Tag: kale

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Italian, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Slow Cooker

Comfort Food: Meatballs & Potatoes Edition (Instant Pot)

Annie

IMG_8769

I love this recipe for Italian Meatball Stew over Smashed Potatoes. I haven’t had it in a few years, but this is one that my mom made regularly in the slow cooker. I decided to switch things up and use meatballs instead of chicken Italian sausage after spotting meatballs when doing a last-ditch quarantine preparedness run at Wegman’s. (Let me just interject that their prepared beef meatballs are mini and cute and delicious.) I made the potatoes extra creamy using mascarpone instead of EVOO. Using an Instant Pot allows for a much faster simmer compared to a stovetop or a slow cooker. This is quite aromatic and your kitchen will smell amazing during while cooking this stew, only adding to its maximum comfort level during this crazy self-quarantining and social distancing time. If you’re feeling industrious, trying making bread to pair!

Continue reading “Comfort Food: Meatballs & Potatoes Edition (Instant Pot)” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep

Umami-Packed Chicken & Lentils

Annie

Do you ever finish a meal and then think, “Wait, is there more?” That’s how this meal was because it’s that good, and another meal prep option. Black garlic is at the heart of this bringing an umami flavor into play. Simply roast the vegetables and chicken, while quinoa and lentils cook. Assembly is easy, making Garlic Chicken with Veggies, Quinoa, and Lentils a fantastic dinner or a nice lunch on the go.

Continue reading “Umami-Packed Chicken & Lentils” →

Entrée, Gluten-Free, Italian, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Soup, Vegetarian

Bread Soup!

Annie

Ribollita is a Tuscan vegetable and bean soup using leftover bread to make a hearty stew-like meal. Who doesn’t love an excuse to eat bread? When you’re always dipping bread into your soup, why not just pop it right in? Since moving to Boston’s North End (also known as the city’s “Little Italy”), Ted and I have been on a mission to find the best pizza and the best loaf of bread. We’ve started to frequent Bricco, an Italian bakery selling artisan breads. After picking up a whole wheat loaf, it only seemed fitting to make Tuscan Bread and Bean Soup. The bread breaks apart to delightfuly thicken this soup. Flavored with parmesan and full of veggies, this will be a new cold weather staple.

Continue reading “Bread Soup!” →

Dairy-Free, Drinks, Gluten-Free, Low Sugar, Smoothie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Going Green for This Cleansing Ginger Smoothie

Annie

IMG_8591

Need some feel good food post St. Patrick’s Day boozing? This’ll do the trick, but don’t let the green fool you; there’s nothing that tastes “green” about this. Between midterms and feeling under the weather, I meant to post this on March 17th in honor of St. Patty’s Day, but . . . life — next thing, you know the weekend as flown by! I love this smoothie so much from Tone It Up‘s 5 Day Detox that I’ve incorporated the tweaked version into my weekly repertoire. I’d never have thought that adding a whole piece of peeled ginger root would blend as well as it does AND add such spicy flavor. If I don’t have coconut water, I add almond milk to the mix, and it turns out just find and a little creamier. Trust me: this Cleansing Ginger Smoothie is one you want to sip again and again.

Continue reading “Going Green for This Cleansing Ginger Smoothie” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

A Summer Stew for Any Occasion

Annie

IMG_8589

This was a summer stew I made, but froze two servings to pull out when I needed a quick meal. I did just that on the 30th after traveling to Maine and Ohio for the holidays. I enjoyed a bowl sans toppings on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to stay warm during this arctic blast of weather. Since the stew was summer inspired and based, you can really taste the lemon juice and appreciate summer produce like kale and zucchini. The sweetness from the raisins and sweet potatoes balance the bitterness from the quinoa and kale and acidity of the lemon juice. I added almond milk for a splash of creaminess. I love that this has garlic, ginger and turmeric, which are anti-inflammatories and aid in digestion — just what we need post-holiday binge and indulgences. Serve hot and savor that bowl of Turmeric, White Bean & Quinoa Stew.

