I’m loving my shrimp lately! It’s fast, easy, and so so good🙌 So I added it to this amazing pasta dish which uses a nice spring vegetable, the artichoke!
Artichokes can be a little scary to prepare because they’re not a super common vegetable. However, the flavour is DELICIOUS and they contain lots of antioxidants👌 I started by steaming my own artichokes and then using the hearts and stems, because the leaves are very fibrous. In the future I can do a whole post on how to prepare an artichoke. If you want to skip all the prep and get right to the pasta though, you can buy a jar of marinated artichokes. Either way, you’re getting lots of great flavour.
If you’re using marinated artichokes, then this dish comes together in a SNAP. We’re talking 15 minutes people. THAT’S A ONE. AND THAT’S A FIVE. I The artichokes are sautéed with some garlic, olive oil and cherry tomatoes, before the shrimp get added in with some salt and pepper. All of this together creates a really light sauce that is perfect to highlight the artichokes! I then tossed in some cooked lentil spaghetti, which is great because it’s packed full of protein. It’s also gluten free so that’s a win! Whole wheat or regular spaghetti works great too though!
Once everything’s tossed up, all that’s left to do is serve. This makes an amazing quick lunch or dinner, but it’s also kind of fancy so if your looking to treat yourself to a nice meal in, you’re all set. Hope you enjoy!
-2 servings of cooked lentil, whole wheat or regular spaghetti
-Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic, tomatoes, and chopped artichoke hearts and cook for about 4 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and tender. Smash the tomatoes down during the cooking process to get the juices going in the pan.
2. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until they are light pink in colour. Season everything to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Add in the cooked pasta, remove from the heat and toss everything together.
Hey there! I took a bit of a break from posting for a while but I am coming back STRONG with these delicious Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Bowls.
I love shrimp so much- all seafood is so delicious! I was looking in the freezer the other day for an easy protein I could whip up for lunch and I locked in on the bag of frozen shrimp. I’ve never done much cooking of meat/fish/crustaceans, but I decided to give it a try! And you know what? Shrimp is probably one of the easiest proteins you can make. They’re super fast to cook and it’s not hard at all to tell when they’re done. They’re also full of protein with roughly 25 grams per 16 shrimp.
I used some frozen shrimp and defrosted them by running them under cold water, although it said not to do that on the bag. I would like to know what the problem with that is. (insert laughing face emoji here). If you know you’re going to be making these ahead of time though, you can always throw your shrimp in the fridge to defrost over night, or even use fresh shrimp.
To make these delicious bowls, I started by tossing the shrimp with a bunch of delicious spices, and then sauteeing them in some olive oil. They only need about two minutes per side, and are finished when they’re opaque and slightly pink. So easy! Next we have a bunch of veggies- we’re talking peppers, onions, olives and some carrot ribbons- that get cooked up with lemon juice, garlic powder, and some tahini for some extra flavour. Finally, for some green-ness there’s a tasty cucumber and avocado salad. Serve everything over quinoa and you’ve got a LUNCH.
Let me know how you like these bowls! I definitely want to keep making shrimp recipes because the deliciousness times the easiness factor is out of this world. Maybe I’ll venture out into some other animal proteins too?!? Who knows! Enjoy:)
-2 small carrots, made into ribbons with a veggie peeler
-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1/4 of a white onion, sliced
-1 200ml can of sliced black olives, drained
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-Juice of 1/2 a lemon
-1/2 tbsp tahini
-Salt and pepper to taste
For the Cucumber Avocado Salad:
-1/4 of a long English cucumber, diced
-1/4 of a ripe avocado
-2 tsp tahini
-Salt and pepper to taste
Other:
-Cooked quinoa for serving
Directions
1. Add the olive oil for the shrimp to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add your shrimp to a small bowl and mix them with all of the spices. Dump the shrimp into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until the shrimp are opaque and slightly pink. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil for the veggies into the still hot pan. Add the veggies in and sautee until the peppers are soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the lemon juice, garlic powder, tahini, and salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Mash the avocado for the salad in a small bowl, mix in the rest of the ingredients, and set aside.
4. To construct your bowls, start with some cooked quinoa, then add the veggies, shrimp, and cucumber salad. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice if desired and enjoy!
