Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli & Rice

Thanks to a package of Butler Soy Curls, a jar of teriyaki sauce and my Instant Pot, this meal came together with very little effort or time.

First, I re-hydrated the curls by soaking in warm water for 10 minutes and then draining off the excess water.

Then I got 2 cups of Jasmine rice & 2 1/2 cups of water started in the Instant Pot - using the Rice setting.  (I finally figured out by allowing the steam to naturally release, the rice turns out fluffy and moist.  Quick release yields a sticky, dry rice.)

Then I water sautéed a head of chopped broccoli, adding the soy curls and teriyaki sauce after a few minutes.  Put the lid one and let everything simmer until the rice was done.

Super simple, quick & delicious!

Almond Yogurt & Berries

I'm really digging this new non-dairy, almond yogurt by Almond Dream!  For a light breakfast this morning I enhanced the vanilla yogurt with a handful of chopped blackberries, strawberries and topped with a little Uncle Sam cereal for crunch!

My mouth was happy!

Simple Sides Make A Mighty Feast

I decided to keep dinner simple tonight.

Recruiting my trusty Instant Pot, I steamed the corn & zucchini together (whole) for 3 minutes.  A little chopping action and I topped the zucchini with Hoff's 1 to 5 Salad Dressing (I'm putting this stuff on all kinds of veggies!).

Meanwhile on the stove top, I had whole wheat couscous steaming with a variety of spices and some chopped dried tomato.

Next to that in the toaster oven, I had asparagus spears baking that I rinsed and then rolled in garlic powder & onion powder.

To kick-off this feast, I had a simple side salad of chopped romaine and chickpeas topped with...you got it, Hoff's 1 to 5 Salad Dressing.

3 Dish Dinner

I've been keeping it simple lately, so unfortunately that means no new recipes.  However, I've got meal inspirations pouring forth for those who just don't want a big production at dinner time.

For this meal, I employed my Instant Pot (seriously loving this thing) & the stove top. 

I put a can of organic corn with a little water on simmer on the stove top.

While that was going, I steamed Kale in the IP because it takes longer than the Broccoli & Cauliflower.  After the Kale was done, I removed from the IP & dumped in Broccoli & Cauliflower florets with 1 cup of water and set the IP to manual with 0 minutes. 

Yes, it is possible to let the IP come up to pressure & then use the quick release method to keep from obliterating delicate veggies that would otherwise be too mushy if cooked for anything length of time.

For the Kale, I dressed with Hoff's 1 to 5 Dressing and for the Broccoli & Cauliflower, I dressed with Hoff's Vegetable Mustard Sauce. 

Felafel, Corn On The Cob & Green Beans

With the help of some store bought Felafel mix (vegan & oil-free of course), this summertime meal came together with very little effort.

To start, a simple side salad made with chopped Romaine, Chickpeas & Hoff's 1 to 5 Dressing.

The Falafel mix just needs to be combined with water and then baked, while the Corn on the Cob steamed in the Instant Pot and a can of Green Beans warmed on the stove.

Who says dinner has to be complicated?

Corn & Baked Beans

It's finally "summerish" and that means boat loads of farm fresh corn on the cob!!!  I seriously could make an entire meal of just ears of corn. But for this meal, I restrained myself to a mere three ears & paired those with Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans (which are really vegan) and began the meal with a romaine/chickpea side salad.

Super quick, minimal preparation, minimal clean-up & oh so good!

Keep in mind that nearly all conventionally grown corn in the U.S. is now GMO, to avoid this only buy organic corn or ask if the corn is non-GMO, small farmers tend not to be able to afford the organic certification.

Easy Quinoa Dish

This quick, tasty dish comes together with a few on hand ingredients.

Just boil up some Quinoa (or Couscous or Rice), add 1 can Organic Corn, 1 bag Sugar Snap Peas & some Mrs. Dash Spice Blend.

Ready to eat in under 20 minutes.

Pasta Veggie Alfredo

Last night was a clean out the fridge kind of night.  I had veggies about to turn, that needed to see their life's purpose fulfilled.  I started with The Best Vegan Pasta Alfredo, sauteed up some sliced Onions, Mushrooms & chopped Spinach and threw it all together.  Not too shabby for an unplanned meal.

The Healthy Hoff Cookbook!

Hot Off The Presses!

Cooking With The Healthy Hoff: Quick, Easy Meals, Fueled by Plant-Based, Oil-free Whole Foods!

 

Cookbook now available on Amazon!!!

This fun, easy & sometimes funny, cookbook features 21 of my favorite plant-strong recipes!  

From breakfast to dessert, I've got something awesome for all your meals.  I'll show you how to make old school oatmeal super quick & tasty.  Put a new spin on the traditional salad, with my 5 Day Salad.  Blow you away with my OMG! Broccoli Cheddar Soup.  I didn't forget that vegans love Mac & Cheese too!  And I don't even know which is better; the Pretzel Bark or I Can't Believe It's Not Dairy Chocolate Shake!"  All this and many more will have your friends & family taking back what they said about vegan food being tasteless & boring!

