Category: Vegan

Butternut Squash Spaghetti

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Anyone craving pasta? Stupid question, I know. Pasta is just one of those comforting and delicious things that I’m down for anytime🙌 Today we’re both health-ifying and fall-ifying some spaghetti by using butternut squash, roasted garlic, and juicy tomatoes. Yes please!

The butternut squash sauce for these noodles is INSANELY easy and INSANELY good. First, you oven roast some squash (I used frozen squash chunks for extra convenience), a tomato, and garlic. Then all of that goodness is blended with herbs that remind me of fall- rosemary, thyme, and sage, and lots of salt and pepper. This makes a sauce so with an amazing flavour and an even more amazing colour😍😍 Yum!

I used some nice whole wheat pasta as a base for my sauce, because it’s a great way to get more nutrients in👌 I also love lentil or chickpea noodles, which have lots of protein! Even if you’re using regular pasta, this is still a delicious and healthy meal. We need carbs people! They give us energy so we can be our amazing selves😉 Also, they’re really tasty. So it’s a win-win!

Hope you enjoy this fall pasta dish! I know it’s going to be on repeat at my house all season long🥰

Butternut Squash Spaghetti

Serves: 2

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 servings of whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups frozen butternut squash chunks, or fresh butternut squash cut into centimetre cubes.
  • 1 large tomato, cut in half
  • 5 cloves of garlic, in the skins
  • 1/4 tsp ground sage
  • 1/4 tsp ground thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add the tomato and the butternut squash onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and toss with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic cloves in tinfoil to create a little packet, and place that on the pan as well. Throw it in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, until the squash and the tomato are soft.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Once the veggies are done roasting, toss them into a blender or food processor with the thyme, rosemary, sage, and some salt and pepper. Remove the garlic cloves from their skins and add them as well. Blend until a smooth sauce forms.
  5. Add the sauce to the pasta and coat the noodles evenly. Serve warm and enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked:)

Tropical Baked Oats

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I want to travel or go somewhere really bad, but I don’t know if that will be happening for a while. Fortunately, if I close my eyes and eat these Tropical Baked Oats, I may be able to imagine that I’m on a beach somewhere. I just won’t think about the foot of snow outside, and I’ll throw on a heated blanket or something. Annnnnywaaays, on a more serious note, these baked oats are very healthy and delicious, and are a great recipe for breakfast meal prep!

This was my first time baking oats, and I was really surprised at the results! (In a good way I promise). They’re not super loose like stove topped oats, but they’re not completely set and structured like I expected. They’re at a perfect spot in between that’s in a league of its own. You can cut out even slices or just scoop out big servings (my preferred method) and then add toppings to your heart’s content! You probably already guessed that I added peanut butter. And you would be correct.

We’ve also got double the tropical fruitiness going on in these oats, because I added pineapple both in the actual liquid that the oats bake in, and on top along with some kiwi. Preparing the recipe was simple: I blended up a ripe banana, pineapple, vanilla and almond milk, then poured it over a ceramic baking dish full of oats mixed with allspice. After that I placed more fruits on top, baked it up, and boom, done! You get a delicious, nutritious, and fruity breakfast:) My favourite part is that the fruits on top get a bit browned and caramelized. They’re just so good!

Making a double batch of this recipe would be great for a week of meal prepped breakfasts. Each day just scoop oat a serving of oats and warm them up in the microwave, adding some delish toppings to spruce it up a little. You could also try freezing individual portions and make a top secret emergency oat stash. Ok I guess it doesn’t have to be top secret, but it’s more fun that way. Also then you don’t have to share. Bonus!

Make sure you try out these baked oats if you’re looking to switch up your breakfast routine! Keep your eyes out for new flavours because I’m loving this baking technique.

Tropical Baked Oats

Serves: 2-4 (I ate like half but you could also split it into quarters lol)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 cups pineapple, chopped or sliced
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 kiwi, sliced, or a few slices of frozen kiwi

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a blender, blend 1 cup of the pineapple with the ripe banana, almond milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. Add the oats and allspice into an 8 inch ceramic (or glass) baking dish, and mix together. Pour in the blended pineapple mixture and stir until everything is combined.
  4. Top the oats with the remaining 1 cup of pineapple, and a few slices of kiwi. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the oats have been baking for 20 minutes, turn the oven to broil to get the fruit on top nice and soft! Broil for an additional 5 minutes.
  6. Remove the oats from the oven, scoop onto plates or into bowls, and add your favourite toppings before enjoying!

I love this little at-home taste of the tropics! Let me know if you try out these delicious Tropical Baked Oats:)) See you Friday!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Vegetable Stew with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Hey guys! Hope you had a great weekend:) I’m still going strong with these cozy fall/winter recipes, and today I’ve got this Vegetable Stew with mashed Sweet Potatoes. It’s completely vegan but is packed with SO much richness and delicious flavour. Plus, who can say no to sweet potatoes?

I started this stew by cooking the onions until they were nice and caramelized, so that all of that browned up goodness makes its way into the stew. Lots of garlic made its way into the pot as well because garlic just makes everything better. I also used a kind of unconventional strategy to get more flavour and richness in there- I used a whole can of black beans, liquid and all. No joke! This thickens everything up and just gives it that nice savoury-ness that you want in a good stew. However, this means that you should definitely use a can of organic black beans, or make sure that the only ingredients are beans, water, and some salt. You don’t want any of those nasty preservatives if you’re not rinsing the beans off.

