Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  Here is what's currently in the fridge:  1 crown broccoli, some carrots, one bunch celery, an avocado, a few beets, two zucchini, a delicata squash, and several sweet potatoes.  This week is Thanksgiving, so that will be my main focus.  Here is what I'm planning to make:

Thai Green Curry

Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries and Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dip
This will use up one of the sweet potatoes, some of the carrots, and the broccoli. 

New York-Style Pizza and Cinnamon Squash Chowder and Beets
I bought a brick of full-fat mozzarella last week for this and didn't end up making it.  I still have leftover butternut squash in the freezer, so I think I'll use that in place of the delicata.  The soup will also use up a lot of the carrots and celery in my fridge.

Thanksgiving 2013

Zucchini Cakes and Thanksgiving Leftovers
I have a feeling we'll still have leftovers after lunchtime Friday, so I'm just making zucchini cakes.  They'll use up the zucchini in my fridge.

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches and Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dip
The Garden Pretzels will use up the pretzel bread, provolone, tomatoes, avocados, and some of the romaine bought for the black bean burgers.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe for baked sweet potato fries on Instructables.com and everyone in the house loves it.

Ingredients

• one large sweet potato
• sea salt (coarse)
• freshly ground black pepper, chunky
• good quality olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Peel sweet potato (or not), cut off any skinny ends as necessary, cut it in half, and cut it into fries about 1/2 inch thick.  If you've just washed the sweet potato, make sure it is thoroughly dry or it won't brown properly.

3. Drizzle olive oil over fries and mix with your hands so that they are thoroughly but very lightly coated.  Place fries on a baking sheet, spaced so that they aren't on top of each other.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

4. Cook for 15 minutes.  Turn over all the fries (this is easiest to do by hand), and cook for another 10 minutes.  They should be lightly blackened when they're done.  Serve with spicy ketchup, homemade ranch dip (Simran's favorite), or dipping sauce of your choice.

Cinnamon Squash Chowder

This recipe comes from OhSheGlows.com, where it is called Luxurious 7-Vegetable and "Cheese" Soup.  It does not taste like 7 vegetables or cheese to me, so I call it what I think it tastes like instead. I've tried it seasoned a couple different ways, but everyone in my family (baby included) found the cinnamon to be essential.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)

2-3 cups chopped sweet onion (from 1 large onion)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped celery (from 2-3 stalks)

1 heaping cup peeled and chopped carrots (from 2 small carrots)

6 packed cups broccoli florets (from 1 large bunch broccoli)

2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato (from 1 small sweet potato, about 320 g)

1.5-2 cups seeded and chopped Delicata squash (from 1 very small squash about 275 g) (I like to substitute butternut squash, or whatever squash needs using up)

6 cups vegetable broth

5 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Grab a very large pot (about 6.5 qt) with a lid and set aside.
2. Add the onion and garlic with the oil into the pot and saute over medium heat for a few minutes. Season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
3. Add the celery, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, and squash, one by one, as you chop them. Continue to saute over medium heat, stirring every once and a while so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
4. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.
5. Remove lid and stir in the broth. Bring the soup to a low boil. Reduce heat to low/medium and cover with lid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the squash and potato are fork tender.
6. Turn off heat and remove lid. Add in the nutritional yeast and cinnamon. Puree with an immersion blender (or let cool and blend in batches if necessary). Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish and serve warm. 

[Edited 12/1/2013:  To make this a no-oil recipe, you can skip sauteing the vegetables and just boil them in the broth -- I made this in a rush last week and forgot to saute, and I couldn't tell the difference in flavor.  The essential point here is to make sure the squash and sweet potatoes are diced small enough that they will cook in a reasonable amount of time.  To that end, I boiled the soup about ten minutes with a lid on the pot, and everything turned out just fine.  Boiling much longer would have destroyed the broccoli though.]

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving just includes the immediate family this year.  Simran was still eating baby food last year, but this year she has lots of teeth and lots of opinions on what is worthy of being eaten.  I really want to watch the parade and not spend too much time in the kitchen that day, so I chose dishes that could be made almost entirely ahead of time. 

