budget friendly meals | ~Vegan Mommy Dee~

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 Sauce

Super 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.

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

Debbie

~VeganMommyDee~

I love making No Waste Quick & Easy Meals. I absolutely hate wasting food! Anyone else buy loads of food and a week or two later you start tossing it in the trash or organic bin? It’s just so wasteful.

This hurts our wallet, health and our planet.

I vowed to start changing this bad habit. I didn’t want to continue throwing out perfectly good food because I didn’t plan my meals well enough. It was also starting to get too costly which is not ok when you really want to buckle down and save money for a rainy day. Saving money is on my top priority list this year.

I do use an organic compost bin so at least the food waste isn’t going in the trash can. It is however still horribly wrong and wasteful. I can’t justify buying food to just toss into my compost bin. Why is it so hard to use up everything we buy? I work long 12 hours shifts. A stretch of days go by where I can’t cook anything. I batch cook staple foods like rice and potatoes before I start all my shifts because thats super easy. I just add a veggie to it for my work lunches. I typically make frozen veggies on those days. I definitely don’t have the energy or will power to cook much more than that on those days!

Late last year I decided that I had to make a big change. I made the commitment to be more mindful of what I’m buying at the grocery store. No I don’t need every veggie on every single shopping trip! This was a hard thing to change because I really embrace the eat the rainbow lifestyle. Now I limit myself to what I truly need to make a meal or two with.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Mixed Greens Salad

Making these changes was difficult at first and even now I sometimes find goodies in the fridge that I’ve missed. I just make a meal out of these sad overripe veggies and it always turns out great! I feel like almost always something can be done with them. It might not be the best meal but it will be healthy and taste good. Of course there will always be times where the odd thing is too far gone to use. I just try my best to avoid it as much as possible.

I create meals using only a few ingredients these days that I quickly grab in the fridge. I use up whatever needs to be eaten first and go from there. I love this way of cooking. No waste meals are my absolute favorite now. It forces me to think outside the box and get creative. I’m actually really enjoying cooking this way!

No waste cooking has also made me get back to basics and eat more simply. I’m able to save a lot of time by eating this way. I’m not spending endless hours in the kitchen. Great cooking doesn’t have to be fussy and complicated.

I hope that this inspired you to reduce food waste. Join me this year as I change myself to continue my no waste meals and reduce food waste in our homes!

Catch me on VeganMommyDee’s Life on YouTube. Consider subscribing if you enjoy health, wellness content and easy to cook recipes.

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,