Sweet Potato fries

I absolutely love these fries! I think it is the coconut oil that makes them especially yummy. My 2 year old eats them up. Who knew something so simple could be soooo good?

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 22 min
Oven temp: 400 degrees
Tools: Cutting board, good knife, vegetable peeler, medium bowl or large ziploc bag, parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients:
1 small to medium sweet potato
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions: Peel sweet potato and cut into thin strips (~1/2 in). Add sweet potato to bowl or bag and then add the coconut oil. Mix or shake until sweet potato is thoroughly covered by coconut oil. Place fries in a single layer on baking sheet covered in parchment paper (optional). Bake for 15 minutes and then turn sweet potato fries over. Bake another 7 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

Lemon and Ginger Infused Water

Other than my iced kukicha tea, this is my go to drink. This is a nice refreshing beverage that also helps to curb cravings.

Prep time: 5 min
Infuse time: 4 hours
Tools: Large mason jar (quart or larger), good knife, vegetable peeler and a cutting board.

Ingredients:
1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp of ginger
water

Directions: Slice lemon and remove peel* over your mason jar, this way you don't waste any of its juice. Put the lemon in your mason jar. Next cut a piece of ginger off your root, you will need about a 1-2in slice depending on its thickness. Use a vegetable peeler to remove its skin. Slice ginger thinly. Add ginger to your mason jar. Fill mason jar with water. Put the lid on the mason jar and give it a good shake before placing it into the refrigerator. Let it infuse for 4 hours before drinking. I usually let mine do its magic overnight. Once you are half way through drinking your infused water you can fill your mason jar with more water. I do this process twice, any more than that and your water will have little flavor. Your water will last 4 days in the refrigerator.

*You can use the peel of the lemon in the infusing process but you need to remove it after 4 hours or your water will have a bitter taste.

Ratatouille

I am currently following the Eat to Live way of life and this is a go to meal for me.  It makes about 6 servings and is very versatile. I will talk more about its versatility later. Enjoy!

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Tools: Large pot with lid, wooden spoon, cutting board, good knife

Added peas and lentils to my individual serving

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
2 yellow squash
2 zucchinis
1 red, yellow or green pepper
2- 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes 
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp oil of your choosing*
1 tsp thyme
black pepper to taste

Directions: Cut eggplant, squash, zucchinis, pepper and onion into 1/2 inch or 1 inch squares (depending on your preference). Mince the garlic. In large pot add a Tbsp of oil and set stove to medium high. Add your onions and garlic into the pot and let cook for 4 minutes. Stir regularly so they do not burn. No you can add your peppers. Let the peppers cook for about 3 minutes. Now stir in the thyme, black pepper and only one can of diced tomatoes. Stir together until blended. Now add your eggplant, squash and zucchini. Stir everything until blended (I usually use the folding method here, as to not make a mess and have vegetables flying out of the pot). Once everything is blended then blend in your second can of diced tomatoes. Turn stove top down to medium. Add a lid to your pot and let cook for about 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. Stir occasionally.

*I usually use olive oil but on occasion I will use coconut oil if I want a sweeter effect.

Now about its versatility...

If you follow Eat to Live, like me, you can add 1/2 cup of beans and a tbsp of flax to this meal. I prefer lentils or garbanzo beans. Mostly I use lentils though. I love their flavor!
(I always cook my beans separate. That way I can make sure I am getting the 1/2 cup needed in each serving.)

      If your cooking your lentils separate and want a heartier option, you can cook the lentils
      with a chopped up sweet potato or russet potato and mix that into your ratatouille (if you
      do this, add an additional 1/2 cup water to the lentils when cooking)

You can serve this on a cooked bed of broccoli so that you get more green vegetables into your diet.

After you have cooked the Ratatouille you can turn your serving into a soup by simply adding water. I add peas and broccoli to my Ratatouille when I do this. It makes for a really good soup.

You can add leftover ratatouille into a wrap with hummus and lettuce.

My husband eats his with fried eggs and hot sauce - not so vegan- but he likes it and it saves me from having to cook separate meals.