polenta rancheros

It seems fitting to make our brunch from a brunch cookbook: 
Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Based on her description - replacing soft eggs with soft polenta - had my attention. I simply love any recipe that replaces eggs in traditional dishes - chickens being one of the worst treated animals on factory farms.  

When Kate tasted it, she practically swooned! It is a truly delicious meal! The soft, creamy polenta, with the spicy beans and the cooling guacamole is superb. Nicely thought out recipe. Next time we make this - and we will - I will grind the spices before adding the onions and garlic; broken pieces of coriander seeds are a little distracting in the rancheros.

Cost Breakdown:
tomato, can: $2
2 beans: $4

polenta: $.50
avocado: $3
onions, garlic, fresh tomato: $2
vegetable broth, homemade: $.50
sour cream: $.50
Total tofeed a family of 5:
$12.50

sweet potato sandwich

We went on a hike today. Lunch was sweet potato sandwich with lemon-tahini spread. I baked the sweet potatoes the night before with the Lima Bean Bake and cooled it overnight in the fridge. It worked very well because the potato had time to firm up and was tender and melt-y but held together. The spread I made with tahini, yogurt, Meyer lemon (why not?) and sugar and salt. At home on the sandwich were tomatoes, onions, avocado and sunflower sprouts - the most decadent sprouts in my opinion.  

The kids found this sandwich a little too sweet. The first one I made I made the mistake of not seasoning properly. Because the sweet potatoes are so sweet, seasoning each layer was crucial! For the girls I made the sandwich the same way but without the sweet potato and called it California Sandwich with Lemon-Tahini Spread.

Cost Breakdown:

bread: $2

sweet potato: $2

avocado: $2

onion, tahini, yogurt, sugar: $1

tomato: $2

Total for 5 sandwiches:

$9.00

Sweet Potato Sandwich

California Sandwich