Dinner Plans

I usually prep two soups each week (BudgetBytes has super affordable and delish recipes), a bean/rice meal with roasted veg, a large veg salad with white marinated beans, and then random others like bruschetta with “meatless” balls in sauce, tacos or burritos with loads of pico, sauteed onions and peppers, or baked potatoes with roasted broccoli and vegan “cheese” sauce, or an easy go-to of tomato, onion, and cuke salad along with Angela Liddon’s chickpea salad – easy to prep in advance.

I have index cards of about 40 vegan meals that I make, and cycle through them based on what I have on hand, but we have faves and some are made every other week. I have about eight soups that are rotated that are top-notch and that keeps it affordable, too. Our grandkids love soups, so that’s an easy choice when we have them, but I have a bag of Impossible nuggets in the freezer if a kid is not feeling it that day. Use up all the leftovers is our guiding principle. My husband is a gem – he loves leftovers for lunches and through our working careers we always brought our lunch in vs. buying it, saving us so much. (We each stashed a few shelf stable meals in our desks because there’s always mornings when you forget or don’t pack it up in time.)

We use anything as a side dish, too. Cut pineapple, apple slices with slivered almonds, carrot sticks and bell pepper hunks with hummus, pickles and olives, even a bowl of grapes. Fruit always seems to go.

Looking forward to reading others’ go-to meals for ideas! I enjoy trying to make tasty meals from what’s available, and love new options!