New Car, Recipes!
Good morning, my loves!
How has your weekend been? I’m telling you, mine has been pretty busy! But I like that — makes me feel productive! ;-)
On Friday, Greyson and I took a big leap, and we bought a new car — for me! :-) I am so happy. It is so beautiful, and I am in loooove. 2011 Jetta, bright red — omg, squee!
When I drove it out of the lot, it had a whopping 11 miles on it — whoa! It drives beautifully and I love that it has that new-car smell!
On Saturday, we woke up and Greyson went to go work out while I went on a little drive to a coffee shop in Cave Creek. Once I got my chai latte, I drove to the library and picked up some awesome things — including a great vegan cookbook! I love the library. Don’t you? Especially the one by my parents’ house — it is so modern inside and I just feel awesome being there. When I got home, I started my grocery list and left for good ‘ol Sprouts where I found some great things.
I bought Coconut Oil while I was there, and that is something that I have been putting off buying because it is a bit on the expensive side. But I needed it for a recipe so I just went ahead and took the plunge. ;-) I also picked up some beautiful flowers, and when I got home and put our groceries away, I started to rearrange the apartment a little bit.
Greyson, I might add, is so used to this. He comes home all of the time and things are in different places, little projects have been done… Usually I just use what I have and do something different with it — if the moment strikes me at the right time, I am pretty good at that! I hung a mirror in our little hallway leading to our bedroom, and I switched the gallery wall over to a small wall in the living room — I’m hoping that we can nourish it with some more photos and it will look even better. I made a couple of flower arrangements; put some in wine bottles and also made a little bouquet in a jar I found in the back of my old car…
Pretty fun! :-)
One thing I have realized with this vegan lifestyle is that most of the recipes take quite some time to make. So, I thought to myself… Why don’t I just pre-make everything that I will need for the week over the weekend, and then I can just grab-and-go?
DUH!!!
So, I spent about four hours in the kitchen last night making some awesome recipes, and I’m going to share them ALL with you right here, right now. ;-)
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Herbed Pita Chips
These chips are crispy and delicious — serve them with any dipping agent you choose. I bought some lovely organic salsa and the two paired together is fantastic!
From: 125 Best Vegan Recipes
Yields: 48 chips
INGREDIENTS
6 whole wheat pitas
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. You will need one large rimmed baking sheet, ungreased.
2. Cut pitas into eights. Place on baking sheet in a single layer, without overlapping if possible. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with green onion, basil, salt and pepper.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until light brown and crisp. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before serving or storing.
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High-Protein Quinoa Almond Berry Salad
A beautiful summer salad with cherries, blueberries, and strawberries — perfect for a hot day!
Adapted From: Oh She Glows
Yield: 2-3 as a main course
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry quinoa
3 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup cherries, pitted and sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of Kosher salt
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, chop the fruit and place in a large bowl.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients (agave nectar, balsamic, lemon juice, salt) in a small jar and adjust to taste if necessary. Note: You may need to double the dressing recipe if the salad is quite large.
4. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork and add to large bowl with fruit. Combine. Pour on dressing and mix well. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until serving time. Serves 2-3 as a main dish or 4-6 as a side.
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No-Bake Raisin Date Squares
Can I just say…these are incredible. Completely naturally sweet, gooey and moist — the perfect snack or breakfast food. I will surely be making these again and again.
Adapted From: Oh She Glows
INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups whole raw almonds
1 1/2 cups regular oats
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut oil
For the date filling:
17 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a square pan with a piece of parchment paper. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the 1/2 cup raisins and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry. I didn’t need to though! Remove from processor, set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.
2. Grab your pitted and roughly chopped dates, 1 cup raisins, and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. You can add a tiny bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date-raisin mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.
3. Sprinkle on the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate in the fridge until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.
***
Another thing I did last night was pre-make pasta dishes to be frozen so that I could just take them to lunch with me, or eat them for dinner — no preparation needed! :-) I used organic vegan pasta that my mother-in-law bought for me at the Prescott farmers’ market (thanks, mom!) and made two different varieties: two tupperwares with olive oil, minced garlic, and basil and two tupperwares with marinara, minced garlic, basil, and bread crumbs!
Oh, by the way — I have a new thing for spelt granola; I am obsessed. Pick it up at your local health foods’ store…you won’t be sorry!
I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your Sunday. I am heading to Sur La Table, then Goodwill to see if I can’t get any projects started! ;-) Stay tuned!
Love, M
Tagged as: a day in the life. recipes. vegan living.
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