Tag: Work hard cook hard

Week 2 of the #eatplants Challenge

by happycatie, posted in Happy, Nutrition, Recipes

This weekend, we’re spending time in South Carolina, visiting family…and I’m bringing them some plant-based goodness! Our third niece, Charlie, was born almost 2 months ago and what better way to visit and help out then meal prepping delicious, plant-based meals for a family that now has zero time for much other than babies!

I decided to test out some recipes for the 2nd week of my #eatplants challenge – today we went shopping for the following (and then later, we went to Low Tide Brewery):

  • Cauliflower & Spinach Manicotti
  • Spicy Broccoli & Garlic over Thai Noodles with lentil & mushroom wontons
  • Lentil Loaf with roasted sweet potato
  • For lunch I cooked the farro bowls from week 1 (but left out the butternut squash, as the grocery store in South Carolina didn’t have any).

Here are the ingredients for these meals (assuming you have some things from week 1):

  • 3 sweet potatoes
  • Tub o Spinach
  • 2 onions (white)
  • 1 can of tomato paste
  • Balsamic vinegar (don’t buy any special if you have it)
  • Bag of green lentils
  • Steel cut oats
  • Button Mushrooms
  • Rice noodles (Brown Rice if you’d like)
  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • Head of garlic (if you don’t have any left over from last week)
  • Head of Cauliflower
  • Package of manicotti
  • 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
  • Wonton wrappers
  • Spicy chili & garlic sauce

Today, I made the lentil loaf for my sister & brother & law to eat sometime next week. I’ll post the rest of the recipes tomorrow – after I make them!

Lentil Loaf 

  1. Mince whole onion. Saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes (with salt & pepper).
  2. Cut mushrooms into little pieces, then add to the pan with the onions. Take 3 cups of spinach and add to the pan. Cook until spinach has begun to wilt a bit. Turn off heat.
  3. Cube the 3 sweet potatoes. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.
  4. Cook 2 cups of lentils – in 4 cups of water.
  5. Put 1/2 cup of steel cut oats to blender. Pulse for 10 times or so.
  6. Add 2 cups of cooked lentils to cuisine art (or blender). Blend.
  7. Take the mixture of oats & lentils and add the spinach, onion mixture into a bowl. Add with an additional 2 cups of cooked lentils, mix together.
  8. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil. Stuff the lentil mixture into the pan.
  9. In a separate bowl mix tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt pepper for the glaze.
  10. Top the loaf with the tomato glaze. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes – cover the loaf with tin foil, remove for the last 10 minutes.

Hope you’re all enjoying the #eatplants challenge….any questions!? Let me know how you’re doing!

Enjoy!

Week 1 of the #eatplants Challenge

by happycatie, posted in Nutrition, Recipes

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!!

Spring into Health: #eatplants

by happycatie, posted in Happy, Life, Nutrition, Recipes

Spring has sprung in Colorado and things are turning green, we’re thinking about our garden, and I’m starting a 30-day Plant based Challenge! Lately, a number of people have been interested in how I eat, asking why, if it’s difficult, sending me awesome articles about restaurants getting more veggie-fied, celebrities going vegan, and snap-chatting me pictures of their all veggie dinners. It’s awesome!

So, why not start an official challenge!

veggies

What is this all about?

  • Starting April 2nd, I’m kicking off a plant-based, wellness challenge – the #eatplants challenge.
    • For 4 weeks, the goal is health, wellness and nourishing your body with more whole, plant-based foods!
    • I’ll provide 3 recipes/grocery lists per week – each packed with tons of plant-based, whole food goodness. Goal is to eat as whole, healthy, unprocessed as possible! I’ll post breakfast/lunch  ideas as well! During the challenge, try to move as much as possible, get 7+ hours a sleep a night & drink lots of water during the day – a holistic approach!)
  • What is plant-based? Here’s a definition – the recipes I’ll include will fit this definition (although don’t be intimidated!)
    • Plant–based eating isn’t just about the addition of whole, plant foods such as fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, but also the elimination of ALL animal products including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, gelatin and other animal byproducts from one’s diet.
  • WHY Participate!? Believe in Better Health!! Your Health is by far your biggest asset, the most important priority you have. If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live? By incorporating more plants, you’ll have more energy, get more fiber, nutrients and possibly even lose weight (although that is not the goal!).
  • How do you participate?! Follow my blog Happyandweknowit.com to receive notifications, recipes, meal prep tips, grocery lists, videos of me in the kitchen prepping meals, and healthy tips! I’ll post each weeks’ recipes/grocery lists on Fridays.

I truly believe your health and happiness are intertwined  – and your health is tied to the food you eat! (Did you know 70% of your immune system lies in your gut!!!???) This spring, join me in a 30 day challenge of plant-based goodness!

Cheers!