The 2022 week 26 menu plan is complete with a continued focus on plant based eating. Last week we spent 4 days on the road for a 3 day family reunion. I will admit that we had 3 great evening meals complete with fish, chicken, and ribs. Luckily there were plenty of vegetables and a huge selection of great salads. We were able to treat the meat as a side and the salads as the entree’…except for the ribs which were so good we truly indulged.
Breakfast
As usual my breakfasts rely on oatmeal. There is one variance. The frittata sounds and looks delicious and should feed us several mornings.
Lunch
Soup and salad lunches have become the norm over the past several weeks. I tend to do too much food prep for each meal. We have been discussing making lunches simpler.
Sonoma Chickpea “Chicken” Salad
Dinner
I have planned lots of new recipes for our dinners this week. When we return home after our road trip I am hosting Bunco which includes dinner for 12. I announced a patriotic theme and decided to make the meal very simple. I have ordered pulled pork from Mission BBQ and will serve baked beans, crunchy Asian ramen noodle salad, chips and dip and a plant based red, white and blue strawberry lemon cake for desert from empoweredplantcakes.
The rest of the week is filled with new recipes.
Polenta with Cranberry Beans and Tomato Sauce
Hits and Misses
The oatmeal cups were great for our road trip. They were enjoyable and filling. They would be great for time share weeks as well.
Wow! This salad had delicious layers of flavor. It will be added to the rotation. One of the best plant based salads I have prepared so far.
I will admit that I had reservations about this dinner, but we were delightfully surprised. I used broccoli in place of brussels sprouts. The next time I will add diced sweet potato to the mix and stick with the suggested brussel sprouts..
Paprika Roasted Tempeh with Veggies
Oh my gosh! I loved this delicious soup and not because it was plant based. It is one of the best soups I have prepared. Loved the subtle heat and layers of flavor!
Smoky Red Lentil Soup with Spinach
Must admit that enjoying pasta dishes again is a real treat. I was a little disappointed in the sauce (not as creamy as the Alfredo I am accustomed to, but overall this was a very good dish.
Recap
This week was a brief moment in time when we had the opportunity to spend time with family. It was a wonderful 3 days and will long be remembered as a time of reconnection. We not only updated our lives but shared fond memories as well. I will admit that there was lots of love and laughter shared around bountiful tables of food and ample bottles of wine. We do have one thing in common…sharing lots of healthy options. I will remember these days forever. Now we return to normal living and our continued commitment to a more plant based eating plan. Bon Appetit!
