My Plant-Based Family

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

Plant Based Diet

Meal Plan-less

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This week we are Meal Plan-less. I know I should make a Meal Plan but I just can’t bring myself to do it. We have company in town and appointments/practices/church this week.

I will share a few things I hope/plan to make this week and tell you the places we are likely to eat out.

Last night I made the Easy Mexican Casserole in the Crock Pot because it is very easy and will serve as leftovers for lunches this week. I’m also going to make my Veggie Pad Thai that I’ve become addicted too. It is full of vibrant veggies and I just can’t get enough. I’ll share the recipe one of these days. I’m also wanting to test a new dip on my omni company before I debut it here.

Undoubtedly we will eat out way to much this week. Since our guests are not plant-based I’m happy to eat out so they can choose their own food. Because of our son’s food allergies we have to be choosy about where we eat.

Red Robin, yes the burger place, is very allergy friendly. We can all find something we like there and I’m always comfortable with their level of attention to food allergies. Many of our food choices are preferences, allergies and sensitivities are not. Red Robin has done a great job for us.

The “grown ups” will eat at Chipotle more than once I’m sure. For some reason my kids will not eat it. Last night I found out my location will be getting Sofritas in about 3 weeks. EKK! Can not wait!

Pizza is another compromise. It isn’t necessarily healthy but we have a restaurant nearby that has a gluten-free pizza option. It is on the pricy side, about $14 for a personal size but we get the rest of our pizzas at another restaurant that is much cheaper. I always order a veggie pizza without cheese.

Next week I’ll return to our regularly scheduled Meal Plan Monday. If you are a blogger and post a weekly Meal Plan feel free to leave a link in the comments.

custommealplanimage

Also check out my Custom Meal Plans page to find out how to order a Meal Plan designed around your taste, budget and time.

 

Pico de Gallo

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I love homemade salsa and I make several different varieties but most of the time the simplicity and ease of Pico de Gallo win out. If you are not familiar with Pico de Gallo, it is almost like a raw, chunky version of salsa and uses similar ingredients. Salsa on the other hand is much more liquid, soupy even.

Admittedly I used to buy Pico de Gallo in the deli or produce section but those are usually full of chemicals and kinda pricy. If your family deals with multiple food allergies you can play it safe by making your own Pico de Gallo at home to avoid cross-contamination.

I top almost everything with Pico de Gallo because I can make in a few minutes and only need a knife and cutting board.

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (I use about 3 Roma tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1 diced jalapeno (remove seeds if you want it less spicy)
  • optional ingredients include 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, salt to taste and juice from a lemon or lime

Do

  1. Dice tomatoes, onions and jalapenos and mix together in a bowl.
  2. Add any optional ingredients like garlic, salt, and lime juice.

Serve

Spoon Pico de Gallo onto baked potatoes, taco salads, tacos, burritos or wraps, soups, beans or grains. I also like to top my White Enchiladas, Tostadas, Mexican Casserole with Pico de Gallo. My latest recipe Bean and Potato Burritos is perfected when topped with Pico de Gallo. I have two new recipes coming up that are great on their own but pair well with Pico de Gallo.

Pico de gallo and white bean dip

Are you a salsa or Pico de Gallo fan? Do you make them yourself or buy them at the store?

Bean and Potato Burritos using Oil-Free Skillet Potatoes

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Even before we transitioned to a plant-based diet our family loved Bean and Potato Burritos. My husband has told stories about going on field trips as a small child and his “packed lunch” was a Bean and Potato Burrito. Some of the other kids would want to trade their white bread sandwiches.

I don’t know how my mother-in-law made her Bean and Potato Burritos but I’m pretty sure they were not oil free, in fact they probably contained lard.

Bean and Potato Burrtios

Skillet Potatoes (Oil-Free, Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

  • 10 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 onion, diced (I like to add extra onion powder too)
  • 3-5 garlic cloves minced, OR garlic powder to taste
  • salt and pepper are optional, add them after cooking to you taste
  • 1/2 cup or water or veggie broth (more if needed)

Do

  1. Put diced potatoes, diced onion and garlic in a large skillet and add about 1/2 cup of water or veggie broth.
  2. Begin cooking over medium heat and cover with a lid. Stir regularly, potatoes will likely stick to the pan.
  3. Cook for 20-30 minutes adding more liquid as necessary.

Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your skillet, amount of potatoes and the size of the potatoes. If you don’t use a non-stick pan ( I don’t) you will want to keep plenty of liquid in the pan to keep the potatoes from sticking and burning.

