What I Ate {on my birthday} Wednesday

Good morning! How are ya?!

Yesterday was my birthday and I had an absolutely great day. Derek and I celebrated over the weekend with a special dinner, some shopping and a movie, so yesterday was pretty much an ordinary day except for the fact that I received so many birthday wishes and lots of love from the people who mean the most to me in this world.

Birthday flowers:

I feel extremely blessed to have so many amazing people ~ friends & family ~ in my life!!

We went out to eat several times over the weekend, so all I wanted yesterday was some good, CLEAN homecookin'. You know that I started my 'clean eating' journey on Monday and I really wanted to stick to it! My plan is for clean eats to become my lifestyle, it's not just some temporary diet that I'm going to follow. I need to figure out how to maintain my clean eating habits over holidays and special occasions, so I decided that my birthday was a great way to challenge myself to make a healthy, clean and delicious birthday dinner.

Here's a recap of my meals from the big day!

  Birthday Breakfast   I made one of my faves: Pumpkin Pie Slow Cooked Steel Cut Oats   

   It's a decadent way to start any morning!   In order to clean the recipe up, I submitted honey for the brown sugar. The flavour was just as delish!     Lunch   Being the good girl that I am ;-), I brown bagged it and spent my lunch break walking around the downtown with my good friend, Lisa. Afterwards, I ate my lunch at the office.   Roasted Sweet Potato Salad Clementines Pumpkin Amazeballs  

    Birthday Dinner   Plant Power Pumpkin Alfredo with brown rice pasta and a Greek salad  

  Dessert: An Edible Arrangement that my parents had delivered to me at work!  

{oy, please excuse my very messy office!}

   Thank you, as always, to Miss Jenn for continuing to host our weekly Wednesday party.  

Do you like to go out or eat in on your birthday?

 

Enjoy your day!

 

Andrea

xoxo

 

 

   

Healthy Autumn Salad

Hi guys! I'm so glad to be back - my nose is no longer stuffy; I can breathe and taste again!!! I started feeling better just in time for our Canadian Thanksgiving holiday {and for that I am thankful!}. This past weekend was full of family, food and fun.

I am still stuffed from two back-to-back days of Thanksgiving dinners  ~ can you say 'hello stretchy pants'???

Heavy meals, holiday parties and lots of comfort food can be pretty dangerous this time of year! I find that the Fall results in a lot more temptation and I tend to crave carb-heavy meals and can easily go a little light on my fruits and veggies.

After a weekend like this past one, it's critical for me to get right back on track with my eats. I created this salad on the weekend and while it's light and healthy, it includes some roasted butternut squash, which totally satisfies my love of comforting Fall fare.

Healthy Autumn Salad

Serves 4 - 6 as an appetizer salad

For the salad:

2.5 - 3 c chopped butternut squash*

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 c mixed greens

1large apple, chopped

1/2 sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1/4 c dried cherries

1/4 c dry roasted unsalted pepitas

2 - 3 oz crumbled goat cheese

*Slice the neck of your butternut squash into 1/2" thick rounds and then cut each round into quarters.

For the dressing:

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 - 3 tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Place all of the dressing ingredients into your blender or Magic Bullet and blend well. Refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place your chopped squash into a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and sea salt. Spread the chopped squash onto your cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes, making sure to flip about halfway through the roasting time.

Once roasted, remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.

To assemble your salad, place your mixed greens into your salad bowl. Add the squash, apple and pepper and toss. Top the salad with the cherries, pepitas and crumbled goat cheese.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I served the dressing in a cute little pitcher on the side, so that each person can drizzle the dressing on themselves.

A good peeler is a huge help when dealing a squash.

I have a Tupperware peeler and it is the absolute best!

I like the look of the uniform wedges, but you can just chunk it up if you prefer.

Store your leftover dressing in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

A gorgeous colourful salad to be proud to serve to guests.

Or as a delicious dinner at home after a weekend packed full of FOOD!

 

The sweet-savoury flavour combo of each bite will rock your socks off!!!

What is your favourite healthy meal to make after a weekend full of indulgences??

Have a great day y'all!

