Dinner
Get creative with dinners. Look through Dr. Cooper’s cookbook with your family and pick 1 or 2 recipes per week to try. If possible, make double batches so you can have leftovers that are easy to reheat.
Pasta Night
Cook enough pasta for the family. Typically 16 oz feeds a family of 4. For sauce, you can use olive oil, chopped garlic, and balsamic, or cashew-kale alfredo sauce, Rao’s marinara, or pesto. Top with tomatoes and peppers. Serve with fresh fruit or salad or roasted/steamed vegetable.
Taco Tuesday
Beans (Refried in olive oil, salt, nutritional yeast, and chopped garlic). Toppings: avocado, tomatoes, salsa, peppers, cashew-kale alfredo sauce. Choice of corn or flour tortillas or Siete Brand Almond Flour Tortillas. Serve with fresh fruit and chips (Santita’s) and salsa.
Pizza or Flatbread
You can use pita bread or make your favorite pizza crust. I use the bread maker to make my pizza dough. Top with cashew-kale alfredo sauce or pesto. You can also add other veggies on top of the sauce: tomatoes, peppers, chopped broccoli, roasted asparagus.
Mexican Night Buffet
Make your favorite Mexican rice or just steamed rice. Beans. Your favorite roasted veggie such as broccoli or peppers. Fresh fruit (shredded jicama is a good one) with Tajin and lime juice. Serve with tortillas or chips and salsa (just one or the other). Flavor the rice with lime and salt and fresh herbs like cilantro. See photo below.
Flight of Toasts
Slice up a baguette (or use your favorite bread) and grill with olive oil. Bake 1-2 large sweet potatoes and scoop out and mix with a little cinnamon and maple syrup (just a little bit) . Top the toasts with choice of sweet potato mash with bananas, pesto with tomatoes, avocado mash with tomatoes or salsa. Chia seeds and pepitas go great on either of these. Mix and match the flavors! Serve with fresh fruit and salad or roasted/steamed vegetable.
Burger Night
Indulge with your favorite vegan burger patty. I like Impossible (most grocery stores carry them now) or make your own from Dr. Cooper’s cookbook. Beyond is a good brand too. Toppings: tomatoes, avocado, salsa, peppers, cashew-kale alfredo sauce or pesto, mustard, BBQ sauce, lime juice. Pick 1-2 veggies for toppings and 1-2 condiments, dips, or sauces. Keep it simple. Serve with Oven roasted potatoes (Cooper 42) and fresh fruit.
Stir Fry Night
Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos) with lime juice, chopped ginger, garlic, and sliced green onions. Cube 16 oz extra firm tofu (squeeze out excess water) and chop lots of broccoli florets (you can get them pre-cut). Sear the tofu first (see more detailed instructions in the lunch menu), until its brown, add a splash of the soy sauce mixture at the end. Set aside. Then stir fry the broccoli in small batches to make sure they all get well seared, adding a spalsh of soy sauce mixture at the end of each batch. Serve over rice, (top with lime juice and sesame oil) and with a side of fruit. See photo below.
Roasted Veggies
Mixed cubed red potatoes, gold baby potatoes (halved), sliced carrots, cubed sweet potatoes, broccoli florets, and cubed extra firm tofu in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and salt until well coated. Roast for about 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees in a single layer at a time in a cookie sheet lined with silicone pads. Make sure potatoes are soft and cooked through. Serve in bowls topped with avocado or a side of your favorite salad. Add more lime juice.
Sandwich Night
Toppings include cashew-kale alfredo sauce or pesto, tomatoes, avocado, hummus, sliced mushrooms, cucumbers (small English cukes are the best), peppers, or any other veggies you like. Serve with a side of fresh fruit and plain potato chips or Hippeas. Great for busy nights when you do not feel like cooking. On cold nights this goes great with your favorite soup.
Week Nights Made Simple
Now that we are empty nesters, I do not cook meals. I usually end up “scavenging” especially by Friday nights. Photo on the right: This is a typical Friday night meal: Steamed rice, beans, avocado, topped with salt, lime, and Cholula, served with a cutie. Photo on the Left: This is a typical Whole-Foods, Plant-Based plate: Beans, Avocado, and Mixed Greens from Hole in the Woods Farm topped with Blueberries and Mandarin Oranges. Flavored with lime juice, salt, and Cholula. Minimal cook and prep, especially if you use canned beans. You can add a teaspoon of chia seeds to the greens for an extra nutritional boost.
