I took the past couple of days off of blogging because life was exciting and full of friends - exactly how it should be ;) There was also some good food, all of which was quick and easy to prepare. None of the following meals took me more than 15 minutes to prepare which just proves that eating healthy doesn't always have to take a long time!
Thursday morning I enjoyed this beautifully pink bowl of Overnight "Oats." This has the standard mix (1/4c Bob's Red Mill GF Hot Cereal and buckwheat, 1/4c almond milk, 1/2c water, 1/2T chia, splash of vanilla) plus 1/2c of halved and pitted cherries and a chopped strawberry. It's topped with 1/2T of crunchy almond butter with flax. The mix was microwaved for 2 minutes the night before plus another 3 minutes of prep. In the morning I stirred, added a splash more almond milk, and topped it with nut butter. Voila!
I made it home for lunch and knew exactly what I wanted for lunch. Since my walk home is ~12 minutes, I don't have too long to dabble in cooking adventures. I thawed a brown rice tortilla and seasoned a serving of pinto beans with onion and garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and heated the mix up. I mashed half of it to make "refried" beans and spread it on the tortilla. I topped the beans with salsa, lettuce, and a pinch of cheese. This burrito was everything I wanted it to be - flavorful, filling, and my own little version of a store-bought burrito! (and cheaper...)
Plus leftover kale chips on the side
I wasn't too hungry for dinner and had a happy hour to go to for a friend who's moving to California. Enter quick and easy pasta dish. First I diced up half a summer squash, half a zucchini, 1/4 onion, and one carrot and sauteed them until soft on the stove. While this was happening, I cooked up half a serving of brown rice pasta. I added the cooked pasta plus some of the pasta water, basil, oregano, garlic, and red pepper and cooked until the water evaporated. Topped with ~1T of parmesan cheese. This was a great way to use up some of my farmers market veggies :)
Friday's breakfast took maybe 10 minutes to whip up. Step 1: toast bread. Step 2: cook egg white on stove with cooking spray. Step 3: spread TJ's red pepper spread, spinach, and hot sauce on one piece of bread, and provolone cheese on the other. Step 4: add egg white and combine to make a sandwich. Step 5: slice peach and top with a drizzle of almond butter. Step 6: Enjoy and be happy it's Friday!
Seriously though, I think my favorite use for that red pepper spread is on egg sandwiches. It adds such a unique, bold flavor that I can't get enough of!!
As Momma GF Grazer smartly reminded me, I need to give my foot a bi of a break so it finally heals. That meant that I picked up lunch instead of eating at home. I visited Freshii for the second time and concocted a lovely salad. When you walk in, you can either order a pre-made sandwich, salad, or rice bowl, or create your own. I opted to make my own.
And took advantage of the unlimited vegetable toppings available :) I added beets, celery, carrots, a pinch of corn, spinach and romaine, artichoke hearts, broccoli, and mushrooms. Mmmm
Snack was the rest of my salad plus an apple with a bit of AB I scrounged up in my desk.
Then something odd happened - I ended up being at work til 6:45! That is a rarity, especially when things are slow, but had a great, productive conversation with my boss and a co-worker. I left for the weekend feeling accomplished and ready to enjoy my free weekend.
My stomach rumbled my whole walk home and I whipped up another 15 minute meal. In a non-stick sprayed pan, I cooked up broccoli, edamame, spinach, and bell pepper (thank goodness for stockpiles of veggies in my freezer!) I added 1/2c brown rice, garlic, GF soy and teriyaki sauce and stir-fried. Then I cleared the center of my pan, added ~an egg white, stirred til it set and then mixed up the whole pan. I topped this veggie fried rice with some almond slivers.
I spent the evening on my roof with a friend, drinking wine and catching up on life and then it was time to finally catch up on the sleep I'd missed out on all week!
What are your favorite quick and easy meals you cook during the week??
all your eats look incredible! that TJs red pepper spread looks like a must-try item...I love roasted red peppers :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my fave quick and easy meals are rice and beans, which I prepare in the crockpot in the morning so it's ready by lunch. Not exactly quick and easy, but if you prepare it ahead of time it's quick and easy!
Another one is microwaving a sweet potato and topping with cinnamon and peanut butter. I'll have a side of fruit and veggies with it.