Fruits & Veggies Monday {Bowls, Bowls and More Vegan Bowls!}
Of course it wouldn't be a Monday without joining in on @lenasveganliving's #fruitsandveggiesmonday challenge! Last week was a little crazy with things going down for the day on here, so hopefully today Lena will have all of the usual folks back in action to celebrate all the beautiful fruits and veggies around the world.
Since I was in the hot seat last week as guest judge, I didn't get a chance to share all of my bowls of goodness from my meal prep. I would hate for you to miss out on all of the yummy stuff I whipped up, so I hope you don't mind some leftovers. I think just about everything I made last week was served up in a bowl. That is never a problem for me as it makes it that much easier to dig right in for the perfect bite.
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That last weekend was also fairly busy, so I decided not to worry about trying to come up with and document any new recipes and instead opted for a few re-makes of some of my favorite ones I have shared before or popped open one of my many cookbooks. Sunday started out with @dksart's birthday and a meal fit for his tastes. He enjoys Tex-Mex and had requested homemade re-fried beans some time in the last month. I found a recipe for a vegan version from Jill Nussinow's "Vegan Under Pressure" cookbook that turned out truly fantastic. The final meal was a bowl of the black beans from her cookbook, quinoa cooked with spices, sauteed fajita-style veggies, and of course some greens for good measure. One of my choices for that week was more garden cress from the hydroponic stand since it is spicy and vibrant.
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It was a pretty simple meal to toss together, but the pressure cooker really imparts such deep flavor to the beans. I will absolutely be making them again. The texture may not look that appealing, but we can both attest to them being the perfect accompaniment to any meal like this. It was almost like warm and cozy hummus, haha!
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For dessert I pulled back out one of my first recipes that I shared, a vegan and sugar-free apple crumble with date caramel. Apples are back in season here, so it is the perfect time for this treat. Although it is super healthy, it still makes for a delicious dessert. @dksart doesn't love overly sweet treats either so dates make the perfect natural sweetener.
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I also pulled out another standard bowl that I make variations of all the time. This week was just roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, and lima beans over mustard greens. The dressing was a sunflower seed butter based one with garlic, ginger, and organic rice wine vinegar (another staple). The sweet potatoes were cooked with Chinese Five Spice for some extra flavor.
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I'll finish out with another meal from my archives that is hitting the spot on my menu this week as we transition into fall--butternut squash and cauliflower soup with a variation of my black bean flour muffins. Since pumpkin-everything is happening all around the USA, I added plain canned pumpkin to my muffins for a little moisture. They came out great! A perfect compliment to my soup.
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@dksart helped me out this week with the Saturday farmers market trip to get my goodies for meals since I had a 5k in another part of town. I still had the butternut squash from a few weeks ago, but it was nice to get the cauliflower fresh.
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It is always fun to start working with different seasonal produce as the weather starts to change. Though I am sure in a few months I will be missing all of the summer bounty! A happy and healthy week to you all!
Happy Birthday @dksart all the best!!! Looks like you guys celebrated with super delicious feast. Everything looks fantastic Katie; that pressure cooker is truly a marvelous helper 🍒 🍌🍑🌿🍍🍓🍇
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Thanks Lena!! Nothing but the best for our loved ones, right? If we want them sticking around for many more birthdays we have to keep them well fed. I'm just glad I can do that with a very tasty meal!
that looks fantastic, i get hungry!
Can't make it through a Monday without drooling, right? Always so much yumminess being shared for the contest! :)
yes, you are so right 🤤
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful Tex-Mex birthday! I'm sure @dksart was so pleased with his birthday dinner! Love, love the black beans and the fajita veggies Beautiful meal! Can't believe its pumpkin time! Great use of fall veggies and fruit!
I think he enjoyed it! The beans were even better as the week went on, so he had plenty of leftovers to savor. :)
It's pumpkin everything now, right?? I don't get behind all of the processed pumpkin junk, but I will happily toss actual pumpkin in a lot of places. Might just make a smoothie here soon... ;)
Yum 😋. Your menu looks like a winner from here! I love how you cook seasonally appropriate dishes- farmers market everything! That Apple crumble with date caramel looks ridiculous too!
I must have missed your 5k post this weekend! I thumb through and find it now. I hope you hit your goal and I’m sure you did great @plantstoplanks :)
Thanks! I have definitely gotten a lot better about cooking seasonally. All the produce from the market has just been so good that it makes it that much easier. I've been breaking out the slow cooker and pressure cooker now even more with soup and chili season right around the corner. :)
Oh I can’t way to get a slow cooker and pressure cooker. Right now I make chili’s in my old red pot and simmer for daaayyys! Hah.… I make a smoothie every morning before my run and I’ve lately been making them from the seasonally acquired produce I get from the farmers market. I figure nobody should be eating blueberries all year long. :)
I do love my kitchen toys! The slow cooker is one I use very often, but I am really trying to break out the pressure cooker more. :)
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Fruits and vege... my favourite
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So many to love, right? :)
Yea.. a lot of varieties🤤🤤
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Your bowls of goodness are mouth-watering! I love to throw everything in bowl like this! Just perfect and super healthy eating.
Glad you like my choices for the week! Yummy bowls are the best. You can make them as fancy or as simple as you like and still end up with a satisfying meal. :)
Your dishes are so hearty, just reading your post and looking at those yummy s nourishes me! All my support and love
Aww, I'm always happy to share a bowl! Glad you are able to comment again and share your kind words! :)
Delicious!! :)