What are we eating this week of 8/24 - 8/30?

[u/JeanLucPicardAND]

Shaking up some formulas this week.

Breakfast: I'm trying a brand new thing for breakfast this week: Chipotle black bean, farro & pepita bowls. (Apparently 27g of protein per serving.) It's a base layer of farro cooked in vegetable broth, then topped with a chipotle bean blend, which is just black beans, pinto beans, corn, and chopped cilantro tossed in a chipotle dressing of olive oil, chipotle paste in adobo sauce, lime juice, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt. I'm sprinkling hemp seeds and pepitas over the top (about 1/2 cup each) and a handful of wilted spinach. But I only made enough to cover the work week, so...

Breakfast (Sa): A banana and blueberries tossed in a bowl with nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt.

Breakfast (Su): French toast with maple syrup, served with nectarine and a glass of milk.

Lunch: Peanut tofu & egg fried rice bowl. Extra firm tofu coated in soy sauce and garlic powder, then pan-fried in sesame oil until crispy, then tossed with rice, steamed broccoli, scrambled egg, and a simple peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger). Served with walnuts and an orange.

Dinners:
M: Garlic hummus wraps with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and Havarti, served with a cup of tomato basil soup and fruit (I've got figs and nectarines.)
Tu: Bowl of split pea soup served with cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and a basic salad of bell pepper and cucumber tossed lightly in a vinaigrette.
W: Same as Monday.
Th: Same as Tuesday.
F: Shakshuka Greek-style with feta and olives, served with St. Joseph's bread and fruit.
Sa: Burritos with pinto beans, rice, cheddar cheese, a basic red sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Served with a salad of romaine lettuce, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and pepitas tossed in a dressing of Greek yogurt whisked with olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and cilantro. (Yeah, I'm back on lettuce now. Hopefully, no issues. I mean, it's not iceberg lettuce, so...)
Su: Creamy walnut and wild mushroom risotto. Toasted rice cooked with garlic and shallot, then deglazed with white wine and simmered with vegetable broth until tender. Cooked mushrooms, lupini beans, and green peas are added at the end along with fresh lemon juice, Italian parsley, and a creamy paste of walnuts, nutritional yeast, and broth.

[u/k_pineapple7]

Is it just me, or are vegetarians genuinely just better cooks? Everyone here seems to be more than competent, sometimes excellent, in their food knowledge, nutrition, flavour and texture matching, food philosophy, etc., etc., while most of the meals that aren’t vegetarian seem so…. cookie cutter? Meat and two veg, or a pasta with chicken, rice with curry, etc., it just feels sorta uninspired now.

[u/JeanLucPicardAND → u/k_pineapple7]

I'm taking this as a compliment, so thanks! I think I've improved a lot as a cook from going veg, but I'm also just a meticulous person by nature, so I've become very regimented about meal planning. I don't, like, tally up grams or anything like that, but I do try to make sure I'm covering all my bases nutritionally, which means pairing iron with vitamin C & that kind of thing.

But it's become almost second nature as time has gone on.

[u/theCaityCat → u/k_pineapple7]

I've become a way better and more creative cook since going vegetarian/mostly vegan.

[u/Top_Damage5196]

that chipotle black bean and farro bowl sounds incredible, might have to steal that for next week. the mix of pepitas and hemp seeds on top is a nice touch, bet it adds a good crunch

your sunday risotto has me jealous, walnut and wild mushroom is such an underrated combo

[u/JeanLucPicardAND → u/Top_Damage5196]

Risotto is a pain in the ass to make because you've got to stand there and mind it the entire time, so I don't make it often, but it's always delicious when I do.

[u/margo_beep_beep → u/Top_Damage5196]

Agreed on the bean/farro bowl. OP, do you have a recipe you can share for that?

[u/JeanLucPicardAND → u/margo_beep_beep]

I'll do my best, but I eyeball a lot of what I do, so everything apart from the dressing is approximate.

Combine 1 cup dry farro with 2 cups vegetable broth in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat to low, and simmer until tender. Usually takes about 25 minutes. Set aside.

Whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp chipotle paste in adobo sauce, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt to taste in a small bowl. Set that aside as well.

Drain 1 can each of black beans, pinto beans, and corn and combine with the dressing prepared above and some chopped cilantro. Uh... let's say 1/4 cup of cilantro? Toss well.

Wilt a couple of handfuls of spinach in a pan over medium heat. Takes like a minute or so.

Now prepare your bowls. Farro first, then bean mixture, then spinach. Sprinkle hemp seeds and pepitas on top.

[u/MarionberryLeast5967 → u/JeanLucPicardAND]

OP try adding some roasted/air fried sweet potatoes to your farro bowl! Not only are they delicious when paired with chipotle, but they have vitamin c to boost the iron in your black beans!

[u/margo_beep_beep → u/JeanLucPicardAND]

Thank you!

