My kitchen is … being renovated. It’s a bunch of dirt and wood, right now. It’s going to be dreamy though – new appliances, white walls and flooring in the whole house, so I’m painting the kitchen black. I’m a big minimalist, and when you’re renovating a house, you have the option to think about faucet handles and other things you’ve never even considered, so I’m trying to stay laid back and open. I just want the basics. One thing I was particular about was the fridge – I want one that fits a cookie sheet in the freezer compartment. I make a lot of frozen treats.
My favourite kitchen tool is … my blender. When I travel or I’m cooking with friends, and there’s no blender, I feel pretty lost. I use it all the time for sauces, for desserts, for smoothies, for smoothie bowls and soups …
My storecupboard staples are … beans, grains, veggie broth, tahini, coconut milk, nut butter, tamari, olive oil and coconut oil: with those 10 essentials, and some fresh produce, I know I’ll always be able to cook.
When I’m starving I … have almond butter, on a spoon, straight from the jar, standing in front of the fridge. My emergency meal is boiled potatoes, tossed with olive oil and mashed together with sauerkraut.
My culinary inspiration is … foods from my past that I love, but that don’t make me feel well. Since I changed to a plant-based diet, I always want to figure out a way to make them that will make me feel good. My mom used to make me this really Midwestern dish, Johnny Marzetti (tomato sauce, noodles, ground beef, lots of cheap cheese, celery and onions). I do it now with cheesy-tasting cashew cream sauce, mashed lentils with onions and garlic, and Italian seasoning, which gives it a beefy vibe. It’s the essence of the original, but it makes me feel good.
My best-kept kitchen secret is … mixing a handful of spinach into pancake batter (in a blender, of course). You do not taste the spinach at all, but it’s in there, which is great, and my son likes it because it turns them into “greencakes”. You can still cover them with maple syrup and fruit.
When invited to dinner I always take … a dessert I know I can eat. Dessert is probably my favourite thing, and for some people it’s harder to make vegan sweets, so I always take something I know I can eat, and share with everyone too.
Everything tastes better with … avocado and Cholula hot sauce.
When I go shopping I … try to stick to those pantry basics, because without a plan when I go in there, I’ll leave with nothing, or I get overwhelmed, or I’ll buy too much and not be able to use it all. And then whatever fruit and veg look pretty to me.
For dinner tonight … sauteed greens with garlic and olive oil, served with brown rice and a spicy peanut sauce. And for dessert, I promised my son that we could make chocolate peppermint truffles too.
- Jessica Murnane is a blogger and author of the forthcoming book One Part Plant (Bluebird Press), which will be published in April; jessicamurnane.com
