Easy Eating, With Catelli Pasta

Weekend Ice-Cream Date

At last! The weekend is here. Friday’s arrival always feels pretty good but the weekends are only getting better with the time change (hello sunshine-y evenings) and spring’s slow but steady creep up. We had temperatures as high as 17°C this week and the boys especially, were in their tee wearing glory (not me because I’m only ever cold).

Vegan Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Soup)

Two hands in the air for Olive Garden's infamous Zuppa Toscana. Wait. Two hands in the air for Olive Garden's anything. Give me every single breadstick. Yep, it's safe to say I'm a life long OG fan. I am after all, part Italian and admitted lover of carb heavy foods. But, I'm also a herbivore and that cancels out many of the options on their menu.

Despite the many menu items that don't fit my dietary habits, I've been on either a vegan or vegetarian diet since the end of my teenage years and with that, my cooking skills have upped majorly. They had to. Now, after many years of eating meat-free, I'm finding more joy than ever in eating and even more so cooking - all of my favourite things with a meatless twist. Including said, spicy, creamy soup.

Smoothie Bowl Formula

Smoothies are a really quick and easy way to get a lot of good without a lot of preparation, dirty dishes, or effort to consume. My husband is a frequent smoothie drinker and I've been telling myself, I really need to make them for myself (and the boys) more often.

As where he often likes things that are super fast and he can have out of a shaker cup (why do we even buy dishes?) I like to sit down and enjoy things - be it a cup of coffee, a hot meal, or in this case a smoothie. With that, smoothie bowls quickly became my new love.

Below, I've laid out the formula for making the perfect smoothie bowl (full of favour, nutrients and most of all with a perfect thick consistency) and sharing the recipe photographed here.

Smoothie Thickener

(tofu, nut butter, or greek yogurt

& frozen banana or fresh avocado).

+

Liquid

(filtered or coconut water, milk or non-dairy milk, fruit or veggie juice)

+

Frozen Plant

(preference, commonly made with berries and/or spinach or kale)

+

Protein Powder or Additive

(optional, provides added nutrition)

* Blend until smooth and thick before pouring into bowl.

+

Healthy Toppings

(preference, commonly diced or sliced fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut, granola). 

The bowl pictured here, was a thickened spin off of the Oh She Glow's Chocolate Hemp Smoothie. I simply added a half more banana, oats, and peanut butter protein powder. We topped it with some of my favourites, some of R's. From left to right: whole pecans, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, chia seeds, and unsweetened coconut.

** Large, whole nuts aren't ideal for new chewers or babes like R who don't have their full set of molars just yet. The pumpkin seeds and sliced or crumbled nuts he eats.

Serve right away and enjoy!

XO, Olivia Murray.

Super Seeds

In some way, many of us are trying to live, eat, and be healthier. But with increased educations (or a growing fad for some people) endless options are becoming more readily available to those in search of them. While this is great news, it can also be overwhelming.

Quinoa For Breakfast

You know the saying, "don't knock it till you try it." That was me when it came to eating quinoa at breakfast. 

I had only ever had it made in savoury ways, suitable for day time meals - mainly dinner, really. But I began seeing it served and offered in restaurant settings so many ways that I decided to give it a go. I am SO glad that I did, because it's become my new favourite. 

Meatless Monday: Pretty Backyard Pasta

These weeks mark the official start of the summer season. Can you even contain your excitement? Making it through the summer without attending a backyard barbecue is kind of near impossible. It just goes with the territory and who's complaining, right? After all - there's something so obligatory about using a hot summer's day to spend with good company and great food! If you frequent get togethers, the dishes can get pretty repetitive and/or time consuming and with a little one now on the move, ain't nobody got time for that this year. The easiest thing to do is opt for the classics because can you even go wrong? I'm a personal lover of pasta salad (my mom always had a fresh bowl sitting somewhere in the nice weather) and with this recipe I snagged from the infamous Martha Stewart, you can take your dish from backyard casual to all-occasion-chic without compromising the components of a familiar favourite.

Ingredients

Orecchiette Pasta, 3/4 lb.