I generally plot out when I'm going to make what, based on how far in advance each thing can be done, so I've added this part in parentheses next to each dish name.  Mostly I have a lot of chopping to do on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I find if I chop all the onions at once, all the celery at once, etc., it is faster than chopping for each dish individually, so I'll be doing that.  Come Thanksgiving day I will have five dishes that need to be cooked, so I also need to plot out when to put what in the oven so that everything is done cooking at the same time.  I only have one medium-sized oven so this also means compromising on the oven temperature.  I've plotted the oven's schedule for Thursday at the bottom, based on the fact that we eat at 5pm.

Here is what I'm going to make:

Stuffed Tofurkys (marinate tofu Monday and refrigerate, assemble everything and freeze Tuesday, cook Thursday)

Gravy (combine ingredients Wednesday and refrigerate, cook on Thursday)

Apple Pecan Cornbread Dressing (make cornbread on Tuesday, chop/assemble dry ingredients Wednesday, add wet ingredients & cook on Thursday)

Festive Fruited Yams (chop/assemble dry ingredients Wednesday, add wet ingredients & cook on Thursday)

French Bread (make on Wednesday)

Green Bean Casserole (chop/assemble on Tuesday and refrigerate, cook on Thursday)

Cranberry Waldorf Salad (chop/assemble dry ingredients on Wednesday and refrigerate, add sugar/cinnamon/yogurt on Thursday)

Candied Pears (make on Monday and refrigerate)

Thanksgiving Oven Schedule
3:15pm - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3:30pm - Put Festive Fruited Yams in oven.
4:15pm - Put Stuffed Tofurkys in oven.
4:30pm - Put Green Bean Casserole and Apple Pecan Cornbread Dressing in oven.
4:35pm - Re-baste Stuffed Tofurkys and return to oven.  Cook gravy on stovetop and turn heat to low.
4:55pm - Check on all food and allow to cool on countertop.  Return anything needing more cooking time to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Stuffed Tofurky

This recipe is based very loosely on Tofu Turkey from AllRecipes and some reviewer comments and also other recipes for tofurky across the internet, as well as the ingredient lists on some frozen fake meat products.  Freezing makes for a meatier texture (sort of -- it's flaky like fish instead of crumbly like tofu), so make at least 24 hours in advance.  Makes three personal-sized tofurkys.

Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) package extra-firm tofu
1 tbs vegan chik'n soup seasoning 
1 cup prepared Stuffing, or stuffing of your choice
Baste:
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup apple butter
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Bragg liquid aminos

Directions

1. Break up tofu into a container with vegan chik'n soup seasoning and enough water to cover.  Seal and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

2. Drain tofu and puree smooth in a food processor.  Line a sieve with a cheese cloth or clean tea towel and add tofu to drain.  Let drain for about half an hour.

3. Prepare stuffing (I prepare the dry ingredients for my entire batch of stuffing, then just add wet ingredients to the one cup intended for the tofurky and put the rest in the fridge for later).

4. Line molds with tofu.  Fill center of each with a spoonful of stuffing.  Top off with more tofu and smooth until stuffing is completely enclosed.  Cover with a sheet of wax paper and freeze entire mold.  (If you do not have individual-sized silicone molds -- which I highly recommend getting -- you can make a larger tofurky by lining your sieve with wax paper and using it as a mold.  Or a small loaf pan.)

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk together sesame oil, cider, mustard, and Bragg liquid aminos.  Remove tofurkys from mold, place in a metal baking pan, and baste (I like a silicone brush for this).  Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Baste again and cook for an additional 20 minutes. 

Green Bean Casserole

I found this recipe on AllRecipes about a decade ago and have been making it for every holiday ever since.  It's really good.

Ingredients
2 tbs butter
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream (low-fat works fine)
3 (14.5 oz) cans French-style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
2 tbs butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Add onion. Combine the salt, sugar, and sour cream, and add to skillet. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

I've been making this recipe for holidays for nearly a decade now.  It's healthy and tasty, and I usually eat the leftovers for lunch and snacks until they're all gone.  I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries (I've had best results by freezing cranberries, then quartering them.  Food processing releases juice and makes them sourer.)
1 cup chopped red apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs white sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (6 - 8 oz.) container vanilla low-fat yogurt

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, apple, celery, grapes, raisins, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and yogurt. Toss to coat. Cover, and chill 2 hours. Stir just before serving.

