Stuffed Pepper Stew

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

Seedy Energy Squares

Sure, you’re probably doing school from home right now and haven’t been out of the house in awhile, but who says staying inside is easy? It takes a lot of fuel to be productive at home, and so that’s why I made these delicious Seedy Energy Squares. They’re full of healthy fats, with some protein in there, too, to keep you going all day long! These squares are also super flexible, so as long as you have oats and bananas, which are two of my staples, you can customize this recipe to your heart’s content. Dried fruit and nuts would be great in these. I used hemp hearts and pumpkin seeds;)) If you want something dense, subtly sweet and seriously addictive, this is the recipe for you!

Seedy Energy Squares

Serves: Makes 20-25 squares

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup hemp hearts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl, then mix in the oil, vanilla and cinnamon until well combined.
  3. Add in the oats, pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts into the bowl and stir until well mixed.
  4. Dump the mixture into a parchment lined 8×8 baking pan, and spread it evenly around the bottom. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the sides are golden brown.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into 20-25 squares.
  6. Enjoy!

Hopefully these help you to power through your day and show that school work who’s boss!! Happy snacking;))

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts

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;))

Chocolate Shake

Hello! The last couple of weeks I’ve been kind of disorganised, which is why my posting schedule has been off. But I’m taking this weekend to plan things out a bit better, so I can post better content more consistently! Anyways, I’m really excited about this Chocolate Shake because it’s simple, healthy, delicious, and EVERYTHING YOU NEED RIGHT NOW! It’s also very thick and creamy. With just three ingredients (one being water), you can make yourself a delicious treat that’s kind of like a frosty;))) Because of its healthy simplicity, it can be enjoyed any time of day. It would be great in the morning with some granola! Here’s the recipe;))

Chocolate Shake

Serves: 1

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana, frozen in slices
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp water (or more if you’re a crazy person who likes a thin milkshake)

Directions:

  1. Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender.
  2. Enjoy!

Hope this Chocolate Shake brightens up your day a bit! Stay tuned for awesome posts coming your way this week;))

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Berry Banana Smoothie Pops

Hi guys! Since we all could use a little ray of sunshine right about now, I made these delicious Berry Banana Smoothie Pops that will transport you to a sunny beach😎😎 They’re delicious, refreshing and healthy, plus you only need four ingredients to make em! If you have a lot of frozen berries on hand, this is a great way to use them up. I’ve been loving frozen berries lately because you can incorporate them into so many things, and they’re delicious just warmed up and served with granola. I also used spinach and avocado in these pops, which add nutrients but aren’t detectable! What are you waiting for? Go make yourself some!

Berry Banana Smoothie Pops

Serves: Makes 7-8 pops

Total Time: 10 minutes to fill moulds, then freeze overnight

Ingredients:

  • 1 small ripe banana
  • About 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries
  • 1 packed cup of spinach
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions:

  1. Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender. The smoothie should be pretty thick.
  2. Spoon the smoothie into popsicle moulds, making sure not to over fill them. Stick in the popsicle sticks and place in the freezer overnight to freeze.
  3. Run some warm water over the moulds to loosen up the popsicles before removing them from the moulds.
  4. Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))