This post is sponsored by Daiya Foods. All ideas and opinions are my own.

There’s nothing quite like August. Warm summer nights, festivals, beach days… all until you realize school is quickly approaching on the horizon. While my days of heading back to school are behind me, I still love to use September as a way to start fresh and be more productive.

One thing that I always hated about school was packing a lunch. I swear, I was the worlds pickiest kid (sorry mom) and would only eat very specific things. I’m taking peanut butter and fluff, green grapes, or rice.. what kind of kid brings rice to school? LOL. As I got older and started cooking for myself more, I realized I wasn’t picky, I just didn’t know what was out there. Thus, the whole bring-your-own lunch thing changed for me.

I started packing lunches I loved in college, and that extended over into bringing lunches to work when I graduated as well. Not only do you save a LOT of money doing this (I’m talking $70-100 a WEEK), you also feel so much better! While the cheese fries in the dining hall seem VERY tempting (trust me, I’ve been there), today I’m sharing 2 Back to School Recipes you’ll actually want to eat. These are perfect to bring to school, work, or meal prep ahead for if you’re working at home.

It’s been proven time and time again that eating something healthy makes you feel more motivated and focused to learn/work, so get your lunch strategy in order! Let’s get started.

Something to mention: In both of the recipes below, I am using Daiya Cheeses. I prefer Daiya Cheese to other plant-based cheeses as they’re one of the founding members of The Plant-Based Foods Association and are passionate about celebrating delicious food that is dairy, gluten, and soy-free. They are one of the brands that I stumbled upon when I first switched to a vegan diet and has been a staple in my pantry ever since.

I really love sharing their brand as I know so many now who suffer from food allergies, and this is really something I wish I knew about as a kid in school – so if this is you, give them a try! In the recipes below, I am using Daiya Mozzarella Cutting Board Collection Shreds which are perfect on pizza, in salads, and in just about everything, and Daiya Mozzarella Style Slices which are awesome in sandwiches, paninis, etc.  Bold and flavorful, these cheeses are a delicious plant-based addition to your favorite after-school recipes, including nachos, queso dip, pizza, and more. They’re sold in over 25,000 grocery stores in the U.S. (including Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway, and Publix, etc.) so I’ll add the store locator here so you can find them near you!

Now onto the recipes:

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Recipe #1) 

Roasted Cauliflower and Orzo Pasta Salad

“Wow, I wish you could make me lunch!” – a direct quote from a past coworker when I brought in this salad. This recipe is something I’ve been making for years and can never get enough of. Once you try it, you won’t be able to either!

If you don’t typically love cauliflower or chickpeas, I can promise this Roasted Cauliflower and Orzo Pasta Salad will change your mind. I am a firm believer that roasting everything makes it better. Adding a nice little grilled/char to vegetables really helps them to taste more hearty, and gives them a snappy texture that I totally love.

Once you have your veggies roasted to perfection, you add in some fresh spinach (girl get your greens in!), dried cranberries for sweetness, and Daiya Mozzarella Cutting Board Collection Shreds. You will be obsessed with the combination of the roasted veggies, sweetness from the cranberries, and crave-worthy cheese from the Daiya Mozzarella Shreds. Now, stop reading and MAKE THIS.

Roasted Cauliflower and Orzo Pasta Salad

Serves: 4-6

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 head of chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup of orzo pasta (cooked ahead of time)
• 1 can of chickpeas (about 1 & 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup of craisins (dried cherries)
• 1/2 cup of Daiya Mozzarella Cutting Board Collection Shreds (can sub other non-vegan cheese but I prefer this one)
• 3 cups of spinach

Dressing:

• 1/4th cup of olive oil
• 1/4th cup of lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or another sweetener like agave or honey)
• 1 heaping Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt & Pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each)

1. First, prepare your chickpeas and cauliflower. Chop the cauliflower into small florets, and add them to a bowl. Rinse and drain your can of chickpeas, then add them to the bowl.
2. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and salt + pepper to taste, and mix everything together.
3. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. You want to get everything nice and crispy.
4. When the time is up, take out the cauliflower and chickpeas, and add them back to the bowl.
5. Add in the dried cranberries, spinach, and cooked orzo.
6. Mix everything together, then add the dressing! I like to use half to let the flavors meld together, then the other half before serving. Use as little or much as you’d like!
7. Lastly, add in the Daiya Mozzarella Cutting Board Collection Shreds, and toss once more.
8. Place in the fridge to cool for about 30 minutes, then serve!

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Recipe #2 

Vegan Caprese Sandwich With Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil

Caprese salad: a dish I grew up on. Living with a 100% Italian mother growing up, we ate a lot of Caprese salads. There is just something special about the way tomato and mozzarella flavors come together so I thought why not add them to a sandwich! What I love about this sandwich is just how easy it is:

1. Grab two pieces of bread.
2. Add avocado to one side.
3. Add tomato slices with balsamic drizzle to the other.
4. Add some spinach, and Daiya Mozzarella Style Slices to the center.
5. Faceplant.

You can either eat this cold so it’s refreshing and easy to bring to work/school, or you can heat it up on a skillet or panini press. Both ways are delicious!

Vegan Caprese Sandwich With Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread (also delicious on ciabatta)
• 1 tomato sliced thin
• 1/2 cup of baby spinach
• 1/2 chopped avocado
• 2 slices of Daiya Mozzarella Style Slices (can sub other non-vegan cheese but I prefer this one)
• Balsamic drizzle
• Fresh basil
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. First, smash your chopped avocado in a small bowl, and spread onto one piece of bread.
2. Add spinach to the top of the avocado smash, and then the Daiya Mozzarella Style Slices.
3. On the other slice, add the tomatoes, fresh basil, drizzle some balsamic glaze, and add some salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the sides together, and eat! I love to eat this cold, but it’s also delicious toasted as well so the cheese gets melty.

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And just like that, you’re ready to go back to school! Make sure to bookmark this recipe and keep it handy for when you’re stuck for back to school / simple work recipes. You’ll be really surprised just how easy and delicious these are, and how much money you save by packing your own lunch! As always, thank you SO much for reading, and let me know if you gave these a try. Drop a comment below, or tag me @katerinaseigel on Instagram. I love to see your creations – Enjoy!

Sincerely, Katerina