Veggie Staples

dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, plant based recipes

Meal Prep 101

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A lot of people have been asking me about meal prep lately. So here is your Meal Prep 101! I think regardless if you are trying to lose weight or not, meal prep is essential to keep the mind sane. Especially for someone like me, a full time working Mom who also has eight million other things going on (like working out)! I would never make it without pinterest, my cookbooks or one of these, then there are no guesses as to what is for dinner for the week!
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If you don’t have a meal planning magnet on your refrigerator, I highly recommend one! Even if I don’t make what I write down for a certain night, I know that I have all the ingredients to make anything on that list. Very Essential. It takes all of the stress out of knowing what I have planned for the week. A lot of people do meal prep, freeze and then defrost, but if the chicken or fish or whatever it is I’m cooking for the night is out, it usually doesn’t take me very long (I never pick labor intensive dinners).

If you aren’t on pinterest, get there! It’s seriously the best, and I get so many dinner ideas there! I usually pin during the week, and then by the weekend (Friday or Saturday night) I know what I’ll be making for dinners the following week. I would like to say that I vary my snacks, but I go through phases, and usually eat the same things for a month before I move onto something else. Take for instance, this month I am eating tons of coconut milk greek yogurt with gluten free granola mix. Check out my yogurt parfait recipe here! I’ve also been really into Practical Paleo’s Pumpkin Pancakes (Zoey loves them too)!

1. Start with finding your 6 or 7 meals. I always plan one night of eating out because I go to art class and Jake plays soccer.
2. Will you both eat the same thing? Awesome! If not, and you’re like me (because Jake eats meat and I do not) you might need to double plan some nights. It’s usually just something easy like when we make fajitas, Jake has steak, I have veggies, beans or fish. Or, if Jake wants something like pot roast or meatloaf, I plan on zoodles or a big salad (even eggs if I’m busy)!
3. Do you coupon? What’s on sale that week? (we get our circulars the week before). If there is grassfed beef or chicken, I usually stock up. You pay a little more upfront, but then there are weeks your grocery bill is cheaper because you don’t have to buy it. I try to get to trader joe’s when I can, and I make a lot of food and snacks from scratch. We save a lotof money by only eating out once a week, and we usually go somewhere inexpensive, or to a place that has specials or we use a groupon. Unfortunately for us, all of this saved money usually gets dumped into formula for Zoey (I can’t wait until she doesn’t have to drink it anymore)!
4. Make your grocery list. Check your pantry. What do you have that you could use (this cuts down on your grocery bill big time). What’s in the freezer? I know people that are notorious for forgetting all the marvelous things they have in their freezer, and then they go bad.
5. I usually eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and my snacks during the week. This also keeps my grocery budget down!

So here’s some photos of my meal planning for last week:
Roasted veggies for my egg scrambles with salsa for breakfast:
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Other good breakfast ideas:
Paleo/Nut Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins
Chia Seed Pudding
Easy Morning Quiche
Cinnamon Almond Butter Pancakes (Make a big batch & retoast them all week)
Morning Frothy Monkey Smoothie
Pineapple Basil Smoothie
Green Monster Smoothie
Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

Snacks:
Homemade Kale Chips:
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Yogurt Parfait:
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Steamed chicken with 1 tablespoon coconut milk yogurt, low sugar craisins & celery:
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More Snack Ideas:
Nut & Seed Bars
Cocoa Cranberry Bars
Cinnamon Crunch Snack Bites
Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
Cheezy Chick Peas

And again, lunches and dinners vary.
These are some of my favorites that I make from my blog on a regular basis:
Springtime Vegetable Pot Pie
Stuffed Peppers
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Homemade Sushi
Cauliflower Tortilla Tacos

If I’m feeling like something salty at night, I usually make some homemade air popped popcorn (this air popper is awesome, and worth it if you eat a lot of popcorn, you can put any toppings on it), or I indulge in some so delicious coconut milk ice cream (they make lots of different kinds, including one with no sugar! It’s awesome!

So, I hope that is a good first start to your Meal Prep 101! It gets easier as you do it each week, so don’t give up, and good luck!

Paleo & Nut Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

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It’s summer & it’s berry season! I’ve been super duper craving muffins lately, and I still have an obscene amount of blueberries in the freezer from last summer, and knowing that we’re going to go again soon, I want to use them up. So lemon blueberry muffins it is (and they are nut free)! That means lots of blueberry smoothies, etc! Although I love blueberries (and lemons), my favorite berry is the blackberry (I have a great recipe for a blackberry smoothie here and a great recipe for blackberry watermelon popsicles here). What is your favorite berry?

