Weekly Meal Plan

Lots of new stuff on the plan this week - I'm pretty excited about these Philly Subs. We've got two Quinoa recipes on the plan this week because they are fairly simple and once you buy Quinoa, it tends to hand around for a while until we use it all up. 

Day	Dinner
M	Cheesy Quinoa Casserole Bake with black beans
T	Vegan Philly Subs
W	Vegetarian Taco Salad
R	Kale Avocado Salad
F	Stuffed Peppers
S	Cheese and Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
S	*New Recipe Night*

Produce Dairy Packaged Goods Spices/Sauces Bread

M

3 cups cooked quinoa

⅓ cup tomato/pasta sauce

⅓ cup milk (1% or full fat works fine)

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 medium tomatoes, diced

Shredded basil or parsley or other herb for the top

Black Beans

T

2 vegan hoagie rolls

spicy saute:

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips (use red an/or green peppers)

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1/4 tsp black pepper

a few dashes chipotle or cayenne powder for heat

salt to taste (I used Penzey's seasoned chili salt 4/s)

1-2 tsp oil (EVOO, safflower or other to saute)

optional: 1 small Anaheim chili, sliced (or any spicy chili - jalapeno works too)

2 Tbsp hatch chilies, diced (canned)

cheese: 2-5 Tbsp Teese vegan cheddar cheese

seitan: 3/4-1 cup seitan strips (WestSoy brand was used)

garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped, fresh tomato, sliced fresh chilies or jalapeno

W

Tortilla Chips

Tomato

Onion

Black Beans

Shredded Lettuce
Shredded Taco Cheese
Sliced Jalapeno Peppers

Salsa
Sour Cream

R

1 bunch kale, stemmed and finely chopped
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
Bread

F

Green Peppers (3)

Soy Chorizo

Aduzki Beans

Quinoa

Provolone Cheese

Tomato

Can Tomato Sauce

S

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom), low-sodium if you prefer (*see note for gluten free)

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

.2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ale and Cheddar Soup: Recipe Review

I wanted needed cheese last week. I just did. I also wanted everything spicy so this Ale and Cheddar Soup recipe seemed to fit the bill.

It was really simple to make, but it didn't make a whole lot. The recipe says it serves 4, but the little guys barely had any and Mr and I housed all the rest. The boys had grilled cheese sandwiches along with their soups, but Mr and I just dunked in some bread. It was delicious.

Some of our Non-Vegetarian friends joke that all our meals look great, especially if you add bacon. Well, for this one, it's part of the original recipe that we obviously omitted. No bacon needed. This soup is fantastic.

We omitted the jalapeno peppers when cooking the vegetables since the boys were going to eat it too (and I tend to get some wicked heart burn these days). Instead, we sliced some up and tossed a few into our own bowls when we went to eat - and it still had quite a kick! We Mr. made our soup stove-stop, but I can't wait to see if it works just as well in the Crock Pot. 

What you need:

• 1/2 pound bacon (preferably smoked or double smoked), cut into 1 inch slices (omit and replace with 2 tablespoons of oil or butter for vegetarian)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2+ jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)
• 1 (~12 ounce) bottle/can ale (gluten free for gluten free)
• 2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan.
2. Add the onion, celery and jalapeno and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the butter and let it melt and get all bubbly then sprinkle on the flour and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the ale and broth and deglaze the pan before adding the bacon and then let cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cream, and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted without bringing it back to a boil.
7. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2 & 3, implement step 4, place everything except the cream and cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the cream and cheese and letting the cheese melt.

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Weekly Meal Plan

Nothing too special about this week - except for that fact that I WANT ALL THE CHEESE!

Sorry, vegan friends...

Day	Dinner
M	Pasta and Sauce w Salad
T	Stir Fried Tofu (FF veg P.104) w/ rice
W	Ale and Cheddar Soup w grilled cheese
R	Penne Greek Pasta
F	Spinach Feta Tomato Strudel
S	Guacamole Grilled Cheese
S	*New Recipe Night*

Produce Dairy Packaged Goods Spices/Sauces

M

Bag of Salad
Cucumber
Tomato
Croutons
Dressing
Bag of Pasta
Sauce

T

• 1 block tofu
• ¼ Orange Juice
• 2TBS soy sauce or Tamari
  2 TBS Japanese rice vinegar
  1 TBS Honey/Maple Syrup/Agave
• 1 TSP toasted sesame oil
  1 ½ TBS cornstarch
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 3tbs peanut oil
• 8 ounces mini bell peppers or 1 large red bell pepper
• 8 ounces oyster mushrooms
• 1 tbs fresh ginger
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 garlic clove
  1 bag baby spinach
• Rice

W

• 2 tablespoons of oil or butter for vegetarian
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2+ jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)
• 1 (~12 ounce) bottle/can ale (gluten free for gluten free)
• 2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Cheese: Bread, Butter, Cheese

R

• 12 ounce(s) penne rigate
• 1 can(s) (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
• 1 jar(s) (7 oz) roasted peppers, drained and sliced
• 1 jar(s) (6 oz) quartered marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
• 1/2 cup(s) sliced scallions
• pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 cup(s) crumbled feta cheese
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

F

250g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of all liquid
1 cup feta
1/2 cup sundried tomato
1 egg
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Milk or melted butter to brush over, and grated parmesan to sprinkle

S

2 slices of french bread

⅓ Cup Best Damn Guacamole Ever!:
(2 Avocados, 2 tomatoes, diced, 1 lime, zested and juiced, ½ Cup cilantro, chopped, ⅔ Cup red onion, finely chopped, 1 green onion, sliced, 1 serrano pepper, minced, 1 clove of garlic, minced, ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt)
5 fresh sprigs of cilantro
2 slices of tomato
⅓ Cup Cheddar, shredded
½ Tablespoon Butter