Weekend Meal Prep Inspiration {A Bowl for Everyone!}
Happy Friday everyone! Though things seem to constantly stay busy in life, it’s always fun to check in and share some of the meals that are fueling me through the week. Even when I don’t write down recipes, at least I can give you some tasty ways to use the seasonal produce you pick up at the market. Despite braving some chilly Saturday mornings lately, my farmers market has been overflowing with beautiful produce to use, so there has been no shortage of yummy things getting put on the table these last few weeks.
I also caught wind of an old friend jumping in on the fun little Friday shindig on Steemit (@foodfightfriday or #fff), so I couldn’t miss her appearance without putting in my own. Fridays are kind of a fun day to share food anyway. Just as I clear out the refrigerator to make room for the fresh new goodies from the market, I can also clear out the photo reel to make room for a new week of vibrant meals ahead! With a number of meals to share, I’ve got a whopper of a triple-double feature for you today. Grab a napkin and pull out a chair, a seat at the table is ready…
The first double feature will hit a snack and a breakfast with one of my staple pantry items–oats! Gotta love the ease and versatility of that whole grain. Did you see @lizelle even used some in a delicious chowder recently? Brilliant!
Breakfast and second breakfast are usually my favorite meals of the day. Especially when it is this delicious. I’ve made oats any myriad of ways, but there is something cozy about cooking up a pot with pureed pumpkin, apples, and cinnamon that just screams fall. Add some homemade pumpkin butter and walnuts on top and it ups the ante just that much more!
Recently I also had a craving for cookies, so I broke out the oats yet again for a vegan version of oatmeal raisin cookies. I found a great recipe that I already had the ingredients for, which made it even easier to satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy manner. Always great to have those solid recipes on hand to use when the cookie monster in you rears her head and wants a snack! 😉
The second two-fer (that’s what we call these sorts of things in my family), utilizes two of my current seasonal favorites–beets and sweet Hakurei turnips. A few of my favorite organic farmers have had the most stunning root veggies so far this season. The contrasting dark rich beets and pure white turnips make for a great pair in a number of different meals.
We just finished up the last portions of a yummy pink curry that I made this week. I cooked up red onion, the root veggies, red lentils, garlic, curry powder and a number of other warming spices with a bit of water and coconut milk. I tossed in the lovely greens from both the turnips at the end and squeezed in fresh lime juice. Served up alongside quinoa with raisins. Colorful and delicious!
The previous meal plan included the same root veggies roasted along with the first Brussels sprouts of the season to go in a warm salad. Black lentils and sauteed greens added extra nutrients and plant-based protein, then a tahini-based dressing topped it all off for some great lunches during the week. I can’t get enough roasted veggies this time of year!
For my third and final double punch of flavor, I’ll share my favorite meal from each of the last couple of weeks. My feature image was a dynamite stir fry made with gorgeous bok choy, bell peppers, the last of the eggplant from the garden, red onion and edamame. I also tossed in cooked quinoa and a light dressing made from miso and rice wine vinegar. More of that purple basil from the garden was a lovely garnish, but also a great pop of herbacious flavor to delight all of my little taste buds!
This current week I pulled out my very own cookbook for another one of my top creations. An easy casserole tops the list for comfort foods this time of year along with the roasted veggies, soups and chili. This one combines green veggies like broccoli and asparagus with sweet potatoes and an almond butter sauce. I hadn’t made it in a while, but it was just as good as I remembered! In case you don’t have the cookbook, it is also here on my blog.
The purple microgreens are another stunning garnish, in addition to bonus nutrients! As usual, healthy eating is anything but boring in our household!
I hope a few of these hit the spot for you and perhaps get you excited to jump in your own kitchen this weekend. I know I’m ready for another round coming up on Sunday! With the holiday season in full swing, I’m working on my dishes to bring to the annual family dinners, as well. Less than two weeks until Thanksgiving! Luckily I’ve still got plenty of my roasted pumpkin at the ready for some pie testing before the big day. Perhaps that will be on the agenda for a quiet weekend at home…
Happy and healthy weekend my friends!
