A little bowl of warm, goodness goes a long way
What’s cookin’? We’ve stocked the fridge and have been minimizing trips to the store, but the need for comfort food is real. We’ve been trying to balance the craving for comfort foods and the need for healthy eats to keep us in a positive and energized state of mind.
It’s a great time to fire up the stove, or turn on the air fryer, and try some new recipes. Below are a few, easy recipes to add to the mix over the next few weeks.
Crispy Brussels Bowl
CaCera creates a steaming bowl of goodness.
A trip into Sprouts for some strawberry licorice actually became a great chance to remix a recipe I saw online. Here’s a weird confession, In my craving for Australian strawberry licorice, I’d also been craving Brussels sprouts and wanted to see how they would turn out in my air fryer. Yes, I know I’ve already thrown a lot at you, licorice and Brussels sprouts. I never said I was eating them at the same time, people.
I came across a simple recipe that included crispy Brussels sprouts, avocado and crumbled Cotija cheese. I decided to use all that as a topping for a bed of rice and turn it into a bowl of warm, comforting goodness that I could curl up with and watch a great movie. I ended up also purchasing a steamable bag of Brussels sprouts, Haas avocado, Cotija cheese and a steamable bag of Grain Trust Ancient Grains Hibachi Fried Rice. I didn’t know that was available so easily?
Ingredients
Brussel Sprouts
2 cups plain chopped brussel sprouts
Olive Oil
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions
Honestly, just pull this meal together how you’d like:
Pre-heat the air fryer at 375 degrees.
Season the Brussels to your liking with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
Spread in one layer in the air fryer and let cook for 15 minutes. Halfway through, shake the pan so that the Brussels can cook and crisp evenly.
As the Brussels finish cooking, slice your avocado and pop the steamable bag of rice into the microwave for three minutes.
Finish it off wit a little sprinkle of crumbled Cotija
Plant-Based Pasta Alfredo
Shawnie’s favorite dish gone vegan!
I'm not a vegan, but I like to practice plant-based cooking from time to time. Here is a fun fact: I love Alfredo Sauce, but since it’s not the most healthy thing to eat, I usually reserve ordering it for special occasions. But when it came time to meal prep, I was inspired by Tik Tok/YouTube star Tabitha Brown to give one of my favorite pasta sauces healthy spin. I purchased brown rice pasta, Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausage, and a bunch of healthy yummy veggies to give it a nutritional boost. Not only was this dish pure satisfaction, I felt good eating it!
Ingredients
Plant-based Alfredo Sauce
1 cup plain Forager Project cashew-based yogurt
1/4 cup of Miyokos Creamery unsalted butter
1.5 cups Violife Foods Parmesan cheese grated
3 cloves of garlic
1 lemon juiced
Season as you please I love Trader Joe’s 21 seasonings
Vegetable - Packed Pasta
Brown Rice Pasta,
2 Bell Pepper,
2 Cups of Chopped Broccoli
One 16oz can diced tomatoes
3 Zucchini
Package of Beyond Meat hot Italian sausage
Instructions
Cook pasta according to instructions
Saute bell peppers, broccoli, Beyond Meat Sausage, and Zucchini
Add vegetables and “meat” to cooked pasta
Add yogurt, butter, cheese, and garlic
Mixed together until well coated and warm
Add lemon juice and tomatoes