You know what gives me a great sense of satisfaction? When I plan a menu for the week and it works out just so—all of the recipes borrow ingredients from each other, so I'm not left with any stray veggies in the fridge at the end of the week. And this is one of those meal plans! I've got lots of suggestions at the bottom of this post for making the most of leftover ingredients.
Here's this week's meatless meal plan:
Monday
Vegan Asparagus Risotto from Cafe Johnsonia // If you love healthy recipes and pretty pictures, go bookmark Cafe Johnsonia! Risotto is a little time-consuming, but it's not difficult—just park yourself in front of your stove with a wooden spoon and a good book. (Reading TMZ on your iPad works too.) This risotto is creamy, filling, and delicious—even without the dairy!
Tuesday
Red Cabbage Bowl with Tofu & Peanut-Sriracha Sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen // Baked tofu is my favorite kind of tofu and peanut sauce is delicious on almost everything, so I knew this recipe would be a winner—and it was! The amount of sriracha in this gives it just a slight kick, so if you like your food spicy, add a little extra.
Wednesday
Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream from Oh My Veggies // Think you don't like quinoa? This recipe just might change your mind. If you happen to have spare vegetables in the fridge, give them a quick sauté and serve them on top of the quinoa cakes—mushrooms, eggplant, or zucchini would be perfect with this recipe.
Thursday
Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos from Oh My Veggies // Taco night! These tacos were one of my most popular recipes last year because they're simple to make and they're delicious too. I added cilantro to the shopping list for these, but add any additional taco fixings you like to the list.
Friday
One-Pan Orecchiette with Chickpeas & Olives from Martha Stewart Living // Ever since Kare posted her One-Pot Pasta Primavera, I have been a little bit in love with the whole one-pot pasta concept. And this one is definitely a keeper! The water you add cooks down into a sauce for the pasta. There's not much prep involved and the recipe doesn't require much cooking time either, so it's perfect for a Friday night when you're feeling tired out and ready for the weekend.
Tips for This Week's Plan
- If you have leftover risotto from Monday's dinner, you can use it to make my Easy Baked Arancini. Leftover risotto is never quite as good as the first day you make it and arancini is the perfect way to repurpose it.
- The cilantro you buy for the tacos can also be used in the Red Cabbage Bowls.
- You only need 2 ounces of baby arugula for Friday's recipe, so use the rest as a bed for your Crispy Quinoa Cakes. Want to knock an item off your shopping list? Instead of basil, use minced rosemary in your quinoa cakes.
- Leftover cabbage from Tuesday's dinner makes a great topping for Thursday's tacos! Here are some other ideas for leftover cabbage too.
- You will probably have some leftover Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream from the Crispy Quinoa Cakes, which is a good thing because it's the perfect alternative to sour cream for dolloping on your tacos.
- Extra sugar snap peas are a delicious afternoon snack with a little hummus, or buy an extra red bell pepper and an orange to make Sriracha Snap Peas with Red Pepper over the weekend.
Click here for a printable version of this week’s meatless meal plan and shopping list, then click on the links above to print out each recipe. Now you’re set for the week!
Cracked Black Pepper & Parmesan Grit Cakes with Baby Collard Green Pesto
Bonus recipe! This week I shared a recipe for baked Cracked Black Pepper & Parmesan Grit Cakes with Baby Collard Green Pesto on Our State Magazine's website. If you can't find baby collard greens, no worries—kale will work too.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Oh man, it all looks so good! Love the bonus recipe too! YUM!
Julia Mueller says
I want all those meals all at one time! They all look marvelous, especially the asparagus risotto! And those grit cakes?? MMMM MMMMM!!
Alissa N @ Girl Makes Food says
So much yum!! I love these posts, because I get to discover recipes I might not have caught. I kinda wish you would just come over and make me dinner every night so I can be lazy forever. NJ gets a bad rep, but you might like it... 😉
Kiersten Frase says
Ha! Sometimes I wish someone would come here and cook for me too. 🙂
Samantha @FerraroKitchen says
Risotto and tacos in 1 week?? Nice!! And I just made a leek risotto too..ti's the season!
dishing up the dirt says
We just made roasted polenta with pesto. Great minds think alike! Yummy meal plan!
Amanda says
I'm so excited for every recipe this week! Thank you again for putting these together (and the shopping lists - awesome!). 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
Me too--it was a good week! 😀
KalynsKitchen says
So glad you enjoyed the Red Cabbage Bowl with Tofu! I am a huge cabbage fan, so this was a favorite for me. And I'm honored to be featured on your menu!
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you for the recipe! It's going to be in frequent rotation around here. 🙂
Judit + Corina @WineDineDaily says
The Red Cabbage Bowl with Tofu looks so vibrant and the Crispy Quinoa Cakes sounds so tasty!
Michelle says
This is exactly what I've been looking for! Thank you for putting this out there!
Does this work for one person or two? Should I double the shopping list for two?
I'm totally new to this (eating vegetarian and planning meals) so any advice would help <3
Kiersten Frase says
The meal plan is for four--or two with leftovers for lunch the next day. 🙂
Joanne says
Baked tofu and peanut sauce - YES!! And another one-pot pasta?! I am so in.
Kiersten Frase says
Why can't every meal be one pot?! I am kind of obsessed with this concept now.
Manon says
I love your recipes, but the video ads are so annoying!!!
Kiersten Frase says
The only video ads that I allow to run on my site are ones that don't have sound or ones where you need to click on them to make them play. If you're getting ones with sound, you shouldn't be! I'm really vigilant with my ad networks to make sure they don't slip past me, but occasionally they do. If you're getting ads with sound, if you could let me know the name of the advertiser, I can look into it and try to have them blocked. Thanks!
Beverly says
Well, we did it! 😀 I felt like Amy Adams' character, Julie, in "Julie and Julia", excited and anxious to get home to try out each day's new recipe, hoping to please the palates of my omni-family, and spark a new interest in vegetarian nutrition. I haven't eaten so well in years, since most of the time I cook for the family and just don't eat the meat, so most of my own meals have been rather BORING. I didn't mind, really...but I think I shortchanged myself nutritionally without realizing it. So, now, with the family's support, Meatless Monday may become Meatless Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and with any luck, so will the weekend! Thank you! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm so happy to hear it worked out so well--and that your family is on board with meatless meals all week long! That is definitely good news. 🙂