Andrea

xoxo



Better Than Grandma's Tomato Soup

...that's what Derek said anyways, although I'm not 100% convinced! Our grandmas are all pretty phenomenal in the kitchen and my soup is pretty darn fantastic....so maybe we should call it tie and leave it at that.

Are you getting "tomatoed" out here on on Vegvacious??? I promise that this will be my last tomato recipe....for this week anyways :-D

Derek's been asking me to make some homemade tomato soup like his grandma does. My dad used to make a wickedly delish tomato soup when we were kids too, so I had lots of inspiration for this one and I have to say it turned out amazingly well. {a little pat on the back now and then is healthy for the soul!}

Homemade Tomato Soup
Serves 4

This soup is soooo delicious! I'm planning to freeze some fresh tomatoes, so that I can whip this up on a cold winter day because it will be perfect as a warm tasty comfort food on a cold dreary day!

6 c chopped tomatoes (I left skins on)
2 c veggie broth
2 c milk (I used 1% dairy milk because that's all I had, but unsweetened original almond milk would have been my first choice if I had some)
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp Earth Balance
sea salt & pepper to taste

Combine the tomatoes and veggie broth in a medium to large pot and place on high heat. Bring to a boil.

Reduce to medium high and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from the stove.

Add the soup in batches to your blender. Be careful because hot soup in a blender can make the lid pop off! I use an oven mitt to hold the top of the blender on. Pulse until the soup is to your desired consistency. I pulse each batch a few times.

Serve & enjoy. We garnished ours with additional black pepper and some crushed up multigrain pita chips.

Other fab toppings would be a swirl of sour cream, some shredded cheese, croutons or slivered basil --- the options are endless!!!

Eat up, but be warned that tomato soup fresh off the stove is HOT - Warning: tongue burning on the first bite is NOT GOOD! Then you won't be able to taste the rest and that really stinks (er, not that I would know from personal experience ;-) What is it with us food bloggers burning our tongues all the time!??

Do you have a favourite family recipe that you like to re-create?

Have a fabulous day!!! It's Thursday people ~ one more day 'til the weekend woot woot!!!!
Andrea

What I Ate (off the grill) Wednesday

Happy Wednesday late Tuesday night! I know I'm a wee bit early this week, but I just couldn't wait to say hi! I'm so sorry that I have been MIA this week. Derek and I went away for a mini-vacation and went totally offline for almost 4 whole days! I have to admit it was absolutely wonderful and even though I've been home since late Sunday night, I've totally remained in vacation (aka lazy bones) mode!

Thankfully, I was able to get enough energy to whip up a delicious dinner on the barbecue because I just couldn't let a What I Ate Wednesday go by without sharing something fabulous!




I had grilled corn, grilled sweet potaters, a grilled balsamic mushroom cap and some grape tomatoes from my patio garden. Dinner was absolutely scrumptious!

It was the first time I'd ever tried grilling corn in the husks.  We've boiled corn, grilled it in tinfoil, steamed the cobs and nuked them in the microwave. Fresh corn can be cooked so many ways, but I wanted to try something new and see how it turned out.....I've gotta say friends it was awesome!

Grilled Corn on the Cob (in the husk!)
Makes as many cobs as you can handle baby :-)

What you need:  Cobs of corn and Earth Balance or butter

Carefully peel down the husks of the corn and remove the silk. Don't pull the husks right off because you need them to wrap back up around your cobs.

Once the silk is removed, spread some Earth Balance on each cob.

You need to spread it around a little more than that!! :-)

Wrap the husks back up around the cobs and tie them together with some kitchen string. I didn't have kitchen string, so I soaked some regular old white string from Derek's shed in water and used it. It did the trick but by the end of the cook time, some had burnt off.

Heat your barbecue grill to medium heat. Place the cobs of corn on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes making sure to turn to ensure all sides are evenly cooked.

Remove from the grill and remove the string and husks.

Eat up!!

There will be a mouthwatering sweet scent of caramelized corn that will waft from your platter as you take your corn off the grill --- I couldn't wait to get a bite! It was Gooo-oooddd!

And I can't forget to give an honourable mention to all the local fruit I've been enjoying. Peaches are my poison today!! I could eat this whole basket! Local = Fabulous!

