Meal Planning

I didn't get through all my meals planned for last week, so I've got some carry over:

Veggie Paella (from Vegan Under Pressure) and Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins 

Crispy Tofu Strips and Spiced Sweet Potatoes & Apples (from Vegan Under Pressure) and Oil-Free Spinach with Ginger & Garlic

Creole Red Beans & Rice and Collard Greens with Almonds

Tacos
I'd like to try SeriousEats' vegan chorizo recipe sometime, but this week I think I'll just buy the stuff from the grocery store.  I've got corn tortillas, and I'll also have on hand no-fat refried beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado (or maybe guacamole), onion, chipotle salsa, and cilantro.

Lasagna and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Meal Planning

Tofu & Vegetable Fried Rice

Smoky, Cheesy Grits with Sweet Potato & Greens (from Vegan Under Pressure) and Homemade Veg McRib

Veggie Paella (from Vegan Under Pressure) and Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins 

Crispy Tofu Strips and Spiced Sweet Potatoes & Apples (from Vegan Under Pressure) and Oil-Free Spinach with Ginger & Garlic

Meal Planning

Lasagna and Green Salad

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Green Salad

Stirfry and Brown Rice

Enchiladas Verdes and Black Beans

Vegetable Fried Rice
I bought a package of this from the frozen section at Trader Joe's.

Tacos
With refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole.

Meal Planning

Sameer is going out of town for work over three dinners, so I'm making easy stuff Sim might actually eat.

Vegetarian Club Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Gardein Veggie Burgers and Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dip

Omelets and Toast and Veggie Bacon and Homemade Pancakes reheated from the freezer

Chik'n Tenders and Leftover Soup and Other Random Sides

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  I've been doing the easiest and least time-consuming cooking possible over the last week or two.  I'm aiming this week for slightly healthier (which means significantly more time chopping and cooking) and using up some of the ingredients in my freezer.  I'm hoping to come up with some healthy sides I can keep on hand that will allow me to cook less each day and just put out some additional basics each day.  Here is what I'm making this week:

Baked Falafel and Cucumber Dill Dressing
I'm going to eat this mostly as a salad because it's easier and healthier.  I'll buy some pita pockets for the rest of the family.

Creole Red Beans & Rice and Collard Greens with Almonds

Beefless Stew and Green Salad

Twice Baked Broccoli & Cheeze Potatoes and Collard Greens with Almonds

Basic Masoor Dal and Saag Tofu with Basmati Rice (and garlic naan from the freezer)

Tu-no Salad Wraps
I've had some multi-grain wraps in the freezer for ages.  I'm hoping they thaw well and I can use them for this.  I'll also buy an avocado and maybe grate some carrots among other veggies to roll into these.

Veggie-Beef & Broccoli Stir-fry with Rice

Meal Planning

Dum Aloo and Dal Makhani and Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan

Veggie-Beef Stir-fry with Broccoli & Bell Pepper and Rice

Vegetarian Club Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Sofritas Bowl with  pico de gallo and Cilantro Lime Rice and Guacamole

Meal Planning

Baked Potato Skins and Zucchini Cakes and Salad

Pav Bhaji

Gardein Burgers and Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dip

Dum Aloo and Dal Makhani and Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan

Veggie-Beef Stir-fry with Broccoli & Bell Pepper and Rice

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Salad

Meal Planning

Mexican Omelets and Hash Browns

Vegetarian Club Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Gardein Burgers and Crudites with Ranch Dip

Veggie-Beef Stirfry with Broccoli & Red Bell Pepper and Rice

Vegetarian Reubens and Pumpkin Curry Soup

Enchiladas Verdes and Black Beans and Rice

Meal Planning

At least one more week of summery weather lies before us.  I'm going to use up as much of what I already have on hand as I can.  Here is what I would like to use up:  romaine lettuce, celery, tempeh, Tofurky chik'n strips, tofu dogs, frozen peas, frozen broccoli, and frozen corn (because my freezer is stuffed).  Here is what I'm making:

Homemade Veggie Burgers and Crudites
Carry over from last week.  I have everything on hand already, mostly in my freezer.

