Delectables with Dan: Vegan Lunchables!

Sometimes it can be difficult to be vegetarian or vegan on the go, but with more people turning to eating less meat or refraining from meat and or animal byproducts all together, it's becoming more of a mainstream occurrence, but there's often an added cost to following the meatless diets. Rather than wanting to spend extra money to eat what I want while at work or out on long trips, I went and got some little Tupperware containers that I can fill and take with me time after time. I've decided to share some of my favourite vegan takeaways that all can be made at home. The best part about it is that they don't have to be just on the go! You can have them as meals at home too! 

Vegan Meatballs with Garden Noodles, Tomatoes, Green Olives & Vegan Parmesan Cheese
2 cups cooked veggie noodles (cook them with a drizzle of olive oil)
3-4 tablespoons of diced petite tomatoes (I like the kind with basil, garlic & oregano) 
10 green olives 
2-3 tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese
3-4 vegan meatballs browned

Bring 2 litres of water to a boil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook the noodles until they are soft. Strain and allow to cool. 
In a medium frying pan, put in about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the pan before turning on low-medium heat. Cook the meatballs until completely cooked; generally 10-12 minutes. Dice them up into decent sized chunks.
In a compartment style lunch container, add the noodles, petite diced tomatoes and green olives into the container and mix together. Sprinkle the top with the vegan parmesan cheese. It's delicious warmed up or eaten cold. 




Veggie Burgers on 12 Grain Bread paired with Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Olive Oil & Sea Salt 

veggie burgers of your choice
1-2 good size pieces of romaine lettuce
pinch of garlic salt
1-2 tablespoons ketchup 
vegan pepper jack cheese 
2 slices of 12 grain and seeds bread (I also like to substitute it with a low carb bread sometimes)

In a small frying pan thoroughly cook through your burger. Once you've done that, place it in the centre of the bread; you can toast the bread beforehand if you wish. Spread the ketchup around the surface of the patty before adding the garlic salt. Apply 1-2 slices (depending on preference) of the pepper jack cheese and the lettuce. Top with the second slice of bread.

To Make The Sweet Potato Fries 

Take 1 decent size sweet potato and skin it. Slice it down the middle into two equal parts. Place the flat cut part onto a cutting board and slice vertical lines through the potato; try your best to make them the same thickness. Once you've sliced it up, spray a bit of non-stick cooking spray on a baking tray before putting the potato slices onto it. Heat the oven to 220C (or 425F) and drizzle olive oil all over the top of the slices. Sprinkle sea salt and if you desire fresh cracked black pepper over the top of them. Put into bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow them to sit for a few moments before serving them. 

Creamy Low-Carb Parmesan Noodles with Meatballs

1 c. shirataki fettuccini noodles 
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c. vegan parmesan 
1/4 c. vegan mozzarella shreads 
1-2 tsp almond milk 
1-2 tsp olive oil
3-4 vegan meatballs 
2 tsp dried basil & oregano 
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes



You'll want to cook your meatballs first because they will take longer to prepare than the noodles. In a small saucepan, drizzle in your olive oil and put in the amount of meatballs desired in and cook 10-13 minutes under low-medium heat. Turn the pan's heat to warm to keep them warm as you prepare the noodles of the dish. Bring a litre and a half of water to a rolling boil.  Measure out the amount of noodles that you wish to use and rise them before cooking. It helps to rinse the noodles of the solution they pack them in and get rid of the funky taste that can linger in them if you don't rise them. Put in your noodles to cook. It usually takes about 3-5 minutes. Once you've done that remove the noodles from heat and drain them. Put the noodles back into the pan under low heat. Add in your cheeses and stir before adding in your almond milk. Adding the milk helps to lubricate and keep the cheese melty, rather than sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. You want to make sure that the noodles are coated with the cheese. Add in your seasonings and stir until nicely blended. Remove heat from under meatballs and noodles, put into a bowl and enjoy! It works great on the go as well! Can be heated up the next day in a microwave! : D 

**you can use any milk substitute you enjoy.

Milkless Summer Smoothie! 
Sometimes you want something on the go with vitamins, calories, something just fresh from the Earth. I like to take this on the go, but sometimes it's a great meal substitute when you're not really in the mood to cook. You can any of the McCormick Smoothie Boost products, I love the green tea one, but today I wanted to try something new, so I went with the Tropical Boost Twist one! It's low in carbs and calories, but packed with flavour and all you want!

1 packet McCormick Tropical Smoothie Boost

2 cups frozen berry mix (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, raspberries_
2 tablespoons chia seeds 
3 cups almond milk

You will need to thaw the berries in advance and have a blender to make this recipe. Once you are sure that your fruit is thawed, put it into the blender with the smoothie packet, almond milk and chia seeds. You'll want to use the puree feature on your machine. (That's the one that I like the best.) Pour into a tall glass or tall on the go mug to take with you! 

BUY WHAT I USED
Vegan Meatballs: Gardin Meatless Meatballs
Vegan Patty: MorningStar Farms Veggie Lovers or Boca Veggie Burgers (Vegan)
Pasta: Cybele's Free To Eat Superfood Rotini
(They have several different varieties available.)
Miracle Noodle, Shirataki Konjac Pasta, Fettuccini, 7 oz
GoVeggie Parmesan Cheese
GoVeggie Mozerella Shreads
McCormick Smoothie Boost

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