I made a quiz.
Here's the link.
Any recommendations for better sites to create quizzes for free?
Follow my blog and like the Facebook page to see next week's shopping list and meal plan.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
What kind of foodie are you?
I made a quiz.
Here's the link.
Any recommendations for better sites to create quizzes for free?
Follow my blog and like the Facebook page to see next week's shopping list and meal plan.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Eat healthy for under $50 a week!
What if I told you that you could eat a plant-based whole food diet for $50 a week?
I browsed the Whole Foods 365 website, for my area, and assembled this shopping list. I assume you have salt, baking powder, vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, spices... If you don't have those things, you should. Also, your initial shop might cost a little more. The ingredients in my list filled a seven-day meal plan, outlined below. The grand total of my shopping list was $42.01, plus an optional bottle of wine for the weekend and a $3 slice of pizza when you go back to the store at dinner time on the last day.
Also, there are days that you can entertain... sometimes, you have too much food for one.
There are a couple days when the cooking seems a bit labour intensive, but I made sure at least five of the lunches could be taken to go.
Here's how you do it:
Shopping List
2 green peppers 0.50
1 cob bi-colour corn 0.33
2 lbs or 7 individual bananas $1.00
1 lime 0.25
4 lemons $2.00
1 cucumber 0.50
1 bunch fresh cilantro 0.50
1 bunch scallions 0.50
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley 0.50 ea
4 sweet potato yams $2.00
1 Yukon gold potato 0.45
3-4 Roma tomatoes $2.00
1 bunch spinach $1.00
1 bunch green leaf lettuce $1.00
1 hass avocado $1.45
1 red onion 0.45
Handful green beans 0.50
1 big bok choy $1.50
5 organic Bosc pears $3.50
1 package penne rigate 0.99
1 can black beans 0.69
Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk $3.99
3-4 cups long grain brown rice $2.00
4 1/4 cups unbleached white flour $1.00
1 tbsp organic chia seeds 0.50
1 package organic extra-firm tofu $1.79
2 cups French vanilla granola $1.00
Organic Earl Grey tea $4.39
Handful organic dry roasted peanuts 0.50
I bulb garlic 0.25
Organic chocolate syrup $3.49
1 package Forbidden Rice Ramen with Miso soup 0.99
Three Wishes wine $3.49 bottle (optional)
Day One:
Breakfast is simple: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: pack a salad made of 1 cup green leaf lettuce, 2 slices of red onion, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 cup spinach, and make a little lemon parsley vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette combine freshly squeezed lemon juice with chopped parsley, garlic powder, a vinegar of your choice, and a little olive oil.
Dinner: Spicy Peanut Tofu and Bok Choy Rice Bowl!
Only make half the recipe (2 servings). Use 1 clove garlic, 1/2 pkg tofu, 1/2 bok choy, 2 cups brown rice, 1/8 cup chopped scallions, and 1/8 cup peanuts (crush them yourself). (Put half in a sealed container to take with you for lunch tomorrow.)
Dessert: make a pear crumble using 4 pears, 1/2 cup granola, 1/4 cup flour. I hope here that you have the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar in your pantry. Makes 9 servings.
Day Two:
Breakfast: 1 serving pear crumble. I cup of Earl Grey tea.
Lunch-to-go: leftover rice bowl.
Dinner: sweet potato and avocado tacos!
Make your own flour tortillas.
Chop up a sweet potato, cover it in olive oil, chilli powder, salt and pepper.
Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes, while draining and rinsing the black beans. Then, stir the potatoes with the black beans and roast for another 10 minutes.
Dice up half an avocado and make yourself three delicious tacos for dinner. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Store the leftover tortillas and sweet potato bean mixture separately for future use.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble.
Freeze the remaining six servings of pear crumble in individual portions that can be microwaved later.
Day Three:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: guacamole and tortilla chips.
Make your own guacamole with the other half of last night's avocado, the juice of 1 lemon, minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp olive oil.
Make your own tortilla chips using the leftover tortillas from last night; simply cut each one into 6 triangles, brush with olive oil and salt, then bake at 350 for 7 minutes.
You can make your lunch the night before, or in the morning.
Snack-to-go: 1 serving frozen pear crumble, it can thaw over the course of the day and still be cold when you eat it, or you can microwave it.
Dinner: Mexican rice bowl.
Invite someone over, if you feel like you have enough for two to eat.
The sweet potatoes are better the next day.
Boil and de-kernel 1 cob of corn, reheat 1/2-1 cup leftover sweet potato bean mixture from yesterday's tacos. Mix with 1 cup cooked rice, a handful of fresh spinach, and a sliced tomato. Top with a chopped scallion and lemon wedges to squeeze over it as you eat.
