What We Eat In A Week - Episode 028

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My favorite meals we cooked at home this week were ceviche de soya (my favorite way to veganize ceviche), Impossible Cheezy Crispy Jalapeño Burgers, Udon soup, homemade poke bowls, and a scrumptious ciabatta sandwich.

We also enjoyed an immaculate brunch at The Wild Chive in Long Beach with our friends along with our favorite vegan Mexican restaurant El Cocinero In Van Nuys!

We hope you enjoy it!

Thursday, June 24th

Breakfast - Protein Shake + Bagel w/ Treeline’s Chive & Onion Plant-Based Cream Cheese

I made Fahim’s breakfast first. I sliced and toasted a Trader Joe’s everything bagel, then topped it with Treeline’s Chive & Onion Plant-Based Cream Cheese.

Next, I made myself a protein shake for breakfast. I used Shaklee’s Soy Protein Life Energizing Shake Café Latte flavor, almond milk, and a handful of frozen strawberries. I topped the top of the shake with cinnamon.

Usually, we eat the same thing but this morning I was craving a protein shake. This protein powder that my mom has used for years is the only protein shake I’ve had that actually tastes good!

Lunch - Udon Noodle Soup

I used Fortune Mushroom Flavor Udon from Grocery Outlet. First I added two cups of water into two separate saucepans. Then I added the mushroom powder that’s in the packet.

I like to add more to the broth so this time I added sesame oil, chili oil, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and frozen corn. While the noodles were cooking in the broth, I steamed some bok choy and spinach. Lastly, I poured the udon noodle soup into bowls and topped them with bok choy, spinach, crispy jalapeños, drizzled sriracha, and seaweed flakes (on my bowl only).

This udon noodle soup is always so lovely and satisfying!

Snack - Lychees + Apricots

We snacked on some lychees from 99 Ranch Market and apricots from Grocery Outlet.

If you haven’t tried lychees, I don’t know how to describe the taste. What I can say is that they’re so juicy and sweet, and we eat as many as we can during the summer because they’re only in season for a short time!

Surprisingly this is the first time I’ve tried apricots, they’re so good!

Dinner - Ceviche De Soya

I used an entire 16oz bag of textured soy protein. I get the soya at our local Mexican market.

First I brought some salted water to a boil and added the textured soy protein. I mixed it around for a couple of minutes until the soy had “puffed up,” then took it off the heat and drained it to put in the fridge to cool down (the colder the better!)

Once it cooled down a bit, I cut up 2 bags of limes & squeezed all the juice into the soya, mixing until well-combined.

I put the soya back in the fridge to stay cold while I washed and prepped the veggies. I chopped 1 bunch of cilantro, half a red onion, 1+ 1/2 cucumber, and 2 big tomatoes. Then I add the diced veggies into the soya. You can add salt, pepper, and some chile de árbol powder for more spice!

I like to eat ceviche de soya with some tostadas & topped with avocado & tapatío. This is my favorite way to veganize ceviche! It’s amazing, and tastes even better the next day when it’s left in the fridge overnight.

Dessert - Coconut Bliss Chocolate Hazelnut Decadence

We tried this ice cream we found at Grocery Outlet. Fahim scooped the ice cream into vegan-friendly Joy Sugar Cones for us. We enjoyed this flavor so much! It didn’t have a strong coconut aftertaste (a plus!) unlike most coconut ice creams.

Late night snack - Quesadillas

I got a little hungry later in the night and was craving quesadillas. I quickly made them using tortillas de maize and Vevan Foods Pepperjack Shreds. These shreds are so good and so melty!

Friday, June 25th

Breakfast - Masala Paratha + Mosaic Foods Yellow Dal Curry

I heated up the Masala Partha’s (Indian flatbread with herbs & spices) on the comal. While I heated those up I also put a box of Mosiac Food’s yellow dal curry to heat up in the microwave. This breakfast was quick to make and very filling.

Snack - Nectarines + Apricots

We snacked on some nectarines and apricots.

Dessert - Trader Joe’s Cookies & Creme Vanilla Bean Bon Bons

We had some of Trader Joe’s Cookies & Creme Bon Bons which we honestly can’t get enough of. I appreciate that they have bigger cookie crumbles than most cookies & creme ice creams. We would recommend trying these out while they last!