Even Morticia makes a guest appearance in the book!

Available now on Amazon!

Check it Out!

Chipotle Salad

Should you find yourself with leftover Hoff's Chipotle Bowl, don't despair!  Instead, heat it up, throw some shredded Romaine on a plate, top with Hoff's Chipotle Bowl, chopped Avocado, Salsa & some crushed chips and have one mighty fine lunch or dinner!

Chili & Potatoes!

Awhile ago, I found a chili starter kit in the freezer section of my local grocery store.  It contained kidney beans, onions, peppers, celery and a variety of seasonings.

Instead of adding the meat as instructed, I nuked two Morning Star Vegan Veggie Grillers (then chopped them) and a baked potato and threw that all together.  Split all that in half for a meal for two!

Of course I had to top that with mustard - it's the German in me!

A super quick lunch or a mini dinner in under 10 minutes - however you see fit!

Keep it Healthy!
The Hoff

Mystery Soup!

Has the end of the week come and your fridge is still jammed with healthy produce you had every good intention on consuming?

No worries - make soup!

Chop up larger things and throw everything into a large pot and cover with equal parts Water & Veggie Broth.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until everything is soft (I let mine go for a few hours).

Season with your favorites: Tomato Sauce, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Cumin, etc.

Using an inversion blender, blend into a rich, creamy soup.  Or, using a blender, blend about 2 cups at a time (to prevent a messy overflow).  If the soup is too thin, throw in a few spoonfuls of Instant Mashed Potato Flakes to thicken things up.

Something different every week...

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

If you've never turned a spaghetti squash into spaghetti noodles, you are missing out!

It's a low prep, super easy and extremely healthy meal to make.

This is one of my go-to dinners in the winter as that's when the prices of this winter squash tends to go down, which is a plus since they are sold by the pound and can get rather pricey.

First, prepare the squash as indicated by the sticker they all wear.  

Essentially, cut the squash in half; this feat can be made easier by microwaving 1 - 2 minute to soften the skin. Scoop out the seeds, place cut side down in a baking dish filled with about a 1/4" of water. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until fork tender.

Meanwhile, get your sauce going by heating up a jar of spaghetti sauce, I prefer Light Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (no-oil).  I doctor mine up with additional Italian Herbs and Garlic Powder - makes me feel like I had something to do with it's creation.

Once the squash is done, remove from oven & let cool.  Then using a fork, scrape the insides to achieve the "noodles."  If the noodles seem a little on the watery side, use a strainer to get rid of the excess moisture.  I like to push down on the strands with a paper towel.  Don't want runny spaghetti, do you?

Top with sauce and you're ready to go!  Pair this with some greens and crusty bread and you have a meal to live for!


P.S. One cup of spaghetti squash has only 40 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein - not too shabby!

Hashbrown Breakfast Hodgepodge

Like my stir-fry's, my Hashbrown Breakfast Hodgepodge is another opportunity to clean-out the fridge of any little extras or veggies I just don't know what to do with.  Most of the ingredients for today's Hash came from leftovers and my weekly CSA haul.

Ingredients:

• Hashbrowns
• 1 can Beans (rinsed & drained)
• Sliced Black Olives (rinsed & drained)
• Sliced Mushrooms
• Chopped Yellow Squash
• Chopped Matchstick Carrots
• Diced Onions
• Chopped Leek
• Chopped Red Pepper
• Minced Garlic

Seasonings:

• Bragg Liquid Aminos
• Mustard
• Garlic Powder
• Cumin

In a large non-stick frying pan, I got the Onions, Red Peppers, Leeks and Mushrooms started.  As they released their juices, I could chop the rest of my ingredients.  I added everything else, mixed together and allowed to blend for about 10 minutes.  That's it - a one pot breakfast full of protein, fiber and nutrients to get your day off to a great start!

Hodgepodge Stir-Fry

There's nothing I like better than clearing out leftover veggies and such.  So once a week I make a stir-fry using whatever is still hanging around so I can have a clean slate come next shopping day.

Last night was just that type of meal.

I had left over Chickpeas from an attempt at making an Alfredo Sauce (recipe to come later).  Stripped some ears of corn of their lovely kernels, no need to cook.  Chopped some Red Pepper, Hot Pepper, Mushrooms, Ginger, Onion and Garlic.  Shredded some Carrot sticks and Zucchini.  I have found that the key to mixing this many types of veggies is to finely chop everything.  For this, I use my handy dandy Chopper!  I suspect a food processor would work just as well.  I throw all of this into a non-stick Wok (or large frying pan) on medium to high heat and cook until softened. 

To create a sauce, I stir in Bragg Liquid Aminos, a tablespoon of Almond Butter (any nut butter will do), some Grey Poupon (any mustard will do), and lastly my flavor enhancer cheat - bottled Sweet & Sour Sauce about 1/3 of a cup.

Meanwhile, I make 1-2 cups of Rice or Undon Noodles (spaghetti works just as well).  Adding to the veggies once cooked, so the flavors can blend.

