Friday, November 22, 2013

• Breakfast: Granola and 1 banana, a quick, energizing, and satisfying start to the day.
• Lunch: Hearty Lentil Soup. This incredibly nourishing and inexpensive soup, based on our barley lentil soup recipe, made a welcome reappearance on our menu. Its ability to be made in a large batch for easy leftovers makes it a budget meal prep hero, providing warmth and sustenance.
• Dinner: Flavorful Chickpea Tacos. A perennial favorite from Week 1, these tacos are undeniably delicious and incredibly simple to assemble. We elevated them with homemade tortillas using this fantastic recipe, a fresh avocado, and a generous handful of baby spinach for extra nutrients and crunch. I could honestly eat these every single day!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

• Breakfast: Warming Oatmeal and banana. A classic, comforting, and incredibly affordable breakfast that provides sustained energy.
• Lunch: Delicious Leftover Tacos. Enjoying leftovers is a cornerstone of budget-friendly eating, and these tacos often taste even better the next day!
• Dinner: Gourmet Black Bean Burgers with Zucchini Fries. This meal was a true highlight of the week, bursting with flavor and texture. Inspired and modified from Chloe Coscarelli’s excellent cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen, these homemade black bean burgers were hands down THE BEST. We prepared four generous patties, cooking two for dinner and refrigerating the remaining two for Sunday’s lunch, perfectly demonstrating smart batch cooking and future meal planning. Toppings included fresh avocado slices, a dollop of creamy veganaise, and a rescued tomato from the fridge.

Black Bean Burgers Recipe:

These flavorful and satisfying black bean burgers are a perfect main course, providing ample protein and fiber. This recipe yields about 4 large patties.

Ingredients:

• About 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly minced
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional, but adds a lovely, bright freshness)
• ¼ cup of water (or more, as needed, for consistency)

Directions for Black Bean Burgers:

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook until they are tender and slightly caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. This step is crucial for adding a depth of sweetness to the burgers. Transfer the cooked onions to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
2. To the bowl with the onions, add the rinsed black beans, minced carrot, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, chili powder, sea salt, and fresh cilantro (if using). Begin to mash all the ingredients together using a sturdy spoon or your hands. For an easier and quicker process, we used a food processor and pulsed the mixture a few times until well combined but still retaining some texture for a satisfying bite.
3. Check the consistency of the mixture. If it appears too dry or crumbles easily when pressed, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together well. The goal is a pliable consistency that can be easily formed into patties.
4. Form the mixture into 4 equally sized large patties.
5. In the same skillet (or a clean one), heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Carefully place the patties in the hot oil and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until beautifully golden brown and heated through.
6. Serve immediately on buns with your favorite plant-based toppings, such as avocado, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato slices, and creamy vegan sauces.

For a perfect side, we opted for Margaret’s incredible baked zucchini fries. We omitted the nutritional yeast this time, as we didn’t have any on hand, proving that recipes can always be adapted to what you have available in your pantry!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

• Breakfast: Simple and satisfying Cornflakes with almond milk and a sliced banana. A quick and easy start to a relaxing Sunday.
• Lunch: Savory Black Bean Burgers with homemade Sweet Potato Fries. Utilizing the leftover burger patties from Saturday was a convenient and delicious choice, paired with easy-to-make, nutritious sweet potato fries for a balanced and filling meal.
• Dinner: Classic Manicotti. This dish is an all-time favorite and surprisingly straightforward to prepare, making it perfect for a comforting Sunday dinner. We meticulously followed the ziti marinara recipe precisely for the rich sauce and creamy ricotta filling. However, instead of ziti, we stuffed the flavorful ricotta mixture into manicotti shells. A generous pour of marinara sauce over the stuffed manicotti noodles completed this comforting masterpiece. We opted to substitute frozen spinach with fresh baby spinach for an even brighter flavor and texture.