Vegan Chik'n Soup Seasoning

I found this recipe for making chicken-style broth without the meat on Food.com.  I plan to use it to flavor tofu.  I replaced the garlic salt with garlic powder to make the saltiness easier to control.

Ingredients

1 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
3 tablespoons parsley flakes (rubbed to a powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1/4 teaspoon savory

Directions

 

1.  Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

 

2. Use 1 tbs seasoning mix per 1 cup of liquid.

Apple Pecan Cornbread Dressing

I've been making this recipe for years, and I like it a lot.  I'm making a few changes for Thanksgiving this year.  First, I'm replacing the eggs with a mixture of flax meal and water.  I have no idea to what extent this will work, but since the finished product isn't a quiche texture or anything, I think it will be okay.  Second, since there is always too much of this dressing leftover to finish -- and I always avoid using much of the dry bread from the stuffing mix anyway -- I'm cutting out the pre-packaged stuffing mix altogether and replacing it with just the dried herbs the internet has led me to believe are normally contained in such things.  The original recipe comes from AllRecipes.com.  This year, again to avoid having to buy eggs, I'm using a vegan cornbread recipe from Post Punk Kitchen.  In the past I've typically used Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread recipe from AllRecipes.com, often replacing the buttermilk with watered down plain yogurt. 

Ingredients
1 (9x13 inch) pan cornbread, cooled and chopped (or better yet, left on the kitchen counter overnight to get a bit stale)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (replace with Earth Balance or similar vegan buttery spread to make vegan)
2 cups apple juice
3 tbs flax meal + 1/2 cup water (or low-sodium vegetable broth)

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 3 quart casserole dish.  

2. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, and saute the celery and onion for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. 

3. In a large bowl, combine the cornbread, stuffing mix, parsley, ginger, and salt. Mix in the celery and onion mixture, chopped apple, chopped pecans, apple juice, and beaten flax meal mixture. Spoon dressing into prepared casserole dish. 

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through, and lightly browned on top.  (Check after 25 minutes since the original bake time is based on a larger dish.)

Gravy

I plan to serve this with stuffed tofurkys on Thanksgiving.  I found it on OhSheGlows.com, where it says it is an adaptation of an Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbs tamari
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbs cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 tbs tahini
1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbs blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp agave nectar
2 tbs olive oil

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until smooth.  In a pot on medium to high heat, add mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce to low and stir frequently to thicken.  Remove from heat and serve.  Add additional water, agave, or vinegar as needed to adjust to taste.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  Here is what's currently in the fridge to use up:  a bunch and a half of lacinato kale, a lot of spinach (most of which will probably get used up in tonight's dinner), a handful of cremini mushrooms, and a lot of arugula.  The greens all have to go asap or they will have to be thrown out.  I want to make some easy stuff this week since so many of my meals lately have been severely time consuming.  However, I am also aware that one-dish dinners like penne alla vodka tend to mean making something else altogether for Simran when she refuses to eat it.  Here is what I'm planning to make:

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and Winter Squash Mac 'n Cheeze and Peas & Carrots and Buffalo Hummus with Celery Sticks

Veggie Meatball Subs and Curry Pumpkin Soup
I made veggie meatballs last week and, while Simran wouldn't eat them, I thought they were surprisingly good considering they are mostly lentils and vegetables and VERY healthy.  I threw the remainder in the freezer, and I plan to use them this week to make veggie meatball subs with fresh bread, marinara sauce, sliced provolone, and some baby spinach.  I'm hopeful that if the baby spinach is cut chiffonade and hidden under the veggie balls, and the veggie balls are under sauce and cheese, she might actually eat them, if only on accident.

Tofu Kiev and Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, & Kale Soup and either rice pilaf or some leftover starch from another dinner (e.g., pasta, bread, potato)
I still haven't made either of these dishes, despite their being on my menu plan for the last two weeks.  

Black Bean Burgers and Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Rather than buy a new batch of Romaine hearts, I plan to use up some of the leftover arugula on the burgers.  They will also use up the provolone I will have to buy for the veggie meatball subs.  I already have the burgers in the freezer from the last time I made them.

