Meal Planning

We're expecting three warm days this week (by which I mean over 75 degrees, warm enough we'll need to open the windows if not turn on the A/C) followed by three cool days (by which I mean no chance we'll need to use the A/C -- highs in the 60s or lower), so I'm planning three meals that use the whole oven on the cool days and three meals that don't for the warmer days. Next Monday I have another gum graft surgery, so I want to use up any crunchy foods before then because I'll be on a liquid/soft diet for a couple of weeks, and Sameer and Simran historically have eaten mostly prepared foods during that time. Here is what I have to use up: a couple kinds of lettuce, arugula, an heirloom tomato, some hot dog buns, a bag of shaved brussels sprouts, and some homemade ranch dressing. Here is what I'm making: 

Vegan Air-Fried Soy Curls with Homemade Ranch Dip and Baked Beans and Arugula Salad and Corn on the Cob

Veg Kielbasa with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

DIY Sandwiches and Leftover Sides

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

Tofu Pot Pie

Because I have tofu in the freezer, as well as frozen veg. I don't make this much after it gets hot outside since it involves a lot of oven baking, which heats up the house, and we all like this meal.

Plant-Based Meatballs (Delish Loves Disney, pg. 13)

I can eat these in the second week after my gum graft surgery, so I'll make them this Thursday or Friday when it's cool out and put them in a bag in the freezer for later.

French Onion Skillet Lasagna

To finish off the mushrooms from the meatless balls and the spinach from the green enchilada lasagna.

Loaded Nachos

Sunday night since it yields no leftovers and I'll be eating pretty lean for the next week (mostly blended soups, pureed sweet potato, homemade refried beans, and yogurt) so I might as well have a junk food dinner beforehand.

Meal Planning

My brain isn't functioning optimally for meal planning, so this is basic stuff I could think of that won't be too labor intensive. It's warm this week, mostly in the 70s, so I'm avoiding using the oven too heavily. We got the new toaster oven, but it also generates a lot of heat around it.

Hot Dogs and Baked Beans and Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Deviled Eggs

Wednesday in honor of May Day. And because we already have everything to make all of this.

 

Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino 

It's easy and I like it. I'll make this Tuesday since Simran has voice lessons until 5pm and I need something quick to whip up.

Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

Thursday I guess. Because I have sour cream and some mushrooms to use up, and I haven't made this in ages.

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

Monday night because it requires the oven and Monday is the coolest weather.

Black Bean Quesaritos

Weekend junk food dinner. Because I think we still have nacho cheese in the fridge and potentially enough sour cream to make both the stroganoff and a fresh batch of the spicy quesadilla sauce.

Meal Planning

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens

Hot Dogs and Corn and Baked Beans and Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Super Salad with Garlic Caesar Dressing & Hemp Hearts (from The How Not to Die Cookbook, pg. 83)

Not a meal, but to serve with multiple meals.

Meal Planning

Open containers of things I have to use up: half a container of nonfat cottage cheese, a small jar of pesto sauce, a couple small jars of tomato-based sauces, lite sour cream, salsa, nonfat Greek yogurt, some small slices of sourdough bread, and a package of veg kielbasa. Here is what I'm making:

Pesto Alfredo Primavera Pasta

This will use up the pesto, and I can make the last of the sourdough bread into garlic bread.

Vegan Fried Chicken with ranch dip and Baked Beans and Various Veggie Sides

The ranch dip will use up the remaining nonfat Greek yogurt.

Spaghetti and Meatless Balls with Marinara and Veggie Side

To use up the tomato-based sauces.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

To use up the salsa in the fridge.

Black Bean Burgers on Pretzel Rolls with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Tater Tots

Garden Pretzel Sandwiches 

Meal Planning

Things I have to use up: baby spinach, salad greens/cucumber/grape tomatoes/homemade vinaigrette, roma tomatoes, red bell pepper, red cabbage, and corn tortillas. Here is what I'm making (possibly, I don't know):

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

I can use up the baby spinach and some of the corn tortillas on this and serve red cabbage slaw with it. And it's healthy.

