Cheap and easy van eats

Even though we are vegan, every time we whip up a meal, people seem to be drooling over it. Most of our meals are very simple, cheap, fast, healthy, and for the most part whole food meals. These recipes aren't exact measurements and you can change up or leave out some ingredients. After a year living in a van, we thought we would share some simple meal ideas forthose of you just starting out.

Breakfast

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal: 

**What you will need....

_ A bag of plain $2 rolled oats will do fine. We are going to spice it up. 

_ Cinnamon

_ Sugar of some sort (I grab a couple extra packets from coffee shops to take on hikes)

_ Trail mix of your choosing

_Peanut butter (optional- we rarely do this, but feel fancy when we do

_Coconut shreds (optional)- we always do this, but we always put coconut shreds on everything... if you don't have it or don't like it, don't worry. It will still be good. 

**Making the breakfast magic happen....

1. Put a handful of trail mix in with your desired amount of oats. 

2. Teaspoonish of cinnamon & sugar

3. Add the peanut butter

4. And then pour boiling water over all ingredients and mix together

5. Add coconut spreads on top!

6. Enjoy

**Preparing this Breakfast for a Hike...

Add all dry ingredients into a ziplock bag. (If you shop in the bulk section, save those bags and reuse them for hikes....that way you don't have to buy a box of ziplock bags.)

We eat this almost every day still find it delicious, everyday. If you are getting bored and want to mix it up, try a new trail mix variety. 

Smashed Avo Toast

_ Good bread

_ Avocados

_ salt & pepper

_ chili flakes

1. Toast the bread

2. Smash the avocado

3. Spread the avocado on toast 

4. Add chili flakes, salt and pepper

5. Add cilantro on top if you like

6. Enjoy!

Lunch

Bahn Mi

**What you will need...

_ Seasoned Tofu (in Australia, we liked the Macro Brand from Whoolworth's--It's non-GMO)

_ Cucumber 

_ Carrot

_ Cilantro (Coriander)

_ jalapeños 

_ baguette 

_ hummus (optional, just replaces mayo...cuz mayo is disgusting)

_Sriracha

**preparing this sand-o

1. Cut the carrots into matchsticks, cut the cucumbers into coins, slice the jalapeños, prep the coriander and slice the baguette down the center and cut in half to share.

2. Pan cook the tofu out of the package. When it is warm enough take off heat and place on cutting board. Slice tofu pieces in half so they will fit on the sandwich nicely 

3. Spread Sriracha and hummus on both the insides of the baguette

4. Place the tofu, carrots, cucumber, jalapeños, and the coriander inside the baguette 

5. Chow down on one of the fastest lunches that isn't a PB&J!

Speaking of PB&J

When we are close to going over on budget, we like to chow down on some PB&Js because they are cheap and before this trip, I don't think I have had one since I was in grade school. But, even then, I think I traded it with someone for something terrible. 

What we like to do here is spice upthat grade school lunch. I am sure we aren't the first people to think of this, but in case you haven't.... here's how we do it.

**what you will need

_ Good bread. None of that nasty white bread shit we all use to beg for as kids. 

_ Good peanut butter.... Usually I am an almond butter fan, but with no steady income, I have reverted to peanut butter. It's cheap. I like Pic's or Fix and Fog (kinda pricey, but pretty damn good) here in New Zealand. 

_ Coconut shreds

_ Bananas 

_ Jam, jelly, fruit preserves...what ever you call it....how ever you like it--Get that. 

1. It's simple. Make a sandwich with all above ingredients. 

2. Enjoy.

Raw Cucumber Salad

This is one of our favorite dishes to whip up after a hike. It is so simple and fast. 

**what you will need

_ cucumber

_ capsicum (bell pepper)

_ red onion

_ can of chickpeas (or black beans)

_avocado

_tomato

_clove of garlic

_cilantro (if you have it, don't worry about it if you don't)

_cumin

_ ground coriander

_salt and pepper

**how to prep this dish

1. Make a guacamole with the avocado, tomato, minced garlic, some diced red onions and cilantro. 

2. Add the spices into the guacamole. Again, as much as you see fit. It will taste plain as with out it. 

3. Coin the cucumbers then cut them in four. So they look like pizza wedges.

4. Cube the bell peppers

5. Drain the beans

6. Add all ingredients together with the guacamole and serve.

7. Enjoy. 

8. You can also enjoy it as a wrap, as pictured.

Falafel wraps 

If you are a van lifer in NZ, you probably shop at pac and save. They have a Falafel mix that makes this dish easy as! If you are living in Australia, there are heaps of pre made ready to heat and eat falafels at most all grocery stores. If you are living in America, well America has everything at every store... so I am sure you can find some mix or pre-made ready to heat at any grocery store near you. If not, get creative and fill it with anything else of your choice. 

