had a bunch of plant milks and vegan whipped cream to use up, so that was that.

I'm not sure how widely available Junket Danish Dessert is. My Scandinavian grandparents used it often as both pie glaze and as a pudding. I've always used it as a vegetarian option instead of Jello, because Junket is thickened with tapioca starch not gelatin. In fact, you can usually find Junket by the Jello in the grocery store.

So! Pretty silly, but a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Evergreen disclaimer: I am no dietician. I'm doing my best to minimize FODMAPs in my diet, but it's possible for me to be misinformed or mistaken about various ingredients.

[goodnessandgrief]

When I’m feeling depressed, it can be nearly impossible to take care of myself, and that includes eating. Here’s a list of some foods that require little to no effort (aka: can be eaten right out of the package or just need to be microwaved), mainly for my personal reference, but also so others can find easier alternatives when they’re struggling.

Water bottles or canned water - stay hydrated!!

vegetables - green beans, peas, corn, black/kidney/pinto beans, chickpeas (all canned or microwaveable frozen bags) - I’ve also tried Harvest Snaps, which are baked snap peas & they’re v good

Fruit - grapes, raisins (or any other dried fruit like apricots/dates), mandarin oranges, apples, applesauce cups, bananas, pears, peaches, etc. (most fruits require no prep anyway, but especially if they’re canned - you can also buy frozen bags)

Canned soup or chicken, beef, or veggie broth

Pasta (ramen, spaghetti, mac and cheese, chow mein) or instant rice are my go-tos. You can buy these in individual cups or bulk packs.

Any microwaveable food - frozen/tv dinners, burritos, toaster strudels (they make an egg bacon & cheese version too!), mini pizzas, breakfast sandwiches… there’s a lot you could do here :)

Dairy - Yogurt, cheese sticks, (or just straight up eat cheese slices, there are no rules here), cottage cheese, almond/oat/soy milk, powdered milk (if you want something shelf-stable)

Grains & carbs - cereal, crackers, chips, popcorn, toast or bagels (I’ve eaten plain bread before tbh and it kinda slaps), Oatmeal (these packets are dinosaur themed & have little sugar eggs!! - https://www.quakeroats.com/products/hot-cereals/instant-oatmeal/dinosaur-eggs)

Nuts - peanuts, peanut butter, almonds, cashews, walnuts, trail mix, etc.

Meat - deli turkey, trail bologna, spam, jerky, frozen chicken strips or nuggets, Morningstar vegetarian corn dogs, canned tuna

Eggs

Fast food or take-out is also a good option if you don’t feel like making anything yourself.

A little tip - most foods you would take on a camping or hiking trip are great! for some, all you need to do is add water & heat it up. they are usually on the expensive side, though!! here’s some I’ve found that are decent:

https://mountainhouse.com/

Things to keep on hand for particularly bad days:

⁠Boost/ensure/Soylent - liquid meals for when the idea of chewing or mixing anything is too much.

⁠disposable cutlery/bowls/utensils so you don’t have more dishes to worry about.

Multivitamins

Liquid IV, Gatorade, or some other form of electrolytes. It’s too easy to get dehydrated!

If you do have a little energy to cook or make something, here’s some ideas:

If you have a blender: frozen spinach + frozen banana + shelf stable almond milk + peanut butter makes a great smoothie.

frozen fruit + frozen spinach/kale for smoothies

Adding whey protein makes it more filling.

⁠dried pasta + jarred pasta sauce (Rao’s is low sugar and awesome, but pricey) + frozen meatballs

Boil tortellini on hand. Its as easy as boiling water. You can eat it plain, add a spoonful of pesto, sprinkle with a little olive oil or butter and some garlic salt, or pour it back in the pan after draining and add a little pasta sauce

⁠frozen fried rice + frozen stir fry veggies

⁠favorite frozen protein and veggies for sheet pan meals

⁠canned refried beans with a tortilla and some cheese to microwave, can add extra toppings too

⁠oatmeal + pb + dried fruit of choice

⁠rice cakes + pb + jam (or substitute bread if you have it)

Rotisserie chicken in a salad, soup, sandwich or wrap

Frozen salmon with some veggies

air fryer foods - chicken nuggets, tenders, fries, etc. You can also toss different vegetables (baby carrots, Brussels sprouts, etc.) in a little olive oil and throw them in there

chicken broth & frozen dumplings - you can dress it up a little with some miso, soy sauce or other seasonings. You could also add some frozen vegetables.

snack type food - a combination of canned Garbanzo beans and black olives. The olives are salty enough that you can get low sodium beans and it will still taste good.

A lot of these ideas I stole from the good people of Reddit (particularly r/depressionmeals)!Here’s the post I referenced if you’d like to look further into it: