My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

Mexican Food

Meal Plan Monday: Full House

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I’ve been absent lately but with good reason; two of our big kids are here with the third visiting next week and my first Food Demo is complete and was a success! I’ll talk more about the Food Demo later this week.

This weeks dilemma, what to feed omnivore kids for the next 5 1/2 weeks? Our daughter wants to be healthy so she is open to trying new foods. Our young teen son on the other had completely disregards food he thinks is healthy. For example, When I make “Unfried Beans” I make them the same way I always have, even when we were eating horribly. This weekend I asked him to taste test them for me. He put a bite in his mouth, he looked like we was going to vomit. I asked him what he thought, he said, “I liked how you used to make them, not this whole grainy healthy stuff, I like them like whole beans.” I told him I made them the same, I just used a food processor because I was making so many, he said, “they taste ok then.” I also stocked up on cereal to make life a little easier, the first day he didn’t want any of them because they were “weird and healthy.” While they were gluten-free they weren’t necessarily healthy, Kix, Chex, and some of the gluten-free Barbara’s Cereal.

I’ll make some of our normal favorites and try to adapt some of the kids favorites from pre-plant-based days.

Meal Plan

Breakfasts are our normal easy stuff like cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and fruit with toast.

Lunches are equally easy; nut butter sandwiches, leftovers,  pasta, or other easy stuff.

Snacks are usually fruit, sometimes toast, muffins, banana bread, humus and veggies, or chips with salsa or avocado are fun too.

Dinner is where it gets a bit more tricky. I’m hoping to try some new stuff this week.

Monday: Pasta with veggies and a cashew cream sauce.

Tuesday: Baked Potato’s with a choice of steamed veggies or chili on top.

Wednesday: Tostada’s with Mexican Rice

Thursday: Brown Rice casserole with a whatever veggies are still available and some kind of “creamy sauce” to make it taste “normal.”

Friday: I’m not sure what Friday will hold but I don’t plan on cooking a big meal.

Depending on how our days go I may mix this up a bit. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have our kids here. We mostly ate out last week. Now I’m ready for a lot of home cooked meals. Plus my 30 day Fitness Challenge is almost “over” so I’ll share those details sometime in the next week. I will also be sharing a new recipe or two. Wow, I have more to do than I thought!

I hope you all have a great week full of family and good food!

Meal Plan Monday: La Fiesta

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Avocado, what else can I say. I am diggin me some avocado these days. Thankfully they have been pretty inexpensive lately, usually 2 for $1 where I shop. I also have some prepared guacamole ready to go. So we may not actually have a party but a little avocado can turn any meal into a party worthy occasion.  Most of my meals will be inspired by the lovely avocado along with other fresh veggies.

I haven’t been in much of a breakfast mood lately. Between getting my boys fed and getting the day started I don’t want to think about getting me fed too. I know that breakfast is super important so I do not skip it. Usually I’ll start with a banana, which I sometimes have to share with the offspring, so I get another banana that also gets shared. Sometimes this continues for quite a while. That is why we purchase 4 bunches of banana’s at the start of the week then usually at least 1 more by late in the week.

I think oatmeal is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast, but truthfully I’ve been a little burned out on oatmeal, I’m thinking of trying some new combinations this week. You can check out this post about breakfast for more ideas. I usually eat twice in the morning (then sometimes have an early lunch). First is typically a piece of fruit, next I’ll have something a little more substantial.

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be toast with nut butter and fruit, oatmeal, Breakfast Rice, and an occasional bowl of cereal with fruit and almond milk.

Lunch will be leftovers, Bean and Grain Bowls, spinach and hummus wraps, and maybe even some PB&Js.

Snacks will be jalapeno hummus with fresh veggies, fruit, granola bars, and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Dinner

Monday: Tonight we are having company over and plan to make Portobello Fajita’s with Mexican Rice, Unfried Beans, grilled veggies and all of the fixings.

Tuesday: will probably be leftovers 

Wednesday: Pasta night! Last week we had gluten-free (quinoa) pasta with mushrooms that was pretty out of this world.

Thursday: I want to make a huge veggie soup to use up any veggies that may have been neglected over the week. I know we have some celery that will make it into that pot, I only like cooked celery.

Friday: Date night! We will probably be grabbing hummus and pita’s  from our favorite restaurant.

My Food Demo is coming up in less than two weeks so when I get the chance I hope to do a little extra cooking to prepare for that. There are a few recipes I want to try like a whipped coconut cream, yum! Next week two of our “Big Kids” will come for a nice long summer visit. I hope to fully convert them to be plant lovers but we will see how it works. I forsee future topics of Plant-Based Teenagers and Feeding Plants to the Reluctant. 🙂

How is your summer going? Are you in love with avocados like I am or do you have a different summer time favorite? 