Matar Tofu and Garlic Naan and Basmati Rice
Carry over from last week.  Will use up the prepared garlic naan and some of the peas in my freezer, as well as the tofu in the fridge.

Tempeh Reuben Bowls
I'm not sure how good this is, but I have tempeh with only a few days left before expiration, and I love Reubens.  This should also use up the remaining sauerkraut in my fridge currently taking up space in its massive jar.  I'm going to use some of my large collection of wild rice as the grain.  

Veggie-Beef Broccoli Stir-fry
This will use up a solid pound of frozen broccoli as well as the chopped red bell pepper in my freezer.

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
I'm going to make this with the asparagus and artichokes in my freezer, the chik'n strips in my fridge, and some cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and carrots.  I'll roast the vegetables and tofu chik'n in the oven with a light spray of oil and some salt and pepper before tossing them with the sauce and whatever is the widest whole wheat pasta I have on hand.  It might be fettuccine; it might be linguine.  No one cares.

Veggie Hot Dogs and Baked Beans and Grilled Corn Slaw
I'm using frozen corn in the slaw because I want to use up what I have on hand.  I think I might make a creamy dressing for it from a blend of plain yogurt, half an avocado, the lime juice, and garlic salt.  Sounds like an homage to Mexican street corn.  I might replace the queso fresco with Parmesan because I have it on hand, I've done it before, and because I hate queso fresco.

Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas and Red Cabbage Slaw
Mostly to use up the remaining red cabbage from the corn slaw.

Meal Planning

Vegetarian Club Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Homemade Veggie Burgers and Crudites

Matar Tofu and Garlic Naan and Basmati Rice

Sofritas Bowl with  pico de gallo and Cilantro Lime Rice
I made this last week and it was phenomenal.  

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  I have some carry over from last week.

Tofu Banh Mi
I still haven't made this yet, but the sriracha tofu expires later this month, so I have to get on it.

Sofritas Bowl / Tacos
Sameer got really excited talking about the tofu sofritas that Chipotle serves as their vegan protein option, so I'm going to try making some, along with guacamole, pico de gallo, seasoned black beans (I have can after can of beans to use up at the moment), rice, and lettuce.  We have some small flour tortillas in the fridge too, but I plan to eat mine as a sort of salad over lots of lettuce.

Vegetarian Club Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Stir-fry with Gardein Veggie-Beef, Broccoli & Red Bell Pepper and Rice

Homemade Veggie Burgers and Crudites
The veggie burgers and sprouted grain buns are currently taking up space in my freezer.

Brinner
I have leftover pancakes taking up space in my freezer, veggie bacon strips, a couple veggie sausages, and eggs in the fridge.

Meal Planning

There is way too much food in my freezer, so I'm going to try to pare things down a bit in there this week.

Spaghetti & Veggie Meatballs and Green Salad
This will use up both some noodles from the pantry, a marinara sauce from the cupboard, and a bag of vegetarian meatballs in the freezer from Trader Joe's.

Vegan Pad Thai
I have some whole grain pad Thai noodles I'd like to use up.

Rajma and Dum Aloo and Basmati Rice and Indian Chopped Salad 
The dum aloo will use up some of the potatoes in my pantry and the peas in my freezer.  The rajma is just something I haven't had in ages that people are eating in the book I'm reading and I want it now.

Tofu Banh Mi
I bought some baked sriracha tofu at Trader Joe's and have no idea what to do with it, so I'm skipping the marinating and searing and side of sriracha and using that baked sriracha tofu, the pickled veg (made a day in advance), and (maybe sriracha) mayo.  I'll make fresh baguettes.

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches

Mexican Omelet (a la NYC's French Roast bistro) and Hash Browns (a la McDonald's, from my freezer by way of Trader Joe's)
The Mexican omelet has guacamole, tomatoes, and gruyere folded into fluffy eggs.  French Roast serves it with home fries and toast, but I'm going with what I've got.

Meal Planning

I'm trying to put a bit more effort into this week's meal planning than I have in awhile.  I took inventory of my fridge and pantry, and I have a whole mess of flour tortillas, some whole wheat hamburger buns, and three pounds of potatoes to use.  I'd like to find an easy, tasty, protein-rich dish I can make in place of the meat eater's typical chicken and set alongside some random vegetables.  I'm currently looking to make a delicious sort of white bean dish, creamy and maybe garnished with cilantro.

