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.]

Meal Planning

Chili Miso Pasta

Red Chile Enchiladas and Bagged Salad

Black Bean Burgers

Spinach & Feta Pita Bake

Vegan Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese 

Meal Planning

I have way too many beans and soy curls still, in addition to wanting to clean out the freezer, so I'm making meals that use up at least some of my surplus and involve buying as little as possible. I was doing this last week too.

Vegan Fried Chicken and Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip and Baked Beans and Cucumber Salad

Labor intensive, so I'll probably do this Wednesday while Sim is at yoga club. It'll use up some of my beans and soy curls though, as well as the cauliflower florets I didn't finish off last week and the non-fat yogurt in the fridge.

Tofu Pot Pie

Uses up the cubed tofu from the freezer. I don't think I need to buy anything to make this. Extra pie crust will be baked into flaky cookies and served with preserves from my Bonne Maman advent calendar.

Red Beans & Rice 

Because it uses up some of my red beans and a container worth of diced bell peppers from the freezer.

Vegetarian Lasagna

To finish off the spinach in my fridge and freezer and some of the lasagna noodles in my pantry. I'm going to make it with Beyond Meat since I haven't made that style of lasagna in a long time.

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Green Salad and Garlic Bread

Because the largest container taking up space in my freezer is holding meatless balls leftover from the last time I made them.

Meal Planning

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Tonight because I can have it ready in the Instant Pot when we get home from voice lessons.

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes

To finish off the sweet potatoes in the pantry.

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

To finish off the russet potatoes in the pantry. I want to try including some flageolet beans or similar in the bourguinon, partly for the protein and partly just because I have so many interesting beans at the moment.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

To finish off the flour tortillas in the fridge.

Veg Burgers and Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites with Ranch Dip

To finish off the cauliflower from the bourguinon.

Garlicky Korean Mac 'n Cheese with Gochujang and Green Salad

To use up the roasted garlic in the fridge.

Meal Planning

Zucchini Noodles with Haloumi and Pesto

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Penne alla Vodka with Veg Italian Sausage and Vegetables

Fresh Veggie Tacos

Meal Planning

I've got a new Rancho Gordo Bean box on its way soon, so I'm using lots of beans this week to cut down the stockpile I've already got.

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

Because I didn't make it last week. Wednesday.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

Thursday night.

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens

Tuesday because it'll be easy to have ready right after Sim's voice lesson.

French Onion Skillet Lasagna and Cucumber Salad

Because I have some mushrooms leftover from the veggie tacos last week. I'll make this today (Monday) because I didn't soak any beans last night.

Catalan Sauteed Polenta with Butter Beans

Friday night because it has cheese.

Zucchini Noodles with Haloumi and Pesto

A nice and easy Saturday night meal.

Meal Planning

 I can eat normally again. Here is what I'm making this week:

Vegan Malai Kofta and Cucumber Salad

Tonight. Because I cooked the chickpeas and haven't made this yet. It'll also use up the half can of coconut milk leftover from Tofu Paneer in Butter Sauce.

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

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

Fresh Veggie Tacos

For a healthy but delicious Friday night dinner.

Veggie Burgers & Salad

For an easy Saturday night dinner.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

Second Week Post-Surgery Meal Planning

It's the second week following my connective tissue graft, so some more soft foods. Here is what I'm making:

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

Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf and Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Peas

Tofu Paneer in Butter Chicken Sauce (Vegan Richa's Instant Pot Cookbook, pg. 66) with Basmati Rice

Vegan Malai Kofta

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

I might eat this deconstructed, but I can still have the potatoes and tofu.

Take-Away from Patel Bros

Maybe Friday I'll pick up some palak paneer and dal makhani from the hot to go section at Patel Bros and cook some rice and frozen naan at home.

Meal Planning

I'm having my annual connective tissue graft surgery next Monday (working my way through improving the length of my gums at the leisurely rate my insurance allows), so I want to use up anything this week that is due to expire before I'm able to eat normal solid food again two weeks later. What I need to use up: multiple packages of veggie deli slices, veggie pepperoni, egg roll wrappers, Tuscan kale, some leftover green and red bell pepper and red onion. I've also got about two thirds of a container of nonfat Greek yogurt with an expiration date of next weekend. Here is what I'm making this week:

Healthy French Onion Dip

To use up some or all of the Greek nonfat yogurt and also because I really love French onion dip but can't keep it in the house or I'll eat it every day. I'm hoping to find a healthy version I can eat with celery and/or cucumber slices rather than potato chips.

