In the Kitchen

This is not a food blog. It’s just me, winging it!

Meatless Sausage (not as weird as it sounds)

recommendations from a picky eater

Welcome to Recommendations From a Picky Eater, which may (or may not) be a recurring subject where I offer my suggestions based on a lifetime of being a picky eater.

During the height of the pandemic, we switched first to grocery pickup, and then to grocery delivery. At the time, I thought it would be temporary, in that I believed I enjoyed grocery shopping.

Turns out I can completely live without the experience. It takes a little planning so that we don’t run out of things, but overall, we are eating better, saving money (fewer impulse buys) and definitely saving time.

There are only two items that I strangely cannot seem to get – my preferred brand of cottage cheese is only available in the Kansas City area at the one store that doesn’t deliver or do pickup, and my very favorite brand of meatless sausage seems to have disappeared off the earth.

I’m a vegetarian; Mr. SuzerSpace is not. We had found Tofurky Italian Meatless Sausage to be an acceptable compromise for both of us. Sometimes it is still listed in the app for the grocery delivery, but it always gets substituted, and I’m not a big fan of the alternate brand, in that I don’t think it tastes as good, is more difficult to cook and is way more expensive.

I decided to try and make my own meatless sausage, and as always, the Internet did not disappoint when searching for recipes.

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April 4, 2023 by Because I am a Picky Eater By Winging It From A Recipe I made this In the Kitchen Recommendations

Sew a Simple Lunchbox Utensil Keeper

Keep your silverware in a lunchbox utensil keeper to make desk lunch more fun! | SuzerSpace.com

Where I work, we only are allotted 30 minutes for lunch. That, and the fact that I am a super picky eater combine to make me totally #teambringmylunch.

I really don’t mind. It saves me a ton of money, I always know what’s in my lunch, and I have a pretty solid routine of meal prep on Sunday plus planning dinners to include leftovers that make this really easy.

Two other things make a big difference – a good lunch container and real silverware. On the first subject, I’ve tried just about every plastic and glass system out there, and I’m still on the hunt for the perfect version. I’m also on the hunt for a better storage system for all the bowls and lids.

If anyone has any advice on that, I’m all ears!

On the silverware front, I’m set. My sister gifted me two sets of a lunch kit system that came with these neat, slightly smaller than standard size silverware.

To keep them together and clean, I’ve sewn up a very simple lunchbox utensil keeper that doubles as a napkin or spill blotter for my work desk.

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January 26, 2020 by Because I am a Picky Eater By Upcycling I made this In the Craft Room In the Sewing Room

Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce

Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce | SuzerSpace

You know those recipes for pizza and pasta sauces? The ones with the 15 ingredients and the hours of simmering to get that authentic taste?

This isn’t one of them.

My cooking style is best described as no-nonsense.

We like to make flatbread pizzas, and we prefer a sweeter pizza sauce.

Store bought ones always taste a little flat, and even though they are often on sale, I can do better on my own.

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Pizza Sauce

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Dried Oregano
  • Red Pepper Flake
  • Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. In a small microwave safe container that has a lid, combine the contents of the can of tomato paste and a splash of olive oil. 

  2. Add spices to taste. And I mean really taste - add them in, mix it thoroughly and taste it. Add more of what is missing.

  3. If sauce is too thick, mix in a little water.

  4. Microwave with the lid covering the dish but not on tightly (let steam escape, but use the lid to protect the top of the microwave if it explodes). Heat in 20 second intervals stirring after each until sauce reaches desired temperature.

Recipe Notes

This creates a thick, sweet sauce which we like to use on flatbread pizza.

Because it is thick, it is also a good sauce for zoodles (those "noodles" made from spiralized zucchini) since those tend to be watery and will dilute the sauce to a better pasta sauce texture.

Leftovers can be refrigerated, or frozen.

This does not keep long in the refrigerator because it contains no preservatives, but does well in a freezer bag and reheats just fine.

