Weeknight Meals: Vegetarian Tikka Masala

I keep posting photos of myself making this meal on Instagram, but I don't think I've ever formally written out the recipe on the blog. We make this Tikka Masala in the crock pot at least once every two weeks, if not more frequently. It's highly adaptable, so if you have other veggies on hand that you think would work -- use them!

Oh, and I should note that this recipe is made using sauce from Aldi. Here's where you can find all my other Aldi tips, tricks, and recipes.

VEGETARIAN TIKKA MASALA

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 large onion (approx 1 cup), chopped
• 1 large sweet potato (approx 1 to 1.5 cups), chopped*
• 1 to 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 1 jar Tikka Masala sauce from Aldi

* I often use carrots or white potatoes in place of sweet potatoes.

Then just toss everything in your crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours. If you want to get extra fancy, you can make your own paneer, which is an Indian simple cheese you can easily make at home. And your own naan, which is Indian bread to have on the side.

Related

Homemade Almond Milk
Our Go-To Pizza Dough
Homemade Ciabatta Bread
Homemade Muesli
Adventures in Cereal-Making
Homemade Bagels
White + Whole Wheat No Knead Loaf
Three Seed Crackers
Expanding Our Homemade Pantry
Homemade Flax Crackers
Homemade Pancake/Waffle Mix
Awesome Couscous Crackers
My Favorite Hummus
Stephen’s Homemade Pickles
Homemade Applesauce
Red Curry Kimchi

Read more...

Green in 15: No More Paper Towels

I've been meaning to post about our no paper towels system for ages. It's not that it's complicated or fussy. It was laziness on getting a good photo. I figured I need to get over that part and just post about it already! So, here's my latest installment of Green in 15, all about banishing paper towels from your home.

Here you go:

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS

• Basically, we have 25-35 assorted towels. Some are flour sacks, some are nubby bar cloths, some are tea towels, and there are a few stray rags and washcloths in there, too.
• We hung a fabric tote (similar to this one) containing all towels using some hooks in the closet right off the kitchen. I think this space was originally a utility closet, but it's quite small. Our vacuum doesn't fit very well, so I like using it for this purpose.
• Underneath, we have a slim Simple Human Trash Can lined with a diaper pail liner to collect all the dirty rags.
• You take a clean rag, use it up, and when it's dirty -- toss it into the bin. Easy, right? 
• When the bin gets full, we grab the liner and take it downstairs to wash everything. We usually have a good stock of towels to use on wash day (and only do laundry once or twice a week).
• We don't take the time to fold the towels. We simply toss them into the bin. We use the towels for general kitchen cleanup, napkins at dinner, and general cleaning tasks. 
• Though they're all tossed in together, we use the nubbier cloths to do heavy cleaning, the flour sacks for everyday kitchen spills and even helping bread rise (in place of plastic wrap), and the tea towels for napkins. It's not always perfect, but it works.
• To wash, we use our homemade laundry detergent and pour some vinegar into the rinse. They don't smell, though some do have stains from heavy use.

And that's really it!

You may already have towels on hand and some of the other supplies you need to get a system like this going. Mostly it's a matter of finding nooks and crannies to store everything into. You could probably sneak something like this on a smaller scale underneath your kitchen sink or in an unoccupied kitchen cabinet.

Those of you who don't use paper towels, what do your system look like?

// RELATED

Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

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Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning

So, I had this idea the other day. It came out of a conversation I had with a woman at the grocery store when I was buying a gallon jug of vinegar (on sale for $2.50!). She asked: "What in the world are you planning to do with all that vinegar?" And I was like "What CAN'T I do with it?!" I proceeded to list off all my uses, and I think she got a bit freaked out by my enthusiasm.

When people think about making all their cleaning supplies from scratch, it can become overwhelming. It's a lot like cooking everything from scratch. But with a little practice and some smart recipes -- it becomes second nature. We've been using vinegar, baking soda, and some other basic cleansers to do the bulk of our home cleaning for several years now. It takes very little effort to make the switch.

