I would like some ideas on what you might make with any of these ingredients I have on hand right now. I need to feed myself, a hungry teen and a ravenous man. Choose some of these (I don't plan on making everything listed at once).

I can't use the oven, only the stove top (otherwise I would be rocking some enchiladas!).

Thanks in advance for all input!

1 medium zucchini
1 bunch kale (lacinato, aka Dino)
1 bunch rainbow chard
3 large carrots
1 head red cabbage
3 Russet potatoes
4 onions
10 cloves garlic
Fresh and canned tomatoes
Lemons
Frozen green beans (long beans)
Frozen corn kernels
1 can of water chestnuts
Canned beans (kidney, black, pinto, fat free "refried")
1 package Corn Tortillas
Ripe avocados
Ground soy meat
Fresh salsa
Soy sour cream (low fat)
1/2 can coconut milk

and

LOADS of spices.

You could make a chili and toast the tortillas stove top to use as little spoons. I'd skip the potatoes and the coconut milk though, and you probably don't need to use all the greens.

hi i would boil potatoes and cut all the other veggies in small pieces n then i would mash the potatoes and mix half of the veggies and soy meat with it and add salt pepper and what ever other spices i like and mix and then make small patties n fry with in little bit olive oil over low heat
next i would mix all the beans and fresh tomatoes(cut into pieces) and corn and green beans ,add lemon salt and mix
next i would heat a tortilla and spread it with salsa ,put one or two patties and fold tortilla over it and enjoy a delicious meal with bean salad

Thanks for the ideas

I went back and clarified that I don't plan on using everything in the list at once...That is just all I have in the house at this time

1: Grate the carrot and thinly slice the red cabbage. Combine with rice vinegar and other seasonings to make a coleslaw.

2: Sautee zucchini, soy meat, onions, and garlic in a little bit of olive or canola oil. Mix sour cream and salsa together. Wrap soy meat mixture up in the tortillas and serve with the sour cream/salsa mixture and sliced avacado.

3: quick-boil the green beans (1-3 minutes) and shock in cold water. You want them crispy if possible (unless they're the small stringy kind; but if they generally look like fresh-picked but otherwise frozen, this works). Mix spices of your choice into a bit of sour cream and have as a dipper (also works with carrot sticks).

4: Put avacado halves into a bowl; add finely minced garlic, finely minced onion, and salsa for a variation of guacamole.

And that's all I have time for right now...

Lynn

Heh, I can't cook that way! FIRST I decide what to make, THEN I go and buy ingredients!

Sounds like you have a good start to bean soup (I love wilted kale in soup). If you had whole wheat tortillas, I would make quesadillas with some bean, tomato, pepper filling, topped with salsa. Maybe a stir fry with the zuchinni, carrots, onions, garlic, green beans and coconut milk (if you have some curry paste as one of your spices?)

You can still make enchiladas! One of my co-workers grew up in New Mexico and he says that New Mexico Style enchiladas are flat and not baked. Just crisp in the corn tortillas in a very tiny amount of oil (or use cooking spray.) Then pile what ever toppings you want on top. I'd probably do refried beans, soy meat, thinly sliced cabbage, salsa, avocado (just a wee bit), etc. Then I would cook the green beans and corn to mix together for a side dish (maybe with some salsa mixed in.) As I'm reading this I realize that it sounds like tostadas. Whatever, it still sounds good.

Sauteed Chard
- olive oil
- onions, diced
- chard. leaves separated from stems and torn into large pieces
- garlic, minced
- red wine vinegar (not on your list but maybe you have some around the house)
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice (optional)

Dice the chard stems and and them with the onions to a saute pan coated with a small amount of olive oil. Saute over medium high until tender. Add garlic and saute a minute or so more. Add the chard and cover until leaves are wilted. Add salt, pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar and saute until the vinegar is cooked down. Taste. Add more vinegar, salt, and pepper if necessary. Stir in lemon juice just before serving if desired.

Tamale Pie
1 lb ground soy meat (recipe actually calls for ground beef, but I'm sure you could use the soy meat)
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
6 corn tortillas
1/2 cup reduced-fat cheese (not on your list, probably not critical to the recipe)

In large skillet, brown meat, onions, and garlic until meat is done and onions are tender. Add in remaining ingredients through corn and cook until liquid is reduced.

Cut tortillas into 1-inch strips and divide into three piles.

Coat a square casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon one-forth of the meat mixture into casserole. Layer one-third of the tortilla strips on top of the meat mixture. Continuing layering 1/4 of meat mixture and 1/3 of the tortilla strips, finishing with meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and pop back into the oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese.

You could also add pinto or black beans to the meat mixture and you could serve it with the avocados and sour cream.

Barbara and Lynn -- you two are good!!!

My uncreative response was going to be to make a hearty veggie/tomato soup with the first 9 ingredients with lots of spices. Then make a little avocado salad to have on the side. The ground meat could be added to the soup too.

This would only use one ingredient, but you could make zucchini oven chips with the zucchini:

Zucchini Oven Chips- dry 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated (as small as possible) parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fat free milk
- 2 small zucchini (about 11 oz total)

Cut zucchini into in 1/4-in thick slices (don't slice the zucchini too thin or the chips won't hold up--you might want to get out your measuring stick for the first few).

Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Place milk in another bowl. Dip each zucchini slice in the milk, then dredge in the bread crumb mixture.

Place coated slices on an oven-proof wire rack coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy.

They work out to be about 10 calories per chip.

walking2lose - soup isn't uncreative! It's a great idea and it would definitely be at the top of my list too.

1 medium zucchini--optional
1 Russet potatoes--optional
1 onions
2 cloves garlic
Fresh tomatoes
Frozen corn kernels
Canned beans (black, pinto, fat free "refried")
1 package Corn Tortillas
Ripe avocados
Ground soy meat
Fresh salsa
Soy sour cream (low fat)

Sounds like a really good Burrito to me!!!

Aww... thanks, Barb, but it doesn't hold a candle to Tamale pie and zucchini chips, which by the way, I will be trying this summer. We always have zucchini coming out our ears!

Claire, I agree with Barb! Soup is one of the more creative foods out there, because you can add things, change things up, and really use your imagination when creating it!

I was also going to add that if she has a crock pot, there are a ton of ingredients there for chili. And if the beans are canned, the chili can just be made on the stove top in a huge pot (I think I read your stove was not an option?).

Stovetop Chili:
chopped veggies (zuchini, onion, garlic, tomatoes, etc.)
12 oz (more or less) of your choice of beans
1 package soy meat
salsa
veggie broth or water or chicken broth
spices (cumin, corriander, curry powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, etc)

In a large pot, sautee the veggies in cooking spray or a wee bit of olive oil over medium heat. When they're almost tender (about 3-5 minutes), add the soy meat and cook another 2-ish minutes. Add the water or broth, salsa, and spices and simmer for 30ish minutes.

Yeah, I know, real specific

-Lynn

Thanks for all the suggestions! I *wish* I had an oven to use, because tamale pie is a family favorite and I would make zucchini chips (with soy milk as we are vegan) if the oven worked.

Unfortunately, I don't cook with oil so many of these recipes just aren't the same without using oil such as the "tostada-enchiladas"

The stove top chili is good and we eat that weekly...I will make coleslaw and marinate it well to see how it goes over tomorrow (it's good but my family prefers it with a creamy dressing and I don't have any Vegenaise and even if I did, it is PURE fat so that's off the list!).

Great ideas, everyone and it's nice to see others eat some of the same foods my family does!

I buy organic, so I buy what is in season and on sale and make up our menu that way

Your suggestions are great (and what my family eats at least once a week).