Cooking > Meditation. Especially when it’s a PEANUT SATAY that sets you up for a week of stress-less meals. Because when the point of meditation is to free the mind and live in the present….that’s cooking. At least in my book. So ya know what? No longer am I going to try to “practice” meditation when….maybe it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for other ways to find mindfulness, read on for a few thoughts…and a recipe for a ZOODLE PAD THAI that will keep your mind off meal prep all week long.

When I first tried mediation, I thought maybe I’m just not “good” at it. Or maybe I need to “practice” more. See, I’m not someone who likes to sit still. And generally, my mind is going a mile a minute and my husband might even claim that “multi-tasking” is my middle name. I don’t lose sleep over it, but like a lot people, I could stand to put my phone down more often, focus my full energy on the task at hand and live more in the present. The thought occurred to me this weekend though, that maybe stillness isn’t the only answer to achieving a meditative state. Maybe, like so many things in life, mindfulness can be achieved in a multitude of different ways. One of those, for me, is cooking.

You might be familiar with mindful eating (savoring the taste, textures, smells of your food, truly enjoying the experience and nourishing your body), but mindful cooking is next level euphoria. It’s being present in the process and changing you perspective from cooking as a chore to cooking as an opportunity to get creative, an opportunity to do something good for you and your family, an opportunity for meal prep to free up your time for the rest of the week. That sense of calm after meditation, is exactly how I feel during and after cooking.

This revelation that meditation doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter definition, actually came to me after taking a Soulctivate class at Soulcycle. If you’re familiar with Soulcyle, you’re probably imaging the traditional high cadence dance-a-thon that made this cycling studio a cult favorite. Soulactivate, in contrast, is a high intensity interval class that encourages you to push yourself to your limits for short bursts (imagine 50 strangers on bikes, red lights blaring, sprinting with all their hearts and some literally screaming out loud) followed by complete motionlessness. It’s a bit animalistic and entirely freeing. Everyone is living in the moment, shutting out everything else. And isn’t that the whole point of meditation? To free the mind and live in the present? So for me, cooking is mediation. Motion is mediation. And meditation, doesn’t have to have one definition.

Here’s a few thought starts for how you can find that meditative state:

1.) Cooking as Mediation
2.) Movement as Meditation
3.) Art as Meditation
4.) Music as Meditation
5.) Stillness as Meditation

The freeing part is also knowing that you can choose your definition. And if cooking is your meditation of choice, or you’ve just been waiting for that amaze ZOODLE PAD THAI recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Get the much-awaited recipe below so you can whip this up and zen out the rest of the week.

ZOODLE PAD THAI with PEANUT SATAY
Makes: 1 mason jar of thai peanut sauce and countless meals!

Ingredients:
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water

Additional Ingredients
– veggie noodles of choice (zucchini, butternut squash and carrot are great choices!)
— protein of choice (hard-boiled eggs, tofu and chicken are fantastic options!)
— optional fresh veggies (sliced bell peppers, diced carrots and snow peas as shown)
— top with crushed peanuts and cilantro for extra texture and flavor

Directions:
Step 1: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Cook the veggie noodles by placing in a large saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Heat for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until desired doneness.
Step 3: Assemble the pad thai by distributing the veggie noodles to individual serving dishes, top with as much sauce as you’d like and add protein along with additional veggie and toppings of choice. Enjoy!

Want more ways to use this THAI PEANUT SAUCE? Check out this THAI RAINBOW BOWL or these THAI TOFU TACOS.

The post Cooking as Meditation appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Inhale tacos, exhale the negativity. That my friends, is how you Taco Tuesday. Especially before the holidays. These Thai Tofu Tacos are loaded with crispy tofu, crunchy kale, rainbow carrot medallions, strips of red cabbage and bathed in a creamy Thai peanut sauce. That sauce may look familiar, for a reason. I’m embracing the Swedish concept of “Lagom”, which is the idea of “just enough” or finding balancing. For me, balance is cooking once…and finding a way to reinvent those same ingredients. So yesterday’s Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl becomes…tacos! Get all the dEATs on this recipe and the concept of lagom below to find your taco zen.