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Beefsteak Tomatoes, 1 lb.

Garlic, 1-2 cloves (to preference).

Olive Oil, 1/4 cup.

Red Wine Vinegar, 1 tbsp.

Feta Cheese (crumbled), 1 cup.

Fresh Dill (or Mint/Chive/Parsley) 1/2 cup.

Serving Information

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Start To Finish: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 (varies depending on use as a course or side)

Instructions 

1. Boil large pot of salted water.

2. Once boiled, add pasta and cook 5 minutes shy of packaged instructions.

3. Making sure beans are trimmed and cut into halves (or about 1" pieces), add greens to boiling pasta and continue to cook until the beans begin to soften (beans and pasta should both remain tender) before draining.

4. In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes (chopped/diced as desired), garlic cloves (mashed into paste like texture), oil, vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

5. Once well mixed, add in cooked pasta and beans. Toss to mix, adding feta and dry seasonings while mixing.

6. Sprinkle leftover feta, dry seasonings, a pinch of salt and pepper on top for presentation before serving warm or at room temperature.

This will be on repeat for me and the boys for sure!
Warmer days ahead y'all, what's your go-to quick dish of the summer?

XO, Olivia Murray.

Mama Monday: Can You Keep Up?

Motherhood is no workout to be overlooked. Seriously though! Who needs a gym membership when you've got a 20 pound weight literally depending on you.

I'm a busy body, kind of always have been since I started "adulating." And some days I forget what time it is or when I've even consumed my last meal. (Not healthy and so not promoting that!) Thankfully I found some quick fixes that benefit my body and Rheo's day. There's no more of a win-win than when I can fuel my body nutritiously and still devote majority of my day to finding adventure with him.

Today I am sharing my 5 fixes for making it through the day, meetings, mommy meet-ups, doctors appointments and whatever else motherhood throws your way.

1. Mix'n'Match - Best prepared the day before or bought pre cut but fruits ad veggies that are finger food sized and ready for dipping into a healthy, nutrient packed dip of choice. All you have to do is spend one day with my and you know my go-to is apple slices and peanut butter. I normally chop up two apples to make the snack more filling and if on the go, scoop a generous amount of peanut butter into a tupperwear and vamos! Not only is a fruit an obvious thumbs up but peanut butter (especially as  non-meat eater) is a for that doesn't get enough credit. Dips worth the while include: almond/cashew butter, hummus, or homemade guacamole, paired with any fruit, vegetable, or grain. 

2. Trail Mix - Skip the store bought stuff which usually ha something not so beneficial snuck in and opt to making your own mix at home. Choosing 1-2 from each of the following categories; nuts, grains (granola, cereal, etc.) seeds or dried fruit (pumpkin seed, raisins, etc.) and 1 sweet additive (chocolate chips for example) is pretty much fool proof and couldn't be a simpler way to toss a handful of mainly healthy calories into your mouth.

3. Don't Drink Your Calories - Make your sipping worth the while by opting for healthier drinks. Infused water is a trend you don't want to miss and for added benefits, I use Premama mix-ins to give me a boost of vitamins and electrolytes that are good for me and still good for baby (if nursing). I use Premama Essentials (+DHA) and Premama Lactation. They contain the same nutrients in prenatal vitamins for both the pregnancy and nursing journey. 

4. Avocado Over Everything - But literally though! Not only is it one of the easiest foods to prepare but it's packed with all the good stuff - especially healthy fats which every mama needs. My 30-second go to is avocado-toast. IF I've got an extra 2 minutes, I spread the toasted bread with a spoonful of avocado and top it with an egg and sprinkle of pepper and chia seeds. It's amazing how one serving of toast can feel somewhat filling and give you a boast.

