Weekly Eats Seven (2/22 - 2/28)

Dinner: Pasta with improvised Vegan Bolognese Sauce

I've been trying to make the most of my leftover produce/odds and ends lately, so I decided to make a quick vegan bolognese sauce to top pasta with! My roommate had some leftover cooked tomatoes with herbs and spices, to which I added some onion and bell pepper I had cut up in the fridge. I sauteed the vegetables while I "steamed" meatless chickn tenders in the microwave. When the tenders were done, I mashed them with a potato masher, then added to the vegetables along with a little tamari/vegan Worcestershire/herbs/spices. Once this cooked down, I added the tomato sauce and let it boil on medium heat until the pasta was ready. The sauce turned out wonderfully and it was incredibly filling! 

Snacks: Chewy Almond Coconut Granola Bars

I've had this wonderful book by Joy the Baker for a couple of years now, but have never made a recipe from it until now (somehow)! These granola bars contain only pantry ingredients, so I had to try them out. I made them GF/DF by using vegan butter (to which I added dried orange peel), GF rolled oats, and GF oat flour. These granola bars were perfect in comparison to the last ones I made. They held up wonderfully and stayed chewy for a full week after I wrapped them in plastic wrap, plus their flavor never dulled. This might be my new go-to granola bar recipe. 

Dinner: Peanut Soba with Snow Peas

There are some nights when it gets too late and I have zero interest in cooking anything. But most of the time, I try to power through and just make something simple. When I tell you that these peanut noodles took as much effort as soaking rice noodles and making a sauce, that is seriously all it takes. And obviously I didn't regret making the effort by that point! Peanut noodles are my favorite and these were simply delicious, especially with the addition of snow peas, sambal, and lime.

Dinner: Old Bay Cauliflower Chickpea Burgers

Let me just say...these burgers are EVERYTHING! Perfect texture, flavor profile, and mouth feel somewhat akin to a real burger. There is a vegan burger in town that I like to order that also contains cauliflower, so I'm starting to wonder if this is the secret ingredient to a great veggie burger. Plus I love Old Bay, and it complemented the flavors of the chives and cauliflower beautifully. We served these on GF bread with vegan mayo, tomato, and lettuce, with a side of homemade oven fries as well. Doesn't get any better than this!

Night Out: Los Gordos Tex-Mex Cafe, Greensboro NC

We went out this past weekend and tried a Tex Mex place in town for the first time. It was the first restaurant with this cuisine that actually had GF options and was very accommodating for my dairy/gluten allergies. Finally we landed on these veggie fajitas - complete with Mexican rice, vegan refried beans (no lard!), guacamole, and pico. The best part, hands down, were the homemade corn tortillas. It was so different from a regular Mexican place. Los Gordos is tiny, but cozy, and everything tastes so fresh, so flavorful. The tortillas were the kicker because I can't stop thinking about them, which struck a conversation about why haven't we made tortillas yet? This has to be the best Mexican/Tex Mex food I've had, and I can't wait to go back!

BIG NEWS: I am moving in two months! Well, okay, not that far from where I live now...but I will have a real, new (as in not built in the 1950s) kitchen, which I am so excited about. I am sharing this news for a couple of reasons: I'm looking for suggestions/ideas on how to eat down my fridge/freezer/pantry for easier moving, but also good ideas for "starting meals" during our first week at the new place - which will involve quite a bit of unpacking/re-arranging. I am SO excited to move, but also a tiny sad to leave my quaint little neighborhood which I've grown to love. Luckily we won't be too far away. Any tips or suggestions you all have would be much appreciated!

Weekly Eats Four (2/1 - 2/7)

Dinner: Miso-Curry Roasted Squash, Tofu, and Potatoes over Rice

Some of my favorite winter meals consist of a tasty marinade/sauce, some cooked grains, and a huge baking tray of roasted things. This delicious meal is a great example of this! I have made a riff on this recipe, which comes from Super Natural Every Day, but you can try a still amazing take on it using harissa and miso. The best part of this meal is that it will last for days, and can be eaten with many different things. It pairs wonderfully with simple brown rice, but the addition of diced avocado and some hot sauce are also great! I can see a fried egg going well with this as well.

Afternoon Pick Me Up: Encha Ceremonial Grade Matcha 

I picked up one of these single-serve matcha packets from Vida Pour Tea here in Greensboro, and finally made a little matcha latte this weekend! I mixed it with steamed coconut milk, raw sugar, and a little peppermint syrup - it was delicious! I've never had real matcha before - definitely not the stuff you get at most coffee shops, this is the real deal. I am now seriously considering investing in a large amount of matcha, plus a whisk, spoon, and bowl. Curious to know how matcha makes you feel compared to other forms of caffeine? Here is a great resource!