Serve

The potatoes are great in burritos or as a side dish. I also like to eat them in a bowl for a quick snack. To make Bean and Potato Burritos follow the instructions below. The potatoes are very soft and are perfect for small children, or kids who have lost a few baby teeth and need soft foods.

Bean and Potato Burritos (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Use the Oil-Free Skillet Potatoes detailed above along with the recipe for Unfried Pinto Beans (or Unfried Black Beans if you prefer). Choose your favorite tortilla, I used  Food For Life’s Black Rice Tortillas.

Layer Unfried Beans, Skillet Potatoes and any other toppings like fresh salsa or just diced tomatoes into a warm tortilla.

These Bean and Potato Burritos are perfect for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner and travel well. I eat them warm or room temperature. I think I’ll make a batch for our next road trip too.

The Food For Life Black Rice Tortillas are vegan, gluten-free and yeast-free. I’ve also used them for Veggie Rollups for my boys. Like most tortillas that are vegan and gluten-free they are a little on the rigid side. This can be helped by heating them in a moist paper towel. I wrapped my boys rollups in plastic wrap to help them keep it from unraveling.

FTC Disclaimer: I received the Food For Life Black Rice Tortillas for free but was under no obligation to review them.

Meal Plan Monday: I’m Back

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Did you miss me? I was away for almost 2 weeks. I had an unfortunate computer problem that left me on an extended break from blogging. I appreciate all of you that reached out to me during that time.  Even though I wasn’t blogging I was scheming, I mean planning and I’m excited for what the future holds.

I still need to reload software onto my computer so I don’t have access to all of my files yet but I’ll sort that out this week. Then I’ll be back to creating Custom Meal Plans and working on new projects.

meal plan monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

This week I didn’t buy any cereal so we will be taking a different approach for breakfasts.

Lunch

My youngest son, who is allergic to everything, now has an aversion to his bread. I’ll have to get creative with lunches. Our fridge is loaded with fresh veggies so I’ll start there. 

  • Baked Potatoes
  • Leftover Gluten-Free pasta with red sauce and steamed veggies
  • Veggie Rollups with GF tortillas, spinach, cucumbers, red bell peppers, etc.
  • Fruit Rollups with GF tortillas, Sunbutter or Soynut Butter and fruit like apples, pears and bananas.
  • Bean and Grain Bowl topped with raw veggies

Dinner

Our dinners have taken a shift lately. My husband is going mostly grain-free and I haven’t had much time to cook. I try to make a few big dinners each week and keep it simple the rest of the time.

  • Veggie Pad Thai
  • Spiced Lentil Burgers with Baked Potatoes and random veggies
  • Lazy Veggie Pasta (GF) with red bell peppers, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, and spinach (one pot meal)
  • White Bean and Green Chili Dip with chips from Way Better Snacks and homemade salsa
  • Cheesy Brown Rice Casserole with added broccoli or peas (Crock Pot)

Many of the new recipes I’ve been making lately aren’t on the blog yet but I often post pictures on Instagram if you are interested.

Have you made your Meal Plan for the week? Take 10 minutes and jot down a few ideas.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using an affiliate link I may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. This helps offset the cost of running a website. 

Meal Plan Monday: Batch Cooking and Healthy Cravings Week

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The second week of each month I host a group called Healthy Cravings. The meeting is an opportunity for people who are interested in eating healthier to get a peek at the Plant-Based Diet and see how good it can taste. Each month I have a different theme but this month I’m going to talk to them about Meal Planning and Batch Cooking.

Meal Plan Batch Cooking Healthy Cravings

I focus on eating “healthy” by including more beans, grains, veggies, etc. Omnivores are welcome and feel very comfortable. I also strive to accommodate food allergies at every event, sometimes having 3 variations of the same dish.

It also happens to be Spring Break this week so I’ll be busier than normal. Batch cooking will come in handy this week. Since you probably can’t be here for Healthy Cravings I’ll attempt to give you a taste of what it’s like in person. I only wish I could convey the laughter, stories and fun we have each month.

Batch Cooking Meal Plan Possibilities

This isn’t a really a Meal Plan but I think it’s a tool to help you make your own plan.