Green in 15 is a new series of sorts I'll be sharing that gives you some activities you can finish in just 15 minutes (or fewer) that will lead you in the right direction. Today, I thought I'd start with the absolute basics: Greening your all-purpose cleaning processes using vinegar. While you're at it, you can also start banishing paper towels with a few tips.

THE SUPPLIES

• Vinegar (approx $3 per gallon, or less)
• Water (free-ish?)
• Isopropol alcohol (got mine at the $1 store)
• Rags (free if you have 'em or $12 for a pack of 24)
• Old spray bottles (free if you have 'em)

COST: Between $4 and $16

THE RECIPES 

#1: All-Purpose Cleaner -- Just fill up half an old spray bottle (you can also buy them on Amazon -- here's a 3-pack of plastic or some nice glass ones) with vinegar and the rest with water and maybe a few essential oil drops. Give a good shake and use for cleaning countertops, tabletops, and -- really -- anywhere else. It's ALL PURPOSE!

#2: Window Cleaner -- I add a bit of alcohol to the all-purpose mix (a few tablespoons works -- I make a smaller spray bottle of it for this purpose) and that helps windows stay streak-free!

#3: Dish Rinse -- I mentioned in our 5 Green Cleaners That Actually Work post that we make our own dishwasher detergent. We fill our rinse basin with plain vinegar mixed with essential oils. Works like a charm and takes two seconds.

#4: Veggie Wash -- If you don't like the Castile Soap Method for cleaning fruits and vegetables, you can make an easy spray wash using around 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar (hmm, sounds a lot like the dilution above -- score for multi-purpose!)

#5: Bathtub Cleaner, Etc. -- I also use full-strength vinegar in our bathroom for most cleaning (tub, tiles, shower surround, sink. For tough jobs, I combine with our natural scouring scrub.

Want more in-depth info? Check out my homesteading post about Cleaning with Vinegar. It includes these recipes plus 10 more uses for your gallon of the stuff.

CLOTH VERSUS PAPER

For most of your cleaning tasks, a good, nubby washcloth or rag will do the heavy lifting. We keep a bin of the clean ones in the kitchen utility closet. We keep a bag of the dirty ones hanging on the door of that closet. Then we wash them every couple days. Keeping around 24 rags is a good number if you're wiping down surfaces regularly. You may find you need more or less depending on the size of your home and your cleaning habits.

Just grab a clean rag and get to cleaning as you normally would.

Oh! Someone had asked me how we deal with occasional cat episodes. We use our rags (we have a few that have been around longer and are dirtier). We just rinse them out well after cleaning the cat mess and clean them with the rest.

I'll be sure to snap some photos and share more about switching from paper to cloth soon. It's dreadfully dark and rainy here today and all my shots are coming out quite depressing.

// RELATED

DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Another recipe! I’ll admit that my reprieve from sickness didn’t last long (maybe 1-1/2 days), but it was long enough for me to make this guy. A no-bake coconut cream peanut butter pie with a black bean chocolate ganache. Sounds so weird, but I assure you it’s delicious.

Also: All the cooking or baking I do lately is the cheater way.

For this dessert, I used a pre-made (gluten-free) graham cracker crust.

No regrets.

NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

*Vegan provided you use dairy-free chocolate.

What you’ll need . . . 

For the filling:

• 1 can coconut cream, just the cream (save liquid)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt

For the ganache:

• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon coconut liquid
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Method . . . 

1. Place the filling ingredients in a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer (or use a stand mixer) until smooth. I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and it was actually quite sweet, so try 1 to start.
2. Pour this mix into your pie crust and refrigerate for half an hour.
3. In a food processor, blend together the black beans with the tablespoon of coconut liquid.
4. Then on your stovetop, melt the coconut oil over low heat and add in the bittersweet chocolate (if you’re using a bar, cut it up into tiny pieces).
5. Add the chocolate to the beans and blend in the processor until smooth.
6. Then gently spread this “ganache” over the peanut butter layer. Then put everything in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up.

