Snow blankets the ground now in the meadow above us. And although we have brilliant days filled with sun that warms the house, the nights are bitterly cold. This calls for comfort food.
All your leftovers might be gone by tomorrow, so here's a menu to carry you through the week. Make a couple, and use the leftovers for another meal. Or make them all.
WINTER COMFORT MENU
MONDAY: Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
TUESDAY: Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
WEDNESDAY: Curried Cauliflower + Greens Mac' and Cheese
THURSDAY: Delicata Squash Pasta with Egg and Goat Cheese
FRIDAY: White Bean Soup with Tomatoes
SATURDAY: Mujadara with Roasted Tomatoes and Greens
SUNDAY: Ultimate Winter Salad
M O N D A Y
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
EASILY MADE VEGAN MODERATELY EASY MAKE AHEAD GLUTEN-FREE 30 MINUTES OR LESS
Get the recipe here.
Prep Ahead
Make the chickpeas ahead and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Cook them on the stove, in the slow-cooker, or in an electric pressure cooker. It's totally up to you.
Likewise, make the Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes ahead. They only take 5 minutes of prep. And it's good to have a nice big batch of them to add to all kinds of winter dishes to amp up the umami!
Make Ahead
Although this curry is made in 30 minutes, it can also be made ahead.
Vegan Tip: Eliminate the halloumi cheese.
Omnivore Tip: Add roasted chicken for the omnivores.
T U E S D A Y
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
from Well-Plated by Erin blog
EASY 15-MINUTE PREP EASILY MADE GLUTEN-FREE
Get the recipe here from Well-Plated.
Simplify
This recipe is super easy, but if you don't want to take the time to peel and cut up a butternut squash, I get it. Either purchase the squash already cubed at your market, if that's available, or swap it out for sweet potatoes. You can prep them ahead when you cube up potatoes for Monday night's dinner.
Erin at Well-Plated has some additional fabulous idea for switching up these enchiladas. I can't wait to make them!!
Vegan Tip: Swap out the dairy-based cheese for a plant-based one. My favorite is the 365 Plant-Based Cheddar available at Whole Foods.
Here's a review of plant-based cheeses I did recently, in case you're looking for vegan cheese ideas.
Omnivore Tip: Add roasted shredded chicken or pork.
W E D N E S D A Y
Curried Cauliflower + Greens Mac' and Cheese
MAKE AHEAD ONE-DISH MEAL
Get the recipe here.
Simplify
This dish requires about 35 minutes of prep work, but that includes the roasting time for the cauliflower and cooking the pasta. Roast the cauliflower and boil the pasta at the time. While they cook, make the sauce on the stove.
Make Ahead
You can make this casserole ahead through the step of pouring it all together into the casserole baking pan. Cover and slip into the refrigerator to bake off later.
Bring to room temperature before baking off, or add to your baking time.
Omnivore Tip: Add cubes of roasted chicken.
T H U R S D A Y
Delicata Squash Pasta with Egg and Goat Cheese
from Naturally Ella blog
GLUTEN-FREE MODERATELY EASY
Get the recipe here by Naturally Ella.
Make Ahead:
Roast the delicata squash and sauté the nuts in advance.
Lower carb variation:
Skip the pasta and make a big kale salad dressed in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. You can top the kale with the squash and egg as a room temperature salad, or lightly sauté the kale.
Note:
Naturally Ella blog will be shutting down next spring, so if you love this blog as much as I do, go export the recipes you love there before they're gone.
Omnivore Tip: Spicy sausage.
F R I D A Y
White Bean Soup with Tomatoes
VEGAN EASY 15-MINUTE PREP GULTEN-FREE
Get this white bean soup recipe.
Simplify
I plan to make this in my Instant Pot this time around. You can use canned or boxed white beans too. Just make the rest of the soup on the stove, add the beans, and cook for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
As a note, I'll update the directions for using the Instant Pot when I've finished making it!
S A T U R D A Y
Mujadara with Roasted Tomatoes and Greens
VEGAN MAKE AHEAD GULTEN-FREE 15 MINUTES PREP
Get the recipe here.
This is truly one of my ultimate go-to comfort dishes. Sometimes I think I could eat this every night.
Make Ahead
The mujadara (rice and lentils) can be made ahead. So can the roasted tomatoes, but I don't add them until I reheat the rice and lentils. I toss in the watercress at the end too.
S U N D A Y
Ultimate Winter Salad
VEGETARIAN GLUTEN-FREE 30-MINUTES OR LESS
Get the recipe here by Natalie Perry on Pioneer Woman blog.
I know she has quite a following, but honestly The Pioneer Woman blog isn't one of my go-to blogs for inspiration. She cooks up a LOT of meat. But I love Natalie Perry's food from Perry's Plate, and this is her salad.
Prep Tip: If you plan to make the Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas earlier in the week, roast up additional butternut and reserve it for this salad.
Omnivore Tip: Add bacon.
More Vegetarian Meal Plans
If you're interested in the other Vegetarian Meal Plans I've created, just go to the right column of any page on this blog, and scroll down to "Categories". A drop down menu will pop up. Scroll down to the bottom and select Vegetarian Meal Plans. I hope you find something that you like!
If you make any of the above dishes, I would love to see how it turns out for you!! Take a photo and put it up on Instagram - just don't forget to tag me @wimpyvegetarian.
Leave a Reply