It’s that time of year where we try to jam pack every type of social event into a span of 3 short weeks – cookie exchanges, holiday parties, ugly sweater gatherings, shopping sprees, you name it. And it can all be a little….overwhelming. I’ll admit that I’ve checked off approximately 5% of my holiday shopping and the clock is ticking with 7 days until Christmas. So in my procrastination, I’ve been reading all about 2019 trends and the Swedish concept of “lagom” or “just enough”. According to Greatist, lagom is expected to be a major health & wellness trend. In fact, it’s touted as the next “hygge” (read my post all about 2017’s cozy Danish trend here).

To get a vibe for this concept, let’s turn to our familiar friend, Goldilocks. She wants not too much porridge (that would be wasteful) and not too little (how would she have the focus for her day?) and it also need not be too hot (again, energy waste). It’s all about balance, moderation, simplification and slowing down. Sign me up!

Here are a few tips to embrace la vida lagom:

1.) Cook Once, Eat Twice: find that coveted work/life balance with recipes that allow you to cook once and eat like a king the rest of the week. This includes crock pot recipes that make large batches so you’ll have leftovers for lunch all week long, or freezer meals for later. You can also find recipes that use common ingredients, like this Thai peanut sauce, which is the highlight for my Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl recipe and these tacos.

2.) Adopt a Signature Look: deciding what to wear should not be a chore, but sometimes its so stressful and hard to keep up with the trends (yes, first world problems). Think about adopting a wardrobe of solid staples (like a white blouse or black turtleneck) that you can reinvent with accessories like a jeweled necklace, handkerchief, bold belt or cozy wrap.

3.) Initiate Walking Meetings: if you can’t fit in that workout and all those meetings, mash it up with walking/talking meetings. It allows you and your compadre to get some fresh air and reinvigorate that mind and body.

4.) Take a Break: self love was all the rage in 2018, and for good reason! We all need a mental refresh and shouldn’t feel selfish for getting our nails done, or just booking a conference room to check out for a few minutes. According to Psychology Today, these breaks can help you more effectively go about your day by resetting your mental track. Ever gone for a run and suddenly found the answer to a problem? Yup, that’s the magic of a mental break.

5.) Balanced Plates Over Fads: lagom is basically the opposite of extreme diets. According to Well and Good, everything in balance is exemplified by Swedish pizzerias, which often serve “pizzasallad”, a punchy cabbage salad, alongside the pizzas. It’s a fresh complement to the pizza and fills up the plate (and your belly) with something other than dough, that will also help with digestion.

Now that we’re all experts on la vida lagom, let’s put it into practice with this recipe!

Thai Tofu Tacos
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water
Taco Fixings
– One 14 oz block of extra firm tofu
– One package of tortillas (like Maria and Ricardo’s Organic Blue Corn Tortillas)
– 1 bag of Mann’s Kale Beet Blend (or chop kale, red cabbage & golden beets)
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, cut into thin medallions
– 1/3 C of roasted, salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
Step 1: Make the crispy tofu by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Then, place the block of tofu on a bed of paper towels to soak up the liquid. Press another layer of paper towels on top to soak up more of the liquid. If you have the time, ideally you’d let it sit with a pan on top to continue to drain. If not, go ahead and slice into 1-inch cubes. Grease a sheet pan with some olive or coconut oil and place the cubes of tofu in a single layer on the sheet pan; season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes, or at least once midway through to get an even crisp on all sides.
Step 2: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to another small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Assemble the tacos by layering the tofu and all the fixings in warmed tortillas (I like to place in the oven for a few minutes as long as you have it on). Dredge it in the Thai Peanut Sauce and set some aside for dipping too!

You’ll have plenty of leftover sauce, so try that Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl too!

The post Living La Vida Lagom appeared first on The Shooks Life.

I’m gaga for gourds, so it’s another delicata-licous day in the neighborhood. This week’s meal prep is a DELICATA KALE SALAD with TRI-COLOR QUINOA, ROASTED CHICKPEAS, POMEGRANATE SEEDS and GOAT CHEESE. I’m a huge fan of cook once, eat twice, so this week’s blog is a double header! Not only does delicata delight this salad, but it also makes for an easy Whole30-approved breakfast as DELICATA EGG SLIDERS. Find the dEATs on both, below!