Snack: Banana-Nut Muffins

We purchased some discounted bananas from the store last week - 8-9 for less than $2! I used some of them for smoothies, but the rest I decided to use for these muffins. This recipe comes from Isa Does It and took no time at all to make. I don't usually make muffins since they can take more time/effort than I like to put into my work snacks, but I will definitely be making these again! The ingredient list is short, minimal prep, and the payoff is amazing. I used walnuts for the nuts and subbed part of them with chocolate chips!

Dinner: Pasta with Raw Tomato-Garlic Sauce

I had some tomatoes in the fridge, so I decided to make an easy dinner with a raw tomato sauce. I just chopped up two tomatoes, minced 1-2 cloves of garlic, and added a heavy glug of olive oil along with Italian herbs, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Fresh basil is amazing in this if you have it. I recommend letting the sauce marinate for 1-2 hours, or at least 30 minutes if that's all you have. Top your pasta with the sauce and enjoy! I'm sure it would also be wonderful cold the next day.

Super Bowl Dinner: Black Bean Quinoa Soup

We were trying to find the perfect chili for Super Bowl Sunday, when I saw this recipe in the latest version of Vegan with a Vengeance. It has ingredients similar to chili, but a slightly different flavor, plus it took less than 30 minutes to cook! I don't use quinoa often because of the price, but it really made this soup delicious. We topped our bowls with crushed corn chips and diced avocado, and hot sauce would also be great with it. Since Super Bowl is over - this would be a perfect idea for any weeknight as well!

Super Bowl Appetizer: Sriracha Cauliflower Bites with Peanut Sauce

I've been dying to make cauliflower wings for some time now, but settled for these amazing sriracha cauliflower bites from the Thug Kitchen book! They take no time at all to make, plus the flavor is incredible - just spicy enough, yet not overpowering. I was hesitant about pairing this with a peanut sauce, but it turned out to be the perfect sauce for these! I would love to make these for a party since they do well with toothpicks and are fast to prep!

Overview: I definitely could've cooked more this week, but happy over all! I went to the gym 5 times last week too, which I am very proud of! This week I'd like to cook more, although we will be at the beach this weekend. That being said, I am hoping to not eat out since we will be out of town.

Ideas for the upcoming week: butternut buffalo mac and cheese with tofu bacon; apple pie granola bars; Alton Brown fish tacos

Dinner on a Tray: Cauliflower, Tomatoes + Tofu

I almost went out to eat last night. Almost. I had to stop myself and remember that a) my pantry is probably stocked with more food than anyone I know b) I am trying to save for Europe c) you can't watch Buffy at a restaurant. So I pulled myself out of this rut and made myself throw something together.

Due to laziness, this was not going to be anything spectacular or involved, but it ended up being incredibly satisfying. Lemon roasted cauliflower with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes. Paired with salty, baked tofu. I am trying to get into the habit of making more "clean-out-the-fridge" dinners. Feel free to add any random vegetables you have in the fridge that need to be used. I served this with pan-fried, sliced prepared Italian polenta because it was going to expire soon. 
Also, this recipe allows you to watch plenty of Buffy while dinner roasts in the oven (always a plus). 

One Tray Tofu, Cauliflower + Tomatoes

• 8-15 oz. extra-firm tofu, cubed (I used what I had left, which was 8 oz)
• 2 T soy sauce*
• 1 tsp rice vinegar*
• pepper
• juice of 1 lemon 
• olive oil
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets (or 1 head)
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (or more)
• garlic powder or whole garlic cloves
• salt
• oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Make sure that it's big enough to fit how much tofu and cauliflower you're roasting (or use two trays). Put the cauliflower, tomatoes and garlic cloves (if using) on one side of the tray. Toss with a little olive oil, juice of 3/4 of a lemon, garlic powder (if using), oregano, salt and pepper.
2. On the other side of the tray, lay down tofu in a single layer. Toss with the rest of the lemon juice and a little olive oil. In a small bowl, toss soy sauce and rice vinegar together. Poke holes in tofu with a toothpick. Pour "marinade" over tofu and toss. 
3. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Toss everything around and flip the tofu. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until cauliflower/tomatoes are tender and tofu is cooked and flavorful. 
4. I served this with pan-fried Italian polenta but this would also be great with rice, quinoa, or steamed greens. Leftover tofu also makes AMAZING sandwiches with tomato, lettuce, and mustard. Just so you know.

*note: if you are using more tofu, double the amount of "marinade".