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Paleo & Nut Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • zest of one lemon
  • juice of one lemon
  • ¾ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted + more for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon stevia or coconut sugar (optional, for sweetness)
  • 1 tablespoon non dairy milk
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Wash blueberries if needed
  3. Combine dry ingredients, sift thoroughly
  4. Combine wet ingredients (except blueberries) and mix well
  5. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well
  6. Gently fold in blueberries
  7. Line 5 muffin cups or grease with extra coconut oil
  8. bakers note: if you add water to empty muffin cups (1/2 full) muffins will bake more evenly
  9. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  10. Allow to cool before eating

paleolemonblueberrymuffins

Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins

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Being a teacher, breakfast for me has got to be quick. I am completely notorious for hitting the snooze button (more than once) before getting out of bed each morning. I am doing really well after my sugar detox (I lost 5 lbs, and I wasn’t super duper strict after the first week, to be honest, I was using stevia in my coffee…oops!). I highly recommend the 21 Day Sugar Detox if you are struggling with any kind of serious sugar cravings, or you just want to make your eating habits a little more healthy!

So I have been eating these breakfast egg muffins for the past 2 weeks in the morning. They are great for the mornings that I go to this new Crossfit/TRX class that I’ve been trying out at my gym. I can eat them on the way to work after I’ve gotten in the car! Perfect! The great thing is you can roast or saute any veggies of your liking (or even turkey bacon if you’ve got meat eaters on your hands) to put in the cups - and presto, you have a wonderfully delicious and quick breakfast! Low carb and full of protein to keep you full a long time! They are so good, I’ve been eating them cold, but they also reheat wonderfully! I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do!

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Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 cups kale, washed and chopped
  • 2 red peppers, washed and chopped
  • 1 bunch of green onion/scallion, washed and chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, washed and chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • coconut oil for greasing (or muffin cup liners)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Wash and chop all veggies (including green onion/scallion)
  3. Saute vegetables until just cooked
  4. Add cooked vegetables and eggs to a large bowl and whisk until well combined
  5. Divide egg mixture evenly among the cups
  6. Place egg muffins in the oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  7. Enjoy after the muffins have cooled slightly

 

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21 DSD Cocoa Banana Nut Muffins

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I’m still doing the whole 21 Sugar Detox thing! I actually cheated a little bit yesterday after my race. I completed a marathon relay with 4 other great woman on my team, and nine groups of Mom’s Run This Town. SO much fun & I had a blast. Here’s a photo of me & Zoey when I got home. She liked playing with the medal, of course!

So the day was outstanding, except for the fact that I ate some candied walnuts, a slice of cheese pizza and a donut. And then I proceeded to have a pounding headache until I went to bed despite guzzling about 20 million gallons of water. So while I normally feel crappy after eating a dairy product, this one really hit home for me. This whole not eating any sugar thing is working. And clearly making me feel a lot better - and I have lost 4 pounds. So thank you 21 Day Sugar Detox Books & Diane Sanfilippo!

These cocoa banana nut muffins are 21 DSD friendly, so I need to let you know in advance that they are not sweet! repeat: not sweet! I put this recipe together specifically to have something muffin and bread like, because that is a no-no, and going into week 3 I needed something. They definitely satisfy the bread like quality I was going for, but with no sugar involved. The banana and almond butter provide a hint of that, but that’s it, for the most part. Anyways, you’ve been warned! Do not expect otherwise - and happy detoxing!!

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21 DSD Cocoa Banana Nut Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffin
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup almond or coconut milk
  • 2 green tipped bananas
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ⅔ cup slivered almonds
  • ⅓ cup raw cocao nibs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line or grease muffin tins (with coconut oil or muffin liners)
  3. Put all ingredients except almonds and cocao nibs in the blender or food processor, buzz until smooth
  4. Pour blender contents in a bowl, gently fold in almonds & nibs
  5. Distribute equally among 12 muffin tins
  6. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  7. Remove from oven & allow to cool before eating

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Springtime Vegetable Pot Pie

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This isn’t 21 DSD friendly (something I am doing right now, more recipe for that soon) but I made 4 of these Spring Vegetable Pot Pie’s before I went on the detox and stuck them in the freezer (not after having one for my lunch the next few days, of course). I know they will be great go to’s for dinner at the end of the school year with all of the hustle and bustle going on. I opted to make 2 mini pot pies, but you could make one big one if you were feeding a family (double the recipe for 2 or 4, to store in the freezer for later). It’s easy because you throw all the veggies you’d like into a pan with some flour & stock & voila! You have your filling! The crust is a simple recipe I use from The Coconut Mama (no need to reinvent the wheel!). These spring vegetable pot pies are really easy to make and roll out for the top and the bottom of the pies. You can switch up your own veggies, add chicken if you have meat eaters on your hands, etc. Either way it’s a really easy dinner & even more easy to make extra back ups for freezing! Enjoy!