Every year it seems like there’s another en vogue gourd. And guaranteed, I’ll gobble them all up. This year, it’s the Delicata, a winter squash that goes by a breadth of other names including sweet potato squash (for its sweet flavor) and peanut squash (for its shape only). “Delicata” actually means “delicate” in Italian, which is meant to describe the soft rind, which is also edible. It’s one of the reasons I’ve grown to love Delicata after far too many struggles peeling the butternut squashes of the world. And, these lovely halos of gold roast in 15 minutes!

To prep this pretty gourd, all you need is a sharp flat-edge knife, a spoon and a cutting board. Simply cut the gourd in half cross-wise, then lay the cut side of the cutting board. Then slice each half horizontally into 1″ slices. Once sliced into discs as shown above, use a spoon to remove the seeds. I like to press the tip of the spoon perpendicular to the squash around the edges of the center to cut out a small circle. Once you form an impression of a circle, the center should pop out with a little coaxing. No peeling and you’re ready to get your roast on!

The next component of this salad that is a bit tricky, but totally worthwhile, is de-seeding the pomegranate. There are oodles of methods on the interweb, but my preferred method is to submerge the entire pomegranate in a large bowl. Next, cut the pomegranate into quarters while holding it submerged in the water. This ensures that any juices go into the water and don’t stain your counter top or cutting board. Next, use your hands to gently peel the seeds away from the pith with the quarters still submerged. This has dual benefits: 1.) again, the juices won’t stain your kitchen or clothing when you accidentally burst a seed and 2.) the seeds will sink while the pith will float. This allows you to easily scoop up the pith from the surface of the water to throw it away. Afterwards, you can freely scoop up the seeds from the bottom of the water. The juicy seeds are ready to pop like candy into your mouth!

This week is all about simplification and maximizing your time. So, the hard parts are over and now you’re ready to make two amazing meals that are healthy, delicious and festive for holiday guests!

DELICATA KALE SALAD
with TRI-COLOR QUINOA, ROASTED CHICKPEAS, POMEGRANATE & GOAT CHEESE
Serves: 3-4 (if using 2 Delicata squash)

Ingredients:
-2 Delicata squash, sliced into 1-inch rounds as shown
-1 bunch of Lacinato kale, ribs removed & roughly torn
-1 pomegranate with seeds removed
-1 C of crumbled goat cheese
-1 package of roasted chickpeas like Biena brand (or 1 C of garbanzo beans if roasting your own, as noted below)
-1/2 C of quinoa, rinsed
-1 C of vegetable broth (or water)
-your favorite dressing

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle olive oil on a large sheet pan and place the squash rounds in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle with additional olive oil using your finger to ensure the surface is fully coated to get a nice golden crisp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 2: While the squash roasts, make the quinoa by adding the vegetable broth or water to a small sauce pan over medium heat on the stove top. Once boiling, add the rinsed quinoa, reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is dissolved and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove the quinoa from the heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fluff with a fork.
Step 3: If roasting your own chickpeas, drain and rinse the can of garbanzo beans. Place the beans on a stack of paper towels and gently dab to remove as much moisture as possible. Once the Delicata is roasted, set the rounds of squash on another dish and re-use the sheet pan. Turn the heat up on the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle the pan with olive oil before placing the beans on the sheet pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and optional cayenne pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until browned and crunchy.
Step 4: Assemble the salad by placing the torn Lacinato kale in a large bowl. Toss with your favorite dressing if consuming immediately, like this Michigan Apple Balsamic from Here brand. Option to cut the squash rings in half. Add all of the remaining toppings to the salad (roasted chickpeas, cooked quinoa, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese).

DELICATA EGG SLIDERS
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
-2 Delicata squash, sliced into 1-inch rounds as shown
-12 pasture-raised eggs such as those from Vital Farms
-Salt, pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-optional fresh parsley and Parmesan*

*Recipe is both Whole30 and Low FODMAP if Parmesan is excluded.

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle olive oil on a large sheet pan and place the squash rounds in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle with additional olive oil using your finger to ensure the surface is fully coated to get a nice golden crisp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the squash from the oven and flip over the squash rounds. Crack an egg in the center of each ring and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the oven and option to garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan. Serve two slices each on their own, with a grain such as quinoa or with additional roasted veggies like brussel sprouts.

I love the simplicity and veggie forward nature of both of these dishes! Roasting the squash in advance can also make these both quick weekday meals. Hope you enjoy!

