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Next weeks meal plan...any GREAT meal ideas??

1K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  bebe luna 
#1 ·
I'm in the middle of planning next weeks meals.

Dh surprised me this week by cooking a steamed veggie meal. We were sitting aorund the table and he says, "I could eat like this all the time!" I about fell over. NOrmally when I suggest something similar he says, But what about pizza?? (He comes from a big pizza eating family)

So, I'm going to take advantage of his new mood but I have no idea what to fix!

We eat meat but in small quantities. We'll try anything too.
 
#2 ·
I'm trying to avoid stocking my pantry - it feels rather counterintuitive, but I think it's going to save my grocery budget. Anyway, I plan one week ahead and shop once a week, here's what I have so far for next week:

Pinto beans (crockpot) and greens w/cornbread
Tofu w/vegan Chiken gravy & wild rice /salad
Lentils, spinach, and brown rice
Yellow Split peas, brown rice, broccoli
Same pintos w/mac n cheese broccoli
Tofu Stirfry
Spaghetti
 
#3 ·
I have

Veggie Stir Fry
Pizza (homemade..
)
Spaghetti

I want to avoid pasta. We eat a lot of pasta already.

I also already have beans....last week the boys snacked on black beans all week


I only shop a week ahead too. Then I'm less likely to eat junk and destroy my meal plan which makesus spend more money!
 
#4 ·
On my list for next week, in no order;

cheese fondue small veggies, bread and apples to dip
tacos from buffalo meat
stir fry rice and veggies, little bit of meat or chicken for four
noodle soup with homemade veggie broth
beef stew in crockpot
cheese and black bean quesadillas
 
#5 ·
Well I just went grocery shopping today and bought groceries to make the following meals over the next week:

chicken tacos: chicken breast, taco seasoning, lettuce, onions, cilantro, black beans, tomatoes, sour cream, corn hard taco shells

sushi rolls: nori, sushi rice, smoked salmon, cucumbers, rice wine vinegar, pickeled ginger, avocadoes

spinach salad: spinach, hard boiled eggs, blue cheese crumbles, carrots, toasted almonds, dressing

soba noodle salad: soba noodles, carrots, shitake mushrooms, peas, hijiki, gomasio, mirin, tamari, rice vinegar

enchiladas: spelt tortillas, chicken, black beans, cilantro, sour cream, green onions, green chile sauce, monterey jack cheese

ravioli: roasted vegi ravioli, garlic, portabella marinara sauce, parmesan cheese

curried scallops: sea scallops, coconut milk, curry powder, pea pods, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cilantro, brown rice, cashews
 
#6 ·
bebe luna! YUMMY! You sound like my kind of woman!

I dont meal plan. I stock the house with the dried goods plus the veggies and fruit I know I use all of the time. Then I look in the cupboard and am forced to be creative. We pick up fresh veggies about 3 times a week to make whatever concoction I choose. Stocking the pantry is really useful for us. Most every time I can whip somthing up without buying anything... therefore putting off the dreaded grocery shop for another day or two.
This time of year we love roasted winter veggies. Onion, potatoes, sweet potatoes , yams, carrots, squash... all diced up thrown in the big roasting pan( with a couple of heads of garlic thrown in) olive oil on top, Braggs, and some nutritional yeast. Serve with brown rice with lentils cooked in it, or some quinoa.... yum
 
#7 ·
I usually don't do meal planning. But I am this week because my older ds has been refusing to eat the dinners I cok. He told me I always make yucky food.
So I asked him what he would like me to cook.
He said tacos... so we got stuff for tacos. Then he said sushi (he really does love sushi), then he said pizza (so I compromised and bought a frozen organic pizza)...then I offered ideas and he hated a lot of them... and so while at the store we talked and I asked him what looked good or smelled good. He liked the roasted vegi ravioli, and he loves curries so I talked him into a curry dish...
I hope he actually eats these meals and doesn't keep refusing dinner. It gets very frustrating!

