Vegan Menu for Week Thirty-One

My most sincere apologies...our computer has been ailing from some dreadful viruses, and I wasn't able to touch the computer this weekend while it was being worked on.  It's still not perfect, but we're getting there.  It's frustrating!!!  So, if any of you actually try to follow along with every suggestion I post, I hope you were able to make do yesterday!  Anyway, without further ado, here is the belated weekly menu:

Sunday

• Better Homes and Gardens' Portobello Pasta Bowls
• Corn on the cob
• Garden salad

Monday

• Chef Chloe's Panang Curry
• Chef Chloe's Pad Thai noodles (recipe on same page)

Tuesday

• FatFree Vegan's Collards Stuffed with Red Beans and Rice
• Garlic bread
• Green salad

Wednesday

• Healthy.Happy.Life's Spicy Lasagna Verde 2011
• Green salad
• French bread with roasted garlic

Thursday

• Pandor's Yummy Rice Sauce over jasmine rice
• Vegan egg rolls

Friday

• PETA's "Hamburger" Macaroni Casserole
• Vegan biscuits
• Sauteed spinach

Saturday

• VegWeb's Potato-Top Curry Pie
• Basmati rice

Breakfast of the Week

• Moosewood Restaurant's Potato & Asparagus Hash

Dessert  of the Week

• Vegan Thyme's Vegan Boston Cream Pie

Vegan Menu for Week Thirty

This week I'm going to continue my "best of the web" recipes, drawing from my favorite vegan and vegetarian websites.  Some of these websites are devoted to vegan and vegetarian living.  Some are bloggers who write and create delicious recipes.  If you click through to the recipes, I encourage you to check out the sites too! For instance, Saturday's suggestion comes from one of my new favorite websites--blogger Kelly develops new recipes frequently and always has interesting things to say.

Also, I have a new company to love.  Food Should Taste Good makes healthy snacks.  I've eaten two of their chips now, and they've been vegan, made with non-GMO ingredients, no trans fats, no preservatives, no MSG, gluten free, and all natural.  Even though I haven't tried all their chips, if they're as good as the two I've tried so far, they're ALL good!  So...that's one of the featured menu items this week.  Happy eating!

Sunday

• Pandor's Peacefully Spicy Noodles (leave out the egg to make it vegan--and use your best judgment, because there are no measurements)

Monday

• FatFree Vegan Kitchen's Barbecued Tofu and Vegetables (scroll down past the recipe for info)

Tuesday

• Artichoke Pesto Pasta
• Garden salad

Wednesday

• Rosemary-Black Olive Focaccia
• Green salad

Thursday

• Pasta with Hummus Sauce
• Sliced tomatoes
• Brussels sprouts

Friday

• Easy Quinoa Chili
• Tortillas

Saturday

• Vegan Thyme's Tofu:  Mandarin Orange Style

Dessert of the Week

• Chef Chloe's Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes (might I just say, "YUM!")

Snack of the Week

• Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips by Food Should Taste Good

Vegan Menu for Week Twenty-Nine

When I'm looking for cooking inspiration, I go to three places:  1) I have a collection of "recipes to try"--recipes torn out from newspapers and magazines or given to me by friends or family; 2) my collection of cookbooks (I still have a bunch from my carnivorous days, and they still have things I can try!); and 3) the internet.  I have to admit I go to the internet more often than not, because if I have a specific craving or specific ingredients I want to use, it's pretty easy to narrow my search down.  I can't always do that with my other two sources.

So, as a tribute, this week and possibly for several weeks after, I am going to do my version of "Best of the Web."  I want to share with you some of my favorite websites and some recipes I either intend to try or have tried and like!

Sunday

• Chef Chloe's Flatbread with Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion
• Green salad

Monday

• FatFree Vegan's Hot Skillet Salad
• Vegan crackers

Tuesday

• Healthy.Happy.Life's Vegan White Bean Burgers with "cheese and bacon"
• Kettle chips

Wednesday

• Vegan Thyme's Vegan Wild Rice Soup en Croute
• Garden salad

Thursday

• Moosewood Restaurant's Spicy Carrot Peanut Soup
• Vegan crackers

Friday

• Vegan Taco Soup (from VegWeb.com)
• Warm tortillas 

Saturday

• PETA's Scalloped Parsnip Baja Tacos
•  Spanish rice

Breakfast of the Week

•  Toast with homemade Low-Sugar Plum Spread (from Eating Well)--I made this and loved it (I used turbinado sugar). 

