Meal Planning

I've got a lot of random little things in the fridge to use up: arugula, spinach, sliced white mushrooms, an heirloom tomato, pesto mayo, spicy red sauce for falafels, a mixture of radicchio and iceberg lettuce, mozzarella pearls, a package of feta, microgreens, nonfat Greek yogurt, a cucumber, cooked chickpeas and an avocado. It's not going to be quite as hot this week (mostly highs in the 80s, some lower, one or two days higher), so I won't be concentrating as hard to avoiding using the stove. Sameer is planning to implement alternate day fasting this week, so I'm not sure how exactly this will go since cooking on nights when he doesn't eat can yield way too many leftovers. Here is what I'm making:

Falafel (plus Red Sauce and Hummus) and Greek Salad

The yogurt sauce will use up the nonfat Greek yogurt and cucumber. We can use up the last of the red sauce I made last time. I can make hummus from the already cooked chickpeas in the fridge and Greek salad from the feta. I just need to cook more chickpeas and buy more cucumbers, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, pita bread, and parsley. I air-fried the falafel in the Breville last time and it turned out really well.

Brinner with Omelets and Pancakes

I have a bunch of pancakes and some veggie sausages in the freezer. I just need to buy some eggs for this dinner, and the omelets will use up some cheese and random veg from the fridge. This one involves turning the stovetop on for a few minutes, so I'll do it on a cooler night.

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches and Easy Bean Salad

Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino and Italian Chopped Salad

I already have a shallot and arugula, and I can also throw my fresh spinach in here. I just need the cheese ravioli.

California Wrap

Because we all like it and it finishes off the yogurt sauce from the falafel.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Meal Planning

 It's hot here this week, so I'm trying out some no-cook meals. Here is what I'm planning to make:

California Wrap and Easy Bean Salad

Vegan Fried Chicken with Ranch Dip and Sweet Potatoes and Crudites

Because I have homemade ranch dip in the fridge and sweet potatoes in the pantry that I can steam in the Instant Pot.

Veggie Summer Rolls

Vegan Seafood Salad and Hummus with Crudites

Italian Chopped Salad with Cheese Herb Bread

I'm going to make the bread as a loaf in the bread maker (to avoid heating up the house) and we'll see how it goes.

Fresh Veggie Tacos with Fresh Guacamole and Red Cabbage Slaw

Vegetable Sushi

I want to master the basics of this and then make different recipes (e.g., a vegan spicy California roll I saw online). I just need to find my sushi mat among all my currently-not-in-use kitchen supplies.

No Cook Meals for Hot Summer Nights

I'm compiling a list of things I can make when it's hot outside so I don't heat up the house even more. Right now it's only June and we're looking at highs in the 80s and 90s for the foreseeable future, according to the weather app. Our first summer here, it only got that hot for one week. Here are some things I already make and like:

Veggie Summer Rolls

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches

Fresh Veggie Tacos with Fresh Guacamole

California Wrap

Vegan Seafood Salad

Greek Salad

Hearty Veggie Hoagies    

Tofu Salad Sandwiches

Indian Potato/Tomato/Cucumber Sandwiches

I can steam the potatoes in the Instant Pot, which keeps its heat pretty well contained and also keeps them from getting dried out like microwaving them does.

Here are some recipes I haven't tried yet but would like to:

Red Curry Tempeh Summer Rolls

Vegan Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Tofu Mango Summer Rolls with Makhani Sauce

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

If I use rice noodles, they can cook in standing boiling water from the tea kettle. No stove needed at all.

Vegetable Sushi

Kachumber Salad

This seems good to serve alongside curries.

Easy Bean Salad

I like that I could theoretically use any of my random Rancho Gordo Beans.

Big Italian Salad

Epic Summer Salad

51 Salad Recipes

A lot of these look good.

Meal Planning

It's nice and cool outside today, but it's going to get HOT later this week, so I want to do some cooking today that heats up the house and do no-cook meals later in the week. Here is what I'm planning to make:

French Onion Skillet Fettuccine and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce 

Tonight so I can use up the mushrooms leftover from veggie tacos. I changed the skillet lasagna to skillet fettuccine based on what I currently have in the pantry.

Pasta Salad and Bagged Salad

Because tomorrow is going to be very busy, and I need something I can have ready to eat when Sim comes home from her voice lesson. If I prep the soy curls (veg chik'n) and pasta today, it will be fully no-cook tomorrow.

Falafel (plus Red Sauce and Hummus) and Greek Salad

Because I still haven't made this yet. I'll make it in the air fryer to avoid heating up the house much. I already have everything I need.

Veggie Summer Rolls

Friday night dinner. It's a fair amount of work, but it's no-cook and we all like it. Sim can help make the rolls.

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches

Saturday night because it's no-cook, it's easy, and everyone in the house likes it.

Meal Planning

Three days this week are supposed to be over 80 degrees, so I want some dinners that don't require the stove/oven. I didn't make everything on last week's meal plan, so some of that might repeat here. Here is what I have to use up: one egg, open jar of marinara, open jar of pizza sauce, about a cup of fresh white mushrooms, about a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, about 1/2 cup of sour cream, lettuce, and a few avocados. Here is what I'm making:

Black Bean Quesaritos

I can use up the remaining sour cream on this, as well as the container of chipotle salsa and open jar of nacho cheese in the fridge. I think I just need big flour tortillas to have all the ingredients.

Fresh Veggie Tacos with Fresh Guacamole

Because it's easy and I love it and it doesn't involve heating up the house at all. I could use up the last of the mushrooms and most of the avocados on this meal. And some of the lettuce.

Pasta and Greek Salad

I will use up the sauces in the fridge, plus the small amount of heavy cream in there and maybe an open cream cheese to make a sort of vodka sauce. Then throw in whatever veg I want to use up from the fridge and freezer and maybe some soy curls from the pantry (or make and steam veg pepperoni in the Instant Pot to slice up and throw in if I'm feeling ambitious), along with whatever dried pasta I want to use up. Sim loved the Greek salad last week, and I have another container of fat free feta, so I'll make it again this week. I just need cucumbers and tomatoes to make this meal.

Falafel (plus Red Sauce)

Later in the week when it's cooler out since it involves baking in the oven. I might try making the falafel in the new toaster oven on its air fryer mode. It's smaller, but it would be quicker and might turn out really well. I'll have to figure out cooking times, etc. The sauce would probably use up the last of the yogurt in the fridge too.

California Wrap

Because it calls for the same sauce as the falafel. I didn't end up making this OR the falafel last week. I'll hold off on buying ingredients for these wraps until I've made the falafel.

Green Enchilada Lasagna

When it gets cooler out maybe.