Red Chile Enchiladas and Red Cabbage Slaw

I can maybe finish off the corn tortillas here and some more of the slaw.

Avocado Grilled Enchilada with Red Chile Pesto 

Red bell peppers and finish off the slaw.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Because it's easy, uses up beans, and will finish off my nonfat Greek yogurt.

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

Because it's easy and we all like it.

Black Bean Burgers

To finish off the mushrooms the pita bake will require me to buy.

Meal Planning

 Time for meal planning. Here is what I'm making:

Catalan Sauteed Polenta with Spinach & Butter Beans

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

[Edited 3/19/2024: I thought this was great. I ate it covered in pico de gallo (unpictured). I added black olives on top because Sim loves them and about a cup or two of spinach to the filling for the sake of using up some spinach and getting leafy greens in there, and I stand by both of those decisions. I can't imagine it changed the flavor much. I also made it oil free by cooking the tortillas and filling in a nonstick pan, which tends to improve the texture when sautéing things like squash.]

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

Soup & Sandwiches

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

I don't make this nearly as often as I list it on the meal plan, just because I want the reminder that I can make it quickly and without much effort. I do plan to make this dinner on Wednesday because we have lots of commitments that day and I won't have time to make much else.

I'd also like to make a salad to go with one or more dinners and try out this lemon vinaigrette recipe. 

Meal Planning

I haven't quite finished making everything from the last meal plan, but I need to go grocery shopping today, so I'm carrying it over to this week's meal plan and tacking on ideas at the end that could be easy to throw together. Here is what I'm making:

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

Baked Gobi Manchurian and Dal Lasooni and Rice

Adding this because I'll have cauliflower leftover from the caulipots. I'll make the dal lasooni from my massive bag of mung beans. [Edited 3/17/2024: I'm happy to report I effectively cooked rice and the dal in the same InstantPot. I included extra tomato sauce and water in the dal, and I used my new little stand thingy I bought for the InstantPot to hold up what basically looks like a stainless steel cake pan that I had filled with aged brown basmati rice and water. I just set it all to cook for 13 minutes (an appropriate amount for aged brown basmati) and let it steam quietly for a couple minutes after the pressure came down naturally because the rice was initially a bit too al dente for my taste, and then everything was great.]

My pot-in-pot setup tonight, with rice in a smaller tin and dal in the main compartment:

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Because the cornbread will use up the last of my nonfat yogurt. 

Vegan Fried Chicken with ranch dip and Baked Beans and Various Veggie Sides

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Penna alla Vodka with Veg Italian Sausage

Creole Red Beans & Brown Rice

Meal Planning

Time for meal planning. It's supposed to be 70 degrees outside tomorrow but then get back into highs in the 50s and 60s with rain later in the week. So I'll make something more summery tomorrow and soups/stews and oven baked meals are fine for the rest of the time. Here is what I've got to use up: plain Greek yogurt, two bags of shaved Brussels sprouts, two cooked sweet potatoes, enough chilli-garlic paste for one more round of chilli-garlic noodles, a red bell pepper and some leftover chopped green bell pepper and onion, most of a bag of russet potatoes, and some steamed asparagus. The Brussels sprouts will become Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce whenever I need a veggie side. For meals I'll be making:

Red Beans & Rice 

To use up the remaining diced bell pepper and onion, and to use up some more of the red beans from my previous Rancho Gordo Bean haul.

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and Crunchy Asian Slaw

I mostly need a green cabbage and green onion for this. I'll make it tomorrow since it's a nice warm weather dinner.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

This will use some more Rancho Gordo chili beans (maybe the Vaquero beans from the box I just got) and some of the yogurt for making the cornbread.

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

To use up the rest of the chilli-garlic paste and some if not all of the rest of the green cabbage.

