Meal Planning

It's Simran's last week of school and our last week of cool weather for awhile. It's already Tuesday and Sim has voice, so we'll do broccoli soup and DIY sandwiches with our leftover pretzel rolls tonight. Sameer and I will probably go to Totopos Taqueria tomorrow while Sim goes to an end of school sleepover with friends. The other meals should get us through Saturday. 

New box of Rancho Gordo beans is out for delivery today, so I'm trying to use up as much as I can, hence making the easy bean salad again this week. I finished off one bag of white beans today making the soup. I've got a bunch of bags with about half a cup of dried beans (about a can's worth cooked) left in each.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and DIY Sandwiches and Arugula Salad

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread 

Veg Sloppy Joe's and Greek Salad and Easy Bean Salad

Fresh Veggie Tacos and leftover salads

Meal Planning

It's cool weather again, so I'm making hot foods again, mostly because I won't be making them in summer.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread and Greek Salad

Monday night because Sim has voice until 5:30, and this can be ready to eat when we get home.

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Tuesday night because I really need to use the shaved brussels sprouts in my fridge.

Veg Sloppy Joe's and leftover sides

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and DIY Sandwiches 

Thursday night because we have Sim's NJHS induction ceremony and this will be easy to have ready to go.

Pizza and Bagged Salad

Friday night. Because there is dough taking up space in the freezer, and I don't like heating up the oven to 500 degrees for pizza when it's warm outside.

Meal Planning

Things I need to use up: buttermilk, eggs, creme fraiche, about a cup of homemade marinara, butter lettuce, an heirloom tomato, about a pint of grape tomatoes. It's going to be warm outside this week, so I'm aiming to minimize oven use. Here is what I'm making:

Sausage/Egg/Cheese Biscuits

To finish off the buttermilk. It'll also finish off some if not all of the eggs. I already have Beyond vegetarian breakfast sausage patties in the freezer.

Brie & Arugula Sandwich and Green Salad 

This will use up the heirloom tomato. It's also a nice no-cook meal. I'll make the green salad out of any remaining arugula, the butter lettuce, some of the grape tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette.

Pasta Primavera with Tomato Cream Sauce and Soy Curls

I'm going to make the sauce from the leftover marinara and creme fraiche. I can also put the last of the grape tomatoes into this dish.

Fresh Veggie Tacos and Black Beans

Easy Bean Salad and Greek Salad

Meal Planning

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup and DIY Sandwiches 

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Tofu Pot Pie

Lasagna

Hot Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip and Baked Potato Skins and Bag Salad

Meal Planning

Spicy Chik'n Sandwich

Gnocchi with Spinach and White Beans

Sloppy Joes

Sameer wants to try making these Saturday night with a Beyond Beef puck in place of the meat.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon 

Hot Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip and Baked Potato Skins and Bag Salad

Meal Planning

We're already halfway through the week, so I'm just planning a little.

Vegan Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese 

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Zucchini Noodles with Haloumi and Pesto

Meal Planning

We're detoxing nutritionally and financially after spring break (meaning I'm cooking vegetable-forward meals at home after a week of barely cooking at home and way too much cheese). Things to use up: red bell pepper, some baby spinach, about half a package of corn tortillas, shaved brussels sprouts. Here is what I'm making:

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Tonight because it's easy, healthy, and we like it okay. I pretty much always have all the ingredients on hand, so I can save grocery shopping for tomorrow.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Because it's an easy Tuesday night dinner that can cook in the Instant Pot while we're at voice lessons, and it uses up a cup of dried beans. I think this will use up the bell pepper.

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

I put flageolet beans in the bourguignon last time, and it was a good addition. This will finish off the spinach.

Red Chile Enchiladas and Bagged Salad

To finish off the corn tortillas.

Vegan Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese 

I keep including this on the meal plan to use up the roasted garlic, but I keep not making it because I don't have to buy anything to make it so nothing is going to waste.

[Edited 4/10/2025: I've made the first three meals listed above, and we still have some amount of leftovers from each, so I'm making tonight a leftover night, plus serving the brussels sprouts, which I didn't end up making last night. Tomorrow night I'll use up the cauliflower and potatoes leftover from last night's bourguignon by making Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip (already have the ranch in the fridge) and Baked Potato Skins, served with bagged salad -- a lovely Friday night junk food dinner we'll all enjoy. I'm moving the enchiladas to Saturday because I can prep them a day in advance to avoid Saturday cooking (the pinto beans are already soaking), and we'll do Chili Miso Pasta Sunday night to use up the mushroom surplus from the bourguignon and tofu in the fridge. Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese is moved to Monday.]