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.