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DIY Silhouettes // $10

I’ve been slowly transforming our house through cleaning and decor to make it a calmer place to spend time. After all, this is my home and my office, so I spend a ridiculous number of hours under this roof. We’ve always been clean (wiped down counters, scrubbed toilets, steamed floors) . . . but definitely messy (mountains of clean laundry on the floor, toys everywhere, piles of mail).

With all the stuff we’ve been going through, I’ve found cleaning and decluttering to be this weird therapy of sorts. Like, I’d rather spend a couple hours cleaning than reading or watching TV. I even skipped working out on Thursday last week and cleaned for a couple hours instead. And the other night I took a good half hours to wipe down the washer + dryer that were honestly not left in the best condition from our previous owners over a year ago.

Do you think I’m crazy? Maybe I am.

Our decor is making a shift, too. I want cohesiveness. I want simplicity. Neutrals. Country and rustic to remind me of my hometown. Corner by corner, we’ve been doing little projects to make our home a place that feels really cozy and lovely. But as the fall and holidays seasons are approaching, we’ve stopped any heavy lifting (I so badly want to add beams to our living room!) to focus on the light stuff, like art and textiles.

Here’s a fun DIY art project you can make in a weekend for less than $10. There are lots of tutorials you can find online, but it’s a pretty intuitive process. In fact, my second grade teacher made silhouettes of all my classmates way back in the day by shining light on our heads and tracing the outline with pencil. This is that project, just kicked up a notch + improved with some technology.

Here’s my inspiration:

STEP 1: Take Your Photo

Take a selfie or have someone else take a photo of your profile on a plain background. You can use a wall or even fabric backdrop. Some tutorials I came across even suggested using a window, but I found the light made it tricky to get all the right detail.

STEP 2: Edit + Order

Convert your image to black and white and up the contrast using a photo editing site like Pic Monkey. There’s no right or wrong. You just want to make sure you’re clearly able to outline your features. Oh, I took our photos in square cropping, so I had to overlay them onto a 4x6 backdrop with black so they would print out well. Does that make sense?

Then order prints at a place like Walmart. I got a couple in 4x6 and 5x7 because I wasn’t sure which size I wanted. (And they were super cheap per print, so it wasn’t a big deal to have a couple extras.) For our silhouettes, I ended up using the 5x7 of my photo and Stephen’s. We used the 4x6 of Ada so she’d be a bit smaller.

STEP 3: Cut it Out

You can use sharp scissors or an X-Acto knife, but go slowly! Get the divot where your bangs hit your forehead. Keep that stray piece of hair. Don’t chop off where your glasses hit your nose. Basically, cut as closely to the photo as humanly possible because the more little details you get -- the more it will actually look like you.

STEP 4: Spray It Black 

Again, a lot of tutorials had different instructions for making your silhouettes black (or whatever color you want!). I decided to use some matte spray paint we had hanging around in the basement -- and it was SO EASY this way.

Just a few spritzes, dry time, and they were done with an extremely smooth, flat finish.

STEP 5: Mount on Paper

So, you’ll need frames for this next part. Cut out a piece of paper (I used plain white and some paper bag paper) to the size of your frame. Use a bit of glue and stick the photo onto the paper. You can write your name, the date, or anything else, or just leave it plain.

STEP 6: Frame

Stick your artwork in your frame and admire your project! I love the look of oval frames for silhouettes, but I couldn’t find any for instant gratification. So, I ended up picking up a mixed lot of frames because I want to add to our collection in the future, but I don’t want to be limited by the type of frame so they would all match.

The frames I got were around $7 a piece, the paint was free because we already had it, and the prints were like less than a quarter. So, you can easily do this project for $10 or less, depending on what frames you use.


This isn’t how I plan to have them displayed in the long run (see my inspiration, above!). I want them on the wall, but I want to add a bunch more first. So, I’ve put them on the ledge for the time being. I need to mix in some more dark frames, too. But I’d love to do the cats and maybe some full-length silhouettes. We shall see.