5. Yogurt Bowl - Provided you have healthy adds in on deck, a 2-3 minute make that's high in protein and not skimpy in flavour. Choose a yogurt base of choice (my husband got me hooked on Greek, so that's my go-to). Then add 2 fruits of choice - berries are the most common and also easiest because they don't require any prep, next layer granola and/or sliced nuts, sprinkle with 2 seeds of choice - I use chia and hemp most commonly in any food but pumpkin seeds seem pretty popular on Pinterest recipes and voila! Other good mix-ins include things like a scoop of nut butter, additional fruit or seeds, or something like coconut shaving. The seed and nut combination got you covered for protein, the fruit convinces you you're having something sweet and the prep time is childproof.

If you have a nutritious niche that gets you through the day, feel free to drop in my comments or inbox.

We've only got one body to give them, make it a healthy one.

XO, Olivia Murray.

This is a sponsored post. All views remain that of my own.

I do not endorse products or brands in which I do not truly use or support.

Sweet And Spicy Rose Rigate

My household is overall, a pretty big fan of food. Mind you - we don't always agree on favourites (I'm a herbivore and my husband, although cutting back, loves his meat) there's a few favourites all three of us share. The biggest one right now is sweet potato. 

I was a definite late comer on the sweet potato bandwagon but after some time, my guys - who both absolutely die for it, have me changing my ways - of thinking and ways of using it.

Coming from backgrounds where we both grew up on spicy food, there's few things a little kick can't cure. Obviously Rheo isn't eating spicy food (although I also ate high spice food throughout my entire pregnancy, so I predict the day will come where he too is fond of it) we just set foods aside when it comes time to incorporate any seasonings/spices.

In combining of these two favourites came the inspiration and make behind the dish of high demand in our kitchen.

It's the love child of sweet and spicy, atop a sharp pasta full of flavour and warmth. We make everything except the noodles from scratch, but, we have a new baby at home - so I assure you it's easy peasy and not overly hand consuming. I did however shorten the recipe by excluding the making of the sauces. (See below).

Good To Know:

Prep Time - 10 minutes 

Cook Time - 15 minutes

Total Time - 25 minutes

Serves - (varies).

Ingredients:

(Sauce)

Tomato Sauce
Alfredo Sauce

Extra virgin olive oil

Pepper 

Chilli flakes

Spinach 

Garlic

(Pasta)

Any type of penne would suffice - but we usually opt for a Mezze Minache Rigate or large Rigatoni. The shape is ideal for getting a lot of sauce in one bite and the bigger the better.

(Add-Ins)

Sweet potato

Spinach
Broccoli

Chilli flakes

Chia seeds

Sesame seeds

Cheese

Directions:

1. Combine tomato based pasta sauce (we make ours ourselves**) alfredo sauce and white wine in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-low heat while cooking pasta and vegetables. When coming to a bubble add in spinach, a dash of pepper, chilli flakes (to spice tolerance).

2. Chop skinned, sweet potato and broccoli into large chunks. Cook in salted boiling water, being sure not to over cook (or else both become mushy and break down when being mixed into pasta).

3. Cook large penne noodles in boiling, salted water according to package directions. I ever so slightly under cook mine or do so following directions for "al dente."

4. When properly cooked, rinse pasta and scoop into bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a light seasoning of sea salts.

5. Top with a generous scoop of your now "rose sauce," and layer with freshly scooped out the pot potatoes and broccoli. Finish with a sprinkle (I go pretty hard on my so called sprinkle) of shredded old cheddar, *chia/hemp/and sesame seeds.

Simple as can be but so delicious. The zest of the sauce with the sweet light flavour of the vegetables are the perfect match for a thick pasta and zinging hint of cheddar. My husband begs for this by the mounds on game day though, so you know it's good - and more than anything, it's obviously filling.

* The seeds are added merely as additional protein. If you're a non vegetarian/vegan, these flavours would nicely compliment a chicken addition, keeping or discarding the use of seeds.

** I will do a post soon on our "sugo" (homemade pasta sauce) making routine, recipe, etc.

Happy cooking and enjoy!
XO, Olivia Murray.

Meatless Monday. | Vegan Chocolate 'PB' Mug Cake

So, it's not exactly the healthiest of them all but it sure is one for the cravings! (Not to mention, it takes about 3 minutes start to finish and provides a near instant, mouth watering, tummy warming gratification). I'm talking warm and gooey, vegan mug-cake y'all.