If you're looking for more amazing meal inspiration, make sure you hop on over to visit Jenn at Peas & Crayons and check out what so many other amazing bloggers have been noshing on this week!

What is the best thing you've eaten today?
Favourite way to cook corn on the cob?

Have a great day!!

Andrea

Salsa Bean Burgers

Mmmm....burgers.

I have been a vegetarian for almost a year and a half now and while I am so happy with my choices and could write a series on all the wonderful benefits I have experienced since becoming a vegetarian, there is one thing I really, really miss from my meat eating days. BURGERS.

Back in my old life, I could eat a burger everyday. I loved cheeseburgers, barbecued burgers, burgers topped with mushrooms & swiss, chicken burgers, turkey burgers and my all-time favourite (after a night of indulgence :-) the BK Whopper with cheese.

As I type this, my mouth waters.

Andrea {hearts} Burgers

<3

Thankfully, a ton of veggie burgers have come out on the market that actually taste a lot like the real thing! I like to bring these along to a get together or a barbecue, so I don't have to feel deprived while everyone's chowing down and I'm sitting there with my plate of salad and veggies. While I love the faux meat burgers, I have also developed a love for homemade bean burgers. I've had a recipe tucked away for a while now and finally I found some time this week to dig it up and give it a try.

While these don't imitate meat burgers, they taste awesome! Pairing them with a bun and your fave toppings definitely satisfies like eating the real thing. And the best part of this recipe??? It has two of my most favourite qualities: it's quick & it's oh so easy!!

Salsa Bean Burgers

Recipe from simply vegetarian

Makes 5 burgers

1 19oz can of red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 egg, beaten

1 c. crushed corn tortilla chips

1/2 c. salsa (I used medium)

2 tsp cooking oil (I used avocado/garlic oil, but any oil would be fine)

Pour the beans into a medium sized mixing bowl and mash them with a fork.

Add the egg, tortilla chips and salsa. Mix well.

the final product

Divide into 5 equal portions and form into patties. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties. Cook for 5 minutes per side until they are golden brown and heated through. 

Remove from heat and serve. 

I served mine on a whole grain thin bun. I added baby spinach, mashed avocado mixed with salsa and some melted shredded cheese. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the patties stayed together. Sometimes the flavour of a bean burger can be spot on, but most of it ends up on your plate instead of in your tummy!

I served my burger with a side of broccoli stirfried with avocado & garlic oil, minced garlic and balsamic vinegar. It was GOO-OOOD!!! 

For lunch the next day, I took some leftover broccoli and one of the bean patties sprinkled with Daiya cheese. The patty was great with salsa on the side. This lunch was by far my favourite of the week!

This is a great recipe that your entire family will love! I never know what to do with kidney beans other than the standard chili recipe, so I am really happy that I spied this! It is definitely going to be a staple for me this summer.

What is your favourite veggie burger ~ it could be a fave brand or your most awesome recipe!

Have a great night ~ I'm off to start watching season 2 of Dexter (I am officially addicted ;-)

Andrea

Sloppy (& Delicious!) Lentil Sandwich

We have been so lucky lately. I'm crossing my fingers & toes that this beautiful sunny weather continues! I haven't been wanting to spend much time in the house, so most of our meals have been quick and easy and on the grill. Check out this gorgous beast. We just retired our old barbecue and this is Derek's new toy.

It was so sunny today, I couldn't get a shot without some serious reflections!

Check out my barbie...my roof...my deck ~ hehe.

I was feeling pooped after a long day at work and I wanted something fabulous, yet easy for dinner. Angela posted a homemade barbecue sauce on her site today that (a) made my mouthwater instantly :-); (b) made me want to run home and make my very own barbecue sauce ~ dad, aren't you proud ?!; and (c) made me remember a very expensive container of organic barbecue sauce I bought that I was dying to try, but have left sitting in my pantry for many, many days.

Check it out.

This stuff is GOO-OOD!!

The true test will be to see if Derek likes it. He claims to be a connoisseur of all things grilled.

So after a quick check to see what I had on hand, I quickly got to work. I started out with one of my fave foods; a sweet potato. I peeled it and cut it into slices. 

