Meal Planning

Time for more meal planning. It's warm today, almost 80 degrees, but it's supposed to be in the lower 70s the rest of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday require quick and easy or entirely pre-made dinner due to appointments. Here is what I'm making:

Dumplings with Dipping Sauce and Crunchy Asian Slaw

I'm going to try air-frying the dumplings this time as it suggests on the packaging. I have dipping sauce and green cabbage leftover from last week.

Indian Style Sandwiches with fresh Cilantro Chutney

I'll pick up some fresh bread from the farmer's market while Sim is in voice lessons, and I'll make the chutney in advance and have the potatoes cooking in the Instant Pot while we're out of the house.

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

I have some leftover spinach in the fridge, and this will be easy enough to throw together Wednesday after Sim's eye appointment.

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

Friday night dinner? If there is leftover cabbage.

Meal Planning

Autumn is finally here! Highs this week will be in the 60s and 70s, so I can just open the windows and cook whatever I want without fear of heating up the house too much. Here is what I have to use up: the plant-based dumplings we all love that I found on sale, some baby spinach. Here is what I'm making:

Ready-to-Eat Meal from Patel Brothers

Sameer has an eye appointment in Naperville this afternoon, so we're going to stop at Patel Bros to restock, and one of the things we'll buy is a selection of dishes from the hot foods bar (usually kadai paneer, dal makhani, and palak paneer, plus a bunch of samosas). Sameer can make some rice at home while I take Simran to and from her voice lesson. I'll also get some garlic naan and onion kulcha from the freezer section to just heat up in the toaster oven.

Dumplings with Dipping Sauce and Crunchy Asian Slaw

I made the slaw with all red cabbage last week because I had some to use up, and we just didn't eat as much of it. I think it's better with green. It's just more lettuce-like and less work to chew.

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and leftover Crunchy Asian Slaw

Sameer suggested doing the tofu again because everyone likes it. I could theoretically just serve the slaw again to use it up. 

Red Chile Enchiladas 

Idli-Sambar

This dish is always a hit, plus Sameer's mom is here to make coconut chutney properly. Plus it's a thick, warm soup in autumn, and it's healthy, so I like all that. Lots of prep time though, both for soaking and fermenting the batter and for making the vegetable stock to make into soup.

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

To use up the cabbage, or at least some of it. Next week probably.

Vegetable Manchow Soup

As a side. Maybe. To finish off the cabbage. Can't do this while we have sambar though. Cannot house two leftover soups at one time.

Meal Planning

I was sick for almost a week, and we had a lot of random in-a-pinch type dinners. I didn't end up making everything on the last meal plan, short as it was. It's currently very hot here, so I'm avoiding using the oven. Here is what I have to use up: half a red bell pepper, half a green bell pepper, and russet potatoes. Here is what I'm making:

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and Crunchy Asian Slaw

Making this tonight because I didn't make it yet. I'll make the rice in the Instant Pot, as we've taken to doing.

Indian Style Sandwiches with fresh Cilantro Chutney

Probably Tuesday so we can have everything ready to make into sandwiches when Sim gets home from voice lessons. I'll bake the potatoes in the Instant Pot to avoid the oven and also because I've learned it yields even better baked potatoes than the oven.

Falafel (plus Red Sauce and Hummus) and Greek Salad

Maybe Wednesday night because it's a bit labor intensive, and Sim will be at school late so I'll have more time. I'll make the falafel in the air fryer. I think I did that once before and it was good. I think the recipe I normally use calls for egg, but I'll replace it with aquafaba from the cooked, refrigerated chickpeas. I'll have to remember to put the chickpeas to soak tonight (Monday) so I have plenty of time to do all this. So many sauces.

Catalan Sauteed Polenta and Butter Beans

I have more than one kind of butter beans from my Rancho Gordo bean boxes, and I haven't made this in a while. I'm going to try making the polenta in the Instant Pot. If it doesn't turn out, I'll scrap this recipe for now. I'm not doing the oven version I normally do in this heat. If I soak the beans and make the polenta on Thursday, this could be pretty easy to throw together Friday night. Thursday we'll just eat leftovers.

Red Beans & Rice and Green Salad

An easy Sunday or Saturday night dinner if we can't come up with something better.

Meal Planning

Paryushan is over. Time for meal planning again. It's cool outside today, but there will highs in the 80s the rest of the week, so I'd like to do one meal today that uses the stove and oven a lot and do less heat-based cooking the rest of the days. Here is what I've got to use up: about half a sliced red bell pepper, half a head of red cabbage, some spring mix lettuce, two bags of shaved brussels sprouts, some microgreens, 

Spiced Spinach Tofu Stir-Fry and Rice and Garlic Naan

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and Crunchy Asian Slaw

California Wraps

Pav Bhaji