Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details.
For these types of salads, I would typically use cauliflower. However, I wanted to keep the color vibrant. The broccoli provides that and I love the texture of the roasted broccoli. Of course, you could always mix in cauliflower, romesco, or even roasted Brussels sprouts.
When it comes to dressing, I usually keep them really simple: an oil and an acid. However, sometimes I like to boost it a bit with the help from creamy items, like tahini. I’ve also really been enjoying finding more ways to use Nutritional Yeast. The nutritional yeast adds that classic pungent cheese-like punch, helping really make this dressing flavorful.
I haven’t always been on the nutritional yeast wagon but as I start to use it more, I’ve gradually fallen in love. The nutty tang has definitely started to play more rolls in my kitchen from the easy, like popcorn, to the slightly more complicated, a stand-in cheese sauce. A bag of Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast is always in the cabinet so we can always have our savory, salty popcorn!
I love using pearl couscous for a quick add into salads and grain bowls. It’s ready in about 10 minutes and it’s the best of both pasta and grains. You could, however, use whole grains in place of the couscous. Try using hearty farro, sorghum, or even quinoa.
Beyond the nutritional, try adding a bit of crumbled feta. The saltiness is a nice companion for the tahini and nutritional yeast.
[tasty-recipe id="37943"]
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Bob's Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s content like this that helps me keep this site running to provide the vegetarian recipes you see every week. continue reading
The post Broccoli Salad with Couscous and Tahini Dressing appeared first on Naturally..
You’ve probably seen the meal prep trend online where dozens and dozens of meals are prepped in containers for the entire week? Holy moly. I can say that will probably never be me. I once tried an over-ambitious meal prep and not only did I end up with way too much food, but it took up most of my day.
On the flip side, I’ve realized that my veggie intake falls pretty flat when I don’t do any prep at all.
Soooo….there has to be a happy medium!?
This little dilemma is exactly why I came up with a simple plan that totally fits into my life these days. The recipe below (which is totally customizable!) takes less than 30 mins of active prep time, but makes enough food for several portions, increasing the odds that you’ll be a veggie powerhouse for the workweek. *arm flex* I love how I can quickly reheat a couple things and build a hearty, nutritious bowl in a matter of minutes!
My meal prep method has been going like this:
This method has dramatically changed my meals in recent weeks (specifically, lunches) and increased my veggie consumption a ton. All of the ingredients can be changed up so it never has to be repetitive and you can be flexible with using what you have in your fridge/pantry. It helps cut down waste because you can easily use up those “on the verge of dying” veggies in your crisper. Just throw ‘em in the oven and roast the heck out of ‘em! And if you get tired of bowls, throw the prepped food into delicious wraps or even soups/stews.
If you’re feeling extra-ambitious and want to prep even more food, I’d recommend adding one or more of the following tasty items:
I’ve provided a detailed recipe below because it helps to have something to work from the first time, but like I said, feel free to run with it. If you simply commit to roasting 2 big sheets of veggies, cook a grain, and chop some fresh veggies….you’ll be well on your way to making easy throw-together power bowls all week long. My future hangry self has been thanking me a lot.
Before I go, I want to mention that The Oh She Glows Recipe App is still on sale for 99 cents in the Apple iTunes Store until mid-March! You’ll find these delicious power bowls in there, as well as more than 160 of my favourite plant-based recipes (this number includes 30 app exclusive recipes too). Happy cooking :)
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5 from 2 reviews |
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I love having prepped food in the fridge, but don’t love doing hours of meal prep each week. So I came up with this simple method that takes just 25 minutes of active prep time. The healthy food components can be enjoyed for several days in power bowls, wraps, and even stirred into soups! Power bowls are so fun for family meals because you can switch up the veggies and toppings to suit each palate, giving kids control to build their own bowls. This recipe is also a handy make-ahead option if you’re having friends over for a meal. Simply chop all the veggies the night before and refrigerate them in containers. Just before your guests arrive, pop the veggies into the oven, cook the quinoa, and prep the toppings. After cooking, you can all have fun assembling your own power bowls and everyone will be super impressed by the stunning rainbow-coloured meal!
* If your brussels sprouts are quite large, quarter them instead of halving.