Lunch - Ceviche De Soya + Avocado

Another thing I love about making ceviche de soya is that there’s always plenty of leftovers! I made us tostadas with the ceviche. Then I served our plates with more ceviche and avocado and we broke the tostadas and would use them as spoons.

Dinner - Impossible Cheezy Crispy Jalapeño Burgers + Trader Joe’s Handsome Cut Potato Fries

First I cooked Impossible Foods, Patty, with lime juice, a version of Lawry’s from Cardenas, and black pepper. Once one side of the patty was cooked I flipped it lowered the heat, topped the patty with Vevan Foods Mozzarella Slices, and covered it until the other side of the patty cooked and the slices melted.

While I was making the burgers, Fahim air-fried half a bag of Trader Joe’s Frozen Handsome Cut Potato Fries at 400°F for 10 minutes.

After the burgers were done, I toasted a couple of sesame buns from Costco and spread Follow Your Heart’s Thousand Island sauce over top. I topped off the burger with crispy jalapeños, sliced tomato, pickles, and spinach. This burger was incredible!

Saturday, June 26th

Breakfast - Protein Shakes

I made us both a protein shake for breakfast this morning. I used Shaklee’s Soy Protein Life Energizing Shake Café Latte flavor, almond milk, a couple of frozen strawberries, and a handful of frozen blueberries. I topped the top of the shake with cinnamon. Fahim also approved of this protein shake, he was so surprised when he tried it!

Lunch - Ceviche De Soya

We ate the last of the ceviche de soya along with some tostadas on the side! (Plus tapatío over top).

Snacks - Nectarines + Lychee Coconut Jelly

We snacked on some nectarines and lychee coconut jellies we got from 99 Ranch Market. These jellies are the best! Fahim grew up eating them and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since the first time I tried them. We like to keep them in the fridge and reuse the container.

Dinner - Leftover Madras Curry + Rice + Lentils

First, we made lentils by following this recipe. We had to make a few small changes because we were short on some ingredients. Instead of fresh ginger, I used powdered ginger, and instead of fresh green chiles, I used dry chile de Arbol. The recipe also called for a whole tomato but since we only had half of one left, I just used that.

The recipe says it’s for a pressure cooker but since we don’t have one I just cooked it like I normally do on the stovetop. Once the lentils were done cooking I heated up leftover Madras Curry and rice. I served the lentils over the rice. I heated up a leftover pita bread we had too, making for a flavorful and hearty meal!

Sunday, June 27th

Breakfast - Belvita Breakfast Biscuits

We each had a couple of Belvita Breakfast Biscuits on our drive over to The Wild Chive for brunch with friends.

Brunch - Breakfast Skillet + Chili w/ Cornbread Waffles + Beignets from The Wild Chive

We had brunch at The Wild Chive with our friends and everything was just as good as we expected! It’s safe to say we would all rate it a 10/10.

The first time Fahim and I tried The Wild Chive was at their pop-up in a Farmers Market back in 2018 so we were excited to have their food again and see their new restaurant! We ordered 2 Vietnamese coffees, a mimosa for me, a Wendy’s Breakfast Skillet, and a Waffelito.

These waffles are cornbread waffles, a little sweet but paired well with the chili!

Yes, I felt like every dish needed its moment to shine. This skillet was next level anything with potatoes and gravy is my jam!

We all shared their glorious Beignets before we left. This was my first time having Beignets and they didn't disappoint!

Dinner - Vegan Al Pastor, Chicharrón, and Asada Tacos + Birria Tacos w/ Consome + flan from El Cocinero

After brunch, we went to the beach and started getting hungry after a bit. We all decided to go to El Cocinero for dinner because their vegan Mexican street food is truly the best! It was also their 1 year anniversary so they had a mariachi outside for everyone in line to enjoy.

We ordered the following: 6 tacos (2 Al Pastor, 2 Chicharrón, and 2 Asada), Birria tacos with consomé, 2 Al’s Special Burritos (1st burrito with Al Pastor, Chicharrón, and Asada) (2nd burrito with mushroom saudero, chick’n, and jackfruit Carnitas), 2 Aguas de jamaica (hibiscus), and flan. We saved the burritos for lunch the next day and ate the rest outside with our friends.

Snack - Apricots

When we got home we snacked on a couple of apricots.