Veggie Burgers and Green Salad

Pav Bhaji

Veggie Dogs and Vegetarian Baked Beans and Steamed Broccoli

Herbed White Bean Mash and Arugula Salad and Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Salad
The herbed white bean mash is something I'm making up.  It's essentially refried white beans with a European flavor.  I'm going to figure out the herbs as I go based on what smells appropriate, but I'm thinking some combination of thyme, basil, bay leaves, marjoram, sage, savory, tarragon, and parsley.  I'm going to cook the white beans in the slow cooker with shallots, garlic, and after I mash them add maybe two tablespoons of butter and the juice of one lemon.

Cheese Ravioli with Arugula & Romano

Baked Potato Skins and Green Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing and Leftover Sides

Meal Planning

Chile Rellenos with Rice and Beans

Chik'n Pesto Pizza with Fontina Cheese

Stir-fry and Rice

DIY Taco Night

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.

Veggie Tacos and Refried Beans

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and Vegetarian Club Sandwiches  

Veggie Burgers and Cheese Fries and Green Salad

Pav Bhaji

Crispy Breaded Tofu Steaks and Steamed Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes
Because I'll have potatoes leftover after making pav bhaji and potato skins.

Baked Potato Skins and Green Salad and Zucchini Cakes

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  I didn't get through all the meals I planned for last week, so there is some carry over this week.  Here is what I'm making:

Stir-fried Veggie Pork with Rice
I've been buying Gardein brand frozen vegetarian meats lately since I got bored with homemade seitan and tofu.  I'm going to cook this one with red bell pepper, green onion, and broccoli.

Cheese Ravioli with Arugula
I actually did make this last week, but I have half the ravioli leftover, as well as tons of shallots and Romano cheese, so I'll just buy another batch of arugula and make it again.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and Vegetarian Club Sandwiches   

Saag Tofu and Brown Basmati Rice and Naan

Pasta Salad

BBQ Vegetarian Ribs and Dill Potato Salad and Crudites with Ranch Dressing

Meal Planning

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

Seitan & Veggie Stirfry with Brown Rice

Cheese Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino Romano

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and Vegetarian Club Sandwiches   

Saag Tofu and Brown Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan

Tandoori Tofu and Vegan Green Goddess Dressing with Grilled Veggie Kabobs and Cilantro-Lime Brown Basmati Rice

  

Meal Planning

It's another week of meeting at the intersection of "tasty enough I'll bother" and "easy enough I'll bother."  Here is what I'm making:

Gnocchi with Spinach & White Beans

Penne alla Vodka

Veggie Fajitas with Fresh Guacamole
I hadn't planned to make these, but Sameer wants the penne, and it creates a surplus of the right sliced vegetables, so I figured I might as well use them up here.

Nachos with Fresh Guacamole

Tofu & Veggie Stirfry with Brown Rice

Enchiladas and Red Cabbage Slaw

Meal Planning

This week I'm aiming for the intersection of "tasty enough I'll bother" and "easy enough I'll bother."  Here is what I'm making:

Pav Bhaji

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

Soy Burgers and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I already have the burgers premade and stashed in the freezer, so this meal mostly involves slicing the burger fixins and chopping things for the soup.

Tofu & Veggie Stirfry with Brown Rice

Gardein Burgers with Crudites and Leftover Sides
Because I'll have extra whole wheat hamburger buns after making pav bhaji, and this is really basic for when it's the weekend and I'm too lazy to do anything else.  I might use my leftover veggies from the chilli-garlic noodles to make some Vegetable Manchurian too, now that I know how to fry properly.

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  It's supposed to be rainy and increasingly warm this week.  Here is what I'm making:

Pita Pockets and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I'm going to make vegetarian seafood salad for the pitas and have other fixings available for Sim and Sameer, such as Tofurky slices and cheese.  I'll make this today since it's rainy and cool.

Veggie Tacos and Refried Beans

No-Huevos Rancheros
I'll make enough refried beans for both veggie taco night and huevos rancheros night.