**What you will need...

_ Falafel mix or premade falafels

_ Wraps

_ Purple Cabbage

_ Hummus (we make our own sometimes smash a drained can of chickpeas and add tahini)

_ shredded carrots 

_ Sriracha 

_ Tahini

_ Cucumbers

1. Pretty straight up, add all ingredients in a wrap and eat burrito style. 

We love to take these on long trails. You can mix up the homemade hummus with black beans instead of chickpeas or any other style of beans with chili flakes to make it more Mexican tasting. 

Dinners

Fancy as Ramen

**What you will need...

_ Packaged Ramen (we get the brand that has the soy sauce, sriracha, seasoning, and fried onions included)

_ Broccoli

_ brown onion

_ mushrooms

_ carrots 

_ bell pepper (capsicum)

_ garlic cloves

_ a couple inches of ginger

Preparing the Ramen...

1. Cut all the veggies. Cut the Broccoli and mushrooms in quarters. Cut the carrots in coins or half coins. Slice the onions and capsicums. Dice the garlic and ginger.

2. Boil the water. 

3. Put the ramen with seasoning in big enough bowls to make a soup while you wait for the water to boil. (I always add extra seasoning as well. I add some cumin, ground coriander, chili flakes, and rosemary) I also add the ginger and the garlic in with the dry noodles to await the boiling water. They both will make your broth taste real nice. 

4. Pour the boiling water over the noodles and seasoning, cover and set aside. 

5. Pan cook the veggies with coconut oil or an oil of your choice. 

6. When the veggies are done cooking, toss them in with your ramen

7. Top with more sriracha and soy sauce

8. Chow down.

Vegetable Curry

**What you will need

_Broccoli

_ brown onion

_ Potatoes (Any kind will do)

_ mushrooms

_ carrots 

_ bell pepper (capsicum)

_ garlic cloves

_can of chickpeas

_can of diced tomatoes (or two tomatoes diced)

_can of coconut milk

_a good curry powder (we use Empire in New Zealand)

_chili flakes (if you like it hot)

**Preparing the Curry

1. Cut all the veggies. Cut the Broccoli and mushrooms in quarters. Cut the carrots in coins or half coins. Slice the onions and capsicums. Cube potatoes. Mince garlic. 

2. In a heated and oiled pan, throw in the stuff that takes the longest to cook: broccoli, carrots, potatoes. 

3. Once those veggies have had a proper head start, throw in the rest of the cut veggies. Add a bit of curry powder . Just enough to get the veggies seasoned a bit. You'll put the full amount in later. 

4. Throw in the canned stuff when the veggies seem to be properly cooked. If you are like us, half of your meal will be gone from "checking if it is ready" by the time it is actually ready. 

5. Add in the curry powder (I also add my own turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, rosemary and coriander to taste) Sorry there are no measurements. I don't have room in my van for measuring cups. If you are in a van, you understand. Eyeball and taste test it. 

6. Serve up in bowls and enjoy!

Veggie Bowl

_ brown onion

_ Potatoes (Any kind will do)

_ mushrooms

_ bell pepper (capsicum)

_ garlic cloves

_ can of black beans

_ avocados

_ tomatoes

_ cumin

_ ground coriander 

_ rosemary

_ salt and pepper 

_ Coriander herb (cilantro) 

1. Dice all the veggies.

2. Throw the potatoes in an oiled and heated pan and let them get a head start. 

3. Once those have a proper head start, throw the rest of the veggies in... wait to throw the beans in until the very end... 

4. Spice up those veggies with as much of the spices as you like... I put heaps of all of it in there. 

5. Serve in a bowl. top with cilantro and avocados

6. Enjoy