As many of you already know (if you follow me on YouTube), I decided to do a 10 day Oat Mini! I ate yummy oats at every meal and created some interesting recipes during these ten days.
For those of you who don’t know what a “Mini” is I will explain. Mary McDougall who is Dr. John McDougall’s wife created this diet. It’s basically a short ten day diet where you eat very simply. You give your digestion a break and food is only used for fuel. It’s a time where there is very little variety. During this 10 days you pick one starch that will be the star of the show. You will eat this starch at every single meal and pair it with non starchy veggies. As far as the starch goes you can choose whatever you prefer. You can try foods like rice, potato, sweet potato or oat as the starch of choice. Just keep in mind that you will need to eat this starch for ten days. Make sure it’s a starch you really enjoy eating!
I’ve written a blog post about my experience with the Mary’s Mini so be sure to check that out. In that post I go into detail about this simple diet and the benefits of it. See February 24, 2020 for this post.
In a nut shell though it basically gives your body a much needed rest! We constantly eat such a wide range of foods and many of us over indulge constantly. This is a time for the body to relax and repair. Most people will also shed weight during this short diet. This can be for a variety of reasons but I think it’s mostly from only consuming what your body actually needs. You really get a good grip of hunger cues and eat only the amount of food you require.
I typically lose between 6-9 lbs in 10 days when I’m on the Mary’s Mini Diet. As far as weight loss goes I’ve been the most successful on rice mini’s. I don’t focus on how much weight I lose but instead I focus on how I’m feeling. I notice that any bloating that I had goes away and I’m just feeling fantastic over all.
I made quite a few interesting recipes during the 10 day Mary’s Mini. One of those recipes was my Mushroom & Oat Stew. It was a little weird at first because I always ate sweet breakfast type oats in the past. I’m so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone though because this recipe turned out delicious! I had a lot of requests for the recipe so I promised I would post it here. It’s easy to find for future reference here on the blog.
I love how easy the recipe was to make and it was loaded with flavour. It’s also super packed with nutrition which is a major plus! I love using mushrooms in this meal because as we approach the colder months immune boosting foods are really important for me to incorporate in my meals. You can add any additional veggies in the recipe if desired. I also like to place a bed of spinach down first in my bowl or plate. This is a great way of incorporating more fresh veggies into our diet. I think the spinach is a wonderful addition to this meal and it also makes it a nice presentation if serving it to others. I then top the spinach with this delicious stew. I like the additional option of hot sauce on top too for extra flavour. You can add oil free condiments to meals on the Mary’s Mini.
I’ve done many rice mini’s, a couple potato mini’s and those all went very well. I decided to try the oat mini since I hadn’t yet tried it out. It was actually super easy to do. The 10 days didn’t drag on at all. I felt satisfied and content. I ate a lot of traditional oatmeal with blueberries or mango and I added cinnamon for extra flavour. It was nice adding in some savoury dishes during the oat mini. Oat’s s can be used in so many different ways and it always tastes great. I also get that cozy feeling after enjoy warm sweet oats. I usually paired it with whatever extra veggies I needed to use up. It was sometimes bell peppers or a yummy side salad with a sprinkle of lemon on top.
I also really like the simplicity of this short diet. It really makes life quite fuss free. You always know what starch you will be eating so all you have to do is make sure you have a good mix of non starchy veggies on hand. I found it very helpful for my work lunch too. It was very easy to pack up my food. Not much prepping required at all. This was such a time saver for me!
Here is the super easy recipe for you to enjoy! Let me know if you try it out in the comments below. I will also add the video version of this easy recipe in this post in case you prefer to watch me cook it up! If you can also take a moment to Subscribe to my YouTube channel I would truly appreciate the support and love! Giving the YouTube video a Like also helps my channel tremendously. Thank you!
