First Meal Prep

Two weeks ago, we finally sort of meal prepped since being home from the beach. We have been trying to eat out less, which does not happen in much, but having things already cooked truly does prevent us from eating out/eating badly. While there's no "right way" to meal prep, I just looked at the posts on Shutterbean for inspiration and thought about other things that would be useful in our kitchen. Cole usually makes chicken for himself every week to eat alongside our always vegetarian meals, while everything I prep is, of course, vegetarian. 

So where to begin? There are a lot of ways that I could write about this, but if you're starting to meal prep, consider this: what times do you need convenient meals? For me, it's breakfasts, snacks, and maybe a few things here and there for lunch. I have to get up at 5:30 AM 5 days of the week, so having something already made for breakfast saves on time and prevents me from not really eating breakfast. Having healthy snacks pre made and prepped helps me to not snack on chips while I'm at work or other unhealthy items.

When I work out, I usually have breakfast, a little snack later on in the morning, and a workout shake before I workout. After the gym, I eat a somewhat late lunch with plenty of carbs and protein, and later on is dinner. Having things like cooked rice, quinoa, millet, and other grains in the fridge makes it simple to pull together a quick lunch. Here's a great tutorial on how to cook quinoa, my favorite protein-packed grain, along with meal ideas to get you started!

Something else that helps is our magnetic "dry erase chalkboard" on our fridge - where I list our meals for the week, as well as what's in the fridge. This was so helpful in creating lunches for us using leftovers, and knowing what needed to be eaten down before it went bad. So here's what we made for the first week:

- Deviled Egg Salad - [on toast for breakfast, sandwiches with power greens, or scooped onto a salad] - I've never improvised egg salad but essentially I minced about 1/4 cup red onion and 2 celery stalks. Hard-boiled 5 eggs for 14 minutes. After boiling, I diced it using an egg slicer, then added roughly 1/2 cup vegan mayo, celery/onion, 1/2 TBS stoneground mustard, a heavy dash of Fox Point, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix together and enjoy! Honestly, I made this egg salad the same way that I make my deviled eggs, and it was perfect.

- Greek salad dressing - [salads or as a light dressing on anything] We bought a 5 pound bag of power greens, so I was really pushing salads during this week and I made a salad dressing. However, next time, I will definitely double/triple a dressing because we used all of it in a night! 
- Mediterranean quinoa salad - [lunches and dinners] This easy, tangy quinoa salad definitely saved us many times throughout the week. I added a dash of white balsamic vinegar each time, and we both added extra protein (like vegan chikn cutlets or eggs).

- Morning glory protein bars - [snacks/pre-workout] These protein bars are absolutely packed with protein - and the best part is that you can customize them based on whatever you happen to have in your pantry. I added flax seeds on top, coconut, and used dried cranberries/raisins/golden raisins for the dried fruit. I loved these as snacks while I was at work, and especially before a workout because of the carb/protein combo!

Here are the meals that we made this week for dinner:

- Hearty Southwest Lentil Veggie Soup - This soup was so ridiculously tasty and easy to make after a few hours of meal prepping! It also made a ton of soup, which means we had plenty of leftovers. I served each bowl with the chipotle crema, crushed tortilla chips, plus a handful of cilantro. And if you left the crema out, I'm sure this would be freezer friendly! Sometimes it's nice to have a big batch of soup to eat throughout the week.

- Saucy Fish Tacos - We have been using our apartment complex's grill a lot lately, usually once a week, so I've been trying to find new recipes for us to try. We love fish tacos, and these just looked so good! We used frozen, wild caught flounder (fresh would be amazing, of course), skipped some of the toppings, but the sauce is a must. It is so good, flavorful, and versatile. Not only is it amazing on these tacos, but it also paved the way for a few nights of amazing dinners. We made burrito bowls two nights in a row using the leftover grilled poblano sauce. They consisted of jasmine rice, canned vegan refried black beans, salsa, hot sauce, avocado, cilantro, and the sauce. SO good! And don't forget the Caipirinhas!

Overview: For our first meal prep, it went pretty well! Next time I'd like to prep everything on one day, instead of over two days. We definitely bought too many salad greens/didn't eat enough of them, so I think maybe not buying a 5 pound Costco bag next time is a good idea. We ate out on Saturday, so I would like to avoid that next time as well.