Continue reading “A Summer Stew for Any Occasion” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Stay Warm & Cozy with These Harvest Bowls

Annie

IMG_8545.JPG

I made a similar roasted veggie bowl last year with sweet potato instead of squash, but since then, I’ve somehow perfected this. Maybe it’s because the sauce is juuuuust right; I mixed a little hummus and tahini, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard. Besides making the dressing and having the quinoa cooked ahead of time, this bowl is really a one pan meal then. You can roast all the veggies at once, adding kale at the end and then keeping the chickpeas separate is they don’t get soggy. These Roasted Vegetable Harvest Bowls keep you full without feeling overly stuffed and kind of even make you feel like you just indulged at Sweetgreen without leaving your home.

Continue reading “Stay Warm & Cozy with These Harvest Bowls” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cozying Up with Rosemary Red Lentils

Annie

IMG_8543Happy meal prep, Sunday! Besides the balmy weather lately (and it coming up again this weekend), it’s been a bit chilly some night to start off fall and October. I made this one pot dish of Rosemary Sweet Potato Red Lentils and it’s beyond easy to make — it’s another one of those dump and stir kind of recipes. It’s cozy and surprisingly sweet with the sweet potatoes and raisins, but in a good, savory, dish-me-up-more kind of way. Rosemary is perfect for the fall and colder months and using fresh herbs will make your kitchen smell heavenly.

Continue reading “Cozying Up with Rosemary Red Lentils” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

The One Pot Wonder: Rice & Veggie Detox Soup

Annie

IMG_7603.JPG

Yesterday was such a gross Monday and today is a rainy, dreary Tuesday. I made a big ol’ batch of this Brown Rice Veggie Soup last night using some pantry ingredients and some of the veggies I need for slow cooker buffalo chicken bowls tonight (recipe coming soon!). The soup just came together with no real plan. It’s so fun to toss in a little of this . . . a little of that . . . and watch everything come together. I added a little vindaloo curry to taste since the soup already smelled like these flavors would compliment the garlic and ginger well. The brown rice and copious amount of veggies make a hearty soup you can’t wait to have.

Continue reading “The One Pot Wonder: Rice & Veggie Detox Soup” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, Vegan, Vegetarian

Amazing Almond Butter Tofu Bowls

Annie

IMG_7129.JPG

Happy meatless Monday! Look how beautiful my aunt and uncle’s kale is!? My parents just visited and flew me back some and it’s so tender and fresh. When they were gone, I kept their car and made a trip to Trader Joe’s. I picked up some creamy, no salt added almond butter (– their version is just made with nuts in their nut butters!), and it was begging to be used along with the a $2.99 whole pineapple and package of tofu (but chicken would be a great carnivore swap). Those paired with that gorgeous kale created Pineapple Almond Butter Tofu Buddha Bowls. They’re really easy to make if you prep the quinoa ahead of time and they’re deliciously different. Continue reading “Amazing Almond Butter Tofu Bowls” →

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish

One Pan Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowls

Annie

IMG_6718.JPG

I’m not even sure what I threw together last night, but this was a great impromptu dinner. Roasted some veggies, already had grilled chicken from Whole Foods, might as well grab an avocado . . . and Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowls with Roasted Veggies are born. Yesterday was a bit chilly and grey and using the oven didn’t sound like the worst idea, even though it’ll be July this weekend. I tossed sweet potatoes, chickpeas and kale in rosemary, garlic and paprika. After roasting in the oven, the sweet potatoes were tender, while the chickpeas and kale were crispy with a crunch. The kale was almost like kale chips, which is never a bad thing. Paired with that perfectly charred taste from the grilled chicken and creamy avocados, these bowls hit the spot. Although grain-free, I’m still calling this a buddha bowl since all these pieces came together in that perfectly assembled way.

Continue reading “One Pan Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowls” →