Hey guys! I have a SICK recipe for you tonight- these Cactus Cut Sweet Potatoes are here to play. I love the version they have at restaurants, but today we’re baking pies and also using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes because sweet potatoes are amazing😍
Sweet potatoes and potatoes are actually pretty similar in nutritional content, but potatoes are higher in potassium while sweet potatoes are higher in vitamin A. So it all comes down to which potato you prefer- and I think you already know which kind of tater has my heart😂
These cactus cut sweet potatoes are get super crisp and delicious in the oven, and are perfectly spiced! They may not look orange to you, but that’s because I used a Japanese sweet potatoe. I actually really like this variety, and they’re a bit smaller which is good for the recipe🙌 But regular ol’ orange sweet potatoes will work just fine as well.
This super tasty snack/side is also very easy to make. Start by truly slicing your sweet potato- I would say to about 1/8 of an inch. The average thickness I got was this:
Although I definitely need to work on my knife skills because my cuts were a lil all over the place😂
Next you’re going to toss your taters in a bag with some olive oil and all those delicious spices that make these cactus cuts shine! Paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper all make and appearance, and of course you’ve gotta have that cayenne for spice.
The final step before the oven is to lay the sliced potatoes down flat on a parchment lined baking sheet- making sure it’s not too crowded so they have room to reach their full delicious potential! After roasting for 20 minutes, you’re going to flip em and them bake for another 5-10, keeping a close eye on those little suckers so they don’t burn. And then voila! You’ve got some warm, seasoned cactus cut sweet potatoes that are AMAZING with hummus, tzatziki, or just by themselves😍
I love this recipe because it’s perfect for a party (when we can have them) and also for snacking! I also had them as a side with my egg scramble for dinner and they were👌 Hope you enjoy!!
-1 small japanese or regular sweet potato, cut into 1/8 inch slices
-2 tsp olive oil
-1 tsp paprkia
-1/2 tsp chilli powder
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/4 tsp cayenne powder
-Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add the sliced sweet potatoes into a large ziploc bag with the rest of the ingredients. Shake everything up until the potatoes are coated with the oil and the spices.
3. Lay each slice on a parchment lined baking sheet, being careful not to over-crowd the pan. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and flip over all of the potatoes with a fork. Place them back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until crispy and cooked through, watching to make sure they don’t burn.
5. Remove the potatoes from the the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy!
Hey guys! I’ve made savoury oats before and honestly they weren’t very good- just sort of bland and blah. But I got some inspiration from Grace, @_thefreshavocado on Instagram, to make these delicious Red Pepper Savoury Oats!
These oats are definitely like risotto, but healthier, faster, and easier to make. Some red pepper hummus and an egg white makes them SUPER creamy, and of course they start with some sautéed garlic and onion, because that’s how all good things begin😍
I started by cooking up those onions and some chopped garlic, as well as thinly sliced red pepper. As soon as those get nice and soft and caramelized, the oats go in with equal parts water and almond milk for some extra creaminess. The egg white, hummus, and lots of salt and pepper get stirred in as well, and you’re going to simmer until your oats are cooked through but still creamy.
I used some quick-cooking steel cut oats for this recipe, which were perfect! They took around seven minutes until they were ready. But if all you have are quick oats or rolled oats, adjust the cooking time accordingly and this recipe will still be delicious:)
Enjoy these oats as a side, as a vessel for more veggies or some chicken or shrimp, or as a delicious savoury breakfast with a runny egg on top! They have so much flavour and the texture is everything🥰 Enjoy!
1. In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, pepper, tomato and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7 minutes.
2. Add in the oats, almond milk, water, hummus, egg white and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, continuing to stir until the oats are cooked through but still creamy, adding more almond milk as needed.
3. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy warm!
Hey friends! I know that prepping lunches/dinners for school/work can be a STRUGGLE. I’ve been there, believe me. So today I’m sharing how to meal prep the perfect lunch bowl, to give you a bit of inspiration to make lunch the best part of the day again!
Packing lunches is difficult for a number of reasons. It could be that you have no idea what to make, or that you’re just lazy (I get you). It’s times like these when it’s the hardest hard to fit nutritious food into your diet. When you don’t feel like prepping food or are lost as to what to even pack, it’s easier to grab more processed snacks and faster, less nutrient dense options. So this is why lunches need to be
a) Exciting
b) Quick and Easy to Make
c) FREAKING DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS
Having a slew of super tasty lunch ideas available makes it way more likely that you’ll have the desire to meal prep, because you’ll know that your future self will be thanking you. And if said delicious ideas are fast and simple to prepare, even better! It won’t be a laborious chore to make sure that you’re nourished everyday. Which is, of course, the goal. To NOURISH YOUR BODY so that you can be the best version of yourself possible. You can’t do that if you’re consistently packing you’re not having a good lunch- whether you’re consistently packing a couple of chocolate bars and a bag of chips, or s few cucumber slices. I have a ton of great lunch options under School Lunches on my site, but keep reading for my perfect bowl formula.
