Sequestration Meal #602

 

I initially planned to eat all the hot dogs I had as hot dogs (in buns), but the ones the store had just weren't ideal for that (too soft--the plague of some vegan hot dog brands). That doesn't mean they don't have a place, though! So I made macaroni and cheese (recipe from The Almond Eater), beans & weenies, some spinach sauteed with onions, and some roasted tomatoes.

I was committed to just using what I had this week, so I deliberately went looking for a mac and cheese recipe to stand in for the one I usually make (because that one would include sweet potatoes). My standby is my standby for a reason and is not unseated by this at all, but this was still good as a side dish. I wouldn't want it as the main event because it does need a little something, but with the beans, it was great. It has a gentle peppery flavor from a bit of red pepper flakes that I really liked. I garnished it with smoked paprika, which was a nice touch, I think. 

Plus, it was a good way to test out my new blender. My Oster Versa dramatically gave up the ghost making breakfast one day and so I bit the bullet and ordered a small Vitamix. I already love it--the 48 oz jar is so much better for cutting recipe sin half than the 64 oz. jar was. I didn't have to scrape the sides of the blender down once. It just blended up the sauce, perfectly, on its own.

I don't know when I've had this combo last, but it has probably been years. Beans & weenies with macaroni and cheese was my absolute favorite childhood meal. (From that you can guess how much money we had growing up.) I make the beans & weenies similar to the way my mother did, but vegan now: Cook some onion in (vegan) butter with a pinch of salt, then brown (vegan) hot dog slices in the onion mixture. Stir in canned beans in tomato sauce (she used pork and beans; I use the Heinz vegetarian beans) and simmer for a bit until fully heated through and everything is cooked to your liking.

The veggies just represent me clearing out the fridge a bit, which is why I don't have more spinach--that was the end of the bag. The tomatoes are a toaster oven special I often make in the summer if I don't eat all my little tomatoes before they get wrinkly.

All in all, the perfect, lazy summer weekend lunch.