Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

April 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Overnight Oats is one of the easiest breakfasts you can possibly make. I have it on my meal plan at least once a week. Lately, I’ve been making Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats!

This easy, plant-based recipe takes about a minute to set up at night, then another minute or two to finish when you are ready for breakfast the next day.

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

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I’ve always been a big fan of oatmeal, I love the warmth of Instant Pot Oatmeal, topped with apples and cinnamon. I didn’t try overnight oats until after I went plant-based. Warm oats are still my favorite but Arizona summers are brutal and warm oatmeal isn’t on the menu!

Overnight Oats Add Ins

I’ll top my oatmeal with whatever I have on hand and need to use up. Sometimes its strawberries, blueberries or banana.  You can tell I’m a big fan of fruit in my oatmeal. My sweetener of choice is maple syrup! I also like to add chia seed or ground flax seeds. They help absorb the moisture and add more fat, protein and fiber to fill me up.

Meal Prep Overnight Oats

Another great thing about Overnight Oats is that you can easily add them to your meal prep lineup. Simply prepare your oats on the weekend, then when you are ready to eat them add your fruit.

Some people like to add some of their fruit and sweetener at night, I prefer to wait until I’m about to enjoy it. That way I can make up a few plain batches and decide what I’m in the mood for in the morning.

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

This Peanut Butter Overnight Oats recipe is based on my regular overnight oat recipe. This peanut butter and banana combination is so good, I thought it deserved it’s own recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 cup plant-based milk of choice, I usually use rice milk

1 banana

1 heaping dollop of peanut butter

maple syrup, to taste. I use about a tablespoon.

Do

  1. In a small bowl or mason jar, add oats, chia seeds and plant-based milk. Stir the ingredients well, cover with a lid, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  2. In the morning, give your oats another stir, add a scoop of peanut butter and slice a banana and add half of it to the top.
  3. Stir your ingredients together and top with more banana and peanut butter if desired.
  4. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Some people will make Overnight Oats and still decided to heat them up. That’s totally OK. The texture is different but some people prefer it. A dear friend of mine just old me she hates the texture of oatmeal but eats overnight oats every day.

Check out my Ultimate Oatmeal Guide for more delicious, plant-based oatmeal options.

Are you a fan of overnight oats? I’ve got a lot of great combinations I may share in the future! I’d love to hear your favorites!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Plant-Based Meal Plan

April 8, 2019 by 2 Comments

Another week, another plant-based meal plan! Following a meal plan decreases meal time stress because I know that I’m going to eat and have all the ingredients!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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If you get my weekly plant-based tips email, you know I started sending them again last weekend. I have received so many responses! I want to thank all of you for your love and support! I’ve still got some emails left to respond to but I’m working on it! If you didn’t get the email, you can sign up and you will start getting them next Saturday.

Yesterday I went to a local farmers market and bought a bunch of organic spinach and lettuce! I’m determined to enjoy every leaf and not let any go to waste. I’ll incorporate plenty of salads in the meal plan this week. Soup and Salad meals are a great way to do it!

I’m also working on eating through my pantry storage. I have so many beans, grains, pasta, etc. that I really need to use.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats

Lunch: Big Salad

Dinner: Green Chili Cilantro and Lime Soup

Tuesday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover Soup and Salad

Dinner: Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Wednesday

Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins

Lunch: Burritos with leftover Mexican Casserole inside

Dinner: One Pot Broccoli and Rice (My husband requests this every week!)

Thursday

Breakfast: Smoothies and leftover muffins

Lunch: Veggie Sandwich

Dinner: Pizza Pasta with salad and Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing

Friday

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter and fruit

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Broccoli Potato Soup in the Instant Pot and side salad

Plant-Based Snacks

A reader requested plant-based snacks too. We typically stick to easy stuff for snacks like fresh fruit, veggies and hummus and popcorn.

  • Freshly cut melon
  • Apple slices with peanut butter (add a piece of toast if you are really hungry)
  • Popcorn (I make it in this)
  • Carrots and hummus
  • Muffins or Banana Bread
  • Smoothies

What are you eating this week?

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Meal Plans 2019 Tagged With: , , ,

One Pot Broccoli and Rice

March 29, 2019 by 2 Comments

One of my husbands favorite plant-based meals has always been my Broccoli Rice Casserole. I’ve simplified it into a quick and easy one pot meal that can be made in a skillet. I hope you love this One Pot Broccoli and Rice Skillet as much as he does!

