Pre-Christmas Meal Planning

Time to clear out the fridge and freezer to make room for Christmas food. Here is what I have to use up: russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, seven eggs, flour tortillas in a variety of sizes, two open jars of salsa, two open jars of pickled jalapenos, and some random shredded cheeses. The freezer is mostly filled with frozen fruit and veg, which can be reduced by making a vegetable soup and a couple of kale/berry smoothies, maybe for my weekend breakfasts. Here is what I'll make:

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

I've been making this every week (including last night) and see no reason to stop now when I have a huge bag of broccoli in the freezer.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie and Nopales

To use up the variety of flour tortillas and at least one of the open jars of salsa. The nopales are just an open jar in the fridge I need to use up.

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

Because it's pretty easy and we all seem to like it, and it'll use up some more of the russet potatoes in the pantry.

Black-Eyed Peas & Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Cornbread & Collard Greens & Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

Because I have way too many black-eyed peas, plus this will use up the sweet potatoes in the pantry and the cauliflower from the bourguignon. This is absolutely the best way to eat cauliflower, by the way. Everyone in the house agrees. I cook them in the air-fryer.

Vegetable Barley Soup & Vegetarian Reuben Sandwiches

To use up some of the frozen veg and also hopefully use up the giant jar of sauerkraut taking up space in the fridge.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches and Deviled Eggs and Crumpets

My Bonne Maman advent calendar has yielded so many tiny jams and spreads that we decided we should have an afternoon tea themed meal and make crumpets to try them on. I'll make a pot of decaf black rose tea too. I'll devil all the eggs currently in the fridge.

Baked Potato Skins

To finish off the russet potatoes (as well as the homemade ranch dip in the fridge). I can fill them with the random shredded cheeses taking up space in the fridge. This can otherwise be a night of a thousand leftovers. I expect we'll need to have at least one leftover night anyway.

Kale-Berry Smoothie

To use up the kale and some of the bananas and berries in the freezer. Weekend breakfasts.

Reminder to self: There are jars of nopales and kimchi in the fridge that can be eaten as savory snacks since I basically eat them cold from the jar anyway.

Meal Planning

Eggs & Toast

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

Veg Burgers and Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites with Ranch Dip

Meal Planning

Time for post-Thanksgiving meal planning. My goal is to clear out my fridge and freezer and use up some of what's in my pantry (e.g., beans, pasta). Here is what I'm making:

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Everyone in the family really liked this. It uses half a bag of soy curls and a bunch of frozen broccoli. Theoretically I could throw any leftover stir-fry vegetables into it.

Tofu Pot Pie

Because I have two containers of cubed tofu in the freezer to use up.

Taco Night

Because there are way too many tortillas in the fridge right now.

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Boxed Mashed Potatoes and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce 

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Green Enchilada Lasagna (I Can Cook Vegan, pg. 192)

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans and Baked Potato Skins with Ranch Dressing

Vegetable Barley Soup & DIY Sandwiches

Thanksgiving 2024

 Gardein Turkey Cutlets with Gravy 

 

Green Bean Casserole

Stuffed Mushrooms with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Boxed Mashed Potatoes

Dinner Rolls

Candied Pears

Pumpkin Pie

Meal Planning

Time for meal planning again. Next week is Thanksgiving, and Sim will be off from school. This week is still normal though. For this week, here is what I have to use up: part of a sliced red bell pepper, half a head of cauliflower in florets, some nonfat yogurt, and about a cup of baby spinach. Here is what I'm making:

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

I used to love beef & broccoli when I ate meat (and also the vegan version at Grasshopper Cafe in Allston, MA), so I have high hopes for this recipe.

Vegetable Barley Soup & DIY Sandwiches

It's soup season, and I can use up random weird beans in this soup.

Black-Eyed Peas & Cornbread & Collard Greens & Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

I have lots of black-eyed peas, including a fresh bag from my Rancho Gordo Bean box. I didn't make the Nashville hot cauliflower bites last week, so I want to do that asap. The cornbread will use up more of my yogurt. This will be a labor-intensive dinner compared with the others, but none of the dishes are particularly hard on their own, and I think it'll be good.

Chili Miso Pasta with Spicy Tofu Crumbles

I have no idea if this actually resembles the Chrissy Teigen spicy miso carbonara recipe I like to make vegetarian, but it sounds like it has some of the same flavors, so I'm looking forward to trying it. My version always gives me a stomachache because I still include egg yolks, so it would be great to have a vegan variety. If I recall correctly, I think I used shiitake mushrooms rather than cremini or white, so I might use them here as well. 

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

Beyond Burgers & Fries & Bagged Salad

Easy Saturday night dinner.

Meal Planning

Here is what I have to use up: about half a sliced red bell pepper, one avocado, half a dozen corn tortillas, half-and-half, heavy cream, and non-fat plain yogurt. I included some meals last week that I haven't made yet, so I'm copy/pasting them again to this week. Here is what I'm going to make:

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Probably Sunday night (tonight). I still have some leftover 2% milk in the fridge, and I can use it to make the mashed potato topping.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

I think I need more TVP. I mostly like making this because it's a way to use up random beans from my Rancho Gordo Bean boxes. Also, everyone likes cornbread.

Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

If there is even more leftover cauliflower. This is not a meal, but it could be a side, appetizer, or snack.

Green Enchilada Lasagna (I Can Cook Vegan, pg. 192)

Catalan Sauteed Polenta with Butter Beans

I'm anticipating Thursday will remain a dinner of leftovers for now. These dinners all require a decent amount of prep time and will probably yield some leftovers. I mostly just wanted to include mushrooms and a lot of vegan stuff and use up more of my Rancho Gordo beans.

Meal Planning

Sameer and his mom are both going out of town Tuesday, so most of the week will just be Sim and me. There are still two dinners with all of us though, and Sameer should be back for dinner Friday. I'm going to try to clean out the fridge, freezer, and pantry a bit in the lead up to Thanksgiving. I also want to make some dishes I haven't made in the last few months, like some mushroom- and fake-meat-based dishes. I'm going to do easy meals that don't create a bunch of leftovers while it's just Sim and me (mostly sandwiches probably). Here is what I'm planning to make the rest of the time:

Avocado Grilled Enchiladas with Red Chile Pesto and Bagged Salad

There was a good deal on bagged salad, so I bought three, which leaves me with two more to use up quickly. I think we'll do this meal tonight.

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and Bagged Salad

Monday night.

After Sameer gets home:

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

Instant Pot Garlic Mushrooms and Caulipots and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce 

Because the vegan mushroom bourguignon will yield extra potatoes and cauliflower.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

I think I need more TVP. I mostly like making this because it's a way to use up random beans from my Rancho Gordo Bean boxes. Also, everyone likes cornbread.

Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

If there is even more leftover cauliflower.