Vegan Irish Sausages and Colcannon (The No Meat Athlete Cookbook, pg. 164)

If I have any cabbage leftover from the crunchy Asian slaw and chilli-garlic noodles, I'll finish it off with colcannon. I already have russet potatoes and probably just need a lemon to make this.

Penna alla Vodka with Veg Italian Sausage

To finish off the steamed asparagus and any other random veg that needs to be used up.

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

A nice, reasonably healthy weekend dinner that I can pass off as pizza.

[Edited 3/5/2024: In case I need a couple more meals to finish out the week, I'd also like to try Instant Pot Garlic Mushrooms maybe with mashed potatoes steamed pot-in-pot style and some homemade rolls and a side veg. I'm trying to make things right now that won't be good options in a few months, either because it'll be too warm to crank up the oven (the rolls) or because they are things my MIL doesn't eat (in this case mushrooms) so I don't make them when she is here. I'd also enjoy Beyond Burgers (or maybe homemade black bean burgers) and cheese fries and green salad Saturday night.] 

Meal Planning

Time for more meal planning. I've got a cup or two of cauliflower leftover from last week's meal plan, and the latest Rancho Gordo Bean box arrived last night. Here is what I'm making, at least for the next couple of days. 

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon and Onion Bread

The onion bread is a bread machine recipe from a book I got at the library's used cookbook sale earlier this month. I'll have to get it from the book. The bourguignon will use up the cauliflower and really only required me to buy mushrooms and potatoes.

Beans and Rice with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Green Sauce (from The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen, Volume 1)

This recipe came with my latest Rancho Gordo Bean box, which included both Rio Zape beans and brown rice. I've also got New Mexican chile powder because it came in a previous box and was so good I bought more, and I've got a bag of sweet potatoes and some plain nonfat yogurt to use up, so this recipe only requires buying a little produce.

Beans and Rice with Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Sauce

From The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen, Volume 1 (Rancho Gordo Press, 2019)

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds or wedges

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Rancho Gordo Stardust Dipping Powder or New Mexican Chile Powder

Salt and pepper

2 cups cooked Rancho Gordon Rio Zape or Midnight Black beans

2 cups cooked brown or white rice

For the green sauce:

1.5 cups plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed

2 green onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped (optional)

Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Salt

Makes 6 servings

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and coat with 1 tbs olive oil.

2) In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the remaining 3 tbs olive oil and a liberal amount of Stardust, salt, and pepper. Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer; bake until soft, about 30 minutes. 

3) Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until the edges of the sweet potatoes are caramelized, about 10 more minutes. Check the sweet potatoes often and move them around on the sheet to make sure they don't stick or burn.

4) In a small saucepan, warm the cooked beans over low heat. Add the cooked rice and stir to combine. Keep warm.

5) To make the green sauce, place the yogurt, cilantro, green onion, garlic, and chile (if using) in a blender; blend until smooth. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

6) Divide the rice and bean mixture among plates, top with sweet potatoes, and drizzle with the green sauce. Serve extra sauce at the table.

Meal Planning

Vegetarian Reubens and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Because I have a haircut appointment tomorrow, so I want something quick and easy.

Southern Comfort Bowl (from I Can Cook Vegan, pg. 164)

Because I want to make a recipe from my new cookbook. This recipe is collard greens, potato/cauliflower mash, bean-based gravy, and tofu masquerading as a sort of chicken fried steak.

Vegan Irish Sausages and Colcannon (The No Meat Athlete Cookbook, pg. 164)

Because I'll have a little green cabbage leftover from tonight's chilli-garlic noodles, and I'll have potatoes leftover from the Southern Comfort Bowls. I just need to make sure I have everything I need to make the sausages.

NY Style Veggie Pizza and Green Salad

To finish off the pizza dough in the freezer and the green bell pepper from tonight's chilli-garlic noodles. I already have pizza sauce and mozzarella.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

Maybe Saturday night because it's pleasant to eat and not that hard to make.