** If you don't think you'll eat this much quinoa in 4 to 5 days, feel free to halve this amount (use 1 cup uncooked quinoa + 1.75 cups water).
*** Looking for a delicious homemade dressing? Try my Lemon-Tahini Dressing, Shake-and-Go Balsamic Vinaigrette (Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 273), or Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Vinaigrette. I always keep Maison Orphee Italian on hand when I don't have homemade dressing prepped.
Feel free to roast a head of garlic along with the veggies. The roasted cloves are especially delicious thrown into my Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Vinaigrette found in my Warm + Roasted Winter Salad Bowl recipe.
Make it nut-free: Top your bowl with seeds (such as roasted pepita seeds and hemp hearts) instead of nuts and make sure your dressing is nut-free.
This dish rings in spring in the best way possible. A creamy carrot-sunflower puree helps keep the risotto vegan while the fresh pea shoots bring the greens.
While I love making a delicious, cheese-based risotto, there’s something magical about taking this classic dish and making it vegan. My first attempts were alright but as time goes on, I find a few more tricks to make a delicious dish without one ounce of cheese.
This might be a bit like cheating but it gets the job done. Traditional arborio rice releases starch, which is where some of the creaminess comes from. Whole grains don’t quite act the same. However, if you pulse the grain in a food processor or blender a few times, you get a bit of grain dust. This dust turns into the thickening agent in the vegan risotto.
The best part about this: it’s a formula you can use with many different grains. I’ve found this works well with spelt, einkorn, farro, and barley. I’ve also had success with using whole oat groats (although I find the texture to be a bit gummier than the others mentioned).
In the realm of alternative dairy choices, sunflower seeds are still relatively not used. Sure, you could use almond, cashew, coconut, soy, or oat but I really love the cheapness, ease of use, and flavor of the sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds puree smooth with relatively little soaking time.
Of course, you don’t have to feel obligated to use sunflower seeds. Cashew cream, almond cream, or even something like this millet cream could work (although it’s rare that I double down on two grains in one dish unless I’m making a pilaf).
Also, I’m a bit of a carrot lover and they cook tender in the broth. You could, however, use squash puree, sweet potato puree, or I’ve been know in the summer to use a homemade version of creamed corn.
I realize this recipe is more involved but it’s worth it. Once you get the risotto going, the topping comes together quickly. For the ultimate spring risotto, I love using the pea shoots. I feel like the shoots are everything wonderful about spring: fresh, tender, and vibrant.
Add to that the dill and hazelnuts, it’s a winning salad-like topping. You could also use sunflower seeds in the topping but I like the flavor and crunch of the hazelnuts. My second choices would be almonds slices.
[tasty-recipe id="37975"] continue reading
The post Sunflower Carrot Risotto with Hazelnut-Pea Shoots appeared first on Naturally..
![Sweat and Burn HIIT/Strength Workout [Video]](https://www.richmegafood.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/254-thumb-200x133.jpg "Sweat and Burn HIIT/Strength Workout [Video]")
All you need is 20 minutes to get in an awesome strength burn and cardio sweat! I love adding cardio blasts to my strength workouts because I burn more calories in less time, and check both boxes for strength and cardio. You’ll get the lean muscle-building benefits of strength and the fat loss powers + heart benefits of cardio.
My friend Katie is in this video and provides low-impact and prenatal modifications for the exercises. As always, talk to a doctor before making any fitness changes. Honor your body and modify as needed. Here’s what the workout looks like:
Here’s the full follow-along video:
and a quick video with demos for the moves:
Please let me know if you give it a try!!
xo
Gina
Video: Grant Hunker
Workout partner-in-crime: Katie Surridge
Studio: Animas
Wearing: lululemon align crops, this tank, APL sneakers
More quick and intense workouts you can do at home:
The post Sweat and Burn HIIT/Strength Workout [Video] appeared first on The Fitnessista.
I wish I had a sexier name for this dish but when you start combining things into a dish that really doesn’t have a name like ‘taco’ or ‘grain bowl’, a name with all the ingredients is the best I can do. However, it's delicious. We've eaten it as a side but I've also been known to call a dish like this lunch.
When spring produce enters into my life, I take it as a reminder that not everything requires roasting. Sure, roasted vegetables are amazing but sometimes other techniques are worthwhile. I feel like steaming gets a bad rap, most likely due to diet trends, but it’s a valuable tool in your cooking arsenal.
