Category: Nut-Free

Applesauce

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It’s pretty much fall now so all of the apple and pumpkin recipes are going strong. I’m going to have to buy some canned pumpkin, but thankfully my grandma has an apple tree in her backyard, so we’ve got LOTS of apples. Apples are great! I have one literally every night with peanut butter. There are so many things you can do with apples, and I’ll be posting more apple recipes, but today we’re just going simple with some applesauce.

I’m a sucker for some good applesauce. You know those little applesauce pouches you got as a kid? Yep. The best. I recently learned that my family doesn’t actually like it that much, but hey, more sauce for me. It makes a great snack, and can be used in a ton of fall desserts. Or just heat it up and add a little nice cream and you’re set. Anyways, applesauce isn’t very hard to make. You just cook down the apples with some cinnamon and water, and then blend em all up and then boom. Applesauce. No sugar, no preservative thingies, just the good stuff.

I ate about half of this batch, then froze the rest for later so I can bake something tasty with it. That’ll probably be my next fall apple recipe. Or I’ll just defrost it and eat it plain because it’s great like that too. So many options! Anyway you like your sauce, you should just go make some because it’s delicious and autumn-y and good for you. Check out the recipe!

Applesauce

Serves: 4

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups of peeled and chopped apples (I’m not sure what kind mine were because they came from my grandma’s tree. If you like your sauce sweeter use sweet apples like Fuji or Gala, and if you like it less sweet, use varieties such as Honey Crisp or Red Delicious.
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Bring the water, cinnamon, and apples to boil in a large pot. Lower to a simmer and cook until all of the apples are soft, about 10-12 minutes.
  2. Scoop out a 1/2 cup of the boiling liquid and set aside. Then strain the rest of the apples and add them to a blender along with the 1/2 cup of liquid.
  3. Blend the apples until smooth, then let cool and use in baking, eat it by itself, or freeze for later use.

Hope you enjoy this simple and versatile recipe! It’s perfect for fall:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

Herb and Garlic Hummus

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I pretty much have a hummus addiction… I like to put hummus on anything and everything, and it makes food way less boring😂😂 Wraps? Bowls? Crackers? Plain veggies? They ALL get an upgrade when hummus is involved, so I like to have some in my fridge at all times. Roasted Garlic is usually my store-bought go to, but today I made some Herb and Garlic Hummus!!👌

This is the first time I made hummus with tahini and I definitely reccommend it🙌 It makes it creamier and adds a nice flavour!! Tahini is basically just sesame seed butter; or ground up sesame seeds. I bought some at a small Mediterranean deli, but you should be able find it at most grocery stores. In addition to tahini, I also threw some parsley, dill, garlic, olive oil, water, salt and pepper into this hummus. Summer is almost over so we’ve got to get those fresh herbs in while we can people👌👌 And where would I be without garlic? Garlic is amazing in everything, and especially amazing in hummus.

Feel free to slap this hummus on all of your meals!! I love it with veg and on my bowls, and it would be great on toast or on a bagel🥰 Keep some on hand for an easy after school snack!! Enjoy:)

Herb and Garlic Hummus

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 398 ml can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup Tahini
  • 1/4 cup packed Parsley
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed Dill
  • 1 large clove of Garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • Sat and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Forgot to mention that this recipe only has one step!🤦‍♀️ Yeah, it’s super easy and super delicious:) Make sure you try it out!! Have a great week.

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked:))

Mexican Inspired Meal Prep Bowls

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To be honest, I’m excited to be going back to school. It’ll be good to get out of the house and see some other humans. I’m even a little excited to make lunches again! Although I know I’ll probably be sick and tired of it after the first week. That’s why there’s this awesome thing called MEAL PREP. You just make a bunch of delicious food, throw it in containers, and store it in the fridge for when you need it next. A while ago I published a Black Bean Stew that’s great for meal preppin’, and I also have a TON of freezer meals that you can make and then just reheat in the morning. Today I made some Mexican Inspired Meal Prep Bowls, which are AMAZING and full of flavour and good stuff that’ll fill you up. Because not being full is reason number 353378 that school lunches can sometimes suck. Keyword sometimes. Your lunches won’t suck after this.

In these bowls I put a lot of veggies, some quinoa, delicious refried beans, and a KILLER homemade salsa that will knock your socks off. This can all come together in about 30 minutes, and that 30 minutes will save you from a lot of pain later on in the week. You know when you’re like, oh, I’ll just throw a random granola bar in my bag because that’s all I need, and then you seriously regret it at lunch? Problem solved. Now you can throw this in your bag instead. Just maybe don’t actually throw it because then the lid might come off and your backpack will smell like salsa.

