Lentil Corncakes, Sweet Potato Succotash, Jalapeno Cheese Sauce

In an effort to save some money and clean out the kitchen, I had a mission to make dinner out of things we already had in the cabinets and spend no more than $5 additionally at the store. I have a lot of dry ingredients to work with like wheat gluten, cornmeal, breadcrumb and lentils, so it seemed obvious to make a corn cake and utilize all of those ingredients. At the store I purchased a sweet potato, tomato, spinach and pineapple rings and spent $4, putting me under my budget without sacrificing flavor!

Lentil corn cakes with fresh cilantro, panko and lemon juice served with sweet potato succotash tossed with ripe tomato, vegan bacon and grilled pineapple. Spicy jalapeno cheese sauce is served for dipping on a bed of spinach.

Lentil Corn Cakes
1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils
1/2 cup medium ground cornmeal
1/4 cup panko
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbl baking powder
2 tsp vital wheat gluten
1 tbl fresh chopped cilantro
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbl canola oil
1 cup vegetable broth

Combine all of the ingredients except the oil and broth. Form into small patties and chill for at least 1 hour. When ready to eat,preheat the oven to 350. Pan saute the patties in the canola oil so both sides brown. Pour the vegetable broth in the bottom of the pan then pop in the oven for 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Succotash
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled, small dice
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
3 tbl freshly chopped cilantro
5 strips vegan bacon
5 pineapple rings plus 1 tbl of juice
canola spray
salt and pepper
Spinach leaves for garnish

Boil the diced sweet potato in a pot of salted water until tender and drain.
Combine with the tomato and cilantro in a bowl, set aside.
Grill the vegan bacon and pineapple slices with canola spray and chop. Add with the sweet potato and pour in the pineapple juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Jalapeno Cheese Sauce
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
2 tbl ap flour
1 cup plain almond milk
1/2 tsp creole seasoning
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
3-5 jarred jalapeno rings, or more to spice level, minced
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour. Whisk for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the almond milk while whisking over medium heat. Add the creole seasoning, cheese and minced jalapeno and stir until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.