Better Than Takeout, Bread, Breakfast/Brunch, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Low Sugar, Snack, Vegetarian

Sweet Potato Bread for Breakfast

March has been a weird month. As a nurse practitioner, it’s the year of the nurse. However, with the coronavirus pandemic knocking on our door (or literally at our door), I wasn’t expecting the year of the nurse to be quite like this. I deal with stress by cooking and baking. You should maaaybeee expect some baking recipes to come. I started on this sweet potato bread recipe before the pandemic broke out, and man, this breakfast bread is good. After some tweaks, it’s finally ready to share. Oats and almond flour are the “flour” or grains and applesauce and Greek yogurt act as the butter and oil. Have you had Starbucks’ pumpkin loaf when it debuts each fall? This Sweet Potato Breakfast Bread is that good, but a little healthier for you. It’s spiced, just the right amount of sweet, and pairs oh-so-well with your bitter cup of coffee in the morning or a mug of tea.

Continue reading “Sweet Potato Bread for Breakfast”

Entrée, Italian, Meal Prep, Vegetarian

Meatless Veggie Bowls with Copycat Sweetgreen Dressing

IMG_8761

I’ve been looking for a good “bowl” lately. Maybe it’s generational that we’re the people who meal prep and pack lunches apart from sandwiches. I’m always looking for something that I can make, package and be done, or quickly assemble the night before or morning of. These Eggplant “Meatball” Bowls with Spicy Cashew Dressing do just that. As I’m always striving to copy Sweetgreen’s dressing–if you’ve had them, you totally know what I mean–and this bowl-salad fusion does just that. Roasted veggies, quinoa, and vegetarian meatballs combine for this hearty dish.

Continue reading “Meatless Veggie Bowls with Copycat Sweetgreen Dressing”

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

Delightfully Spicy Harissa Soup

Hearty veggie stew alert! If you haven’t figured out, I enjoy “cleaning out my fridge” and trying to use up every veggie–and sauce–possible. Harissa is a Northern African spicy chili pepper paste, consisting of mostly roasted red peppers. Depending on the style, some can be really mild or wildly spicy. If you use up any veggies in your fridge like onions, peppers, greens, and sweet potato with stuff in your pantry like a can of tomatoes or leftover grains and lentils, you can easily pull together a simple, hearty stew like Harissa Vegetable Soup. By using plant-based ingredients, it’s still high in protein. Plus, it’s a win-win for a deliciously health meal in exchange for cleaning out your fridge and pantry.

Continue reading “Delightfully Spicy Harissa Soup”

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

Hearty Roasted Veggie Bowls for Winter

I love a good “bowl.” I think it’s easy to prep and to grab on-the-go. I like using produce that’s in season and rainbow carrots and sweet potatoes definitely fall into this category. Root veggies absorb the minerals from the soil around them. Given their colorful nature, they’re packed with fiber, vitamins like vitamin A, and antioxidants. If you can do three things at once, these Roasted Root Veggie Bowls with Cilantro Pesto are definitely worth it. Roast the veggies while the lentils and quinoa cook. At the end, you have a flavorful bowl served warmed to combat winter’s chill and topped with a fun, different pesto.

Continue reading “Hearty Roasted Veggie Bowls for Winter”

Better Than Takeout, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, Salad

Copycat Sweetgreen Strikes Again with Tahini Chicken Quinoa Bowls

IMG_9033.JPG

I love me some Sweetgreen. What I love even more is when I find how to hack Sweetgreen’s dressings and create something just as good at home. I give you Creamy Sesame Tahini Quinoa Bowls. They’re sweet and spicy, while also filling and oh-so-hearty thanks to the quinoa and chicken. The Creamy Sesame Dressing is a blend of tahini and sesame oil adding a savory, umami kick to tie things together.

Continue reading “Copycat Sweetgreen Strikes Again with Tahini Chicken Quinoa Bowls”

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

Slowly Savoring This Easy Slow Cooker Chili

IMG_8600

This chili recipe isn’t what you’d traditionally think of as “buffalo chicken,” but the flavors are a welcomed change from your standard beef chili dishes. It’s spicy from the hot sauce and a little sweet from the potatoes, whilst still retaining all the typical chili flavors and spices. It simmered all day as I prepped my nursing work, and I had Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Buffalo Chicken Chili in a blink of an eye. I loved the addition of fresh cilantro to brighten the dish. You can gobble down a bowl and avoid feeling sluggish because its fresh ingredients come together so seamlessly. I had leftover frozen slow cooker buffalo chicken from my bowl recipe that I tossed in for literally the easiest chili ever. (In the market for a new slow cooker? Check out Reviews.com for The Best Slow Cooker.)

Continue reading “Slowly Savoring This Easy Slow Cooker Chili”

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

A Summer Stew for Any Occasion

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”

Breakfast/Brunch, Gluten-Free, Low Sugar, Vegetarian

“Loaded” Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast

IMG_8570.JPG

What a fun way to switch up your breakfast options! I came home from a Soul Survivor class, aka a 60 min spin class, and was starving. I was tired of my usual eggs or oats for options, so I turned to sweet potatoes. Loaded with nutrients, I popped a sweet potato into the microwave, scooped out the insides and mixed them with some yogurt and protein powder (due to the post-spin nature). Drizzle it all with some nut butter, top with some bananas and sprinkle with whatever toppings — I liked nuts for a crunch and dried fruit’s texture. This Loaded Breakfast Sweet Potatoes is satisfying and a welcomed change to your breakfast routine.

Continue reading ““Loaded” Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast”

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

Positively Perfect One Pan Veggie & Sausage Roast

IMG_7680

I found these cute, petite rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to make a veggie roast. The summer I was in Munich, it was quite unseasonably cold and rainy. My friend, Katie (aka Katinka), roasted Bavarian pork sausage, apples and potatoes. This is my take on it: Roasted Rainbow Veggies with Apple Chicken Sausage. The leeks get crispy like Brussels sprouts and the carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes are tender after the roasting. The dried thyme makes your kitchen smell AWESOME (emphasis on awesome clearly), and the apple sausage is a sweet, savory addition to balance out the garlicky cauliflower mashed potatoes and sweetly cooked veggies. This may be the easy one pan dish and the quintessential fall meal.

Continue reading “Positively Perfect One Pan Veggie & Sausage Roast”

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Low Sugar, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Side, Slow Cooker, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Slowly Cooking This Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

IMG_8562.JPG

I LOVE this slow cooker method for making soup. I usually make this in a large soup pot, sauté the veggies in a little oil right there, add broth and let it simmer. By using a slow cooker, you skip the sautéing part and reduce the oil. I made a soup similar to this last fall, tossing whatever I had — apples, sweet potato, regular potatoes, carrots — into a big soup pot along with butternut squash; this time, I did the same thing in a slow cooker (way more fun). Enjoy as the main course or as a side, the result is a sweet, yet savory Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup that’s hands off minus the minimal prep of the produce in the beginning and puréeing at the end.

Continue reading “Slowly Cooking This Creamy Butternut Squash Soup”