The post Delicata-licious appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Sometimes, a balanced diet is food that you can hold in both hands. Like this falafel. Yes it’s fried and yes that’s why it’s oh so crispy ‘n good. Could you bake them? Sure. But should you? No. These are just as good on a pita as they are atop a bowl of greens. Get the dEATs below.

Oftentimes dishes with beans can be a bit…mushy. I don’t often fry foods, but when I do, it’s for good reason. Frying these little discs of pinto beans provides the perfect exterior crunch. I use canola oil, which often gets a bad rap. It’s actually the best oil for cooking (vs finishing) because of the neutral taste and high smoke point. Why does smoke point matter? Because if you heat an oil beyond it’s smoke point, it starts to get rancid and loses a lot of its good-for-you compounds. One of those good-for-you compounds is omega 3 fat ALA (alpha linoleic). Canola oil can offer heart healthy benefits, such as lowering bad “LDL” cholesterol. For more on the benefits of canola oil, check out this article from Cooking Light.

These falafel have a tex mex flair with cilantro and crushed blue corn chips to add some additional crunch and hold together the patties. The patties come together in just a few minutes with 7 ingredients: pinto beans, blue corn tortilla chips, sliced green onions, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, cumin and an egg. Cutting up herbs is always my pet peeve and for many years, I avoided recipes with fresh herbs because I hated spending the tedious time to chop or pick off the leaves. The world turned a new leaf when I discovered two hacks 1.) the food processor and 2.) a kitchen shears. Since this recipe only requires a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs, I used my kitchen shears to “chop” the green onions and cilantro. It’s a game changer.

The next step is forming the mixture into small balls or discs. I found that the mixture holds together a little better in a meatball shape and retains more of the soft interior, but is also a bit more cumbersome to cook evenly. My husband prefers meatball-style, but I prefer flat discs, which are crisper and easier to cook because it only requires one flip. You could also form larger patties for more of a sandwich, but you’ll want to be careful when flipping to ensure the patties remain whole.

I paired my falafel with a dairy-free and paleo tzatziki sauce. While I’m not lactose intolerant, I try to limit the amount of milk-based products that I eat and have found that for me personally, it’s helped to clear up my skin. The base of this creamy tzatziki is coconut cream, seasoned with fresh cucumbers, dill, lemon juice and garlic. It’s best to allow this mixture to thicken for an hour in the fridge; this also allows the flavors to meld together.

Falafel with Paleo Tzatziki Sauce
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Falafel
1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 C of finally crushed blue corn tortilla chips
1/2 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 T sliced green onions (green parts)
1 T cilantro, chopped
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 egg
Canola oi for frying

Tzatziki Sauce
1 (14 oz) can of coconut cream
1 seedless cucumber, diced
2 T fresh lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp onion powder
3 T fresh dill, chopped
Salt, to taste
Optional Fixings
1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 carton of pea shoots
4 slices of pita bread (if making a gyro-style sandwich)
Greens (if make a salad)

Directions:

Step 1: Make the patties by placing the pinto beans in a medium bowl. Mash to your desired consistency, then add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Shape the mixture into 12-16 balls or discs an inch or 2 in diameter.

Step 2: Cook the falafel by heating 1/2 inch of canola oil in a fry pan over the stop top on medium heat until it sizzles when a few drops of water are added. Careful, it will splatter! Turn down the heat if it splatters too much. Add the balls or discs to the fry pan, flipping as appropriate every 2-3 minutes until a crust forms on the exterior.

Step 3: Prepare the tzatziki by placing the coconut milk in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, if not overnight to thicken and amplify the flavor.

Step 4: Assemble the pita sandwiches or salad with your favorite fixings. I’ve eaten these both gyro-style and as a salad, with generally three falafel per serving.

Recipes adapted from MyRecipes.com and Jay’s Baking Me Crazy.

These are easy to prepare at the beginning of the week and eat for lunches or dinners throughout! While I haven’t froze them, I imagine you could freeze and re-heat in a toaster oven.

The post I’ve Falafel In Love appeared first on The Shooks Life.

