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Immunity Boost Smoothie

9/4/2020

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I was wandering the aisles of Trader Joes the other day and I happened upon a new possible smoothie addition in the frozen fruit aisle, Acerola Puree Packets. I was excited to learn that each 3.5oz packet contained 1180% vitamin C! I thought it would be a perfect ingredient to incorporate for a new immunity boosting smoothie I was working on. My favorite thing about using Acerola puree is that they contain NO sugar, making it a perfect low calorie addition to my morning smoothie! 

Immunity Boost Smoothie (makes 2 smoothies)

1.5 cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk 
1 frozen banana 
¾ cup of frozen strawberries
1 Acerola Puree Packet (3.5 oz)
1.5 T nut butter (I use peanut butter) 
2 tsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp hemp seeds 

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients (minus the hemp seeds) into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Divide into two glasses and top with the hemp seeds.  

Directions to Make Ahead:
Combine the banana, strawberries, Acerola packet, nut butter and ground flax into a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer until ready to use. Add the contents of the bag along with the almond milk and vanilla to a high speed blender and blend until smooth!

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Seed and Nut Grain-Free Granola

7/30/2020

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I am always amazed by some people's creativity with granola recipes. A few years ago I purchased some grain-free granola and I was blown away by how tasty it was!  I couldn’t believe that granola didn’t need its usual main ingredient, oats, and that it could be just as flavorful without them. I found myself dreaming of that granola a few weeks ago as I was wandering the aisles of Trader Joes. I grabbed as many raw seeds and nuts as I could and decided to work on creating a similar recipe. The results were fantastic, and my family really liked it too. This granola is VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and packed with plant power! I made a double batch this morning and enjoyed the sweet aroma that filled our home. The best part about granola is that it is PERFECT for a quick make ahead breakfast, or snack. We hope you enjoy this Seed and Nut Grain Free Granola recipe. Let us know if you try it! 
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Ingredients

¾ cup raw cashew pieces
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup chopped raw pecans
¾ cup sliced raw almonds
¾ cup unsweetened coconut chips (I found mine at Trader Joes)
1T raw flax seed
½ T melted coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
½ tsp cinnamon
¼-½ cup of raisins or mixed dried berries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  3. Combine all of the ingredients (minus the raisins) in a large mixing bowl and stir to coat. 
  4. Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even thin layer
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden*
  6. Stir in the raisins or mixed dried berries and let the granola completely cool on the pan
  7. Enjoy with nut milk or with a dollop of yogurt. 
  8. Store leftovers in your pantry in a sealed glass jar for up to a week. 
* Be careful not to burn the granola!

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Triple Berry Protein Smoothie

5/31/2020

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I have been experimenting and doing lots of research with protein powders and vitamins this past week. As a vegetarian I am often searching for creative ways to add protein to my diet. I came across the brand Nuzest and I ordered a small pack of their vanilla pea protein powder with the intent on adding a couple of scoops to my smoothies. I really liked the idea of pea protein vs. soy!  It was expensive vs. other brands that I have seen, but I was fun to try something new. If you are making this smoothie, feel free to use ANY brand of protein powder. Please share in the comments section below and let me know what your favorites are so I can try them too! If you don’t have protein powder, just eliminate it from this smoothie and add raw hemp seed instead.  I also discovered some amazing peanut butter from Trader Joes, “Organic Creamy Peanut butter with Valencia peanuts.” It only has one ingredient, organic peanuts!! My trick with one ingredient peanut butter is to turn it upside down in your pantry so that the oils incorporate. Your peanut butter will be super creamy without all the oil on top and no need to stir!! I combined these new found ingredients with three kinds of berries and some oat milk and the results were fantastic!! I Hope you enjoy this Make ahead of Monday treat as much as I do and I hope it makes for a yummy start to your Monday morning! 

Ingredients
1.5 cups unsweetened oat milk
½ tsp vanilla extract 
2 tsp vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen strawberries
¼ cup of fresh or frozen raspberries
1T creamy peanut butter
1 acai packet (can be found at Trader Joes in the frozen aisle) 

Directions
  1. Combine all of the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.


