Meal Plan for the Week.....

Tweet

I plan my meals in the middle of the week. Wednesdays are great for me because I don't have class. I can kind of do it in between catching up on homework. The menu will start on Friday. Tomorrow I will cook everything I can ahead of time and prepare what I can, as well as do my grocery shopping. 
So here it is, the next 7 days. I generally plan for at least 2 of the meals not getting eaten or getting substituted for something else. This week my substitutions are a Thai Chickpea Pizza and some Kale and Chickpea stew. Why are those my substitutions? Because I can go shopping for the ingredients for everything else and won't have to buy extra for those items. The ingredients in those 2 are either already in my cabinets or already on my shopping list. 
If we don't eat something on the menu, nothing goes to waste. We are big on smoothies and juicing around here. Both make a great snack or a quick breakfast on the go. 
Last but not least, why does a menu for 5 days last us 7 days? Leftovers. There are tons of them. And sometimes we both have really busy days where we just grab what we can out of the fridge, there is no cooking. Sometimes we get really lucky and go out to dinner too, but no matter what, I have found that for our family at least, planning 7 days is too much. We never eat it all. 
I should also note that these are the base recipes, the recipes I pull offline or out of cook books. We modify almost every single one in small ways as we are cooking. If the recipe calls for an ingredient that we don't keep in the house, ketchup for instance, then we just throw some tomato sauce and turmeric in there, or if it calls for Worcestershire we usually wont use it. If we modify a recipe drastically I will post what we did to it, and change the recipe in the archive to match what we did. 

And don't forget - 

Breakfast: Apple Oats Baked Casserole

fresh fruit

almond milk

Lunch: Veggie Sandwich

Dinner: Alu Chole Indian Curried Chickpeas

Apple Oats Baked Casserole

I love experimenting with this one. I tend to get whatever dried fruit is on sale or even frozen berries and kind of make it up as I go along. We eat the heck out of this. 

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 cup coconut shredded, 2 medium apples chopped, 2 1/2 cups almond milk, 1/2 cup almonds slivered

Directions

Arrange ingredients in layers as listed below.

1/3 Oats, 1/2 Raisins, 1/2 Coconut, 1/3 Oats, All of the apples, 1/2 Milk, Raisins, Oats, Coconut, Almonds, Milk

Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

NOTES

If prepping the night before and baking in the morning - leave out the milk then add it just before you place it into the oven.

Alu Chole Indian Curried Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 c rice uncooked, 1 t oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 (15 ounce) can canned chickpeas, 1 (15 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes, 2 medium potatoes peeled & chopped, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp lemon juice, cilantro optional topping

Directions

Begin cooking rice according to on package instructions. (You will need 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving.)

Heat a large skillet to medium / high heat and saute onion until golden brown. Add garlic and saute for approximately 1 min or until golden. Add

splashes of water as needed.

Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas (drained & rinsed) and potatoes (peeled & chopped) to the large pan.

Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Remove lid and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add seasonings, garnish with cilantro and serve hot over rice. Enjoy!

NOTES

For some added color and nutrition throw in some peas for Alu- Chole Mater.

Breakfast: Corn Oat Waffles with Fruit Sauce

orange juice

peanut butter

Lunch: Grilled Veggie Burger

Dinner: Asparagus Cashew Stir-Fry

Corn Oat Waffles

Ingredients

2 cups warm water, 1 cup quick oats, 1/4 cup corn meal, 1/4 cup milled flax seed, 1/4 cup raw cashews, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp corn starch

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend on Medium/High for 1-2 min. until batter is smooth.

Let batter set for 3-5 min. to allow mixture to thicken. Meanwhile heat waffle iron.

Pour batter in the waffle iron and cook for 4-8 min. or until golden brown.

Place golden brown waffles on a cooling rack to keep them crispy. (Note: stacking hot waffles causes condensation to build up which makes for

a soggy waffle.)

Serve hot and pile high with your favorite toppings.

NOTES

These waffles freeze great! Reheat by simply placing waffles in the toaster until thawed and crispy.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burgers

These are Scott's favorite. I never thought I would get him to eat veggie burgers, but he loves these. I load them up with quinoa and flax seed to give them more texture and I freeze large batches of them to have on hand for a quick lunch/dinner.

Source: Alli's Kitchen

Ingredients

2 cans black beans or 4 cups cooked, 1 large sweet potato cubed and steamed, 1/4 medium onion red or white, 1/2 cup quinoa flakes, 1 TBSP dijon, 1 tsp cumin, dash cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ginger fresh or dried

Directions

Steam sweet potato and process in food processor with onion and the rest of the ingredients minus the beans.

Add beans last and pulse a few times.

Then scoop 1/4 cup patties onto cookie sheet lined with freezer paper and freeze til firm.

Bake in oven at 350 for 8 -10 minutes each side, or pan-fry for 3-5min on each side.

NOTES

These freeze well raw and can be baked before serving. Place leftover patties between freezer paper and store in a freezer safe container.


