Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  This week I'm going to make as many things as possible that I know Simran likes and can eat without them being pureed (she often hates the pureed version of meals that she is perfectly happy chewing "grown-up style").  The tricky part is that, now that the weather is getting warmer, it would be nice to eat dinners that aren't hot, but she doesn't have enough teeth yet to tackle something like pasta salad with raw carrots and broccoli.  Here is what is currently in my fridge that needs to be used:  a chopped tomato, two ripe avocados, one bunch of kale, and some sliced green bell peppers.  Here is what I'm planning to make:

Tofu Scramble and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I'm getting sick of this meal, but it still appears to be Simran's favorite, and that's good enough for me.

Thai Green Curry
This dish has become an almost weekly staple at our house.  I put some in Simran's baby food processor and then serve the ground up version over brown rice, topped off with a drizzle of extra coconut sauce and whole chunks of sweet potato and tofu so she can chew it like a grown-up.

Vegan Chili and Cornbread and Kale with Walnut Sauce
80 degree weather isn't ideal for chili, but it's a healthy lentil-based dish Simran can eat straight.  This time I'm making a side of good cornbread rather than serving over healthier-but-significantly-less-palatable polenta.

Black Bean Nacho Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I plan to make black bean nacho pizza next Sunday for Father's Day.  I will make some whole wheat pizza dough ahead of time and toss it in the freezer.

Vegetable Barley Risotto and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I've never made this barley risotto recipe before, but there is a lot of barley in the pantry, and it seems like something Simran should be able to chew up herself.  And aside from all the oil and butter, it's just healthy stuff.

California Wraps and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Soup and sandwiches is one of the few ways to reliably get leafy green vegetables into our dinners without eating kale or chard with walnut sauce (remember Simran cannot chew a raw salad yet).  She enjoyed the avocado and white bean wraps last week (I made hers without carrot, with very little vinaigrette, and in tiny bites), so I think she'll like the California wraps too.

Arugula/Tomato/Chive Sandwiches and Vegetable Barley Soup
This is an easy and healthy meal, and when I cut up her sandwich into little triangles, Simran rips them apart and feeds herself, including eating the leaves of arugula.