Lentil and Barley Stew

Hi there! I love cooking dishes that are part of my heritage, and this Lentil Barley Soup is my take on Hungarian Goulash. It’s a hearty, filling stew that uses a bunch of veggies, lentils and barley to create flavour. This stew is also great for freezing, so my freezer is stocked full of this stuff👍 Enjoy!

Lentil and Barley Stew

Serves: 6

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced (any colour works; I used half green and half red)
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 tbs paprika
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 3/4 cup green lentils
  • 1 cup pot barley
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, chilli powder, carrots, barley and lentils. Place back on the heat and dump in the water.
  3. Bring the soup to a boil, then bring down to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes, until the lentils and carrots are tender and the barley is cooked. Stir in the soy sauce.
  4. Enjoy! This soup can be frozen in resealable bags once cooled.

Hopefully this stew make your winter a little more bearable!!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Hey!! While winter is still here, I want to make all of the warm and comforting dishes that I can. So today I made this delicious Vegetable and Coconut Curry! It’s a big batch recipe and so it’s great for freezing and saving for busy days. This curry is LOADED with vegetables and has chickpeas in it to for some extra protein. Coconut milk gives it extra flavour, and I used lots of spices to make the curry sing;)) You can serve it over quinoa, rice, or pasta for an amazing meal. Here’s the recipe!

Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Serves: 6-8

Total Time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Measure out the spices and dump them into the pot, adding water if the mixture becomes too dry. Cook the garlic and onions with the spices for 2 more minutes.
  3. Add the vegetables, chickpeas, tomatoes and coconut milk into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Let the curry cook for about 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  4. Serve the curry over pasta, rice, or quinoa. You can also let it cool and freeze it in resealable bags.
  5. Enjoy!

Hope this curry warms you up!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Soy Marinated Tofu

Hey there! This year I’d like to start eating more plant-based, and exploring different kinds of plant protein. Although everything that I post on MyDayIsBooked is usually vegan, I’m not a vegan or vegetarian myself.

I feel like tofu is a little intimidating to a lot of people, because it’s not something that they cook very often. I cooked it for the first time a few weeks ago, and it’s actually super easy and delicious! In this post I’ll give you the run down on how to cook tofu, plus an awesome marinade to get you started.

Tofu

Tofu is a plant-based protein source made from soy beans. The varieties of firmness range from silken to extra firm. Silken and soft tofu are usually blended up in desserts, and medium to extra firm are used fried, sautéed, baked or steamed. This is because the firmer types stand up better to marinades and being cut into cubes and cooked. Pressing tofu is a common technique that gets rid of extra water in the tofu, letting you achieve a crispier texture. If you’d like to press your tofu, place a block of it on a folded dish towel on a sheet pan, and place another folded dish towel on top. On top of that dish towel, put something heavy such as a book or pan weighted with cans. Leave the tofu to be pressed for about a half an hour. The recipe in this post does not call for you to press your tofu, and it is by no means necessary.

Soy-Marinated Tofu

Serves: 2

Total Time: 40 minutes +

Ingredients:

  • 1 175g block of extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed

Directions:

  1. Cut a slit in the package of tofu and drain all of the water out. Remove the block from the package and cuto it into one centimetre cubes. Place them in a large ziplock bag.
  2. Add the soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic into the bag. Squeeze all of the air out and then seal, giving it a shake to combine the soy and lime juice, then placing it in the fridge for at least thirty minutes, and up 4 hours.
  3. When the tofu is finished marinating, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour the marinade form the bag into a bowl, and dump the cubes of tofu into the pan. Cook until slightly browned on each side; about 1-2 minutes per side.
  4. Eat in a bowl with quinoa, in wraps, or in a stir fry, and use the leftover marinade as a sauce. I ate mine in a bowl with sprouts, avocado, roasted sweet potato, quinoa and kimchi;)

I hope that was helpful and that you’ll try tofu sometime!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ok, these Brussels sprouts are life changing. LIFE. CHANGING. If you’re a Brussels sprout hater, than this combination of sweet and vinegary flavours will convert you. They’re crispy and easy to make as well! These sprouts are a great addition to your holiday menu. Here’s the recipe.

Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 13 Brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake for about 25 minutes, until crispy.
  4. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the balsamic and maple syrup. Put back on the pan and bake for another 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this holiday recipe!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

🍀Shamrock Smoothie🍀

Happy St.Patrick’s Day! For those of you who don’t want a Shamrock Shake, I’ve come up with the recipe for a delicious Shamrock Smoothie;)It’s super simple and full of vitamins. Hope you enjoy!

 

Shamrock Smoothie

Serves: 1

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 ripe kiwi
  • 1/2 tsp matcha powder
  • 1/2 cup light coconut milk, water or almond milk (add more or less if you want your smoothie thicker or thinner)

Directions:

  1. Toss all of the ingredients into the blender, putting the softer ingredients on the bottom (banana and kiwi) and the harder ingredients at the top (spinach). Add the water or almond milk in at the end.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Enjoy!

Have a great week everyone;))

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked🍀🍀🍀