As you can imagine, my stir-fries are different each week depending on what I have on hand.  In the summer everything is fresh!  In the winter, I raid the freezer - which makes this dish even easier because everything is already chopped.  Meal-time is never boring in the Hoff's House!

The key here is to go with your gut.  If you think such and such would taste good together - go for it!  If you like red pepper flakes - add them!  I have a standing rule, if I ruin dinner I can always call the pizza guy.  I've been at this a long time and I have yet to call Mr. Pizzaman.

So dig into those corners and give those leftovers a second life.

Happy Creating!
The Hoff

Baked Potato

Looking for a quick meal or side?

Using a fork, pierce a potato a few times and microwave in 2 minute intervals, turning the potato between intervals, until potato is soft.

Here are some topping ideas:

• Red Cabbage, Sauerkraut & Mustard
• Vegan Chili
• Soup (Split Pea, Veggie...)
• Baked Beans
• Black Beans & Corn
• Nutritional Yeast
• Pesto Sauce

Greens, Beans & Couscous

Tonight I was feeling the pressure to get my fridge cleared out as tomorrow is CSA day!

I had a ton of Greens courtesy of the previous week's CSA haul, that were quite limp due to the fridge pulling the water out of them.

In the morning, I chopped all the Greens into bite size pieces (Bok Choy, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Napa Cabbage & Kale -  I think this CSA is in cahoots with Esselstyn).  Yes, it was a lot, but I know from experience that after steaming all these Greens, they would shrink to next to nothing.  In a very large bowl, I soaked everything in cold water and allowed to sit until I came home from work.  By the time I got home, the bowl was overflowing with Greens that literally had sprung back to life.  This little trick will work with just about any veggie that has gone limp & it only takes about 20 minutes to do so.

When I came home, I rinsed & shook the water from the Greens, put them in a large stock pot, topped with sliced Onion, drizzled in a little Bragg Liquid Aminos, pinch of Sea Salt - put the lid on, set to medium-high and let that steam until the rest of my meal was done.

Meanwhile, I got some Israeli Couscous cooking.  If you're unfamiliar with this type of Couscous, I encourage you to try it.  It's much larger than traditional Couscous - about the size of a small pearl.  It's big, soft and just fun to eat!  I was lucky enough to find a whole wheat version in the ethnic aisle of Giant Eagle.

To the Couscous, I added chopped Carrot, a can of Chickpeas (rinsed & drained), some Cumin & Sea Salt and allowed that to all cook together.

Once the Couscous was finished, I mixed in the Greens & some fresh Lime Juice and had a nice little one bowl meal.

So next time you have veggies going south, don't be afraid to throw everything together, you might just surprise yourself as to what you create!

Keep It Healthy!
The Hoff

Cooking Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob rocks - when cooked properly...

Here's two easy methods for doing so:

1. Stove Top - Remove husks, place corn in large pot of water & bring to boil, place lid on pot, turn off heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes
2. Grill - Remove husks, lay directly on the grill rack, flipping when Corn is charred to your liking

And for those of you who prefer not to gnaw your corn off the cob, check out the Corn Stripper, a handy dandy gadget that removes the corn kernels for you!

Need a little help husking your cobs?  Check out this cool trick!

Italian Monday!

Every Monday, I have the same thing - spaghetti.  There are a couple of reasons for this.

1. I like spaghetti.
2. Having a set meal on certain days, makes my life easier.
3. Spaghetti supplies are shelf-stable so you bulk up & always have them on hand.
4. I can't think on Monday's so, planning out a dinner would be a disaster.
5. If I'm late, my boyfriend can start dinner. :)
6. Lots of variety with spaghetti - different pasta shapes, different sauces, different add-ins, etc.
7. I like spaghetti.

So tonight's dinner consisted of traditional Spaghetti with Prego Light Smart Spaghetti Sauce, plus one, 15oz can of Tomato Sauce - I find this is the perfect amount of sauce for one pound of pasta.  I always make one pound of pasta, so I can have leftovers for lunch the next day & sometimes enough for a snack later in the week (depends on how hungry my boyfriend is).  To the sauce I added 1 Zucchini (shredded), 1/2 cup of diced Spinach & 1/2 cup of diced fresh Cilantro (courtesy of my Tupperware Time Saver Chop N Prep Chef).  I also added one can of Black Beans (drained & rinsed).  I threw that all together and topped with a generous helping of Nutritional Yeast (pretend it tastes cheesy).

That's it!

A super simple, quick, no-brainer dinner and now you know what I'm eating every Monday and for lunch on Tuesdays!

Oh Yes I Did!

Tonight I was in the mood for Hoff's Chinese Lettuce Wraps and was not in the mood to cook anything else.  But, these wraps do not an entire meal make.  So, I thought about it and wondered if I could get away with a McDougall Teriyaki Noodle Cup (just add boiling water) as a side dish.  I typically reserve these cups for snacking.

The answer would be - YES!

The two paired perfectly together & was filling enough for two, just be sure to make one noodle cup for each person!