Mushroom & Oat Stew
⁃ 4- 5 cups chopped Mushrooms
⁃ 4 cups Oats
⁃ 2-3 minced cloves of garlic
⁃ Dry Thyme, Dry Oregano, Paprika and Onion powder
⁃ 5-6 cups of filtered water
⁃ Fresh parsley (optional)
Method:
1. Water sauté the garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven.
2. Add the seasonings & herbs
3. Add the oats and water. Combine well.
4. Keep an eye on it and mix it up to make sure it doesn’t stick to your pot and burn. Add extra water as necessary.
5. Cook for 20-30 minutes on a medium heat.
6. Serve by adding fresh parsley on top and optional hot sauce or any sauce that is oil free.
Today I’m sharing literally the easiest recipe ever with you all! This is my go to meal when I have no time at all and still want to eat healthy. This keeps me on track with my health and wellness goals. My yummy Tomato & Chickpea Soup is so delicious and filling.
I also love how easy it is to whip up for work. If I’m unsure as to what to bring with me, this recipe is great. It takes very little time to make and it’s packed with nutritious ingredients to fuel me for a long shift ahead. It’s also great as a meal prep option for go to dinners after work. It’s easy to store in a container and reheated for a quick dinner option.
I like adding chickpeas to my tomato soup to bulk it up a little and make the meal more filling and satisfying. Chickpeas are a powder house of protein too! They pack in at 14.5 g of protein and 12.5 g of fiber in just one cup of chickpeas! They also contain magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium. I feel so good about adding them to my meals for all the added health benefits.
I don’t add any oil to my meals in order to reduce the over all calories content. Just one tablespoon of oil is an added 120 calories. I don’t feel good about adding empty calories into my meals. Most people will add way more than one tablespoon of oil to meals. That’s a lot of extra unnecessary calories! It won’t add any added flavour to the meal. I feel like people put in their heads that they need it for flavour. In reality you really won’t miss it! You can add extra flavour with oil free broth, bouillon, herbs and other seasonings. Skip the oil to save on calories!
I hope you enjoy my easy recipe. Please tag me on IG @ VeganMommyDee if you decide to make it. I hope it helps you on busy days when you don’t have time to cook a complicated recipe. This recipe takes very little time and it’s absolutely delicious. I will also add the recipe video below for those of you who enjoy watching me make my easy recipes. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my YouTube channel, then please consider doing so now. I have loads of easy to make recipe videos on my channel. Thanks for the support and love! I appreciate each and every one of you!
Tomato & Chickpea Soup
Ingredients:
⁃ 796 ml can of fire roasted tomorrow
⁃ 796 ml can of whole peeled tomatoes
⁃ 398 ml can of chickpeas, rinsed
⁃ 398 ml of water or oil free veggie broth
Seasonings:
⁃ 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
⁃ 1 tsp. Onion Powder
⁃ 1 Tbsp. Dry Oregano
⁃ Sprinkle of Black pepper
⁃ Sprinkle of Umami mushroom seasoning
⁃ 1 Tbsp. of Basil, fresh or dry
⁃ 1 tsp. Oil free Veggie Bouillon (Optional)
Method:
1. Add the tomatoes, water and seasonings to a soup pot.
2. Use a potato masher to chop the whole tomatoes a little. You can also just buy chopped tomatoes in a can and skip this step all together.
3. Allow to cook on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes with the lid on.
4. Add the chickpeas to the soup and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes with the lid off.
5. I add a little Himalayan pink salt when serving the soup.
We are definitely in the heart of the fall season and cozy recipes are required! It’s the time of year where we feel the need for those comfort meals as the days get darker, quieter and colder. We crave the cozy warm recipes that just make us feel good inside. This is my favourite season to create recipes. I get so inspired by all the foods in season during this time. Everything looks absolutely delicious and I start to think of all the recipes I want to try making. It’s just simply a wonderful time of year!