Saturday Night Dinner

Simran got home from a sleepover having discovered a new love of baked mac 'n cheese, so we're making a sort of junk food dinner featuring baked mac 'n cheese. I bought so many dinnertime components -- way more than I'd usually take on on a Saturday night -- that I've listed them here just so I can keep track of everything. Sim is going to be point person for the baked mac 'n cheese because she's gotten very competent at food prep and cooking in recent months. Here is what we're making tonight:

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Pan-Steamed Asparagus with Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise

Because asparagus was on sale for cheap at the store today.

Seared French Beans with Caper Bagna Cauda

Because there were French beans at the store. In hindsight, I'm wondering if I have enough capers for both of these vegetable dishes.

Impossible BBQ Wings 

From the freezer section.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits 

From the freezer section because I had a coupon and they just sounded like an appealing junk food for a Saturday night.

Sparkling Pear Cider

Might as well list it. I bought way too much food.

Meal Planning

I've got some ingredients to use up. Some of them are things I've been working on for AWHILE and some of which are leftover from Sameer's birthday. Here is what I've got: green bell pepper (some diced with onion and another whole one), spinach, half-and-half, reduced fat milk, buttermilk, 10 eggs, and about a cup of Greek yogurt. Here is what I'm making:

Red Beans & Rice 

To use my surplus of bell peppers (fresh and frozen) and start on the small red beans from my latest Rancho Gordo Bean box. I already have all the ingredients.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

I already made some black beans, so this will be extra easy. I already have all the ingredients.

Sausage/Egg/Cheese Breakfast Biscuits

To use up some eggs and buttermilk. It's not healthy, but it's one of my favorite things to eat. I have all the ingredients.

Chilli-Garlic Noodles

To use the whole green bell pepper. I need a cabbage and green onion to make this meal. This is not the best choice for "using things up," but chilli-garlic noodles and air fryer tofu both sound really good. Maybe Friday night since Simran will be at a sleepover and she doesn't love this meal.

Air Fryer Tofu with Rice and Crunchy Asian Slaw

Because I'll need another way to use up cabbage. I just need green onions and cilantro to make this meal. And a new jar of Vegannaise.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

To use up some more buttermilk and Rancho Gordo Beans.

Spinach/Cheese/Whatever Else I Need to Use Up Omelets and Lemon Coconut Chia Muffins

I could make a huge batch of pancakes to freeze too if I have buttermilk leftover at this point.

Edited 2/4/24 to add:

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

Because the lemon coconut chia muffins involved opening a can of coconut milk. I actually used a scant amount of coconut cream that needed to go because of its expiration date, so I'll use the rest of the can, thinned out with broth, for the soup.

Spiced Spinach Tofu Stir-Fry and Brown Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan

I just need spinach and cilantro to make this meal. I have frozen naan and plain yogurt that I could use up.

Scones

Because I still have buttermilk to use up before its expiration date, and I have an unopened jar of clotted cream with an expiration date later this month. Maybe I'll make Cucumber Tea Sandwiches and a salad or side dish and turn this whole thing into an afternoon tea themed dinner. Maybe I'll make this arugula as a side dish with everything but the ravioli. I've done that before and it's pretty good. And I can make a pot of decaf black rose tea from the decaf tea and rose petals I have on hand.

I'm making the red beans & rice tonight, and I still have the chilli-garlic noodles and veg chili left from my original meal plan. These additions should get us through the end of the week. Next Sunday will center around Super Bowl food. Maybe a 7-layer dip or something.

Next I'll need to make sandwiches and soup to use up some of the ingredients in my fridge and freezer.