We did also get ingredients for turkey and bean chili, and cornbread
and also a coconut milk soup w/ vegis and rice noodles... I might make a rice noodle curry for ds one day as well.
 
#8 ·
Can I have the recipe for sushi rolls?? You can pm me if ya want.

I don't necessarily like meal planning but I do it anyway. We normally don't stick with it!
(I'm not sure why though.

I'm hoping in the next few years to have a decent garden that way I'll always have our faves on hand.
 
#9 ·
Sushi rolls... pretty easy to make...
First cook some sushi rice. Let it cool a bit, then stir in a bit of rice vinegar and a bit of mirin. Let cool for a couple hours. (FYI, sushi rice is pretty sticky!)

Once the rice has cooled, place a sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi roller (you can make these w/out a sushi roller... just roll them up as tight as you can),
w/ a cooking brush, lightly brush a bit of water on edges of nori.
Spread sushi rice over nori, leaving a bit of room on edges.
Then lay down ingredients in a neat row. This week I am putting in smoked salmon (lox), thin slices of avocado, and matchsticks of cucumbers. Roll up tightly and cut into 3-4 pieces.
I make a sushi sauce w/ tamari and wasabi paste to dip into and have pickled ginger on the side, as well.

We make sushi rolls w/ all kinds og ingredients: baked tofu, pickled vegis, shrimp, crab, avocado, sometimes fresh sushi grade fish, etc...
Sometimes I sprinkle the rice w/ toasted sesame seeds.

If you happen to have a rice steamer, the sushi rice cooks best in one of these. But can also be boiled like any other rice.
 
#10 ·
What yummy meals...my meals for the week are...

Spaghetti
Potato & Parsnip Gratin
Black Beans in Coconut Milk w/Rice
Three Sisters Stew (beans, winter squash, tomatoes)
Pot Roast
Beef Stew (letover Pot Roast)
Veggie Pot Pie

We don't usually have red meat very often but my parents are in town and they don't like all the "weird" food we eat. We get our meat from the farm down the road and my mom says the meat tastes weird. She doesn't like good meat without preservatives, etc. LOL She won't drink our organic milk either. :LOL Anyway - we try in general to do each week - 2 meat nights, 2 vegetarian nights, beans & grain, italian, and soup. That works for us. Great thread!
 
#11 ·
Well I have recently re-discovered my broiler
so for dinner tonight I am making shish-kabobs under the broiler-you could grill them of course too.

Ive been marinating since last night: some New York Strip chunks in some Balsamic/Maple Vinegarette...I'm going to add to the skewers:

Mushrooms
Green Pepper
Onions
Pineapple
Cherry Tomatoes

And serve over Rice with a side green salad...
 
#13 ·
black beans, coconut milk and rice--sounds yummy, how do you prepare it? Let me know what creative ways you girls have of making tofu. I'm tired of just stir frying it with fresh veggies-usually broccoli, snap peas, portobella mushrooms and sprouts. Hmm...now I'm hungry.
 
#14 ·
I've only recently started meal planning- up until recently we bought whatever looked good at the store then ended up throwing half of it out when it went bad (produce and such) while the other half (dried goods) just started stockpiling in the pantry. At meal time I wouldn't know what to fix and more often than not we just ended up going out to eat!
: Now we're only eating out once a week or so, eating better and spending much less money!

I plan for 5 meals a week figuring that we'll probably go out once and eat leftovers once also. We also usually do one quick convienance meal each week- usually some sort of Annie's skillet meal type thing...
:

Last week:

-Salmon patties on whole grain buns, mixed greens salad, baked sweet potatoes.
-Tomato soup and grilled cheese.
-Chicken tacos with all the fixings, and a cornbread based caserole that doesn't have a name (but I got the recipe from this board at least a year ago and its now one of our favorites- if anyone wants it I'll find the thread
).
-Sloppy joes made with veggie crumbles on whole wheat bread, twice baked potatoes.
-Annie's meal (a healthier version of tuna helper) with a bag of frozen peas mixed in and a green salad.

