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.