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.
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.
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.
I’m hanging on to Summer until the very end! It’s too short! I also love how we tend to crave simpler food dishes during the summer. I’m loving cold chickpea and herb salads these during these summer days. Simple and healthy! I’ll be sharing one of my latest simple summer salads in today’s post. A few people messaged me asking for the recipe so I’ll just post it here for everyone. It’s so super easy and takes very little time to make.
Chickpea & Herb Summer Salad
Ingredients:
1 can of Chickpeas
1 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Drizzle of Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp of minced garlic or you can use garlic powder as an alternative
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cups of Fresh Spinach
Method:
Drain and rinse your chickpeas
Add them into a large bowl
Chop up your parsley, garlic, tomatoes and bell pepper
Toss the chopped ingredients into the bowl except the parsley
Toss in the Apple Cider Vinegar and drizzle in some olive oil as well.
Mix the ingredients well
Add in the parsley and fresh spinach to the salad
Season your salad with Salt and Pepper
Give the salad another toss
Sprinkle the hemp heats onto the salad and serve!
Enjoy!
* This Salad can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. The longer it sits in the fridge the better it tastes. I suggest you only add the spinach in before serving however. It will get too wilted otherwise. I add my spinach in the morning before leaving for work if I’m taking it for lunch. Adjust the dressing measurements to your desire. If your oil free you can totally skip it in this recipe. I’ve eaten it oil free many times and it’s still great. *
~Vegan Mommy Dee~ 
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