When your furbaby is such a good boy that you *almost* want to share your backyard picnic – almost. This week I’ve been testing out plant-based meals from Sprinly, a company that delivers fully prepared, chef-inspired and nutritionist-approved organic meals across the Midwest. Most of the time when people hear “plant-based” or “vegan” they think soy or salads; the epitomy of boring. Here’s some straight talk from an omnivore who loves plants and meats alike: it just don’t gotta be that way. Check out the dEATs below.

The plant-based arena is exploding right now and for a good reason – more and more people are realizing the value a balanced, nutritious diet with plants as the center of plate. That’s not to say that meat doesn’t have a place for some. I like a good steak as well as any meat eater, but I do try to limit my consumption of meat for a variety of health and environmental reasons. Others are taking note after an Oxford study indicated that a shift to a fruit and veggie-forward diet could lead to 8 million lives saved by 2050, a two-thirds reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a multitude of healthcare savings.

Sprinly led the charge in May 2016 when Ray Lui, who was at the time a consultant working 120 hours a week , struggled to find the time to eat healthy meals. Lui found inspiration from all the global cuisines that he came across while backpacking across Asia, Italy and Brazil with his girlfriend, Mary McCann. After this epic trip, they took a leap of faith to begin a food start-up that would offer healthy meals to like-minded people like you, me and all your desk junkie co-workers looking to clean up your diet. Lui set out to prove that healthy food could not only be convenient, but also exciting! And Sprinly was born.

There are a lot misconceptions about plant-based meals being all salads and no substance. Now let’s be real – there were salads on Sprinly’s rotating menu, but they were anything but boring and were just the right amount of filling. Sprinly offers a variety of meals plans starting at 6 meals per week, with the option to skip a week or cancel at any time. All meals are vegan, gluten-free, organic and delivered to you fresh via FedEx or UPS in an insulated box each Tuesday.

Here are the six meals I received:

1.) Ancient Quinoa with Royal Beet Medallions and Greens (shown above, top)

2.) Grapefruit Citrus Tofu & Tempeh with Soba Peanut Noodles (shown above, bottom)

3.) Mediterranean Veggie Kofta Crumble with Vegan Tzatziki and Cucumber Tomato Salad (shown below)

4.) Citrus Detox Salad with Roasted Beets and Fresh Oranges

5.) Mushroom Bourguignon wiht Roasted Cauliflower Mash

6.) Pasta Primavera Marinara with Gluten-Free Pasta and Cashew “Parm”

My favorite of the meals was the Mediterranean Veggie Kofta, a unique spin on what is traditionally a minced meat dish with spices originating in Asia. The base was a blend of lentils, portobellos and walnuts that surprisingly matched the texture of ground beef and provided an earthy flavor. Lentils are actually higher in protein than quinoa (though not all 8 essential amino acids) and a good source of iron, which is key to energy production and a healthy metabolism. Many vegetarians and vegans struggle to get enough iron in their diets since meat is a primary source, so lentils are a great alternative.

What made this dish was all of the textures and flavors that fused together to deliver a plate of complex, but unified flavors. Atop the veggie kofta was a layer of turmeric brown rice offering a slight citrus and ginger scent. Pickled cabbage woke up your tastebuds with some vibrant acidic flavor. The dish is then topped with a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, layered with a creamy vegan tzatziki sauce to tame all of the flavors. This dish was a mastery of global fusion and all you had to do was heat, and eat!

The Citrus Detox Salad was the lightest of the six meals, but was also surprisingly filling, fresh and perfect after a sweaty session at the gym. Atop the bed of greens were: cooked beets (my favorite!), matchstick carrots and radishes, Valencia oranges, pea shoots and crunch pumpkin seeds. Fun fact that 1/4 C of pumpkin seeds has as much protein as an egg! Who knew? The salad was then topped with a refreshing, yet creamy grapefruit vinaigrette that brought to life the salad. Despite the fact that I waited a day to eat the meal, the greens were still fresh. Note that Sprinly includes a stamp on some of the meals that says “Eat me earlier” to let you know which meals you should prioritize eating first to avoid spoilage. Generally all meals will last up to 5 days in the fridge though.