Like I just said, you can’t pack a super tiny lunch full of junk food or just veggies and expect to feel satisfied. You need BALANCE people. BALANCE! And that’s what I love about these bowls. You get your veggies, your complex carbs (aka ones that will help keep you fuller longer), AND your protein (also fills you up), all in a neat little package that is customizable based on what you have, what you like, and what you feel like preparing. The point is, you get a delicious meal that is simple and easy to make. Which is the optimum recipe for meal prepping success!
Once you have these bowls made, feel free to add a little something extra on the side, whether that be more fruits and veggies, or a little treat. If you’re getting all of your required nutrients in to fuel you throughout the day, of course you can have a lil something sweet- check out my healthy desserts here. It keeps things interesting and satisfying.
Before I present you with this bowl building guide, let me assert this point- UTILIZE LEFTOVERS! Whether it’s some chicken from that night’s dinner, some quinoa you made a few days ago, or some random roasted veggies that you have in your fridge, leftovers of all kinds are welcome in these bowls and are a part of what makes them so quick and easy!
You’ll definitely notice the difference once you fuel up properly, as opposed to being unsatisfied with your lunch choices. And this is incentive should be enough to keep on meal prepping! I hope that this perfect bowl formula helps you out- it’s my go-to lunch almost every day! Let’s get into the very simple steps.
Step 1: Choose Your Complex Carbs
Carbs are IMPORTANT because they give you energy for the day ahead, and help you feel full! Don’t leave em out. What is also important, however, is making sure that you’re choosing whole grain and complex carbs that release energy more slowly and provide you with more nutrients than more quick to release, simple carbs. Think whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice. But if you don’t have whole grain options on hand, don’t shy away from using carbs like white rice. You still need that energy, and carbs shouldn’t be something to be afraid of. Fill your tupperware to about a 1/4 full with your carb of choice! Some of my favourite complex carb ideas are:
Veggies are full of nutrients and are an essential part of these bowls! Both fresh and cooked options work great- or use a combination of the two. I always like to have a bunch of different veggies on hand in the fridge, ready to be used for such situations. Be sure to pick veggies that YOU LIKE- don’t force yourself to eat stuff you hate, because that is not sustainable. Fill your tupperware at least 1/2 full with veg- here are some ideas:
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Corn, peas, or other defrosted frozen veggies
Beets
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Carrots (I grate mine- game changer!)
Spinach
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Celery
Broccoli
Peppers
Olives
The list goes on and on!
Step 3: Pick Your Protein
Protein is vital- it helps keep you feeling fuller longer, and is necessary to build muscle tissue and for your body to function in general! When you think protein, you may just be thinking of your conventional sources- meat- which can be hard to include if you don’t have any ready to go. There are a TON of easy protein options out there though! Many of them can be prepped before hand, and a bunch of others are ready to go as is. These are some great healthy protein options to add to your bowl:
Boiled eggs (I love boiling a bunch at a time, and having them ready to use for the next few days)
Chicken, pork, or beef (including leftovers, or meat that you cook in a batch for meal prep)
Canned tuna (mix with some mashed avocado so it’s less dry)
Ok, so we’ve got carbs, veg, and protein, which, on their own, should taste pretty good. You can see that I added some more protein in the form of chickpeas to this bowl as well. But to make these bowls even better, be sure to add some healthy fats and flavour at the end! I’m talking homemade dressings, hummus, tzatziki, avocado, nuts and seeds, or simply some balsamic vinegar! Healthy fats are a necessary part of your diet, and make your lunches that much more satisfying. Try and stay away from store bought dips and dressings- they can be full of preservatives, sugars, and other not so nice ingredients! Some finishing touches I like to add to my bowls are:
Dips and dressings (see my favourite recipes here)
Hummus
Salsa
Vinegars (love my balsamic)
Avocado
Nuts
Seeds
There you have it- the perfect steps to make your meal prep dreams come true! There are so many combinations and that’s something that I love about this formula, but here are some flavour combo ideas if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed:
All of those combos sound amazing! Go ahead and get creative, and I promise that these steps will help you to create delicious, filling and nutritious lunches and keep you coming back for more.
My Day Is Booked 