Category: Lunch and Dinner

Curried Sweet Potato Pita Pockets

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Hi guys! Today I have an AWESOME recipe for you guys; these Curried Potato Pita Pockets are one of my favourite recipes ever! They’re super quick and easy to make, plus they pack in SO much flavour and freshness. Sweet potatoes are life my friends, so they had to be included in this recipe too. I was inspired by a veggie samosa wrap by VeganRicha, but I changed and simplified the recipe and it turned out great! The sweet potatoes are roasted with some red bell peppers in cumin and curry powder, then mashed a bit and paired with a fresh cilantro-y bean salad in a warm pita. Basically, my dreams in a pocket of bread. These pitas make great leftovers to, and will definitely be one of my go-to lunch recipes when I’m back at school. Enjoy the recipe;)

Curried Sweet Potato Pita Pockets

Serves: 3

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato or yam
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp +1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (chickpeas or black beans can be used in a pinch)
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 of a red onion, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 3 whole wheat pitas
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (after 200 posts I finally managed to spell Fahrenheit right the first time!)
  2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into very small cubes, a little less than a centimetre in size. Chop the bell pepper into the same sized cubes and place the veggies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Toss the veggies in the olive oil, curry powder, 1 tsp of cumin and some salt and pepper. Place the pan into the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes and peppers are soft.
  4. Meanwhile, toss the red kidney beans, tomato, red onion, cilantro, 1/2 tsp of cumin and lemon juice together in a bowl and set aside.
  5. Once the veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Use a fork to mash the mixture, leaving some sweet potato chunks whole.
  6. Warm up the pitas in the microwave and cut or rip them in half. Open up each half so that it forms a pocket, and scoop equal amounts of the roasted veggies and bean salad into them.
  7. Enjoy!

Hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do! Thank you for reading and I’ll see you on Friday;))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;)

Stuffed Pepper Stew

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Hey there! Hope you’re all doing well;)) I find that cooking is a great way to stay busy, so I’ve been trying to at least plan out new recipes every day. I wanted to make stuffed peppers, because they’re so comforting and delicious. But it turns out that I only had one big pepper, and two mini ones. Here’s where some quarantine problem solving comes in! This Stuffed Pepper Stew combines all of the flavours of a stuffed pepper, but in stew form. It’s so good and uses super simple ingredients! It actually might be better than a stuffed pepper, because it reminds me of an amazing Hungarian pepper dish that my Mom and Grandma make. Plus, there’s lots of protein in there from lentils. I also used some soy sauce to boost the savoury flavour, which is a trick I learned from The Stingy Vegan. All the veggies get simmered in a delicious broth that’s loaded with herbs and spices, and it’ll make your house smell really good;)) This stew is also one of those things that tastes better the next day, because all of the flavours sit together overnight. Check out the recipe down below;))

Stuffed Pepper Stew

Serves: 4

Total Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, any colour, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig of oregano, finely chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried oregano)
  • 1/2 tbsp basil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 cup green lentils
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add in the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add in the peppers and garlic, and cook for another six minutes until the peppers are soft.
  3. Dump the diced tomatoes, spices, soy sauce, herbs, and lentils into the pot and stir until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for about an hour, until the lentils have cooked through.
  4. Once the lentils are cooked, stir through the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Enjoy with rice, quinoa, some bread, or by itself!

Keep cooking and creating!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked

Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts

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Hey guys! Hope you had a good weekend. The days are all starting to blur together, and everyday feels like a Saturday, but hopefully you at least had a break from online classes to give you some weekend vibes;)) Personally, I’m loving that I don’t have to pack lunches anymore and can eat on my own schedule, which gives me time to make awesome stuff like these Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts. You only need a sheet pan and a little prep time, and you just throw them in the oven and let the veggies get delicious and caramelized while you go back to watching Netflix or reading or whatever your favourite quarantine activity is. Also, they’re REALLY GOOD. The sweet potatoes get to that place where they’re like, a tiny bit burnt on the edges but perfectly soft in the centre, and then you’ve got your delicious Mediterranean spiced veggies, plus a dollop of tzatziki on top. I mean, come on man. Pretty dang good for a meal that basically makes itself. Here’s the recipe;))

Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts

Serves: 2

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a large sweet potato
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/2 a red onion, thickly sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little bit more for rubbing the sweet potatoes with
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Tzatziki (see Dill Tzatziki) prepared in advance (or sub hummus)

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit.
  2. Cut the sweet potato lengthwise into slabs about 1/4 of an inch thick (you should make about 4 toasts). Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and rub them on both sides with a bit of olive oil.
  3. Mix together the chickpeas, sliced onions and peppers, spices and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread them evenly onto the same parchment lined pan as the sweet potatoes, trying not to overlap anything. Roast for about 30 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, remove the pan from the oven and flip the sweet potatoes before continuing to roast.
  4. Take the pan out of the oven, and serve the toasts with the roasted veggies, tzatziki, and maybe some Greek salad;))

Hope you enjoy this quick and easy lunch or dinner! Stay safe guys;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Spiced Carrot Falafel

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Hey there! I’m starting to feel a bit of cabin fever, but I’m trying to keep busy and positive;) Cooking is a really great way to do that, and today I have a great recipe that’s freezable and super versatile. These spiced carrot falafel are super flavourful and easy to make! I like eating them with hummus in their own or in bowls, and they’d also be great in wraps or in pasta dishes. Maybe I could even make a sandwich with them… veggie sandwiches are amazing😍😍 Hope you like this recipe!!

Spiced Carrot Falafel

Serves: Makes 12 falafel

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a blender or food processor, blend the chickpeas, garlic and all of the spices until smooth and combined.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the shredded carrots.
  4. Scoop out a tablespoon of the falafel mixture and form into a flat disc, and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have about 12-15 falafels.
  5. Place the falafels in the oven, and let bake for 15 minutes before removing the pan and flipping them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes on the other side.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the falafel cool completely before enjoying;)

I wrote a list in my bullet journal of ways to keep busy during this time, and so I’ll try to share it in my Instagram page soon;) For now, stay safe and hang in there!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Butternut Squash Hummus

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This first week of staying at home has been alright, although I’m finding it a bit harder than I thought to stay disciplined and be productive. However, I haven’t gotten very antsy yet, so that’s good. Hummus is a great “I’m trapped at home snack” because you can eat it with pretty much everything- veggies, pretzels, rice cakes, bowls, sandwiches, etc- and it’s something to make when you’re bored😂😂 This hummus uses frozen butternut squash, which I defrosted. I’m really into this frozen stuff because you can just throw it in a pot with some water and it’s done in like 5 minutes, whereas cooking it from scratch would take waaay longer. I also used two cloves of garlic because I love my garlic, but you can use one if you’d prefer. The people who you’re hanging out with at home all day will thank you for your less garlicky breath if you just use one. But I mean, if you really need to enforce social distancing, go ahead and use two. Either way, make this hummus right now because it hits the spot!!

Butternut Squash Hummus

Serves: 4

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen butternut squash
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Add the butternut squash with a cup of water into a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.
  2. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until you are left with a smooth, delicious hummus. Enjoy!

Hope you like this recipe! Stay safe everyone;))

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))