Directions to Make Ahead

  1. In a freezer safe bag, combine the frozen banana, broken up acai packet, frozen strawberries, raspberries and peanut butter and place in the freezer overnight. 
  2. In the morning combine the contents of the bag along with the oat milk,  vanilla and protein powder extract in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. 
  3. Enjoy on the go in a reusable to-go cup!
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Vegan Sloppy Joes

5/15/2020

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I have a fond memory of going to my Great Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Mickey’s house in Arizona when I was a kid. They had a large pool in their backyard and we would swim and have lunch with them each time we visited Arizona. My Aunt always served good food, and I especially remember loving her sloppy joes!  My sister and I would add chips to our sandwich for an extra crunch and scoop up the extra filling on our plates with more chips. There is something special about a sloppy joe sandwich that makes me think of those sunny days by their pool in AZ.  Today this Vegan version is dedicated to my Great Aunt and Uncle who have since passed away. I hope you enjoy this flavorful sandwich and that it is accompanied by sunny days and happy moments. 

Ingredients

½ cup diced yellow onion
1 small green pepper diced
1T olive oil
16oz tempeh 
¾ cup of tomato sauce
½ cup ketchup 
1T yellow mustard
1T apple cider vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1tsp smoked paprika 
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Directions
  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat
  2. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant
  3. Add the diced green peppers and saute for 1 minute
  4. Crumble the tempeh with your hands, it should resemble the texture of ground meat, and add it to the onion and peppers saute for 2 minutes
  5. Reduce heat to low and add the remaining ingredients, stir to incorporate.
  6. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes on low or until the tempeh is tender. 
  7. Serve on toasted whole wheat buns with a side of potato chips! 
  8. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
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Portland Smoothie

5/9/2020

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This past fall I had the privilege of taking a 10 year college reunion vacation with my college roommates/best friends. We decided on Portland because it was a new place for all of us and one that we have heard great things about in the past.  For the first time in my life, my high expectations were truly exceeded, Portland was MAGICAL. If you know me well, you know that I am quite shy and that I don’t often talk to strangers, well not Portland Danielle, I was having full on conversations with uber drivers, feeding the homeless, asking baristas what their favorite drink was on the menu, actively looking for an opportunity to meet the members of my favorite band, Ages and Ages, and smiling while walking in the rain … Portland. Was. PERFECT! We stayed in the cutest AirBNB along a street packed with culture, unique shops, vegan and vegetarian restaurants, a kombucha bar and a double decker bus that was actually a tea place! We stayed up late doing nails, sipping tea, chatting and acting like we did when we all lived together. One of my roommates Traci is an incredible artist and she documented the joy of that trip perfectly in one of her daily drawings. She creates a Daily “Quipple” which is an inspirational drawing or quote and if you sign up, it gets delivered to your inbox every single day! In college she would literally document every single day with drawings of “us” that we housed in “the book.”  This was one of her inspirations for creating the Daily Quipple!  Please check it out, she’s AMAZING!  Click on the picture to see  more of her amazing work and to learn more of her story!!
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Anyway, back to food.  My other roommate/best friend, Olivia, found this great smoothie place for us to have breakfast at and we went every day while we were there. I ordered the same smoothie each day and have been dreaming about that smoothie since our trip to Portland. It has been my mission to recreate it as best as I could... so, today, I decided to and.. WOW, I did it! This is my dedication to Portland, my soul city, and one that showed me one of the best vacations of my life!!! Cheers to soul friends, soul cities, health and happiness!
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Ingredients (makes one large or two small smoothies)
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen strawberries
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1-1.5 T creamy peanut butter
​1
 tsp vanilla extract 
1 acai packet (can be found at Trader Joes in the frozen aisle) 
Sprinkle of raw hemp seeds

Directions to enjoy right NOW!
  1. Combine all of the ingredients minus the hemp seeds into a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
  2. Top smoothie with raw hemp seeds and ENJOY! 

Directions to Make Ahead

  1. In a freezer safe bag, combine the frozen banana, broken up acai packet, frozen strawberries and peanut butter and place in the freezer overnight. 
  2. In the morning combine the contents of the bag along with the almond milk and vanilla extract in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. 
  3. Top with raw hemp seeds and enjoy on the go in a reusable to-go cup!
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VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE  Sweet Potato Cacao Brownies with Almond Butter

5/2/2020

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I always love a good recipe that sneaks in vegetables and other nutritious ingredients without sacrificing any of what we all crave. These brownies are inspired by the leftover sweet potato that has been sitting on my counter since last weekend + a strong craving for chocolate! My friend Dave got me interested in Cacao powder and I decided to give it a try in these brownies as well and they turned out GREAT! The best part of these brownies is that they are AMAZING as leftovers straight from the fridge. They take on a fudge like quality and can be enjoyed all week!   


