Teriyaki Mushroom Rice Bowls

I love rice bowls for customization though, as the only mushroom fan in the house, this one was purely for me. Roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms top rice and get a sesame peanut drizzle. Swap the broccoli for edamame or cucumbers or greens!

Teriyaki Mushroom Rice Bowls
Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
1/2 sweet potato
1 cup broccoli
1 cup mushrooms
1 – 2 teaspoons teriyaki
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
chili crisp

Directions:
Prepare the rice, the potato, and the broccoli.
Pan fry the mushrooms and add a splash of teriyaki at the end.
Spread the rice into the bottom of the bowl and add the broccoli, the potato, and mushrooms.

Stir together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Add chili oil if desired.
Drizzle sauce over the top.
Enjoy!

This has sweet from the potatoes with salty from the teriyaki and crunch from the broccoli and the perfect nutty sauce.

Very Veggie Sandwich

This veggie sandwich is absolutely bursting with flavor.

The carrots, zucchini, and tomato are for nutrition. The pesto, the balsamic reduction, and the cheese are the flavor.

Very Veggie Sandwich
Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 zucchini
4 slices of bread or 2 rolls
1 carrot
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tomato
1 tablespoon pesto
1/4 cup cottage cheese, blended
2 teaspoons balsamic glaze


Directions:
Slice the zucchini into strips, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper, then roast or grill.
Peel the carrot into ribbons and toss with red wine vinegar and a sprinkle of oregano.
Toast the bread.
Spread pesto on one side and cheese spread onto the other.
Slice the tomato and the zucchini.


Pile on the tomato, zucchini, and carrot ribbons. Drizzle balsamic glaze and assemble the two halves together.


Enjoy!

Cottage cheese is not my vibe BUT, blended it is fine. Swap it for ricotta or hummus or avocado! The carrot ribbons with vinegar is the punch this needs. It is drippy and requires 2 napkins. There’s texture and tons of flavor. I loved that this one has red, orange, and green.

You thought I was going to add arugula, am I right? Go for it, I would next time.

Winter Pasta Salad

This pasta can be cold (like a salad!), or room temperature, or heat it up! It is filled with butternut squash, arugula, feta, and a dressing of maple and dijon.

Winter Pasta Salad
Ingredients: (serves 2-3 meals, or 4-5 sides)

1/4 butternut squash
1/2 pound of pasta
1/4 cup feta
2 cups arugula
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Peal, chop, roast/air fry the butternut squash until cooked through and crisp. Allow to cool.
Cook the pasta and cool.
Whisk together the dressing of maple syrup, dijon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Mix together the pasta, squash, feta, and dressing.
Chill until serving.

Add arugula before serving.

This was a really perfect lunch. I packed a few bowls to bring to work and was glad for big flavor and veggies. To pack it up, I dropped the arugula onto the top and mixed when eating which worked really well.

Nacho Average Nachos

These were such a fun way to vary taco night. We had different chips, different cheeses, and beans. I topped them with pickled onions and then we had salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and elote street corn.

Nacho Average Nachos
Ingredients: (for 4)

flavored tortilla chips (mine were some local ones at my grocery store El Nacho – Hot Honey, Mango, & Lime)
Refried black beans
1/4 cup white queso dip
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
pickled onions
salsa

Directions:
Warm the black beans and add a splash of water to make it spoonable.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Spread a layer of chips and top with shredded cheeses, queso, spoonfuls of beans.

Put into the oven for just 2-3 minutes to melt.
Remove from the oven, and build another layer. Add it back to the oven to melt and crisp.
Repeat for another layer and top with salsa and extra cheese.

Add pickled onions and any toppings you choose!
Enjoy!

These were really good. 3 out of 4 of us ate them. We had street corn, some tiny quesadillas, and more chips so there was something for everyone – always the goal. Later I thought about a spicy ranch drizzle which would be fun! I’d also for for chopped tomatoes.

These chips are amazing. They were a touch sweet but not spicy to us. Sometimes we get the tortilla chips made in house at the grocery store. The layers getting a quick chance to melt is the key to good nachos so there aren’t all naked chips at the bottom!

Caprese Quiche

September is an Italian-inspired month here with a quiche full of caprese salad flavors: tomato, basil, and mozzarella. It was light and ideal for breakfast or lunch. I kicked off the month starting with Pizza Burgers and have some other Italian-ish meals.

Caprese Quiche
Ingredients:
(5-6 servings)
pie crust
6 eggs
3/4 cup cream or half & half
1 teaspoon dijon (or 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard)
2-3 tomatoes
~10 basil leaves
1 cup shredded white cheddar
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
salt & pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Par-bake the crust in a pie plate with non-stick spray. Bake for ~10 minutes.
While the crust cooks through, whisk together the eggs, cream, mustard, salt & pepper. Slice the tomato and chiffonade the basil.
When the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle in some of the cheeses first, then layer tomato slices, basil, cheese and repeat to use all the fillings.

Carefully pour in the egg/cream mixture.
Bake the quiche for about 30 minutes until the center sets from giggly to solid.
Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.
Enjoy!

Quiche is something I forget about and then am glad to have. I pop a few slices into the freezer and my future self is grateful for a dinner or lunch.