Pip

The perfect packed lunch:  A delicious raw salad, filled with tomatoes, chickpeas, rocket, olives, cucumbers and hummus. Above is Kale and noodles and onion. 

spaghetti aglio e olio

easiest pasta no-recipe recipe on earth:

Recipe:

This is my recipe for Ratatouille Pasta that’s bomb as hell and I eat it by the bucket load. It takes about 30 mins.

Ingredients: •Pasta •Bunch of cherry tomatoes •Zucchini and/or Eggplant •Bell pepper •Onion •Dried Mixed herbs •Balsamic vinegar/whatever vinegar you have on hand •Garlic in whatever form •Salt •Pepper •Oil

Optional: •Chilli/red pepper flakes if you want heat •Fresh herbs if you have them like thyme, oregano, basil •Parmesan or Yeast Flakes to make it vegan

Method: 1. Oven goes on at 220C/425F

2. Toss cherry tomatoes with a couple tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper and stick in the oven in a small dish

3. Chop up zucchini, eggplant, peppers and onion into cubes and toss with ¼ cup oil, 2 tsb vinegar, a couple cloves of garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and chilli if you want. I like my flavours hella strong so I go overboard always. Chuck in the oven on a tray, single layered

4. Cook up some pasta & save a little cup of pasta water

5. Toss the vegetables after 20 mins and put them back in for another 10-15 until they’re golden and delicious looking

6. Pour cherry tomatoes which should be all blistered and juicy and beautiful into drained pasta, and add a dash of pasta water to create a sauce. Add roasted vegetables and toss.

BAGEL BURGER!!!!!! HOLY SHET!!!

vegan pad thai w/ fresh bean sprouts, lime, and scallions

Recipe:

Bibim guksu (korean spicy noodles)

so I do shopping for a house of 4, and one of the people I live with has type 2 diabetes. So I thought I’d share the types of things I get that are both healthy and cost effective.

Breakfast

Instant oatmeal (we buy sugar free brown sugar flavor, but you can also just buy a big tin of instant oatmeal and add stevia or sugar free maple syrup and cinnamon+allspice)

Bananas (good to add in oatmeal)

Cereal and a milk alternative (most cereals besides kellogs are vegan, try to find a cereal and milk that’s fortified with b12)

French toast (mash a banana with either 3/4c milk alternative or the juice from a can of chickpeas, then add a tsp vanilla, 1-2tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp allspice. dip bread in mixture on both sides and then fry in a pan with 1 tbsp butter/coconut oil/nonstick spray on high heat and fry till desired on both sides. makes about 6 slices and is super good topped with syrup!)

Tofu scramble with toast (to make tofu scramble add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and break up the tofu in a skillet with a fork and heat it up) goes great with a side of baked beans too

Lunch

sweet potato and beans (microwave sweet potato 6-9 minutes depending on size, rinse beans and microwave for 1-2 minutes and then season both the beans and sweet potato however you like!)

chickpea salad sandwich (microwave 1/2c chickpeas for about 25 seconds, then mash them with a fork and add 1 tbsp hummus, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, parsley all to taste and 1-2tsp spicy brown mustard) tomato slices are a good addition

Veggie hummus wrap (buy cauliflower and broccoli by the head, it’s cheaper. Spread hummus on a tortilla. Chop up cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots(or veggies of choice) and assemble the wrap)

Dinner

Burritos (microwave instant brown rice to instructions, then add hummus and salsa. microwave beans and season as desired. assemble burrito with rice, lettuce, beans, and guacamole(optional). It’s even better if you turn a skillet on high and grill the tortilla first and assemble the burrito in the skillet, then slide it onto a plate once it’s nice and browned on the outside and wrap it up! Takes maybe 2 minutes extra to do this but it’s so worth it)

Curried veggies with rice (I just microwave frozen veggies and then add them to whatever curry I’m making. Walmart carries a “golden curry” that comes in a shiny box and dissolves in water to make a thick curry sauce. But there are tons of other options for curry sauce out there!)

Soups like progresso (their tomato basil soup, garden vegetable, lentil soup are vegan just double check the labels!) Campbell’s condensed tomato soup is also vegan. It’s also really good to add some cooked rice to tomato soup!

Snacks

Cauliflower/fresh veggies or rice cakes with hummus

Popcorn (tons of “buttery” microwave popcorns are vegan. But you can also buy a jar of popcorn kernels, paper bags, and add 1c of kernels with a tiny bit of olive oil to it and fold the top of the bag so it doesn’t open and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until kernels have mostly stopped popping, then add salt and/or nutritional yeast!)

Canned fruit or fresh fruit that’s in season/on sale

Apples or oranges (buy them by the bag)

I’m sure there’s things I’m missing and I know this list isn’t super extensive but this is what we’ve been keeping in the house recently for dietary reasons while also being concious of our low budget. I’ll add more if I think of anything but feel free to ask questions or add to this list!

Vitamins:  - B1 (Thiamine)  - B12 (Cobalamin)  - B2 (Riboflavin)  - B3 (Niacin)  - B5 (Pantothenic Acid)  - B6 (Pyridoxine)  - B7 (Biotin)  - Folate  - Vitamin A  - Vitamin C  - Vitamin D  - Vitamin E  - Vitamin K

Minerals:  - Calcium  - Copper  - Iron  - Magnesium  - Manganese  - Phosphorus  - Potassium  - Selenium  - Sodium  - Zinc

B1: Maintains healthy hair, nails and skin and aids in mental focus and brain function. -Nutritional yeast, pine nuts, soymilk, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, green peas, asparagus, most beans, rice bran, watermelon, whole grains, macadamia nuts, artichokes, coriander.