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Springtime Vegetable Pot Pie
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetable Pot Pie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 pot pie
 
Ingredients
  • 1 small onion, peeled & chopped roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled, washed & chopped
  • 1 cup string beans, washed and chopped
  • 2 cups corn from corn on the cob
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 1½ cups vegetable stock
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk
  • ⅔ cup frozen sweet peas
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking veggies
  • salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Wash & chop all veggies
  2. Prepare pie crust *see recipe for The Coconut Mama’s Coconut Flour Pie Crust above*
  3. In a large pan, heat the coconut oil on medium heat until melted
  4. Add all of the veggies & cook until barely tender
  5. Stir in milk, vegetable stock, coconut flour & spices
  6. Mix until flour is dissolved
  7. Reduce heat & allow to cook for another 5-7 minutes
  8. Change oven temperature from 400 to 375 degrees
  9. Pour filling into the bottom of the pie crust (or 2 small pie pans if desired)
  10. Roll out the remaining pie crust to cover the top
  11. Poke four small slits in the top to allow steam to come out
  12. Spread extra melted coconut oil (1 tablespoons) for a more golden crust
  13. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until edges brown
  14. Enjoy!

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Almond Butter Banana Yogurt Parfaits

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So on Monday May 4th, I started the 21 Day Sugar Detox (level one). Great book by a great author, Diane Sanfilippo. I don’t eat a lot of sugar to begin with (a little stevia in my coffee & some dark chocolate, usually after dinner) but I am 13 pounds away from my goal weight (pre Zoey) and I have not lost but a mere few pounds in the past month. I’m hoping this helps jump start whatever is making me plateau despite HIIT workouts, lifting weights, and macro/calorie counting.

I’m starting with Level 1 this go around (there is also level 2 & 3). Level one includes plain yogurt, green bananas & green apples in moderation. These are my go to fruits anyways, so score! This almond butter banana yogurt parfait is a really great snack that is incredibly filling. It’s really easy and I made them in small 8 ounce mason jars I picked up at Target (find the same ones here) so I had go to snacks for the week! You can layer with more bananas or almonds (cashews and peanuts are no-no’s, walnuts, pecans & seeds are all okay). What is your favorite low sugar/no sugar snack?

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Almond Butter Banana Yogurt Parfaits
Author: 
Recipe type: snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 jar
 
Ingredients
  • 5 ounces plain non dairy yogurt (lowest sugar content possible)
  • 2 ounces banana, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
Instructions
  1. Place half container (2.5 ounces) into the bottom of the mason jar
  2. Add 1 ounce banana, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, almond butter & ½ tablespoon cinnamon on top of the yogurt
  3. Add the rest of the yogurt on top of ingredients
  4. Top with one tablespoon cinnamon & 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
  5. Place top on mason jar & store in the fridge up to 5 days or enjoy immediately!

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Cinnamon Vanilla Donut Holes

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Let’s talk more donut holes. (see my recipe for the triple chocolate ones here). This will be the last sweet treat recipe for a while because today I started the 21 Day Sugar Detox created by Diane Sanfilippo. She’s also the author of Practical Paleo & Mediterranean Paleo Cooking! I have plateaued and haven’t really lost any weight in the past month, and I’m thinking I need a reset. I am super good about eating a clean diet, but I thought I’d try something new. We are talking eliminating every fruit or food that has sugar (or fake sugar) except for green bananas and green apples. I don’t eat a lot of fruit in general, so I’m hoping that this might not be too bad, pending the fact that at some point during the day I usually have some dark chocolate. 21 days isn’t too long, right?

These cinnamon vanilla donut holes are actually on the less sweet side, my husband didn’t like them as much as the chocolate (of course). But I thought they were awesome & would definitely eat these as a snack all. the. time.! And of course they are paleo and gluten free, so go make these - what are you waiting for?!!

