Summer is such a happy time, especially during this strange time in the world. This summer also seems to be especially HOT so far – so you’re not going to be wanting to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking while appliances are heating up the room.
That’s why today I’m bringing you meals that are prefer for summer – they require minimal appliance use and also are quick to whip together!
- SALADS GALORE – nothing says summer like a fresh and crisp salad. Explore multiple flavour and topping combos and enjoy this heat-free meal!
- FREEZER MEALS – we love a good batch cook but sometimes we don’t want to eat it all that week! So we’ve been building up a freezer stash of meals, that will work perfectly for a week when we don’t have time to cook.
- MAKE AHEAD MEALS – what is easier than combing in ingredients and then throwing it in the fridge? That’s exactly what I do for overnight oats – fantastic!
- SHEET PAN MEALS – all you have to do is chop the food and place on a baking sheet..and in the oven we go! What is easier?
- BLENDER JUICES/SMOOTHIES – stay hydrated and nourished my friends! I blend these up in batches and they stay good for at least 3 days.
- FUN FOODS – there are always room for those fun foods! They should be apart of your every week
Let me know which of these recipes that you’d like to try!
Sweet Potato Lentil Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb white potatoes
- 1 lb sweet potatoes
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 2 cups frozen veggies
- 2 cups canned lentils drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425 degrees F.
- Peel and slice any large potatoes in half. Place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
- Once cooked, drain and then return to pot. Mash with a potato masher and add vegan butter. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Once heated, add onion and garlic, until slightly browned (about 5 minutes).
- Once browned, add frozen veggies, along with 1/4 cup of water or veggie broth to saucepan. Heat until veggies are unfrozen. Add cooked lentils and thyme to saucepan for for 1-2minutes, until flavours meld. Mash slightly with a potato masher to thicken.
- Transfer veggie and lentil mixture to lightly-greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with potato mash.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Broil on high for an addition 5 minutes, or until potatoes are browned.
- Let cool before serving.
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Baked Vegan Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 red pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups edamame
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 block vegan feta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz pasta dried
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F, then in a large baking dish, add in your cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, edamame, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tsp of olive oil and toss to combine.
- Make a well in the center of your baking dish and add in your vegan feta. Top the vegan feta with the dry basil, oregano and the remaining olive oil, then place in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until tomatoes are blistered and juicy.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
- Once the veggies and hummus are cooked, carefully with a fork mash your tomatoes and garlic to fully release all of their juices, then mix into the hummus to get a thicker sauce. Mix in cooked pasta and enjoy.
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Green Juice
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 mango frozen
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour and enjoy!
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Strawberry Coconut Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt plant-based or Greek
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!
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BBQ Tofu Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Pre-made salad kit divided into two
- 8 oz tofu
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into cubes. Place them evenly on a flat surface such as a cutting board lined with paper towels or a clean towel. Cover with a layer of paper towels, set a baking sheet on top and then something heavy, like a large book or cast iron skillet. Press like this for 15 minutes.
- While the tofu is pressing, follow divide the salad kit between two containers.
- In a medium-sized metal bowl, combine the cornstarch, oil and BBQ sauce. Toss the pressed tofu cubes into it. You can either pan-fry these over medium heat for 10 minutes or cook them in the air fryer for ~ 13 minutes, at 390 F.
- Combine the cooked tofu with salad kit. Enjoy!
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