A Recipe to Get Out the Vote
Lynley Jones
Ahem - There’s an election on Tuesday!
Of COURSE you are going to vote. (Psst - a great non-partisan resource where you can look up your polling place and everything on your ballot is ballotready.org.)
And, you know what’s even better than voting? Voting, and THEN helping your fellow voters get to the polls, too! This election (every election!) hangs on voter turnout. So here are some suggestions for nourishing our democracy, and feeding ourselves along the way.
Have a good breakfast, then knock on doors
If you’re planning to go door-to-door to remind your neighbors to vote (like I will this Sunday!), you’ll want to fuel up first. Have a good breakfast that sticks to the ribs, so you can stick it out through your shift.
Crunchy and delicious, as granola should be, with a hint of coconut. For a breakfast that feels as good as it tastes.
Coconutty rolled oats topped with blueberries and bananas make for one of the most delicious (and healthiest) ways to start your day. Best of all, it cooks in 5 minutes.
Nubby steel-cut oats spiked with cinnamon, drizzled with maple syrup, and topped with fruit and nuts of your choice.
Pound the Pavement - and Bring a Lunch
Make a few sandwiches or burritos and head out with a friend.
Beer-simmered seasoned ground beef and refried beans rolled into a burrito with cheese and herbs. You can make it ahead and freeze it. Or heck, just eat it now.
Named "miracle" tuna by my son's elementary school friends, who said it was a "miracle" because every kid loved it - even kids who didn't like tuna!
Snacks for Volunteers
Are you hosting a phone bank, or serving as home base for canvassing? Awesome! Serve some tasty snacks, and maybe they’ll come back for another shift tomorrow.
Addictively snackable crunchy chickpeas, roasted with coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, with a pinch of asafetida and a little hot paprika zing.
Addictively tasty Mexican dip for chips, or spread for veggie burgers or sandwiches.
Guaranteed to disappear the minute it's served. Check out the recipe notes for tips on how to achieve guacamole awesomeness in your kitchen.
Milk sweetened with a touch of honey and infused with cinnamon, warmed and frothed for a cup of soul-satisfying comfort on a cold day.
Quick, simple and delicious. These are muffins, not dessert masquerading as a breakfast food.
Sustenance for a Long Night
If you’re gearing up to watch the results come in - and possibly inviting friends over to do the same - make something easy, that will feed a crowd. Then set it out and let everyone serve themselves, while you sit glued to the TV. (Or is that just me?)
Chicken poached in vinegar and soy sauce with garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns, then broiled dark and crispy. A super-flavorful classic Filipino dish that’s simple to make. Plan ahead to make rice bowls with the leftovers…
Get chicken on the table in about 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner, or a simple-but-nice entree for a crowd.
Easy baked chicken with the sweet tang of apricot juice and Worcestershire umami. Super simple prep, then nearly all the cooking time is hands-off.
Ground beef and Swiss chard simmered together in beer, then combined with gruyere cheese in a casserole topped with breadcrumbs and more cheese.
Creamy, cheesy, pasta-y and really doesn't take much longer than the boxed version.
Sweet or spicy Italian-style sausages, braised in a little beer with soft, sweet peppers and onions. Easy weeknight dinner or football-watching crowd-pleaser.
Pasta with ricotta cheese, sauteed Tuscan kale, cherry tomatoes and lots of love. Quick, satisfying weeknight dinner or side.
Reap the Rewards
It’s not over until it’s over. But whatever the results, you and your fellow volunteers deserve a pat on the back. Or maybe a stiff drink. Or several.
If you want to serve something sweet to reward folks for their hard work defending democracy, here are a couple suitably patriotic ideas.
Frozen puff pastry dough, filled with creamy honey-mascarpone and fresh fruit. The quick and easy way to pull together a beautiful fresh-fruit tart.
An all-American pie classic, bursting with blueberry flavor and bedecked with stars. You can make this any time of year with blueberries either straight from the freezer or fresh.
Half the flour in this recipe is whole wheat flour. This makes for a more substantial breakfast, without dramatically changing the taste. You can make a big batch and rewarm them for a quick, nourishing breakfast during the week.