Meal plan- vegan

The meal plan for this week is a combination of Mid-East dishes and some South east Asian dishes. Quantities are for 4 people. If there is only two of you, you can cut recipes in half or make more so you can have leftovers for lunch. I store the food in Pyrex containers of various sizes.

Menu– cauliflower tahini with chopped salad and chickpeas rice, fried rice, Tahini braised tofu balls, tacos with chickpeas and avocado mango salsa, tahini braised tofu and vegetable balls,
Zucchini and leek quiche-breakfast or lunch
Chocolate balls-dessert

Recommended preparation steps

Please see preparation steps below, you have two options; preparing the base and complete the meals right before dinner or you can go ahead and prepare all the recipes to completion in one day:

  1. Cook 2 cups of rice (for rice chickpeas and fried rice).
  2. Prepare tahini
  3. Chop vegetables including cauliflower for the fried rice and tofu balls
  4. Prepare tofu balls using some of the veg. Bake in the glass storage container.
  5. Prepare seasoned chickpeas for tacos (keep in a small container)
  6. Make cauliflower dish
  7. Use the cauliflower pan to make fried rice. You can use a wok, pan or even bake it.
  8. Prepare zucchini quiche, bake directly in the storage containers
  9. Chop salad fresh before dinner
  10. Prepare dessert
  11. You are all set now, ready to assemble your dishes during the week. You will need to make salsa and assemble the tacos, chop the salad right before dinner

Easy cauliflower

  • Large pan
  • 1 large cauliflower
  • water (to cover the cauliflower mid way)
  • 4 shakes fine sea salt
  • 2 shakes black pepper
  • 2 shakes smoked paprika (or other spice you like)
  • 1 2 second drizzle olive oil

Optional seasoning: smoked paprika, fresh herbs, chili flakes, cumin seeds

  1. Break apart the cauliflower into florets

  2. Place in a large pan, arrange in one layer and set on medium heat

  3. Add water half way up the cauliflower, add oil

  4. Bring to a boil and move the cauliflower around, don't cover the pan

  5. the dish is ready when all the water have evaporated and the cauliflower is charred nicely

  6. Season with S+P, add paprika (optional)

Side Dish
Mediterranean
beginner, easy, lunch, one-pot meal

Mediterranean rice

Rice and legumes make a complete meal

  • Large bowl
  • Medium cooking pot with a lid
  • Measuring cup
  • 1/2 can chickpeas/ garbanzo beans

Rice

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 shakes turmeric
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Optional: grated carrots, sauteed onions

Rice

  1. In a medium sauce pan, add oil and rice over medium heat

  2. Toss the rice with the oil for 3 minutes. add seasoning

  3. Add water. bring to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

  4. Turn it off and DON'T OPEN. Let it rest for 10 minutes

  5. Mix the chickpeas with the rice

  6. We will use half the rice and the other half will be used for fried rice

Side Dish
Mediterranean
beginner, easy, protein, side, summer, vegan

Green tahini

Condiment, dressing, good with everything

  • Small glass container with a top
  • spoon
  • small blender
  • 1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro
  • 1 juice lemon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 shakes cumin
  • 2 shakes salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 tbsp tahini (unroasted)

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender. Add water if necessary to get a heavy-cream like consistency. Store in a sealed containers for up to 7 days.

Main Course
Mediterranean
beginner, condiment, dressing, no-cook, salad, summer, vegan

Chopped salad

  • cutting board
  • sharp pairing knife
  • salad bowl
  • Small empty jar
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes
  • 1 english cucumber
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1/2 small sweet onion or scallion

Optional: olives, parsley, apple, celery, grated carrots, thinly sliced romaine, cooked lentil or quinoa, basil, dill

Dressing

  • 2/3 jar olive oil
  • 1/3 jar red wine vinegar or other vinegar of choice
  • 3 shakes fine sea salt
  • 2 shakes black pepper

Salad

  1. Wash all the ingredients and chop the vegetables small

Dressing

  1. In a small empty jar, shake all the ingredients and toss with the salad. You can keep the dressing in the fridge to use throughout the week

Mediterranean
beginner, easy, no-cook, salad, side, summer

Fried rice

  • wok or a large pan
  • Wooden spatula
  • cutting board
  • Chopping knife
  • Small bowl
  • Cooked rice from the previous day
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion or scallion
  • 1 egg/tofu
  • 1 can baby corn
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 box bean sprouts
  • 1 lb chicken breast/ tofu/ shrimp

Sauce

  • 1 " grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp corn starch or arrowroot
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil

  1. Slice the carrots and thinly

  2. Chop the onion

  3. Cut the corn into small circles

  4. Add the oil to the wok and heat up on the strongest flame

  5. Add the egg and scramble

  6. Add the vegetables and move it around for 3 minutes

  7. Add the protein and cook until done

  8. Add the cooked rice and toss in the wok for at least 5 minutes on high heat.

  9. Make some room in the wok and add the sauce ingredients, mix together with the ingredients quickly. The rice is done when it looks dry, not saucy

Optional: you can add chili or hot sauce, pineapple or any other vegetable or protein

Chinese
easy, one-pot meal, vegan

Tahini braised tofu

  • 1 lb Firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp. Raw tahini from a jar
  • 1 cup assorted chopped vegetables
  • 1/2 cup Green tahini dressing
  • 1,3 cup water
  • salt and pepper

  1. Shred the tofu and mix with everything BUT the tahini dressing and water.

  2. Form into balls and place in a glass container.

  3. Pour tahini and water over it and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until the top looks brownish

entree, Main Course
vegan
dinner

, Tacos with chickpeas topped with rootsalad and avocado mango salsa

  • Mixing bowl
  • cutting board and pairing knife

Chick peas

  • 1/2 can chickpeas
  • 1 shake smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, olive oil

Salsa

  • 1 mango, cubed
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 4 corn tortillas

Chickpeas

  1. Mix the chickpeas left over from the rice with the oil and seasoning

Salsa

  1. Mix the cubed mango and avocado with the cilantro and lime

Tacos

  1. To assemble the tacos, place the chickpeas inside the tortilla, top with salsa, root salad and green tahini dressing

Main Course
Mexican
easy, lunch, no-cook, vegan

Crust less zucchini quiche

Baked zucchini and onions

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Grater or food processor
  • Baking pan (use the Pyrex storage container)
  • 5 zucchinis
  • 2 onions
  • 5 tbsp tahini
  • 1 2 second drizzle olive oil
  • 1 cup flour (all purpose or GF, almond flour works too)
  • 6 shakes fine sea salt
  • 2 shakes black pepper
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 grated cheese (optional)

  1. Heat the oven to 350 F

  2. Grate the zucchinis

  3. Grate the onions or slice thinly

  4. Squeeze all the water out of the vegetables

  5. Mix all the ingredients

  6. Oil the large Pyrex container, place the zucchini mixture in it and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

Breakfast
Mediterranean
beginner, breakfast, lunch, snack, vegan

Chocolate balls

Easy dessert

  • Blender
  • 1/2 cup Nuts of choice ((Brazil, cashew, hazelnut, almond etc.))
  • 1/2 cup Dates (At Walmart you can find good cooking dates that are cheaper than the fancy ones)
  • 2 tbsp Raw honey
  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp raw cocoa/cacao (you can also use cocoa)

  1. Blend everything in a food processor

  2. Either store it as a paste and dig in every time you crave or form into balls. You can also coat it with shredded coconut

  3. Since ingredients vary, if the mixture is too thick add a bit of water, if its too thin, add a bit of almond flour, oats or nuts

Dessert
beginner, healthy dessert, no-cook