Pizza with Mushrooms, Onions, & Arugula and Beets and Cinnamon Squash Chowder
I've been craving a cheese pizza lately, and this one will use up my leftover mushrooms and arugula (Simran LOVES the arugula & stracchino pizzas from Whole Foods' freezer section, so I'm hopeful she'll eat this).  The cinnamon squash chowder is what I've decided to call Luxurious 7-Vegetable & "Cheese" soup now that I've tasted it.  It tastes like neither cheese nor vegetables, and I found the inclusion of cinnamon pretty essential to the flavor.  It's very mild and rather sweet, and it's fantastically healthy considering it even has broccoli hidden in it.  I will embrace any dish that sneaks more leafy greens into Simran's tummy.

Grilled Enchiladas and Spanish Rice and Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Greens and Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips
This is a new-to-me recipe that I hope resembles winter squash mac 'n cheeze closely enough that Simran will eat it.  I plan to make it with kale and macaroni noodles I already have on hand, as well as whatever squash or pumpkin might need to be used up.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  On account of Sameer and I eating nachos one night after giving Simran something else altogether and putting her to bed, I didn't end up making the Tofu Kiev last week, so I'll try it this week instead.  Here is what is in my fridge that needs using up:  2-3 bunches kale, the better part of a pound of baby spinach, some carrots, a few celery sticks, one tomato, one heart of Romaine, and two crowns broccoli.  Here is what I'm making:

Tofu Kiev and Wild Rice Pilaf and Peas & Carrots and Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, & Kale Soup
This meal is getting carried over from last week, when I first intended to make it.  I already have all the ingredients on hand; plus it will use up one of the bunches of kale mentioned above.

Penne alla Vodka
This will use up the crowns of broccoli and a couple of the carrots.  I already have the pasta, sauce, and vegetarian Italian sausage on hand too.

Spaghetti Squash with Thick Chunky Tomato Sauce from Scratch and Fresh Bread
We all really liked the spaghetti squash the last time I made it (I think it was the first time any of us had had spaghetti squash), though Simran demanded marinara sauce before eating hers.  So this time I'm making a tomato sauce recipe from OhSheGlows.com and a side of fresh bread.  If I have any leftover vegan meatballs from making them today, I'll throw them in with the sauce too.

Tofu Po'Boy Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries
These sandwiches will use up the tomato and Romaine I have on hand, as well as the rest of the fresh French bread. 


Cheese & Onion Pasties and Baby Arugula Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Creamy Roasted Tomato, Garlic, & Onion Coconut Soup
I still have a largish block of good cheddar from making Welsh rarebit, and I don't want it to go to waste, so I'm making another of my favorites from Tea & Sympathy -- cheese & onion pasties.  Tea & Sympathy serves them with a small green salad, so I'll be doing the same.  Tomato soup seemed like another good cold-weather accompaniment that includes vegetables that Simran might actually eat.  Instead of the standard Heinz tomato soup Tea & Sympathy serves, I'm making my own with a recipe from OhSheGlows.com. 

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and Buffalo Hummus with Celery Sticks and Winter Squash Mac 'n Cheeze and Peas & Carrots
This has become a regular weekly meal. 

Sun-dried Tomato Mushroom & Spinach Tofu Quiche and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I haven't made this quiche in awhile, and the combination of the two dishes should use up my remaining spinach.

Cheese & Onion Pasties

I might be remembering wrong, but I think the cheese & onion pasties served at Tea & Sympathy had a creamier sort of cheese sauce than straight melted cheese would accomplish.  Since most recipes I've seen just have melted cheese inside, I've devised my own version to more closely resemble the cheese sauce of Welsh rarebit or a good macaroni and cheese recipe.  The short pastry recipe comes from Alton Brown's recipe for Pocket Pies.

Ingredients
for crust:

9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 ounces shortening, approximately 6 tablespoons
3/4 cup milk
1 egg mixed with 1 to 2 teaspoons water

for filling:

1 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup diced onion (yellow or white)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

1. [Steps 1 & 2 can be done up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.]  Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add diced onions and sweat until translucent.

2. Whisk together evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Add to pan with butter and onions, add shredded cheese, and stir, continuing to cook over low heat until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool completely.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse for a few seconds and then pour into a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the shortening and knead it into the flour with your hands until it is crumbly. Add the milk all at once and mix in with a spatula until it begins to come together. Lightly flour your hands and the countertop and turn the dough out onto the countertop. Knead the dough ball, folding over 10 to 20 times. Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/3 to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut into rounds using a 2 1/4-inch ring. Roll each round as thinly as possible or to 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the dough, brush the edges of half of the dough lightly with the egg wash, fold over and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork, dipping it into flour as needed. Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling. 