B12: Red blood cell production, needed for optimal brain function to prevent depression and mania. Aids in digestion and improves iron uptake. -Fortified almond milk, fortified cereals, spirulina, vegan protein powder and nutritional yeast. I just take a B12 tablet J B2: Converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails and skin. Aids in mental focus and brain function. -Whole grains, almonds, sesame seeds, spinach, fortified soy milk, mushrooms, quinoa, buckwheat and prunes. B3: Converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails and skin. Aids in mental focus and brain function. ­-Chili powder, peanuts, peanut butter, rice bran, mushrooms, barley, potatoes, tomatoes, millet, chia seeds, whole grains, wild rice, buckwheat, green peas, avocados, and sunflower seeds. B5: Converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails and skin. Aids in mental focus and brain function. -Nutritional yeast, paprika, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, tomatoes, soy milk, rice bran and sweet potatoes. B6: Aids in maintaining homeostasis, prevents anxiety by helping the amino acid tryptophan to convert to niacin and serotonin for healthy nerve function. Also helps ensure a healthy sleep cycle, appetite, and mood. Helps with red blood cell production and immune function. - Almonds, chia seeds, peanuts, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, onions, oats, tomatoes, carrots and walnuts.

 B7: Converts food to energy, helps reduce blood sugar by synthesizing glucose, helps make and break down fatty acids needed for healthy hair, skin and nails. - Almonds, chia seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, sweet potatoes, oats, onions, tomatoes, carrots and walnuts. 

Folate: Merges with B12 and Vitamin C to utilize proteins and is essential for healthy brain development and for healthy red blood cell formation. - Spinach, beans, lentils, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, avocados, mangoes, oranges, whole grains, basil, peanuts, artichokes, peanut butter, cantaloupe, walnuts, flax seeds, sesame seeds, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, peas, celery, hazelnuts, and chestnuts. Vitamin A: Keeps skin healthy, improves immune system function and aids in the production of healthy blood and cellular function. - All leafy greens, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, winter squash, wheatgrass, grapefruit, cantaloupe, red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, and goji berries. Vitamin C: Helps fight inflammation, improves your mood, and helps fight off diseases and colds. Beneficial for skin, hair and nails and supports natural collagen function in the body. - All leafy greens, all vegetables, all fruits, chestnuts, goji berries. Oranges, lemons, limes and fortified orange juice are the best sources.

Vitamin D: Helps with bone health, digestive health, overall metabolic health, and important in preventing muscle weakness, cancer and depression. - All types of mushrooms, fortified cereals, almond milk, soy milk and the sun!!

Vitamin E: Protects your skin, fights the look of aging. It’s a powerful fat soluble antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes against damaged caused by free radicals. Helps with cholesterol. - All nuts, all seeds, avocado, spinach, rice bran, wheat germ, whole grains, broccoli, mango, tomatoes, kiwi fruit, swiss chard, olives, mustard greens and asparagus.

Vitamin K: Helps with blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding. Also helps prevent blood clots. Important for protecting our bones and prevents easy breaks and fractures. -Kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, parsley, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, blueberries, prunes, grapes and raspberries. Calcium: For bone building, as well as responsible for proper muscle contraction, maintenance of the heartbeat and transmission of nerve impulses. -Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, kale, sweet potato, chickpeas (hummus), lentils, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, fortified almond milk, fortified soy milk, whole wheat, fortified orange juice, orange and raisins.

Copper: Helps with bone and connective tissue production. Also helps produce melanin. Without it you can cause osteoporosis, joint pain, lowered immunity and helps absorb iron. -Kale, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sesame seeds, chickpeas, prunes, avocado, and tofu. Iron: Needed to make proteins, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin in the blood. It helps carry oxygen from our lungs to our tissues. Iron rich foods should be eaten with foods high in Vitamin C to help with absorption. -Molasses, dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, tofu, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.

 Magnesium: Important nutrient for a host of regular enzymatic functions throughout your body. Helps with energy, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, lack of energy and fatigue, joint pain, low blood sugar, lack of concentration and PMS.  -Oats, almonds, cashews, cocoa and cacao, seeds, all leafy greens, bananas, sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans and brown rice.

Manganese: Required by the body for proper enzyme functioning, nutrient absorption, wound healing and bone development. -Hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sesame and flax seeds, whole wheat bread, tofu and beans. Phosphorus: Required for proper cell functioning, regulation of calcium, strong bones and teeth, making of ATP, and helps with anemia, muscle pain, bone formation and weakened immune system. -Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts, tofu, beans and lentils.

Potassium: Important mineral for the proper function of all cells, tissues and organs in the human body. Helps with your nervous system and shin splints or locked toes. -Lima beans, swiss chard, sweet potato, potatoes, soy milk, spinach, avocado, lentils, pinto beans and coconut water.

Selenium: Mineral that is needed in small amounts by the body to help regulate the thyroid hormones and support a healthy immune system. It is also an antioxidant that protects cells from damage due to free radicals. -Mushrooms, couscous, whole wheat pasta, rice, oats, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tofu and beans.