Plant-Based for Life

We never get tired of quick & crispy potatoes at our house. Minimal prep time, and the end product hits the spot when you're in the mood for fries: https://youtu.be/1nnYvVFjEPc

Quick & Crispy Potatoes 1. Set oven to 425. 2. Cut washed potatoes in half, trimming any bad parts. 3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 4. Arrange the potatoes cut-si...

Instead of formal meal planning, I like to batch cook at random throughout the week. What do I batch cook? Mainly brown rice (in my ), lentils and beans (ditto), potatoes and sweet potatoes (oven or microwave), and broccoli florets and bunches of kale (steamed on stovetop). These are some of our favorite whole-food, plant-based staples.
When we have options like these on hand, it's easy to throw together delicious and filling meals without following recipes. Take this pic of food that was all prepped at different points throughout the week: a couple of whole starches (potatoes, brown rice) + green veggies + a tasty sauce made by combining a 28oz can of plain crushed tomatoes (another favorite staple) with some chickpeas, frozen peas (another one!), and Indian spices.
With time and practice, managing my fridge and pantry has become second nature. And while I still occasionally run out of things, I can't remember the last time I opened my fridge and thought "There's nothing to eat!" I used to think that all the time back in my junk food days. One of the rewards of practicing this lifestyle is that the simplest foods call to you when you haven't planned ahead and need something NOW: a baked potato, an apple, a banana or two, a handful of steamed broccoli stems, a cup of chickpeas, a bowl of thawed corn and peas.
For me, that kind of simplicity is so convenient, and utterly sustainable. Best lifestyle ever!💚

Leftovers lunch pile from earlier today: veggie, bean & sweet potato chili; brown rice; and crispy half-potatoes topped with cilantro and scallions. Seasoned with a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar.
In addition to citrus, I love, love, love using vinegar to enhance the flavor of many dishes instead of relying on added salt, sugar, or fat. Its sweet-tart flavor does the trick for my tastebuds, and the endless variety -- Asian, balsamic, cider, infused, malt, sherry, wine, aged -- means I'll have a lot to explore if my addiction to white balsamic ever wanes 😜

brown rice and refried beans, homemade pico de gallo, steamed baby kale, and corn. Squeezed the juice of 1 lime over it all. Yum!