The next things that I through into the stew were chopped carrots, frozen corn and peas, some tomato paste, and some flavour boosters like soy sauce, maple syrup, and oregano. Super simple, no long or complicated prep involved. Frozen veggies are my jam; I could literally eat corn all day long. If you have a bag of mixed frozen veggies, feel free to throw some of those in there to avoid chopping carrots and cut down on prep time even more.

I don’t mash sweet potatoes often, but I really should! It’s faster than roasting and they’re pretty darn good:) I just boiled em, mashed em, and seasoned em with some salt and pepper. They make the perfect carby accompaniment to this amazing stew!

What are you waiting for? Throw on some fuzzy socks, get a fire going, and whip up a plate of this homey deliciousness!

Vegetable Stew with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 3-4

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Stew:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 a large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 can of organic black beans, liquid (aqua faba) included **make sure it only contains beans, water and salt**
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 can of tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

  • 1 medium or large sized sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced onions, and cook until browned and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Make sure that you stir them often to prevent burning.
  2. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the can of beans, carrots, frozen veggies, tomato paste, soy sauce, maple syrup and dried oregano to the pot and mix until combined. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
  4. While the stew is cooking, bring a smaller pot of water to a boil. Add in the chopped sweet potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender and mashable. Drain them, add them to a bowl, and then mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. When the stew is ready, season it to taste with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat. Serve with the mashed sweet potatoes.

Hope you enjoy this comforting cold-weather recipe! Make sure you come back for more because there’s lots more where this came from:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

Quick Cauliflower Curry

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Nothing is more comforting than a big ol’ bowl of curry. Am I right, or am I right? I love the delicious blend of spices and tomato and coconut milk. It’s just so warm and so tasty! Today I have a super quick and easy version for you that packs in some veg as well.

Super flavourful, healthy and awesome food doesn’t have to be really complex or take forever! From start to finish, I estimate that this recipe should take you around 35-40 minutes tops. Not many people are busy right now, but if you are, this is a quick recipe that you can hit up any day of the week. Even if you’re just at home, you won’t have to labour over the stove to get a great meal:)

Curries like this are great for freezing as well! After you have a couple bowls of this cozied up by the fire, you can throw the rest into a few plastic bags or containers and freeze for later enjoyment. I love serving this with brown rice or quinoa, and you can mix these grains right in there before freezing for convenience. That’s a big brain move right there.

When I’m about to heat up my oil and get ready to cook, I make sure that I have all of my ingredients ready to go so that I can just add everything in when I need it. This helps speed up the production time, and makes sure that I don’t burn anything while I’m chopping up veg or getting the spices ready! After sauteeing your onions, garlic and cauliflower in coconut oil, you add in your spices, and then some tomatoes and coconut milk. Then you’re pretty much done; just stir, season, and let simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Super fast. Super healthy. SUPER GOOD!

Enjoy this delicious curry recipe!

Quick Cauliflower Curry

Serves: 4-6 (served with grains)

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 cups of cauliflower florets
  • 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large pot.
  2. Add in the onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Sautee for about 3-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  3. Add in all of the spices, and stir to coat the veggies in them. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, to brown up the spices.
  4. Dump the beans, tomatoes, and coconut milk into the pot, and stir to combine, making sure you get all of the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper, then bring to a low simmer, cover, and let cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft, but not mushy.
  5. Remove the pot from the heat, and serve the curry warm over brown or white rice, or with quinoa.
  6. Enjoy!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend cozying up with this recipe, and I’ll see you on Monday with another great one:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

https://mydayisbooked.com/2020/10/30/pumpkin-date-granola/

Pumpkin Date Granola

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You know how I love my granola! Couldn’t let fall pass without making a nice pumpkin one😍😍 With this I used up the rest of the pumpkin purée I had frozen which was perfect. I used the first half in my Pumpkin Oat Cookies, which you should definitely check out because they are delicious.

In this granola, we’ve got a LOT of pumpkin flavour, as well as pumpkin seeds, puffed wheat, and dates for sweetness🙌 And you’d better believe that some magic is gonna happen in the oven and you’ll be left with some serious clusters. What is a granola without the clusters? This stuff makes the perfect healthy breakfast. It’s vegan and refined sugar free, and goes great with milk, yogurt, oats, or on a smoothie bowl!😍

It only takes about 30 minutes to whip up this recipe, so you can make it in a flash when you feel like you need a quick snack or dessert. Pumpkin muffins and stuff are so overrated. This granola is so versatile and crunchy and way more tasty. I’ve got a big container of it in my fridge right now and can’t wait to eat it all up❤️

Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Date Granola

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups quick or rolled oats
  • 1 cup puffed wheat
  • 1/2 cup shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds, salted
  • 3 dates, chopped
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ginger

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mix together the oats, puffed wheat, pumpkin seeds and chopped dates in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Stir together the pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup and spices in a separate, small bowl. Add into the oat mixture and mix until everything is throughly combined.
  4. Spread the granola in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
  5. Increase the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for another 2-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the granola at this point, as it can burn quickly.
  6. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

This recipe is so good! Let me know if you decide to make it! Have a great weekend:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))