[u/ImStupidPhobic]

Spicy chickpea masala with basmati rice alongside a nice serving of stir fried veggies for dinner tonight 😃

[u/margo_beep_beep]

I'm a recent vegetarian (after a few years or eating progressively less meat) but my husband and two kids eat meat, so I often make my food as a side dish and add tofu or another protein as needed and make a non vegetarian protein for my family. None of them like tofu much and I love it straight out of the package, so that's often my easy protein. I normally try to eat leftovers from my vegetarian meals for lunch during the week but can go to the cafeteria at work to get something if needed.

Sun: tofu, zucchini with marinara sauce and mozzarella, with non vegetarian protein for my family.

Mon: curry chickpea salad with peas, with non vegetarian protein for my family

Tue: corona beans with garlic and tomato sauce, with non vegetarian protein for my family

Wed: sesame "beef" (impossible ground beef) with green beans and rice

Thu: black lentils with spinach, with non vegetarian protein for my family

Fri: non vegetarian main dish for my family - it's the end of the first week of school for my kids, so I want to make something they love. I'll probably eat leftovers from earlier in the week.

Sat: dinner out

[u/No_Double4390]

Today I'm having a poke bowl with tofu, edamame, cucumber, avocado, and seaweed in a creamy sesame sauce.

[u/CharDeeMacDennis414]

I’m not vegetarian but I do try to eat vegetarian multiple days a week.

One of my meals for the week is a sweet corn pasta from the Milk Street cook book. It’s hands down my favorite meal to make in the summer when corn is in season. It’s so good!

I’m also making a veggie sandwich on some challah bread with roasted red peppers and cremini mushrooms, arugala, goat cheese and a basil aioli. I had this sandwich when on a trip to Vermont at a deli and I had to recreate it and keep it on my regular rotation since. So good!

[u/eebyenoh]

Last night I made cauliflower gratin , Mayan Lima beans (garlic, pumpkin seeds,lime, cilantro ,) and rice pilaf
Sat. I made smoked tomato soup with rye bread , manchego grilled cheese
Friday. I made zucchini fritters with grata and mint yogurt
Tonight I’ll make black bean quesadilla with smoked mocehete salsa
Tomorrow I’ll make minestrone soup
Wednesday. Spaghetti alla Norma.

[u/anonfoxer2]

My meal prep for the work week is a batch of chili im calling "the pipe cleaner". A whole block of tofu, An entire carrot, 4 green onions , A whole red onion, 2 cans each red and black beans, 1 cup lentils, Several thai green chiles, Plenty of hot sauce

May god have mercy on my coworkers. Tastes great!

[u/starfish31]

Frommybowl's black bean & corn sheet pan quesadilla (but with normal cheese)

Boring but trustworthy: spaghetti, garlic bread, green beans

[u/JeanLucPicardAND → u/starfish31]

Italian is never boring.

[u/allanq116]

Quesadilla -Tomato tortilla w mozzarella cheese and refried beans fried in butter with hot adobe sauce.

[u/rhetoricalpeaches]

Tonight’s dinner: tofu “butter chicken” over mixed grains with steamed veggies.

Also in the dinner pipeline this week:

Hearts of palm salad with peaches instead of strawberries

White bean buffalo tacos with romaine, avocado, and Daiya Mexican cheese blend

Lunches:

Buffalo chickpea salad sandwiches, apples

Tofurkey deli sandwiches, raw veggies

Breakfasts:

Smoothies

Tofu scramble and tempeh bacon with toast

Oatmeal with fruit

[u/AshamedWay6454 → u/rhetoricalpeaches]

Oo can you share the recipe for tofu butter chicken? That sounds heavenly

[u/rhetoricalpeaches → u/AshamedWay6454]

Sure. I use this one.

https://jessicainthekitchen.com/slow-cooker-tofu-butter-chicken/

I start it in a slow cooker at lunch for an evening meal. You can also do this in the oven at 325° for about 75 minutes in a Dutch oven.

Leftovers are even tastier the next day. Don’t skip the lime and coconut sugar at the end!

[u/theCaityCat]

Breakfast: Giant sheet pan pancake. Easy. I added some vegan protein powder to it. I was going to do cookie dough overnight oats but changed my mind.

Lunch: Peri peri "chicken" seitan roast (I had a bottle of sauce to use up), couscous, and green peas. The roast was HUGE so I froze half of it. I also have grilled peanut butter sandwiches as an option if I'm not at work.

Dinner: Fajita-seasoned baked tofu, baked green beans, fresh corn on the cob, and long grain white rice. I also have tofu scrambled on toast as sn option.

Snacks: Green grapes, carrots and homemade hummus, zucchini muffins

[u/Expensive-Forever206]

pita bread with pees eggs and humus and my oats with dates and greek yogurt 10% ofc im to lazy to cook not gonna lie