Take for example these beets. Chioggia beets are beautiful. Their color, though, doesn’t hold once cooking. If you roast these beautiful beets, the color fades pretty drastically (unless you roast them whole but I’m not always willing to wait the hour it takes.) Enter: steaming.
Steaming these beets takes 10 minutes and while the color still fades slightly, it’s there in all it’s beautiful pink glory. Best of all, steaming the beets leaves room to make crispy garlic in ghee: a real treat for all.
I’m a big proponent that every dish should have a little crispiness to it. In this dish, the sunflower seeds are nice but my favorite crisp comes in the form of pan-fried garlic. The ghee crisps the garlic nicely all while adding that delicious ghee flavor.
If you want to keep this vegan, olive oil can get the job done as well. The flavor changes slightly but the garlic is still delicious (because it’s still garlic!)
Finally, the bean puree. I love piling vegetable high atop a creamy puree. There’s something so satisfying when you scoop everything together off the plate- it mixes into the perfect bite. I kept this bean puree simple and very spring forward with the help of dill. Of course, you could really use any herb. Try parsley, marjoram, and/or a bit of thyme. Also, if you don't have white beans go for chickpeas.
[tasty-recipe id="37991"]
The post Garlicky Beets with Dill Bean Puree appeared first on Naturally..
Immortal coffee goes one step beyond bulletproof coffee and is totally 100% vegan. Rich and creamy cashew butter and MCT oil make this a satusfying cup.
The post IMMORTAL COFFEE appeared first on The First Mess // Plant-Based Recipes + Photography by Laura Wright.
I am forever and always a proponent of having sauces, dressings and condiments in the fridge to make something out of pantry staples or the end of the vegetable bin. I got into garlic confit after I...
Please visit Sprouted Kitchen to view this Recipe.
Hi friends! How’s the week treating ya? I’m back in Tucson and back into the swing of things over here. I have two podcast interviews this morning – the show will be back the week of June 3 – an Orangetheory class, and can’t wait to catch up with the crew tonight. I only technically missed one night from home, but after being gone last weekend, too, it feels like a lot! I’ve missed my lil nuggets so much.
Portland was such a blast!! After flying into town, I grabbed a rental car and drove to my hotel at the Mark Spencer. It was a quaint and charming spot with a beautiful interior. Some pics of my room:
(They only had rooms with two beds available when I booked so I just rolled with it)
I mostly chose this hotel because of its proximity to a lot of local restaurants and shops! I dropped off my luggage and headed straight to explore. First stop was Powell’s Books, which so many of you had recommended. It was an enormous bookstore with rows and rows of new and used books. They also had a coffee shop, huge kids’ area, and a little gifts section. I could have spent hours browsing and enjoying the smell of books.
Next, I walked down to take a class at barre3 in the Pearl District. After an entire day of sitting, I was ready to shake my legs out a bit. When I arrived at the studio, I found out that it was their flagship location, dubbed “The Pearl.” This is where the magic began and the crazy thing is that the founder, Sadie Lincoln, had taught a class at that location that very morning.
One of my favorite things about barre3 is that it’s so consistent. You know exactly what to expect each time you go to a class; a mixture of mind-body connection, breath work, and quad-burning leg work. Barre has been missing from my routine quite a bit lately – I get bored *teaching* myself barre and it can be tough to work studio classes into my schedule- but it’s still one of my favorite formats. Hopefully P will be into the Play Lounge again one of these days! (She’ll only go if her best friend is there.) Stacey led this class and she was an incredible instructor. She was very motivating and crushed my legs in the best way possible.
After barre, I went back to the hotel for a quick change and then met Rachel at Tasty n’ Alder for dinner.
Rachel and I connected quite a few years ago when I was in Portland for a blog event. We’ve stayed in contact through Instagram since then, so when I found out I’d be in Portland for a night, I reached out and see if she wanted to meet for dinner and wine.