Many people will say that during this time of year they typically put on weight because they eat more decadent meals. Some say they crave “bad” foods. I feel like anything that’s a favourite cozy fall meal can be made into a healthier version. You can enjoy the wonderful much loved meal and still stay on track with wellness goals. I love to create meals that are guilt free and healthy but still taste fabulous. I know I’ve said this before but you CAN have it all! No more beating yourself up about eating naughty meals! You just have to get in the mindset of adjusting the recipe to meet your health and wellness goals. Also I’d like to add that if you do enjoy indulgent meals here and there, that’s also totally ok. It’s all about balance in life. I say just clean up your act and eat as clean as possible after that meal. It will be just fine.
I created this very simple butternut squash soup recipe using wholesome ingredients and it tastes fantastic. This recipe is a crowd pleaser and it’s perfect for entertaining during the holiday season as well. Now that covid restrictions have lightened up and families can get together we can finally start having guests over! Wow this is exciting! Everyone will enjoy this soup! My feedback after posting this recipe on my YouTube channel was excellent. I feel so good knowing that people are enjoying this hearty yet healthy soup!
Squash is abundant in every grocery store or farmer’s market this time of year. It’s definitely easy to find because they seem to be the star of the show in October and on into the colder months. Squash can be inexpensive as well and it’s quite hearty. You can make this whole recipe using just one butternut squash. A little goes a long way. My recipe will serve 4 people, so if you want to make it for a larger gathering then just make sure you pick up extra squash. I bought mine from Costco and they actually came in a two pack which is great. They worked out to 3.5 lbs each.
What if you don’t have fresh produce available to you? Depending on where you live or your budget you might not be able to get fresh squash. That’s totally ok! You can definitely use canned squash of any variety to make this recipe if needed. They do sell butternut squash in cans so this might be a good solution for you. You can also use frozen squash if that’s all you can find as well. Find whatever works for you because my recipe is very adaptable. Creating these healthier options doesn’t have to be complicated. I find sometimes we get into these rigid rules when cooking and that is just way too stressful. We tend to over complicate things and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Butternut Squash is full of Vitamins, Fiber and Antioxidants. It’s loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, and B Vitamin’s as well. It’s rich with magnesium and potassium which plays an important role for us in our bone health. It’s so nice to know that something so delicious is actually really beneficial to our health.
I decided to add some apples to this recipe because we had picked a whole bunch from our tree in the backyard. They needed to be used up and they taste so incredibly good! I’m not sure what the variety is but they grow perfect and I love how sweet they are. I don’t put any pesticides on my tree and they still turn out perfect. No bugs either! The only battle I have is the Toronto raccoons eating them on the tree and then throwing half away onto the ground. They basically eat half of the apple and throw away the rest! Ugh! Why can’t they just eat the whole thing?
Fresh Apples from my Backyard!
I hope you enjoy my easy Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Let me know if you make it and if you make an adjustments to the recipe. I will post the video version of this recipe below if you would like to watch me cook this lovely soup. Enjoy this amazing time of year and the gorgeous fall season!
Easy ButternutSquashSoup
Ingredients:
⁃ 1 Butternut Squash, peeled & chopped Look for one around 3.5 lbs.
⁃ 1 tbsp. Bouillon
⁃ 4 1/4 cups water
⁃ 1/2 onion, chopped
⁃ 3 medium sized apples, chopped
⁃ 3 cloves of garlic
Herbs & Spices:
⁃ Paprika
⁃ Curry powder
⁃ Onion powder
⁃ Cumin powder
⁃ Dry Oregano
⁃ Black pepper
⁃ Himalayan pink salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
3. Peel & chop the butternut squash. Add it to a lined baking pan.
4. Peel and chop apples and add them to the baking pan.
5. Chop up onion and peel garlic cloves. Toss into the pan. Add the spices to the mixture as well.
6. Pop the baking pan into the oven at 400F for 30 minutes. I gave it a mix at the half way mark.
7. Add the butternut squash mixture to a large pot. Add the bouillon, and water as well.
8. Use a hand blender to purée the soup or add it in batches to a blender.
9. Add more spices if necessary according to you taste.
10. Add the soup to bowls and enjoy!
Note: garnish with some pumpkin or squash seeds on top if desired.