I know I said this last year and probably every year before that too, but this year I’m really going to be more organized will meal prepping. Join me in this quest to end LLS (Lazy Lunch Syndrome). I’ll definitely be posting more meal prep recipes, and some tips and tricks for making awesome lunches. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram to stay up to date!!

Mexican Inspired Meal Prep Bowls

Serves: 2 (feel free to double or triple the recipe to prepare for the entire week)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • 1 can of **ORGANIC** black beans; reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid, then drain and rinse the rest. Please use organic black beans, because when using the liquid you want to make sure it’s just water and salt, and there’s no preservatives.
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • A big handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/4 of a white onion, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the black beans and use a fork or wooden spoon to mash them a bit. After cooking for about 2 minutes, add in the liquid from the can, then stir and continue mashing. Season with salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook until the beans have thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, about another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Place the diced tomato, diced onion, garlic, cilantro and the rest of the juice from the lemon in the blender, and season with some salt and pepper. Give in a few pulses until it reaches your desired consistency.
  3. Evenly divide the quinoa, corn, grated carrot, refried beans, cherry tomatoes, and salsa into two tupperware containers. Store in the fridge until needed!!

I hope you guys try these out! Have a great rest of your Monday, and an awesome first day at school, however that will look like for you!!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Quick Pickled Carrots

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I love pickles! Don’t you? They’re vinegary and crunchy and are the perfect addition to any bowl, salad or sandwich. Today we’re going to expand our pickle horizons with these Quick Pickled Carrots! This was a great way for me to use up some of the carrots in my fridge, because for some reason we have a LOT right now.

I brought out my old friend the veggie peeler to get nice, thin, and even carrot slices for these pickles. Doing it with a peeler is also super fast and easy. After I had a nice pile of carrot ribbons, I placed them in a mason jar, added vinegar, some garlic, and red chilli flakes, then put some plastic wrap on top and threw them in the fridge. Want to know the minimum pickling time? 30 MINUTES! That’s right, in just 30 minutes you can have a nice jar of pickled carrots that go well with just about anything. Add them to a veggie bowl, a sandwich, or as a side with some meat. They’re so versatile and taste amazing:))

Cucumbers have definitely stolen the show for too long! Be sure to whip up some of these pickled carrots ASAP because you’re missing out.

Quick Pickled Carrots

Serves: 4

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 small to medium sized carrots, peeled and washed
  • 3/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp of red chilli flakes

Directions:

  1. Use a veggie peeler to create thin carrot “ribbons”, dragging it from the top of the carrot down. You’ll be left with a flat piece of carrot at the centre that you can snack on later:)

2. Place the carrots in a mason jar. Add garlic, chilli flakes, and vinegar. Make sure that vinegar completely covers the carrots; if not add some more.

3. Cover the top of the jar with a lid or some plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

4. Remove from the fridge and enjoy!

**Just a note: These are quick pickles, and will not last as long as pickles that have been sealed. Use within a week:))**

Enjoy these pickles! See you Friday with my September Bullet Journal Set-Up:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

BBLT Sandwich

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I was just thinking the other day how I need more sandwiches in my life. They’re awesome! They’re fast, versatile, delicious, and contain BREAD:) Definitely great for school, or whenever you need something tasty. Today I’m serving up the recipe for this BBLT sandwich- that’s black bean, lettuce, and tomato people. It may not sound like much, but trust me, it’s pretty darn good.

I’ve made some sandwiches in the past, like my EPIC Veggie Sandwich, that require a little more time and effort. This BBLT is as simple as it gets though; it’s specially designed for busy people (aka me). That doesn’t mean we’re compromising on taste. The base of the sandwich is black beans mixed with some avo, soy sauce, garlic powder and chilli powder for some added savoury deliciousness. I would eat that in a sandwich by itself, but the fresh tomato and crisp lettuce really bring it home. Stuff it all between my favourite sprouted grain bread, and it’s a no brainer.

All the ingredients in this sandwich are super common and nutritious, making for an easy, protein-filled lunch. I know you’ve got a can of black beans in your pantry with your name on it, so grab it and get in the kitchen! Enjoy:))

BBLT Sandwich

Serves: 1

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a ripe avocado
  • 3/4 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 a tomato, sliced
  • a leaf of lettuce
  • 2 slices of sprouted grain bread, toasted

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mash the avocado and mix in the soy sauce, chilli powder, and garlic powder. Add in the black beans and stir to combine, mashing them slightly.
  2. Scoop the black bean avocado mixture onto a piece of toasted sprouted grain bread. Top with the sliced tomato and lettuce, then press on the other piece of bread. Cut in half and enjoy!!

So quick! I’ll be making this a lot during the school year:))

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))