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Can you believe that I have been a devout vegetarian (for over 5 years!); yet I still cook enormous Brazilian style churrasco, meat dishes, for my carnivorous loved ones?
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and constantly strive to use healthier ingredients, filled with better nutrients to fuel my body.
I’ve experienced many benefits in my overall health since eliminating animals from my diet! In the past, I'd have a hard time digesting meat heavy meals. 🤢
But now, that super full feeling is nonexistent! 💪🏽
I’ve also noticed my digestive system works much better, I feel so much healthier!
I love it!
Another benefit is I'm now eating with intention. Each day I need to consider what I can eat that will fit into my diet. The additional thought process in my daily routines has forced me to continually make better decisions at every meal, and that makes choosing healthier options easier.
We live by the 80/20 rule; meaning we eat healthy 80% of the time, and on the weekends, we usually go out and eat whatever we want. Because of our busy lives I choose recipes I can make quickly or in a batch that I can freeze for later.
I have picked four of my favorite vegetarian dishes, that we live by in my home, to share with you. 😁
Spicy Garlic Edamame
Add a little Brazilian spice to a traditional Asian snack!
Great when I need a fast snack or whenever I’m craving an appetizer, this edamame receipt is a much healthier alternative.
Most people just like to sprinkle salt on this soybean snack, but when combined with the right seasoning, my spicy twist on this savory treat will satisfy your cravings for a delicious light fare.
Instructions:
Boil 14-ounce of edamame in a pot of water for about 10 minutes. You can also buy the one’s where you can just follow the instructions and pop them in the microwave.
Once boiled, rinse thoroughly to get rid of any excess water.
In a skillet turned on medium heat, pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and mix for about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the garlic.
Add all the remaining seasoning and mix for another minute.
Add the scallion, turn the heat off, and mix a few more times.
Dump all the edamame into the skillet and make sure it's nice and hot when served!
Ingredients:
14-ounce edamame
5 pieces of garlic smashed
4 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon (I like Knorr) if you are a vegetarian that don’t eat chicken stock you can substitute this and sprinkle a little more salt
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon of re crushed pepper
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
A handful of scallions
Garlic Green Beans
Great as a side to any meal, especially Thanksgiving!
This green bean recipe is so tasty and delicious. It's healthy, and super crunchy!
Instructions:
Boil green beans in a pot of water for about 10 minutes or until tender, drain.
In a separate pan bring the olive oil to medium heat and toss in the almonds, cooking until brown.
Toss in the garlic and cook for about two minutes, mixing all the seasoning.
If you are cooking with bacon, mix in the bacon and then add the green beans.
Mix well and serve.
For half bacon batches, I like waiting until the last step to separate the receipt and add bacon.
Ingredients:
24 ounces of organic green beans
5 pieces of garlic smashed
1 cup sliced almonds
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
half teaspoon of black pepper
half teaspoon of garlic powder
Bacon (optional)
If your full batch includes bacon, I would substitute the bacon fat instead of the olive oil to cook the almonds.
This adds additional flavor for the meat eaters in the family. 😉
Check out our Garlic Green Beans recipe (Reel)
Vegetarian Chili
Dre’s favorite. Scrumptious and easy to make!
This makes about ten servings and it's easy to freeze the excess for meal prep if you don’t have 10 hungry loved ones to feed.
You can add as many veggies as you like, it is up to you how hardy and colorful you’d like your chili to be. 🤤
I usually use between 2-3 cups. If you like peppers you can also add them to this recipe, however, I prefer not to.
For the meat eaters, you can add turkey or beef. I usually cook it on the side and my family can add to the vegetable base chili as they wish.
Instructions:
In a large pan, add the olive oil and on high heat, mix in onions. Cook for about two minutes.
Add in the celery, carrots and corn, then the tomatoes, beans. Mix well.
Add the can of beer and water as desired. I usually start with 3-4 cups of water and add more for consistency as needed.
Add all the seasoning; garlic, tomato paste and jalapenos (feel free to remove some of the jalapeno seeds if you want less spicy).
Mix well and lower the temperature to medium.
Cook for 1 hour and then lower the temperature to low and let it sit for another hour. Allowing it to cook for about two hours really enhances the flavors or you can use a crockpot.
I usually prepare it and then let it cook while I work. 😁
Ingredients:
1 can of original Rotel tomatoes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
I packet of original chili seasoning
2 cans of black beans rinsed and drained
2 cans of kidney beans rinsed and drained
2 cans of pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 fresh jalapenos
Half of a large red onion
1 yellow onion
3-4 stalks of celery
Small can of corn
2-3 cups of carrots cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
½ teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of garlic salt
5 pieces of garlic smashed
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
¼ teaspoon of salt or as much as you desire for your taste
1/4 teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon (I like Knorr) if you are a vegetarian that don’t eat chicken stock you can substitute this and add vegetable stock
1 can of beer
I also always have scallions, cheese, sour cream and BBQ sauce for toppings.
I know I said BBQ sauce as Dre loves that on his chili and it surprisingly enhances the flavor for those who like a little sweet with their spice.
He puts it on the top. 🤷🏽♀️
Ramen
Kylie loves making this. It’s so easy and yummy!
This is our guilty pleasure. We usually whip it up when we are out of leftovers.
We like to load it up with veggies, but you can add any ingredients you want.
You can make it as healthy, or not, as you’d like!
👼🏽😈
Instructions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add ramen, cooking for 4 minutes.
Now, there are two options: You can drain the water to make noodles, or leave the water to make it a soup.
In a separate bowl, add the oil, garlic, seasonings and any veggies you are using.
Ingredients:
2 packets (2.08 oz) of ramen (I use Millet & Brown or Ocean’s Halo)
2 teaspoons of sesame or olive oil
3 pieces of garlic smashed
A pinch of red pepper flakes
A pinch of salt and pepper or chicken flavor bouillon (I like Knorr) and pepper to taste if needed
A pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon of sriracha
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
Veggies (optional)
Sprinkle sesame seeds
We like either boiling or frying an egg and adding it to the ramen. Enjoy!
Check out our Ramen recipe REEL by Kylie!
Whenever possible, I always cook quick easy meals or have leftovers in the fridge. This helps us to not eat out during the week and makes it so much easier to be healthier!
And the money we save we can use for the next Adventures we want to take 😉
Our Dope Life Continues...
Social | Useful Links:
Garlic Green Beans recipe REEL
Ramen recipe video recipe REEL
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