Unplanned Meal Plan

Do you have a meal plan?

I do and I don’t–I have menu ideas but not always a meal plan. A plan seems to rigid for my Zen Mommy flow but I do make sure I have loads of yummy ingredients in the house, then I see how my day is going! Because some days are easier than others and my dinners reflect that. (Not to mention, during Fall and Spring, I often have 3 or 4 soccer practices in one evening so . . . I have snack, 1st dinner and 2nd dinner with a final kitchen clean up at 9pm).chickennuggets

A few nights ago I had a great dinner planned.  Homemade Chicken Nuggets, roasted potatoes and a green salad, sounds great doesn’t it!  Until I realized that I FORGOT to turn on the potatoes.  Cooking Tip #1: Turning the oven on is key to roasting potatoes!

So now I had chicken and green salad.  Now I could have steamed some rice or microwaved the potatoes to cook them faster and finished them off in the oven.  Both options seemed like too much at that moment.  (and to be honest I was on the cranky side that I forgot to turn the oven on.)

The Banana Saves Dinner!

Then I saw it sitting on my counter.  A banana.  Then I remembered that I bought pears and mangos on an impulse at the store.  When I went to get them out of the fridge . . . I saw the pomegranate seeds!  Eureka!  I had a salad.  It just needed a few nuts!

I thought to myself–really?  This is your idea of saving dinner?  But it worked.  The kids LOVED the salad!  The pomegranate seeds were sweet and crunchy, with the salty pistachios, creamy banana, tart mangos and the sweetest pears I have ever eaten.  

But Will a Pineapple Save Dinner?

The banana salad was such a big hit–they asked for it again.  But I used walnuts and pineapple instead of mango and pistachios.  I may add some coconut and macadamia nuts–the possibilities are endless.

Have you ever “saved” dinner at the last minute?  I would love to hear your story in the comments.

Eat with L.O.V.E.

Vegan Mom note:  yes my kids eat chicken nuggets.  I wrote about how I make the best choice for my family in this article.  And this is another great post on how to make YOUR own best choice.

 

 

guacamole

How to Cut an Avocado

I love guacamole!

Well, I love chips!  If you have followed along on instagram or my face book page you know how much I love chips . . . potato, sweet potato, corn chips. I love crunch, salt and you know what else?  Watch the video below for perfect guacamole.classicguac

I’m a dipper!

I love cookies dipped into my coffee.

Sea Salt and Lime chips with my guacamole.

Buttered toast dipped into perfectly cooked eggs . . . ok, that was my pre-vegan days.

Hard crunchy artisan bread dipped into soup.

You get the idea.  

[Tweet “Are you a dipper or a dunker? “]

How to Cut an Avocado

Since I use avocados in my cooking so often, people will ask me “how do I pick a good one”.  That’s a tough question to answer because you really need to feel the avocado and see it BUT here are some of my best tips:

  • make sure the stem part is still on the avocado.  When the stem comes off it should be green.   
  • I buy Hass avocado because they grow year round–so you won’t need to worry about growing seasons
  • avoid fruit with blemishes
  • hold the avocado in the palm of your hand–if it’s hard=unripe, mushy=mushy and gross, firm with a slight ability to be indented=perfect
  • shake it–yes, shake that avocado!  Look crazy!  But if you hear a rattle, that means the pit inside has pulled away from the flesh and it will be over ripe.
  • I over buy avocados just in case one is bad–it takes a while to get the hang of picking out a perfect avocado.

The Video

How to eat Avocados?

We love guacamole and chips.bestafterschoolsnackever

I use it as a spread instead of vegan mayo.

I put it on my rice and beans with salsa.

I add avocado to my green smoothies.

I love salad with avocado and cucumber–that variation is posted on my instagram page often!

Tell Me

How do you eat avocados?

or are you from the school of thought that they are bad for you?  

Let’s chat about that, shall we?  Comment below or on the FB page!

The Best Walnut Fig Vinaigrette (ever!)