Monday, June 28th

Breakfast - Leftover food from The Wild Chive

We heated up the leftovers from brunch the day before. The food at The Wild Chive is so filling!

Lunch - Al’s Special Burritos from El Cocinero

We heated up the burritos from El Cocinero to have for lunch. (I did have to take my meds because they have beans but it was worth it). These burritos are heavenly and incredibly filling!

Dinner - Paldo Kimchi King Bowl

We had our absolute favorite kimchi noodle bowl for dinner, you can find these at Costco!

Tuesday, June 29th

Breakfast - Smoothie

I made us a smoothie for breakfast. For the base, I used Wawona’s Frozen Daybreak Blend and Frozen Pitaya (Dragonfruit) from Costco. Then I added Peanut butter, chia seeds, moringa powder, and Earthly Choice’s Espresso Maca Mulberry Powder. For the liquid portion, I used Suja’s Mighty Dozen green juice. This was so tasty! I love making smoothies during the summer.

Lunch - Trader Joe’s Vegan Ranch Crunch Salad Kit + Gardein’s Ultimate Chick’n Nuggets

I made us a quick lunch this day. First, I put together Trader Joe’s Vegan Ranch Crunch Salad Kit. Next, I air-fried Gardein’s Ultimate Chick’n Nuggets to have on the side.

We used Follow Your Heart’s Thousand Island sauce as a dip for the chick’n nuggets. Trader Joe’s new vegan salad kits are great for quick meals. If you miss crispy chick’n nuggets or tenders we cant recommend Gardein’s New Ultimate Chick’n line enough! (p.s. we find it best to air-fry them)!

Dinner - Vegan Quesabirria Tacos + Quesadillas

First, I heated up the leftover consomé from El Cocinero. Next, I heated up 3 flour tortillas and filled the inside with Vevan Foods Pepperjack shreds, and scooped some birria out from the consomé to put inside the quesadillas. I also added the Pepperjack shreds into the 3 leftover birria tacos from El Cocinero and heated them up until the shreds melted. Lastly, I plated everything and we used the consomé to dip the tacos and quesadillas into. This was delicious!

Wednesday, June 30th

Breakfast - Homemade Vegan Poke Bowls

First, I air-fried frozen tofu at 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time. In the meantime, I started cooking frozen corn in a lightly oiled pan. Once the tofu was done, I finished cooking it in the same pan I’d used for the corn. I added some garlic powder, hoisin sauce, and Szechwan sauce to the tofu along with a little bit of veggie broth and cooked it until the sauce evaporated (about 5 minutes). Next, I heated up about 2 cups of rice and evenly divided them into two bowls.

While I did all of that I also diced half a cucumber, avocado, and minced cilantro, and took out the seaweed salad we got from Costco. Lastly, I placed all the toppings onto the rice and drizzled the bowls with tamari, sesame oil, chili oil, rice wine vinegar. I also topped the bowls with chili flakes. This was so good! I couldn’t believe I made it, it tasted even better than the poke we get from outside. :)

Lunch - Aloo Paratha (Indian bread stuffed with potato, herbs & spices) + Lentils

First, I heated up leftover lentil soup. Next, I heated up some Aloo Paratha on the comal until both sides were golden brown. This is truly the perfect combo.

Dinner - Cheezy Ciabatta Sandwiches + Trader Joe’s Handsome Cut Fries

First, I air-fried Trader Joe’s fries at 400°F for 10 minutes and cooked Sweet Earth’s Traditional Seitan Slices in an oiled pan.

Then, I spread Follow Your Hearts Veganaise on Trader Joe’s Everything Ciabatta Rolls along with Sriracha. I topped one side of the ciabatta with Vevan Foods Mozzarella slices and the other side with Vevan Foods Pepperjack shreds and air-fried the ciabatta at 370°F for 2 minutes.

While I waited for the buns, I got the toppings ready — spinach, sliced tomato, and cucumber. I assembled everything into a sandwich and served it with the fries. This was so satisfying and 10/10 would recommend!

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this episode or one of our meals share your thoughts with us and leave a comment below! Don’t forget to also subscribe to get new posts sent directly to your email inbox every Thursday! Wishing you all a wonderful start to July <3 See you next time :)

-Mariana & Fahim