Have you tried this project before? 

Please let me know if you do!

Psst: For more cheap DIY decor, check out the 5-Minute Fall Wreath.

More fall essentials:


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DIY // 5-Minute Fall Wreath

I’ve taken our fall decorating to the extreme this year. Between the Indian corn, decorative gourds, pumpkins, and mums . . . I think we’ve covered. I’ve always had this vision of hanging some indoor wreaths in our living room, so I went to Michael’s yesterday to check out prices.

Whoa, nelly! Even with a 50 percent off promotion, they were like $20 to $35 per wreath. And I need TWO. So, I decided to take a trek and see what I might find to DIY. Here’s what I came up with for just $10 and five minutes of my time!

DIY FALL WREATH

What you’ll need . . . 

• 16 inch grapevine wreath ($4.99)*
• Bundle of blooms ($4.99)
• Chalkboard tag ($1.99)
• Yarn or twine
• Chalk

* ALWAYS take a coupon to stores like Michael’s, A.C. Moore, etc. You can find coupons right on the website. I got 40 percent off the wreath, bringing my project cost to just $10.

Method . . . 

1. First and foremost, there’s no right or wrong way to do this project. 
2. I found that blooms with longer stems worked well because I didn’t need to glue them into place. I just poked the stems through the wreath and tucked in the leftovers. If you don’t like how it looks, take it out and start again. I arranged all the blooms on the bottom of the wreath, but you can do whatever you like.
3. You can also hot glue acorns, pine cones, and other free stuff from nature onto your wreath. Go wild.
4. Then wrap some yarn on the top and loop your tag through a few times to secure.
5. Tie of off in the back and then add another small segment of yarn to create a hanger.
6. Draw something fun on the tag. A heart is really unoriginal, but I like it.
7. And you’re done!

Thanks for weighing in about our painted piano situation. As a musician, I understand some of the concerns with regard to the instrument’s timbre, etc. But honestly? It’s not the best sounding piano, it’s actually got a wood veneer on it versus solid wood, and from what I’m read -- any impact would be minimal. I was going to try chalk paint but have decided to just use chalkboard paint instead (you have to use wax every few months on the chalk paint -- ehhhh).

I’ll be back soon with some thoughts on sibling age gaps and more musings.

More fall essentials:


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Indian Curry in a Hurry

My friend Meg gave me this amazing vegetarian Indian cookbook for my birthday. (For those of you who are interested, it’s Indian Vegetarian Cooking At Your House.) I haven’t cracked the book much yet because we were away last week, but it sparked some major curry cooking in me. We’ve been eating vegetable curry for dinner most every night, and it’s all a variation on this Chickpea Mash recipe from years ago with some tips from the book.

So, I thought I’d give you some tips for how to make this dish work in your house . . . tonight! Well, at least once you gather a few key spices. We make this meal so often, we use whatever we have on hand to make it work. If you only have chickpeas, onions, and potatoes, use ‘em.

And don’t forget the naan (we have many recipes), but I’ll give you an update on that part, too.

VEGETABLE CURRY in a hurry

What you’ll need . . .

• Mince a couple cloves of garlic
• Chop one onion
• Chop one large bell pepper
• Consider adding a cup of broccoli cauliflower, or other veggies 
• Use a can (or 1-1/2 cups) chickpeas*
• Peel and halve 2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Consider adding frozen peas
• Heck, toss in a medium tomato from your garden
• Add spices!
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard or coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• salt + pepper

* I’ve been using frozen chickpeas. If you’d like to start cooking your own beans, follow these instructions. Works great. Freeze big batches for easy cooking.

PS: I know this seems like a lot, but once you get your spices -- a lot of this is stuff we all have on hand for making other healthy meals. Once you get the hang of cooking it, it’s a breeze. Here’s the process. Read through it once, then make it . . . and you’ll want to do it over and over again.


Method . . .