Bean and Grain Bowl

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I’ve mentioned that I LOVE to make (eat and share) Bean and Grain Bowls; I’ve said it often enough I assume you know what I mean but in case you don’t allow me to explain.

I try to have at least one type of grain and one type of bean cooked and in the fridge at all times. It doesn’t always happen but it is a goal none the less. I keep a few cans of beans in the pantry too.

I recently had a lunch meeting where lunch was being provided, I didn’t know what would be served but I was certain I wouldn’t be able to eat it. As I was rushing to get ready I stopped and put some cooked quinoa, some rinsed black beans (from a can) and a few tablespoons of salsa in a container. I didn’t even taste test it.

Once I got to the meeting pizza was being served. A friend of mine, who is working toward a Plant-Based diet, was there too; I gave her a taste of my quinoa and bean bowl and she LOOOVED it! She went out and bought the ingredients and made it for her family.

You don’t have to use quinoa and black beans AND it doesn’t have to be in a bowl.

This was made with cooked Barley (not gluten free), pinto beans, and homemade salsa served on a corn tortilla (pictured above). It was very tasty as well. If you are looking for maximum “comfort food” taste without the guilt you can make these nachos, pictured below, using a grain that has been seasoned with Mexican spices. I like to use my homemade taco seasoning, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder, sometimes I’ll add cumin and tomato sauce.

Brown rice, chickpea’s and steamed veggies make a great bowl as well, if you’re looking for more flavor add in your favorite Asian inspired sauce.

Yesterday I even mixed up some beans and grains that stuffed them into bell peppers then stuck them on the grill. One pepper contained my usual quinoa and black beans with corn, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos; but the other was quinoa and lentils.

So let your imagination run wild, as wild as beans and grains can get. Maybe try a different grain every week. I use quinoa a lot but millet  and amaranth are also good options. Some grains like Rye, Wheat, and Barley naturally contain gluten so if you are gluten free you may want to do a little research before trying them.

Packing a Lunch

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I’ve had a few request recently for meal idea’s that can be packed up and taken to work. My husband takes his breakfast and lunch to work almost every day so I have a little experience with this. He has a pretty sweet set up, a break room with refrigerators, microwaves, and a coffee maker. I know not everyone has the same situation so I’ll offer my suggestions and I’ll encourage my readers to chime in with their ideas as well.

The Sweet Set Up

If you have a kitchen available like my husband there is not a whole lot you can’t do. He usually takes cooked oatmeal (spiced up with cinnamon, raisins, and a touch of agave), Breakfast Quinoa, or a baked sweet potato for breakfast. He also takes 2 to 3 pieces of fruit everyday to eat throughout the day.

For lunch he usually has leftovers from the night before. He is also very fond of Baked Potatoes for lunch. These are not your plain ol’ potatoes, he prefers them with steamed veggies or vegan chili. He is also as happy as a clam to pour whatever else he can find in the fridge. If he were taking a Baked Potato tomorrow he would likely top it with Quinoa Taco Meat, Salsa, or guacamole because that is what we have available. Leftover soups are great for lunches on their own or poured over a potato.

Lunches don’t always center around potatoes. Mexican food makes really kickin lunches the next day. Just mix up whatever you have left, heat it up, and stuff it into a tortilla, or if you have more time eat it with organic tortilla chips.

During winter months or if you work in a cold building soups, chili’s, and casserole’s would be a nice way to warm up during the day.

Brown Baggin’ It

More than likely you’re not actually taking your lunch in a brown bag, not that I’m judging. You can buy an ice pack to use in a reusable, insulated lunch bag or even a small cooler (depending on your situation) fairly inexpensively. This set up can keep your food cold for at least half the day. The key here would be packing food that is good at room temperature or cold.

A few options that come to mind is a Not So Tuna Salad (or Not So Chicken Salad) Sandwich or wrap. This is made with chickpea’s so it is a good source of protein and fiber helping you feel full longer.

I’m also a fan of Veggie Wraps with Jalapeno Hummus (or other flavors), spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. You could add cucumbers, mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, or your favorite veggies. I have these for lunch often because they are easy to throw together. You could even make up a bunch at the beginning of the week, I’d pack the hummus separately to keep things from getting soggy if you were gonna wait a few days.

Big Salads are another option, just fill a big container with your favorite veggies, and store salad dressing and wet veggies in a separate container until lunch time. Some people like cold pasta salads or quinoa salads. These can also be quite filling and full of nutritional goodness. I’m sitting here dreaming of a Black Bean Quinoa Salad with roasted corn, avocado and salsa. A side of hummus and veggies is always a good idea too!

Another option is to make smoothies and freeze them ahead of time so they can slowly thaw throughout the day.

I’ve seen many a Brown Bagger go into convenience stores to heat up lunch. If this is an option for you then you have graduated to the Sweet Set Up category.

