My Blog | cathybmedina

Food, gratitude in the time of Corona

“What do you want to eat for the next seven days?” I often half-jokingly ask my husband this before my weekly grocery shopping trips.

In the years B.C. (before Corona), my menu planning and grocery shopping were both sadly random.

Mid-January this year we decided to try a whole-food plant-based diet. Few of my old recipes work. So meal prep takes more thought and creativity.

And then mid-March the Rona hit.

For empty nesters like us, getting dinner on the table means far fewer challenges, but convenience still matters. A fast, easy meal — whether it’s a frozen pizza or box of mac and cheese — still hits the spot/helps the budget. We eat a little dairy along with all kinds of nut milks. I’ve hesitated making mac and cheese with nut milk, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has.

We likely got one of our first tastes of great vegan food from The Grateful Chef, starting when they were making a name with carryout meals from the Wallace House on 16th Street in Des Moines.

Lucky for us south siders that they later moved and expanded to SE 6th and Hartford (near B&B Grocer y) with online ordering and frozen and refrigerated to-go meals. To give you an idea of their greatness, these were grab-and-go options one week in July:

· Curried Chickpea Salad

· Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

· Traditional Lemon and Garlic Hummus

· Vanilla Chia Pudding With Fresh Fruit

· Veggie-Filled Pasta Salad

· Salad of Little Things

Recently I had their watermelon and peach gazpacho for lunch. My husband doesn’t like watermelon, so I made him the tomato-based version. Hot days, cold soups.

His favorite meal used to be a steak, so this “livin’ on the veg” has been a huge shift for him (and a bit of sell from me). My nephew and his wife helped plant the seed when they went meatless a few years ago.

I was searching for easy vegan recipes when I found this “fat steak fries with a super-quick chili” one. It sounded kind of meaty, like something my husband would like.

After making it a few times with canned beans, salsa and seasonings, I discovered Mrs. Renfro’s Black Bean Salsa. Now I just season the fries with oregano, garlic powder, and paprika, and top them with salsa.

The salsa cost $3.99, and a bag of potatoes was $1.98. That’s an inexpensive dinner with roughly 10 minutes of prep time.

Just Add Seasonings to Roasted Potato Wedges With Black Bean Chili

The summer issue of dsm magazine highlighted six black-owned businesses, including Veggie Thumper. “Vegan comfort food does exist! With creative and colorful twists on classic recipes like a Philly “Cheesesteak,” Smoky Red Bean Burger, and Hot “Sausage” Open-Face Sandwich, every homemade recipe served from this food bus is 100% vegan.”

After just two trips to the bus, I can say we’ll be back. And next time I’ll take pictures.

I’m grateful to enjoy good-for-you food and carry-out options and to be able to support passionate local chefs who are working hard under crazy conditions to keep us nourished and to give cooks a break.

And I’m thankful for the community stepping up to feed those in need. There are mini food pantries around town that make it easy to give or get food. Do you have a mini food pantry near you? Community Youth Concepts (CYC) has one at MLK and Clark in Des Moines.

CYC Mini Food Pantry

1446 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy.

I kid about the “work” of menu planning, but this pandemic has made it clear that it’s a luxury many don’t have.

Recently we had The Grateful Chef’s BBQ lentil meatballs with rosemary roasted red potatoes for lunch.

I’m seriously eyeing a T-shirt they sell that reads Grateful AF. That’s grateful and fed.