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
