No recent blog posts means no creative time in the kitchen lately, which I miss. But I pulled together a good week of menus last week and wanted to share them in hopes of making it easier for you to do the same.
I prepped a few of the meals in advance- the sloppy lennys, quinoa ginger salad, and the three bean salad. The rainbow orzo, Mexican sweet potatoes, and pasta with pink sauce didn’t require much prep so I made them during the week. I’ve also started planning one take out night a week, with the goal of having the Hubbie take over dinner prep for that night.
I used red lentils this time (because they cook so much faster) and was pleased with the outcome. They definitely have a tendency to get mushy by the end, but they are supposed to be sloppy after all. If you prefer the lentils not to fall apart, use green or brown lentils.
I should have halved this recipe but was gung ho about having plenty of leftovers for lunches since we hadn’t the week before. But it was still too much as this recipe as written serves 12!!
There were multiple versions of this in our fridge this week- some without celery, some without cilantro. The secret to keeping it fresh was to add avocado each day to keep it fresh.
Be creative with the Rainbow Orzo- the point is that you get a variety of colors with the veggies you include. If you don’t want to spend as much time dicing veggies, then use a larger pasta.
16 oz dried orzo pasta, cooked and drained
Assortment of diced veggies (sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, kale, carrots, onions, beans, broccoli, artichoke hearts, peas, cauliflower, etc.)
While the water is heating, cut or dice the vegetables. For vegetables that require a minute or two of cooking, add them to the pasta for the last minute of boiling or saute them while the pasta cooks. Add the veggies to a large bowl and cover with the drained pasta. Allow the warm pasta to warm the veggies, then stir and serve.
This turned out to be a great fuel meal for a triathlon my husband and daughter did the next morning- very filling and reminiscent of Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution.
1 serving
1 medium sweet potato, baked or microwaved
1/3 c cooked kidney beans
3/4 c cooked brown rice
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 c crushed pineapple (optional)
1/4 c prepared salsa (mango salsa or tomatillo salsa are particularly good here, but use whatever you’ve got)
Once the potato is cool enough to handle, transfer it to a salad bowl and split it open. Add the toppings in the order given. Enjoy!
This is literally a 10 minute meal, so it’s one I keep in reserve for a week night that requires no prep. You can also use cooked white beans (1.5 c or 1 can) instead of the tofu. I also do a variation called Shrek sauce where I add greens to the blender as well.
16 oz dried pasta, cooked according to directions on package
1 jar of marinara sauce or 2 cans of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 box of shelf stable organic firm tofu (like Mori Nu)
Optional: 2-4 cloves of garlic
While the pasta is cooking, add the tomatoes/tomato sauce, tofu, and garlice to your high speed blender. Puree until warm and pour over drained pasta. Enjoy!!
Tomatillo Gazpacho
Our take out meal this week was prepared tomatillo gazpacho from Trader Joes. It was a bit spicy for the kids, so I pulled out some bread and they were fine. Since it’s not very filling, they could add white beans to the gazpacho or eat leftover Three Bean Salad or Quinoa Ginger Salad with the meal. If you don’t have access to prepared gazpacho, check out Shortcut Gazpacho.