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Cinnamon Vanilla Donut Holes
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15 donut holes
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar, honey crystals, or stevia/truvia
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon + more for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees if using a cake pop mold, or plug in your cake pop maker
  2. Beat egg & coconut sugar together in a bowl
  3. Add egg, vanilla extract, almond milk and coconut oil to egg/sugar mixture & mix well
  4. In a separate bowl, sift cinnamon, baking soda & almond flour together
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture & mix well
  6. Add batter to the mold or cake pop maker (I find you get the most rounded shape from overfilling the mold a little bit)
  7. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, or 7-8 minutes in a cake pop maker
  8. Repeat for second batch (you should get 15-18 donut holes)
  9. When cool, remove from cake pop mold & dust with extra cinnamon

 

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No Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats

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My husband loves rice crispy treats. As in, I make them, and they are gone within the day. It’s a pretty crazy addiction (along with all his other sweet treats). But, unfortunately, marshmallows are not very good for you, and making them on your own is not easy! So, I thought, what could I use that I know would be a good marshmallow substitute? Honey, for sure (I didn’t try my two batches with maple syrup, so I’m not sure that it would work). These were just as awesome with no marshmallows! Husband approved, and I added chocolate chips to the second batch for hint of extra sweetness! Yum! These no marshmallow rice crispy treats are a great alternative so the normal ones - full of processed ingredients! I also used Enjoy Life’s Crunchy Flax Cereal for the ‘rice crispies’. I am a huge advocate for their foods, free of the top 8 allergens (especially gluten & dairy free! I always use their chocolate chips)! You could also swap out half of the honey for some sort of nut butter to help the cereal stick together. What is your favorite indulgence?

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No Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 bars
 
Ingredients
  • 1 box enjoy life crunchy flax cereal
  • ½ cup honey (or ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup nut butter)
  • ½ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Pour cereal in a large mixing bowl
  2. Melt honey, coconut oil & vanilla on a pan on low
  3. Pour honey mixture over cereal until evenly distributed
  4. Add in ½ cup chocolate chips and mix well
  5. Place rice cereal mixture in a 9 X 9 inch pan, pressing down until flat and even
  6. Place pan in the refrigerator for at least one hour
  7. Cut into 12 squares and serve
  8. Best if left refrigerated

 

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Roasted Lemon Cayenne Cashews

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More snacks, anyone? I love my nut & seed bars, but I’ve been eating them for 3 weeks & I need a little break! Last week I posted a recipe for roasted cinnamon vanilla cashews, which are more dessert like! This week, I thought I’d bring you something savory, like these great roasted lemon cayenne cashews! Do you like roasted nuts? One of my favorite things to do in the fall is roast pumpkin seeds in sea salt from all our pumpkins (find that recipe here)! If you are allergic to cashews, or just don’t like them, you can always swap them out for almonds, or even seeds instead, using the same method. Do you ever soak your nuts in any extracts? What do you use and what is your favorite? Sweet or savory?

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Roasted Lemon Cayenne Cashews
Author: 
Recipe type: snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne (+ more if you like them extra spicy)
Instructions
  1. Place cashews in a bowl overnight to soak in ½ cup lemon juice & ½ cup water
  2. *add cayenne to water mixture if you like it spicy!
  3. In the morning, spread nuts out on a paper towel to thoroughly dry (a few hours)
  4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
  5. Place nuts on a silpat and spread out evenly
  6. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon or more of cayenne
  7. Roast in oven for 3 hours

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Paleo & Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Donut Holes

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If there’s one thing that my husband really loves, it’s chocolate. Lots. Of. Chocolate. We aren’t big donut people, but I was in the mood to make, or try to make, homemade donut holes. Why not, right? Triple chocolate donut holes, nonetheless. Gluten free & paleo. No refined sugars. It took a couple of tries, but this version is a winner. My husband ate the whole batch & repeatedly told me he would eat lots more (good to know). Did I mention they were triple chocolate? I also made a batch of cinnamon vanilla, but I’ll post those later. I don’t need to overload you all on sugar, do I? I’m thinking of doing a little detox myself soon.

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Paleo & Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Donut Holes
Author: 
Recipe type: donut holes
Cuisine: donut
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup raw cocao + more for dusting
  • ¼ cup enjoy life chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar, honey crystals, or stevia/truvia
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees if using a cake pop mold, or plug in your cake pop maker
  2. Beat egg & coconut sugar together in a bowl
  3. Add egg, vanilla extract, almond milk and coconut oil to egg/sugar mixture & mix well
  4. In a separate bowl, sift cocao, baking soda & almond flour together
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture & mix well
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips
  7. Add batter to the mold or cake pop maker (I find you get the most rounded shape from overfilling the mold a little bit)
  8. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, or 7-8 minutes in a cake pop maker
  9. Repeat for second batch (you should get 15-18 donut holes)
  10. When cool, remove from cake pop mold & dust with extra cocao powder

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