Chia breakfast and BLT wraps

These have been my two most common foods this week. And my chia breakfast I've been having for months and months now.

Chia Cereal:
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 scoop of vega nutritional shake vanilla flavor
enough water to cover
2 tbsp apple sweetened cranberries.

Mix everything together and let it soak for a few minutes and it is ready to consume. I also travelled around New York/ New Jersey last week, and took ziplock bags full of these three ingredients and I had an instant nutritional breakfast anywhere I went.


BLT wraps:
This takes less than 5 minutes to make, I was inspired by visiting a vegan restaurant in NYC and ordered this, and it was sooo amazing! I craved it so much afterwards that as soon as I came home I bought the ingredients so I could make it too.

2-3 leaves of romaine
1/2 tbsp vegan mayo
1 slice of cheddar vegan cheese (I use Daiya)
3-4 slices of tomato
(the restaurant also had avocado in the wrap, however the avocados at my local organic store were pretty unripe so I went without)
2 slices of tempeh bacon
1 wrap

I take the shortcut way, of using a microwave.. Take a wrap, put the slice of cheese on one side, plus 2 slices of bacon.  Microwave for 45 seconds. Add the tomato, lettuce, and mayo to the other side of the wrap. Roll it up and consume :)

So easy and so satisfying :)

Spaghetti with meatballs

Spaghetti with meatballs:
serves 2 very large portions
1/2 package of gardein meatballs
1 can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp agave
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp oil
dash of black pepper and red chilli flakes
1 head small cabbage chopped
1 handful of spaghetti (I used organic hand made ramen! way good :) )

top with nutritional yeast to serve.

Heat meatballs in tomato sauce plus all seasonings until the oil.  Boil Spaghetti until done or whatever pasta you choose to use.  Once the meatballs are cooked add the cabbage until the desired consistency.

This recipe is super fast and filling.

Buffalo style kidney beans

2 cans of kidney beans
2 tbsp of hot sauce ( sriracha)
1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 cup cashew cream (1/4 cup ground cashews mixed with just enough water to be thick)
1 tsp thyme
2-4 drops liquid smoke
sprinkle of salt.

Mix all ingredients in a pan until hot.

Serve on toasted bread, homemade bread, or toasted buns, serve with vegan ranch and carrot sticks :)

This recipe is super fast and super easy and loved by the guys.  

On the go

I've been working in the field and in the lab more than usual past couple of days, so it's been busy.  I haven't had a lot of time in the kitchen, so my days have been looking like:

1/4 cup of chia seeds soaked in 'milk' or water.  Mixed with micropinch of stevia and 1 tsp cocoa
This is a really quick bfast, I ran out of fruit.. so .. limits the full bfast a bit.

or, I grab some natures path "mesa sunrise" cereal with almond milk.  Pretty quick.

For a to go sandwich, I have been toasting bread, and then lathering it with peanut butter, and sprinkling raisins on the inside.  Once I put it together, wrap it up and eat it later for lunch.. somehow because it was hot when I wrapped it up.. the texture of the bread is pretty amazing.  It's kinda weird.. but I have been enjoying the peanut butter raisin sandwiches.

I've also been bringing snap peas and mini bell peppers to snack on.

Today I brought a raspberry chia kombucha drink, which was an awesome snack time drink :)

Sometimes I am so into kombucha and I want them all of the time, maybe it has to do with the weather getting warmer?

When I got home from work I had a raspberry lemononade popsicle. amazing. I am pretty sure it's been about 7 years since I last had a popsicle.. okay maybe closer to 2 :)

Some friends invited us over for dinner, and they made a quinoa and broccoli salad, it was amazing, it seems like they had used a lot of kale for it too and grilled it prior? It was delicious, and there were pumpkin seeds for garnish.  They had also made a really pretty red cabbage salad, just red cabbage maybe balsamic vinegar and seasonings? Not sure but very simple and very good.

For an appetizer they grilled bread, if I remember right, it was ciabatta bread and first they lathered the bread with oil and seasonings, there was a basil spread and tomatoes sliced, to go on top. It was so delicious!

For dessert vegan chocolate cupcakes!  Red velvet :) made with beets! wow they were incredible.  My friend mentioned that she has a blog so I will be posting a link to the recipe soooon :)

I was also gifted a Kombucha Mother, tonight I decided to make a batch. In the next blog I'll note the process :)