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place finished pies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Vegan Po'Boy Sandwich

The recipe below is based on looking at lots of po'boy sandwich recipes on the internet, as well as the way the crispy breaded tofu strips are cooked.

Ingredients

1 package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbs Kid-Friendly Creole Seasoning

1 tbs grated lime zest

lettuce

tomato

pickles

Remoulade sauce

French bread

Directions

1. Drain tofu, wrap with a clean tea towel or a couple of paper towels, and place a plate with weights such as canned goods on top.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes to soak out the water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a shallow dish. In another bowl, mix together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, spices, and lime zest. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray.

3. Slice tofu into 8-9 strips, lengthwise, depending on how thick you want them. With one hand dip the tofu strip into the milk mixture and then into the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture. Use other hand to sprinkle dry mixture all over the tofu. Coat both sides entirely and then place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

4. Bake tofu on middle rack at 400F. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy.

5. Cut French bread into 6-inch sections and cut open.  Fill with the cooked tofu, Remoulade sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.  Serve immediately.

Kid-Friendly Creole Seasoning

This recipe comes from a reviewer of a Creole Seasoning Blend on AllRecipes.com.  Since I've made so many things that call for Creole seasoning lately, I'm making a batch of this so I don't have to worry about the level of heat I'm trying to feed Simran.  It's like normal Creole seasoning but with more spices, less pepper, and no cayenne at all.

Ingredients
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs dried oregano
2 tbs dried basil
1 tbs dried thyme
1/2 tbs black pepper
1/2 tbs white pepper
5 tbs paprika
1 1/2 tbs Kosher salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.  Store in a sealed container.

Vegan Remoulade Sauce

I found the non-vegan version of this recipe on Food.com.  I chose this one because I knew I could find all the ingredients at the grocery store and wouldn't have to try to find "Creole mustard" or figure out what exactly "chili sauce" meant.  I'm using this sauce on vegan po'boy sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 stalk finely chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

 

1. Whisk all ingredients together.

 

2. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Lazy Chipotle Mayo

I'm not sure how complicated this recipe was when I started making it, but I'm pretty sure it at least had fresh lime juice in it.  Now I just make the laziest version possible, and I don't think Sameer has ever been able to tell the difference.  We use it as a spread on black bean burgers, and it makes the entire sandwich.

Ingredients
1-2 chipotles in adobo, from can (typically found in the Latin-American section of the grocery store's "international" aisle -- please note this calls for 1-2 actual chiles, NOT entire cans of them)
1 cup mayonnaise (substitute vegan mayo to make vegan)
garlic salt, to taste
juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Serve immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  Here is what's currently in the fridge to use up:  a couple romaine lettuce hearts, half a cup of pumpkin puree, about a cup of cubed sweet potato, about half a pound of baby spinach, a couple of peeled carrots, one bunch of green kale, and a crown of broccoli.  Here's what I'm planning to make:

Red Lentil and Squash Curry Stew
I didn't get around to this one last week, so I'm making it tomorrow night.  I'll add the pumpkin puree and cubed sweet potato in addition to whatever butternut squash is in the freezer.  It'll use up the green kale in the fridge too.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and Winter Squash Mac 'n Cheeze and Buffalo Hummus with Celery Sticks and Peas & Carrots
This meal went over well with everyone last week, so I'm making it again.

Veggie Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Lime Sauce and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I plan to use up the last of the spring rolls skins with this recipe.  I figure I should put away the cold summer dishes like this one for awhile since it's getting all autumnal outside, but I do love this dish so much.  The green banana salad should use up the last of the spinach in the fridge too.

Black Bean Burgers and Curry Pumpkin Soup and Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dip
I'm making these burgers the tasty way -- served on pretzel rolls with sliced provolone and homemade chipotle mayo, among other things.  The ranch dip will finish off the broccoli and probably any baby carrots currently in the fridge.  The curry pumpkin soup is a favorite of both Simran's and mine.  We eat ALL the leftovers, and that's not something she will do with many other dishes.