I’m sharing my Best Ever Vegan Lasagna with you all today! Welcome back to my blog! This recipe is seriously pretty epic and I’m so excited to share it with you!
It has such a depth of flavours and it’s easy to put together. I feel like even a beginner cook could make this lasagna pretty easily. The only time consuming part is cooking the elements for the layers of the Lasagna. Assembly goes quite fast and then it does it’s thing cooking up in the oven for 1 hour. You don’t have to keep checking it while it cooks up either. I suggest just uncovering it for the last 10 minutes.
My lasagna is made using wholesome ingredients and you can feel good about eating it all up. Trust me you will want to eat every last bite of it! As always with my recipes I always make sure I’m using easy to find ingredients. All of the components to this lasagna are super easy to find at any grocery store. I feel like there is nothing more annoying than having to search multiple grocery stores looking for certain ingredients. You won’t be doing that with this one. You actually probably already have most of the ingredients on hand at home. I love making pantry staple meals. I don’t like having to buy too many ingredients for my meals.
The cheese sauce used in my recipe is a modified version of a recipe I found on YouTube. I will make sure to add it to this post for your reference. The thing I love about homemade “cheese” is that you can customize it to your liking and needs. You can make it thick and spreadable or on the runny side depending on what your cooking.
I love how little money I spent on the ingredients needed for this recipe as well. Most of the ingredients are staple items I always have at home. I love when meals are low cost and provide an abundance of nutrition. You can find cans or a jars of tomato sauce for pretty cheap at pretty much every grocery store. Just make sure it’s pure tomato sauce without any added oil. This will keep the calories lower by skipping any added unnecessary oil to the meal. Lasagna noodles are inexpensive as well and a fantastic variety can be found depending on where you shop. Organic tofu is often on sale, and frozen veggies are the cheapest to buy at the grocery store. The only ingredient I find that can be sometimes costly is the nutritional yeast. If you can buy it in bulk that will save money. You only need a little amount for this lasagna and the rest will store for a long time in the pantry.
This recipe will be enjoyed by even the most picky eaters. I’ve even served it to meat eaters and they loved it too! I think that says a lot because they tend to be quite reluctant to try meals like this in my experience.
Best Ever Vegan Lasagna
Ingredients:
– 2 680 ml cans of tomato sauce – 500g firm tofu – 2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast – 2 tbsp. better than boullion – 2 tbsp. Garlic power – 2 tsp. Onion powder – 1 tsp. Dry Oregano – 1/3 cup fresh Basil – 3 cups frozen mixed veggies – 1 cup frozen edamame – 1 package frozen spinach, thawed – 1 box 375g whole wheat lasagna noodles – homemade cheese sauce or a bag of vegan shredded cheese
Method:
1. Thaw out the spinach before hand.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
3.In a frying pan cook up the frozen vegetables and spinach. Use water instead of oil to cook them up. Add 1 tbsp. Of better than boullion, 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder and 1 tsp. Onion Powder to the vegetables. Set aside until ready to use.
4. Add the tofu to a pan and crumble it up using your spatula. Saute in water instead of oil. Add 1 tbsp. of Better Than Boullion and 1 tbsp. Nutritional yeast. Cook well and set aside until you need it.
5. Add the tomato sauce to a pan and add 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder, 1 tsp. Onion Powder, 1 tsp. Dry Oregano and 1/3 cup fresh Basil. Heat up on a medium heat for 10 minutes with the lid on.
6. Make cheese sauce or skip this step and just use store bought vegan cheese. The homemade cheese sauce only takes a few minutes to make in the blender. Just heat it through in a pan on the stove top.
7. Cook the lasagna noodles as per box instructions. I splash some cool water on them in the colander just to make sure they don’t stick together too much.