Next time: homemade salsa, granola, coconut flour PB2 cookies, vegan Parmesan, and cooked rice

Friday Favorites 9.9

1. I'm sure it's clear by now that I am utterly obsessed with all things tea. This chamomile corn chowder looks super intriguing!
2. Semi-sad that summer is almost over, but I can still pretend if I make these super pretty lime sugar cookies with pineapple buttercream - shaped like pineapples!
3. Here are the 10 best booze shout outs in rap music. I gotta say, I can't believe they left out Snoop's in 'Gin & Juice' to Tanqueray
4. The most dreamy way to decorate your cookies/cupcakes? Try a galaxy glaze!
5. Although I just said I'm hanging on to summer, I'm already eyeing these slow-cooker hot toddies. I guess you could say I'm torn about the seasons!
6. These "everything seasoned" galettelettes (mini galettes) with scallions and tomatoes sounds absolutely ridiculous. Plus Molly's blog is so cute! 
7. Boozy tarts are the best of all worlds - and these gin and tonic lemon tarts sound superb! 
8. An awesome read where traditional Japanese art meets tattoos and - cats! An interview with the creator behind Monmon Cats with Puss Puss Magazine. I would love to cover my apartment in his artwork!
9. I know, it's just September...but I rediscovered this grilled pumpkin bread with honeycomb. Let's just see, autumn can't come soon enough!
10. This honeycrisp old-fashioned sounds like the best way to welcome autumn in a few weeks!

The Battery - Charleston, South Carolina

Weekly Eats Twelve (3/28 - 4/3)

Holiday Eats: Grilled Salmon, Vegan Pasta Salad, Deviled Eggs, and Southern Potato Salad

This is what I ate for a (late) Easter dinner - marinaded/grilled salmon, my mom's classic Southern potato salad, her deviled eggs, pasta salad, and roasted romanesco (green cauliflower). I wanted to try a new pasta salad recipe since my mom doesn't like mayo, even if it's vegan mayo, so I used this recipe which uses a silken tofu mayo dressing plus dried dill. I must say, I wasn't really a fan of the silken mayo dressing. I thought it was a little bland overall, but then again I could've tweaked it be otherwise, but discovering my oven is broken kind of distracted me.

Dinner: Favorite Lentil Soup

I'm sure you might be wondering why there are so few posts this week...and it's due to the fact that I was nursing an infected canker sore and had difficulty chewing for most of that time. Luckily this lentil soup did the trick, which I had an easier time eating after a day or so on meds. I loved the combination of different herbs in this recipe. Instead of dried tarragon, I used dried rosemary, ground marjoram, and basil. I will definitely be making this again - especially next time we need a get well soon soup.

Dinner: Classic Sauteed Tofu, Steamed Kale + Slow-Cooker Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes

As mentioned above, my oven currently does not work, which breaks my heart. Luckily I am moving into a place with new appliances soon (yay!) so I won't have to wait that much longer. I made these mashed potatoes in the slow cooker when I could still barely chew, and they are probably one of the best mashed potato recipes I've had! The potatoes cook for less than three hours in the slow cooker, then you mash with almond milk and serve! They went perfectly with the tofu and kale. We marinated the tofu extra long (over an hour) and then sauteed 5-6 mins/side in some leftover marinade, adding more after flipping, instead of baking it. This might be our new go to "basic" tofu recipe. The flavor was wonderful, especially with a little lemon pepper on top. I'd like to try this with Bragg's Amino Acids next time, which Isa calls for in her recipe that originally comes from this book, but I never have it on hand.

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!

Weekly Eats Three (1/25 - 1/31)

Breakfast: Slow-Cooker Earl Grey Oatmeal

Overnight slow cooker oatmeal is a real life saver when you need to be up at 5:30! It takes no time at all to make - and you can easily sub in chai or Lady Grey tea! I used vanilla extract in place of the rosewater as well. This recipe yielded about 3 breakfast servings

Dinner: Tortilla Soup

The snow storm last weekend led to us raiding the pantry and fridge for an easy meal! This tortilla soup is something I've blogged about before - in fact, this picture is from last year. I love this soup because it seriously takes less than 30 minutes and it's so flavorful. Happy to report these beans were still from scratch (leftover from a large batch I made) and lasted us several snow days!