Emergency Stash

Sometimes life gets busy and we don’t have time to pack a lunch. For times like these I send McDougall’s Soup Cups, Tasty Bites (read label because they are not all vegan), or a can of Amy’s Soup (again not all vegan).

If you need to eat out you can grab a bean burrito, a meatless Subway meal, or even better a meal for Chipotle. Just don’t eat vegan junk food, you won’t be doing yourself any favors.

On our recent trip to the zoo we packed a lunch of 2 almond butter, gluten free sandwiches and 2 peanut butter wheat bread sandwiches, a few GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches, 2 apples, 2 rice milk boxes (a huge treat), granola bars, raisins, and water. Lunch was a success and super easy, never underestimate the power of a nut butter sandwich.

So do you pack a lunch? If so what do you pack?

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Meal Plan Monday: Wanna Help

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I hope you had a great Mother’s Day weekend. One of the highlight’s of the weekend was the Virtual Vegan Potluck, over 60 bloggers shared recipes. If you have some time stop by the potluck. If you’re interested in seeing my contribution check out these Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.  

Every Monday I post a Meal Plan for the week. Sometimes I stick to it and other times not so much. I occasionally get stuck in a rut and make the same meals over and over. As the temperatures increase here in Arizona I find myself wanting to cook less and less. Does this happen to the rest of you?

Some of my quick and easy (I don’t want to cook anything) meals contained wheat/gluten and I’m trying to stay away from those now. Last week I shared on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page how my son’s eczema had almost completely cleared up when we were both gluten-free but started coming back when I would have wheat products (I’m still nursing him). 

The goal of my blog is to chronicle our journey eating a Plant-Based Diet and to do it inexpensively. That means paying $6 for a tiny loaf of gluten-free bread is not something that can be done often. Since we are relatively new to gluten-free eating I occasionally buy convenience items that are on sale, at least until I learn how to make substitutes. 

So here it is Monday and I need to come of with a Meal Plan, and I started thinking that maybe someone else would want to help. Do you wanna help? So I’ll share what produce I bought this weekend and you can give me ideas. How does that sound?

Produce

  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • Limes
  • Broccoli
  • Summer Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Honeydew Melon
  • Pear (only 1 left)
  • Oranges
  • Kiwi

I also have a big batch of cooked Pinto Beans and of cooked Quinoa along with big batch of Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus and a small batch of Spicy Hummus. My pantry is stocked with my normal go to items like rice, beans, oatmeal (but not gluten-free), and pasta (that is gluten-free). To see my normal supply click on this post about Resources.

What would you make? I’m having company on Tuesday and promised her Mexican food, she is pregnant and has 3 little one’s. Any suggestions? I’ll be posting on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page what we end up eating so follow it if you are curious. I’d love to say you could win a fabulous prize but sadly I don’t have any prizes to give away. But I will give you and your blog a shout out if we make a meal that you recommend! 🙂

Speaking of shout-outs, have you checked out Tia Tofu, when she gets to 500 likes on Facebook she will be giving away cookies! I can’t think of anything better than that. So run over to Tia Tofu’s Facebook page and like her. She is fabulous I promise! 

Quinoa “Taco Meat”

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So we all know I’m not really talking about meat here but after all of the press about pink slime I don’t want to us the works “taco filling” because that sounds too much like filler, BLECK! 

I’m talking about seasoning up nutrient dense quinoa. If you’ve read my blog for long you know I’m a fan of quinoa. I buy a big bag at Costco for under $10. I like to use it anywhere someone would typically use ground beef so, burgers, tacos, nacho’s, and my husband LOVES it with cinnamon for breakfast (think oatmeal style). I’ve also used it in place of rice or other grains. It is also a gluten free food for those so inclined.

Quinoa “Taco Meat”

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp granulated onion
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin 
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce

Do

  1. Stir all seasonings into quinoa. We like a lot of spice so feel free to pair this down if you’re not crazy about a lot of seasoning. 
  2. Stir in tomato sauce, I happened to be out so I used about 2 tsp of tomato paste and a little water. 
  3. If seasonings are not mixing well add a little water or veggie broth. 

Serve

Last night we had this on Nachos and my three teenagers, or as I usually say teenyboppers, loved it. Other places to eat this would obviously be tacos, burritos, and taco salads. I think for lunch I’ll have some on a baked potato as inspired by Laura’s Taco Potatoes over at Heavenly Homemakers. Of course her recipe has meat but I was still inspired, especially since I still have some fresh salsa and pinto beans to add to my hot potato.

Another favorite way to make this is to mix it 1:1 with cooked lentils. I love lentils in place of tradition ground beef recipes. I was planning on cooking it that way last night but alas I forgot to cook the lentils. I know they cook very quickly but since my big kids are here I’d rather visit than cook (or have an extra pan to wash).

Do you eat quinoa? What is your favorite way to eat it? Since we love Mexican food almost any new thing I try has Mexican flare, I know I should branch out but it’s hard to resist those familiar spices.