Ingredients:

Cocoa Powder (2 tablespoons)

Powdered Peanut Butter (3 tablespoons)

Salt (1/16 teaspoon)

Sugar (1 tablespoon)

Baking Powder (1/4 teaspoon)
Carob Chips (small handful/to preference)

Coconut or Vegetable Oil (2 teaspoons) / Banana or Applesauce

Almond Milk (3 tablespoons) / Milk of your choice

Vanilla Extract (1/4 teaspoon)

Substitution Options:

Coconut/Vegetable Oil – can be substituted with 1/3 mashed banana or applesauce for a more fat free option, personally prefer the oil additive.

Almond Milk – can be substituted with any milk product of your choice, ie: skimmed milk, 1-2%, half and half, or cream for vegetarian but non vegan results or rice milk for vegan dieters.

Powdered Peanut Butter – can be substituted with legitimate, roof of the mouth lickin’, creamy peanut butter (my personal preference by FAR).

Carob Chips – can be substituted for any flavour or variation of milk based chocolate chips.

Recipe:

Combine and mix all dry ingredients, be sure to mix as well as possible (even sift together). Add liquid ingredients, as well as slightly melted peanut butter and carob chips, continuing to stir (well) again before transferring into mug of your choice. Place mixture filled cup in the microwave and microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Sprinkle with toppings of desire, ie: crushed nut peices, vegan carob chips or chocolate chips, even whipped topping once cooled. Be sure to let stand for another minute after heating and be careful as both "cake" and mug can be extremely hot.

Enjoy this little indulgence or save the idea for a rainy day. Be sure to share if or when you do choose this quick and easy guilt, or better yet, grab a second mug and call this little preggo over.

Happy Monday!
XO, V.

Mangia. | Avocado Alfredo

Whether it's your day-to-day lifestyle like my own or just opting for Meatless Mondays, this very vegan, but very hearty, pasta from my instagram not only has the easiest 15 minute recipe but will leave you (your body and your conscious) feeling oh so good.

Ingredients:

Uncooked pasta (9 ounces or a cup)

Fresh garlic cloves,

Fresh basil leaves,

Lemon juice,

Extra virgin olive oil,

Avocado (pitted),

Sea salt,

Black pepper,

Lemon zest (to taste),

Parmesan (GO VEGGIE Dairy Free Parmesan).

* 1 serving spaghetti = 3 ounces = the diameter of an American quarter.

** While it's kind of given knowledge that brown is better, you don't have to settle for any particular "brown pasta," but choosing a brown over a more likely than not bleached white pasta will up the nutrition of this already healthy meal and provide numerous advantages. White pastas contain only 1.7 grams of fibre, 4 grams of protein. Compared to pastas like; Spelt with 3 grams of fibre, 12 grams of protein / Kamut with 8 grams of fibre, 13 grams of protein, and Oat Bran with 15.4 grams of fibre, 5.4 mg of iron, and 58 mg of calcium. Can't handle all that? Do half and half, decreasing your amount of high carb pasta.

Directions:

1. Add sea salt to a relatively large pot of water and bring to a boil. (Unless bought in bulk, pasta generally has standard cooking instructions on the outside of packaging should you not already have it down to a science.)

2. Leave your noodles to cook and aside from the boiling pot, combine your cloves of garlic and basil leaves in a food processor and set to pulse.

3. Once minced, add (2 tbsp.) fresh lemon juice, (1 tbsp.) olive oil, (1 pitted) avocado and (2 tbsp.) water then process thoroughly until completely smooth.

4. Once smooth – free of chunks and pieces, season lightly with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

5. By now your pasta should be ready. Test making sure noodles are cooked through before draining the boiled water. Once entirely drained, add and mix in avocado sauce while noodles are still hot.

6. If desired (and for an added host with the most presentation), accent your pasta with lemon zest, additional fresh basil, and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper around the outside.

7. Top with grated parmesan.

Add handsome date, pair with vino of choice, and enjoy!

➸ Peeks At Five Ft.