Hi all - what are some of your go-to foods? I’ve been doing a lot of the microwaveable processed stuff for convenience’s sake, but I’d like to do a bit more cooking if possible. I don’t meal prep at present but am interested to hear what y’all find easy and tasty and actually make regularly.
Thanks!
The main protein sources I cycle through are: beans (various), chickpeas, lentils (yellow for dal, brown for burgers), soy (tofu, tempeh), and wheat gluten sausages, or other store bought veggie dogs if I don’t feel like cooking.
Then I’ll just make whatever recipe that features those, which is basically infinite.
Having a weekly list helps a lot, even if I don’t always follow it. So I can just glance at the list and know I should put, for example, some beans on soak for tomorrow.
Chickpeas. We usually have them toasted with veggies and couscous at least once a week, and if I need a quick lunch I’ll mash a can’s worth to make something similar to tuna salad and toss that on some toast.
I usually make curry with chickpeas, onion, garlic and pease with mixed spices from a bag and a bit of canola oil, I usually have it with vegan and gluten free penne pasta both because it’s better on my stomach and I’m not good at cooking rice.
I also make a vegan and gluten free cheese sauce from scratch using flour, hot water (though some of it is the red kidney bean juice from the can) with a vegan and gluten-free stock cube in, vegan cheese slices and a bit of mustard. I also use red onions, garlic, red kidney beans and peas in the cheese sauce and then have it with vegan and gluten free spaghetti.
The amount I make can last me about two days depending on how hungry I am, but I’m sure I could probably make more to last me more days.
There are several vegan variations of an African Peanut Stew that we make fairly regularly. Budget Bytes and Simple Veganista each have fair versions that you can vary as desired. Fresh ginger is pretty essential. I don’t like using lemons in it.
Kawaj (eggplant stew) is another that makes lots of leftovers. We use canned stewed tomatoes instead of fresh, and never ever ever use as much salt as listed. Maybe 1 tsp., but no more.
Cold Soba Noodles (or Sesame Noodles) are lovely in summer. We sometimes add firm tofu, and always sprinkle with cilantro and either toasted sesame seeds or peanuts.
Burrito - Refried beans, rice (I prefer brown), your choice of pico de gallo or guacamole. I’ve also done sauted sweet bell pepper, it tasted great.
Summer Veggie Sandwich - GOOD bread (I like a nice sourdough), hummus for spread, lettuce, tomato, cucumber or squash, salt, pepper, and italian seasonings.
Five Ingredient Chili - Beans (any of black, kidney, pinto, etc), diced tomatoes (canned or fresh), onion, garlic, chili powder. Chop and saute the onion + garlic, then add in everything else and stew for at least 20-30min. Longer is better. Ratio is roughly 2 cans beans, 1 can tomatoes, 1 tbsp chili powder but obviously change as you like. Can also add corn and/or bell pepper (saute first). If you can find a sealed cast iron pot, you can make it all in one pot.
Actually Good Lentil Soup - I’ve had little success with lentils - they usually turn out ‘ok’. This one is actually good. Chop+saute onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Add 8oz of tomato paste and 150ml of wine (old wine is fine, it’s going to be boiled away). Mix well and stir frequently until no liquid is remaining at the bottom of the pot. Add a carton of vegetable broth, 1 cup lentils, and 1 tsp of italian herbs. Bring to boil and simmer ~45min or until lentils are tender.
ooh, excellent ideas, thank you!
Very neat ideas! How’s the squash prepared for that sandwich (#2)?
Just sliced across the length or diagonally, depending on how big it is. I generally use zuccini or yellow squash, since they can be eaten fresh.
Interesting, thanks! I didn’t know squash was good raw, although I’m usually a butternut or acorn squash person, in terms of what I buy. I’ll have to try some smaller squashes ☺️
A go to lunch for me is overnight oats. The night before I throw half a cup of oats and water into a container, add a spoon full of peanut butter, a tbsp of chia seeds, and handful of frozen blueberries
Hi! Here are my meal prep or time-efficient go-tos that I could think of, some of which have already-prepared parts to them (highlighted):
- Pesto (storebought and I grate in some extra garlic in) pasta with white navy beans (pecans or walnuts too)
- Chili (storebought; tofu and/or bean based) with rice
- Mujadara - Lebanese/Middle Eastern rice and lentil with fried onions dish
- Veggie burger (storebought)
- Vegetables and tofu stir-fry with rice (or fried rice)
- Soup (storebought, pea or lentil based usually)
- Indian curry (lentil or chickpea) with rice
I like rice and pasta, but I prefer more rice in my meal prep diet. I’ve found a simple 1-switch rice cooker to be a great investment (as someone with a very modest amount kitchen equipment). It’s pretty foolproof, which is great for me :). The only time I cook rice outside of it is in the case of mujadara.
I often have a side, like a salad (I store pre-washed and -chopped lettuce in the fridge), oven-roasted veggies, potatoes (baked, roasted, or storebought oven fries), or steamed corn or other veggies.
