Weekly Eats Nine (3/7 - 3/13)

Sick Remedy: Red Cabbage and Green Lentil Soup

As soon as I feel like I'm getting sick, I usually do a few things: rest, take vitamin C gummies, drink lots of tea, and make soup. I had most of a head of red cabbage in my fridge, so I decided to try this new soup to cure myself. In addition to what the recipe calls for, I added a ton of dried herbs: herbes de Provence, basil, dill, oregano, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Plus I topped each bowl with a heavy drizzle of balsamic vinegar, which nicely complemented the red wine laden broth. This soup was a hit! Plus I'm convinced it drove my sore throat and fever away. I will definitely be making this simple, peasant style soup again.

Dinner: BBQ Tempeh Wraps

Since we are preparing to move in about a month or so, I'm really cutting down on my food budget and trying to reuse scraps as much as possible. I like being on a budget because it forces me to be creative when I recipe plan and think of ways to re-use produce/scraps. Plus there is something very comforting about simple food - it almost takes me back to the great vegetarian food my mom made for me growing up. I grew up with her cooking tofu and tempeh every week, and I definitely have her to thank for my interest/knowledge of vegetarian food. These BBQ tempeh wraps take no effort or time at all, but rest assured they are amazing. Instead of a "typical" thick, tomato paste thickened BBQ sauce, I used a local Eastern NC BBQ sauce which has a lot of vinegar. I loved this version, but am excited to try it with regular BBQ sauce too. I added hot sauce plus some dried basil/oregano to each wrap, which was an excellent addition! I'm sure these would also be lovely for a picnic.

Dinner: Dirty Rice + Beans

I finally got to put my Dutch oven to use when I made this amazing recipe for dirty rice and beans. This recipe originally comes from Quick Fix Vegan, by one of my favorite authors, but luckily I found the recipe online as well (link above) for anyone who wants to try it! Although it needs to bake in the oven for about an hour, the prep is minimal and the flavor is super authentic. I've never made dirty rice, and I must say that the vegan variety tastes just like the real thing! Next time I think I'll add some sauteed vegan chorizo to bulk up the protein. Note: I used basmati rice instead of quick cooking rice, so I had to increase my cooking time to about 90 minutes. 

Imbibe: El Chupacabra

Sometimes I know exactly what kind of cocktail I want, and other times I don't. When the latter scenario occurs, I usually flip through my Drinks board on Pinterest until I find something that looks good. So I (thankfully) decided on this drink last night, El Chupacabra, which might just be one of the best ones I've had in a while. From what I can tell, it's a sort of riff on a Pimm's Cup, with the addition of white tequila and a float of Cynar on top. The outcome is an incredibly cucumber infused cocktail that will be perfect for summer. The combination of sour, sweet, fruity Pimms, and bitter Cynar is absolutely perfect. I don't know if I've mentioned that Cynar (artichoke liqueur) is my latest boozy crush, but I can't get enough of it. It's bitter like my best friend Campari, but it has a much deeper, darker flavor. 

Breakfast: Buttered Toast with 6-minute egg, kale sauerkraut + hot sauce

Getting up for work at 5 AM can be a struggle, but it's getting a lot better. I rediscovered my love for 6 minute eggs this weekend when I made a couple for a quick snack in between meals. This smoky kale kraut is my new favorite thing too. It reminds me of smoky, slow-cooked collard greens, which is taken even further when you add hot sauce on top. These eggs might be my new early morning go to because you can put the water on to boil while you get ready! By the time it's boiled - you're ready and just waiting to eat!

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

One of my favorite dishes I've recipe tested so far: pasta e fagioli "stew" (original recipes calls for groats!).

I can't quit this granola (minus the orange juice). I've been snacking on it all week, even though I made a batch for my Dad (originally). If you've never tried making your own granola, the time is now! Store-bought GF granola without refined sugars, dairy-based fats, etc. is expensive and really not worth the money. A while ago, I bought a case of GF rolled oats, so I am never out of them and I never have an excuse to not make my own granola/oatmeal. The flavors of this granola are vibrant with orange zest, crunchy with nuts and large coconut flakes, and sweet with raisins (subbed in for currants).

Another recipe I tested: almond butter cocoa! My favorite part was using the leftover cocoa to make a "vegan Frosty" with a frozen banana.

Every year in July, since I was a kid, we get blueberries from a farm somewhere in Kernersville. They are the best blueberries around and I can't wait for them every summer. I felt lazy on the prospect of making a pie, so I made this super easy blueberry coconut crumble for breakfast this weekend. It was so simple, delicious, and tasted just like blueberry pie. And I'm sure it would be even better with some vegan vanilla ice cream!

I'm finding myself using leftovers in more creative/useful ways lately. Mike had some leftover crushed tomatoes from a can, so I made a very "improvised" version of shakshuka. I used fresh garden banana peppers as the base, crushed tomatoes with basil, eggs, and the herbs sprinkled on top are thyme, oregano and rosemary. It was a hearty, delicious breakfast!

So I started a new job last week, which is very exciting, and I'm having a great time working. One of my goals after everything was finalized was to make homemade snacks for work each week. I keep kicking myself for buying store-bought hummus, because it just never tastes as good as homemade. I hate buying larabars too because they're a waste of money. So these were my snacks from week 1: the easiest chipotle hummus recipe, chopped cucumbers, carrots and celery, and hard-boiled eggs. I will definitely be making this hummus recipe again!

