I’ve never really entertained the idea of having guest posts here on BTD until recently. After I started branching out into new and different content verticals such as food, home, and fitness, it seemed fitting to at least get input from other people who are more “expert” in said category. I love sharing MY life here with y’all on the blog and MY experiences with certain things, but I also feel like there’s a wealth of knowledge that I could share with you by way of other people too – and letting them speak to y’all as well. I know it’s new and different, but let’s just try it out and see how it goes? Will you let me know in the comments if this is something that bothers you or if you’d be open to hearing from other people (in addition to this post) as well? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

As I’m sure you’ve probably picked up on by now, I’m no expert when it comes to all things food, nutrition, and cooking and talked about how I had to get a lot of help from my friend Taylor back when I did the BTD Meal Plan earlier this year. After showing a bit of interest in learning more about food, I heard from sweet Sonja from A Could Cooks Blog, encouraging me for venturing out and wanting to learn more about the whole world of trying to eat better and live a healthier life. We went back and forth about ways to work together and decided that a little guest post would be the easiest way to join forces and share value with y’all. I’m excited to hear what you think and if this is something you’d be interested in seeing more of in the future!

I’ll let Sonja take over from here! xo, B

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When people find out my husband Alex and I went from eating fast and frozen food to cooking on the regular in a matter of months, they ask, “How did you do it? What’s your secret?”

Turns out there is no secret. Seriously! We didn’t read 1 million books or go to culinary school. All we did was start trying recipes. We found the ones that were delicious, vegetable-centric, and approachable, and we ditched the ones that weren’t.

Also: we stayed in the game. When we tried recipes we didn’t like, or didn’t know how to do something, or the recipe didn’t turn out, we just kept trying other recipes, finding what suited our tastebuds and lifestyle. And good news: we’ve been able to find tons of recipes AND carve out time in our busy lives to cook. I’m a working mama of a 3 month old, but even before that when our lives were just as full, Alex and I decided that cooking healthy meals is a priority. The past 10 years for us has been an experiment of finding the recipes we want to invest our precious time in.

We connected with Brighton over her interest in our passion: finding an approachable way to fit nourishing food into your lifestyle!. Here, we’re sharing the closest to a “secret” that we have: 10 recipes we’ve found are easy and delicious enough to fit into our everyday.

10 Vegetarian Recipes for Your Busy Life

1. Toasted Oatmeal – This looks like oatmeal, but it tastes like heaven — literally. It’s our take on our friend Megan’s method from her book, Whole Grain Mornings. The oats are toasted briefly before cooking, and then cooked gently to yield a chewy bowl of oats where the grains keep their shape. Super delicious and easy, it can easily be made vegan using coconut oil and almond milk. Top it with berries or chopped nuts. If you don’t have time to make it in the morning, make up a big batch and refrigerate it for meals throughout the week.
   
   
2. Eggs with Chives – We’re a simple breakfast sort of folk, so on the weekdays it’s usually whole grain peanut butter toast (something that doesn’t require a recipe!). But if you’re looking for something more substantial, these eggs take literally 5 minutes and a few ingredients: a handful of chives (blossoms not required), eggs and olive oil. They’re so simple, yet so flavorful.
   
   
3. Tart Cherry Post Workout Protein Bowl – For a breakfast or mid-morning snack, we created this yogurt bowl that also doubles as a dose of post-workout protein. Mixing maple syrup to taste into your Greek yogurt cuts the added sweeteners and flavorings in purchased yogurts. We’ve topped it with protein-packed nuts and seeds and dried tart cherries for maximum flavor.
   
4. Very Verde Dip – This is one of those recipes that everyone asks for the recipe after we serve it! It’s simple to whip up and a healthy alternative to most dips due to the main ingredient: green peas. Use this for all your dipping cravings.
   
5. Chocolate Hummus – And use this for all your sweet cravings! When I first made this for my husband Alex, he was skeptical: until he took a bite. Cocoa powder and maple syrup make this hummus taste chocolatey without actual chocolate, making it a perfect dip for fruit and pretzels.
   
6. Mediterranean Loaded Veggie Sandwich – I like this recipe because it’s more of a concept. We’ve used kale pesto white bean dip as our filling, which you can easily whip up in a food processor — or just use purchased hummus. Slather it on whole grain or gluten-free bread, top with sliced red onion, lettuce, carrots, and a sprinkling of feta cheese, and you’ve got a nourishing sandwich in no time.
   
7. Orecchiette with Roasted Asparagus and Feta – We recently came across a study that in moderation, pasta can actually help you lose weight. When we’re looking for a simple weeknight meal, pasta is a great go-to. Here we’ve roasted asparagus and combined it with pasta, lemon, and feta. The concept works for any vegetable, so feel free to get creative. In about 20 minutes, you’ve got dinner on the table — and use the cooking time to whip up a simple salad. (If you have 5 extra minutes, whip up this homemade salad dressing.)
   
8. BBQ Tacos with Pineapple Salsa – These are our new favorite tacos to make: not only are they super flavorful combining sweet, savory, and tart flavors, they’re also vegan and very quick to whip up. About 20 minutes of stress free cooking can  result in a filling, plant-based main dish.
   
9. Thai Curry Naan Pizza  – Naan pizza is another one of our lifesavers. It’s super customizable to what you have on hand, and takes no time at all. We pre-bake our naan to get it crispy, then load it with toppings. This particular pizza uses curry paste in the red sauce, and then red pepper, green onions, cashews and cilantro to mimic a Thai curry.
   
   
10. Bliss Bites – This recipe is one of the most popular on our site, and for good reason: these little bites are healthy and easy to whip up. Essentially a no-bake Reece’s peanut butter cup, they’re made with oats, maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and peanut butter. Make them on a weekend afternoon and store them in the freezer for when a sweet craving comes along!

And that’s a wrap!

If you’re interested in all things food or would like to say hello, we’d love to connect with you! Send us a note at the contact info on our website, acouplecooks.com, or head over to Instagram.