8. Grab your lasagna baking dish and start to assemble the lasagna. I add tomato sauce to the pan first and the lasagna noodles. Then I add the veggie mix, a drizzle of tomato sauce, tofu mixture and then the cheese sauce on top. Keep repeating until you’ve filled the lasagna dish. Finish with tomato sauce. Add more cheese sauce on top too if desired.
9. Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour at 400° F. Uncover for the last 10 minutes.
10. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing it up.
ENJOY!
NOTE:
I used a modified version of Jill McKeever cheese recipe. I added lots of garlic powder, extra onion powder, black pepper and extra water to the sauce when I made it. I also transfered the sauce from the blender to a pot to thicken up. Keep a close eye on the sauce because it will stick to the bottom of the pan easily.
I will add a link to Jill’s recipe video below.
I will also add my video version of my recipe below. I know many of you prefer to watch the recipe video.
Thank you for the support and love on my YouTube Channel. If you find my recipes helpful on your health journey then please Subscribe to the channel. Please give the video a Like as well because this helps my little channel tremendously. Thank you!
I wanted to share another very easy to make recipe with you all. I’m often asked about how I make my homemade veggie burgers. I always share my favorite recipes so you can all enjoy them too. I usually throw everything I want to add into my burgers into a big bowl and wing it. I don’t normally measure things and I just eye ball my measurements old school. This makes it difficult to pass on to others though so I’m trying to change my ways. I’m now forcing myself to measure things out and write them down as I create my meals. The notes section on my cell phone has been very useful for this. I don’t have to search for paper, pen or an excuse not to jot it down!
I used to complain to my mom about her never having written recipes and winging her meals back in the day. I thought “how on earth will I learn to make these meals if she doesn’t have a recipe written down to follow”? Well, I’ve become my mother it seems. Sorry guys like I said, I’m trying to change my ways!
I love to make healthy twists to my favorite meals. Making homemade vegan veggie burgers is one of my absolute favorite meals. I can pack in an abundance of nutrition into my burgers by making them at home.
I also like to control what’s going into my burgers because then I know that no added oil has been put into them. I feel like that’s unnecessary extra calories that don’t give me any nutritional benefits. Every tablespoon will run an extra 120 calories and that sure adds up quickly at each meal! I will pass on that and just eat more real unprocessed food for the same calories.
I enjoy my burgers with Spinach and sprouts on sprouted bread.
My feedback after posting the recipe video on my YouTube Channel has been wonderful. Everyone has told me that they love how quickly these burgers come together. I’m thrilled! I love helping people save time in the kitchen and still get wholesome food on the table.
You only need 4 ingredients to make the most epic burgers.
This recipe only uses four ingredients to make. I wanted to create a recipe that everyone could pull together easily. I wanted to make sure that even the most inexperienced cook could still whip these burgers up and eat a healthy burger alternative. I also wanted to make sure that it was a low cost meal. Not everyone has the ability make certain recipes because food costs are quite high these days. I often stick to basic ingredients that can be found anywhere and cost little to buy. Spices are definitely optional because they will taste great even if you don’t have any to add to them. Even something as simple as salt and pepper is all you really need for extra flavor. Use whatever you can afford, have on hand or that is easy to find in your local grocery store if you add extra seasonings.
My favourite veggie combination.
GF Oats bought in bulk!
Save money with low cost meals
One of the best things about this burger is how easy it is to make a variety of things using just one recipe. You can use this mixture not just to make burgers but also for veggie bites, tator tots, falafels, and veggie “meat” balls. The possibilities are endless! I love creating recipes like this!
You can change up the spices and trade out the ketchup for another oil free sauce of your choice to change things up every once in a while. You can also change up the veggies for different flavors or to use up whatever veggies need to be eaten first. I don’t like food waste! This recipe is great with a variety of veggies so use them up.
Optional: Spices & herbs. I like adding garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and dry oregano.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Cook up veggies of choice in a frying pan using water instead of oil. I like to use a mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrot most often.
3. In a large bowl add the rice, veggies, ketchup & oats. Combine well and if you use spices or herbs toss those in now too.
