Plant-Based Meal Plan

May 20, 2019 by 1 Comment

Do you ask your family what they want in your weekly meal plan? I do! I’m a big proponent of getting buy in from the family. If they help create the plant-based meal plan, they will be more likely to be supportive and maybe even happy with the meals.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

I asked my 10 year old what he wanted and he requested salad with leafy greens, croutons and balsamic vinegar. He also asked for cream of wheat.

My 8 year old asked for olives, make your own pizza, celery and refried beans.

My husband has already put in his request and I made it this weekend. His favorite, a big batch of One Pot Broccoli and Rice will be lunches this week.

As for me, I just want quick and easy meals and for my husband to do the dishes. Haha! Can you relate?

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat

Lunch: Broccoli and Rice

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner! Southwest Tofu Scramble with flour tortillas and fresh fruit

Tuesday

Breakfast: Smoothies and Blueberry Muffins

Lunch: Broccoli and Rice

Dinner: Veggie Pad Thai

Wednesday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Broccoli and Rice

Dinner: Enchilada Casserole (this one has refried beans, we will have some on the side too)

Thursday

Breakfast: Smoothies and Strawberry Banana Muffins

Lunch: Broccoli and Rice

Dinner: Leftover Enchilada Casserole

Friday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Mediterranean Bowls

Dinner: Make Your Own Pizza Night with salad

I’ve been working on some new meals and I got a request for more snack recipes! Do you make snacks? Most of ours are fruit or smoothies, veggies and dip, chips and salsa (sometimes with beans), muffins or banana bread and during the summer, lots of popsicles!

Now that summer is almost here, and my boys only have a few more days of school, I’m sure we will have to revisit snack ideas many times. What are your favorite summer snacks?

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Meal Plans 2019 Tagged With: ,

Southwest Tofu Scramble

May 17, 2019 by 4 Comments

I love a hearty, filling, hot breakfast. This Southwest Tofu Scramble is one of my favorite vegan breakfasts!

Southwest Tofu Scramble

I recently shared my simple tofu scramble. It’s a quick and easy version that isn’t spicy but still delicious. This version is for the people who like a little spice!

Adding the beans to this tofu scramble really helps fuel you longer than the veggies alone. I also like to add potatoes and avocado to tofu scrambles but I didn’t here because those don’t reheat as well. This version with beans and peppers is a meal prep dream because it reheats like a dream. Stick your potatoes and avocado on the side if you want them.

Southwest Tofu Scramble

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If you are new to tofu, check out my Tofu Starter Guide. I use extra firm tofu for this recipe. It’s found in the refrigerated section where vegan products are stored, usually near the dairy area.

For most recipes I use my tofu press but I don’t for tofu scrambles. I like to pull pieces apart with my hands because it looks more like a regular scramble.

Hearty Tofu Scramble

You can choose whatever types of veggies you want. I choose onions, bell peppers (I used half red and half yellow), and jalapenos.

Southwest Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burrito

These also make great Breakfast Burritos! Choose your favorite burrito-size tortilla, scoop in the Southwest Tofu Scramble, I like to add salsa, then fold it up.

Southwest Tofu Scramble

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, yellow or red, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced, de-seed if you don’t want it spicy
  • 1 block organic , extra firm tofu
  • 1 teaspoon Real Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, more or less if desired

Do

  1. In a hot skillet, I used nonstick, cook diced onion, diced bell peppers and sliced jalapenos. Stir regularly until veggies are tender crisp.
  2. Next, use your hands to pull bite-sized pieces of tofu apart. Squeeze out excess water, then place it in the skillet with the peppers and onions.
  3. Sprinkle the salt, spices and nutritional yeast over the crumbled up tofu. Give it a stir then add the 1/4 cup water and stir again.
  4. Continue to cook until all the water has cooked out and the tofu is hot.
  5. Add the drained and rinsed black beans, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Just long enough for the beans to get hot.
  6. Then add the cilantro, cover with a lid and remove from heat. The cilantro will steam quickly but the flavor will be delicious!

Serve this with potatoes, fresh veggies like tomatoes or avocado and a side of toast. I always eat this with salsa. When I’m in the mood for something a little more awesome, I’ll wrap it into a tortilla!

Southwest Tofu Scramble
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, yellow or red, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced, de-seed if you don't want it spicy
  • 1 block organic , extra firm tofu
  • 1 teaspoon Real Salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup of chopped cilantro, more or less if desired
Instructions
  1. In a hot skillet, I used nonstick, cook diced onion, diced bell peppers and sliced jalapenos. Stir regularly until veggies are tender crisp.
  2. Next, use your hands to pull bite-sized pieces of tofu apart. Squeeze our excess water, then place it in the skillet with the peppers and onions.
  3. Sprinkle the salt, spices and nutritional yeast over the crumbled up tofu. Give it a stir then add the ¼ cup water and stir again.
  4. Continue to cook until all the water has cooked out and the tofu is hot.
  5. Add the drained and rinsed black beans, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Just long enough for the beans to get hot.
  6. Then add the cilantro, cover with a lid and remove from heat. The cilantro will steam quickly but the flavor will be delicious!

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Plant-Based Meal Plan

May 13, 2019 by 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but for us, May is always a busy month. There are always too many things scheduled. Throw in some sickness and it can be tough to eat well. Thankfully, our Plant-Based Meal Plan makes it easy to plan ahead.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

You may notice that we plan simple meals. One Pot Broccoli and Rice, Spaghetti, Chickpea Noodle Soup…that’s because I’m setting my self up for success. I don’t plan complex recipes when life is busy. I plan simple recipes and make enough for leftovers. If I’m lucky, we will stretch our leftovers out longer and I’ll be able to skip cooking a  meal or two.

