Meal Planning

Today is Labor Day.  Here is what I'm planning to make for dinners this week.

Vegetarian Frankfurters & Pasta Salad & Corn on the Cob & Crudites with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Easy Healthy Veggie Pizza
Haven't made this yet so it's getting carried over from last week's meal plan.

California Wraps
Haven't made this yet so it's getting carried over from last week's meal plan.  I just started soaking the broccoli seeds to sprout this morning.

Brinner
I made a batch of pancakes last week and stashed them in the freezer.  I'll probably just add eggs or omelets, toast, and vegetarian sausages and bacon to make this a meal.  The only thing I need to buy is eggs.

Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino Romano
I made this yesterday, so I have half the package of ravioli leftover to use up.  I also still have shallots in the pantry, so I only have to buy arugula when I decide to make this.  I usually use Parmesan in place of the Romano these days.

General Tso's Chickpeas and Brown Rice

Now that fall is upon us, I also want to make -- maybe next weekend since we tend to have a weekend dessert -- Baker, Baker and Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Healthy Dinners to Make Soon

Despite having this blog, it's hard to browse all my recipes (this is probably not the best format for a collection of recipes), which makes meal planning harder and makes recipes easier to forget about, so as I'm running across them, here are the vegan, mostly no-oil recipes I'm looking forward to making for dinner now that school is back in session.

Red Beans & Rice
I need to write up my own version of this with the times and amounts for brown rice just so I don't have to look it up and estimate all over again every time I make this.

Nut-Crusted Tofu
This is good with any vegetable side, from plain steamed broccoli with Mrs. Dash on it to Broiled Asparagus & Artichokes in Vermouth Brown Butter.  I make the asparagus and artichoke dish vegan now but not oil free by replacing the butter with cultured vegan butter from Miyoko's Creamery, sold at Whole Foods.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Pasta Salad
I might make pasta salad this week just to have something different to put in Simran's lunches. 

Dum Aloo and Dal Makhani and Brown Basmati Rice
The dum aloo isn't vegan when I make it because I use plain non-fat yogurt.  I am the only one in the house who likes it for some reason.  I also use ghee because I have a jar on hand to use up, though vegan butter or vegetable oil would also work.  The dal makhani is a magically delicious vegan and no-oil masterpiece if you ask me.  It does have coconut milk in it though.  It's fine without but much spicier and not quite as creamy.  

Pinto Bean & Greens Enchilada Casserole (No Meat Athlete Cookbook, pg 97)
I need to copy this one onto this site so I don't have to keep getting the cookbook out.  It's a good, hot, vegan, no oil dinner.  It's also filling, and the middle of that Venn diagram doesn't contain a lot of recipes.

Vegan Mac 'n Cheese
I like this sauce on elbow macaroni, but it's also good over steamed broccoli or with pumpernickel bread dipped in it (I often end up doing that for lunch right after I make it -- it's really good with bread dipped in it like fondue).

Crispy Breaded Tofu

Beefless Stew

Meal Planning

I want to use up everything I have on hand that I can right now.  Here is my plan:

Chilaquiles Casserole
I have some corn tortillas that won't be good much longer.  I also have a little homemade enchilada sauce from when I made red chile enchilada sauce a couple days ago, so I can mix that in.  I can also use up the last of the low fat sour cream on these.  I haven't made this in ages.

Easy Healthy Veggie Pizza
I bought some sprouted whole grain wraps, and I have to make at least a couple things like this in order use them up.

California Wraps
My attempt to use up more of those whole grain wraps.  The dressing will also use up most of the non-fat yogurt in the fridge.  I'm going to try sprouting the broccoli seeds I bought.  I can't remember how many days that takes.  I didn't rinse them enough the last time I tried and they molded. 

Brinner
I'm not sure if we'll end up doing brinner this week, but I do have two eggs and some non-fat yogurt that could be made into pancakes and thrown in the freezer for whenever it does happen.

Penne alla Vodka
I already have the vegetarian Italian sausages and multiple open boxes of whole wheat pasta I could throw into this, as well as some julienne cut green bell pepper, broccoli, and peas in the freezer.  Mostly I need vodka sauce and zucchini and yellow squash.  This is such an easy, reasonably healthy meal.

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwiches and Crudites

Meal Planning

Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas and Red Cabbage Slaw

Pita Pizzas and Crudites

Gnocchi with Spinach and White Beans

Avocado Grilled Enchilada with Red Chile Pesto

DIY Wraps & Salads
This will allow me to use up the baked chipotle tofu in my fridge that has a looming expiration date, as well as the whole grain wraps I'll get for the grilled enchiladas and the leftover pesto.

Meal Planning

It's supposed to be hot this week -- in the 90s -- so I want to make some easy dinners that don't involve heating up the whole oven.  I also want to use up as much stuff I have on hand as possible.

Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff
I have some egg noodles and sour cream I can use up on this recipe.  I think the only thing I need to buy is mushrooms.

Red Beans & Rice
This is healthy and easy.  I have chopped green bell pepper in my freezer I can use up here.

Smoky Potato Salad over Greens and Baked Beans and Corn on the Cob
I'm not sure if the russet potatoes I have are still good, so I have to check.  As for the corn, I like it best boiled and then lemon juice squeezed on top.  I already have at least one can of beans.  We still have leftover pasta salad I made a few days ago in the fridge, so I might do all this for dinner tonight.

I think this is all I'm going to plan for now.  This will get me through Wednesday, and I have spare ingredients for things like brinner or macaroni and cheese that I might do starting Thursday.

Meal Planning

Nut-Crusted Tofu and Steamed Broccoli

DIY Sandwiches and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Brinner with Scrambled Eggs and Veg Sausages and Toast

Stir-fry Vegetarian Beef & Broccoli with Brown Rice

Meal Planning

Penne alla Vodka
I'm making this tonight because 1) it doesn't take much effort, 2) it's reasonably healthy, and 3) I have veg Italian sausages with an expiration date of this upcoming Friday.

Brinner with Mexican Omelets and Veg Sausages and Toast
An easy Saturday night dinner.  Sim also wants to make blueberry muffins after school Friday, so they can go along with this.

Taco Night
I still have homemade vegan chorizo in the freezer.  I will probably make my own guacamole unless I go to Whole Foods that day.  This will be Friday night.

Nut-Crusted Tofu and Broiled Asparagus & Artichokes in Vermouth Brown Butter 

Stir-fry Vegetarian Beef & Broccoli with Brown Rice
The veggie beef and sauce are a frozen Gardein product, and I just add some frozen broccoli florets and diced red bell pepper to it in the skillet.

Pasta Salad
Tuesday night dinner.  The lunch cold packs I ordered should be arriving Tuesday, which means I should be able to put some leftovers in Simran's lunch Wednesday.

Leftover Soup and Easy Vegetarian Reuben Sandwiches
Thursday night dinner.