Get That Bread

Your week’s about to get a whole lot tastier.

If you’re new here, continue reading and we’ll get you in the kitchen wrist twistin’ like it’s nothing. 🍳

The recipes are listed in order from quickest to longest preparation time. Feel free to modify these recipes to your liking! 

Note: Food usually stays fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I like to cook one or two meals over the weekend so I’m not overwhelmed. Then, I cook another one or two from Monday-Wednesday so I will have another set of fresh food that will last me to the weekend. 

Quick Whip Ups

1: Chocolate Date Smoothie 🍫 (5 minutes)

This smoothie tastes like dessert, and it is packed with fiber & antioxidants, yippee!

Ingredients: 

1. 3/4 cup coconut milk or regular

2. 1 banana

3. 3 dates, pitted (I like Medjool dates) 

4. 1 tbsp cocoa powder

5. 4-5 walnuts

6. 1 tbsp almond butter (I prefer chocolate almond butter) 

7. 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder (optional) 

8. 1 tbsp of chia seed (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Add ice cubes if a thicker consistency is desired. 

3. Double the recipe if you want to keep it in the fridge for a few days!

Serving: 1-2

Cost per serving: ~$4.00

2. Hummus Toast 🍞 (5 minutes)

This is a recipe I threw together when I was low on groceries, so get scrappy with it!

Ingredients: 

1. One slice of sourdough bread

2. Hummus

3. Feta cheese crumbles 

4. Olive oil

5. Any seasonings such as salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Tajin

6. Anything else in your fridge or pantry that may taste good!

Instructions:

1. Toast your bread for about 2 minutes or until crispy. 

2. Spread a hefty amount of hummus on your toast. 

3. Add your seasoning, cheese, and other desired ingredients.

4. Drizzle your olive oil on top.

5. Enjoy!

Servings: 1

Cost per serving: ~$2.50

3. Breakfast Quesadillas 🧀 (10 minutes)

Ingredients:

1. Two eggs 

2. Tortillas of choice

3. Cheese of choice

4. Seasonings: salt, pepper, dried thyme, chili flakes

5. Add any other ingredients such as avocado, veggies, arugula, sauces, etc. that you may like.

Note: This makes one tortilla. Make as many as you like to save for later!

Instructions:

1. Add your two eggs and seasoning to a bowl, and whisk together

2. Pour your eggs and seasonings into a pan on the stove at medium heat.

3. Add a tortilla on top of the eggs.

4. Once you can raise the edge of the egg from the pan, it is ready to flip.

5. Add the cheese of your choice once you have flipped your tortilla to the side where the egg is faced up. 

6. Fold your tortilla in half and cook until the tortilla gets crispy. 

7. Flip your tortilla to the other side and cook until the tortilla gets crispy.

8. Remove from the pan and cut into three pieces. 

9. Enjoy!

Servings: 1

Cost per serving: ~$1.50

Full Meals:

1. Three Ingredient Ramen 🍜 (10 minutes) 

This is glorified gas station ramen

Ingredients:

1. One pack of uncooked ramen 

2. 1 tablespoon tahini

3. 1 tablespoon chili oil, or Tajin seasoning

Instructions:

1. Cook your ramen with the package instructions and the seasonings in the package.

2. In a bowl (big enough to fit the ramen), add your tahini and chili oil.

3. Once your ramen is cooked, add a little bit of the ramen water from your pot to the tahini and chili oil bowl and stir together. 

4. Add your cooked ramen to the bowl and mix everything. 

5. Drizzle a bit more chili oil on top and enjoy! 

Buy a whole pack of ramen to easily multiply this recipe to store in the fridge.

Servings: 1

Cost per serving: ~$1.00

Courtesy of @chefroncooks

2. Beef & Rice Skillet 🍲 (5 minute prep time, 22 minute cook time)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 onion, diced

2. 1 lb. ground beef

3. 15 oz diced tomatoes, canned

4. 3/4 cup white rice

5. 2 cups beef broth

6. 1 tsp dried oregano

7. 1 tsp garlic salt

8. 1/2 tsp dried basil

9. 1/2 tsp pepper

10. 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Take a large skillet and throw in your ground beef, separating it with your spoon or spatula into smaller pieces  

2. Add your onion.

3. On medium to high heat, cook the ground beef until uniformly brown with no pink showing. Drain any excess fat. 

4. Return your skillet to the stove and add in the tomatoes, rice, beef broth, oregano, garlic salt, basil and pepper. Stir until combined and bring to a light boil.

5. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook until rice is tender (about 17 minutes).

6. Once the rice is done, top it with mozzarella cheese. 

7. Cover with the lid for about 3 minutes to let the cheese melt. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. 

8. Store leftovers for the week and enjoy!

Servings: 6

Cost per serving: ~$3.00

Courtesy of iwashyoudry.com

3. Crispy Black Bean Tacos 🌮 (~30 minutes) 

Ingredients:

1. Avocado or olive oil for cooking

2. ½ medium onion

3. 4 cloves of garlic 

4. 1 tsp smoked paprika

5. ½ tsp ground coriander

6. ½ tsp dry oregano 

7. ¼ tsp dry thyme 

8. Two, 15 oz cans of black beans 

9. ½ cup vegetable broth 

10. 8-10 corn tortillas

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Finely chop your onion and mince your garlic.

3. Take a medium-sized pan and turn on your stove to medium heat. 

4. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.

5. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion begins to look softer.

6. Stir in the garlic and sauté until you can smell the garlic strongly.

7. Sprinkle in the seasonings (paprika, coriander, oregano, and thyme) and stir. 

8. Add the black beans and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

9. Pour in the vegetable broth and lightly mash the beans using the back of whatever you are mixing with until the ingredients and beans start to adhere to each other. 

10. Once this happens, turn off the heat. 

11. Take your desired number of tortillas and microwave them inside a damp paper towel for about 15-30 seconds to add moisture to them. 

12. Take a baking sheet and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of your oil and brush it around to coat your sheet. 

13. Once microwaved, take your tortillas and place them on the baking sheet. Flip them over so both sides can become greased from the oil. 

14. For each tortilla, spread about 2-3 tablespoons of your mashed black beans over half the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half to form a taco. 

15. Place the tacos in the oven and bake for 8 minutes or until the tops are crispy. 

16. Once crispy, flip each taco and bake the other sides for about 8 minutes or until crispy. 

17. Remove your tacos from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. 

18. Enjoy them with a sauce to dip in or any toppings (Cilantro lime sauce, sour cream, salsa, etc.)!

19. Store leftovers in your fridge.

Servings: 4-5

Cost per serving: ~$5.50

Courtesy of @plantbasedrd

Sweet Treat!!

Protein Oreo Pudding 🍮 (12 minutes)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of milk 

2. 2 servings of whey or protein powder 

3. 1 package of sugar free Jello pudding mix

4. Oreos

Instructions:

1. Mix your milk, whey/protein powder, and Jello pudding mix into a bowl.

2. Whisk for two minutes.

3. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for 8-10 minutes.

4. Add crushed Oreos if desired and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Cost per serving: ~$4.00

Snack of the Week 🍿

• If you bought ingredients for the chocolate date smoothie, then you can make a yummy snack with leftover ingredients! Whenever I want something sweet, but filling, I will take the walnuts and dip them in the chocolate almond butter. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and so much more!

Tips: 

• Make cooking a fun and relaxing ritual. Thrown on some tunes or your favorite podcast. Here are some of my favs I listened to while cooking this week: 

  • “Miss You” - The Rolling Stones

    https://open.spotify.com/track/3hJLKtTpgct9Y9wKww0BiR?si=17682214c8b74558

  • “All Around You” - Sturgill Simpson

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2su9lOnI21rEmHdBcWjM2B?si=ff39ce4d8a5d4cb7

  • “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” - Otis Redding

    https://open.spotify.com/track/3zBhihYUHBmGd2bcQIobrF?si=3cbbce6f35d945b9

• Even if meal prepping isn't your cup of tea, set a goal to try one recipe a week. You’ll see how convenient it becomes to have ready-to-eat meals in your fridge or quick recipes for busy days. 

Reminder:

Americans can save an average of $10 per meal by choosing to cook at home rather than ordering takeout. Nutrition Coaching suggests that opting for home-cooked meals can lead to annual savings exceeding $13,000 compared to dining out.

Sometimes, cooking each week doesn’t fit into your schedule. That’s totally fine! This newsletter is here to guide you toward gradually saving money and fueling a healthier lifestyle. So, let’s stay fueled and get that bread!

Thank you for checking in! Share with your cooking buddies 🧑‍🍳