July 6, 2017 by In the Kitchen

Grilled Asparagus

Skip all the tricky steps and grill asparagus to bring out the flavor | suzerspace.com

I do not really remember eating asparagus as a kid, and I only saw it a few times at holiday meals in my early adult life. All the recipes for it seemed ultra-tricky – I don’t own a stand up steamer and hollandaise sauce looks pretty finicky to make and not have separate.

A few years ago, when we tried grilling pretty much everything to see if we could, we tried asparagus and it was a nearly instant success. The only real trick is you need a grill pan of some sort to keep those stalks from rolling into the grates and being eaten by the fire.

Simple grilling brings out great flavor in asparagus | suzerspace.com

We add garlic cloves to the pan for an additional kick of carmelized flavor, but you can skip this step if you are not a fan.

 

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Grilled Asparagus

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 3

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • Splash Balsamic Vinegar
  • Splash Splash Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the grill with a grill pan on the grates. 

  2. Rinse and pat dry the asparagus. Cut off the tough bottom ends (quick tip – leave that bottom rubber band on and cut above it to make trimming easier).

  3. Peel the garlic. If a milder taste is desired, place the cloves in a microwave safe measuring cup with a cup of water and microwave for 1 minute.
  4. Combine asparagus and garlic in a bowl and add a splash of olive oil; mix well (I use my hands) to make sure everything has a light coating of oil to prevent sticking.
  5. When grill pan is hot, add vegetables and toss, being careful to avoid splatter from the oil.

  6. Monitor while grilling, stirring/flipping occasionally. 

  7. Remove from the grill using long-handled tongs and transfer to a serving plate.

  8. Splash with Balsamic Vinegar, and cover with foil to keep the heat in while you plate up your other grilled dinner items.

Recipe Notes

The 30 minutes of prep time includes bringing the grill up to cooking temperature; actual hands on prep time is less than 5 minutes.

For grilling vegetables, we use a cast iron grill pan, but I've had success with those thinner metal ones with the holes in them that you find in the grilling section of hardware and cooking gadget stores.

Stir occasionally while grilling - these are not fussy and do not need to be perfect; like the grilled mushrooms, the goal is get them good and charred but not burned.

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June 29, 2017 by In the Kitchen

Smashed Beans

Smashed beans may be ugly, but they are very tasty | suzerspace.com

I have several recipes that if I were going to categorize them beyond the meal courses they belong to, I would have to put them in an “ugly but really tasty” group.

Smashed Beans is one of them.

But don’t judge too harshly – if you normally use refried beans from a can, then you really can’t argue that they are much better in appearance.

Personally, I don’t really like the texture of refried beans, nor the way they look kinda of like dog food when you remove them from that can. (Side note – what is that extrication method called? The one where you try and unseat them from the bottom of the can with a knife and vigorous upside down shaking? I’m offering “Unsuck them from the can” but the ballot is open for entries).

Instead, I take a can of regular beans and mash them with spices and a little olive oil and onion to exactly the taste and consistency I want. This also lets me use Black Beans, which I like better in taste than red/pinto. I’ve also made these with beans from scratch, on those rare occasions that I’ve remembered to soak them overnight ahead of time.

 

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Smashed Beans

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz cab Black or Pinto Beans Rinsed and Drained
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon Diced Jalapeno
  • 1 Tablespoon Diced Onion
  • 1/4-1/2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, add a splash of olive oil to the contents of a can of rinsed and drained beans. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, until warmed through and soft (but not really hot).
  2. Add spices and jalapeno and onion. Use a large fork or a potato masher to mash/smash the beans to the desired consistency.
  3. If using as a side dish, heat an additional 30-45 seconds to completely cook through.

Recipe Notes

We enjoy these  as a side dish, a soft taco/burrito/wrap filling. They also make a great layer in 7-layer dip or Taco salad.

June 22, 2017 by In the Kitchen
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