Category: School

Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice

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Hi friends! It seems that there’s a theme running through my recipes this week, and that theme is SIMPLE DELICIOUSNESS. Maybe you don’t think of curry being that simple. But guess what, this one is. We’re making good use of the stuff you’re already got in your spice cupboard and pantry and we’re making it into something super tasty.

I wanted to make some sort of curry paste for this, but I didn’t have many of the traditional curry paste ingredients. So I made my own take on a curry paste, using common ingredients that I DID have. We’re talking chilli powder, ground ginger, soy sauce, basil, curry powder, lemon juice, and a bunch of other good stuff. I like the concept of this paste because if you don’t want to make curry out of it right away, you can put it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to use it.

It’s also great because it acts as your flavour bomb for the whole curry! All of the spices and flavour you need for the whole dish is found in it, making for a super easy single application of amazingness.

All of the veggies in this dish really sing too. I love a good rainbow in my curries, and almost any veggie would work in here, so feel free to do some substituting with what you have and what you like. I personally found my own heavenly combo of mushrooms, onions, bok choy, red peppers, and carrots to be very nice.

The vegetables get cooked down together in some coconut oil, then sauteed a bit more when the curry paste is added, and then everything simmers together in some coconut milk. To make this heartier and more of a one-pot meal, I thought, why not add in some rice? So brown rice gets thrown in too and cooked in all of the delicious flavours.

Once this curry is done, your house will definitely smell really good and you’ll have a few meals worth of awesome curry rice stocked up in your fridge. I love how flavourful this is, and how it has just the perfect amount of spice! Plus, it goes great with any protein you choose to add, and is so hearty and comforting.

Hope you enjoy!

Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice

Serves: 3-4

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Curry Paste:

  • 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 of a white onion, diced

For the Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 of a white onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 4 white mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 stalks of baby bok choy, cut into halves
  • 1 serving of Curry Paste (above)
  • 1 400ml can of coconut milk
  • 2/3 cup brown rice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. To make the Curry Paste, combine all of the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor until a paste-like consistency is reached. Don’t worry about small chunks of onion; these will be cooked in with the curry. Use immediately to make Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice or store in the fridge for up to 3 days before using.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet. Add in all of the veggies for the curry and cook until the onion is translucent and the peppers are beginning to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
  3. Add the curry paste to the pan and sautee for another 2 minutes.
  4. Dump the coconut milk into the pan and give everything a good stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in the brown rice.
  5. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer and turn the heat to low, covering the pan and letting the curry cook for 35-40 minutes, until the rice is completely cooked through.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat season more to taste with salt and pepper, serve warm and enjoy!

I love this recipe so much and I hope you guys do too! See you Friday:))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Chickpea Stir-Fry

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I know it’s a Monday, but what better way to start off the week than with a delicious stir-fry? This is not a rhetorical question. Go ahead and search your soul. I’ll wait.

Couldn’t think of anything else? THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. This Chickpea Stir-Fry is full of veggies and flavour, two of my favourite things✌️ We’ve got onions, cabbage (or kale if you’d prefer), carrots and chickpeas in a realllllly simple sauce that brings everything together. But the real flavour bombs are the peanuts and fresh cilantro that go in during the last minute of cooking for some extra freshness😍 Want to take it to the next level? Throw some more of that stuff on top along with some green onion as a garnish. Yup🙌 That’s what I’m talking about.

If you’ve got under a half hour to whip something up, then this stir-fry is for you. With a 20 minute total time and super easy prep, this is one no-fuss meal idea! Double or triple the recipe, and you’ve got meal prep for the whole week. Pretty convenient👌

Finally, I’m going to let you in on a secret. You can use any vegetables you have around to make this stir-fry. ANY. I was running low on veggies myself when I made this, but luckily I had some carrots, onions, and cabbage ready to go. However, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms and peppers would all be great in here; customize to your heart’s desire! The important thing is that you’ve got the sauce ingredients and the peanuts and cilantro, because that’s what makes this dish sing. I like serving my stir-fry over quinoa, but you can cook up some white or brown rice, or even couscous, if you’d like.

I hope you enjoy this quick, healthy and delicious meal idea! Let me know what you think🥰

Chickpea Stir-Fry

Serves: 2-3

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 of a large white onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup shredded cabbage or kale
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup ground peanuts
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • Cooked quinoa for serving
  • Sliced green onions + more cilantro and peanuts for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the shredded cabbage or kale, as well as the chickpeas and garlic, to the pan. Continue to cook for about 8 more minutes, until the carrots can be pierced by a fork.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Add the mixture to the pan and give everything a good stir. Allow the stir fry to cook for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Keep stirring.
  4. Mix in the fresh cilantro and peanuts and cook for a final minute. Remove from the heat, and serve over cooked quinoa. Garnish with green onions, more cilantro, and more peanuts!