Dinner: Spicy Tofu Stew with Jasmine Rice

For Christmas, I received a very thoughtful gift - a subscription to Vegetarian Times! I'm so excited to have a thorough, vegetarian magazine to cook and adapt recipes from. I decided to make the first recipe I came across in their latest January/February issue - spicy tofu stew, which was voted one of their most popular recipes from last year. I was scared that this stew would not be super flavorful, but I was so wrong! I added a heavy dose of lemon pepper and Northwoods fire seasoning, plus a little vegan butter and more sambal. It only takes ten minutes to make this ridiculously filling and flavorful stew! Highly recommended with some jasmine rice for balance and bulk.

Snacks: Cajun Hummus

I made a batch of slow-cooker chickpeas, which went towards the last two recipes! This batch of Cajun hummus was a great snack to take to work - with corn chips, carrot sticks, or celery sticks. It's also nice to have a healthy snack to munch on while I'm home. I also found another use for breakfast - mixed with eggs for breakfast plus hot sauce. I love trying new hummus recipes, and this one is a new favorite!

Dinner: Buffalo Chickpea Stuffed Potato

Looks like I've revisited a lot of old favorites lately - and this one is no exception! Another lovely 10 minute meal that is hearty, filling, and super spicy! I cooled it down with a little extra vegan butter, but if you have vegan sour cream/vegan ranch, that would also be amazing. I seriously forgot how delicious buffalo sauce is!

Breakfast: blood orange - chia - apple - banana smoothies

Overview: Admittedly, I ate out way more than I wanted to this week, so I would like to not do that this week. I'd also like to post on time this week! On a positive note, I did cook all of my beans from scratch and did not spend a lot on groceries. Plus I had snacks for work last week. I'm excited to try new recipes this week and hopefully some new snack recipes as well.

Ideas for this week: banana bread granola bars; crunchy black bean tacos; Old Bay cauliflower burgers with garlic-curry fries; tequila sunrise chili; cauliflower buffalo wings

Best of 2015

I know, I know...where did I go? Well, I'll have to explain that another time. Things got crazy and I stopped keeping up with my blog is the short version. Now I have more time on my hands, so I'm back at it and hopefully here to stay! Somehow we've made it through another year of food, drinks, and other delightful things. I'll be posting in the next few days about what I'm looking forward to in 2016, with more focus on "bucket lists" rather than resolutions. This has been one of the most difficult years for me, so I've been doing a lot of self-reflection. 

Anyways, let's get to the food! It's been quite a while since I last posted, so some of these may not look familiar, but here are my 15 favorite things from 2015!

15 Favorite Recipes of 2015

1. Gluten-free Angel Food Cake served with vegan whipped cream & brandied strawberries

2. Chinese 5-spice Drunken Noodles

3. Tequila Lime Fish Tacos with pickled red onions & avocado

4. Roasted Banana Bourbon Ice Cream (vegan); pro tip: use Knob Creek smoked maple bourbon!

5. Portobello Pups served with a grilled potato, grilled squash & vegan jalapeno poppers. These tasted just like hot dogs, but even better!

6. Authentic Pad Thai - one of the best I've tasted!

7. Ginger-Apple Crumble Pie

8. Cheesless Crustless Quiche

9. Chopped Italian Salad

10. Tortilla Soup - one of my new go-to quick recipes made with pantry ingredients!

11. Hot & Sour Soup with Mushrooms, Cabbage & Rice - new favorite sick soup and it takes no time to make! I loaded mine up with extra lime, soy sauce, sriracha, and kimchi.

12. Vegan Black Bean Fajitas + Guacamole

13. Broccoli Almond Sweet & Sour Tofu

14. Blackened Tofu & Butternut Coconut Rice served with steamed kale

15. Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Waffles - perfect for a snow storm!

Happy New Year Everyone! :)

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

It's so odd to make this post because the first few recipes are from before school started back! That's why there's been a long "pause" in between posts around here lately. My schedule is kind of odd this year, with more than a few night classes, so I'm still trying to get my grip on meal prepping/cooking/doing dishes. Anyways, here is a Thai basil fried rice I made a few weeks ago for breakfast. I basically sauteed some cooked rice with Thai basil, GF soy sauce, sesame oil + rice vinegar. I also used eggs, so it's not vegan, but you could easily substitute crumbled tofu! And don't forget tons of sriracha on top! I can post a full recipe if anyone is interested.

