Live, Eat and Learn with Sarah Bond

Usually, by the end of a long day of cooking for the blog, I’m not in the mood to cook dinner! So to help make dinner thoughtless and easy during the week, we plan out our meals on Sunday and do all the grocery shopping on the weekend.

We’ll usually eat a big salad filled with whatever spare veggies are in the fridge, paired with some sort of protein (like crispy tofu for me and chicken for him)!

I’m all about mise en place, meaning I get all my ingredients prepped and cut before I start cooking. It makes prep work easier (I can just put on a good podcast and cut veggies for a few minutes), and cooking becomes faster and less messy.

We don’t strictly meal plan, but we do have an idea of what we’ll be eating every night when we do groceries on Sunday.

Eggs - Eggs have a way of making anything a meal. I love to mix scrambled eggs into rice for quick fried rice or drop it into a bowl of ramen for a punch of protein.

Salt - Adding just a pinch of salt can enhance both savory and sweet flavors. I rarely make a recipe without it!

Greek Yogurt - Plain Greek yogurt is a great substitute in most cases where you would use heavy cream or sour cream. I love it in soups, on toast (with olive oil and salt), and in smoothies!

Smoked Paprika - This is my favorite spice and I use it almost every day. It adds a rich flavor to recipes that I can’t get enough of.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Not only is it a healthy option, but I love the flavor it brings to my food.

We have our groceries delivered! Living in the Netherlands, real estate is pretty expensive, so there is a startup company here that cuts the cost of having a physical grocery store and just brings it to your door. We can grocery shop from the couch (and are less inclined to make those hunger-fueled impulse purchases)!

I cook for my blog during the day, so I’m usually nibbling on recipes that I’m cooking. Because of this, I’ve cut back on breakfast and lunch - combining them into a small meal at around 10:30. We then sit down for a proper dinner in the evening.

Up until last year, I would have said 10 without a shadow of a doubt. But I’ve been trying to eat more consciously recently, and have realized that my body isn’t truly hungry until around 10:30.

• Cut cinnamon rolls (and other soft dough) with dental floss.


• If you have contact lenses, wear them while cutting onions to prevent yourself from crying.
  


• Don’t overcrowd the pan!
  


• Add enough salt to your pasta water (it should taste like the ocean).
  


• Vegetables are almost always tastier when you roast them (and will preserve more nutrients than if you were to boil them).
  

Healthy(ish) vegetarian food that’s easy to make and full of flavor.