Dinner Bowl #50

 

After a series of unpleasant experiences, I was just over it. So I used half a block of tofu and half a can of pinto beans to make a recipe for one pan veggies and beans from Upbeet and Kaleing It and followed the suggestion to serve it with bread (I had some good bread in my freezer perfect for turning into fancy garlic toast).

This recipe is ideal for a day like that. There are only two cooking phases: Sauté the vegetables (all of them (onions, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and sweet potatoes), none of this separating them by cooking time or whatever) in oil (I used canola oil), then add broth, seasonings, tomato paste, beans, and crumbled tofu, and cook it until you're satisfied. Is it a chili? A stew? Something else? Does it matter?

It probably looks weird, but it was delicious. I did end up adding a bit more chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and a bit of seasoned salt for good measure, but I also put in a bit more sweet potato and tofu than called for (turns out a half a block of tofu is a full cup crumbled, and I was halving this recipe, plus I just used one small sweet potato rather than reserving the approximately 1/3 of an "extra" sweet potato I had). Recipes like this are very forgiving anyway, so I knew it would be fine, so long as the base idea was a good one.

Real talk here: I have no idea how I am going to make it through the coming years. I don't have any specific reason to think I won't, but these kinds of stressors of the mysteries of the future inflame my immune system, and I know how awful it can be when my body responds to perceived threats by attacking itself. Stress cooking is one of the ways I cope when I have the energy, but I need to have some options for when I can't do as much. So let's all file this away for the more potentially challenging future: We can toss some vegetables, beans, tofu, and seasonings in a pot, simmer them for a while, and nourish ourselves when we don't have more energy to invest than that.

Choices exist. I do better when I remember that.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!