Have a great week everyone!:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Curry Marinated Tofu Bowl

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Happy Monday everyone! I have an awesome recipe for you guys that’s great for lunch, dinner, or meal prepping. It’s fresh, full of flavour, and so healthy and filling!

I haven’t had tofu in a while, but a few blocks have been in my freezer, waiting to be cooked up. I read an article recently that says frozen tofu is actually more easy to use and better to eat. The freezing expands the pores in the tofu because the water in it expands, which makes it more receptive to marinades. It’s also easier to press; you just have to give it a couple of presses with a plate to get the majority of the water out. Plus, freezing generally gives tofu a firmer texture. That’s great for what we’re doing with it today- pan searing!

I had my tofu already portioned out into three blocks which were about 85g each. Then I added them to a Ziploc bag with curry powder, coriander, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, along with olive oil and lemon juice. The tofu is marinated for at least three hours, although you can go for six or eight if you have the time! After marination, I fried up my tofu “steaks” until they got a nice, crispy exterior. So tasty and a great source of plant based protein!

The other components of this bowl are just as flavourful. We have some couscous cooked in coconut milk, and a delicious olive, tomato, cucumber and avocado salad!! So, you’ve got your protein, your carbs, and your veggies. A perfectly balanced meal! Of course, I couldn’t resist throwing some hummus on top of there too😂 Definitely feel free to add some to your bowl as well, along with any other condiments you like:)

Enjoy this awesome bowl!

Curry Marinated Tofu Bowl

Serves: 3

Total Time: 195 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Marinated Tofu:

  • 3 85g blocks of firm or extra firm tofu, thawed from frozen (if using fresh, follow steps to properly press your tofu before hand, and disregard step 1).
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp (for cooking)
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Couscous:

  • 1 400ml can of light coconut milk
  • 1 cup of golden couscous
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:

  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 a cucumber, diced
  • 12 black olives, pitted and cut in halves
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Place your blocks of tofu on a flat cutting board lined with paper towel. Use a plate or another cutting board to press down on the tofu and remove any excess water. Repeat a few times until most of the liquid has been pressed out.
  2. Add the tofu to a bag with the rest of the marinating ingredients (except the 1 tbsp of olive oil for frying). Mix everything together in the bag and make sure that the blocks are evenly coated in the marinade. Place the bag in the fridge and let the flavours soak into the tofu for at least 3 hours; go 6-8 if you can.
  3. While the tofu is marinating, bring the can of coconut milk to a boil in a small pot. Add in the couscous, remove from the heat, and stir. Cover the pot and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes, until the milk had been absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  4. In a medium sized bowl, mash the avocado and add in the rest of the salad ingredients. Mix to combine, then set aside.
  5. Once the tofu is done marinating, remove each block from the bag and cut it in half.
  6. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the tofu “steaks” and cook until nice and browned, about 3-4 minutes. Flip over and cook on the other side for an additional 4 minutes. Then remove from the heat.
  7. To assemble each bowl, put some couscous on the bottom, followed by some salad, and then finish with two slices of tofu. Top with hummus or another condiment of choice:)

Hope this recipe brightens up your Monday! Have an awesome rest of your week, and I’ll see you on Wednesday with another great recipe:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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Hey guys! You know it’s fall when it gets too dark to take good food pics after dinner… yesterday I made these AWESOME muffins but taking pictures of them in the semi-darkness would not have done them justice. But don’t worry, today you get the recipe.

This was my first fall baking project, and I’m really happy with the way that it turned out. When you need an easy, healthy fall treat, hit up these muffins. They’re mixed in a blender, so it’s actually a zero bowl recipe, and they have SO much cinnamon-y apple flavour. I used the rest of my Homemade Applesauce that I had frozen, as well as all of the fall spices, and maple syrup to top it off. There is zero refined sugar in these, and they’re also gluten free if you use gluten free oats. I haven’t tested this recipe with a flax or chia egg, but you can definitely try it out if you’d like to make these muffins vegan.

These kind of remind me of an apple cake, and are GREAT for breakfast or a quick snack. They might be some of my favourite muffins- I love my original Sugar-Free Muffins recipe, and my Mini Protein Muffins, but I’m a sucker for these fall flavours. Hope you enjoy!!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Serves: Makes 9 Muffins

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats (I used quick-cooking steel cut, but rolled work too)
  • 1 small egg
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add all of the muffin ingredients, except for the diced apples, into a blender or food processor. Blend until mostly smooth; if you can see some oats still that’s all good.
  3. Using a spoon, mix the diced apples evenly into the batter.
  4. Grease 9 holes in a muffin tin with some more coconut oil. Scoop out the batter and fill the holes about 3/4 of the way using a tablespoon.
  5. Bake the muffins for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside, and cooked through on the inside; you shouldn’t see any raw batter.
  6. Let the muffins cool completely and enjoy!

These muffins are so tasty! You can make a big batch and freeze them for a handy snack anytime:) Enjoy!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

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:))