hello hello, happy friday!!
today i have some veggie forward dishes to share with you! it’s always nice to have some lighter, veggie-heavier dishes to add into your weekly rotation. we like to eat at least one vegetarian meal per week. it’s a good way to get veggies in and there are so many sources of meatless protein available - beans, tofu, nut sweet potatoes, even spinach!
we’re headed up to my parent’s house this weekend to celebrate my sweet dad’s 60th birthday, and i can’t wait to celebrate! it’ll be a great weekend. i hope you all have fun weekend plans to look forward to as well!
tofu with Asian BBQ sauce, rice, cabbage, and zucchini
if you don’t like tofu, feel free to sub chicken here!
ingredients:
1 zucchini, sliced
½ head of green cabbage, sliced very thinly
rice (enough for 2, or leftover already cooked rice)
1 block of extra-firm tofu
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ white onion, sliced thinly
chopped scallions
optional – 1 egg
sauce:
¼ c BBQ sauce
¼ c tamari
2 tsp garlic powder
splash of OJ
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
sriracha (to your taste)
make it:
Chop one block of extra firm tofu into cubes and air fry (or bake on 375) until cooked through and slightly crispy, about 20 min.
While tofu is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients on stovetop and cook on low to reduce.
Cook rice.
Slice cabbage thinly and saute in olive and sesame oil with garlic and thinly sliced white onion.
Add zucchini once cabbage has cooked down and sear.
Arrange all ingredients in a bowl.
Top with scallions and a soft boiled egg.
Optional: Add a soft-boiled egg.
Add egg to a medium saucepot of water and bring water to boil. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Remove egg and let cool slightly before peeling.
quick chipotle veggie soup
emphasis on “quick” — this recipe makes use of pre-made items at the grocery store like premade pico de gallo and a pack of microwave rice. plus, lots of canned items.
ingredients:
1 package of microwave rice (plain or cilantro lime flavor) or 1.5 c cooked rice
1 can black beans
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 package store bought pico de gallo
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped finely
1 tbsp liquid from can of chipotle in adobo
1 large zucchini, diced
1 cup of finely chopped kale
2 cloves of garlic, minced
course salt and pepper
lime, avocado, shredded cheddar, cilantro, and plain greek yogurt to serve
make it:
In a medium/large sauce pot, saute zucchini, garlic and pico de gallo in avocado oil or olive oil over medium heat until softened.
Add in the black beans, saute for 2-3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn heat to low, then add in all remaining ingredients EXCEPT rice.
Simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes (the longer the better for all flavors to meld!)
About 15 minutes before serving, Add in the package of rice. Do not microwave first! Just use fingers to break up the block of rice in the package, then add to the simmering soup.
Cover for 15 more minutes, stir well, and serve with toppings.
a lemon water hack
if you like lemon water like i do, you’ll love this little trick! i like warm water with a squeeze of lemon, and in the warmer months, i like icy cold water with lemon in it. so refreshing!
rather than squeezing a lemon each morning, take some time on a sunday (or whenever you have a little extra time) and squeeze 4-5 lemons into a measuring cup. then, just pour the lemon juice into ice cube molds! then you can just pop out a lemon ice cube into your warm or cold water whenever you want!
i like these ice cube molds.