Black Bean Nacho Pizza

Falafel
The recipe says burgers, but this time I'm making it in the traditional falafel style.  It tastes good either way.  This should use up the rest of the pita pockets.

Cheese Fries and Chik'n Tenders and Green Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing
This is basically a healthier version of what we used to order from Outback Steakhouse.  It's a variation on what I call Junk Food Dinner.

Meal Planning

This week is Simran's birthday.  I haven't been cooking to plan much recently, so I have quite a few non-perishable ingredients getting backed up.  I've spent the last four hours making macarons for Sim's birthday party.  A lot of it is wait time, but it's still the most temperamental recipe I've ever worked with.  God willing they will freeze nicely and thaw well as the internet claims they do.  I plan to thaw them Friday, ice the cupcakes, and then fill the macarons with the same vanilla buttercream and keep them in the fridge until the party Saturday.  They aren't the prettiest -- I still can't get them uniformly flat and shiny, and I think I whipped the egg whites longer than I was supposed to -- but they taste really good.  Dinner time is in 45 minutes and I really don't feel like cooking anymore.  Here is what I'm hoping to make and get rid of this week:

Cheese Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino Romano
I noticed a wedge of Romano in the fridge and decided to make this.  Unfortunately it required me to buy a pound of arugula -- the only size package available at the store -- and might have been a terrible idea what with my already full refrigerator.

Tofu & Veggie Stirfry with Brown Rice

No Huevos Rancheros with Pea Guacamole

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and Vegan Mac 'n Cheese and Chik'n Tenders

Gardein Cheeseburgers and Crudites
Planning to save this one for Thursday, the night before Sameer's parents arrive, just to keep it simple and keep the kitchen relatively clean.  It's Sim's birthday, so I guess I'll make her a veggie dog in the hopes she'll actually eat something. 

Simran's 4th Birthday Party

Simran decided on an Octonauts themed birthday party this year.  That means lots of fun under-the-sea themed foods and decor for me.  She was also adamant she wanted a chocolate cake.  I've ultimately decided on the following menu, with input and approval from Simran:

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, topped with Orange Molded Chocolate Sea Creatures:  I've used this chocolate cake recipe for years now.  I'm sure one of the top reviews mentions how much to adjust the cooking time for making cupcakes.  For topping I'm just making a basic vanilla buttercream with really good vanilla extract and adding a hint of gel food dye (I have both sky blue and leaf green, which I think I can make yield a nice aqua).  For the decorations, I found a sea creature chocolate mold on Amazon and orange colored meltable chocolates that you can by at grocery and craft stores (you can use white chocolate chips and a tablespoon of vegetable shortening and presumably a touch of gel food coloring, but the white chocolate came out so strong and overpoweringly sweet when I tried this that I am hopeful the meltables will be milder just by virtue of having a larger variety of ingredients listed on its packaging).

Oyster Sandwich Cookies:  I've seen about fifteen variations of this cookie on the internet, especially Pinterest.  It basically consists of two cookies positioned half open to look like an oyster shell, frosting inside, and a chocolate Sixlet that looks like a pearl positioned atop the bed of frosting.  The version I've decided to go with will be blue macarons with more of the same aqua dyed buttercream I'm using on the cupcakes.  Macarons are a pain to make, and I am going to experiment with freezing them so I can have them fresh without having to make them when I'm pressed for time, but they impress guests greatly because they're hard to make and expensive to buy, and it's nice to have a gluten-free treat option when you might have gluten-free guests.  I have white pearlescent Sixlets for the pearls.  If the macarons don't thaw well, I figure I can buy simple ginger snaps or something (the spice and buttercream flavors go well together) and assemble the whole lot in ten minutes or less, and gluten free guests will be relegated to the ice creams.  Regardless, I plan to assemble these cookies when I frost the cupcakes, right after making a large batch of frosting.