1. Start a pot of water boiling on the stove. You’ll add your potatoes to the water and cook until they are softened. Then remove from water and chop into pieces the size of your onions and peppers.
2. While those are cooking, you’ll heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan (sometimes I use my tagine) and add your mustard or coriander seeds. Honestly, either type tastes good in this dish -- so just use what you have/can find. 
3. Once they start popping, toss in the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
4. Then toss in the rest of your veggies. You’ll want to cook until the onions are translucent. You can add your spices (all of them) at any point. 
5. Then toss in the chickpeas and potatoes. Add a few splashes of water and keep cooking over medium heat until everything starts to cook together. The flavors will mingle, the potatoes will soften even more to make everything come together in an almost-mushy texture.
6. After 10 to 15 minutes of simmering, serve with naan.

5-MINUTE NAAN RECIPE

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegan mayo (!!!)
• Pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add in the water and vegan mayo slowly. You want the mixture to be a nice, soft round, but not sticky. Add more water if it’s too dry or more flour if it’s too wet. 
3. Divide into four pieces, then follow these video instructions to get cooking.

ENJOY!

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Basil Hummus

Now that we have some plants growing in our garden, I’m coming up with ways to incorporate them into our meals. Of course, it will be a while until we see our first tomatoes or cucumbers, but the herbs are already out and proud. Here’s a delicious (and fast) hummus recipe I whipped up for lunch yesterday.

The story with hummus is this: It’s super expensive at the store. Even with the Wegmans family pack or Aldi big tubs, the price is much cheaper when you make it at home. So, this recipe is for a double batch that should last a hungry family all week. The cost was around $2.00 total versus the $6.00 or more you might spend to purchase a similar amount. You could save even more money if you soak and cook chickpeas at home versus buying canned.

(Also: Sorry for the iPhone photo. When I made this, I didn’t have my camera around.)

GARDEN BASIL HUMMUS

What you’ll need . . .

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 1-2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
• dash cayenne (optional)
• salt + pepper to taste
• Water

Method . . .

1. Toss everything in your food processor except the water.
2. Pulse and slowly pour water into the processor to achieve desired consistency.
3. Turn the speed to high and blend until smooth.
4. Feel free to try this with cilantro, chives, or other herbs in your garden.

Note: I don’t provide exact measurements of some ingredients because you want to tinker with the flavors until you reach exactly what you like. I prefer more tahini and garlic powder, while others might like a less intense blend.

Enjoy!

RELATED RECIPES:

Stephen’s Garden Hummus
Spinach + Pea Hummus
Hu-mousse Dessert Hummus
Hummus Melts
Simple Hummus Wrap w/ Arugula

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Cleaning Produce the Natural Way

We all know that a lot of store-bought produce is covered in pesticides and other chemicals. Even organics aren't immune to some nasty stuff, and when foods come straight from the ground -- there's still dirt to contend with. Thankfully, there's an easy solution that costs only pennies. That's right! You don't need those bottles of mass-produced produce wash to eat clean -- quite literally!

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't always give much thought to washing my fruits and vegetables. I used to grab an apple for lunch and then buff it on my shirt sleeve. Now that I have a hungry toddler running around, I certainly have changed my tune. And this process is so simple, it's really become quite automatic.

Note: For greens and berries I follow a different method. I'll be sure to cover that another day.

// STEP 1: SELECT YOUR PRODUCE

I used to think I needed to wash all my produce in bulk before putting everything in the fridge, but I've since read that washing before storage can promote bacterial growth. So, I wash as I use and cook. As far as what: I tend to wash notoriously dirty fruits and veggies more than others. Carrots and parsnips are obvious choices. Potatoes can get quite funky. Apples, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, etc.

You know, the heartier stuff. Oh, and be sure to inspect your foods to look for signs of spoilage -- mold, etc. -- weed out the bad and keep the good.

// STEP 2: SOAK

Make sure your kitchen sink is clean or place a large bowl/basin down and fill it with cold tap water. Toss whatever you wish to wash inside. If I have really dirty fruit and veggies, I also toss in (up to) a quarter cup of vinegar for good measure.