 Dessert of the Week

• Vegan apple pie (I liked this one)

Vegan Menu for Week Twenty-Three

This week we have a variety of flavors to tempt your taste buds and help you enjoy your kitchen again.  There are menu ideas that span the globe, from China to the Caribbean, and links to seriously easy recipes that will taste like you spent forever in the kitchen.

Sunday
European (Russian)*

• Vegan red borscht soup
• Rolls

Monday
Caribbean

• Caribbean black beans and rice
• Baked papayas
• Vegetarian rolled greens

Tuesday
Greek

• Fasolia gigandes (butter bean stew)
• Pita bread
• Kolokithankia Tiganita (fried zucchini)

Wednesday
Northern Africa (Algeria)

• Loubia B'dersa
• Rice salad

Thursday

• Spicy lentil casserole (see the recipe here under "Main Meals")
• Pasta salad (a little vinegar and oil, some chopped veggies like onions and tomatoes, tossed with rotini)

Friday
Cold weather favorite

• "Cheesy" broccoli soup (see the recipe here)
• Biscuits

Saturday
Chinese

• Vegetable Chop Suey
• Steamed brown rice

Sanck of the Week

• Tortilla chips and salsa or pico de gallo

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan fudge

* Just a silly note--I had a heck of a time deciding if I wanted to place Russia under European cuisine or Asian.  Russia's land mass, after all, falls more in Asia than in Europe.  It's huge!  What finally made the deciding factor for me was a Wikipedia article on "European Cuisine."  It included Ukranian Borscht as a European dish.  So...I had been toying with the idea of putting this Russian dish under "Asian cuisine," but now I'm comfortable labeling it as "European," in case you wanted to know!

Vegan Menu for Week Twenty-Two

This time of year is always quite busy for me, as it may be for a lot of you.  Sometimes dinner ideas are hard to come up with, especially unique, inspiring ones.  I hope you find some ideas here that make you hungry and eager to cook (and eat)!

Sunday
Latin America (Cuban)

• Moros y Cristianos (Cuban black beans and rice--translated means "Moors and Christians")
• Tortillas

Monday
Indian

• Dal palak
• Rice

Tuesday
Greek

• Fasolada (bean soup)
• Sourdough bread

Wednesday

• Moosewood Restaurant's Mushroom Pecan Burgers
• Sweet potato fries

Thursday
Italian

• Pasta e fagioli soup
• Tuscan bread with roasted garlic

Friday
Chinese

• Broccoli with garlic sauce
• Brown rice

Saturday

• Pasta salad (use lots of veggies and your favorite bean to move this to entree status)
• Steamed Brussels sprouts
• Green salad

Breakfast of the Week

• Warm bran muffins slathered in margarine

Dessert of the Week

• Oatmeal raisin cookies

Week Eighteen Menu

This week, I felt like exploring exotic tastes and more varied cuisines.  I hope this week's menu inspires you!

Sunday
Southern

• Vegan gumbo
• Wild rice
• Boiled greens

Monday
Quick and easy

• Amy's non-dairy Burrito (made with organic beans and rice)
• Apple slices
• Cucumber and tomato slices

Tuesday
Chinese

• Vegetable Lo Mein
• Steamed rice

Wednesday

• Vegan potato pancakes
• Garden salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette
• Brussels sprouts
• Lentils

Thursday
Southern Africa

• African Millet Salad (check out this recipe on Food.com--just substitute vegan sugar for the brown sugar called for in the recipe)
• Green salad with Romaine and Bibb lettuces and red wine vinaigrette

Friday

• Quinoa stuffed bell peppers
• Green salad with your favorite dressing
• Black beans
• Watermelon slices

Saturday
European (Irish)

• Vegan colcannon
• Steamed cauliflower
• Navy beans
• Vegan Irish soda bread

Breakfast of the Week

• Vegan blueberry muffins

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan pineapple upside down cake

Week Sixteen Menu

Sunday
Italian

• Gnocchi in olive oil, sage, and garlic sauce
• Green salad
• Green bean almondine
• Fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread with roasted garlic