Also, these breakfast ideas are just suggestions. We may choose overnight oats or chia pudding or we may have smoothies and toast. We keep it easy. In my plant-based tips email I send out every Saturday, I shared a bunch of breakfast ideas!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Strawberry Chia Pudding

Lunch: Veggie Sandwich

Dinner: Broccoli Rice Casserole

Tuesday

Breakfast: Breakfast Cookies and Smoothies

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Instant Pot Refried Beans and Mexican Rice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Baked Sweet Potatoes

Lunch: Chickpea Noodle Soup

Dinner: Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs (A request from my 10 year old), salad and this salad dressing.

Thursday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Minestrone Soup and salad

Friday

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter and fruit

Lunch: Leftover Soup and salad

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner! Tofu Scramble, Strawberry Banana Muffins and fruit salad.

If you’re looking for recipe inspiration, Pinterest is a great way to collect recipes! You can even create a board for recipes you want to try!

Are you looking for new recipes? I’d love to help! Leave a comment with what you’re looking for. I’m working on my summer recipe list right now! I’ve got some popsicles in mind, skillet meals and of course, more Instant Pot ideas!

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Strawberry Chia Pudding

May 10, 2019 by 2 Comments

Have you tried chia pudding? What about Strawberry Chia Pudding! It’s a game changer!

Strawberry Chia Pudding

We have been chia seed lovers for years! In fact, when my boys were little, I always kept chia seeds in a shaker bottle and called them sprinkles! You would never guess all the things my boys ate “sprinkles” on! EVERYTHING!!!

Chia Seeds

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Sprinkles, I mean chia seeds, are a great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and more! And it doesn’t take much to get the benefits!

The thing you have to know about chia seeds is that once they get wet they change, kinda like gremlins. Ha ha, actually they don’t turn into something bad but they do change into a gel like  texture. We don’t notice much in things like oatmeal or mixed into peanut butter but it would be obvious in a salad.

Strawberry Chia Pudding

Perhaps the perfect vehicle for chia seeds is chia pudding! People have been eating chia pudding for ever. I’ve made it since the beginning of our plant-based journey. Normally, I’d make chocolate because I’m a chocolate kind of gal but this Strawberry Chia Pudding gives chocolate a run for its money!

Strawberry Chia Pudding

Strawberry Chia Pudding

This recipe makes four servings which makes it perfect for a family or for meal prep! Since chia pudding lasts for about 5 days in the refrigerator, you can make up a batch on the weekend and enjoy it for breakfast, snack or dessert throughout the week.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plant-based milk (I used coconut)
  • ⅓ cup chia seeds
  • 4 tsp maple syrup, you can substitutes dates if desired
  • 1 cup strawberries

Do

  1. Add all ingredients to blender jar and blend for 15 to 20 seconds.
  2. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of blender jar and blend for 20 seconds more.
  3. Pour into individual jars or bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

You can make chia pudding without a blender, the chia seeds will soak up the liquid and congeal, but making it in the blender also blends the fruit. One of my son’s can’t stand chunks of fruit, I have to blend his smoothies twice! Blending is a great option to get the fruit, and all its flavor, mixed in. If you have a family member who is particular about their food, blending is the way to go!

I use my Blendtec almost every day, the Twister Jar handles this like a champ, but almost any blender would do for this simple recipe.

Strawberry Chia Pudding
Print Recipe

Strawberry Chia Pudding

This easy, plant-based recipe is perfect for busy mornings and great as a snack!
Prep Time10 mins
Sit in fridge2 hrs
Total Time2 hrs 10 mins
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Plant-Based Milk
  • 1/3 Cup Chia Seeds
  • 4 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener like dates
  • 1 Cup Strawberries

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to blender jar and blend for 15 to 20 seconds.
  • Let sit for about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of blender jar and blend for 20 more seconds.
  • Pour into individual jars or bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Filed Under: Breakfast, On the Go, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Plant-Based Meal Plan

May 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment

This week is a crazy, busy week for us! We have so many appointments on top of our regular work and school schedules. I’m so thankful that I have a plant-based meal plan to lean on. I know exactly what we will be eating this week and I’m working to get some of it prepped before the week begins.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Not all foods lend themselves to meal prep, some things don’t reheat well. We enjoy leftover Tofu Scramble, Broccoli and Rice Casserole, and all the soups as leftovers. Our Mexican food dinner recipes reheat really well too. I’ll rely on my Instant Pot as much as possible but some of these recipes cook so quickly in a skillet that I can have them ready before my Instant Pot can come up to pressure and go back down.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Tofu Scramble

Lunch: Chickpea Noodle Soup

Dinner: Green Chili Black Bean and Rice Soup

Tuesday

Breakfast: Strawberry Chia Pudding (recipe coming this week)

Lunch: Leftover Soup

Dinner: One Pot Broccoli Rice Casserole

Wednesday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Dinner: Lentil Tacos, Mexican Rice, Oil-Free Refried Beans

Thursday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana

Lunch: Burritos with leftover tacos, rice and beans

Dinner: Busy Night Pasta

Friday

Breakfast: Smoothies with muffins

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Veggie Burgers and roasted potatoes

We will probably skip some of these recipes depending on how much leftovers we have. We are big fans of leftovers!

We also have a lot of easy snacks on hand, freshly made Banana Bread is our favorite. I made some, this weekend with my boys help. You can check out my Instagram Highlights to see us in action. We also have a lot of fruit, popcorn, popsicles and frozen fruit for smoothies.

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Meal Plans 2019 Tagged With: , ,
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