Everyday Eats – 5.31.21

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you have been enjoying the weekend and have been able to spend some time relaxing with family and friends. I am grateful for all the Americans who have sacrificed so much for our country in the fight for freedom here and around the world. We are hoping to spend the weekend going on a hike and are planning to make some burgers topped with caramelized onions (the best burger topping!) and this potato salad. On to some delicious eats from the past couple weeks!

More overnight steel-cut oatmeal – hidden underneath all the berries is some creamy almond butter, honey, and flax seeds! I am so happy that fresh berries are back in season!

Early morning smoothie with frozen blueberries, avocado, almond butter, cacao powder, chia seeds, dates, spinach, and almond milk. Topped with homemade vanilla almond granola. Recipe coming soon!

We went to a new cafe in Detroit called The Congregation – it is a cafe/coffee shop/bar with a beautiful interior (inside of an old church building) and also a spacious patio/outdoor seating. I had a veggie sandwich with avocado and a herbed goat cheese spread on house-made sourdough – would highly recommend a trip there!

Fabulously tasty post-work Green Goddess salad with mixed greens, quinoa, roasted asparagus, cucumber, beets, toasted pepitas and hemp seeds, tempeh, and a delicious herby tahini dressing. Amazing!

Tasty summer salad for lunches this week with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, avocado, red onion, and pistachios on mixed greens with homemade raspberry vinaigrette.

More veggie sandwiches, this time at home, with white cheddar, avocado, hummus, cucumbers, and spinach. Served on Matty J’s sunflower rye. Also served along with un-pictured rosemary sea salt crackers!

Refreshing post-work smoothie with frozen blueberries and strawberries, avocado, peanut butter, almond milk, and pomegranate juice – basically like a PB&J in smoothie form!

I have been struggling to make homemade tacos that I absolutely love, and these were finally a winner!! Tacos stuffed with ground beef (made with homemade taco seasoning and sautéed white onion), white cheddar, TJ’s salsa, tomatoes, and lettuce – sometimes simple is best! Served along with homemade refried beans, and roasted bell peppers and onion (also seasoned with taco seasoning). This was my first time making homemade refried beans and will definitely be giving them a Mexican night regular appearance!

One of my favorite summer creations – turkey skillet with zucchini, corn (absolutely delicious – from Iowa, where Alec grew up), quinoa, onion, rosemary/thyme for seasoning, and goat cheese for topping!

Another delicious summer-time-flavors creation of roasted veggies (I like to do red pepper, zucchini, and red onion for this dish), avocado basil pesto, and shredded parmesan over TJ’s black bean pasta. So satisfying!! I like how the black bean pasta brings extra protein to this dish when there isn’t another high-protein component. It is also high in iron!

Simple meal of oven-baked salmon (with curry spices, poppyseeds), coconut quinoa, sautéed broccoli, and side salad.

I was unsure of how I would like this dish and ended up being obsessed!! Spring pea and asparagus pasta with a super simple/light lemony parmesan sauce. Will definitely be making this on repeat every spring/summer.

One of my favorites – Moroccan chicken salad with endives for scooping, served with more coconut quinoa and our usual side salad. Next time I need to shred the chicken in my food processor to make it more “chicken-salad-like” in terms of texture, but I always love the flavors in this dish! Perfect for hot summer days.

Easy yet nutritious weeknight meal of toasted sunflower rye topped with avocado and super sunny eggs (just how I like them!), sautéed veggies (zucchini, summer squash, and red onion), and a side salad.

One more dinner – our favorite vegan Mac n’ Cheese with broccoli and peas mixed in, side salad on the side! Never fails to disappoint!

Super chewy/gooey/all-things-tasty coffee chocolate chip tahini date cookies. Washed down with some chilly almond milk and eaten while relaxing on the couch, of course!!

I hope you have a relaxing Memorial Day and enjoy the rest of the week!