I plan to have ice cream, though I'm not sure if I'll make my own or buy some.  The thing that makes ice cream good is freshness.  How good it tastes is inversely proportional to how old it is, which is the only reason to make my own.  If I make my own, I will probably use this recipe because it's eggless and one person who might attend the party has an egg allergy, so I always try to include an eggless treat.  I will omit the preserves from the recipe though.  I've never gotten them to mix in properly when making this previously and they stuck out kind of oddly.  This chocolate ice cream recipe is Sim's favorite and uses up the exact amount of egg yolks left over from making two batches of macarons, so I might make this too.  Or maybe I'll freeze the egg yolks and make the chocolate one next week with any leftover half-and-half or cream from making the vanilla.

I have a drink dispenser I've used for fresh lemonade or punch in the past, but I think I might skip the punch this year.  So much of it is left over each year that it seems like a waste when I can just put out various sugared sodas and unsweetened fizzy waters that, unopened, can be saved for later.  Maybe I can find a limeade or something at Trader Joe's and put that in the punch dispenser.  I don't know.

For savory snacks, I'm going to put out good cheese (probably Cotswold with chives and some smoked Gouda -- they're my favorites and yielded good feedback from guests last time) pre-sliced and store-bought crackers, a vegetable platter with homemade ranch dressing featuring a half-submerged bell pepper cut to look like an octopus (thank you, Pinterest), and a fruit plate.  The fruit might be cut with my melon baller or star shaped cookie cutter, it might be inside a personal watermelon carved to look like the Gup-A from Octonauts (thank you, Pinterest), or I might just throw it all together on a plate because I've run out of energy.  Simran wants to make sure we have strawberries, blueberries, and mango slices, so those will be included.  Based on previous birthday parties, the thing that makes the biggest difference to guests is the inclusion of a ridiculous sweetened fruit dip made from cream cheese and marshmallow creme and Cool Whip, so I'll make a bowl of that.  I think I'll buy some little snack packs of Goldfish crackers and put them in a bowl too.  That way any that don't get opened can just go toward Sim's school lunches for the rest of the semester.

 

 

Meal Planning

Homemade Veggie Dogs and Vegan Mac 'n Cheese and Crudites or Salad 

Tex-Mex Croquettes over Arugula/Spinach Salad with Fresh Guacamole

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice

No-Huevos Rancheros  

Vegan Shepherd's Pie and Green Salad with Vinaigrette
I want to use up the last of the russet potatoes that don't go into the vegan cheese sauce for the mac 'n cheese, so I'm making shepherd's pie.  I'll make the salad from the last of the arugula/spinach blend.


Crispy Breaded Tofu and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and other leftover sides 
 

Meal Planning

I want to get back in the habit of cooking enough that we don't do takeout most weeks, not even once.  Takeout is not that good around here, certainly not good enough to justify how unhealthy it is.  The key to this seems to be doing an enormous amount of meal prep, mostly chopping things, on Sunday afternoon so weekday meal prep doesn't require more energy than I have.

Broccoli Cheeze Twice Baked Potatoes and Collard Greens with Almonds

Tex-Mex Burgers with Avocado and Green Salad 

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice
When I ran out of peanut oil a couple weeks ago, I started cooking the stir-fry in low-sodium vegetable broth instead.  I still season it with maybe a teaspoon of sesame oil because I still have two bottles of that, but it's a much lower oil content overall with no discernible flavor difference.  Sameer said the one cooked in broth tasted better before I told him what I'd done differently.

No-Huevos Rancheros
I love huevos rancheros and have been cutting back on eggs (plus Sim would never eat the authentic and spicy recipe I used to use), so this sounded good to try.

Pav Bhaji 
I have a whole bag of organic russet potatoes to use.

Homemade Veggie Dogs and Vegan Mac 'n Cheese and Crudites or Salad

Other things I want to make soon, but not necessarily this week:
Lentil-Walnut Pate  (it looks like the lentils she references from Trader Joe's are the small green French ones, of which I have tons dried, and I'm always looking for new and tasty ways to use lentils)
Vegan Spring Rolls 
Oven-Baked Plantains with Coconut Dipping Sauce
Vegan Pesto over Spiralized Summer Squash and Cherry Tomatoes (when I have a basil plant in full bloom again)
Simple Tomato Cucumber & Red Onion Salad (when I have a cherry tomato plant in full bloom again) 

