Oh, for forks sake: Easy recipes I'm loving

My studio apartment was pretty great, except for a few things. My teensy weensy kitchen was probably up there on that list. I definitely wouldn't say that I love cooking, but I feel that preparing healthy food is both important for your wellness and your budget.

So, with both very minimal fridge space (yes, it was a literal mini-fridge) and sparse counter space, cooking wasn't exactly my favorite thing in the world. However, I did have some go-to recipes that served me quite well!

Mexican Bean Salad

Pictured above, I made this salad loosely based on the linked recipe from My Life Cookbook. Cold salads were great for taking to school with me, and I loved having this on the side of a cheese quesadilla.

From Damn Delicious

One-Pot Mexican Quinoa

Loooove this recipe by Damn Delicious! So easy to make and it's really yummy. Quinoa is a grain, it's high in protein, and it's so easy to cook. Definitely makes a great base for this awesome recipe.

From The Cookie Rookie

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

I tend to eat vegetarian, if you couldn't tell. I'm not the biggest fan of cooking meat, I didn't have a ton of room in my mini-fridge, and (maybe this is a false assumption) I feel like non-meat recipes just cook faster. And time is of the essence in PA school! Asparagus is great in the summer, so this was a delicious recipe to take advantage of fresh asparagus.

What else have I been eating?

Sauted garlic mushrooms and spinach on toast with hummus
Veggie stir fry (gotta have those little baby corns!)
Fresh salads (sliced almonds + chickpeas + dried cranberries + feta = my favorite)
"Snack packs" -- this is basically when I just pack a slew of healthy snacks foods for my lunch (cut veggies, homemade trail mix, cut apple with PB, low-sugar yogurt, etc).

I also have a good breakfast every day. I get up early (5/5:30am) to study before class, so I eat a pretty big breakfast AND have a snack before lab to get me through until I eat lunch at about 1:00pm. Breakfast can be eggs and toast, toast with PB and bananas and cinnamon, oatmeal with fresh fruit, or breakfast tacos. YUM!

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