Monday, November 25, 2013

• Breakfast: A light start with one banana for me, while David enjoyed a hearty and warming bowl of oatmeal.
• Lunch: Delicious Leftover Manicotti. Another day, another fantastic leftover meal, simplifying our lunchtime routine and significantly reducing food waste – a core principle of our budget challenge.
• Dinner: Hearty “Meaty” Lentil Sauce Sloppy Joes. We ingeniously transformed Margaret’s acclaimed Homestyle “Meaty” Tomato Sauce by serving it on toasted buns that were leftover from our black bean burgers. The rich, savory lentil sauce, packed with protein and flavor, made for incredibly satisfying sloppy joes. Of course, this versatile sauce would also be absolutely divine over a bed of your favorite pasta for another easy meal option.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

• Breakfast: Quick and easy dry granola. Perfect for mornings when time is short and you need a fast, convenient option.
• Lunch: More delicious Sloppy Joe leftovers, proving that batch cooking is a game-changer for busy weekdays.
• Dinner: Creamy Sweet Potato Mac. As Thanksgiving preparations were already underway, we revisited the delightful Sweet Potato Mac from last week. This dish is not only incredibly easy to make but also festive, comforting, and absolutely delicious – a perfect pre-holiday meal that pleased everyone.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

• Breakfast: Nourishing oatmeal with a divided banana, a simple yet effective way to fuel our morning.
• Lunch: Satisfying Sweet Potato Mac leftovers, ensuring nothing went to waste and providing a quick lunch solution.
• Dinner: Hearty Barley Mushroom Kale Pilaf. The unexpectedly cold weather here in California over the last week made us crave ultimate comfort food, and this pilaf truly hit the spot. It’s one of our absolute favorites – packed with flavor, texture, and wholesome ingredients like hearty barley, earthy mushrooms, and nutrient-dense kale.

Thursday, November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving Day)

This Thanksgiving, we celebrated with a delicious and wholesome plant-based feast, emphasizing comfort, seasonal ingredients, and a touch of homemade tradition. It was a perfect culmination of our budget-friendly journey.

• Breakfast: I started my day with a simple bowl of oatmeal, while David opted for oatmeal enhanced with a banana for extra sweetness and energy.
• Lunch: Flavorful Leftover Pilaf, keeping things light and simple before the main holiday event.
• Dinner: A festive and satisfying spread featuring Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Vibrant Sautéed Kale, and our beloved Skillet Corn Bread.

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes:

Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

This dish was perfectly suited for our Thanksgiving celebration, adapted from the brilliant Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. It’s naturally sweet, warmly spiced, and incredibly creamy, making it an essential part of our holiday table.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave (adjust to taste for desired sweetness)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower, not olive oil, to preserve the sweet flavor)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). For oven baking, place whole sweet potatoes directly on the oven racks and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until they are very tender when squeezed. There’s no need to poke holes beforehand for this method.
2. Alternatively, for a quicker method (my preferred lazy hack!), thoroughly poke holes all over the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave them for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until easily pierced through the center with a fork.
3. Once cooked and tender, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven or microwave. Slice them lengthwise and allow them to cool slightly, making them easier to handle.
4. While still warm but manageable, scoop out the sweet potato flesh into a large mixing bowl or pot. Add the salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, maple syrup (or agave), and vegetable oil.
5. Mash everything together thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed to achieve your perfect balance of sweet and spice.

Vibrant Sautéed Kale:

Kale is an incredibly versatile and nutritious green, and there’s no single “wrong” way to cook it. Our simple method ensures tender, flavorful greens that are a perfect healthy side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
3. Add the chopped kale to the pot and mix to incorporate with the garlic and oil. It will look like a lot, but it will cook down significantly.
4. Pour in ¼ cup of water, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the kale steam until it has wilted to your desired tenderness, usually 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Homestyle Skillet Cornbread:

No comforting, rustic meal is complete without a warm slice of the best ever skillet cornbread! Its crispy, golden-brown edges and tender, moist interior are simply irresistible and perfectly complement the other Thanksgiving dishes.