Kid Food

Simran has grown increasingly difficult to feed.  The primary problem is that she won't even taste most things, even things she previously loved.  She subsists on grilled cheese, cheese quesadillas, cheese pizza, and freeze-dried mangoes and berries from Trader Joe's.  Breakfast is either Ezekiel 4:9's sprouted whole grain cinnamon raisin bread toasted and buttered, Raisin Bran Crunch cereal with unsweetened calcium-fortified vanilla almond milk, or homemade oatmeal, which she bizarrely still likes sometimes in spite of the fact that I don't sweeten it with anything but raisins.  She likes whole grain products just fine, but she rejects pretty much anything she perceives to be vegetable, even if it's pretty and dip is involved.  The tropical kale smoothies and Happy Tot brand prepackaged food bags of fruit and vegetable puree she used to eat everyday suddenly make her turn up her nose and cry.  She won't put anything in her mouth that is green.  I worked around this once by talking up the special chocolate shake I was drinking, which contains no processed sugar and had enough spinach in it that I had to put it in colored glasses so that she couldn't see the weird greenish color, but the second time I made it, she changed her mind and said, "Yuck." 

If I offer her something, she automatically rejects it.  If I don't want to share something, all I have to do is offer it to her.  This even worked with the really good breadsticks from the local pizzeria, even after she expressed an interest in them.  I wonder if it might even work with cake or cookies.

Because I don't take special requests at dinner, she can either eat what we're having or choose to fill up on fruits and veggies.  She usually either eats almost nothing for dinner or feasts on multiple bags of freeze-dried berries. 

I'm trying something new this week.  Today I did a Google image search for "fun healthy easy recipes for kids" and told her we'll pick something out, buy the ingredients, and make it together.  She was psyched, especially for the inexplicable pictures of cake.  She pointed out a picture of pea and sweet corn fritters and wanted to make them immediately, and we happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so we did.  She wanted sour cream with them, of which we had none, so I gave her plain yogurt and just let her believe it was sour cream.  She tasted a fritter, said "yuck," and refused to touch any more of them.  Then she ate about half a cup of plain non-fat yogurt and repeatedly told me how much she likes sour cream.  So I guess that was something.  Sameer and I ate the rest of the fritters.  They were okay.

According to Google image search, the key to making food appealing to a child is to give all sandwiches faces and arrange produce to look like animals.  This seems like a lot of work.  Here are the "kid food" recipes I want to try:

Pretty Much Everything in this Martha Stewart After-School Snack Slideshow (I'm especially excited about the tiny sandwiches -- we can have tea time! -- and the dips because she might actually eat those.  She would probably also love any sort of granola- or fruit-based snacks because those are things she already likes.)
Bell Pepper Jack o'Lanterns (I cannot imagine Sim will actually eat any of this, but she picked it out for its Halloween theme, and I could fill them with any sort of rice pilaf mixture or do them with my stuffed pepper recipe with ground seitan and topped with cheese)
Tiny Zucchini Cheese Pizzas
Open-Face Sandwich with an Actual Face
Veggie Dogs (Sim has been talking about hot dogs a lot lately)
Pinwheels (with whole wheat tortillas.  I'd like to try making these with homemade hummus or other bean-based dips, which Sim used to love, as well as a version with a veggie-infused fat-free cream cheese, which I know I could make taste really good.  I've avoided introducing her to even more cheese-based foods, but I'm desperate to get her to eat new things at this point, even new things featuring cheese.  Tofurky slices would also be a good addition and she will eat those on sandwiches.  I doubt I could sneak lettuce or spinach or arugula in without her rejecting the whole thing.  Maybe shredded radicchio since the color isn't a dead giveaway that it's a leafy vegetable.)

Meal Planning

Chile Rellenos with Rice and Beans

Vegan Seafood Salad in Pita Pockets

Tex-Mex Burgers with Avocado and Green Salad 

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice

Broccoli Cheeze Twice Baked Potatoes and Collard Greens with Almonds  

Meal Planning

Simran and I have been sick almost non-stop for the last week, so I need to do some meal planning and shopping today.  I made Tex-Mex burgers and soy burgers from the "classic slider" recipe on NoMeatAthlete.  Again, like last time, I didn't use oil and I'll cook them from frozen in the toaster oven, 425 degrees for ten minutes on each side.