4. Add the mixture to a food processor and pulse until combined well. Be mindful of not over blending it.
5. Add to a lined baking sheet and shape the burger patties.
6. Toss in the oven at 375°F and bake for 20- 25 minutes depending on the size of the burgers. Flip them at the half way mark.
ENJOY!
I’m adding my video of how to make these yummy burgers below for your reference.
If you make this recipe please comment below or tag me on IG! Thanks for the love and support here on the blog as well as on YouTube. Welcome to all the new Subscribers and Followers. If you haven’t already, check out my YouTube Channel and give this video a Like. Subscribe to my channel for more quick and easy recipes. You will also find wellness tips and be able to take a peek at my veggie gardens.
The last couple weeks have been difficult. I’m still on the mend after feeling super ill. I had to get tested for COVID-19 and thankfully it came back negative. It’s just a regular flu that needs to run its course.
I’ve been focusing on getting lots of vegetables into my diet. I need those extra nutrients more than ever right now! Packing a variety of fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits will help my body fight illness and provide me with extra energy.
I decided to create a healthy veggie sauce using frozen vegetables to add to my meals. I used this sauce on my pasta and it worked out fabulously. It’s a completely guilt free sauce using only two ingredients. I used a frozen mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots to make my veggie sauce. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand to make this delicious veggie sauce. I’m sure the possibilities are endless and many combinations would be fantastic.
I used beetroot noodles for my pasta dish because that’s what I had on hand. They ended up being absolutely delicious. I actually found them at my local Dollar Store. They only cost my $1.50 and provided meals for two days. I ate large portions along with my partner and we still had lots left over for lunch the next day. I love saving money! I will definitely buy those again if I see them at the store. You can use whatever type of pasta you have or prefer for this recipe. I suggest using something like a whole grain pasta for added nutrition.
This is also a great way of cleaning out your fridge and making sure all the veggies you bought get used up. I hate food waste so I try creating recipes like this one in order to use everything up. We tend to buy a lot and don’t plan out our meals very well. Creating recipes like this is great to use it all up and not waste hard earned money. Nobody wants to throw away spoiled food.
Many people are also cutting back on food spending and trying to create cheaper meals. Grocery store spending can be quite high for all of us no matter what our diet is these days. If you live in a place where you can’t grow anything yourself due to the climate then these costs can be even higher unfortunately. I’m in that boat myself because it’s too cold most if the year where I live sadly. I can only grow my veggies for a short time every summer.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I need quick and easy recipes because life is just too busy! I also need to keep my diet as clean as possible so I can feel at my absolute optimal. This is why I create simple and healthy recipes like this one. If you enjoy these fuss free recipes then consider Subscribing to my YouTube Channel where I have loads of quick and healthy video recipes.
2 Ingredient Veggie Pasta
Ingredients
– 300-400g of Pasta – 5-6 cups of veggies (I used frozen broccoli, Cauliflower and carrots).
– Save 2 cups of the pasta water for the sauce. This will add great consistency and flavor.
Optional: – Seasonings and spices of choice (optional) – 1 tsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
Method
1. Boil a large pot of water for the pasta.
2. Add the veggies to a pan and cook them up. Just use water or veggie broth to cook them up. Don’t use oil because that will increase the calories significantly.
3. Add the cooked veggies to a blender. Add spices, seasonings and nutritional yeast if you are using them.
4. Add the pasta water to the blender. Start with 1 cup and decide how thick you want your sauce.
5. Drain and plate your pasta. Add the sauce. Combine well.
ENJOY!
I will add my video of how to make my easy veggie pasta below in this blog post for those of you who enjoy watching recipe videos.
I will make my best effort to get more recipes up on this blog this year. I’ve had a lot of people asking me to post more often here. I will do my best my friends! Thanks for the support, encouragement and love.
Who needs a recipe that can be made super fast but will still help you stick to your wellness goals? Fast food can definitely be made with a healthy twist if you put some thought behind it.