This is the first time I've used avocado in pasta, and it was surprisingly delicious! The pesto is super easy to make, flavorful, and maybe one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. The only thing to be aware of is that because avocados brown easily, the leftovers are only good for maybe a day afterwards (but I stopped caring and just ate all of it anyways). As Angela suggests, I topped mine with lemon zest, black pepper, extra basil and served it with some cherry tomatoes.

After taking anitbiotics for so long, it finally caught up with me and I stuck to "bland foods" for about a week. This chickpea, cabbage + rice soup from Isa Does It was absolutely perfect! This soup is incredibly cheap and easy to make, plus it's super nourishing! I can't wait to make it in the fall/winter this year. Instead of the dill, I made a "boquet garni" of fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary which added a lovely fragrance to the soup.

I was really craving caprese, so I made a vegan version up! I basically made a balsamic reduction, which I briefly marinated the tofu in (next time I will add fresh oregano) and cut the same width as the tomatoes, then sandwiched them in between each other along with a large basil leaf. It satisfied my craving and was a delicious summertime dinner!

One of my favorite things to do is to take a couple of components from a recipe, and improvise the rest. This was my first "back to school" meal: I got the garlic-tahini sauce and garlicky millet/rice from this recipe. Instead of the suggested vegetables, I seared some local summer squash and cooked edamame with some garlic. This bowl was absolutely delicious! I also loved having millet/jasmine rice together instead of my usual plain brown rice or plain jasmine rice. I also used this sauce on some eggs with pico de gallo, which was also tasty! This is one of my favorite bowl meals ever and it was so simple!

From One Dish Vegan: pasta with chickpeas, spinach and raisins served with GF/DF multi-grain ciabatta rolls. If you've never tried raisins in savory dishes before, it adds a lovely, subtle sweetness to dishes. I loved this recipe because the fennel seeds pairs with the garlic and raisins wonderfully! Also those ciabatta rolls are ridiculously delicious (not homemade).

Work snacks: cut up celery, cucumber + carrots with homemade sun-dried tomato hummus. This was my first time making sun-dried tomato hummus and it was wonderful! I definitely need to start using sun-dried tomatoes more.

Lentils are definitely a staple in my diet because they're cheap, quick to make, and super versatile. I try to get mine from Trader Joe's because they're about $2/less a bag (brown and red). For French lentils, I get Harris Teeter organics for about $2 as well on sale. Anyways, you can do anything with lentils: soups, salads, tacos, "meat"balls, pasta, etc. The list goes on! Here's one of my favorite ways: lentil taco meat from Happy Herbivore Abroad. These were a great, quick meal for any night of the week! We topped ours with chopped lettuce, hot sauce and pico de gallo. I also used the leftover lentils the next day to make a taco salad with crushed taco chips and other salad fixings (also with chipotle lime hot sauce).

I probably sound like a broken record when I start sentences with "I can't believe I don't make this type of dish more often"...but I really can't believe I don't make cold noodle salads more often! This is the spicy cucumber and edamame soba salad from One Dish Vegan. This wasn't quite as spicy as I wanted it to be, so I used extra chili garlic sauce at the end. Noodle salads are great for packed lunches, especially when they're beautiful and green like this one! 

This is my first Ethiopian dish: Atakilt Wat or Ethiopian cabbage, potatoes and carrots. I loved this meal because of the mix of warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon, alongside cumin and turmeric to create a beautifully golden-hued dish. Cabbage and potatoes, as well as carrots, are typically cheap vegetables too, so it makes a great budget meal as well. I served mine with cooked brown rice from the slow cooker and LOTS of sriracha. I'm probably breaking some food codes there, but trust me, it's wonderful. 

Here's a great time saver for classes: making slow-cooker oatmeal overnight so you don't have to make breakfast in the morning! This one has vanilla, spices and almond milk. I also added cranberries and pecans when I served it. I'm starting to realize I'm not a huge fan of steel cut oats, but I know there are plenty of slow-cooker recipes with regular oats as well. This also made enough for breakfast for 3-4 days!

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

My last meal before getting my wisdom teeth out is one of my go-to easy meals: jasmine rice steamed with spinach (stir it in after cooking until it wilts), cubed farmer's cucumbers, sliced avocado, two eggs over easy (with garlic and smoked paprika in the yolks) and miso horseradish kimchi. I would also usually add a good amount of sriracha on top, and any other vegetables I have on hand.