Pro-tip: put leftover lemon wedges in a jug of water in the fridge to drink later.
Dessert: chocolate banana shake. Put 1 cup almond milk, 1 banana, and some chocolate syrup in the blender.
Day Four:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: 1 serving pasta salad.
Make in the morning or the night before.
Prepare 1 cup penne. Chop parsley, garlic, a tomato, a scallion, 1/2 red onion, and 1/2 cucumber. Put it all in a bowl, add a handful of spinach, a little vinegar, and olive oil. Mix.
Makes 2 servings, so set half aside for tomorrow.
Dinner: hearty miso soup.
Prepare Forbidden Rice Ramen, prepare as directed, but add 1/2 cup extra water. As the water boils, add 1/4 bok choy, 1/4 of pkg tofu, a chopped clove garlic, powdered ginger, and three chopped mushrooms.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble OR make banana bread out of leftover bananas. Uses 3 bananas, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup almond milk, as well as other ingredients from your pantry.
Day Five:
Breakfast: 1 serving banana bread (hopefully, you made it last night). Top with peanut butter. Make a cup of tea.
Lunch-to-go: 1 serving pasta salad (from yesterday).
Snack-to-go: banana bread. It's Friday, bring a few extra individually wrapped slices of banana bread to share friends.
Dinner: Thai Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins.
It's Friday, invite a few of the friends you made sharing banana bread over. This recipe makes enough to share. Use green pepper because it was on sale. Substitute powdered ginger for fresh and use your favourite brand of siracha. This would be a great night to open that optional bottle of wine!
Day Six:
Make brunch for your friends, or reduce this recipe and only use one, or two slices of your banana bread for French toast! That's right... you can eat French toast!
Lunch: salad. After a heavy breakfast, it is better to eat a light lunch.
This is the same salad you made on Monday so you can pack it up to go if you want. It is good for using up leftover produce.
1 cup green leaf lettuce, 2 slices of red onion, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 cup spinach, and make a little lemon parsley vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette combine freshly squeezed lemon juice with chopped parsley, garlic powder, a vinegar of your choice, and a little olive oil.
Dinner: green stir fry with rice.
Prepare 1/2 cup rice. Saute remaining bok choy, a handful of green beans, 1/2 green pepper in a little olive oil, with garlic and powdered ginger. Season with soy sauce.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble.
Day Seven:
Breakfast: pear, peanut butter and tea. Simple, yet satisfying.
Lunch: tofu scramble with roasted potato.
Cube potato and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once.
Heat teaspoon olive oil in a small frying pan. Crumble your remaining tofu into the pan. Sprinkle turmeric over the tofu and saute, watching the potatoes turn yellow. Add diced tomato and a handful of spinach.
To serve, put the tofu scramble right on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle some chopped parsley, or cilantro on top.
Dinner: you have to go shopping for next week. Buy a slice of vegan pizza for $3, while you are there!
Follow my blog and like the Facebook page to see next week's shopping list and meal plan.
I browsed the Whole Foods 365 website, for my area, and assembled this shopping list. I assume you have salt, baking powder, vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, spices... If you don't have those things, you should. Also, your initial shop might cost a little more. The ingredients in my list filled a seven-day meal plan, outlined below. The grand total of my shopping list was $42.01, plus an optional bottle of wine for the weekend and a $3 slice of pizza when you go back to the store at dinner time on the last day.
Also, there are days that you can entertain... sometimes, you have too much food for one.
There are a couple days when the cooking seems a bit labour intensive, but I made sure at least five of the lunches could be taken to go.
Here's how you do it:
Shopping List
2 green peppers 0.50
1 cob bi-colour corn 0.33
2 lbs or 7 individual bananas $1.00
1 lime 0.25
4 lemons $2.00
1 cucumber 0.50
1 bunch fresh cilantro 0.50
1 bunch scallions 0.50
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley 0.50 ea
4 sweet potato yams $2.00
1 Yukon gold potato 0.45
3-4 Roma tomatoes $2.00
1 bunch spinach $1.00
1 bunch green leaf lettuce $1.00
1 hass avocado $1.45
1 red onion 0.45
Handful green beans 0.50
1 big bok choy $1.50
5 organic Bosc pears $3.50
1 package penne rigate 0.99
1 can black beans 0.69
Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk $3.99
3-4 cups long grain brown rice $2.00
4 1/4 cups unbleached white flour $1.00
1 tbsp organic chia seeds 0.50
1 package organic extra-firm tofu $1.79
2 cups French vanilla granola $1.00
Organic Earl Grey tea $4.39
Handful organic dry roasted peanuts 0.50
I bulb garlic 0.25
Organic chocolate syrup $3.49
1 package Forbidden Rice Ramen with Miso soup 0.99
Three Wishes wine $3.49 bottle (optional)
Day One:
Breakfast is simple: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: pack a salad made of 1 cup green leaf lettuce, 2 slices of red onion, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 cup spinach, and make a little lemon parsley vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette combine freshly squeezed lemon juice with chopped parsley, garlic powder, a vinegar of your choice, and a little olive oil.