One Pot Broccoli and Rice

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This is actually the third version of this recipe on my site! In the first, you have to cook the rice, and the sauce, and the broccoli and combine. It’s not hard but it’s a lot of dishes. The second version is a Crock Pot recipe that is really easy but takes hours to cook. I also make it in the Instant Pot but I haven’t shared that version yet.

This version of my Broccoli and Rice is done in less than half an hour! I changed up the ingredients a bit to make this quicker version. The biggest change was using Jasmine rice. I used to always use brown rice but it take about 45 minutes to cook on the stove.

When I asked my readers what they wanted, most said quick and easy recipes so that has become my focus! I want to help you!

One Pot Broccoli and Rice

When I made this, we eat it as a main dish. It works well as a side dish as well. I think it’s one of those perfect dishes, like my Mexican Casserole, that can be made as is to keep plant-based eaters happy but served with a side of meat for family members who aren’t on a plant-based diet.

This recipe makes 4 servings when eaten as a main dish. It reheats well, my husband always takes the leftovers to work for lunch and heats it up in the microwave.

When I asked my readers what they wanted, most said quick and easy recipes so that has become my focus! I want to help you!Click to Tweet

Plant-Based Broccoli and Rice

Ingredients

Do

  1. In a skillet with a lid, bring your water to a boil.
  2. Add rice and seasoning and stir well. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cover with a lid.
  3. Cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir well, and add 1 cup of plant-milk and all your broccoli. Cover with the lid. If you feel like it’s too dry, you can add 1/2 a cup of water.
  5. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. I cooked for 5 and needed a couple more minutes, it will depend on your heat and the size of your broccoli.

This Broccoli and Rice came out perfect! We added a little more salt to our individual bowls.

Are you looking for quick and easy meals? 

Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , ,

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

March 8, 2019 by 4 Comments

Every once in a while I get on a kick where I only want to eat one thing, fortunately for me that one thing is a super simple, whole food, Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl!

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

The temperatures in Arizona area finally on the rise. I’m slowly putting my soups aside and embracing fresh, raw veggies! If you are still frozen I’m sorry! Maybe you can enjoy this bowl in front of the fire and think about warmer days ahead!

The great thing about Mediterranean Bowls is that you can easily adapt it based on what you have and what you like.

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Gluten-Free Mediterranean Bowl

Most of the Mediterranean Bowls I’ve seen use quinoa but some use rice or no grain (or pseudo-grain) at all. Quinoa is great because it’s gluten-free, easy to cook, and I always have some in my pantry.

While the quinoa cooked, I got the veggies ready. Romaine lettuce is my favorite but you can choose your favorite greens. I love red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Chickpeas were the perfect addition because I also made hummus! My Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus was perfect in this but I may try my Red Pepper Dip next time.

I set out all the veggies, chickpeas and quinoa and my son made his own bowl. His was pretty much the same except he added apples and cuties and left out the hummus and peppers.

After cutting up all the veggies, I have enough for lunches all week plus some snacks! I’ve been able to make a quick salad with the veggies too. It’s so much easier to eat healthy meals when they are prepped and ready to go!

There are endless combinations you can choose for your bowl if this one isn’t exactly your thing.

  • Sweet Peppers
  • Artichokes
  • Avocado
  • Pickled Onions
  • Carrots
  • Sprouts
  • Micro Greens
  • Roasted Veggies
  • Fresh Herbs
  • Spinach

The list is endless! Please leave a comment and let me know what you want to eat in your bowl!

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

Oil-Free Mediterranean Bowl

Most Mediterranean Bowls are topped with oil or and oil and vinegar type dressing. The hummus does a great job replacing the need for oil and the extra squeeze of lemon gives it an extra boost of acidity. You do not need the oil!

My boys love balsamic vinegar, if you are a fan, you could try it in this bowl. I didn’t think it would mix well with the hummus so I left it out this time.

When I made this bowl I bought olives to go with it. Our grocery store has an olive bar that I’d been wanting to try. My kids and husband love olives so I thought this would make the bowl a little more fun for them.