Here's everything I prepped before my wisdom teeth surgery because I knew that I wouldn't feel like cooking much afterwards: frozen blueberries (local and organic from the farm), bananas, and fresh frozen watermelon for smoothies; my favorite Greek-style coconut milk yogurts; homemade chocolate coconut ice cream; GF vegan roasted red pepper "mac"; organic cinnamon apple sauce; golden potato soup with extra nooch, smoked paprika and blended until it was basically liquid; Moroccan lentil soup. I'll probably also make some mashed potatoes with this easy GF V country gravy too.

This watermelon frosty is probably the best thing ever for sore, tender gums. Just be sure to freeze some fresh watermelon before your surgery! Or, if you're just a normal person, add tequila and call it a daiquiri. Sadly I could not add booze this time, but I will next time!

One of the first things I cooked a few days after my procedure was mashed white beans with garlic, spinach + lemon. As you can see, I mashed mine until they were practically liquid. These were so delicious and easy to make that I ate the entire skillet in one sitting. I'd love to make these again with a side of rice or roasted potatoes. Also, it takes less than 10 minutes, so it's a great weeknight meal!

Anddd more soft food. Seeing a pattern here? I was sort of confused when my dental surgeon told me to start eating normal food the day after my surgery. My only advice is to slowly build up to eating normally. Don't eat a potato chip three days after. I did lots of chewing after my procedure and now, about a week and two days later, I can eat anything, but I am still being cautious. Anyways, this was a lovely tofu scramble with tomatoes and lots of spices (minus the spinach) and a baked potato with smoked paprika and vegan butter. I am sort of obsessed with smoked paprika because it makes everything taste like bacon! But this scramble is fast, delicious, and full of flavor.

Work smoothie: 3 frozen bananas, orange juice + matcha powder.

Recently, my blogger friend Kara gave me The Heart of the Plate in a giveaway. I read the book constantly after my procedure and was completely in love. This book is immaculate and incredibly creative. Almost every recipe is vegan, if not easily adapted to be vegan. I can't wait to cook my way through it, and I started with something mushy (obviously): golden lentils with soft, sweet onions. I've been eating these for days and I'm not sick of it yet. I served mine with brown rice, and later some chopped local tomatoes. It would be wonderful with a balsamic reduction and a fried egg, or even balsamic roasted tofu/chickpeas on top. I love this book because it gives you "Enhancements" for each recipe: things to add to make it different from the first time you made it, or to make it extra special. I can't wait to continue sharing things I make from this book! Thank you again Kara!

Have you heard of this new craze called banana ice cream? Well, you better get on it. I can't share this recipe because it's from the cookbook I'm testing for, but just google "banana ice cream" and you will get tons of results. It's easy, healthy, creamy, and tastes like ice cream! And: no ice cream maker required! I added sprinkles to mine, which was inspired by this recipe for cake batter banana ice cream. 

Another recipe from the cookbook I'm testing: an anti-inflammatory smoothie with blueberries, green tea and turmeric! 

I got tired of mushy things, eventually, so I settled on making these vegan sweet potato + spinach quiches to take to work this week. These are delicious! My mom was convinced that they contained eggs. They were also fairly easy to pull together and didn't require any crazy ingredients/prep. I can't wait to try the broccoli cheddar version too, but I will be subbing nutritional yeast for the Daiya cheddar. I'll share that photo when I do so!

Well, I was almost in the clear for having a great surgery and recovery. Yesterday I woke up with an infection in one of my extraction sites, which is all thanks to me. Kids: learn how to use your irrigation syringe properly. I used mine after I ate anything, but wasn't going deep enough. That leads to nasty, incredibly painful infections and more antibiotics. Hooray! Lesson learned. If you're really unsure, here's a great video that helped me do it the right way. After all the soup I ate post surgery, I'm still not tired of it (somehow), so I made Isa's alphabet soup with a few changes: I used this pasta, subbed in 2 tsp herbes de Provence in place of the thyme/tarragon, and I used frozen edamame in place of the frozen peas. This is legit alphabet soup. The real deal. It tastes a million times better than anything from a can. So go and make some! This is definitely my new go-to "feeling crappy" soup.