Walnut Fig Vinaigrette   

I went to the Engine 2 Retreat the last weekend in June, 2014.  And it was a life changing event for me.  The speakers were amazing and touched my heart, opened my mind while giving my ego a big thump!  The weekend was about eating a plant based diet AND so much more.  If you struggle at all with embracing a healthy lifestyle, I completely/wholeheartedly recommend a weekend like this.  It was suggested that I eliminate oil from my diet.  Oh, that hurt!

Do you remember my love of mojo de ajo?  over pasta!  yeah, I’m eliminating pasta and bread too!  I can totally do this!  My health and vitality are more important than my favorite dinner . . . 

Oh Nuts!

I love walnuts and pistachios.  (don’t tell anyone, but I have been known to eat peanut butter from a spoon right from the jar!)  Those days are over for a while!  I know, right!  Along with oil, I’m giving up nuts . . . big exhale.  I would rather give up nuts for a month or two and lose some weight while approaching a healthier lifestyle.  I can do this.  

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The Problem!

My favorite vinaigrette has both oil and nuts!  Now what?

Well, like I keep telling myself this isn’t forever.  I can do this.  And just because I can’t have my favorite salad dressing doesn’t mean that I don’t want YOU to have it.  I am giving two versions–my original and what I’m currently using.  Enjoy!

My new favorite salad dressing

Well, I still have my awesome fig vinegar and my figs, without my peppery olive oil and walnuts.  It obviously won’t be the same but it can’t be that bad–right?   

Walnut Fig Vinaigrette V. 2 (without nuts or oil)

Ok, so it isn’t really that complicated.  

2 tablespoons of really amazing Fig Vinaigrette, I add chopped figs and let it sit over night.  The vinegar infuses the figs making them a wonderful emulsifier as well as offering an incredible depth of flavor.  I add this dressing over my salad greens, over veggies, quinoa and even fruit!  

Do I miss the nuts?  Well, yes and no.  The very first time I had the dressing on salad–I did miss the nutty flavor.  Walnuts also have an awesome texture as well.  Did I mention that I love roasted walnuts?  You can see my video here on roasted walnuts.  What I did was add a little bit of ground flax seed.  

Flax seed adds a nutty flavor, a nutrition boost, fiber and thickens the dressing just a touch.  I also have added flax seeds to my oatmeal instead of walnuts.  When I go back to eating nuts . . . I will keep the flax and add the nuts!   I’ll be double healthy!  BONUS.IMG_6456

Walnut Fig Vinaigrette V. 1 (original version)

I use a ratio of 2:1.  Olive oil to acidic.  So simple.

1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of fig infused vinegar, roasted walnuts and minced figs or leave them chunky if that is what you like.  

It is smokey from the walnuts, sweet with the figs, sour with the vinegar and a great mouth feel with the oil.  

[Tweet “I made my salad sing by using the Renee’s Kitchen 2:1 ratio!”]

More suggestions and combinations

1/2 cup of oil (olive oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, peanut oil) 

1/4 cup of acidic (lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, lime juice)
 
1 tablespoon of any of the following:  honey, mustard, walnuts, peanuts, almonds ginger, garlic, fresh herbs, soy sauce, figs, onions
 
My winning combinations:
olive oil, roasted walnuts, fig spread, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese (now that I’m vegan I drop the feta.  The feta adds great depth and saltiness.)
 
olive oil, tarragon, lemon, 
 
honey mustard, rice wine vinegar–how simple is that?
 
horseradish mustard, champagne vinegar, dill, a touch of oil, salt and pepper
 
Warm salad dressing:  two tablespoons of butter (or earth balance if you are vegan) melted in a pan, while it is still warm add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, a touch of brown sugar and toss over spinach and strawberry salad (add bacon if you are a meat eater)
 
Coleslaw dressing:  1/2 cup of veganise and 1/4 cup of Panera Fuji Apple Salad dressing.  Toss with a bag of broccoli slaw.
 
Now remember–the 2:1 ratio lets you make a micro batch of dressing.  Play, have fun, get your greens dressed and ready to make you feel healthy and energized.IMG_6457
 

Go eat some greens!  Live and Love Big!