EASY MEAL SOLUTIONS FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL WITH LIFESTYLE EXPERT MANDY LANDEFELD

The Founder of Sumptuous Living Mandy Landefeld Provides Tips and Recipes to Feed Your Family for the School Year  

Another school year is almost here, so it’s time to get ready with some easy meal solutions from Lifestye Expert Mandy Landefeld, founder of the popular Sumptuous Living blog.  Mandy has a recipe index for insanely flavorful but simple dishes to serve at any time of day that are perfect for busy families.  This mother-of-three will share breakfast tips and quick dinner meals every mom and dad will appreciate.  Discover why Mandy is passionate about making the everyday easier. Her motto is, “you can have it all and not lose your mind in the process!”

SOME EASY MEAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY
I recently discovered JUST Egg, a sustainable, nutritious, protein-packed product made from mung beans that tastes and cooks like an egg! JUST Egg is also free of antibiotics, cholesterol, dairy and gluten. Here I’ve used JUST Egg to make a healthy breakfast wrap but it’s also a versatile, easy dinner option, in Fried Rice. JUST Egg will be available at select grocery retailers nationwide, including Fresh Thyme, Sprouts, and coming soon to Jet.com. To bring JUST Egg to your favorite local grocery store or restaurant, visit www.justforall.com

Breakfast Tacos

Serves 4-6
Ingredients
6 6-inch tortillas, corn or wheat
1 cup Just Egg
1 cup chorizo or soyrizo sausage
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 avocados, sliced or cubed
¼ cup cilantro, chopped roughly
¾ cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo
Hot sauce (optional)

1. Prepare the toppings – Chop the cabbage, avocado, and cilantro as directed. Set each ingredient out in separate bowls or on a tray for your taco building station.

2. Cook the chorizo – Cook the chorizo as directed in a non-stick skillet, then set aside on a place lined with paper towels.

3. Scramble the egg – In the same skillet, scramble the Just Egg over medium-low heat until just cooked through, breaking up with a stiff spatula. Add the scramble to the line-up of toppings.

4. Build the tacos – Warm the tortillas, then fill them with desired amount of each topping. Serve immediately.

Fried Rice

Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
2 shallots, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup peas (fresh or frozen)
½ cup diced carrots (fresh or frozen)
½ cup Just Egg
4 cups cooked, cold white jasmine rice (store-bought, frozen rice works well)
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 green onions, sliced thin

1. Heat the pan – Preheat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok, or just a large heavy skillet, over medium-high heat.

2. Stir-fry the vegetables – Add the shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, peas, and carrot. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender, transfer to a plate on the side.

3. Scramble the egg – Turn the heat down to medium, add the Just Egg and scramble it, preferably with a small, stiff spatula. Once the egg cooked through, toss in the second tablespoon of oil and the cold rice, and mix until the rice is coated with the oil.

4. Stir-fry everything together – Once the rice is coated, add in the cooked veggies, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir-fry everything together until heated through. Taste for soy sauce and garnish with sliced green onions.

ONE OF YOUR TOP SUGGESTIONS FOR AN EASY MEAL SOLUTION
I like to start with seafood, because, frankly, Americans aren’t eating enough of it, even though the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating 2 to 3 servings of seafood each week!  My best tip is to make seafood part of your back-to-school routine with Bumble Bee’s canned and pouched seafood for at home or on the go.  Bumble Bee’s Seasoned Tuna Pouches conveniently include a spoon for immediate, on-the-go snacking straight from the pouch. My favorite is the Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil flavor and it’s perfect for busy schedules or an easy on-the-go snack for school. I also love using Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore to enhance any recipe, like this Tuna Zoodle Casserole for a quick weeknight dinner or this No-mayo Tuna Avocado Salad Sandwich for a school lunch. Seafood offers a wealth of nutritional benefits for the whole family, including protein and important vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, iron and selenium. While fish can sometimes be intimidating to prepare, canned and pouched seafood from Bumble Bee is immediately ready to be enjoyed or added to any meal. For more infomation and recipes, visit  www.bumblebee.com

Tuna Zoodle Casserole

A classic dish gets a modern makeover with this dish where zucchini is sliced into noodle shapes and used in place of traditional pasta. The creative swap lightens up the dish and adds fiber and flavor.
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cans or pouches (5 oz) BUMBLE BEE® Solid White Albacore in Water, drained
  • 2 small zucchini
  • 1/2 cup rice flour (or whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut stem and bottom end off the squash. Using a mandolin with a julienne blade, or a vegetable spiralizer, create noodles out of squash. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on rice flour and parmesan, tossing to coat noodles. Add the cheddar cheese, mushrooms, peas, salt, thyme, carrots, garlic, and tuna and toss to evenly distribute all Ingredients throughout the squash noodles. Coat a 9″ x 4″ height casserole pan with the olive oil, and place the noodle mixture into it. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool at room temp for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

No-mayo Tuna Avocado Salad

The classic flavor of your favorite tuna salad, with a healthy twist. You’ll never miss the mayo in this flavorful salad, thanks to creamy avocado and tangy Greek yogurt.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients

  • 1 can (5 oz) BUMBLE BEE® Solid White Albacore in Water, drained
  • 3 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons mashed avocado
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped celery
  • 4 slices whole grain sandwich bread
  • 2 large leaves lettuce
  • 4 medium slices tomato

Directions

Mix the yogurt, avocado, mustard, garlic powder, and pepper together until well combined. Flake the tuna with a fork and stir the pieces into the yogurt mixture until fully coated. Gently stir in the onion and celery. Serve half of the tuna mixture on each of two slices of whole grain bread. Top each with a leaf of lettuce, two slices of tomato, and another slice of bread.

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR AN EASY SWEET TREAT
These perfectly portioned Betty Crocker Mug Treats. They come in eight flavors with toppings included and are the perfect indulgence for busy moms. A box of four mixes with toppings is just under $3.  All it takes is one mug, a microwave and about a minute and mom can take her own timeout as she enjoys flavors such as Triple Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting, Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and more. For more information, visit www.bettycrocker.com/products/betty-crocker-mug-treats

HOT NEW BEVERAGE TRENDS
A new beverage option is VitaCup vitamin infused coffee and tea pods. They provide a delicious and convenient way to get more essential vitamins to support energy, mood, metabolism, immunity, and more! And there are so many flavors to choose from, including their most popular, the Genius Blend, which is an antioxidant-rich medium roast infused with MCT, Turmeric, and Cinnamon.  The VitaCup pods are Keurig-compatible and are made with high-quality ingredients – 100% Arabica coffee beans and premium tea including Matcha and Moringa. You can get free shipping on VitaCup.com or with your Amazon Prime account.