Tofu Kiev and Wild Rice Pilaf and Peas & Carrots and Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, & Kale Soup
I've wanted for a long time to find a really good stuffed tofu turkey recipe, and none of the ones I've tried have passed muster.  I saw single-serving stuffed tofu made by Gardein in the freezer section the other day and it got me thinking.  Since the crispy breaded tofu strips have been such a success, and because I used to LOVE Chicken Kiev from the freezer section before I went vegetarian, I thought I'd try making a vegetarian Chicken Kiev with tofu instead of meat.  It will give me a chance to try out hollowing out the tofu in a mold and filling it and using another basting/breadcrumb mixture without having to make a proper stuffing for the inside that may or may not heat through properly.  Plus, I figure even tofu cooked poorly can't be that bad when it's filled with herbed garlic butter.  I'm trying to keep the rest of the meal simple and relatively healthy on account of the effort and butter involved in the Tofu Kiev.

Spaghetti Marinara with Vegan Meatballs and Kale with Walnut Sauce
The vegan meatballs recipe is new to me.  It sounds healthy and good, so hopefully it will be worth what looks like a sizable amount of effort.

Pita Pizzas and Kale with Walnut Sauce
We haven't had pita pizzas in ages, but I'm getting sick of the Easy Healthy Veggie Pizzas, so I thought this would be a decent, reasonably healthy meal to make again.

The Best Black Bean Burgers

This is my third or fourth stab at a black bean burger recipe.  I've made so many changes since the last one that I thought I'd start over with a new post instead of amending the recipe again.  I'm still making adjustments on this until I master the spices and grains necessary to make it the right taste and consistency.  It always tastes good on a pretzel roll with chipotle mayo and avocado though.  And red onion and lettuce and tomato.  And provolone. 

Ingredients
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 cup dried black beans, cooked in a slow cooker)
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Old-Fashioned rolled oats
2 tbs flaxseed meal
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp hot sauce

Directions

1. [The first 5 steps can be done in advance.]  Run old-fashioned rolled oats through a food processor until at least half of it resembles flour.  Add chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt.  Pulse a few more times to combine, and set the mixture aside.

2. Run onion, green bell pepper, and garlic through food processor.  Set aside and stir in hot sauce and flaxseed meal.  Let sit for 10 minutes while the flaxseed meal gets a little gooey so it can bind everything together.

3. Put (well drained) black beans in food processor and pulse a few times until most of the beans have been broken down, but not completely smooth. 

4. Move beans to a large bowl, add vegetable mixture, and incorporate.  Then add spiced oat mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.  Then add cooked brown rice, small amounts at a time, until mixture is the right consistency to mold into burgers.

5. Mold into 8-10 small patties.  If freezing for later, place patties between sheets of wax paper, stack, and seal in a plastic container or ziploc bag.

6. When ready to cook the burgers, preheat oven to 375 degrees, place patties on a baking sheet (a few sprays of Pam first help to make them flippable), and bake about 15 minutes.  Turn burgers over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Buffalo Hummus

This recipe comes from a cook book called No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier, but I found it on OhSheGlows.com.  I made some pretty substantial changes when I made it in order to make it both low-fat and mild enough Simran could enjoy it too.  I swapped out the standard chickpeas and tahini for white beans, since white beans create a rather comparable level of creaminess and I generally avoid tahini on account of its fat content.  Aside from the salt, the recipe below is so low-fat and healthy that it meets even Caldwell Esselstyn's 'prevent and reverse heart disease' standards. 

Everyone in the house liked it, and we ate all of it immediately.  It is good as a dip for celery sticks, pita chips, and crispy breaded tofu strips, and I'm pretty sure it would be good as a sandwich spread too.  It's very simple and only takes a few minutes to throw together.  If you like spicy wings with Buffalo sauce, I suggest you try the spicing from the original recipe linked above, which calls for much more hot sauce and cayenne pepper as well -- mine is much milder.

Ingredients

• 1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed, but set the bean water aside in case you need to add it back in (Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy beans will work)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 dashes Frank's Red Hot sauce (add more if you aren't serving it to a baby)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine and then scrape down the sides.  With motor running, add bean water slowly until you reach desired consistency.

2. Add more salt, lemon juice, or hot sauce, to taste.