Tuscan Kale Salad

My lunches for this week until the kale is all gone. I just made a fresh batch of lemon vinaigrette, and if I have more lemons and lettuce left after the kale, I can make a basic green salad.

Vegetable Barley Soup and Vegetarian Reubens

To use up deli slices. I think I'll make this today.

Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls

Because I meant to make these last week and didn't.

Red Beans & Rice 

To use up the bell pepper and onion in the fridge. I usually dice them up and put them in the freezer, but I've already got a container of them in the freezer. Also, I can have this cooking in the instant pot while I take Sim to voice lessons tomorrow and have it ready to eat when we get home.

Leftovers?

This isn't enough of a meal plan for the whole week, but I'll figure out any additional meals later on an as needed basis.

Soft and Liquid Foods for First Week Post-Surgery:

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Cottage Cheese

Kale-Berry Smoothie (I can't use a straw for two weeks, so I make this thick enough to eat with a spoon.)

Chocolate Banana Nice Cream

Cream of Wheat

Grits

Yogurt

Scrambled Eggs

Refried Beans (I just cook and puree beans and seasoning with water.)

The second week, after the stitches come out, I allow myself some additional soft foods that require minimal chewing (e.g., malai kofta and rice, spaghetti with meatless balls). 

Meal Planning

There are lots of random leftover items to use up this week. Here's what I've got: a package of vegetarian pepperoni with a best buy date only a week away, green onion, Tuscan kale x2, arugula, half a package of cheese ravioli, one shallot, leftover green bean side dish, about a cup of full fat coconut milk, vegetarian deli slices, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, some frozen dinner rolls leftover from Christmas, some frozen homemade meatless balls leftover from a week and a half ago, and a large batch of homemade vegan butter chicken sauce. It's a busy week this week with lots of appointments and places to be, so I need to take cook time into account too. Here is what I'm making:

Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino and leftover Seared French Beans with Caper Bagna Cauda

Tonight's dinner. I can prep everything before I pick up Sim from volunteering at the library, and the cooking portion should only take ten minutes after we get back.

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls and Tuscan Kale Salad

To use up the meatless balls in the freezer. I already have enough dry spaghetti and jars of marinara sauce.

Vegan Butter Soy Curls with Vegetables and Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan

To use up the butter sauce in the freezer and the green bell pepper in the fridge. I'm not sure what other vegetables to include in this dish aside from an onion. I can probably make this in the Instant Pot too. Pot-in-pot style to cook the basmati rice.

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

To make a dent in the yogurt and because I can have this cooking in the Instant Pot and ready to eat as soon as we get home tomorrow night.

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

To use up the coconut milk. If it needs more creaminess than the half can I've got, I'll blend up some cashew cream and drop that in. I'll probably already have some in the fridge leftover from the butter soy curls dinner.

Vegetable Barley Soup and DIY Sandwiches 

To use up the deli slices.

Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls

From the Delish Loves Disney magazine. This is definitely a junk food weekend dinner kind of meal, and Sim has plans for most of the weekend, but I can do this next Sunday night.

Meal Planning

New Year's Eve is this week, and it's time for more meal planning. Here is what I have to use up: some lettuce, celery, eggs, and about a cup and a half of nonfat plain yogurt. Here is what I'm making:

Air Fryer Tofu and Rice and Bagged Salad

Black-Eyed Peas & Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Cornbread & Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Wednesday, New Year's Day.

Spaghetti & Meatless Balls (Delish Loves Disney) and Garlic Bread and Seared French Beans with Caper Bagna Cauda

Friday night. Doubling the recipes for Meal Train.

Pizza by Sameer and Green Salad

Saturday night.

Vegan Beef with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Sunday night. Because it's easy and reasonably healthy and we all like it, so I keep making it each week.

Vegan Smash Burger Tacos