Dinner Bowl #131

 

I found some stuffing mix I'd forgotten since the winter holidays (probably because my winter holidays were so very weird), and I desperately needed comfort food. So I made something that makes probably no sense to eat in the summer: green beans with peppers (recipe from Getty Stewart), stuffing, Gardein 7-grain tenders, and brown gravy (recipe from Thee Burger Dude).

It was easy and just used the stove and the toaster oven. It used frozen green beans, other stuff I already had, and an on-sale protein. It was amazing. Seriously--this is a 10 out of 10 sort of meal.

The secret to good frozen veggies seems to be in buying the premium version of whatever it is. I buy the tiny peas and the skinny green beans; I spring for broccoli florets without the stems. This is still cheaper than fresh and doesn't make me feel deprived of good things. Plus, with the this recipe, you get the fresh, colorful peppers and a squeeze of fresh lemon--it's really so lovely.

I love stuffing. There are few things better than stuffing, but stuffing with gravy? Gravy and stuffing are the holy grail, I am telling you.

It had been a really, really long time since I had these tenders, which are kind of like chick'n but also not--one of those vegan proteins not pretending to be something else. They have a sort of wholesome quality about them. They go well with gravy.

The gravy was really easy and so good, too! Rich, brown, and perfect for this meal.

I realize how little sense it makes to vacillate between salad and "winter" food, but, well, it gets me fed, I guess? Sometimes, that's what really matters more than anything else.