Aldi Grocery Haul and Meal Prep

Is it possible to follow a healthy whole food plant-based lifestyle while shopping at Aldi? This week I tested it out, buying only ingredients from Aldi and prepping meals for the week. Check out the video to see the haul and find recipes for the meal prep below.

• Spinach Quinoa Tofu Baked Frittata
• Rice and Bean Casserole
• Simple Cabbage Slaw
• Potato Cheesy Sauce
• Easy Guacamole
• Sweet Chili Chickpeas and Broccoli
• Basics:
  • Instant Pot Quinoa
  • Instant Pot Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Spinach Quinoa Tofu Baked Frittata

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 8 ounces frozen spinach
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1½ teaspoon dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
• 28 ounces extra firm tofu (2 containers), drained
• 1 cup water
• Optional: salt or salt substitute to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add everything except the tofu and water to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add the tofu and water to a blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour the blended tofu into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Scoop the mixture into two silicone muffin trays or two 9 inch square baking pans.
6. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the frittata is firm to the touch and slightly golden on top.
7. Serve plain or with, salsa, cheesy sauce, and fresh herbs.

Rice and Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1½ quick cooking brown rice, rinsed
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ⅓ each: red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)
• 5½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1½ teaspoon oregano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add the rice, beans, and veggies to a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish. Stir to combine.
3. In a large measuring cup combine tomato paste with 1½ cups of the water. Whisk until the tomato paste is smooth.
4. Add the spices to the measuring cup and whisk to combine.
5. Add this mixture to the casserole dish along with the remaining 4 cups of water. Carefully stir until everything is uniformly mixed.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until the rice is fully cooked, stirring once or twice during cooking.
7. Serve with cheesy sauce, salsa, guacamole, and simple cabbage slaw.

Simple Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

• 14 ounce bag cabbage slaw mix
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• Juice of 1 or 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to an airtight storage container.
2. Secure the lid and shake to mix.
3. Store in the fridge for 3 days and serve alongside the Rice and Beans Casserole.

Potato Cheesy Sauce

This recipe is a variation of my original cheesy sauce recipe.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced, and steamed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ to ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon stone ground or dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Optional: small handful raw unsalted cashews, soaked; or 1 to 2 tablespoons of PB2 cashew powder
• 2 cups water (more or less as needed to achieve your desired thickness)
• 1 teaspoon salt substitute (I used Stardust by Well Your World)

Directions

1. Add everything to your blender container or food processor. Blend until smooth. It will take about 1 minute in a high powered blender, but may take a couple minutes in a food processor.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve with the Rice and Beans Casserole or the Spinach Quinoa Tofu Frittata.

Easy Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 avocadoes, mashed
• 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
• ¼ red onion
• 1 small jalapeño, chopped
• juice of 1 or 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Serve immediately with Rice and Beans Casserole.
3. You can keep in the fridge for a day or two, but it will oxidize and turn brown on top. I recommend making fresh every couple days for best appearance, but the taste will be ok even if it oxidizes.

Sweet Chili Chickpeas and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 1 head of broccoli florets, chopped
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Sauce Ingredients

• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup rice vinegar
• 6 to 8 medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari (can omit if on a no salt diet)

Directions

1. Add broccoli and chickpeas to a medium pot with a splash of water. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
2. Add all sauce ingredients to a blender. Allow dates to soak for about 15 minutes to ensure they blend fully. You can skip this step if using a high-powered blender.
3. Blend sauce and add to the broccoli and chickpeas after they are done cooking.
4. Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and/or brown rice.

Basics

Instant Pot Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1½ cup water

Directions

1. Add ingredients to a 3 quart Instant Pot, secure the lid.
2. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes and allow a natural release.

Instant Pot Yukon Gold Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Place the trivet in the bottom of a 6 quart Instant Pot
2. Stack the peeled and quartered potatoes on top.
3. Add water and secure lid.
4. Cook at high pressure for 17 minutes with a natural release.
5. Store in the fridge to add to meals throughout the week, or use to make cheesy sauce.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 6 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and ends cut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Lay washed sweet potatoes out on parchment lined baking trays.
3. Bake for 1 hour or until sweet potatoes are soft.