Veggie and the Beast

The culinary exploits, shenanigans, and occasional disasters of a vegetarian from Texas and her carnivorous, Scottish husband.

[veggieandthebeast]

Days 12 and 11 of our Costco #12DaysOfFestiveCheese advent calendar: A cow’s milk Prosecco cheddar from the UK and a Spanish Iberico. These gorgeous tomatoes are sprinkled with freshly ground peppercorns from Madagascar (bought through the co-op I get my vanilla beans through) and a coarse grey Celtic sea salt. Ryan was excited to try honeycomb for the first time, and I’m happy to say he loved the black pepper fig jam I canned last year before the Snowpocalypse killed everyone’s fig trees here in Texas. 💔😭💔 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #cheese #cheeseplate #charcuterie #charcuterieboard #adventcalendar #costco (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/vandtheb/p/CXfg5u0slxX/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

My little sister just sent me a pic of a pizza she made on a low carb tortilla with @fieldroast vegan sausage and now I’m so hungry. 😫🤤😒 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #quickandeasy #pizza #vegetarian #lowcarb #foodie #food #foodporn #austin #atxfoodie #sausage #foodstagram #instafood (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2Qa-klFh5/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

Sometimes, when I can be fussed, I’m a pretty good fiancée. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #austin #austinfoodie #food #foodporn #foodie #foodstagram #instafood #steak #potatoes #salad #peach #gourmetathome #beastmode (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSgUrXFrrUY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

So easy to make and absolutely delicious! This is endlessly customizable, but I went with a good base mix that relies entirely on pantry staples. If I could have been fussed, I might have added shallots, fresh ginger, and fresh chilis. But it was almost midnight so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Ingredients 3/4 c canola oil 1/4 c white sesame seeds 1/4 c dried Thai chili flakes 3T Szechuan peppercorns 6 cloves garlic sliced thin/rough chopped 2T dried minced garlic 1T kosher salt Recipe Whack it all except the dried garlic and salt into a small pot and heat on the lowest setting on your smallest burner. Stir occasionally. After about 20 minutes toss in the dried minced garlic and after about 5 more minutes turn it off. Let cool completely and then add salt (more or less to taste - 1T was about right for me). Transfer to glass jar and keep in fridge. 😘🤌🏽 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #austin #atxfoodie #gourmetathome #foodie #foodporn #foodstagram #instafood #pantrystaples #vegetarian #vegan #spicy #condiments #asian #easypeasy (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzOiNUl4NU/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

I have a ton of apples I was given that I’m going to freeze dry, but LBH: Red Delicious apples 🍎 aren’t killing it in the flavor department. So I’m gonna experiment and drizzle the shit out of them with this incredible Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce I just made. Can you believe I QUADRUPLED the recipe and then added the caviar that I could squeeze (not even scrape) out of JUST ONE vanilla bean and ended up with this? 😍🤤😳 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #dessert #caramelsauce #vanilla #vanillabean #saltysweet #foodie #foodporn #austin #foodstagram #gourmetathome #maldonsalt #tillamookbutter #dominosugar #goodandgather (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRe2NWwlg1d/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

Am I doing this right? Made a smoothie this morning that was way too thick and I didn’t want to water it down. Then I looked around and realized I had some fun accoutrements: Strawberries I’d freeze dried, mint from the garden left over from making extract, sliced almonds, sea salt caramel for drizzling, some mango yogurt, and this delicious brown sugar granola I’d been using as a topping on the yogurt. The best thing is that I gave this bowl to the B and he-who-never-eats-breakfast gobbled it up and said: “That was really refreshing! And you know me: I love the crispy-crunchy bits and almonds.” I mean, I would probably never go out and buy one of these at a restaurant, but it was fun and easy to make at home (as well as endlessly customizable), and my @vitamix did a good job with the whole frozen strawberries 🤯 and frozen rhubarb once I remembered the mixing stick thing that came with it. 😂😂😂 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #smoothiebowl #freezedried #mint #strawberry #yoghurt #granola #homemade #breakfast #food #foodie #instafood #foodstagram #vegetarian #austin (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9MRMSjUPm/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

Guess I’m starting some more vanilla extract today. 🙃 I’ve got beans here from Madagascar, Uganda, Tahiti, and Papua New Guinea. Spam me with your recommendations on what beans should go for a swim in which alcohol. 🙏🏽 #vanilla #vanillabean #vanillabeanextract #extract #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #gourmetathome #food #foodie #baking #instafood #foodporn #foodstagram #austin (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPd2D3-Fide/?utm_medium=tumblr

[veggieandthebeast]

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Put on a movie as soon as Ryan got home and he said: Do we have any snacks to go along with this? 😬 I disappeared into the kitchen, puttered around for a few minutes, and came back with this. We have a saying in our house when one of us asks the other a question where the answer is duh/of course/etc.: Who do you think you’re living with??? #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #movienight #snacks #concessionstand #food #foodporn #foodstagram #impromptu #datenight #nobodymovie (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CO4DbqGlRul/?igshid=1d1f6ybsjjq1b