Dinner: Spicy Peanut Tofu and Bok Choy Rice Bowl!
Only make half the recipe (2 servings). Use 1 clove garlic, 1/2 pkg tofu, 1/2 bok choy, 2 cups brown rice, 1/8 cup chopped scallions, and 1/8 cup peanuts (crush them yourself). (Put half in a sealed container to take with you for lunch tomorrow.)
Dessert: make a pear crumble using 4 pears, 1/2 cup granola, 1/4 cup flour. I hope here that you have the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar in your pantry. Makes 9 servings.
Day Two:
Breakfast: 1 serving pear crumble. I cup of Earl Grey tea.
Lunch-to-go: leftover rice bowl.
Dinner: sweet potato and avocado tacos!
Make your own flour tortillas.
Chop up a sweet potato, cover it in olive oil, chilli powder, salt and pepper.
Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes, while draining and rinsing the black beans. Then, stir the potatoes with the black beans and roast for another 10 minutes.
Dice up half an avocado and make yourself three delicious tacos for dinner. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Store the leftover tortillas and sweet potato bean mixture separately for future use.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble.
Freeze the remaining six servings of pear crumble in individual portions that can be microwaved later.
Day Three:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: guacamole and tortilla chips.
Make your own guacamole with the other half of last night's avocado, the juice of 1 lemon, minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp olive oil.
Make your own tortilla chips using the leftover tortillas from last night; simply cut each one into 6 triangles, brush with olive oil and salt, then bake at 350 for 7 minutes.
You can make your lunch the night before, or in the morning.
Snack-to-go: 1 serving frozen pear crumble, it can thaw over the course of the day and still be cold when you eat it, or you can microwave it.
Dinner: Mexican rice bowl.
Invite someone over, if you feel like you have enough for two to eat.
The sweet potatoes are better the next day.
Boil and de-kernel 1 cob of corn, reheat 1/2-1 cup leftover sweet potato bean mixture from yesterday's tacos. Mix with 1 cup cooked rice, a handful of fresh spinach, and a sliced tomato. Top with a chopped scallion and lemon wedges to squeeze over it as you eat.
Pro-tip: put leftover lemon wedges in a jug of water in the fridge to drink later.
Dessert: chocolate banana shake. Put 1 cup almond milk, 1 banana, and some chocolate syrup in the blender.
Day Four:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup granola, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup almond milk in a bowl, with a cup of tea on the side.
Lunch-to-go: 1 serving pasta salad.
Make in the morning or the night before.
Prepare 1 cup penne. Chop parsley, garlic, a tomato, a scallion, 1/2 red onion, and 1/2 cucumber. Put it all in a bowl, add a handful of spinach, a little vinegar, and olive oil. Mix.
Makes 2 servings, so set half aside for tomorrow.
Dinner: hearty miso soup.
Prepare Forbidden Rice Ramen, prepare as directed, but add 1/2 cup extra water. As the water boils, add 1/4 bok choy, 1/4 of pkg tofu, a chopped clove garlic, powdered ginger, and three chopped mushrooms.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble OR make banana bread out of leftover bananas. Uses 3 bananas, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup almond milk, as well as other ingredients from your pantry.
Day Five:
Breakfast: 1 serving banana bread (hopefully, you made it last night). Top with peanut butter. Make a cup of tea.
Lunch-to-go: 1 serving pasta salad (from yesterday).
Snack-to-go: banana bread. It's Friday, bring a few extra individually wrapped slices of banana bread to share friends.
Dinner: Thai Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins.
It's Friday, invite a few of the friends you made sharing banana bread over. This recipe makes enough to share. Use green pepper because it was on sale. Substitute powdered ginger for fresh and use your favourite brand of siracha. This would be a great night to open that optional bottle of wine!
Day Six:
Make brunch for your friends, or reduce this recipe and only use one, or two slices of your banana bread for French toast! That's right... you can eat French toast!
Lunch: salad. After a heavy breakfast, it is better to eat a light lunch.
This is the same salad you made on Monday so you can pack it up to go if you want. It is good for using up leftover produce.