A splash will do for smaller loads.

// STEP 3: SQUIRT CASTILE SOAP

On my list of Castile Soap Uses, I divulged that we use castile in our foaming hand wash dispensers. (It works beautifully!) We also use it to clean veggies, but if a whole bottle isn't nearby, I squirt a few foaming squirt-fuls into my soaking dish and mix around. Then I let the whole thing soak for a few minutes, maybe 5 total.

That's really all it takes to help dissolve the dirt and grime.

// STEP 4: SCRUB TO DRY + USE

I then rinse everything quickly with some fresh water (to get the soap and vinegar off, etc.) and take a damp tea towel and scrub my veggies until they are as clean as I can get them. I sometimes use a toothbrush on potatoes. And just wait till you see what I used these delicious local carrots in -- a yellow split pea soup!

So delicious . . .


Does this look like your produce-washing process?

Have you always taken time to wash your fruits and veggies?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Weeknight Pizza Tricks

As you guys know, one of our weeknight staples is pizza. I'd say we eat pizza at least twice or three times a week. So, I guess you could say somewhere in those 130 or so pies we make at home each year, we've picked up a few tricks.

Here are the top 5 for busy weeknights.

#1. Use Cornmeal

We usually make our pumpkin garlic knots crust or substitute all water for the pumpkin puree, depending on what we have in the pantry. But a trick we picked up over the years is to always roll out our dough with cornmeal. Not only does it help with transferring the dough to the pizza stone (another necessity!), but it always give the crust a nice crunch.

#2. Fold It Up

From there, transferring the dough to the pizza stone is made easy -- even without a pizza peel -- by gently folding the rolled out dough in half and then in half again. We simply place the quarter down on the stone and then unfold and reposition quickly.

#3: Get Saucy 

Since it's not tomato season, I usually cook up some type of homemade sauce using canned tomatoes. On busy weeknights when I just don't have the time, I improvise. My favorite makeshift sauce these days? A mix of half salsa and half barbecue sauce. Certainly has a nice zing to it!

#4. Top Heavily

Along with a generous heap of roasted veggies, we like topping all our homemade pizzas with cold avocado slices. Not only do the vegetables and avocado add lots of good-for-you nutrients, but they also help us justify eating pizza more often. This particular example isn't teeming with as many toppings as we usually enjoy, so if you'd like to see a better example of a loaded pizza, check out this lightened up recipe.

#5. Garnish Wisely

And with all those toppings, you need more sauce. We always have a bottle of hot sauce nearby, whether it's standard Frank's Red Hot (have you guys tried our Vegan Tofu Wings?) or spicy Sriracha.  I also like ranch dressing or even a quick side of this 5-minute tomato sauce.

// MORE TIPS + RECIPES

Brie-Stuffed Pumpkin Garlic Rolls
Pumpkin Deep Dish Pizza
Pesto Pizza Dough
Veggie-Topped Pizza, Lightened Up
Cornmeal + Flax GF Pizza Crust
Pumpkin Pesto Rolls

Pesto Garlic Knots
Ring-O-Fire Garlic Knots
Baked Flatbread w/ Sweet Onions, Collards, and Brie
Garbanzo Garlic Knots
Chickpea-Carrot Pizza Crust*
Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza
Veggie Stromboli
Pizza Rustica
BEETza Pizza
Pumpkin Garlic Knots
Gluten-Free Pizza Experiment
Deep Dish Veggie Tart/Pizza
Grilled Pizza Basics

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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6 Quick + Easy Vegetarian Weeknight Dinners

I've been meaning to share more recipes, but actually haven't been making anything remarkable to share. We've packed away at lot of our kitchen to "stage" our house for sale (whenever that happens), we've been in/out depending on evening showings, and I've also lost the charger to my Nikon, making good photos almost impossible to capture.

So, I thought instead I'd give you guys 6 of our current favorite meals that get us through the busy weeknights. These dishes earn points for being relatively inexpensive, quick to prepare, and a breeze to clean.

