Tuesday, June 20, 2017

More Vegan Budget Meals!

I showed my haul yesterday, so today I figured I'd show a few more meals I've eaten while on this budget challenge. Like I mentioned yesterday, my food might be simple but I feel satisfied and happy with my meals, and I definitely am not hungry or feeling deprived.
I made this Sunday night. First I made lentil taco filling, and when that was done I had decided I wanted a snack-y, dip-y type of meal.So, I just took my corn tortillas and baked them into chips. Then I just pot the lentils in the bottom of the bowl, And then topped it with the lettuce, green onion, sliced serrano pepper and avocado that were the toppers for my tacos that never were. It was really tasty and also fun. Dip-y meals are the best!
This was my Sunday morning breakfast. I made some roasted breakfast potatoes that were roasted with onion and garlic, seasonings, nooch and also kale. Topped with sliced green onion, sriracha and a tiny amount of ketchup. Something I've learned to really make you  feel like you're not eating on a budget is making sure you have green onion, or fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley on hand to throw on your meal after cooking adds great flavor and a beautiful green appearance to your meal. It makes a really big difference in my opinion. Cilantro and green onions are super cheap this time of year and it's really worth it.

This is my daily smoothie. Strawberries, banana, maca powder and hemp seeds. I also added a small amount of shredded coconut and man was that delicious! Like a strawberry colada!

 These were delicious oven fries with curry and onion powder, salt and pepper dipped in a spicy sauce I made by mixing ketchup and sambal olek. The sauce was so good the potatoes were just the vessel to eat the spicy ketchup. Condiments are one of your best friends when on a budget. It really helps when you can switch things up and get some different flavors going on.
This was my dinner last night. I got iceberg lettuce this week instead of Romaine because it is much cheaper. But I know it's not okay to say, but I have always loved iceberg. I like the crisp texture and the crunch. Also the mellow flavor. My grandparents had a garden, and although I remember other vegetables like tomatoes, and carrots I vividly remember iceberg lettuce and radishes. Those were my grandpas favorite and I loved eating these things with him. We would have iceberg salads and have the radishes whole, dipped in little mounds of salt. And we would always have blue cheese dressing on our salads. So, I walked down memory lane and had an iceberg salad with daiya blue cheeze and wedges seasoned with salt, pepper and Rosemary. Dipped in horseradish mustard. Super delicious and also soul satisfying. So, while these meals might not be super fancy or exciting, they are filling, delicious and healthy. And I'm still getting fresh fruits and veg every day too.
Check out these two loving nap time on the red chair. Joan loves that she can lounge while keeping track of any squirrel or bird shenanigans going on in the tree. And Kanye is just happy to cuddle!






17 comments:

  1. I think I missed the post- but I assume you are digging the blue cheeze?

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    1. I love it so, so much. I used to love a brand, maybe Marzeti? It was sold in a wide mouth jar and was super thick. The daiya reminds me of that. My only complaint is what you had mentioned, it's hard to get out of the bottle. Hopefully they fix that issue.

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    2. Yeah they need wide mouth jars!

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  2. Hey...does this mean it's safe for us iceberg lovers to come out of the closet? I, too, love iceberg lettuce because it reminds me of my grandmother's salads with her oily homemade Italian salad dressing. Yum.

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    1. I say we need to stand in our truth and admit our love for iceberg, food police be damned!
      I had the rest of my iceberg with Italian dressing although not homemade last nigh and it was amazing!

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  3. Your meals look absolutely stunning. Really beautiful budget meals (that look like you paid way more for them!) and lovely pictures. Love the fur babies in their chair! Too cute!

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    1. I definitely feel like I'm pulling out some pretty tasty budget meals!! Thanks!
      They love their new chairs! And I love seeing them so happy!!

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  4. Oh my, I LOVE iceberg! I rarely buy it because, like you said, it's totally not hip to say you like it. But it's not like it's BAD for you. Just maybe less nutrients than romaine or something. But so what?! If it's a vessel for more veggies, seems like a winner of a meal to me! I love it smothered in vegan ranch! Also, I'll have to remember that ketchup-sambal olek dip idea!

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    1. I feel like although iceberg has less nutrients than other greens, it's still really healthy in the summer because it has such a high water content. Like you said, it isn't unhealthy!
      I have a new brand of vegan ranch to try, I'll have to smother some on my next salad!
      The ketchup and sambal olek was such a delicious combo, I was pleasantly surprised!

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  5. What keeps the cats from using the chair as a scratching post? I know mine would.

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    1. Oh, it's totally a scratching post. A different neighbor moved out and I got another chair, and today I got an action shot of Roxy having a field day scratching away!

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  6. Your budget meals look great, as always! That's so nice that you were able to have a nostalgic meal with the iceberg lettuce! Joan & Kanye are such cute cuddlers!

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    1. It was nice having a nostalgic meal! All because of iceberg lettuce!Ha!
      Joan and Kanye are cute cuddlers! It's of course forced by Kanye, Joan prefers having the chair all to herself!

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  7. The colour of the chair is so flattering to kitty photos!
    I love seeing our food, everything always looks so tasty and fresh. And potatoey, which I can never get tired of.
    You smoothie sounds super yum.

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    1. I think so too. They all look beautiful in red!
      Thank you. My food is definitely potatoey! I keep expecting to get sick of them, and it just isn't happening!
      The smoothie was soooooo good!

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  8. Cat hugs and Budget Meals - the perfect post!

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