Monday
Mexican

• Vegan green chili
• Black beans
• Warm tortillas

Tuesday
Leftovers

• "Smothered burritos"--Bean burritos smothered in leftover green chili from Monday and topped with lettuce and tomato (and vegan shredded cheddar and vegan sour cream if desired)
• Spanish rice

Wednesday

• Nachos (make a nacho "bar" with a variety of toppings--refried beans, black and pinto beans, sliced green onions, a variety of salsas and pico de gallo, lettuce and tomatoes, Boca crumbles with taco seasonings, shredded vegan cheese, shredded vegan sour cream--whatever sounds great!)
• Calabacitas
• Spanish rice

Thursday

• Margherita pizza (homemade crust--you don't need to use cheese, but you can use vegan shredded mozzarella if you desire.  The main focus:  fresh diced tomatoes, fresh basil, some garlic, and olive oil)
• Green salad with Italian dressing
• Breadsticks with marinara sauce

Friday

• "Tuna" salad sandwiches (you can find a good recipe on RandomGirl's Vegan Recipes page)
• Kettle chips
• Pickle spear
• Vegetable soup

Saturday

• Baked barbecued tempeh (check out this recipe from Chef Beverly Lynn Bennett)
• Baked potatoes
• Peas and carrots
• Green salad with dressing of your choice

Breakfast of the Week

• Blueberry scones

Snack of the Week

• Kale chips

Week Fourteen Menu

Sunday

• Large meal-size spinach salad (this idea was inspired by a huge salad I had this week based on Joy Bauer's Holiday Detox article:  I made a spinach salad with red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, carrots, and red onions with black beans and toasted pecans, a teaspoon of olive oil, drizzled in red wine vinegar--best spinach salad I've ever had, plus it was filling!)
• Triscuit crackers
• Sliced pineapple

Monday

• Veggie hot dogs, served traditional style in vegan hot dog bun with any toppings you like
• Kettle chips
• Watermelon slices

Tuesday
Middle East (Jewish)*

• Vegan potato kugel
• Vegan matzo ball soup
• Green salad with pomegranite vinaigrette

Wednesday
Mexican

• Mexican lasagna (substitute noodles with flour tortillas, sauce with salsa, and cheese with vegan shredded cheese)
• Black beans with bell peppers and lime juice

Thursday
Italian

• "Chicken" cacciatore (substitute seitan for chicken)
• Green salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Roasted garlic with French bread

Friday
Comfort food

• Eastern European Vegetable Stew (another hearty recipe from Moosewood Restaurant--you can substitute tofu sour cream or soy yogurt for the last ingredient or just skip it)
• Warm dinner rolls

Saturday
Mexican

• Black bean and summer squash enchiladas (great recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)
• Warm flour tortillas

Breakfast of the Week

• Breakfast scramble (substitute tofu for eggs and soy sausage for regular)

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan key lime pie

*  I debated how exactly should I typify Jewish cuisine.  I've been trying to keep my labels to a minimum, only using them if I have three or more links to something and combining when necessary.  So far, this is the only Jewish meal I've posted, and I realize that I could typify Jewish as any number of things--European, American, Middle Eastern--but I chose to go with the Middle East as the label, since Jewish roots begin in Israel, and much of their traditional food dates back thousands of years to when they lived exclusively there.   

Week Thirteen Menu

This post brings about a celebration of sorts! This is the Week Thirteen menu, which means I have now posted three months (one third of a year) of unique vegan meal ideas! I hope you've enjoyed the journey with me. Here's to doing it three more times to meet my challenge!

Sunday
Quick and easy

• Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblet
• Baked potato
• Vegan baked beans (Bush's makes good vegetarian baked beans without high fructose corn syrup!)
• Garden salad with vegan Ranch dressing (PETA has a good recipe)

Monday

• Seitan steaks (shape seitan into patties and sear in frying pan with a little olive oil and vegan Worcestershire or tamari and your favorite savory spices, like sage, thyme, oregano, etc.)
• Mashed potatoes
• Green salad
• Glazed carrots

Tuesday

• Ratatouille
• Quinoa and bean salad
• Garden salad

Wednesday
Chinese

• General Tao's Tofu (this recipe can be found on VegWeb.com)
• Steamed rice

Thursday
Mexican

• Spicy Mexican Squash Stew (got this yummy recipe from Moosewood Restaurant)
• Warm flour tortillas

Friday
Chinese

• Kung Pao "Chicken" (there's a good recipe on FatFree Vegan)
• Steamed rice

Saturday
Mexican

• Tacos (use black or pinto beans)
• Spanish rice
• Calabacitas

Breakfast of the Week

• Blueberry scones

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan cinnamon rolls

Happy eating!