I love making Potato and Veggie patties because they taste super delicious and keep me on track with my health and wellness goals. I also love how I can use the same mixture to make a variety of things too. I make patties and veggie bites using the same simple mixture. I love easy recipes like this that can provide us with many different meal options. Let’s face it if we don’t have a variety of quick recipes then we will seek unhealthy alternatives.
Easy Potato & Veggie Patties with Hot SauceSuper simple & delicious Potato & Veggie Patties
The number one excuse people make for not eating healthy is that they don’t have time to cook.
I just don’t agree with that because I can cook up a healthy meal using just a few ingredients on a normal basis. In the time it takes you to order food and get it picked up or delivered you can make a healthy meal at home. It doesn’t take much effort to cook up potatoes, rice, open a can of beans or legumes and whatever veggies you have on hand. Frozen or canned veggies are wonderful to have at home because they cook up really fast. I feel like these types of convience foods are extremely helpful in order to keep us on a track with our wellness goals.
I use my instant pot to cook up most of my meals because I’m short on time. You can make pretty much anything in this amazing small appliance quickly. I love to fill up my instant pot with healthy starches like potatoes or rice. Having it pre-made gives me the opportunity to make a meal super fast. I also love having precooked potatoes in the fridge so you just have to grab them and reheat them when you get hungry. Rice can also be frozen which I find very helpful when I know it’s going to be a super busy day.
Having time saving hacks will prevent you from going out and buying terrible junky foods. Being prepared will help you stay successful and on the right track.
POTATO & VEGGIE PATTIES
Ingredients: – 4-5 lbs of potatoes – 4-5 cups of veggies (I used frozen veggies, my favorite is brocolli and green beans) – seasonings of choice (optional)
1. I cook my potatoes in my 6 quart Instant Pot (about 4-5 lbs of potatoes) for 20 minutes and allow it to naturally release. You can also cook potatoes in a regular pot on the stove if you don’t have an Instant Pot.
2. Cook up 5-6 cups of frozen mixed veggies on a frying pan using water or broth to saute them.
3. Add the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and mash them up. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may need to do this in batches.
4. Add in the cooked veggies and mix well.
5. Add in any optional seasonings or spices of choice.
6. Shape into patties and pop them into the air-fryer to cook up. You can also use the oven if you don’t have a air-fryer available to you.
I cook mine at 350 F for 14 minutes, flipping them half way. Adjust the timing according to the size of patty you make.
I dip mine in sugar free ketchup most of the time. I also like to make veggie burgers using this recipe too.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I’d love it if you could tag me on IG @VeganMommyDee if you make the recipe.
Do you think you can pull together real meals with Dollar Store items? I was pretty skeptical myself. I didn’t think they had much to offer. I also worried that I wouldn’t find oil free items there as well.
Where I live in Canada our Dollar Stores don’t have freezer sections sadly. Pre COVID-19 days, we crossed the border to shop I was amazed to find out that the Dollar Stores in the USA have freezer sections. They keep them stocked with some pretty amazing choices too! If your Dollar Store has a freezer then this challenge will be much easier for you. It will provide you much more to work with.
Here in Canada it’s not uncommon to find $3.00 and $4.00 items at the Dollar Store. I’m not sure why we even call it the Dollar Store anymore. It’s actually pretty hard to find $1.00 items these days.
I challenged myself to find $1-$2 items that I could pull a meal off with. I wanted to make sure each meal I made was between three and four servings as well. I wanted these meals to be something a family could enjoy or to have leftovers for lunches. Meal prepping is always such a great time saver! I’m not going to say I had tons of choices but honestly it wasn’t that bad at all. I was surprised at what I was able to find. I had to think outside the box and try creating family meals out of just a few ingredients. It’s definitely possible with a little thought and effort.