#1. EGGS + TOAST

Breakfast for dinner is actually one of my all-time favorite meals. I fry up a few eggs in coconut oil, toast some thick slices of bread, and spread with mashed avocado. We can go quite overboard, often making our own sweet potato hash browns, adding salsa, and using whatever else we have on hand to bulk up this simple meal.

#2. FREEZER STIR-FRY

If we're really pressed for time, we cube up + fry some tofu and then toss it with whatever veggies we have in the freezer (we have a few Asian mixes we bought in the winter at Wegmans). Sort of like my Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry, just easier. Sometimes we'll just mix together some sesame oil and soy sauce for flavor. Other times, I'll make a simple peanut sauce or red curry or green curry to accompany.

#3. VEGGIE-TOPPED PIZZA

If we know we're going to be busy on any given night, I'll try to think ahead and mix together a pizza dough. I roast vegetables at the beginning of each week -- so all that's left to do is bake the pizza with the veggies, cheese, and canned tomato sauce on top. It takes 20 minutes tops.

#4. PASTA

I think I've covered before that I actually sort of hate pasta, but wow is it convenient and fast. I like easy dishes, like this $5 Family Meal. And now that I've discovered that delicious Pesto + Avocado Sauce, I don't mind eating noodles so much anymore. Oh, and I also tend to top my pasta with eggs. I am freaking obsessed with eggs.

#5. VEGGIE BURGERS

Thank goodness I was so into freezer cooking last fall and into the winter. We have quite a stock of veggie burgers in our freezer that cook up in a flash. Our most recent creations include these delicious (gluten-free) Zucchini Burgers and these nutrient-dense Lentil + Quinoa Burgers. If you'd like more ideas, head over to our burger/sandwich recipes.

#6. QUESADILLAS

On Cinco De Mayo, I was figured I got a free pass for skipping Mexican food because we've eaten our Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas, like, 20 times in the past month. We definitely had our fill, so this item won't be on our tables soon again . . . but it has certainly served us well (and for such little money!).

// RELATED

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Roasted Carrot Soup + White Miso

I've been digging simple soups and dishes recently for a variety of reasons. They are usually inexpensive. They typically mix together quickly and require little effort. They don't make for much cleanup either. And simple foods can be super flavorful -- just take this carrot soup, for example.

5 core ingredients = dynamite.

ROASTED CARROT SOUP with WHITE MISO
Vegan. Makes 4-6 servings.

What you'll need . . . 

• 8-9 large carrots, scrubbed + chopped
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 32 ounces vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup white miso

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Chop your carrots and onions and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and spindle with salt and pepper. Then roast for 20 minutes, toss, and roast another 20-30 minutes -- until browned and soft.
3. Place roasted veggies in a blender along with the veggie stock and miso. Pulse until well incorporated (but I left mine a bit chunky). 
4. Return to stove and heat until carrots have fully softened, if necessary/desired. Season more with salt and pepper to taste.

I added the miso in this recipe for flavor, as you guys taught me (via the Sweet Potato + Broccoli Miso Soup) the nutritional benefits can be lost with over-cooking. So, if you're into this recipe for the healthy miso stuff, you may wish to add it once the soup has cooled a bit. And actually, I tried the soup cold, and it's quite good that way.

You may also remember our Carrot Soup with a Kick recipe. It's one of my favorites and DEFINITELY similar to this one, but isn't roasted + has lots of spices at play. However you eat 'em, carrots are a great food to add to your diet.

// COMING UP

Another tasty carrot recipe headed your way this week! It's sort of like these healthy Carrot Brownie Bites meet these Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies. And they have a protein-rich, vegan baby.

Hope you all great a great weekend! Thanks again for all your help with our $550 kitchen refresh. Our open house went well -- but still no offers. We'll see what happens this week, but we're glad we did it now versus waiting much longer.

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Sunday Meal Prep Ideas

Like many of you, I like to do a load of meal-prep on Sunday afternoons. Since I've been doing so many grocery posts, I thought it'd be helpful to show you the sorts of make-ahead items I'm creating these days specifically.

