Friday Favorites

1. huge heart eyes for these breakfast waffle nachos

2. vegan pizza needs to happen more often in my kitchen
3. I feel like I've waited my entire life for side by side comparisons of films and their re-makes
4. how funky cool are these psychedelic spring rolls?
5. matcha can go on anything - even dusted with sugar over churros
6. the ultimate supercut of the fourth wall being broken
7. bourbon plus girl scout cookies - need I say more?
8. here's what's next for cocktails in 2016
9. cereal milk, chia, and Lucky Charms are the healthiest/least healtgy breakfast combo that I would totally justify if I could
10. how did my beloved negroni become today's favorite cocktail?
11. so much love for black sesame thumbprint cookies
12. one of my absolutely favorite drinks - in frozen form!
13. literally the only shamrock shake I care about - she had me at peppermint and matcha!
14. in honor of International Women's Day, here is my favorite round-up of the badass women of Greensboro (my hometown and current stomping grounds)
15. I thought this cake would be my gateway excuse to buying culinary grade matcha, but it turns out it's my excuse to buy a ridiculous amount of fancy marshmallows (earl grey?!!)

Little Ham having his daily brushing session.

Weekly Eats Five (2/8 - 2/14)

Dinner: Buffalo Butternut Mac with Tofu Bacon

One of my favorite things about cooking with vegetables is being able to use them in many different ways. I had some butternut squash leftover from the previous week, so I set out on a search on how to use it up. So I decided to roast it with onions to make this incredible buffalo mac with tofu bacon! I'm all for vegan mac that doesn't involve soaking cashews or long ingredient lists, so this was perfect. The tofu bacon was a delicious addition as well, which didn't take time at all! This recipe lasted me quite a few days, and I even had some leftovers for the beach as well!

Dinner: Spicy Fish Taco Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Slaw + Singapore Sauce

When does something become a tradition? Can you simply name it that, or should you do it a few times before it really holds that meaning? In any case, we repeated this from last year's Valentines trip: 1) the beach 2) fish from the local market 3) put off making dinner until as late as possible and neither one of you really want to do anything but you do anyways. These three things combine for a magical, cozy Valentines dinner at the condo. We spent the day frolicking around a nice shopping center where we tried out a brewery restaurant and a wonderful sushi spot (we highly recommend both!). After watching a movie, we whipped together this super quick fish taco bowl, and doused it in Singapore sauce that we got from the sushi place. These bowls were filling, insanely flavorful, and the best ending to such a great day. And every time I cook fish, I always ask myself why I don't more often. So this is something I'd like to work on! It was also lovely to have some quinoa, which I don't eat nearly as often as I used to.

Fuel: Tea Pigs Matcha + Apple Drink

I have been on a somewhat random, crazy matcha/green tea kick lately, so it has been most of what I've been drinking lately. I picked up this cute little juice box of matcha/apple juice for the trip home. It was delicious, definitely gave me a boost, plus the willpower to drive over 3 hours and not go crazy. Hooray! I'd love to order some of their loose teas as well.

Fuel: Ito En Sencha Shot

(See above for green-tea-mania explanatory note) This stuff is a kick in the pants if you really need it. I should probably keep a case of these in the fridge at all time, you know, just in case (but really because they are so good). This would be a perfect pre-work out boost or I'm-too-sleepy-to-function drink, but I sadly had to pair it with the one above to even stay focused on the drive home. I'm not a fan of long trips, but lots of caffeine helped in more ways than one!

Breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Smash Toast/Bagel

Another beach trip "tradition" is this easy, protein-packed breakfast that I make at least once while we are away. First I toast either two slices of GF bread or a GF bagel (their everything bagels are tops for this). Then I smash one avocado with juice of 1/2 a lemon, a little lemon pepper, sweet Hungarian paprika, cumin, and salt. Taste for seasoning and acidity. Spread generously onto each piece of bread/bagel. Instead of smoked salmon, I buy nova bits by the pound from the Fresh Market (tip: its cheaper and doesn't taste any different) - you only need a little over 1/4pd for this. Tear into bite sized pieces and place on top. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and devour! It will keep you full for hours and it's the best damn thing you'll have for breakfast.

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