The meals listed without sides should have small salads or something with them.

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice 

Soy Burgers and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Vegan Seafood Salad in Pita Pockets

Rigatoni alla Anthony

Baltimorean Beans & Rice 

Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Meatless Balls in Marinara

 

Meal Planning

Chile Rellenos with Rice and Beans

Broccoli Cheeze Twice Baked Potatoes and Collard Greens with Almonds and Soy Veg Cutlets
For the cutlets, I want to try making something that is a cross between the Indian vegetable cutlets and the soy burgers I made.

Veggie Pizza and Green Salad

Soy Burgers and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup 
I'm thinking of trying Mexican sliders from the same link, just based on using up things I need to make for the chile rellenos anyway, even though I loved the classic sliders and have already run out of frozen patties.  The classic with soy beans in place of black beans is one of my favorite new meals.  Lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and yellow mustard on an Ezekiel sprouted grain bun is fantastic and vegan, and I heat the frozen burger patties in my toaster oven to keep them easy and oil free.

Junk Food Dinner
I really want to bake some cheese fries and have them with a massive salad and homemade ranch dressing.  I'm not sure what else I could make to supplement this meal.   

Meal Planning

Vegetable Cutlets and Saag Chutney with Crudites

Fresh Veggie Tacos and Fresh Guacamole and Slow Cooker Black Beans

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice 

Falafel with Flavor Sauce  

Soy Burgers and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

I didn't do official meal planning last week, so I'm just doing enough meals to finish off this week.  The soy burgers turned out to be something I really loved.  I baked them in the toaster oven, about 425 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes on each side, so they have no oil.  I served them on Ezekiel sprouted buns with red onion, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and yellow mustard. 

The falafel turned out to be fantastic too, also vegan and no oil.  I ended up eating all the leftovers as salad, with the patties served over a plate of chopped romaine, tomatoes, and vegan flavor sauce.  This time around, I bought some 100% whole wheat mini pita pockets from Whole Foods to serve with them.  I might make some hummus to go with that too.  

Meal Planning

Time for weekly meal planning.  I've had some great successes (IMO) with some new, all healthy, no oil recipes in the last couple weeks, so I'm making some of them again.  I define "great success" as actually enjoying eating it, not feeling hungry afterward, finishing off the leftovers for lunch, and wanting to make it again.  I rarely encounter "great successes," even if I'm the only judge.  Here is what I need to use up this week:  four ripe avocados, a couple cups fresh baby spinach, some sliced summer squash and red bell pepper leftover from fajita night, some whole wheat hamburger buns, a package and a half of corn tortillas and another of whole wheat tortillas, and a pound and a half of mushrooms (because I destroyed the mashed potatoes intended for mushroom shepherd's pie -- while an immersion blender works fine on sweet potatoes, it turns russets into glue).  Here is what I'm making this week:

Broccoli Cheeze Twice Baked Potatoes and Collard Greens with Almonds and Vegetable Cutlets
I still have collard greens leftover from last week since I had planned to make them with shepherd's pie.  These potatoes were fantastic considering how healthy they are.  No-oil, low-fat meals often leave me hungry, even when they are full of fiber and protein that make it impossible to eat any more in quantity, but these potatoes had flavor and filled me up.  I finished off all the leftovers.  The no-oil vegetable cutlets (I used whole wheat panko instead of crushed corn flakes) are great too.  I want to play around with the spices some.  I think I used more potato than the recipe calls for and intentionally used less cayenne (like I do) and they turned out a little bland.

Penne alla Vodka and Mushrooms with Spinach
I'm using up the fajita vegetables (they didn't get seasoned or cooked yet, just cut) on penne alla vodka.  I'm using up the mushrooms and baby spinach by making a sort of tapas-style side sauteed with fresh garlic and marsala wine. 

Cheese Pizza and Green Salad

Soy Burgers and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I'm going to use No Meat Athlete's classic slider recipe as a base, but I'm using soy beans instead of black beans.  We'll see how it goes.

Tofu & Veggie Stir-fry and Brown Rice