Here in Colorado, a new season is upon us! The spring skiing is in full swing, mountain bikes are being polished and tuned, and I’m kicking off a 30 day #eatplants challenge.

Starting April 2nd, I’m committing 30 days to a plant-based diet and a holistic approach to health…more veggies, less processed foods, more movement. I’ll be posting recipes & grocery lists on my blog for all those wanting to follow along. Below is the grocery list for next week’s meals (I’m posting 3 recipes and the grocery list that coincides with those meals – feel free to eat completely plant-based for all meals – there are plenty of recipes on this blog).

Hope you join – and feel free to comment below!

Things you may want to have in your pantry

Nuts, Oils & spices

1. Coconut oil or Avocado oil – both have high heat indexes (olive oil will work too!)
2. Salt, pepper
3. Cumin
4. Bay leaf
5. Garlic (whole)
6. Walnuts, almonds, cashews
7. Amino acids (similar to soy sauce, so that would work too)

Week 1 Meals

1. Farrow bowl with sweet potatoes, spinach, butternut squash, lemon/mustard dressing
   1. Cook the farrow as directed (use 1/2 water, 1/2 veggie broth for more flavor!) – usually I cook about 1 cup – which is enough to feed 2. Cook more if you’d like leftovers.
   2. Cube sweet potatoes. Toss with butternut squash in 1 1/2 tablespoon oil (avocado is what I use), pepper & salt, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes – until tender (may need a few minutes more)
      1. If you bought a whole butternut squash, cut it in half, scrape the seeds out and roast separately, with a bit of coconut oil rubbed onto the meat of the squash, at 375 for 25-35 minutes. Let cool & peel the skin off. You can find butternut squash already cubed in the grocery store – so much easier!
   3. Make the dressing – squeeze the juice from the entire lemon into a small bowl, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix.
   4. Once the farrow is done & sweet potatoes and squash are roasted, put about a cup of farrow into a bowl, top with spinach & the sweet potatoes and squash, then top with dressing! Enjoy!
2. Black Bean & Spinach quesadilla with caramelized onion & avocado (chipotle aioli optional)
   1. Slice the onions into long slivers. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon of oil & garlic. Saute on med-low for about 10-15 minutes, until translucent and a bit brownish.
   2. While the onions are sauteing, rinse the cans of beans and put into a pot. Add some garlic, chili powder, and pepper. Once they get a bit warm, mash them a bit with a fork.
   3. If you’re going to make the aoili, I use veganaise – a vegan mayo, and add pepper & chili powder with a squeeze of fresh lime.
   4. Warm up the tortillas (in the microwave or oven) and slice the avocados.  Top the tortillas with the beans, onions, avocado & aioli. Top with hot sauce! I often top with spinach. Feel free to make a side of brown rice too!

3.Baked Cauliflower wings & sweet potato chips – with a side salad

1. Wash the cauliflower & cut into florets. Lay on a baking sheet (sprayed with a bit of oil, so they don’t stick) and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Take out, toss in a bowl with the hot sauce, put back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes as thin as possible. Toss with salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Take out, flip the chips over and bake for another 15 minutes (keep an eye out on the really thin ones so they don’t burn).
3. Top with extra hot sauce if you wish & serve with a side of veganaise (add 1 tablespoon of almond milk to thin it out a bit & some garlic powder or dill for flavor)- to dip the cauliflower wings in – and a side salad!

Grocery List

Week 1 grocery List

1. Veggie broth
2. Baby carrots – big bag should last 2 weeks
3. Onions – 2
4. Lemon
5. Avocados (2)
6. Spinach – big bucket
7. Butternut squash
8. Farrow
9. Sweet potatoes – 3
10. Head of Cauliflower
11. Cilantro
12. Can of organic black beans
13. Tortillas (I usually get whole wheat or spinach)
14. Hot sauce (cheapest one that has the most simplistic ingredients you can find)

 

Have any questions? Feel free to ask them in the comments below. Enjoy!!