Many of them utilize all Aldi ingredients and some require additional foods (chickpeas, quinoa, herbal tea, canned pumpkin, etc.).

Here we go!

// HARDBOILED EGGS

We always make a dozen hardboiled eggs to split between the two of us all week (Ada doesn't like them at all!). I mostly just eat them plain, but sometimes we'll mix them into Avocado Egg Salad or Mayo-Less Egg Salad. Other times I'll slice in half and make quick deviled eggs with lots of smoky paprika.


// MINIMALIST CHICKPEA SPREAD

This word combo sounds like the equivalent of "conscious uncoupling" just for tahini-free hummus. I don't think I've ever shared my go-to hummus recipe on the blog. Combine 1 can drained chickpeas, around 1/4+ cup water, a teaspoon of spice (I like paprika or even curry!), a clove of garlic, pinch of salt, and that's it. Use for snacking + veggies, sandwiches (Hummus Melts!), etc.


// SLOW COOKER SOUP

Are you getting tired of this one yet? Not me. It's getting warmer, but I'm still a crockpot fiend. If you haven't seen all my tips yet, here's 10 tips for how to make the perfect slow cooker soup with whatever you happen to have on hand, every single freakin' time.


// ROASTED VEGGIES

Whether it's carrots, broccoli, onions, zucchini, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, or whatever else -- just chop up a pan-full of them and roast until browned. Then keep in your fridge to us in Veggie Burgers, Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas, delicious soups, and even as a simple side to other dinners.


// QUICK BREAD OR MUFFINS

Breakfast prep can be just as helpful as the work is for lunch and dinner. Usually I don't go too overboard with my morning meal, but a nice Banana Bread (Nutella Banana Bread!) or Zesty Orange-Ricotta Muffin does the trick every time! And if you'd like to use up your juice pulp -- try these One Bowl Juice Pulp Muffins, simple and delicious for the week!



// RICE OR QUINOA

During the week it can be a pain to make a grain to go along with dinner. So, we like to make a large batch on the weekend and refrigerate + reheat for mid-week enjoyment. I like brown rice and quinoa best, but I think making ahead works alright with most like-ingredients. Particularly helpful if you enjoy making veggie burgers and need to toss in a grain.


// PESTO

Seriously. You will be happy you took time to pulse together this simple, satisfying spread. I have tons of easy recipes -- and most of them don't require any fuss. Just use raw greens!

Pesto + Avocado Sauce (Video)
Pumpkin Pesto Rolls
Garlic Scape + Swiss Chard Pesto, 2 Ways
Steamed Pesto Dumplings
Pesto Pizza Dough
Baby Kale Pesto
Walnut Basil Pesto
Basil-Pesto French Toast
Pesto French Toast, II -- with Avocado Butter
Pesto Quiche with Oatmeal Crust
Pesto Garlic Knots
Pesto Portabella Sandwiches
(Pesto) Smothered Mother


// HERBAL TEA

I like drinking cool tea (not iced), so I'll often steep a few bags of my favorite fruity variety over the weekend and pour into a pitcher to cool in the fridge. A nicer option for a zero calorie flavored beverage than all those weird water squirts I keep seeing at different grocery stores. I usually make a pot with around 4-6 bags and go from there.


// PIZZA DOUGH

It's on the menu every week: pizza or garlic knots. Our go-to recipe continues to be the Pumpkin Pizza Dough we made way back when. But sometimes we substitute in other pureed vegetables (beets, cauliflower, carrots, etc.) and just adjust the liquid level depending on the consistency of the dough. I find that pizza dough turns out better if it's given a full night to rise and then refrigerated. Could just be my preferences, but who knows!


What's on your weekly meal-prep list these days?



And don't miss our 90 healthiest recipes of 2013! Lots of delicious, wholesome foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beyond. Includes both vegan and vegetarian recipes to please the entire family -- even toddlers!




Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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