Weekly Eats Eleven (3/21 - 3/27)

Post Workout Snack: Toast with Chocolate Peanut Butter + Banana Chips

I was desperate for a banana/chocolate PB toast but was out of bananas...so banana chips to the rescue! It was actually still delicious and I loved the crunch from the chips. Chocolate peanut butter is one of my favorite snack additions because its a nice little twist on regular PB!

Dinner: Fast and Flavorful Fried Rice

Cooked, leftover rice plus frozen mixed vegetables and eggs, is a one way ticket to the laziest and tastiest dinner. Next time I think I'd like to use Chinese 5-Spice powder instead of the chili powder, which sort of numbed the other spices in this dish. However, for something that took less than 10 minutes, this filling take on fried rice certainly did the trick. To make vegan, simply sub crumbled tofu or edamame instead of eggs.

Feast: Vegan Okonomiyaki Panckes with Tonkatsu sauce, steamed Edamame, and Cold Marinated Tofu

This vegan, Asian-inspired feast was sooo good. Every once in a while, I like to make a few meal components instead of just one main entree. It makes dinner feel like something special, because maybe it took just a tiny more effort than one dish. First, I prepped the cold tofu salad which comes from America's Test Kitchen's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. The tofu is marinated in a mix of seaweeds, mirin (sweetened sake), rice vinegar, and vegan fish sauce. To serve, strain with a slotted spoon and top with crumbled nori and toasted sesame oil. I've never had tofu served like this before, but it was delicious! We had it the next day in cabbage leaves, which was also wonderful. Finally, the main even if you will, were these Japanese vegetable pancakes loaded with vegetables and topped with vegan mayo and a ketchup/tamari sauce. These pancakes were absolutely delicious. The mix of the sauces on top took it over the edge and made them perfect. To round everything out, I served all of this with some simple cucumber sake martinis - equal parts dry sake and vodka, with thinly sliced/mandolined cucumber.

Dinner: Cheater Pad Thai

Step 1: boil noodles. Step 2: make sauce. Step 3: mix noodles with sauce and miscellaneous vegetables. That's really it, and that's why "cheater" is in the name of this recipe. I love traditional versions of pad Thai, but this quick and easy version will satisfy your cravings as well. I've made this recipe many times before, but this time I added sliced cucumber, coleslaw mix (green/red cabbage, carrots), and that's it! To make this last longer/serve more people, I multiplied all of the ingredients by four to make enough for one pound of rice noodles. This is also delicious served hot and cold.

Imbibe: Beetbox at 1618 Wine Lounge

Creamy, vinegary, sharp, and bitter - the Beetbox cocktail at 1618 is absolutely perfect. Besides its Pantone hued color, the bitter tastes of Campari mixed with a sweet/sour beet shrub made the best combination. The mint on top is a nice, bright balance to all things bitter and sour.

Imbibe: Kimchi Gibbler at 1618 Wine Lounge

Kimchi in a cocktail? I know what you're thinking. But let's not forget that I have some sort of inherent duty to try all of the strange cocktails that I can find. So after some (very brief) deliberation, I decided to give it a go. Finely strained kimchi juice, mixed with just a touch more of sriracha, local gin, and lemon make a much lighter riff on a bloody Mary. The balance in this cocktail was surprising, as I was expecting the kimchi to be overpowering, but the flavors together made a wonderfully spicy and sour drink.

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

This is an extra-long post because I am posting all of the things I've eaten before my wisdom teeth surgery, which is in two days! This blueberry cobbler smoothie will probably be perfect after I get my teeth out too, even though I made this last week. This smoothie is super easy, lemony and delicious! I've been using a lot of my local blueberries as much as possible lately, which I'm storing in the freezer.

I made Kara's delicious vegan omelette last week, which I stuffed with a smoky balsamic mushroom and spinach filling. I love how ridiculously filling these vegan omelettes are and they only have a few ingredients, minus the fillings! It kept me full for more than a few hours. For the filling: I just sauteed some thinly sliced cremini mushrooms in a pan with some olive oil until lightly browned. Then I added a heavy splash of balsamic vinegar and a few drops of liquid smoke, then stirred in some chopped spinach, until everything is soft and flavorful!

Probably my favorite recipe I've tested for the cookbook: spicy almond butter noodles with edamame, ribbons of cucumber and carrots, steamed broccoli and peanuts.

Another delicious blueberry smoothie! This one has vegan yogurt and GF rolled oats for some extra sustenance. 

I made some very flavorful deviled eggs as a snack last week using sriracha, hard-boiled egg yolks, some vegan mayo and leftover homemade garam masala hummus. I then topped each one with a Thai basil leaf. These were amazing!

I LOVE trying new variations on Caesar dressings, and this one from Veganomicon is incredible because it's made with silken tofu and finely processed almonds. The best part of this salad was definitely the roasted garlic croutons, which I made GF by using Udi's GF whole-grain bread. I also added chopped cucumbers, chickpeas and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast to make one delicious and filling salad!

A mushroom, green onion and thyme omelette I made for breakfast!

I made a very quick and filling smoothie at work: one green superfood chocolate packet, 3 frozen bananas, a heaping spoonful of peanut butter and a few splashes of hot water. I loved this chocolate superfood packet and I can't wait to try the other flavors!

I haven't had a samosa in years, so these samosa-stuffed baked potatoes were a great substitute (since I can't have the pastry dough)! They didn't take too long to make, but I certainly wouldn't cook them on a week day. The flavors of the samosa filling were absolutely delicious and very authentic! I'd recommend this for anyone who loves samosas, but doesn't want to go through the process of making samosas. This recipe originally comes from Veganomicon. 