Ingredients
1 cup almond flour 
½ cup of Cacao Powder (or cocoa powder)
¾ cup of coconut sugar or white sugar
1tsp baking powder

2 flax eggs (2T ground flax + 6T water) 
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
¾ cups of chocolate chips (make sure they are vegan)
½ cup coconut oil 
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup creamy almond butter
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato **see notes

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper 
  2. Combine dry ingredients (almond flour, cacao powder, sugar and baking powder) into a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
  3. In a medium sized bowl make your flask egg and let it sit until it resembles the consistency of an egg.
  4. Meanwhile, add the almond milk and chocolate chips to a small saucepan and heat until all of the chocolate chips have melted. Make sure you are stirring the entire time and that the heat is not set too high or the mixture will burn. Remove from heat and let cool.
  5. Add the coconut oil, vanilla, almond butter and cooked mashed sweet potato to the flax egg and stir to combine. 
  6. Add the cooled almond-milk chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  8. Smooth the batter into the prepared 8x8 pan and bake for 45-50 minutes***. 
  9. Let cool completely, slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container 


NOTES
*** These brownies are moist and fudgy, they may look like they are not done, but they are! Make sure you let them cool completely before cutting, eating and enjoying. 

** SUPER EASY Sweet Potato Mash 
  1. Rinse 1 medium sized unpeeled sweet potato 
  2. Pierce the potato 6-8 times with a fork 
  3. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a glass bowl
  4. Microwave in high for 5 minutes
  5. Carefully turn the sweet potato over in the bowl and microwave for another 3-4 minutes until sweet potato is fork tender. 
  6. Carefully remove the paper towel, cut the sweet potato in half and let cool for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the flesh and mash with a fork.
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I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas Vegan Muffins

4/25/2020

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Does anyone remember that silly song, I like to eat apples and bananas?” Creating these muffins brought me back to those fun lyrics, and truly made me miss my students even more! I always sing this song for my 1st graders around this time of the year, and now with the distance learning taking place, I am really truly missing seeing their faces light up when we do fun silly songs such as this one. Anyway, back to the world of food. These VEGAN muffins are stuffed with plant based goodness and are easy to make and a fun breakfast treat you can enjoy throughout the week. I also snuck in some protein  with the addition of the oat flour, which, if you haven’t tried making oat flour before, is VERY easy. You simply add whole oats to a blender and blend until it looks like flour!  I use oat flour in pancakes too, so I always make a bunch and store it in a large airtight container for easy use! I hope you enjoy these muffins! If you make them tag us on social media! 
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​Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)
1 flax egg (1T ground flax + 1.5T water) - you can also use 1 chicken egg if not vegan

2 overripe bananas mashed 
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup avocado oil 
½ tsp vanilla
2T unsweetened plain almond milk (or any other non dairy milk) 
½ cup oat flour (oats ground up in high speed blender into flour)
​1
 cup all purpose flour
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
1 heaping cup of peeled green apples diced very small 
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Directions (updated 05/05/20)
  1. In a medium sized bowl make your flax egg by combining 1T of ground flaxseed with 1.5 T of water. Stir and let it sit until the mixture resembles an egg. 
  2. While you are waiting for the flax egg, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a non-stick muffin pan with a little bit of non-stick oil.
  3. Add the mashed banana, brown sugar, avocado oil, vanilla and almond milk to the flax egg mixture and stir to combine.
  4. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients: oat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
  5. Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and gently stir to incorporate. Do not over mix. 
  6. Gently fold in the apple pieces
  7. Scoop the batter into muffin tins and fill to the top. You should have enough batter for 11-12 muffins. 
  8. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Test after 20 with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out clean then the muffins are done. 
  9. Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  
  10. Store uneaten muffins on the counter in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. After than transfer to the fridge. 
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Red wine Marinara Sauce