Week Eleven Menu

Sunday

• Veggie Kebobs (with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, chunks of green pepper, onions, and any other veggies you like) with vegan BBQ sauce on the side
• Baked potatoes
• Green salad with mock Ranch dressing (check out the recipe on PETA's website)
• Millet cooked in veggie broth

Monday

• Linguine in lemony olive oil sauce with peas
• Marinated mushrooms
• Edamame

Tuesday
Tex-Mex

• Brown bean soup (see my recipe here)
• Cornbread
• Garden salad with Italian dressing

Wednesday
Chinese

• Orange "chicken" (substitute seitan for chicken)
• Vegan wonton soup (there are plenty of these recipes if you search for them!)
• Steamed rice

Thursday
Mexican

• Vegan enchiladas (vegan enchilada sauce with black beans, diced onions, tomatoes, and peppers wrapped in corn tortillas)
• Spanish rice
• Calabacitas

Friday

• Quinoa in tomato-garlic sauce
• Roasted veggies (think sliced onions, squash, and red bell peppers drizzled with olive oil)
• Wilted greens salad

Saturday
Chinese

• Szechuan noodles
• Steamed carrots
• Edamame

Breakfast of the Week

• Cornbread muffins slathered in your favorite jam or Earth Balance margarine or even plain!
• Sliced peaches 

Snack of the Week

• Hummus and falafel chips

Some Thanksgiving Ideas

Okay, just a quick note...I know it really is Thanksgiving week, but I'm trying to make my menus "generic"; in other words, I want people to be able to just pull up a menu and pick some dishes off, no matter what time of year it is.  That said, I do want to direct my readers to some great Thanksgiving recipes in case they need some inspiration:

• Susan Voisin of FatFree Vegan Kitchen has a yummy-looking Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf that I intend to make on Thanksgiving.
• Chef Chloe has several mouth-watering recipes, like Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts.
• VegWeb also has a large collection of various Thanksgiving recipes, certain to round out your holiday meal!

So...if you use these menus on occasion (or often!), definitely take time off for Thanksgiving.  It's probably one of my favorite holidays--good food and good times with family.

Last year was a challenge for me--it was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so I had to be careful with all the food choices (and even had an unintentional slip-up).  This is my first vegan Thanksgiving.  Of course, the rest of my family will be having the usual fare, but I intend to provide a dozen delicious dishes that are irresistible!

Week Ten Menu

Sunday
Middle East

• Baba Ghanoush
• Pita bread crisps and fresh chopped vegetables for dipping
• Tabouleh
• Pomegranates (peeled beforehand would be nice!)

Monday
Italian

• Polenta with roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini
• Leafy green salad with sun-dried tomatoes and lemon dressing
• Grilled eggplant

Tuesday
Mexican

• Loose taco salad (taco salad with chips instead of a "bowl"--use refried, pinto, and/or black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, salsa or pico de gallo, and shredded soy cheese)
• Spanish rice

Wednesday
Fall favorite

• Chef Chloe's Creamy Pumpkin Penne
• Sliced French bread with roasted garlic spread
• Garden salad

Thursday

• Pasta primavera
• Salad
• Quinoa with sauteed garlic, onion, tomato drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar

Friday
Asian

• Vegan Pad Thai
• Scallion pancakes
• Steamed rice

Saturday

• Vegan Macaroni and "Cheese" (there are lots of recipes out there, so find one you like!)
• Vegetarian Baked beans
• Steamed green beans (lightly sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and basalmic vinegar)

Breakfast of the Week

• Fresh fruit salad (use whatever's on hand, but include some berries and melons and mix with a little brown rice syrup)
• Biscuits with fruit spread (and vegan margarine if desired)

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan cheesecake (using vegan cream cheese substitute, of course!)