Then I tossed the potato slices with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil (canola or olive oil would work), a pinch of sea salt and a large pinch of spicy Mrs. Dash.

I cooked these on the barbecue grill. I used medium heat, but didn't keep a close eye on the time. I would guestimate that they cooked 7 or 8 minutes per side.

Along with the potato slices, I did a foil packet of chopped onions and green peppers.

Why would I cook up some onions & peppers you might ask? Well I needed something fabulous to top my barbecue lentil sandwich of course! I got the inspiration from Ange's barbecue post and put my own personal spin on it :-)

You'll have to forgive me because I didn't measure anything today, so I'm just going to give you a quick rundown on how I assembled my sandwich. First of all, I drained and rinsed one can of lentils and dumped them into a small pot.I then mixed in some of my new favourite barbecue sauce. This mixture was warmed up on the stove until heated through.

Now here comes the fun part....the building of this sloppy sandwich. I used a toasted English muffin as my bun. To assemble my sandwich I layered baby spinach, a couple scoops of the lentil mixture followed by the onion/pepper mixture.

Oh man! This sandwich was awesome, but sooooo sloppy. It was already starting to fall apart as I snapped my final pic.

It still tasted amazing and I was able to chow down on all the lost fillings with a fork. It doesn't matter that I had barbecue sauce in places and on furniture where barbecue sauce should never be :-) Oh well, it's cleaned up now and if you don't tell anyone, I won't either ~ it'll be our little secret!

This dinner was so awesome, took about 15 minutes to throw together and satisfied this vegetarian's craving for some true barbecue flavour! I loved it and can't wait for my leftovers tomorrow. Only, next time I'm going to try putting the filling into a wrap. I'm going to be at work after all and I need to at least give the appearance that I can eat neatly and politely!

What is your favourite barbecue sauce? Have you ever made your own?

Have you been able to get out and enjoy some of this fabulous weather or are you the type that loves to sit by the air conditioning and keep cool ~ if I had A/C I might be tempted to join you!

Happy Tuesday,

Andrea

What I Ate Wednesday

I've been totally loving Wednesdays lately! I love sharing my good eats, but I really love seeing and reading about what everyone else eats as well! Sometimes it is so easy to fall into the rut of having the same meals week after week and I'm constantly finding inspiration from my friends for new and exciting meals. Hopefully you'll get some inspiration from me to  make easy and healthy meals as well!

I've been having some awesome eats lately. Check it out.






Of course, being the creature of habit that I am, I start my day off drinking a warm glass of lemon water with a dash of cayenne pepper.

On mornings when I go to the gym before work, I've been laying off the green smoothies because that requires the blender, which creates a whole lotta doggie chaos at 5:30 a.m. My dogs love the kitchen and are always lurking around hoping that I'll drop something. If they hear the blender come on, they both come running. The problem is, they are in our bedroom and Derek doesn't exactly appreciate being woken up jumped on by 2 rottweilers at that time in the morning :-)

So, instead of a green smoothie, I make myself and quick and easy breakfast of strawberry-flavoured greek yogourt with some chocolate coconut granola. Soooo delicious!

For my mid-morning snack, I've been sticking to fresh fruit. Pears have been my fruit of choice lately.

So sweet, so juicy....I CANNOT wait until we start getting some fresh, local fruit!

For lunch, I had some of the super-filling energy boosting protein salad I made on Sunday. I still am totally loving this salad ~ it's awesome because it keeps me satisfied until dinnertime.

For dinner, it was a honey veggie stirfry with a piece of panfried teriyaki tofu.

This was soooo good!! I used to think I always needed to have some sort of grain (rice, pasta, etc.) with stirfry, but this was delicious and satisfying all on its own!

I was late eating dinner because I went to a 6 p.m. spin class right after work, so I didn't even have a snack before bed!

Have I made you jealous?? I had some seriously good and healthy eats lately!! Believe me, if I could, I would come and cook for each and every one of you :-) At the very least, I hope I've motivated you with some healthy meal ideas. Check out Jenn's WIAW page for even more motivation!

What was your fave meal of the day??

Happy Hump Day!

Andrea