Meal Planning

Time for meal planning. It's that time of the year when I focus on using up the food in my freezer and pantry. Here is what I've got that needs to go in the immediate future: about two bowls worth of vegan cream of broccoli soup, two bunches lacinato kale, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, a few cups of shredded green cabbage, fat free cottage cheese, some 2% milk leftover from Sameer's mom's visit, and maybe a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt. The freezer is so full I'll need to work my way through it, but it's mostly frozen fruit and veg and a slightly unreasonable number of packages of garlic naan. We've had a lot of Indian food lately, so I'm going to put off dealing with the garlic naan and just refrain from buying more. In the pantry I've got a lot of noodles of different varieties, way too many crackers and snack foods, and a wide range of beans and lentils. I've also got a variety of oatmeals. I also have a box of dry milk I figure I'll make into hot cocoa mix because that always uses it up quickly. Here is what I'm making this week in an effort to buy as little as possible:

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Kale with Miraculous Walnut Sauce

I just need to buy celery to make this meal. This will be dinner tonight.

Baked Apple Cider Mini-Donuts

I made these a week or two ago and they were one of the best things I've ever eaten. Sameer and Simran said they were the best dessert they'd ever had. I'm simmering the last of the apple cider right now to make them again today. They should also use up part or all of the last of the 2% milk, and I already have the "apple pie spice" premade from last time. Sameer and Simran both have long days at work/school today, so I should have plenty of time to make these as a nice surprise. 

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Halloween dinner. I can make the soup in the InstantPot so it just needs blending when we come in from trick-or-treating. I need to buy a loaf of fresh sourdough tomorrow, but I think I've got everything else.

Beef-less Stew and Herbed Dinner Rolls

I just need to buy some mushrooms to make this meal. I think I'll add some of the tiny chickpeas from my Rancho Gordo Bean box to the stew for added protein and to make it more filling.

Brinner with Breakfast Burrito and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

I have pancakes in the freezer, but I'm not sure how many. I can always make more from the yogurt in the fridge. I've also got Impossible brand savory breakfast sausages too that this will use up. I don't think I need to buy anything to make this meal. I may or may not make a warm fruit compote from some of the fruit in the freezer to go on top of the pancakes.

Tofu Pot Pie

This will use up the cubed tofu in my freezer and some of the veg in my freezer. I don't need to buy anything to make it.

Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese and Veggie Sides

I don't need anything to make this, and it'll use up some of the broccoli in the freezer and the elbow macaroni in the pantry.

I'll use up half the leftover vegan cream of broccoli soup and at least some of the shredded cabbage for lunch. I'm going to make the cabbage into Crunchy Asian Slaw.