We're delighted to share our Aunt Nettie with you. She's agreed to answer any questions you might ask about vegetarian food, its preparation, and even clean-up tips. But we have to prepare you. She just might want to come right over to your house and help you fix dinner. To send any questions to Ask Aunt Nettie, .
Editor's Note: Instead of Aunt Nettie answering individual questions, she has decided to address a number of requests from people who want to save money on the food budget and still enjoy healthy dining. This is one of a series of money-saving tips and recipes designed to stretch those slim dollars. As an example of Aunt Nettie's impressive, penny-pinching ability to save, she still has some depression glass dishes and bowls in the cupboard--they're the real thing and she still treasures them. In future issues of Vegetarians in Paradise, Aunt Nettie and her niece Zel will offer money-saving recipes for the most extreme skinflints along with suggestions to help bargain-hunter foodies seek out cheap fare that still brings good cheer to the table.
I surely do hope them hard times is getting' a tad easier an' I'm gonna keep on workin' ta help keep the food budget from gettin' outa hand. This month I been noticin' that 'taters is dirt cheap. Why you kin buy a whole 10-pound bag fer 'bout a doller--now that's purty good shoppin' an stretchin' the wallet. You kin do lots with 'taters startin' with a mighy fine tastin' soup an' a few add-ins ta make it hearty, deelicious, an' good fer ya.
Now I been experimentin' some with different spices like curry powder, cumin, coriander, an' turmeric that y'all might not have on hand. You kin find 'em at purty good prices if'n there's an Indian market in yer neighborhood. But if'n the wallet says no can do, why you jes leave 'em out, an' you'll still have a dandy soup ta feed yer family.
It's good ta start yer supper with a salad that's full o' color an' purty good lookin'. You kin make the salad with romaine lettuce, a leaf of kale that's chopped real fine, an' some crunchy fixin's like purple cabbage, carrots, celery, radishes, an' cucumbers. Then, when y'all bring the soup to the table, don't ferget that basket o' fresh-baked whole grain bread. That's a good filler-upper with plenty o' healthy vitamins an' important minerals. That bread is mighty good fer dunkin', too!
I knows yer gonna enjoy these good eats twice as much 'cause they's affordable an' gives ya plenty o' energy that keeps ya whoopin' an' hoot-nannyin' all day long.
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Thick and hearty, this wholesome soup appeals with its curry and turmeric enriched golden color and full-bodied distinctive potato flavor that never fails to satisfy. Leftovers become even tastier with an overnight stay in the fridge. Starch-based soups like those with potatoes or legumes tend to become thicker after refrigeration. Some people, like my husband, have a genuine affinity for soups thick enough to make a spoon stand up straight. If you prefer a more soup-like consistency, thin to desired consistency with water, vegetable broth, or soy or nutmilk.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
2 medium onions, chopped
12 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 1/2 pounds or 1.6 kg)
1 bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1 recipe Tofu Sour Cream or 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) prepared non-dairy sour cream
Tofu Sour Cream
Combine the silken tofu, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).
Aunt Nettie grew up on the farm. She did not eat out of a can or reach into the freezer. There was no microwave to pop her food into. Everything she made was from scratch. All the food she ate was natural, without pesticides. It was grown right there on the family farm, and she had to cook to survive. At eighty-three years young she still leaps and bounds around the kitchen and can shake, rattle, and roll those pots and pans with the best of them. Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.
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