Fresh RumNog Pecan Cookies, I love these things. They were just made today and I have just delivered a few tins, supplemented with fudge, to some of my clients. They were baked fresh this morning and I made certain a few were left over for me to munch on for the next few hours, that’s about all they will last. In fact I have eaten two as I am writing this. We picked up fresh pecans on our way back from Atlanta earlier this week just to make these. I can’t say much more about these except DELICIOUS!

I usually get two or three nights per week where I cook only for myself. I usually just get in a hurry and want something quick and filling so I just eat a couple veggie burgers and some tater tots or a baked potato. I’ll fry up an onion and sometimes a bell pepper and then put the patties on top of the fried onions and cook it for about 15 minutes before frying it. Steamed buns on top of the burgers and onions, potato, yum, sure. All of this is just junk food to me and I eat it far too often. I just don’t want to cook a big deal of a dinner for myself. I know I should move to something else, veggie burgers aren’t all bad but when you eat them constantly you’ll fall into a vegan junk food slump, as I have. Given the onions and peppers are a fresh addition but still, fried and all the time, not good. The cooking has almost become mechanized and scheduled. I can cut up the onions, set them on to fry, do something else for the allotted time, come back add the burgers, do something else, come back and flip, you get the idea. I think that’s where I got hooked, it is easy for me to do among other things and tends to be my first choice at the end of the day, when the day isn’t really over.
I think next week I am going to try to add something new to the mix. Maybe stir fry with brown rice. Should still be just as easy to prepare and may turn out to be quicker. It should end up being a little lighter and I’ll mix up the sauce so I can give myself more variety. I already have Five Spice and Sweet and Sour sauces from Trader Joe’s. I’ll can make up teriyaki sauce in advance as well as orange sauce.

Veggie burgers once a week won’t be so bad.

I don’t write much about what I cook and eat.  Here’s a first.  Tonight I will be making Stuffed Bell Peppers.   Not the first time I have made this and it is very simple.   Tomatoes, TVP, a few spices that I am in the mood for, a little worcestershire (No, not common worcestershire, I prefer Annie’s Naturals brand.)  and, of course, bell peppers.  I just ran out of fresh from the garden bell peppers so I picked up two organic ones from Wild Oats, actually a deal at $2.49 a pound as opposed to what they usually go for.

Mashed Potatoes is always a great side and it will be there tonight as well, but I have some fennel that I picked up from Whole Foods this weekend as a “Let’s try something new.” thing.  I’ll probably sautee that to go along.

I don’t really have a name for this dish but we made it a couple nights ago and it turned out great.

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2 Cups Brown Rice
2 Cups Spicy V8
2 Cups Water
2 15oz cans Black Beans
1 15oz can Whole Kernel Corn
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Onion (finely diced)
1 small green Chili Pepper (diced)
1 Tomato (diced) (you can use a 15oz can of diced tomatoes if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt (more or less to taste)

Bring water and V8 to a boil and add rice, chili powder and cumin. Stir so rice will not clump and bring back to a boil then add all other ingredients. Cover and turn heat on low. Cook for about 45 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or wrapped in tortillas.

This recipe makes alot. We had enough left over for lunch the next day and then some.

Do you find yourself ever getting lazy when it comes to cooking for yourself?  I do.  I think I eat veggie burgers three times a week.  To me, veggie burgers are the ultimate lazy vegan junk food.  They’re quick, simple and processed.  They are probably the one processed food I still consume regularly.  I guess I could resort to PB&J but a couple veggie burgers and a few tater tots just spell delicious simplicity to me on some nights, especially after working and not really wanting to spend much time in the kitchen.