Meal Planning

The snowstorm happened, including one day of warm temperatures that left the enormous amount of snow dense and slushy and almost impossible to plow, followed by colder temps and new fluffy snow that was easy to plow but then just blew wherever it wanted to go. Then we had intense sub-zero temperatures with windchills hovering around -30. Between the long holiday weekend and e-learning days on account of the weather, Simran ended up being at home for five days in a row. The oven broke, but an appliance repair person came by yesterday and fixed it. Here is what I need to use up: frozen homemade meatless balls, frozen homemade black bean burgers x2, fresh cremini mushrooms, fresh baby spinach, fresh green bell pepper, frozen green and red bell peppers sliced and diced, a pizza dough Sameer and Simran made before we discovered the oven wasn't working, two zucchinis, and lettuce. We had leftovers for like three days of the long weekend because we had so much extra food, so I've still got some dishes to make from last week's meal plan. Sameer is going out of town for work next week, so three dinners will just be Sim and me. Here is what I'm making:

Pasta Primavera with Soy Curls & Alfredo Sauce

Tonight. Will use up the open cream cheese in the fridge along with some, if not all, of the heavy cream and half-and-half that is still in the fridge from Christmas. It'll also use up part of the green bell pepper and one zucchini. 

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Sweet Potatoes and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Tomorrow. Carry over from last week. Still haven't made it. Still have all the ingredients.

Homemade Pizza and Green Salad

Friday night, from the pizza dough Sameer and Simran already made. Pizza will use up the rest of the fresh green bell pepper.

Plant-Based Spaghetti and Meatballs and Mushrooms and Garlic Spinach

I put some of the meatballs in the freezer after I made them this past week. It's not enough for all three of us, so I'll make this for Sim and me while Sameer is out of town for work.

Black Bean Burgers

Because there are only two left in the freezer, I'll make this when Sameer is out of town for work.

Red Beans & Rice 

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Snowstorm Long Weekend Meal Planning

I haven't made everything from my last meal plan yet, so there are a couple repeats. We're supposed to have a snowstorm from tonight until tomorrow night, so I went to the grocery store and stocked up for the long weekend. We've barely had any snow this winter, so I'm hoping we actually get a few inches. I've got a fresh batch of groatnola (chai masala flavored this time because it's a homemade spice blend I had ready to go) baking in the oven right now for the next couple weeks' breakfasts. Here is what I'm making for dinners:

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens

The soup is in the Instant Pot right now for dinner tonight. Sim wants grilled cheese with it, and I'll probably either have a Reuben or a club sandwich.

Pasta Primavera with Soy Curls & Alfredo Sauce

Still haven't made this yet, but I've still got the ingredients. Maybe tomorrow night.

Avocado Grilled Enchilada with Red Chile Pesto 

Sameer said he wanted to make this over the weekend.

Plant-Based Spaghetti and Meatballs

Because Sameer wants to make a batch of leftover pizza dough into breadsticks.

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Sweet Potatoes and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Because I have all the ingredients for the loaf, some giant fresh sweet potatoes, and all the ingredients for the soup, which I do like having on hand to drink as a lunch or veggie side.

Red Beans & Rice 

Probably won't make this immediately, but I have a whole new bag of small red beans from my Rancho Gordo bean box, plus plenty of diced bell peppers in the freezer.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Again, probably won't make it immediately, but we have all the ingredients.

First Meal Plan of 2024

We just got back from a New Year's trip to Austin yesterday. Time for some meal planning. Here is what I've got to use up: avocados, lettuce, broccoli florets, mushrooms, plain cashew yogurt, milk, cream, half-and-half, and eggs. Here is what I'm making:

Pasta Primavera with Soy Curls & Alfredo Sauce

Again. Because I still have half-and-half and cream leftover from the Christmas ice cream. Or maybe I'll make ice cream again if Simran wants it. Maybe strawberry this time.

Sausage/Egg/Cheese Biscuits

I had this planned before our trip but haven't gotten around to making it yet.

Shakshuka

It's a good way to use up eggs. And random beans.

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens