Everyone has their go-to meals and it’s no different for this vegan. I love menu planning and grocery shopping. It’s all about finding new recipes and ingredients to play with in the kitchen. However, every night can’t be an experiment. I also have my trusty dinners that perform week in and week out. These are the ones that can be thrown together with what we have on hand or with a simple grocery buy. They are delicious, satisfying and just might become your go-to dinners too!
- Big Salad: Make this with anything you’ve got on hand. I love lettuce, blanched green beans, olives, tomatoes and roasted potatoes with vinaigrette. I also serve a lot of salads over brown rice or quinoa. It adds bulk and creates a complete meal.
There is rice under there.
- Kimchi Fried Rice: This is my new love. It is so simple and lick-your-fingers delicious. Brown rice, tons of steamed veggies, organic tofu crumbled like egg, a squirt of Braggs Liquid Aminos – toss quickly in a pan with a good scoop of chopped vegan kimchi.
- Mashed Potato Bowls: Super comforting. Vegan mashers topped with sautéed veggies, spices and some canned no-salt tomatoes. Add in lentils for extra richness and protein.
- Kale and Cashew Enchiladas: Kathy’s recipe is the bomb, and what she says is true: they are delicious reheated the day after.
- Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”: This is my favorite vegan man ‘n cheese recipe. I make it with whole wheat pasta and add carrots, broccoli, green beans & zucchini to the pasta water a few minutes before the pasta is done for extra veggie goodness.
- Tacos: Make them with black beans, roasted veggies, chipotle mushrooms, seitan, guacamole really anything between a tortilla is good.
- Veggie Pasta: Toss your favorite kind of pasta with tons of sautéed veggies, fresh cherry tomatoes, lots of chili flakes and good olive oil. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast for a shot of B12 and a ‘cheezy’ finish.
- Stir fry: Let your imagination go wild. Some ginger, garlic, a splash of liquid aminos and a small scoop of marmalade make for deliciousness with stir fried with a huge pile of veggies and some organic tofu. Toss in rice noodles or serve over brown rice for a complete dinner.
- Veggie Chili: Leave out the cheese topping and Rachael Ray has my favorite veggie chili recipe. Vegan cornbread on the side wouldn’t be a bad idea.
- Veggie Lasagna: Pasta sheets layered with tomato sauce, sautéed mushrooms and spinach and organic tofu ricotta is always plate-clearing good. I put breadcrumbs on the top before I bake it to ensure a golden crust.
- Brown Rice Salad: I adore this fresh herb filled salad: lemon vinaigrette, oil cured olives, blanched green beans, cherry tomatoes and tons of herbs of your choice. A huge bowel makes for a filling meal.
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta: Sometimes you just need something creamy. I love this coconut milk & zucchini version.
- Spicy Peanut Noodles with Asian Citrus Salad: Here’s the pasta recipe which combines peanut butter and garlic chili paste for massive flavor. I serve it with a salad: lettuce, veggies (carrot, red bell pepper, blanched & shocked broccoli), orange segments, toasted cashews & a dressing of orange juice, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil and a splash of liquid aminos.
- Falafel Salad with Hummus and Pita: Big veggie-filled salad tossed with a red wine and Dijon vinaigrette and topped with falafel. A scoop of hummus and some warm pita brings everything together.
- Southern Comfort: Mash potatoes topped with mushroom gravy served with garlic green beans, cornbread and organic BBQ tofu.
- Broccoli Pesto Pasta: Linguini tossed with my broccoli pesto. Add asparagus for extra veggies and/or white beans for protein.
- Creamy Cashew Veggie Pot Pie: Kathy has created a spot-on, warm-your-soul vegan version of what every winter evening needs.
- Rice Bowls: Brown rice topped with an array of steamed veggies, organic tofu or tempeh and drizzled with my favorite no-salt dressing. The bowl below is extra fancy with dried cranberries.
- Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese: Roasted tomatoes and garlic get pureed with veggie stock and basil for a smoky, luxurious soup. Service with Daiya grilled cheese on whole grain bread.
- Hearty Veggies Stew: Every veggie you can think of, onion, garlic, potatoes and veggie stock make for some serious comfort food. Serve with whole grain rolls. I believe this soup has healing properties.
- Vegan Burgers and Oven Fries: Top your burgers with your favorites and wedge up some taters for a fill-you-up meal.
- Vegan Pesto Pizza: I thought that becoming vegan would mean that I would never taste good pizza again. This recipe proved me so very wrong.
- Super Nachos: Phillip and I chowed down on these while watching the Sunday night football game this week. Use the “cheese” sauce from the vegan mac and cheese recipe, top with vegan refried beans, vegan sour cream, jalepenos, cilantro, salsa and avocado. Yummers!
- Burritos: Stuff your tortilla with beans, rice, grilled veggies, guacamole and enchilada sauce. Dinner is done.
- Paella: Take a trip to Spain right in your kitchen. There are tons of great vegan paella recipes on the internet. I tend to wing it: rice cooked in veggie & saffaron broth layered with lots of veggies and topped with toasted slivered almonds and herbs.
Remember that the quality of our meals comes down to the quality of our ingredients and the heart we put into everything that gets cooked for the people we love…including ourselves!
Bon Appétit!