Ingredients

Beans: Black Beans, White Beans, Lentils

Grains: Rice, Quinoa, Oats, Tortillas

Veggies: Carrots, Red Bell Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, Romaine, Cabbage

Fruit: Apples, Oranges, Lemons, Bananas, Pears

Other: Tamari, Sun Butter, Agave/Maple Syrup, Pasta

These are typical ingredients in my kitchen. I plan to cook beans, rice, and potatoes ahead of time. I haven’t decided if I’ll have veggies precooked or if we will do it in the class. It will depend on how many more RSVPs I get. I want to show my attendees how easy it can be to eat well.

Meals Based On Ingredients Above

Bean and Grain Bowls (tons of varieties)

Bean Burritos or Veggie Bean Burritos

Lentil Tacos or Quinoa Tacos or Quinoa-Lentil Tacos or Taco Salad

Taco Potatoes using any of the taco varieties just mentioned

Broccoli topped Baked Potatoes or Steamed Veggies on Baked Potatoes

Veggie Fajitas or Veggie Fajita Bowl or Veggie Fajita Salad

Black Bean Quesadillas or Veggie Quesadillas or Veggie Quesadilla Salad

Bean and Potato Burritos or Bean and Potato Quesadillas

Veggie Wraps or Salads

Veggie and Rice Stir Fry or Veggie Quinoa Stir Fry

Veggie Pasta

Baked Sweet Potatoes or Baked Fruity Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Apple Crisp or Pear Crisp

I will not be cooking all of these meals. Instead I’ll show them how many different meals can be made from a fairly short list of ingredients. I didn’t even mention all of the incredible soups that could be made. Many more combinations can be made from these ingredients, these just came to mind first. I prefer to keep it simple. I might use rice in  Bean and Grain Bowl, a Burrito, a Stir Fry, with Steamed Veggies, or in a soup. A pot of black beans could be used in a Bean and Grain Bowl, a Burrito, on a bed of rice, in a salad, in a soup, on a baked potato, well you get the picture.

Batch Cooking

I call this batch cooking because I’m not cooking everyday. I’ll cook large portions of beans and grains and perhaps some of the veggies or potatoes and just reheat them, in different combinations throughout the week. It is common for me to cook about 8 cups of rice, use some the first night then I store 6 cups to use in various meals. If I’m making a meal that uses a lot of rice, like a stir fry I will cook extra or plan to use other grains for other meals thought out the week.

Your Turn

What would your Meal Plan look like? Did I leave off a must have ingredient?

 

My Top 3 Pasta Picks from the Phoenix Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

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People always ask me what kind of pasta we eat. It’s a tough question to answer because I don’t always stick to one brand. Typically, I rotate between several different brands of pasta. We buy gluten-free pasta and I look for brands that have a small ingredients list.

At the Expo several companies were selling gluten-free pasta. Some were even handing out samples of cooked pasta to try.

My Top 3 Pasta Picks

Rizopia

Rizopia

I didn’t get to try a sample of Rizopia at the Expo but they gave me a package to take home. After visiting with them more and learning about the pasta I bought several bags at a super low expo price. Everyone else had the same idea because this rice based pasta sold out before the Expo was over.

I’ve only tried the penne so far but the whole family enjoyed it. It cooked up nice and al dente. It did not get mushy! I’ve had to toss out whole pans of other brands but I’m impressed with Rizopia. It is also certified gluten-free, organic, and produced in a facility that is wheat, gluten, egg, dairy, nut and corn free.

One last thing I appreciate about Rizopia is that they have large (16 oz) bags of pasta for an affordable price. If you live in the US you can purchase Rizopia via Amazon.

local oven

Local Oven

The Local Oven booth was cooking up fresh pasta (and bread) at the Expo. The pasta I sampled tasted great. The pasta is made from corn, which I usually enjoy. I would not have suspected it was gluten-free because it tasted so great.

Local Oven is probably better known for it bread. Many restaurants use their bread to offer gluten-free options for their customers, I even found one local restaurant that offers it. Many, but not all, of their products are also dairy and soy free. Products can be ordered from their website.

Viviana

Viviana

The Viviana booth was also handing out samples of their pasta that was not only gluten-free but also vegan. One of the things that impressed me the most is that they cooked their pasta the day before and it was still great. They have a dedicated facility that is free from gluten, wheat, potato, soy, corn, dairy, casein, eggs, tree nuts and peanuts.

Viviana’s products don’t just taste great, they look like a work of art. Perhaps that is because they are handmade. They have different pasta flavors like Sweet Potato, Italian Blend, and Spinach Basil to a name a few. You can purchase Viviana products on their website, at select stores and on Amazon.

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Do you have a favorite gluten-free pasta? Have you tried Rizopia, Local Oven or Viviana?