I’m ALLMOST done all my Oh She Glows challenge reviews… wee! It feels like it has been so long hehe, but it really has not (and still working through more leftovers). I still have a chana masala in the freezer, a few crunchy flatbreads and some hummus to work through. Some people have been asking me how I could get through all this food, and my answer is FREEZER! As a student, you really have to use the freezer, as it’s so nice to have a home cooked meal on the go at all times. Really, anyone with a busy life should use the freezer. Here is how I use it:
1. Freeze ingredients, not just meals!
Sometimes, I make a big batch of beans (from dried) and freeze them in medium size mason jars, or freezer friendly ziploc bags. That way, I can throw some in to any soup, dish or make hummus with them. I always do it this way so I’m not making batch after batch. I also make spinach pucks for smoothies (see here) and often jar and freeze individual portions of hummus, soup, stews, and sometimes main meals too (I quite love a good pasta dish!). Other great things to freeze: bananas, tofu, energy bites and bars, herbs and spices, pesto, berries for smoothies, gluten free bread and wraps, avocado (for smoothies) and ginger root.
2. Label!
Okay, I am awful with this but I always like it when I label whatever I freeze, so I remember what it is! You would be surprised how quickly you forget. Nothing worse than defrosting something you think is hummus and turns out to be pumpkin puree or something like that…
3. Take an inventory and clean out periodically
This is a new habit I have gotten in, as I do tend to go freezer overboard and then forget what is in there, as well as having a fun surprise every time we open the door and everything comes tumbling about. I do this every month or so, pull everything out and make a list to put on the fridge. I also make a habit of trying to use whatever I freeze within three months, before it gets freezer burn! That way everything stays super fresh
With those little tips in mind, I’m going to move on to my review! Each of my three recipes reviewed are probably best fresh, but i’m sure components of them you can freeze 😉 Today I review the Oh She Glows Jumbo Chickpea Pancake, the Lemon Dill Tofu with Perfect Kale chips (from the cookbook), and the Taco Fiesta Chips (also from cookbook).
I was so excited to share my review of the Jumbo Chickpea Pancake recipe with you, to show you how I wonder if food bloggers ever ‘cheat’ on their presentations. This is why…. So the pancake was easy enough to make, and had some great toppings thrown in (peppers and green onions to be exact). One thing you really have to be careful of however, is the heat on the pan, and the choice of the pan. It really is just one giant pancake, so you have one shot to flip it and not break it! Mine looked so ready to go, I swear! It was not, it crumbled into a horrible mess in my pan. I was so disheartened but also didn’t want to waste a perfectly good dish. So I puzzle pieced the remnants on my plate and strategically placed all the ingredients on top! Genius! I even forgot it was broken underneath. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t succeed! The add-ons really seal the deal. I would suggest fresh salsa, hummus (perhaps leftover from freezer 😉 ), and cashew sour cream. And well the avocado is a must as well. You can read my entire review here.
I changed up my meal a little bit from what was posted on my week 4 meal plan, I apologize. I will edit that shortly to reflect my changes if you plan to follow along. I realized that vegetable kabobs were a bit tricky to do in spring time, without a proper barbecue, and I didn’t realize how filling the taco fiesta chips are! So I split up the Lemon Dill Tofu with the Kale Chips, instead of the kabobs, and it made more sense. I made this on a wild friday night. My partner was going to order his usual late night pizza, and I really wanted something hearty and almost ‘pub’ inspired. This was my healthy attempt at what I call ‘vegan whole food fish and chips’. The end product was delightful, and with a Sriracha ketchup dipping sauce, it made me almost not wish I had fish and chips. The only thing was the smell of the lemon dill tofu was a bit intense. And maybe the green colour may scare newly whole food eaters… I really enjoyed the smell but I know it probably isn’t for everyone. The kale chips i’ve made before, but they have become a staple as Angela has really perfected the directions. You can see my full review here.
My last review today is of the Taco Fiesta chips, found in the Oh She Glows cookbook. WOW WOW WOW! I really enjoyed this one… so unique and flavourful. When I initially tried the walnut meat on it’s own, I was worried it was going to be too crunchy as a ‘faux meat’. I was wrong, it pairs so well with the slightly crunchy potatoes, and the soft cashew cream and hearty salsa. The one thing I would modify for next time, to add arrowroot powder in to the sliced potatoes, which is used in the hash brown recipe (reviewed here). I feel like it would take the crisps over the edge! Huge points on this one, I am so excited to make it for my next foodie gathering, it will for sure be a crowd pleaser. Full review found here.
I am going to wrap up the rest of the recipe reviews in my next post, and then do a FULL wrap up and share my favourite recipe of the challenge. Stay tuned, I have so many tricks up my sleeve!
xo Hannah