Crudites and Pumpernickel Bread with Homemade Ranch Dressing
For lunch and noshing on till dinner time.
Gardein Vegetarian Turk'y Cutlets
Boxed Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Stuffed Mushrooms with Horseradish Cream Sauce
Candied Pears
Yule Log Cake
with Cinnamon Icing Filling
Gingerbread House
Simran has been asking for a gingerbread house she can eat, so we're making one from scratch. It might not hold up that well with basic buttercream frosting, but at least it'll be fresh.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Meal Planning
Last week of school before winter break. Here is what I have that needs to be used up: a whole container of idli after I've finished off the sambar (I should probably cut the idli recipe in half next time), half a pint of grape tomatoes, a couple pounds of russet potatoes (still can't remember why Sameer asked me to buy them), celery, about half a cup of queso dip we made last night, half a can of black beans, an open jar of marinara and an open jar of pizza sauce in the fridge, fresh asparagus, fresh shaved brussels sprouts, a few tiny slices of pumpernickel bread, about half a container of vegan (plain, unsweetened) almond yogurt, and a couple open jars each of capers and kalamata olives (the fridge it too full when such things can effectively hide in the back until I open another jar). Here is what I'm planning to make:
Tonight we'll have random leftovers. We should be able to finish off the queso dip and black beans. There are also several Morningstar buffalo wings wrapped in foil in the fridge we can eat tonight. I'll probably steam the asparagus this afternoon to eat chilled for the next couple days. We still have lemon-caper mayo in the fridge, but I should be able to finish it off this week with the new bunch of asparagus.
Sambar
I'm going to make another pot of sambar to eat for lunches with the leftover idli and vegan yogurt. It'll use up another container of frozen diced bell pepper, a couple potatoes, the remainder of the onion in the fridge, and a stalk of the celery. I don't think I'll need to buy anything to make this. Maybe I'll do it today after using the big pot to steam the asparagus so I only have to wash it all once. I can also dump my all the cilantro currently in my vegetable crisper into the finished soup.
Saag Paneer and Dal Makhani and Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan
I bought paneer at Patel Bros. last week, and I have prepared garlic naan in the freezer and basmati rice in the pantry. I'll have to see what I need to buy for the dal makhani, but I should have most things on hand.
Hearty Veggie Hoagies
I'm hoping this will use up some of the kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and vegan pesto in the fridge. It's also easy to serve with soup or random sides. I just need to buy a baguette, zucchini, tomato, and red bell pepper. That'll be most of my grocery list for the week.
Tofu Pot Pie
I keep putting this off because it involves making and rolling out the pie dough, but it'll use up a couple different ingredients.
We're going out for Middle Eastern food on Friday night.
Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Veggie Sides
This should use up the open jars of marinara and pizza sauce in the fridge, as well as the small amount of tomato sauce that will be leftover from the dal makhani. It should be an easy Saturday night dinner after our afternoon at the theater.
Tonight we'll have random leftovers. We should be able to finish off the queso dip and black beans. There are also several Morningstar buffalo wings wrapped in foil in the fridge we can eat tonight. I'll probably steam the asparagus this afternoon to eat chilled for the next couple days. We still have lemon-caper mayo in the fridge, but I should be able to finish it off this week with the new bunch of asparagus.
Sambar
I'm going to make another pot of sambar to eat for lunches with the leftover idli and vegan yogurt. It'll use up another container of frozen diced bell pepper, a couple potatoes, the remainder of the onion in the fridge, and a stalk of the celery. I don't think I'll need to buy anything to make this. Maybe I'll do it today after using the big pot to steam the asparagus so I only have to wash it all once. I can also dump my all the cilantro currently in my vegetable crisper into the finished soup.
Saag Paneer and Dal Makhani and Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan
I bought paneer at Patel Bros. last week, and I have prepared garlic naan in the freezer and basmati rice in the pantry. I'll have to see what I need to buy for the dal makhani, but I should have most things on hand.
Hearty Veggie Hoagies
I'm hoping this will use up some of the kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and vegan pesto in the fridge. It's also easy to serve with soup or random sides. I just need to buy a baguette, zucchini, tomato, and red bell pepper. That'll be most of my grocery list for the week.
Tofu Pot Pie
I keep putting this off because it involves making and rolling out the pie dough, but it'll use up a couple different ingredients.
We're going out for Middle Eastern food on Friday night.
Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Veggie Sides
This should use up the open jars of marinara and pizza sauce in the fridge, as well as the small amount of tomato sauce that will be leftover from the dal makhani. It should be an easy Saturday night dinner after our afternoon at the theater.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Meal Planning
It's Tuesday. I made the veggie tacos last night and finished off the broccoli sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and most of the mushroom in a salad for lunch. We still have a fair amount of bread (mostly the pumpernickel), so I think I might pick up some more tomatoes, lettuce, and vegetarian turkey slices and Simran and I can have club sandwiches for dinner (we already have Vegannaise and a couple varieties of veggie bacon) alongside the last of the asparagus I just steamed yesterday. Here is the rest of the meal plan for the week:
Idli-Sambar with Coconut Chutney
I just started soaking the rice and dal (and methi) for the idli. I will blend it into a batter after dinner tonight and pop it in a barely warm oven overnight. I'm using the correct amounts of ingredients this time, so the batter might be too thick to blend easily, or it might just ferment in less time. We'll see. I'm making the coconut chutney even though we have store-bought just because I have fresh ginger and still so much dried coconut flake (and it's better than the store-bought). For the sambar, I already have half a jalapeno, the better part of a diced green bell pepper, and a diced onion and a half in the freezer ready to be dumped into a soup pot. This will also use up the last of the bag of organic russet potatoes. I used up my tamarind paste the last time I made sambar, so I need to stop by Patel Bros. and buy more tomorrow.
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
I'll buy pretzel buns and heat a couple of the black bean burgers from the freezer for Sim and me on Thursday. It's easy and healthy. We can have leftover sambar or some other vegetable as a side.
Tofu Pot Pie
Friday night dinner. It'll use up the cubed tofu and peas in the freezer and some of the celery and carrots in the fridge.
Sim and I are also going to make Cranberry-White Chocolate Scones after school on Friday to eat and so I can take them to book club on Saturday morning (rather than being tempted to eat them all myself at home).
Vegetarian Spaghetti & Meatballs
Saturday night because it's easy and we have a bunch of the meatless balls from Trader Joe's in the freezer, and I always keep whole wheat spaghetti noodles and a jar of marinara sauce on hand. I'll make broccoli soup or green salad to go with it.
Idli-Sambar with Coconut Chutney
I just started soaking the rice and dal (and methi) for the idli. I will blend it into a batter after dinner tonight and pop it in a barely warm oven overnight. I'm using the correct amounts of ingredients this time, so the batter might be too thick to blend easily, or it might just ferment in less time. We'll see. I'm making the coconut chutney even though we have store-bought just because I have fresh ginger and still so much dried coconut flake (and it's better than the store-bought). For the sambar, I already have half a jalapeno, the better part of a diced green bell pepper, and a diced onion and a half in the freezer ready to be dumped into a soup pot. This will also use up the last of the bag of organic russet potatoes. I used up my tamarind paste the last time I made sambar, so I need to stop by Patel Bros. and buy more tomorrow.
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
I'll buy pretzel buns and heat a couple of the black bean burgers from the freezer for Sim and me on Thursday. It's easy and healthy. We can have leftover sambar or some other vegetable as a side.
Tofu Pot Pie
Friday night dinner. It'll use up the cubed tofu and peas in the freezer and some of the celery and carrots in the fridge.
Sim and I are also going to make Cranberry-White Chocolate Scones after school on Friday to eat and so I can take them to book club on Saturday morning (rather than being tempted to eat them all myself at home).
Vegetarian Spaghetti & Meatballs
Saturday night because it's easy and we have a bunch of the meatless balls from Trader Joe's in the freezer, and I always keep whole wheat spaghetti noodles and a jar of marinara sauce on hand. I'll make broccoli soup or green salad to go with it.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Meal Planning
I keep running across things I'll need to use up soon, so I'm doing a preliminary meal plan for next week when I actually need to grocery shop. First, the broccoli seeds I'm sprouting won't be proper sprouts by tomorrow, so the Fresh Veggie Tacos will have to be moved to next week, either Monday or Wednesday. I'm making the Tofu Pot Pie tonight.
I just finished off three containers of leftovers for lunch (lettuce, onion, tomato became a massive salad), but there is more stuff in the fridge (and elsewhere) that has to go. Here is what else I need to use up: the last of the steamed asparagus, another bunch of raw asparagus I got on a whim because it was cheap again, a few last fresh broccoli florets, the last of the homemade ranch dressing (maybe a cup), shaved Brussels sprouts, a whole mess of russet potatoes, half a can of evaporated milk, a little half and half leftover from Thanksgiving, a few eggs, fresh celery, about four avocados, a loaf of sourdough and a loaf of pumpernickel because I bought way too much delicious bread, a whole bunch of diced or sliced bell peppers (green and red) that I've stashed in the freezer, the last of the homemade black bean burgers in the freezer, two containers full of homemade vegan chorizo in the freezer, and containers of frozen kesar mango and frozen garlic naan that won't spoil anytime soon but are among the things taking up undue amounts of space in the freezer. Here is what I'll be making to use up these foods:
Macaroni & Cheese
I got a stomach ache the last time I made this from all the cheese, but I have the exact right amount of evaporated milk and macaroni noodles, plus I can use up two eggs on it. Sim will eat most of it anyway. This will be the last time I make this for awhile.
