Despite what you may think, living with a food blogger is not always peachy! Aside from the new dishes, plentiful leftovers, and a freezer packed with goodies, there are dishes, messes, computer troubles, steep grocery bills, minor breakdowns, and taste-testings gone wrong.
Despite all of this, Eric’s biggest complaint is that I rarely make the same dish more than once! In the name of new blog content, I try to make new recipes so I have fun things to post for you guys, but in the process I often leave fabulous recipes in the dust.
So last weekend, we came up with a few favourite recipes from our past and I said I would make a couple off this list each week to bring back some classics!
Currently on our favourites list:
- Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf
- 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta (probably the most popular recipe on the blog!)
- Back on Track Wheatberry and Bean Salad (or other bean salad)
- Easy Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto
- Enchiladas with ‘cheeze’
- Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze
- Baked vegan doughnuts (Eric’s dessert request!)
The Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf, which I adapted from the Clean Food Cookbook (original cookbook recipe is here), is first on the list. Last night, I set out to make the loaf once again, but I decided to add sweet potato for a fun twist.
How can you go wrong with sweet potato? You just can’t.
Ok, maybe there was that one time.
For brevity’s sake, I won’t type out the entire recipe again, but I will tell you what changes I made for this version:
Modifications to Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf:
- 3/4 cup grated sweet potato
- 1/2 cup raisins (instead of 1/4 cup)
- Increased toasted walnuts to 1 cup (amped up the crunchy texture!)
- Omitted carrot and apple
- Added 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
- Increased thyme to 1.5 tsp
- Added pinch of garlic powder
First version is here.
We usually have applesauce and sautéed greens on the side, but I was out of both, so I made a salad.
I sprinkled romaine with Energizing Protein Power Salad, added some chopped tomato, and homemade Better than bottled balsamic vinaigrette. It was delish!
So which version did I like better?
The first version because it held together better. Taste wise? They both taste awesome. This version had a more crunchy and chewy texture thanks to the increased raisins and walnuts.
I’m thinking about all kinds of mix-ins you could use for this recipe. I’m sure it would work with many ingredients and it would probably be amazing with fresh herbs too.
For breakfast, I started with a super green juice blend.
Cleansing Green Juice
- 1 apple
- 1 lemon
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup Dandelion (blended in after)
Instead of juicing the Dandelion, I blended it in my Vita-mix with the juice. My juicer (Breville Fountain Juice Plus) does not juice greens well and I find it to be a waste because not much juice comes out. I prefer to juice ‘worth while’ veggies only and then blend in any greens afterwards. I feel like I get more bang for my buck this way. The clean up for 2 machines is not great though so I don’t do this often!
Not long after, breakfast was calling my name from the fridge! Don’t you love it when the breakfast fairy prepares breakfast for you?
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Strawberry Banana Crunch Vegan Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup regular oats
- 2 tbsp raw buckwheat groats (the ‘crunch’, optional)
- 1.5-2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 banana, chopped
- Pinch cinnamon
- 2-3 strawberries, chopped
- Maple syrup, to taste
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours. Serve cold in the AM without cooking.
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Yum.
Updates:
1) In case you missed it on the weekend, I have a brand new Search bar installed on the right side bar of the blog. If you have tried searching the blog before you probably were frustrated that it didn’t work well. This new one is amazing and I hope that you will be able to find things much quicker! I’m very impressed with it so far. Go check it out and give it a try!
2) My Recipes page is up to date from the past week.
3) Check out this post for a homemade & all-natural drain cleaner (only two ingredients!) that I’m loving lately.
Happy Birthday to my Best Bud Allison! She is a new mommy, a new dentist, and one of the most awesome girls I know. XO
Nice post with so many recipes! Those oats look delish!
Great idea to go back and experiment! Both recipes sound delicious, and it’s fun to switch things up!
Where do you buy Dandelions? I can never seem to find them in the store and I’d love to try them out.
Whole Foods has them :)
That loaf looks incredible! I absolutely love the color of the sauce on top — it is so beautiful!
I made the original lentil loaf for dinner last night (it’s one of my husband’s FAVORITE recipes), but I might have to make it again this week with your new changes. Yum!