Many of us are trying to cut food costs and save some money. Shopping at the Dollar Store can help you save money and still put together some healthy meals. I plan on continuing to tinker in the kitchen and create more yummy inexpensive meals. It’s become a challenge that I’m now quite enjoying. I wonder what else I can come up with?
I don’t consume any added oil in my diet so I also had to make sure that foods were compliant. I originally wanted to make a pasta using traditional tomato sauce but every brand had canola oil in it. I had to pass on that idea and think of something else. I wanted to make a comfort meal using pasta. I decided to make my own healthy sauce. I threw only a few ingredients together and came up with a yummy pea sauce. This idea was actually way better and this sauce has become a staple in our house now!
I’ll add my video where I made this yummy recipe in this post so you can see how I made it. I made a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in the video below. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my YouTube Channel please consider doing so now. That way you don’t miss any upcoming recipes videos!
Spinach Pasta with a Garlicky Pea Sauce
I hope this inspired you to visit your local dollar store. Grab some staple ingredients and I bet you can create some great meals too! Let me know what you come up with in the comments. If you recreate my recipes please tag me on IG. I love seeing you guys make my recipes. It brings me so much joy!
Hi everyone! I hope the holiday season has been enjoyable so far. I know it’s hard to feel positive and happy during a pandemic but we have to push through this difficult time. We have to focus on the positive things we have in our lives and practice gratitude.
Calling all Pesto sauce lovers!!! I have a recipe that you will not only love but it’s actually healthy too.
Do you love Pesto but hate all the calories associated with it? Traditional pesto is loaded with oil which is just empty calories. Did you know that each tablespoon you use will add on 120 calories to your meal? I don’t know about you but I’m not interested in adding on all these extra unneccessary calories. I also don’t know any person that just adds one tablespoon of oil to their food when they cook. Think about how much oil is called for in traditional pesto recipes. Add up all those extra calories. It’s actually pretty horrifying. If those extra calories came from wholesome unrefined foods then I wouldn’t worry about it. Oil of any kind has been refined and adds no benefits to our health contrary to popular belief however.
If you want to read more about the hazards of including oil in your diet I recommend you check out Dr. Mcdougall’s website and pick up some of his amazing books. The Starch Solution will open your eyes to a weath of information and practical tips.
My recipe for pesto is oil free, nut free and dairy free. I eliminated a ton of calories and I only use real whole foods. I believe that the food we eat should be full of nutrients and vitamins. This is the food of vitality and wellness. This is the food I want to fuel my body with and I hope you do too.
So what if pasta isn’t your thing? Yes some people just aren’t big pasta fans. It’s true but hard to believe I know! Don’t fret because you can also use this fresh oil free pesto sauce on baked or boiled potatoes which is amazing. It will take your plain potatoes to a whole new level trust me! It’s also a great alternative to adding unhealthy butter or sour cream to your potatoes. I also like to top my rice with a little of this pesto sauce too. It gives your rice a bit of extra flavour and colour which is really nice.
Here is my healthy and super easy to make recipe for Pesto. This recipe is made using Arugula and Spinach which is probably very easy to find for everyone. I do like to use Fresh Basil when I have it but it doesn’t have to be the staple ingredient in pesto. I love how you can play around with different healthy greens to create new and wonderful pesto recipes. You can never get sick of pesto sauce when you try new greens and create new ways of making this fabulous sauce.
Healthy Arugula & Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
• 3 cups Arugula & Spinach Mix • Juice of 1 large lemon • 5 cloves of garlic • 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds or Sunflower seeds • Salt & Pepper • 1 cup chopped Tomatoes • 1-2 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast • 5 cups pasta of choice. I used Quinoa Pasta.
Method:
1. Boil large pot of water and add in the pasta. Cook according to directions on pasta packaging.
2. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Combine well.
3. In a large bowl add the pasta and mix in the pesto sauce.
* Serves 4 people *
Enjoy!
If you want to see how I made my recipe then just take a peek at my video below. It’s my latest recipe video on my YouTube channel.
~Vegan Mommy Dee~ 
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