Last night I made a jacket potato with baked beans (storebought) and caramelized onions. It was good comfort food. But 1 was great and 2 was too much sweet in what I fancy for supper.
I gotta learn how to make soup next! Happy exploring to you!
do you have a good mujadara recipe that you like? i’ve made it before but it was incredibly bland despite caramelizing the onions for what felt like 100 years.
My recipe’s good but not great. It is kind of a bland dish. I no longer love it as a main, but as a co-main or side it’s great. And it keeps in the fridge and reheats so nicely. I usually make tahini sauce in two batches, first when I make the mujadara and then again several days later. … If you’re spending longer than you’d like caramelizing onions, try cooking them at a higher temperature. … I make mujadara with one pot. Cook the caramelized onions first and then the lentils and rice second. For caramelizing the onions, I cook on the highest setting, and it only takes maybe 12 min, but I’m stirring it frequently to constantly. The things I do to make it less bland (tl;dr) are the one-pot method, onions in the lentils and rice directly, extra spices, and tahini sauce. Unfortunately I’ve forgotten and can’t re-find by searching up the recipe I learned it from. But here’s the basics (for ~6-8 servings – it’s very inexpensive :):
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup green/brown lentils
- 2 large onions (1.75 sliced, 0.25 diced)
- 1 clove garlic (diced)
- 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil
- Water (I only know the amount of water by eye but it’s probably somewhere in the range of 1.5 - 2 cups)
- Spices: salt and cumin are standard I think. I also add cinnamon and zaatar
~
- Caramelize the sliced onions in a large pot, then set the onions aside and continue using the pot (with the leftover oil)
- Saute garlic and the diced onion until golden brown.
- Stir in lentils, then add spices and stir around
- Add water and cook the lentils until they’re soft on the outside (can depress the outside with your fingernail)
- Stir in rice, put the lid on the pot, reduce to low-medium, and cook for 10+ minutes
thank you! my wife and i take turns cooking and it’s my night tonight, i think i will give this a shot!
That sounds like a nice arrangement! Let me know how it goes if you try it :D
i’m recovering from COVID (ugh, it’s terrible) and we have both been too wiped out to cook lately, so i did not get to it. it’s on my list for either Thursday night or this weekend, though. i’ll post a reply and maybe some photos if it goes okay.
Sounds good but no pressure and I hope you feel better soon :)!
I, too, wondered what the spices should be and found two potential answers.
This recipe is very like yours but instead of zaatar, the author lists “seven spices” plus extra cumin.
This cook insists Mujadara, should be plain/unspiced, but recognizes variations may use ‘seven spices’, and has a 7-spices recipe if you don’t have a store that sells it pre-made. Note that I have not tried any recipe on this site, but it IS Vegan. I am a bit suspicious because its hummus recipes use CANNED chickpeas. That seems extremely wrong and inauthentic. On one of the the text-walls they do say that boiling dried beans is better, but then don’t list that as a recipe version. It makes me wonder what else they are leaving out and not explaining.
Thanks for the tip about (Lebanese) seven spices! Those spices sound like the flavour I’m trying to emulate. I’ll have to get/make some. I loved your analysis about the trustworthiness 🧐 of that site :P
Here’s a Mac & Cheese adapted from https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-mac-and-cheese-recipe/
I use the cheese sauce for this meal or as a substitute for béchamel when making lasagna.
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Servings: Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups raw cashews
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200 ml oat-based cooking cream
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1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
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1/2 cup nutritional yeast
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1/4 teaspoon turmeric
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
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12 ounces elbow pasta
Optional breadcrumb topping
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter/margarine, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Directions: Preheat oven and prep – If planning on baking it with the breadcrumb topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a casserole dish (I used a 9×13 inch dish). Skip this step for stovetop mac and cheese. Soak the cashews – Soften your cashews by covering them in boiling water for 5 minutes. I do this by heating up water in my tea kettle, and then pouring the boiling water over the cashews in a large glass measuring cup. Cook pasta – Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but do not overcook. Drain and set aside. Blend cheese sauce – Drain the soaked cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and bag of shredded cheese (if using) to a high powered blender and blend until very smooth.
Stovetop version Simply return the pasta to the pot and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens and serve immediately.
Baked version (the best!) Make the breadcrumb topping by mixing the breadcrumbs, melted vegan butter and smoked paprika in a small bowl until crumbly and moist. Add the drained pasta to the prepared casserole dish, and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the noodles. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on the pasta and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes. I also broiled it for a few minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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My go-to breakfast is mashing up a banana, some peanut butter, and a little plant-based milk to make a kind of breakfast mush. I then add frozen berries, nuts, granola, or the like. It takes like five minutes to make and lasts me until lunch.
I’m extremely lazy when it comes to cooking, I eat plenny shake for most of my meals 😅 but I like it a lot, so if you hate cooking and don’t mind it it could be a pretty affordable option