I’m also guilty of forgetting some of my best recipes! Of course I have some staples, but some of my favorite dishes have been one-time-only appearances :(
i am definitely going to try adding buckwheat to overnight oats! i am a huge fan of crunch and different textures, so i’m sure this will be great :)
My boyfriend has that same complaint. I’m trying to be better though. The walnut lentil loaf was one of my favorite recipes I’ve stolen from you :) And considering I have about 6 sweet potatoes lurking in my kitchen right now maybe I should try this version. P.S. I’m eaing VOOs as we speak… er, write?
Oh yum-looks gorgeous!
So much awesome stuff in this post!!! The improved vegan loaf looks absolutely delicious!!!
If only I could cook that loaf in the toaster… :) Very funny, I had overnight oats with rolled oats + buckwheat yesterday too! First time I’ve done that combo. Loved the crunch! The colors in your photos are just outstanding…I think I need a lightroom tutorial from you!
I LOVE your savory recipes!! I might make this today actually!!
I use vinegar and baking soda with all of my cleaning. I usually make a solution of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water in a spray bottle. I use that everywhere – my countertops, mirrors, appliances, windows, etc. For my floors I use a big bucket of water with some vinegar. For stubborn spots on my counters, and the soap film in my shower, I use a bunch of baking soda, then spray the vinegar mixture (I love watching and hearing it bubble), use some elbow grease, and clean it comes. I actually think this stuff works so much better than any cleaner you can get in the store, my mirrors really sparkle. It’s probably because it doesn’t leave behind a residue. And vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial. Unfortunately, my bathroom drains get that nasty biofilm, so I have to unscrew the elbow of the drain under my sink and clean that stuff out with a papertowel. I read somewhere where enzymatic cleaners will help prevent that stuff, so I’m going to try it out. Yuck!
I use it for so many things too! I have a bottle with vinegar and water for light cleaning. I also use vinegar and water on hardwood. My goal is to switch over to 80-90% homemade cleaners this year, but I need to buy a couple things like Borax to test a couple recipes. :)
Borax is great — just be sure to purchase it in bulk containers. Also, my husband (who is OCD about cleaning) actually called the manufacturer of the tub we installed in our condo to find out how best to clean it. The answer: baking soda and water. Anything else is actually “too harsh.”
Isn’t that interesting? I always love it when it’s something simple (and cheap) like that. If you have granite counters, you’re not supposed to use vinegar and water. I don’t know why. I think the only thing I buy at the store anymore is detergent – for my clothes and dishes. But I buy Ecover from the natural foods store. So, hopefully it’s less impacting to the environment. The enzyme cleaner I got was from the natural foods store too. I still read the label, though :0)
Mmm… I love nut loaves!! There is an excellent one I made recently from the Canadian Living Vegetarian Cookbook…delish!
Angela, I have to tell you that this vegan walnut loaf is SO SO good. Like, even my carnivore of a husband thinks it’s fantastic. I’ve made it two times and have had to hold myself back from devouring the entire thing!
Still no grater attachment, eh ? ;)
I love all things veggie loaf. I remember as a kid when my Mom would make us eat her walnut loaf, my brother and I would make gagging sounds… not bc it tasted nasty, but bc it looked like a huge mound of brown … stuff. Now though, I love them. I wonder why your other version held together better ? I once made Giada de Laurentes’ recipe from foodnetwork for my family and everyone loved that one too, but it does NOT hold together.
I think it was because I didn’t process as many lentils as I did in the first version!
Yuuum! I love sweet potato in anything! :D
I love it! Is it lunch time yet, papaplease? I have still not made a “lentil loaf” but I am motivated right now, big time!
Your hair cut is adorable!
Have a great day Angela.
Hi you have buy dandelion in Canada? I mean I live in Europe and we have dandelion everywhere on sidewalk it grows like weed so we have green juice and green smoothie with dandelion for free also with neetle:-)I am glad I am not myself who needs second breakfast after greenjuice. I drink 32 ounces or more and I am hungry within an hour. I am very skinny so I do not want to take any fast till noon only with green juice or smoothie.
hehe yes I buy organic dandelion occasionally, even though in the summer Eric says he will gladly pick me some from the yard! ;)
Fresh juice would never fill me up! My reg breakfast is always needed.
This looks amazing! You certainly CANNOT go wrong with sweet potatoes :)
Thanks a lot. I run in the morning after green juice or smoothie so it is impossible for me not to eat breakfast I would feel dizzy.Even when I do not run I have to eat solid breakfast within an hour. I am glad I am not alone:-)