Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  My meal choices are based more and more now on making foods that are either capable of being pureed into baby food or, ideally, can be eaten without teeth.  Almost everything I'm making this week is from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, some of which I've made before and some of which is new to me.  This week I have a bunch of random stuff to use up:  one lone pita pocket, more of those prepared vegetarian fake meats that I don't really want anymore, a handful of large flour tortillas, some organic green onions, a bunch of romaine lettuce, random chopped red and Vidalia onions, and about 2 lbs of baby red potatoes.  Here is what I'm making this week:

Black Beans & Rice and Kale with Walnut Sauce
This is an Esselstyn version of black beans and rice with brown rice and lots of vegetables and salsa.  I will probably go against Esselstyn's advice and serve avocado on the side.  Avocado makes everything taste better and feel more filling.

Truly Vegetable Tabouli and Hummus with pita chips
The vegetable tabouli is an Esselstyn recipe I haven't made before, but it calls for romaine as a base to the salad, and I have tons of romaine to use up.  Tabouli also seems like something fine enough Simran can eat it.  I'm making no-tahini hummus (a Simran favorite) to go with it and cutting up and toasting in the oven that lone whole wheat pita pocket to make some sort of chips for Sameer and me to eat it with.

Tofu Scramble and Broccoli Stir-fried with Orange and Garlic
I think this round of tofu scramble will finally use up the last of that apple-sage smoked vegetarian sausage I once bought when I was shopping while hungry.  The broccoli is another Esselstyn recipe.  I think I could run it through Simran's food mill and make it edible for her, but I'm not sure what she'll think of it.  She's only recently starting consenting to eat broccoli at all.

Dill Potato Salad and Beets with Beet Greens and prepared vegetarian breaded fish from the freezer
I've made this potato salad before and I love it.  It will use up my leftover potatoes.  The beets with greens are a simple Esselstyn recipe, and I've never eaten fresh beets or any sort of beet greens before, so I'm excited to try this.  I'm doubtful Simran will be able to eat anything other than the beets themselves on this night though.

Tortilla Pie and Chard with Walnut Sauce
I've made this before and it was really good served with avocado.  It will hopefully use up the last of the flour tortillas.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Vidalia Onions and Diced Tomatoes and Chard with Walnut Sauce
I've never tried an Esselstyn pasta recipe before, but this sounds enough like typical spaghetti, or at least capellini pomodoro, that I think Simran will like it.

Stir-fried Vegetables and Tofu?
I will probably have enough random vegetables leftover to make this dish easily.  It's sort of my stand-by in case we actually eat everything I've planned and need a seventh meal, rather than copping out and eating pizza or something one night.  I'm less tempted to eat pizza or takeout now that it means I still have to make something else for Simran.  We've mostly been sticking to planned meals for the last couple months.