The food at Tasty n’ Alder was WONDERFUL. I feel like Portland is dotted with unique and delicious restaurants everywhere you look, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. The vibe reminded me of our beloved Commoner & Co. – rustic and cozy, with modern spins on classic dishes. We shared a cheese board, the Brussels sprouts (which were crispy and lightly sweet), the short rib (which came with housemade kimchi) and the potato donuts. I just wanted to curl up and live in these. I drank wine, we chatted about books and Rachel’s recent retreat to Bali, and it was perfect.
Wednesday morning, I forced myself to wake up early so I could grab a quick breakfast at the hotel before driving to Lake Oswego.
The entire drive down, I was in awe of the scenery. It was such a gorgeous drive: lush green landscapes, blooming cherry blossoms, and hiking trails. I feel like I want to live there, or at least visit for longer than 24 hours.
Before some fun brand meetings, I was able to check out a Starcycle class. (I feel like usually I don’t get the chance to work out twice on vacation since I’m with the fam, but this time since it was just me, I decided to live it up.) I’m a huge fan of boutique cycling studio classes and this one was unlike any of the ones I’ve tried. It was a party on the bike – the music was AWESOME – and they have childcare. It felt great to get in some cardio, especially since I’d be spending a huge chunk of the day sitting on an airplane.
For lunch, I grabbed a giant salad at Garden Bar and headed to the airport. I was pumped to see that Blue Star donuts were at the airport when I arrived.
You guys said they were better than Voodoo Donuts, and you don’t lie. It was seriously the best donut I’ve had in my entire life.
I also brought back some apple fritters for the girls, so they had those with their scrambled eggs this morning and were pumped about life.
The flights back were pretty uneventful, and I stopped in the lounge for a snack:
(vegetables! and wine)
finally finished China Rich Girlfriend, and started The 6 Keys and The Great Alone. I already can’t put this one down.
I hope you have a great day and I’ll see ya in the morning with some faves!
xo
Gina
Looking for a workout? try this leg and booty burner!
The post Portland, I love ya appeared first on The Fitnessista.
I gravitate towards the savory breakfast, even to the point of eating leftover dinner in place of waffles, pancakes, or sweet porridges. However, sometimes my sweet tooth gets the best of me. Luckily, I can make a mean bowl of breakfast porridge and amaranth is one of the ways to my sweet-breakfast heart.
I absolutely adore amaranth for both the grain and in floral arrangements. When growing, it’s colorful and definitely and eye-catching addition. Yet, the grain, in terms of cooking, doesn’t quite get the same love.
Amaranth takes a little know-how. It’s similar to quinoa in that it’s actually a pseudo-grain or better known as a seed. It does not, however, cook up like quinoa. Amaranth, if cooked like any other grain, becomes a bit gummy.
Amaranth has a higher level of amylopectin, a main component of starch. This component creates a slightly more gelatinous texture to the cooked grain; think sushi rice versus long-grain rice. The creamy feel of cooked amaranth lends itself well to porridges and polentas. There are ways to use amaranth in more traditional grain ways, it just takes an extra step.
I try and stick with only fruits and vegetables I can source locally but I occasionally love a good banana dish. It also helps that we almost always have bananas around thanks to a child who had a mild obsession with them for some time.
Of course, if you wanted to stick to something you could buy at the farmers market, try peaches, apples, or pears. I like all of these options for cooking in the butter/sugar mixture. You could also just load this amaranth porridge with fresh berries and call it good.
This one is easy. I actually prefer this porridge with non-dairy milk such as almond or oat. Same goes for the cream on top. As for the butter, you could use coconut oil or my friend Emma recently introduced me to Miyoko’s vegan butter. It’s actually really good and a solid 1:1 for dairy butter.
[tasty-recipe id="37982"]
The post Amaranth Porridge with Caramelized Bananas and Pecans appeared first on Naturally..
Makes 10 rolls
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Active time: 45 minutes
It’s basil season! And spinach season! And, well, let’s just say it’s lasagna roll season, too.
These make a great appetizer if you’re doing a little summer entertaining, or a filling entree if you prefer. Tofu ricotta is elevated with the addition of some Pumpkin Seed Pesto. The mellow flavor of pumpkin seeds really lets the basil shine. The sautéed spinach is really really garlicky, as is the pesto, so this makes the perfect date night meal.
