First off, happy Friday the 13th! 😉 Do I have any superstitious blends out there? I must say that I am not much for superstitions, so to me it is just another day. Well, maybe it is not just another day. It is Friday, after all, and Fridays make me oh so happy!
Food makes me really happy, too. Especially good, hearty, plant-based food. And I have been eating a lot of it lately. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Friday Foodie Favorites: December 13, 2013
I have had my eye on Elise’s Creamy Dijon Tempeh and Spinach Casserole for awhile now. I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a good casserole recipe, especially one with tempeh in it? I finally got my act together and made it a few weeks ago. I followed Elise’s recipe exactly except I subbed in dairy-free yogurt in place of the dairy-free sour cream because I already had some on hand. I ate this by itself, and I also ate it over a bed of greens. It was really good. I am thinking that Amanda (my tempeh-loving bff) needs to try this one!
A few weeks ago I also made Alexis’s Hearty Lentil, Kale, and Potato Soup. I make soups year round, but like most people I especially love them during the colder months. Soups are fantastic because you can chock them full of veggies, and adding in delicious proteins like lentils is always a great idea. I really enjoyed this soup. It was certainly hearty and full of two of my favorite foods: lentils and potatoes. Plus, I really am on a kale kick lately, too. I added an extra potato to my soup so it was a bit thicker and more like a stew. I loved it that way. Stews are beyond comforting to me.
I have been loving my overnight oats, buckwheat bakes, and pancakes lately, but a couple of weekends ago I wanted to mix things up a bit for my breakfasts for the work week ahead. I browsed my saved recipes on Bloglovin’ and decided to make my own take on Andrea’s Swiss Chard and Chanterelle Mushroom Fritatta Cups. I used kale in place of the swiss chard because my grocery store was out of swiss chard, and used sliced baby bella mushrooms. These were very easy to make and enabled me to have three breakfasts pre-cooked and packed for the work week ahead of time. Talk about a time-saver. Plus, they tasted awesome served alongside a bit of salsa. I already have plans to make these again soon!
Since I have been hooked on kale lately (pretty sure that is very obvious after seeing the recipes that I have posted so far ;)), I couldn’t wait to make a slightly adapted version of this Whole Foods’ recipe for Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Adzuki Beans. I used kale instead of collard greens because it was on sale, swapped the sweet potatoes for roasted red potatoes, and used pinto beans because I could not find any adzuki beans that were less than $2.50 per can. I splurge on some food items, but I will rarely pay $2.50 when I can pay 79 cents. It’s basic math, folks ;). Even with my substitutions, I was really loving the results of this dish. It was pretty much a super-food plate full of veggies, packed with protein, and topped with healthy fats from the sunflower seeds. Oh, and it tasted awesome too! Whole Foods definitely has some great recipes on their website that I love to try or find inspiration from.
And finally, I am switching things up a bit this Friday with a favorite not centered around food:
A workout!
Lately I have been getting tired with my old ab strength training routine. After all, you can only do so many crunches and planks, right? I found Gina’s 5-Minute Ab Burner video a couple of weeks ago and have fallen in love with it. It is fast but effective. Trust me, my abs are really feeling it each time that I get finished with this workout. It is a good one!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for the Happy Herbivore Light and Lean cookbook!
Happy Friday, friends! Now go make and eat some good food :).