4/18/2020

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For those of you who don’t know, I come from an amazing and rather large extended Italian family. My great grandma, Nana, and grandma, whom we call Mima, along with my mom and all of her five brothers are amazing cooks! When I was growing up we used to gather at Mima and Papa’s house for weekly Sunday dinners where we almost always had pasta. I loved Spaghetti dinners so much and these dinners have always been some of my favorite childhood memories.  Before I left for college many years ago, I asked my Mima to show me how to make her marinara sauce. She told me that fennel was the KEY to the tanginess, and that red wine really added depth of flavor. I hope you enjoy this simple Red Wine Marinara sauce that is even BETTER the next day and therefore perfect for your Make Ahead of Monday needs! Bon Appetit!
Ingredients

½ yellow onion chopped 
2 cloves of garlic minced
1T olive oil
4 - 16oz cans of organic tomato sauce
2 tsp crushed fennel seed (or more for taste)
2 - 3 T of dry red wine
2 tsp dried basil or 4 tsp chopped fresh basil
Dash of salt

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Directions

  1. Heat medium saucepan on medium high heat
  2. Add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute until fragrant and translucent making sure not to brown or burn
  3. Slightly reduce heat and add cans of tomato sauce, crushed fennel, red wine, basil and a dash of salt.
  4. Stir to incorporate, cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low. 
  5. Adjust seasoning as needed. 
  6. Use right away or let sauce cool and add to a freezer safe container. Sauce can be refrigerated to use later in the week or can be frozen for up to 5 months. ​
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Roasted rosemary vegetables

4/11/2020

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Growing up I used to dislike vegetable sides at dinner. I think during most of the 90’s people were eating vegetables out of a can and they lacked flavor, crunch and pazazz. Fast forward to Easter a few years ago when I was asked to bring a veggie side dish. Ugh.  So I decided to try something new. I knew that I liked roasted vegetables such as potatoes and carrots and onions, but I wanted them to have more warmth and flavor so I decided to open the spice cabinet and smell all of the spices until I decided on rosemary. This was one of the first recipes I created and I loved how it turned out. Since then I have eaten it as a side, or have even made it my main with the addition of pesto and a cut up veggie sausage.  These roasted veggies are perfect for a healthy side dish with lunch or dinner, they last a week in the fridge and can be enjoyed throughout the week! 

Ingredients

5 red potatoes peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 large carrots peeled and diced into coins
½ red onion sliced into ½ inch slices
Olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2T chopped fresh rosemary or use 1T of chopped dried rosemary 
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Directions 3-4 servings

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Add the veggies to a roasting pan or cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and add salt, pepper and rosemary. Toss to coat
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Toss halfway through.
  4. Let veggies cool before storing in an airtight glass container for all of your make ahead needs! ​
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Mexican Tofu Scramble

4/4/2020

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When my husband and I first decided to go vegan, one of the first breakfast recipes we sought was something that resembled eggs. We tried several tofu based recipes that we liked and then decided to add some Mexican flavors!  What we came up with was one of our favorites and one that CAN be made ahead and enjoyed for days in a variety of ways. We hope you enjoy this Mexican Tofu Scramble this week for breakfast!! 

Ingredients (make 4-5 servings)

2 tsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 T water
1 T olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 block of extra firm tofu pressed to release moisture
2-3 T taco seasoning
Salt to taste
2 T chopped cilantro

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Directions

  1. Mix the nutritional yeast, turmeric, smoked paprika, black pepper and water in a small bowl until incorporated. Set to the side. 
  2. Heat a large skillet on medium high and add the olive oil
  3. Once the pan is hot add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Do not let it burn or brown.
  4. Crumble the tofu with your hands and add to the skillet. The texture should resemble eggs. Stir to incorporate and saute for about one minute.
  5. Add the seasoning mixture from before and stir to coat the tofu. 
  6. Add the taco seasonings, adding more or less for taste preferences. 
  7. Saute for about 3-4 minutes 
  8. Add salt to taste along with the chopped cilantro. 
  9. Serve in a breakfast burrito or in a burrito bowl with salsa, sliced avocado and chopped kale.
  10. This scramble lasts for 5 days in the fridge, reheats in the microwave (or can be eaten cold) and is perfect for easy make ahead breakfasts!
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    I am a music teacher, professional musician and a vegetarian. I created this site with the mission to share recipes that make life a little more organized, and enjoyable!  ​

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