What I really love, besides how flavorful these are, is the texture. Baking the rolls makes the noodles soft but still toothsome, with little crunchy bits on the edges. Smothered in cashew cream and pesto and finished off with a scattering of additional pumpkin seeds, these lasagna rolls will fulfill even the most wild fantasies: creamy, crunchy, velvety, chewy, and hearty all at once. Yes, there are a few components here, but none are too difficult to pull off and also LASAGNA ROLLS.
Serve with Caesar Salad to round out the meal!
PS This is my first blogpost using only iPhone photos, so take a deep breath with me. Sorry $2000 camera, this is just easier. Since I’m not an aspiring photographer, I’m not ashamed to admit that adjusting lighting and apertures and editing in Photoshop is just too labor intensive for me these days. A few adjustments in VSCO cam, a button to upload to Flickr, and my work is done here. You get the picture. Har har.
Hi friends! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We’re officially on baby watch and I feel like a little kid heading towards Christmas morning. Baby August will be here ANY DAY and the girls can’t wait to meet their new cousin. I’m so thrilled for Kyle and Meg! By the time I write next week’s Friday Faves post, he’ll be here!!
Other than Baby Watch 2019, we have some fun plans for the weekend: a soccer game with friends, girls’ night, date night, a birthday party, taxes (ew) and finishing up the house. This is in between the usual weekend fun of pancake mornings, staying in our jammies as long as humanly possible, and playing outside with the girls.The Pilot made a ton of progress on the garage while I was in Portland, so we’re just putting the final touches on everything in between hauling boxes to recycling and Goodwill. It will be so nice to have our garage gym set up again!
(Our lil garage gym from when we were in San Diego)
It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! Please shout out something you’re lovin’ in the comments section if you’d like to join in the fun.
This floss! Is it weird to be so excited about floss? I picked this up at the Beautycounter conference. In the shop, they had quite a few products from clean brands they love. I was intrigued by this floss since I’d recently heard that certain floss brands are not so great for you, and even though it was expensive for the floss world. I decided to give it a whirl.
The verdict? It has a gentle mint flavor and is a thicker strand so it feels like it really cleans in between my teeth. Floss isn’t usually something I’m that picky about, but now that I’ve tried the good stuff, I guess I can’t go back.
My second Trunk Club delivery! (<— referral link) It wasn’t quite as big of a home run as my first trunk – some of the sizing was off – but I LOVED this Madewell dress. It will be super cute this spring and summer with sandals and a jean jacket or with wedges and hoops out to dinner. You can check out my full review of Trunk Club here. I especially love it because you can see what they’re going to send in advance (and decline certain items to be replaced by something else) and we don’t have a Nordstrom in Tucson. This gives me a way to have some items curated for me and try them on before I purchase. It’s like a lil Nordstrom shopping experience right at home. (Plus if you have a Nordstrom card, they waive the $25 fee! <— this fee goes towards anything you’d like to purchase)
Definitely check out this podcast episode with Shawn Stevenson and Chalene Johnson. They’re two of my favorite people – and huge inspirations for me in the fitness industry – and this issue was filled with so much truth, knowledge, and motivation.
I loved this article with dad texts (and all of the heartfelt and hilarious comments).
Dinner party tips from the QUEEN.
A very interesting peek into the life of one of my favorite Peloton instructors.
Why RDs don’t recommend keto for weight loss or as a lifestyle (and I 100% agree with them).
Great list of mom hacks. I never leave the house without a snack bag.
I’m officially back on the acai bowl train. I recently grabbed one with a friend at Nekter and it was SO.GOOD. If you’re looking to make one at home, here’s my go-to recipe).
Ok I need to try this for an easy, savory dinner.
A Mediterranean chicken sheet pan recipe.
Prep & Pastry is growing. So pumped about this!
A guided cooldown; perfect for post-workout.
Pick up those weights, friends.
My latest post for WebMD is here! This one is all about finding a workout that works for you.
Exercise can have a biggest impact on weight maintenance than nutrition.
Don’t forget to check out this week’s total body strength + HIIT video!
Happy Friday!
xo
Gina
Congrats to the winners of the sneaky lipgloss giveaway: @fit_lindsaymae and @wigglewoggle ! I’ll have your lip glosses on the way today and stay tuned for more sneaky giveaways.
The post Friday Faves appeared first on The Fitnessista.