I, however, do not like olives. I’ve never found an olive I didn’t want to spit out! HA! While I put a few olives in my bowl I didn’t actually eat them. I loved my bowl so much I couldn’t risk it. More for my family.

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

This Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl is gluten-free, nut-free, and perfect for the veggie lovers in your house. This meal is easy to make ahead during meal prep and take for lunch or enjoy it at the end of a long day. These measurements make 4+ bowls.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 head romaine lettuce (or your favorite lettuce).
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1-2 bell peppers (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes (or equivalent fresh diced tomatoes)
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lemon
  • Kalamata olives to
  • 1 cup hummus

Do

  1. Bring 2 cups water to boil, then add the quinoa and cover with a lid. Turn pot down to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until quinoa is done and water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and set aside.
  2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the veggies. If you haven’t already, wash and dry them. I prefer to peel the cucumbers, dice the red onion, tear or slice the lettuce, and dice the bell pepper. I like to leave my bell peppers in pretty big chunks but its just a personal preference. I’ll leave the tomatoes whole if I’m saving the bowl for later and cut the tomatoes in half if I’m having it now.
  3. Create an assembly line with all the veggies. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
  4. If you are making hummus from scratch, make it now.
  5. Assemble your bowls.
    1. Make a bed of lettuce with 1 cup romaine.
    2. Scoop in 1/4-1/2 cup cooked quinoa.
    3. Arrange fresh veggies on both sides of the quinoa.
    4. Add a dollop of hummus. Since it’s oil-free, I used about 1/4 cup.
    5. Spoon in about 1/3 cup of chickpeas.
    6. Garnish with lemon wedge and olives.

Serve

This Mediterranean Bowl is perfect for a weekend meal prep that can be enjoyed all week. It tastes just as good coming out of a lunch bag as it does when it’s freshly made, you can’t say that about most lunches!

Do you eat Mediterranean Bowls? What are your favorite ingredients?

Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes, Recipes, Salads & Wraps Tagged With: , , ,

Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas

February 13, 2019 by 2 Comments

Are you making a special plant-based Valentine’s Day meal?

I got an email from a reader who wanted to know what I suggested for a special Valentine’s Day meal. Her husband asked if she could make a plant-based meal, even though he isn’t plant-based. Sounds like a sweetheart!

Veggie Pad Thai

I used to suggest big fancy meals but these days I’m all about keeping it simple. My recommendation was Veggie Pad Thai! I know, it’s not a traditional choice but it’s easy to make, cooks quickly, and is easy to adapt based on what you like.

My husband loves the Veggie Pad Thai. I do a mix of both of our favorite veggies and give him more of the mushrooms while I take more of the peppers. He likes to drizzle Sriracha on top.

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you need to put yourself out to make a meal. Spending less time in the kitchen so you can spend more time with your family seems like a win to me.

I know that some of you are over the top kind of people. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that you love creating big elaborate meals for your family. That is awesome! Go for it!

If Pad Thai isn’t your thing, I’ve got a few other recipes for you. You can check out my post from 5 years ago (yes, I’ve been blogging that long) when my kids were little!

Chickpea Nuggets are vegan, gluten-free, and a fun kid food. They are easy to make and delicious.

More Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Ideas

If I had plenty of time and energy, I’d plan a kid friendly meal of Chickpea Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes, Brown Gravy and veggies. I’d probably have a veggie tray or big salad too.

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Something you may not have heard yet, my Chickpea Nugget recipe is included in Ocean Robbins new book, The 31 Day Food Revolution! I’m so excited to read this book. You should check it out if you are looking for new reading material.

Plant-Based Dessert

Of course, we can’t forget about dessert. If there was any time to have desserts it’s random mid-week holidays, err, I mean Valentine’s Day. HA HA, just kidding. You don’t have to convince me to have dessert.

Banana Muffins with Chocolate Plant-Based Valentine's day

You can tell from my dessert page that I love chocolate. My husband never really liked chocolate but he has come around a bit. He still won’t eat a lot but he enjoys it in small amounts. With that in mind, big desserts are out, but smaller desserts like chocolate covered strawberries made with Enjoy Life Foods chocolate are totally in.

Another option we love is making my Banana Bread into muffins and putting chocolate chips (or chunks) in half of them.

What is your idea of a perfect plant-based Valentine’s Day meal? Do you like simple, elaborate, family friendly or romantic?

Filed Under: Holiday Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,
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