There is nothing quite like having an easy stir-fry for dinner. This one has cabbage, red bell pepper, tofu, ginger, and a few more delicious things to make a delicious weeknight meal. I added Thai basil on top, because it goes well with any stir-fry, and served it with quinoa. I really loved how the ginger and garlic cooked with the red cabbage, along with the soy sauce. And of course, don't forget the sriracha!

Work snacks week 2: garam masala hummus and 3-ingredient energy bites. I made these last night in about 10 minutes, so all I have to do today is chop some vegetables. The hummus came together beautifully, and I love the gradients of the toasted sesame seeds on top! Garam masala is probably one of my favorite spices, so I loved using it in this hummus. I was also feeling a little lazy and didn't want to purchase dates just to make fake larabars. So I settled for the 3-ingredient energy bites instead, which only have: coconut, peanuts and vegan chocolate chips. They took less than 5 minutes to make and they are delicious!

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

Let me say this: I have hated pickles most of my life. Just the thought of them was enough to make me sick. But now, if I can find just the right kind, I love them. I guess I can chalk this up to my latest love affair with briny, fermented foods. While these pickles are a little expensive, they're well worth it if you can splurge on accoutrements for burgers (or snacking). They also make whiskey sour, extra spicy, and IPA brined pickles. Unlike pickles, I've loved mustard for as long as I can remember. Now that I'm older, I prefer spicier, brinier mustard varieties. Lusty monk is made in Asheville, so it's local, and there are tons of whole mustard seeds in just one jar. So be prepared to feel the burn! I can't wait to put both of these jars on everything. Last night I had leftover veggie burgers with pickles and mustard, and it was heavenly.

I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I am seriously loving red cabbage with Asian flavors. This recipe comes from Isa Does It and it consists of a sesame Asian slaw, quinoa, edamame and sesame broiled tofu. Alright, maybe I'm a little obsessed with this combo lately. I added some cooked quinoa for extra protein, which worked great here. I'm definitely going to double the ginger miso dressing next time because it's so delicious! I can't wait to try red cabbage in different ways this summer.

I used to LOVE getting black bean nachos at Mexican restaurants. Honestly, I sometimes wish I could go to a Mexican restaurant for a big plate of nachos, guacamole, and maybe a margarita. Sadly, this isn't possible for me, but these vegan breakfast nachos definitely make it a little easier! These are topped with roasted potatoes, black beans, scrambled tofu, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, cilantro, and chili lime cholula. I wanted to make the queso but I am out of miso paste right now. These nachos are incredible, which is an understatement, and they would be perfect for a Friday night in! We ate ours with a mix of Kraken, lime and hot ginger ale to make for a perfect meal.

Now that is sort of "officially" summer, I've been craving fresh basil like crazy! I finally bought a little "pre-planted" basil pot to grow in my windowsill. I used it on Friday to make this creamy vegan garlic lover's pasta with tomatoes and GF pasta. I love that this pasta doesn't use soaked cashews, but it's still super creamy and quick to make! I didn't roast my tomatoes in order to make this dish a little quicker, and it was still delicious. 

This isn't food related, but I just had to share: my first knitted scarf! I've been working on it on and off for almost a year, but I finally finished it the other day! It's made from about 1 and a half standard balls of purple yarn. This is the first thing I've ever knitted, so I'm pretty proud of myself! I can't wait to try other projects this summer. It's hard for me to knit during the school year, but hopefully I can find more time this coming semester!

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

This is maybe my favorite vegan mac + cheeze recipe that is SO easy and delicious. We added steamed mustard greens for sustenance. This is the second time I've made this recipe.

I had some pretty bad allergies for most of this week, so I whipped up some AMAZING coconut chana saag from Isa Does It. I can honestly say I've never made a bad recipe from her before, and this is possibly the best Indian food I've ever made. The fennel seeds give a nice anise flavor to the dish, and jasmine rice and cilantro are essential for this meal to be complete. It's also fairly easy for a weeknight Indian dish!

I posted my favorite recipe for miso ramen soup this week, that always makes me feel better! I'm convinced the combo of miso, raw garlic and ginger cured me.

My favorite gluten-free beer is finally out! It has a short season of only a couple of months, but it's so good. It's made with strawberries, sorghum and buckwheat honey.

 I was in Raleigh all weekend, so I made some vegan burgers from the Oh She Glows cookbook. I couldn't find the recipe from the book online, but this is the recipe she made before publishing her book and they're pretty similar. They're made from black beans, sunflower seeds, flax, GF breadcrumbs, carrots and more! They're a little time consuming because of the long ingredient list, but they're delicious, healthy and full of flavor! Veggie burgers are great for traveling because all you have to do is heat it up, add toppings, and eat with a side! My friend Piper made us a delicious saute with Farmers market zucchini, onions, bell peppers, carrots and Greek oregano. 

 So Piper made some amazing "braised" red cabbage this weekend with smashed garlic. And being the weirdo I am, I had this for breakfast with some pan-sauteed quinoa and an egg. I made this recipe again as soon as I got home again, so maybe I will post it if any of you are interested! I'm always looking for easy ways to use up leftover red cabbage. 

I was in Raleigh for Piper's bridal shower this weekend, so I made one of my favorite desserts: pink lemonade bars! They are GF/dairy-free but no one could tell :) And they're perfect for the warm weather.