What’s it called when you do something now because it’ll pay off later? I think it’s called The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook, which I will now review for you, our faithful readers! Who wrote this book? Ginny Kay McKean did, and inside she packed 125 freezer-friendly recipes, with full-page color photos to accompany each!
I only have so much willpower to go around, so I try to be wise about how I use it up. Some I budget for doing laundry before three loads pile up and some I set aside for taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. I think the rest is miscellaneous. Anyway, what’s wiser than making food for yourself and freezing it for later? As in, you don’t eat immediately (!). Freezing freshly cooked food makes me feel a bit like a squirrel prepping for winter. Arf, arf! Arf is the sound my brain imagines squirrels should make. Arf!
I made a few recipes from this cookbook and, for the most part, ate them immediately (surprise!), but I can see how it would be nice to freeze them. Maybe if I were anticipating an extra busy week and were able to plan ahead. But how can I make Balsamic Roasted Broccoli and not gobble it up ASAP?
And please don’t ask me to pace myself with the Onion Soup Spectacular, which is like a vegan version of French onion soup, but with a lovely mustard flavor. I also failed to freeze the Wild Rice Blend and Mushroom Casserole. Gotta love those mushies. Any mushie fans out there?
I did make the breakfast burritos and freeze those. They were so handy to take with me to work on days when I was running a bit late. I’m not quite sure what made them breakfast burritos as opposed to burrito-burritos… could it have been the nooch? They didn’t have any scramble or other breakfast-associated foods in them. But I’ll eat anything for breakfast, don’t worry about me! My favorite savory breakfast of years past was leftover bok choy and vegan chicken nuggets from Coco Lin in Bushwick. I ate them on my building’s roof deck with fresh coffee, before anyone else along the L line had even woken up for the day.
Oh! I also made the Apple Pie Crescent Triangles and popped most of those in the freezer. That wasn’t such a tough challenge, since the recipe made close to a million triangles (16). They were pretty tasty, but I felt like I was cheating by using store-bought crescent roll dough, which the recipe calls for. I might make them again someday but with homemade dough.
All in all, this is a nifty cookbook. It’s well organized, easy to skim and read, and the recipes are a cinch to follow. Plus the photos are pretty nice, though I am curious why so many photos feature a yellow-tinted beverage in the background. Beer? Apple juice? Other? Why? Perhaps we’re not meant to know.
Classic Breakfast Burritos
Printed with permission from The Countryman Press
Yield: 10 burritos?|?Active Time: 15 minutes?|?Cook Time: 30 minutes?|?Total Time: 45 minutes
1 (14.5-ounce) can vegan refried beans
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced small
16 ounces cremini mushrooms
10 vegan whole wheat tortillas
1 cup of your favorite salsa, for serving
Place the refried beans in a small bowl and mix to incorporate the oils from the can. Add the nutritional yeast and stir well.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they shrink by about one-quarter of their size. Remove from the heat.
Now, to assemble the burritos. Lay out your tortillas on a counter. Spread a little less than ¼ cup of the refried bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Evenly divide the bell pepper mixture down the center of the beans. Distribute the mushrooms evenly over the last layer.
Roll up each tortilla nice and tight. Heat two burritos at a time in the microwave on high power for a little over a minute: 45 seconds on one side, then roll over and switch positions for 30 seconds on the other side.
Serve with salsa on the side.
Storing in the refrigerator:
Place the burritos into a large resealable plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing:
Wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap so that you can pull out one or two at a time for a quick breakfast. Place the wrapped burritos in one large freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheating:
Unwrap a burrito from its plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate, let defrost for 4 minutes, then microwave immediately on high power for 15 seconds on one side. Roll the burrito over and cook for 15 seconds on the other side. You can also defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and then microwave as described.
Full Disclosure: I was sent this cookbook free from the publishing company for review, however, all of the opinions stated above are my own.
This was a guest post by Reina Pohl! She lives in D.C., where she does the majority of her cooking, baking, and eating. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.