This week:

-Baked ziti made with homemade tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta, and focaccia bread smeared with yummy roasted garlic and dipped in olive oil.
-Grilled wild salmon with steamed brocalli and sesame noodles.
-Swiss steak (cubed steak, peas, carrots, and tomatoes) with brown rice.
-Homemade vegetable beef soup (made from a leftover pot roast), cornbread.
-Another Annie's meal with a salad.
 
#15 ·
Spinach Pine Nut Quiche is a fav here.Not lowfat, but still healthy.

you can make a pastry crust with flour and butter or buy them premade at TJ's.
If you want exact measurements i could look it up- but its basically toasted pine nuts, mozerella,eggs, parmesean(all cheeses can be substituted with vegan)a whole lot of spinach, sage,salt and pepper,milk(i like goats milk)olive oil, garlic.
It is sooo yummy!
 
#16 ·
Yum! all these dinner ideas sound sooo goood!

We'll be having
spinach, squash and walnuts over pasta
nut loaf w/ baked potates sour cream
autumn harvest soup
fried tofu w/polenta and salad
maybe a veggie gino's pizza
and lots of fruit on the side.....

Valerie
 
#17 ·
I love making thai curry. It's just so easy. I cook up my choice of protein in a little peanut or sesame oil. Then add some curry paste or powder and a can of coconut milk. Then add the veggies - putting those that need to cook longest first. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender. Serve over rice.
 
#18 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by katybear mama
black beans, coconut milk and rice--sounds yummy, how do you prepare it? Let me know what creative ways you girls have of making tofu. I'm tired of just stir frying it with fresh veggies-usually broccoli, snap peas, portobella mushrooms and sprouts. Hmm...now I'm hungry.

This idea goes well with tofu AND portabello mushrooms:
Lightly pan fry tofu (i cut it into chunky rectangles) in your choice of oil until golden on all sides. Set aside. Put diced shallots or onions and sliced mushrooms in the oil and coat evenly. You may need to add a little more oil. Once the mushrooms have browned a little, add balsamic vinegar and water and cook until it reduces by half. Add more vinegar if you want and add a little soy sauce and brown sugar and the tofu. Cook a little longer so the sauce soaks into the tofu.

There are also lots of good tofu recipes in the Moosewood cookbooks. Here's one I remember loosely. Gently squeeze excess water out of tofu and pat dry with a towel. Cut 1/4 slices across the tofu block. Lay on a towel or paper towels and pat dry with a towel on top.
Marinate in: Soy sauce, water, grated ginger, crushed garlic, chopped green onions, rice vinegar. I usually put it in the fridge the night before but it really only needs to marinate about 2 hours. Cook in a pan with small amount of oil so they don't stick. They take about 2 mins on each side on med heat. They are a bit dry in texture but full of flavor. I like to serve them with a meal that has a nice sauce. Like brown rice, steamed veggies, tofu squares and a savory tahini dressing over everything.
 
#20 ·
you're lucky, i got my next week's list ready!

no order!

1-tofu tomato sauce with whole grain pasta
2- broccoli soup with bread
3-potato-cauliflower curry with indian bread
4-blackeyed peas with rice
5-thai vegetable stir fry
6-chicken makhani
7-potatoe pancakes with apple sauce
 
#22 ·
Yum! I'm going to have to try the tzatziki recipe!!

Tonight I made avery yummie and satisfying dinner. Everyone was pleased.

cut up chicken breasts into chunks
saute in olive oil w/ chopped garlic
add thinly sliced red and yellow pepper and spinach leaves
saute a couple more minutes
add artichoke hearts (cut into 1/3rds), sun-dried tomatoes, and some rosemary
saute another minute
add balsamic vineger, a touch of olive oil, and red pepper flakes
salt to taste
sprinkle w/ blue cheese crumbles
garnish w/ fresh parsley and greek olives

I poured myself a glass of merlot to go along with it
 
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