Vegan Meal Prep

 So I know it’s been a hot minute. With all the things going on, (new house, new full time job, youngest starting school) I haven’t had much time for the blogging I’d like to. Plus I have been cooking a lot of the recipes that are already on here because let’s face it, a lot of them are staples in our family! In fact I started writing this post nearly a year ago and clearly got sidetracked.

Red Cabbage and Kale Coleslaw, Millet, Wholly Veggie Cauliflower Wings, Cashew Cream

Now that time is crazy tight during the week I have been trying to get better at meal prepping on a Sunday for the week so I’m not left wondering at 5/6pm what I’m going to cook for five people who all have different tastes! I also am trying to get away from the amount of process foods we’ve been eating. A few places that have been giving me a lot of motivation are Plantiful Kiki (starch based diet, she shows you how she preps her starches for the week), Pick Up Limes and one of my new favorites Rainbow Plant Life (seriously all her recipes are winners). She’s almost sold me on getting an Instapot!

Here are some great places to start for inspiration!

The Kichn - Easy Plant Based Meal Prep Plan

Rainbow Plant Life - Vegan Meal Prep

Pick Up Limes - Meal Prep Like a Boss

The inspiration was great but I ended up just cooking from other people's recipes because I was scared to experiment and make my own combinations. What if the combinations tasted bad and I was stuck with them for a whole week? Well I haven't had a bad combination yet! I treat each meal prep like bowls (1/2 container is serve of salad/veggies, a protein, a grain, a sauce and maybe added sprinkle of nuts or beans etc). So far everything has been really good. One thing I've been trying to do is to get through all the dried grains taking up room in the pantry. If you're not into beans, tofu or tempeh I've been really impressed with some of the newer fake meats on the market which are far less process such as CHKN Not Chicken, Like Chick'n and Daring.  If you can't have soy Wholly Veggie does a lot of chickpea and cauliflower based items. They make the protein side very easy because some of them already have their own flavor/seasoning. I've only been using variations of the cashew cream as a sauce because it's so good I honestly don't get sick of it..

I love those frozen rice servings that you can microwave in 3 minutes. Obviously more packaging and cost involved but invaluable when you're on top of it and need something healthy fast. Don't be afraid of frozen veggies or pre-cut items in the supermarket. They might cost more but if that's what it takes to get you to eat it then start with that!

It's Summer now and I'm trying a few weeks of Purple Carrot, a vegan meal delivery company, to see if they can give me some inspiration for getting back into wholefood cooking and not relying so much on the convenience of processed foods. I'll definitely be reviewing that :)

Some ideas of meal preps I've done. A lot of the time it will be themed around some leftovers or what I have in the fridge that needs to be eaten...

Daring chicken pieces, brown rice, steamed summer squash, roast asparagus, Cashew Cream, cucumber and red peppers.

Like meat wings, wild rice, steamed kale, roast paprika cauliflower, hollandaise sauce, fresh cucumber and red peppers with 15 year aged Balsamic

Daring chick pieces, Quinoa/kale mix, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed spinach, roast cherry tomatoes, onion gravy, fresh cucumber, romaine, cucumber and orange peppers with peach balsamic

Steamed Broccoli and Kale, Quinoa/Rice mix, marinated baked tofu, GF Asian crunchy noodle topping. GF Hoisin sauce. 

Baby tomatoes and smoked paprika cauliflower (both roasted), mixed rice, Daring faux chicken pieces (Cajun), steamed baby spinach and homemade vegan ranch.

Asian style bowl, marinated baked tofu, steamed kale, brown rice, spicy Asian cucumber salad, Asian style eggplant.

Sushi Bowl - Sushi Rice, Teriyaki Tofu, Fried Shitake Mushrooms in a Chili Mayo, Steamed Boy Choy, fresh cucumber,

Garlic Tahini sauce, steamed veg (sweet potato, yellow squash and broccoli), brown rice and Daring "chicken" - plain.

Red Cabbage & Kale Coleslaw

Red Cabbage & Kale Coleslaw

Ingredients

Slaw

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded

1 head kale, shredded

2 carrots, shredded

Dressing

zest of half a lime

juice of one lime

4 tablespoons vegan sour cream/greek yogurt

¾ cup vegan mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tbls agave

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix shredded vegetables well in a large bowl.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Combine dressing into the shredded vegetables well and serve.

Creamy Corn Chowder

This awesome simple recipe from Minimalist Baker is great for weeknight dinners. I love to put all the ingredients in my Ninja blender and it has a soup option - literally does the soup for you in 30 minutes with around 5-10 minutes prep work on my part!

Creamy Corn chowder 

Ingredients

2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large white onion (chopped // 1/2 onion yields ~1 cup)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
4 small red potatoes* (quartered // peeling, optional)
Sea salt and ground black pepper
3 ears corn* (kernels sliced off)
2 cups low sodium veggie broth* (DIY or store-bought)
2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk* (or regular milk if not vegan)
2-3 stalks green onions (for garnish // chopped)

1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor (optional)

Method

To a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add potato, season with a little salt and pepper, and cover to steam for 4-5 minutes.

Add most of the corn, reserving a little for garnish, and stir.

NOTE: If you plan to blend the soup, I recommend (as suggested above) adding half broth, half milk for a creamier texture. But if you intend to leave it unblended, forgo the milk and do all vegetable broth (4 cups | 960 ml) for best texture/flavor.

Add broth and almond milk (if using), cover, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook until the potatoes are soft and slide off of a knife when pierced – about 5-10 minutes.

If blending, add 3/4 of the soup to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. If using nutritional yeast, add now.

Transfer soup back to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Cook for at least 10 minutes to let thicken. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will be.

To serve, top with chopped green onion, remaining fresh (or lightly sauteed) corn, and black pepper. Add a sprinkle of paprika for color.