1 cup green leaf lettuce, 2 slices of red onion, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 cup spinach, and make a little lemon parsley vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette combine freshly squeezed lemon juice with chopped parsley, garlic powder, a vinegar of your choice, and a little olive oil.
Dinner: green stir fry with rice.
Prepare 1/2 cup rice. Saute remaining bok choy, a handful of green beans, 1/2 green pepper in a little olive oil, with garlic and powdered ginger. Season with soy sauce.
Dessert: 1 serving pear crumble.
Day Seven:
Breakfast: pear, peanut butter and tea. Simple, yet satisfying.
Lunch: tofu scramble with roasted potato.
Cube potato and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once.
Heat teaspoon olive oil in a small frying pan. Crumble your remaining tofu into the pan. Sprinkle turmeric over the tofu and saute, watching the potatoes turn yellow. Add diced tomato and a handful of spinach.
To serve, put the tofu scramble right on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle some chopped parsley, or cilantro on top.
Dinner: you have to go shopping for next week. Buy a slice of vegan pizza for $3, while you are there!
Follow my blog and like the Facebook page to see next week's shopping list and meal plan.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
17 plant-based recipes to try in fall 2017
Reportedly now is the best time to go plant-based. Veganism is having a moment. Even Taco Bell has vegan options. You don't even need to buy a new cookbook; there are vegan substitutes for everything and loads of recipes online.
I've been (mostly) eating a plant-based whole food diet for two months now. I haven't had this much energy since I was in my 20s and I'm finally losing the extra weight I've gained in my 40s.
Autumn is my favourite time of year. Fall fairs have better food than summer festivals. It's harvest time: feast time.
As this is my first plant-based autumn, I've created this list of recipes to eat my way through before the snow falls.
If you try any of them, let me know how they turn out.
Happy eating!
Breakfast
Banana Bread with Maple Glaze
And yes, it has chocolate chips in it. Of course, it does!
Sweet Cinnamon Couscous
I love the idea of using couscous as a breakfast food. Couscous lends itself well to savory dishes but shows itself to be much more versatile in this role. When I try this recipe, I will likely substitute almond milk because that is my favorite.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
I don't usually follow a recipe for smoothies. Whatever frozen fruit is on hand will usually do, but this sounds damned delicious!
Spinach Tofu Benedict
I probably won't make this recipe because I don't normally wake up in the mood to make sauces. I would really love to try it though.
Soups
Irish Vegetable and Barley Soup
Irish stew ruled when I was in my teens and twenties, this recipe reminds me of Scotch broth, without the lamb or whiskey. It might even taste good with some whiskey.
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cream of broccoli soup is my favorite.
Refried Bean and Salsa Soup
Because it is like tacos! Also, I have a can of refried beans I've been wanting to use up and this summer I started making my own tortillas.
African Peanut Stew
Lunch and Dinner
Pasta & Sweet Potato Fries
Because who doesn't want a plate or two full of carbs on a chilly fall night?
Curried Vegetable Wraps
Recipes like this one rule. It calls for four cups of chopped vegetables, whatever you have on hand: potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, whatever... throw it in! It will be great with homemade tortillas.
Grilled Zucchini and Green Bean Salad
They call this a salad, but it looks like a meal on its own. I might have it with a homemade dinner roll or rice in the evening; on its own the next day for lunch!
Butternut Squash Ravioli
I had this in a restaurant once and have never forgotten it.
Lentil and Fingerling Potato Salad with Spicy Mustard
Rather than boiling the potatoes, I'd probably roast or steam them because they taste better and are better for you that way. Otherwise, yum!
Bean Boulangerie
This recipe reminds me of scalloped potatoes, which I always loved (but no more dairy for this girl).
Mushroom Stroganoff
People rave about this recipe after they try it.
Sweets
Cardamon Baked Pears
Seriously sounds easy to make too!
Gingery Apple Crisp
Step One: Gather Your Ingredients
Approximately four cups of diced tart apples (about 4 large apples)
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour (regular or gluten-free)
4 tablespoons butter (or a vegan substitute such as Earth Balance spread) – kept cold and hard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Step Two: Prepare Crumble Topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, add dry ingredients (flour, oats, spices, salt, sugar) and mix. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, dice the cold butter or spread into the dry ingredients until the mixture begins to resemble a dry crumbly mix with small pearls of butter coated in the dry ingredients.
Step Three: Create Crisp
Grease or butter an 8×8 inch square metal or glass baking dish. Pour the apples into the dish and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over them. Sift the dry crumbly mixture evenly over the apples.Step Four: Bake CrispBake the crisp at 375 for about 35 minutes, or until the crisp begins to turn brown and the apples are softened.
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