Idli-Sambar
This will use up some or all of the bell pepper and at least one of the russet potatoes. I want to blend up the frozen kesar mango and make it into a sorbet for dessert.
Taco Night!
On corn tortillas with vegan chorizo and a bunch of fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato, red onion, cilantro, and guacamole. This might be a good plan for tomorrow night if I do the prep work in advance.
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
We could eat veggie sides such as asparagus, celery, or Brussels sprouts with this. This would probably mean buying pretzel rolls, which shouldn't yield leftovers beyond something to put in Simran's lunch.
Dal Makhani and Saag Paneer and Garlic Naan and Basmati Rice
This is partly to use up the naan from the freezer and partly because it's hard to find good saag paneer in local restaurants at all anymore so I'd like to figure out how to make it.
Baked Potato Skins
This is an easy way to consume the last of the russet potatoes because each of us ends up eating anywhere between one and three potatoes in a sitting. It will also use up the last of the ranch dressing.
Change of Plans. I'm not making tofu pot pie for dinner when none of the ingredients will spoil if I delay it. Tonight will be a junk food dinner with the macaroni, baked potato skins, broccoli, asparagus, celery and Brussels sprouts. It will also use up the last of the ranch dip. Should create a reasonable number of leftovers for lunches over the weekend. Maybe tomorrow will be a taco night with the vegan chorizo. It would use up the remaining avocados.
I just finished off three containers of leftovers for lunch (lettuce, onion, tomato became a massive salad), but there is more stuff in the fridge (and elsewhere) that has to go. Here is what else I need to use up: the last of the steamed asparagus, another bunch of raw asparagus I got on a whim because it was cheap again, a few last fresh broccoli florets, the last of the homemade ranch dressing (maybe a cup), shaved Brussels sprouts, a whole mess of russet potatoes, half a can of evaporated milk, a little half and half leftover from Thanksgiving, a few eggs, fresh celery, about four avocados, a loaf of sourdough and a loaf of pumpernickel because I bought way too much delicious bread, a whole bunch of diced or sliced bell peppers (green and red) that I've stashed in the freezer, the last of the homemade black bean burgers in the freezer, two containers full of homemade vegan chorizo in the freezer, and containers of frozen kesar mango and frozen garlic naan that won't spoil anytime soon but are among the things taking up undue amounts of space in the freezer. Here is what I'll be making to use up these foods:
Macaroni & Cheese
I got a stomach ache the last time I made this from all the cheese, but I have the exact right amount of evaporated milk and macaroni noodles, plus I can use up two eggs on it. Sim will eat most of it anyway. This will be the last time I make this for awhile.
Idli-Sambar
This will use up some or all of the bell pepper and at least one of the russet potatoes. I want to blend up the frozen kesar mango and make it into a sorbet for dessert.
Taco Night!
On corn tortillas with vegan chorizo and a bunch of fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato, red onion, cilantro, and guacamole. This might be a good plan for tomorrow night if I do the prep work in advance.
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
We could eat veggie sides such as asparagus, celery, or Brussels sprouts with this. This would probably mean buying pretzel rolls, which shouldn't yield leftovers beyond something to put in Simran's lunch.
Dal Makhani and Saag Paneer and Garlic Naan and Basmati Rice
This is partly to use up the naan from the freezer and partly because it's hard to find good saag paneer in local restaurants at all anymore so I'd like to figure out how to make it.
Baked Potato Skins
This is an easy way to consume the last of the russet potatoes because each of us ends up eating anywhere between one and three potatoes in a sitting. It will also use up the last of the ranch dressing.
Change of Plans. I'm not making tofu pot pie for dinner when none of the ingredients will spoil if I delay it. Tonight will be a junk food dinner with the macaroni, baked potato skins, broccoli, asparagus, celery and Brussels sprouts. It will also use up the last of the ranch dip. Should create a reasonable number of leftovers for lunches over the weekend. Maybe tomorrow will be a taco night with the vegan chorizo. It would use up the remaining avocados.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Steamed Asparagus with Lemon-Caper Mayo
This is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes. It's from finecooking.com, which recently started saying it's going to require me to have a subscription to access it, so I'm copying it here with my minor alterations.
Ingredients
Directions
1) Steam asparagus until it's a bright green color. When in doubt, err on the side of not cooking it long enough. You can eat it warm, room temperature, or chilled. After steaming, I put keep it in a container in the fridge to snack on cold.
2) Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough, woody stems
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Vegannaise to make it vegan)
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 Tbs. drained (not rinsed) capers
- 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1) Steam asparagus until it's a bright green color. When in doubt, err on the side of not cooking it long enough. You can eat it warm, room temperature, or chilled. After steaming, I put keep it in a container in the fridge to snack on cold.
2) Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Meal Planning
We finished off our Thanksgiving leftovers on Friday and Saturday. I didn't end up making the tofu pot pie last week (realized I needed the pie dish for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie instead), so we still have ingredients for that. The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas I traditionally try to clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry to the best of my ability, so here's is what I'm aiming to use up: some celery, two veggie dogs, a bunch of asparagus I got on sale a few days ago and promptly forgot about, a couple pounds of organic russet potatoes, some cubed tofu and chopped red bell pepper that have been in the freezer for ages, a homemade whole wheat pizza dough in the freezer because I accidentally used too much water the last time I made pizza dough and ended up having to nearly double the flour to make up for it (I was delighted by how much this WASN'T a catastrophe), some frozen homemade black bean burgers, about eight corn tortillas, and a variety of random frozen vegetables. Here is what I'm planning to make:
Chilaquiles Casserole
I'm going to make this tonight to use up the corn tortillas in the fridge as well as some of the frozen corn. We also have sour cream leftover from Thanksgiving cookery that we can use on this.
Veggie Dogs and Black-Eyed Pea & Roasted Red Pepper Dip with crudites and crackers and Steamed Asparagus with Lemon-Caper Mayo
Sim and I will finish off the veggie dogs in the fridge on Tuesday. I went ahead and trimmed off the parts of the asparagus that were starting to look sad and lightly steamed the rest this morning since it tastes best chilled anyway IMO. The dip is a How Not to Die Cookbook recipe I've been meaning to try for the last year, and I have two jars of roasted red bell pepper just taking up space anyway. I don't recall if I have canned black-eyed peas or dry, but I feel like I have one or the other. I just need to dig through the pantry to find them and soak them tonight if they're dry. This will be an easy meal to prep in advance and have ready to eat as soon as Sim gets home from her extracurriculars on Tuesday evening. I might get long pretzel rolls for the hot dogs if they're available since they're easier to use up on sandwiches and Sim's lunches than a full 8-pack of hot dog buns.
Tofu Pot Pie
I'm making this Wednesday to use up some of the frozen tofu and vegetables in the freezer, as well as some of the celery in the fridge.
Homemade Pizza
I'll make this Friday night. Or possibly switch it with the tofu pot pie so that I can put leftover pizza in Simran's lunches on Thursday and possibly Friday.
Fresh Veggie Tacos and Black Beans
Sameer requested we have this on Friday or Saturday (I choose Saturday), so I started soaking broccoli seeds today to make sprouts. I'll need to go to Whole Foods later in the week in case I need to buy sprouts (mine might not be ready yet) and to get guacamole, fresh mushrooms, and whole wheat flour tortillas. None of these things are easy to find at a store in my town.
Chilaquiles Casserole
I'm going to make this tonight to use up the corn tortillas in the fridge as well as some of the frozen corn. We also have sour cream leftover from Thanksgiving cookery that we can use on this.
Veggie Dogs and Black-Eyed Pea & Roasted Red Pepper Dip with crudites and crackers and Steamed Asparagus with Lemon-Caper Mayo
Sim and I will finish off the veggie dogs in the fridge on Tuesday. I went ahead and trimmed off the parts of the asparagus that were starting to look sad and lightly steamed the rest this morning since it tastes best chilled anyway IMO. The dip is a How Not to Die Cookbook recipe I've been meaning to try for the last year, and I have two jars of roasted red bell pepper just taking up space anyway. I don't recall if I have canned black-eyed peas or dry, but I feel like I have one or the other. I just need to dig through the pantry to find them and soak them tonight if they're dry. This will be an easy meal to prep in advance and have ready to eat as soon as Sim gets home from her extracurriculars on Tuesday evening. I might get long pretzel rolls for the hot dogs if they're available since they're easier to use up on sandwiches and Sim's lunches than a full 8-pack of hot dog buns.
Tofu Pot Pie
I'm making this Wednesday to use up some of the frozen tofu and vegetables in the freezer, as well as some of the celery in the fridge.
Homemade Pizza
I'll make this Friday night. Or possibly switch it with the tofu pot pie so that I can put leftover pizza in Simran's lunches on Thursday and possibly Friday.
Fresh Veggie Tacos and Black Beans
Sameer requested we have this on Friday or Saturday (I choose Saturday), so I started soaking broccoli seeds today to make sprouts. I'll need to go to Whole Foods later in the week in case I need to buy sprouts (mine might not be ready yet) and to get guacamole, fresh mushrooms, and whole wheat flour tortillas. None of these things are easy to find at a store in my town.
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