Week Nine Menu

Sunday
Fall favorite

• Vegan Tomato Soup
• Grilled "Cheese" Sandwiches (made with vegan American cheese)
• Millet with vegan margarine

Monday
Mexican

• Arroz con "Pollo" with Boca Chik'n Nuggets (see my recipe here)
• Warm whole wheat tortillas
• Refried beans

Tuesday

• Quinoa and bean salad (combine quinoa and beans with your favorite spices, veggies, and vinegar and oil and toss)
• Steamed carrots lightly sprinkled with sea salt

Wednesday

• Pinto beans and rice with Tex-Mex flavors (garlic, cumin, jalapenos, and Anaheims)
• Cornbread
• Green salad with light vinaigrette

Thursday
Comfort food

• Vegan Shepherd's Pie (substitute either Boca crumbles or mild beans--think pinto or kidney--for hamburger and Vegan cheese for cow's cheese)
• Garden salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, and diced carrots
• Steamed rice

Friday
Italian

• Lasagna with spinach and either tofu or vegan cheese (add onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and whatever other veggies sound good, smothered in marinara sauce)
• Salad in Italian dressing
• Crusty garlic bread

Saturday

• "Beef" Stroganoff (check out PETA's website for a recipe called "Better than Beef Stroganoff")
• Rice pilaf in vegetable broth
• Steamed green beans

Breakfast of the Week
Quick and Easy

• Cascadian Farm Organic Cinnamon Crunch cereal in vanilla soy or almond milk

Dessert of the Week

• Strawberries over vegan shortcake

Week Five Menu

Sunday
Chinese

• Vegan egg/spring rolls (to make the wrappers, do a search for Pandor's Recipe Blog--there's a terrific recipe for making the actual wrappers yourself)--fill them with shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, bean sprouts, and whatever else you like, spice up with some soy sauce!
• Sweet and sour sauce and hot mustard sauce for dipping
• Steamed brown rice

Monday
Comfort food

• Vegetable pot pie
• Spring mix salad with your favorite vegan dressing

Tuesday
Mexican

• Bean and rice burritos
• Spanish rice

Wednesday
Fall favorite

• Vegan black bean soup (see my recipe here)
• Tortillas

Thursday
Chinese

• Vegan fried rice (green onions, a little olive oil, soy sauce, and rice--you'll never miss the eggs!)
• Stir-fried Chinese veggies (think julienned carrots, celery, onion, water chestnuts, and green pepper with a little garlic and ginger, drizzled with rice vinegar)

Friday
Quick and Easy

• Boca Chik'n Patty on a toasted vegan bun slathered in Vegenaise and topped with onions, tomatoes, and lettuce
• Vegan cole slaw

Saturday
Asian

• Rice noodles with orange sauce and your favorite veggies (carrots, onions, snow peas, and broccoli are nice!)
• Brown rice

Breakfast of the Week

• Kashi GOLEAN Crunch in almond milk

Dessert of the Week

• Chef Chloe's Vegan Ice Cream (yes, not really cream, but dang!  It's good!)

Week Four Menu

Sunday
Quick and Easy (sometimes it's nice to take it easy!)

• Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza (it is non-dairy and has organic shiitake mushrooms, sweet onions, and roasted red peppers)
• Salad with Bibb lettuce, grape tomatoes, and Italian dressing

Monday

• Bagel sandwich (make sure the bagel is vegan!)--lightly toasted if you like it that way.  Then spread each slice with sun-dried tomato spread.  For sandwich fillings, the sky's the limit, but you might try some or all of these:  garlic, basil leaves, romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and red onion slices)
• Spinach salad
• Dill pickle spear

Tuesday
Fall favorite

• Vegan Minestrone soup (you can see my recipe here)
• Vegan biscuits or warmed flatbread

Wednesday

• Portobello mushroom steaks
• Brown rice cooked in vegetable broth
• Canned pears

Thursday

• Boca Chik'n Nuggets (yes, they're vegan!)
• Vegan "Honey" Mustard dressing (see tomorrow's post for my recipe, and, yes, it's vegan too!)
• Sweet potato fries

If you'd prefer mustard or a vegan BBQ sauce for dipping instead, go for it.  I just like my dressing!

Friday
Mexican

• Chipotle-style tacos...cumin-y black beans and lime-y basmati rice with pico de gallo and chopped lettuce in white corn taco shells
• Refried beans
• Calabacitas (without cheese)

The good news...you can find plenty of Chipotle-clone recipes and calabacitas recipes online easily!

Saturday

• Lima beans, slow cooked all day, spiced up however you like
• Vegan biscuits
• Garden salad (use some of the leftover "honey" mustard dressing from earlier in the week!)
• Steamed broccoli

Breakfast of the Week

• Chef Chloe's vegan French toast with blueberry compote (see the link to her blog on this page!)