[veggieandthebeast]

First time using a #sousvide to make Ryan a steak. Marinated with garlic, shallots, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Served with garlic mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and petite peas. Vegan version served with @gardein turk’y cutlets. #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #beastmode #steak #dualrecipe #foodporn #food #foodstagram #austin #gourmetathome #foodie #nystrip (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/COpGkcnFtEe/?igshid=1p10ch20cmp3q

[veggieandthebeast]

I’ve spent my entire adult life chased the high of Hunan’s vegetable egg foo young. #oldaustin #austin #chinesefood #eggfooyoung #vegetarian #takeawayathome #homecooking #food #foodporn #instafood #colemansmustard (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/COUJtntlxG5/?igshid=ylfud0e1mzoi

[veggieandthebeast]

The second #moderna #covid_19 shot is no joke. My whole body has felt like a bruise all day, migraines, chills, fever of 103.9 for hours, pain and swelling at the injection site, and just so so weak. I’ve been blessed to not have any nausea so far, which I am really really thankful for after my CVS diagnosis last Sunday. After living on @powerade and crackers all day, I was craving a brothy soup full of vegetables/nutrients that wouldn’t give me heartburn/reflux. I dragged myself to the kitchen and whipped this Tuscan white bean and kale #soup up and it hit the spot. Even the B ate it! And how cute are the mini baguettes from @traderjoes??? 😍😍😍 I had 1,000mg of acetaminophen and 10,000IU of D3 for dessert. Time for some melatonin and then bed. 😴 (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CM_S0P0FmWJ/?igshid=cmmmhpw2x2bz

[veggieandthebeast]

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@heb is giving me life on this first day of #spring! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN A THING??? #vegan #sorbetto imported from Italy for $3 and change per pint? 🙌🏽 And in a reusable container? 😍😍😍 (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMqvIMul7zI/?igshid=hj3eo8k32fbp

[veggieandthebeast]

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Oh, y’all didn’t spend your day precariously perched on the top step of a wobbly ladder reaching 20’ into the air trying to pull down tangerines? Just me? Cool. Cool. Side note: When I put rubbing alcohol on my hands this evening I was made fully aware of the hundreds of tiny cuts on my hands from the thorns on the tangerine branches...FML. 🤗🔥🤦🏻‍♀️ #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #austin #tangerine #citrus #harvest #fruit (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNti2hF81R/?igshid=y3s2rfldg3of

[veggieandthebeast]

Just a little Sunday morning puttering. No way was I letting another massive jar of peeled garlic from @costco go to waste! Clockwise from top left: •Garlic 🧄 fermented in raw honey 🍯 •Fire 🔥cider 👩🏻‍🔬 •Ginger, turmeric, garlic, and horseradish fermented in raw honey •The start of garlic 🧄 confit Swipe 👉🏽 for individual pics. #vegggieandthebeast #vandtheb #austin #fermentation #naturalantibiotic #firecider #garlic #confit #honey #rawhoney #turmeric #ginger #horseradish #foodie #foodporn #foodstagram #food #atxfoodie #instafood (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH54nS_F3sp/?igshid=hiz7shqnk59h

[veggieandthebeast]

Couldn’t find my tofu press to make my little sister some vegan lasagna...Seems legit. 👌🏽 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #vegan #tofu #onnit #kettlebell #austinfoodie #atxfoodie #foodie #lasagna #foodstagram #instafood #macguyver #¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIPLAVlDdc/?igshid=hznwhgkqig1y

[veggieandthebeast]

I actually got the B to eat a few rounds of zucchini when I made these little “pizza” bites. Though he did say: “The topping is the best part!” 🥴🤦🏻‍♀️😂 I think next time I might try baking the zucchini rounds first to crisp them up a bit, or bake them on a wire rack with a sheet on the rack below to catch drips but allow airflow. They were a bit soggy: You win some you lose some. 🙃 They were delicious if you thought of it more as a zucchini parmigiana. 👌🏽 #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #austin #austinfoodie #atxfoodie #foodie #food #foodstagram #instafood #foodporn #keto #lowcarb #healthyeating #appetizers #vegetarian #fingerfoods (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGENRVTFSrS/?igshid=17z5jeszqj5ik

[veggieandthebeast]

Since I’m lying here sick watching the shitshow that is the VP debate, I figured I’d catch up on some posts. Made a southwestern (?) salad the night before last and added some shrimp to the B’s. I even made my own blackening seasoning for it! I went to @heb hungry on Monday afternoon, but also in a mindframe that I’d try to get my life together, so came home with tons of salad ingredients. 😂😂😂 I do love a good salad as an easy #dualrecipe meal because you can make everything the same and then throw some extra protein on for the meat eaters/pescatarians. #vandtheb #veggieandthebeast #austinfoodie #atxfoodie #foodie #foodstagram #instafood #foodporn #salad #seafood #healthyeating (at Oak Hill, Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGEJxCYlqgq/?igshid=84usfi914ldc