The Pasta Primavera was the most traditional of the meals. Gluten-free pasta was tossed with a marinara sauce filled with sauteed veggies like zucchini, summer squash, portobellos and spinach. I also like that each box lists some of the health benefits of the ingredients. On this box, Sprinly shared that, “Summer squashes are rich in minerals, and a valuable source of copper, manganese, magnesium, and more! Yellow varieties in particular are loaded with carotenoids, helping reduce the risk of certain cancers and eye diseases.” The unique aspect of this dish was the cashew “parm” which was a vegan take on Parmesan cheese made with cashews, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. I’ve written about nutritional yeast in some of my other blog posts – it really is amazing how it can mimic the flavor of cheese.

To be completely unbiased, the Mushroom Bourguignon was my least favorite of the meals, though still good. The sauce was a little too acidic for my taste, but my husband liked it. And while I liked the consistency and flavor of the cauliflower mash, it still felt like something was missing from the dish. There was a lot of “gravy” compared to the mash and I was yearning for something to bit into like a piece of paleo cornbread to help scoop up the extra sauce.

The last two meals are the Beet Medallions and Tofu with Peanut Soba Noodles. I snuck a taste of both, but am planning to fully divulge this evening. Both held up well through Saturday (five days after receiving the meals) and the peanut soba noodles get a fresh spin from chopped grapefruit and alfalfa sprouts. The beet medallions are a bit of a take on a veggie burger with a blend of black beans and beets to create a patty that holds together well as the main stage of this dish, which is served with a smokey and creamy paprika sauce.

All in all, Sprinly impressed with its unique flavor combinations that were anything but the standard vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free fare – which can get old. And if you’re like me and live to eat – this will send you on a flavor adventure with limited effort. Highly recommend you check out Sprinly if you’re in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky or the Chicago area. And if not, write to Sprinly to let them know the rest of the world needs this!

If you’re looking for a convenient option way to incorporate more healthy, plant-based meals into your diet, I’d highly recommend Sprinly!

The post Adventures of Plant-Based Eating with Sprinly appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Put the lime in the coconut and eat ’em both together. Lime & coconut, peanut butter & jelly, mac & cheese – all flavor combo power couples. And with the summer heating up, I’m craving some island magic in the form of lighter citrus flavors. This coconut lime quinoa bowl is so simple, you’ll have time to make a margarita to go with it. Get the dEATs below.

Happy Memorial Day, friends! Sun’s out and summer is awakening in Chicago! With the amazing weather, no one wants to spend time in kitchen, including me, so I whipped up this quick coconut lime quinoa – perfect for those Memorial Day cookouts and leftovers all week long. The beauty of this recipe is that it is so versatile, light and quick to whip up with minimal effort. The quinoa on its own is a little island oasis as a side. Or, it can play main stage with the addition of brilliant bell peppers, creamy avocado slices and black beans for some extra plant-based protein. Let freedom ring because you’re queen (or king) of the combos with this gluten-free and vegan bowl. Bumming around and want some helpful tips? Check out the video below.

Coconut Lime Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Coconut Lime Quinoa
– 1 C of quinoa, rinsed
– 2 C water or low-sodium broth of choice
– 2 T coconut oil
– 2 limes
– salt & pepper to taste
Bowl 
– 1 C of black beans
– 1 red bell pepper, diced
– 1 avocado, diced
– 1 lime
– drizzle of honey & olive oil
– optional: greens, cilantro, tomatoes, radishes

Directions:
Step 1: Boil the water broth in a medium sauce pan over medium heat on the stove top. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and add the rinsed quinoa. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa puffs up and the liquid cooks off.
Step 2: Rinse the lime and zest. Using a lime zester or fine grater, zest the rind, ensuring not to go so deep that you hit the white pith, which is quite bitter. Add the lime zest to the cooked quinoa. Add the coconut oil and mix together while the quinoa is still warm. Option to drizzle a bit of honey if you’d like some sweetness. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Step 3: Assemble your bowl with your preferred ingredients.
Top picture: add avocado, black beans and bell peppers to the quinoa and mix together gently to keep the avocado intact. Drizzle with honey, olive oil and a bit more lime juice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Bottom picture: Make this into a salad with greens as your base (I like arugula for the peppery flavor), top with the coconut lime quinoa, black beans, sliced tomatoes, bell peppers, avocados and purple radish. For dressing, squeeze lime juice, add a dash of olive oil and a drizzle of honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Option to add shredded chicken for a more substantial meal, but this should be filling enough on its own with plenty of plant-based protein and healthy fat.

The post Coconut lime nirvana appeared first on The Shooks Life.