Asparagus Cashew Stir-Fry

Ingredients

(Sauce)

2 tbsp water, 2 Tbsp corn starch, 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp ginger, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 cloves garlic minced, 2 tsp sesame oil, 6 oz tofu, 1 onion chopped, 2 cups asparagus, 1 medium bell pepper, 1 cup mushrooms, 4 green onions, 1/2 cup cashews, sesame seeds to garnish

Directions

SAUCE

Whisk together the cornstarch and water, then stir in the remaining ingredients for the sauce: vegetable stock, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper

flakes and garlic. Set aside.

STIR-FRY

Drain and blot dry tofu then cut into 1/2" cubes. In a large pan or wok brown tofu in sesame oil. Set tofu aside.

Add onion, bell pepper and asparagus to hot pan and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, green onions and cashews, cooking for an additional 3-4 min.

Pour sauce mixture over stir-fried veggies. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens then add tofu.

Breakfast: Oatmeal

whole wheat toast

grape fruit

Lunch: Avocado and tomato Sandwiches

Dinner: Black Bean & Rice Bake

Black Bean & Rice Bake

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice long grain, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 medium bell pepper chopped, 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, 1 (15-ounce) can corn drained & rinsed, 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup, 2 1/2 cups water b oiling, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 1/2 cup cheese alternative shredded, cilantro garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large casserole dish.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute rice, onion, garlic and pepper until rice is toasted and the onions are clear.

In casserole dish mix all the ingredients, holding out 1/2 cup cheese alternative.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes then stir. Bake for an additional 30 minutes, stir, then top dish with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese alternative. Bake for another 3-5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro & enjoy!

NOTES

For a variation, use veggie burger instead of black beans.

Breakfast: Pancakes

pancake toppings

fresh fruit

Lunch: Pita Pocket Sandwiches

Dinner: Black Beans & Quinoa

Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, 2 Tbsp sugar/honey, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/4 cups almond or soy milk, 1 Tbsp canola oil or apple sauce

Directions

Mix together dry ingredients flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a separate bowl whip together wet ingredients milk and oil.

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour wet mixture into it. Stir together until smooth. (If you prefer fluffier pancakes, you will

want to mix the wet and dry ingredients slightly less. Your batter will be lumpy.)

With a ladle or large spoon, scoop batter onto a medium heated pan. When bubbles form and the batter becomes browned on the edges, flip

over until fully cooked.

Finish off the rest of your batter and enjoy.

NOTES

These are great to freeze for a quick breakfast for later.

Black Beans & Quinoa

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, 3/4 cup quinoa uncooked, 1 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth, 1 (15 ounce) can corn, 1 medium onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 TBSP vegetable buillon, fresh cilantro chopped

Directions

Bring quinoa, water and bullion to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12-15 min. or until water is absorbed into the quinoa.

Note: If you’re using vegetable broth, exclude the vegetable bullion.

In a large skillet or pan saute onion and garlic with a splash of water or a dab of oil until onion is translucent.

In the large skillet add black beans, corn, cooked quinoa and seasonings. Heat thoroughly.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, serve and enjoy!

Notes

Serve this dish with chips and salsa, a fresh avocado and tomato salad.

Breakfast: Scrambled Tofu with Hashbrowns

whole wheat toast

oragne juice

Lunch: Quinoa Salad Wraps

Dinner: Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry

Quinoa Salad Wraps

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa uncooked, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 Tbsp mckay's chicken-like seasoning, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes, 3 medium green onions, 6 black olives, 1 medium tomato, 1/2 medium green pepper, 1/2 medium cucumber, salad greens or spinach, shredded cheese alternative optional, whole wheat tortillas

DRESSING

1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Add water, quinoa, McKay’s and nutritional yeast to a medium sauce pan and cook on medium heat. Cook until water is mostly absorbed

stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile wash and dice the veggies placing them in a large bowl. Toss with oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.

When quinoa is tender and the majority of the water is absorbed, remove from heat and let cool.

Toss quinoa with veggies and serve.

Serve in a tortilla with spinach, cheese alternative (optional) for a light lunch.

Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 Tbsp ginger fresh, minced, 1 medium jalapeno minced, 1 medium sweet potato peeled & cubed, 1 medium potato peeled & cubed, 1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas drained & rinsed, 1 (14.5 ounce) can cocnut milk, 1 c water, 2 cups sweet peas frozen, 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp curry powder, salt & pepper to taste, basmati rice, green onions garnish

Directions

If serving with rice cook the desired serving amount according to on package instructions.

In a large pot over medium heat saute onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño until the onion is clear.

To the pot add: sweet potato, potato, chickpeas, coconut milk and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer veggies until potatoes are tender,

approximately 10-15 minutes.

Add seasonings, frozen peas and diced tomatoes. Simmer until heated thoroughly.

Serve over rice, then garnish with minced green onions and nuts. Enjoy!

NOTES

For less heat remove the seeds & ribs from the jalapeno. For more heat add a hotter variety of pepper.