I recently snagged some local okra from a produce stand, so I finally broke down and made these okra fritters again! I made them GF by using Bob's all-purpose GF flour and added some Cajun seasoning in order to add a little more flavor. I made these years ago, and they are still delicious and very easy to make! I topped mine with some vegan mayo and a few more sprinkles of Cajun seasoning.

I haven't made banana bread in a while, but this summer squash banana-oat loaf with an almond streusel really caught my eye! I have never used summer squash (except zucchini) in desserts. I used local two-tone summer squash. Of course, I also love that this recipe is already gluten and dairy-free, so no substitutions needed! I also can't believe I've never baked anything with a streusel topping before this! This loaf was super easy to make and very lightly sweetened, which I really love. 

I made another wonderful recipe from Veganomicon this morning, which was this corn and edamame sesame salad. It took only ten minutes to make and is a great lunch served with some rice crackers! I love anything that is flavored strongly with sesame, and anything with edamame!

Smoky Summer Edamame Succotash

One thing I would like to start doing this semester is getting in the kitchen, once a week, and throwing a recipe together. I had my heart set on making some kind of succotash, but didn't feel like going to the store. I never have lima beans on hand, but I almost always have frozen edamame (in pod and shelled). Edamame makes a great snack, a quick lunch, or even a tasty hummus when paired with coriander. 

I also have a TON of squash, peppers, okra, etc. leftover from a trip my dad took to a local farm. I have never cooked okra before, but I didn't want to just deep fry it. This succotash may not be "traditional" by any means, but it satisfied my craving for something smoky, flavorful, and packed with vegetables. It comes together quickly and can be adjusted to fit whatever is in your fridge. This makes a great weeknight end-of-summer meal! Pair with a good glass of white wine and you'll be in Southern summer heaven.

Smoky Summer Edamame Succotash

• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• olive oil
• salt
• 1 green pepper, minced
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 - 3/4 C frozen organic corn, thawed*
• 1/2 - 3/4 C frozen organic edamame, thawed*
• cajun seasoning, paprika, smoked paprika, pepper, oregano, dried basil
• 15-20 okra pods, tops removed + sliced
• hot sauce
• liquid smoke
• juice of 2 small limes, or 1 large
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• serving options: cajun rice, quinoa, polenta rounds, cornbread, baked potatoes

1. Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the oil, then onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Add the green pepper, squash and zucchini. Cook until they begin to soften, about 3 more minutes.
2. Turn the pan up to medium-high. Add the corn and edamame, stirring to combine. Then add all the spices (and more salt if needed) to coat the vegetables. You can use different spices, but these are the ones I found fitting for a succotash. Cook a few more minutes to warm the thawed vegetables and slightly brown them.
3. Add okra, as much hot sauce as you desired (I used about 10 drops), a few drops of liquid smoke, and lime juice. Stir to combine and cook 3 more minutes. A few minutes before serving, stir in the garlic. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
4. Serve over whatever you desire (I used quinoa with vegan butter and salt) and enjoy!

**notes: I find the easiest way to thaw frozen vegetables is to briefly run them under hot water in a colander. Feel free to use fresh corn and edamame here if they're available!

(970) le tombeau des lucioles

These past few weeks have been crazy! I have so many food photos to share, but really haven't had the time. I'm finally on spring break, which has done nothing but stressed me out a bit more haha. Thankfully there are only seven more weeks of school left. 

I have been wanting to make edamame hummus for such a long time, and after having the Trader Joes brand, I had to remake it. It takes a little longer to puree the edamame beans, but the flavors are perfectly complimented with garlic and coriander. If you're looking for a twist on the usual hummus, this is perfect and has a ton of protein! //oh she glows

Another thing I've been meaning to make for a long time are dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I have a slight problem with the Justin's packaged brand, so I had to remake them. These were cheaper, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make! This recipe used almond butter and dark chocolate, which work perfectly together. The layering of the chocolate and peanut butter gets a little tedious, but it's worth it! //sprouted kitchen

Blood orange, peach and pear sangria.

I have been cooking mostly from Happy Herbivore recipes, just because they're cheap, simple, and nutritious. This vegan alfredo sauce was perfect for a night when I didnt feel like cooking, but wanted something healthy. With 35g of protein per serving, you will definitely feel full after this (especially with protein from brown rice pasta)! It also took 10 minutes to make with cooking the pasta. //happy herbivore

I've been making a lot of salads here lately and this vegan Caesar salad dressing was amazing! I ate it for days with NC sprouts, lettuce, tomato and carrots. Because it's made from silken tofu and nutritional yeast, it also has about 3g protein per tablespoon! //everyday happy herbivore

I made vegan french toast last week for breakfast one weekday morning and it was easy/delicious! I was very surprised at how similar it tasted to regular french toast with out using any eggs! Surprisingly enough, chickpea flour and almond milk with vanilla extract produced the same flavor! //happy herbivore

Perfectly baked thyme oven fries

After finishing off my vegan caesar salad dressing, I made one of my favorites: homemade balsamic vinaigrette from Isa's amazing book. It's so easy to make and has protein from the cashews! I will be making that dressing over and over again. It went great with a salad of sprouts, avocado, cucumber, tomato + romaine. //appetite for reduction

I have been wanting to also make a vegan frittata for quite some time, since there are so many easy recipes for them that don't involve cast iron pans. I made this incredibly easy frittata from Happy Herbivore with old bay, black beans, and red pepper. I doused it in a ton of hot sauce and ate it with some really delicious thyme oven fries! //everyday happy herbivore

Blood orange gin and tonics: 
Put ice cubes in the bottom of a glass. Top with a shot of gin (I used Tanqueray). Top with 1/2 C freshly squeezed blood orange juice and tonic water. Stir and enjoy!