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan carrot cake

Week Three Menu

Sunday
Mexican

• Veggie Fajitas (bell peppers--a combination of green and red looks pretty; onions; carrots; and mushrooms fried in olive oil in spices, wrapped in warm flour tortillas)
• Refried beans
• Spanish rice

Monday

• Sub sandwiches (hoagie rolls with a variety of chopped veggies, vinegar, and oil--I like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, spinach, and green peppers, but you can also have pickles, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts--whatever sounds good)
• Vegan potato salad (no eggs and substitute Veganaise for mayonnaise or try a mixture of olive oil and Dijon mustard)

Tuesday

• Veggie burgers--eat in a whole wheat bun with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion and, of course, a Boca burger
• French fries (with ketchup if you like it)

Wednesday
Japanese

• Vegan Yakisoba (make sure the sauce and noodles are vegan)
• Edamame
• Brown rice

Thursday

• Thin spaghetti in garlic sauce (sliced garlic and fresh sage lightly sauteed)
• Garden salad with Bibb lettuce, onion slices, and cherry tomatoes with oil and vinegar
• Bread for dipping in olive oil

Friday
Fall favorite

• Split pea soup (click this link for my recipe)
• Vegan biscuits
• Sliced peaches

Saturday

• Black bean wraps (whole wheat tortilla, chopped Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and black beans, piled with your favorite salsa)
• Chips and salsa for dipping

Breakfast of the Week

• Toast with no-sugar-added jam
• Canned pears

Dessert of the Week

• Vegan sugar cookies

Week Two Menu

Sunday
Italian

• Spaghetti with marinara
• Garden salad with Italian dressing
• Garlic bread with olive oil

Monday
Mexican

• Tostadas with beans and guacamole (if you need cheese, try some soy cheese)
• Spanish rice

Tuesday

• Vegetarian Vegetable soup (click to see my recipe)
• Garlic toast (use either olive oil or vegan margarine and mince several garlic cloves)

Wednesday

• Veggie pita sandwiches (add whatever your favorite veggies are--I like chopped Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers with a little vinegar and oil, but sprouts and avocado are also nice.  Add whatever sounds good or comes out of the garden or farmer's market!)
• Potato chips
• Leftover soup from Tuesday is also nice with this meal!

Thursday
Chinese

• Vegetable Chow Mein
• Steamed brown rice

Friday

• Vegan Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
• Vegan Coleslaw

Saturday

• Linguine in olive oil with peppers and tomatoes (slice green and red bell peppers and onions, dice tomatoes, and saute for a few minutes; throw in with freshly-cooked linguine drizzled in olive oil--for extra kick, drizzle in a little balsamic or red wine vinegar as well)
• Veggie marinade--cherry or grape tomatoes, onion chunks, mushrooms, bell pepper chunks, and cucumber slices in a marinade of olive oil and red wine vinegar with minced garlic (the longer it marinates, the better it tastes)

Breakfast of the Week

Crockpot oatmeal (put it all together the night before and enjoy the next morning!)
Fresh in-season fruit

Dessert of the Week

Vegan brownies

Week One Menu

Sunday
Comfort food

• Garlicky pinto beans
• Fried potatoes (think home fries)
• Vegan cornbread (click to see my recipe)
• Fresh tomato slices

Monday
Use leftover beans from Sunday in the chili today!

• Vegan chili
• Vegan biscuits
• Garden salad

Tuesday
Mmmm...Mexican food!

• Vegan huaraches (use vegan cheese, skip the meat and sour cream)
• Spanish rice
• Calabacitas (with vegan cheese)

Wednesday
Italian feast

• Farmer's Market Panini (google Chef Chloe for her recipe)
• Potato chips

Thursday
More Italian!

• Bruschetta
• Vegan pasta salad (think Italian here)

Friday
Japanese treat

• Vegetable tempura with ginger dipping sauce
• Brown rice

Saturday
Feast from the Middle East

• Tabouleh salad
• Pita bread slices
• Sliced cucumbers in apple cider vinegar

Breakfast of the Week

• Pancakes
• Pure maple syrup
• Vegan margarine (try Earth Balance to avoid trans fats)
• Vegan "sausage"

Dessert of the Week

• Blueberry crisp