Vegetarian Meal Plan: June Week 4

M O N D A Y

Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Lentils

This dish of cauliflower steaks over lentils with tahini sauce and chimichurri is easy enough for a vegan weeknight dinner and fancy enough for guests. The sauces add so much flavor that you'll never miss the meat.

The beauty of this dish is that every component can be made ahead, rewarmed, and assembled when you're ready to serve.

T U E S D A Y            

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

For this meal, the popular Mexican street corn side dish is turned into a pasta salad with lots of charred corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, and a special sauce of mayonnaise, sour cream, lime, and spices. Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans (or cook your own dried black beans in the Instant Pot) for extra protein.

W E D N E S D A Y

Zucchini Quinoa Fritters

These zucchini potato fritters are made with quinoa and feta cheese for a boost of protein and are made healthier by sautéeing in a skillet instead of deep-frying.

They're perfect for a party since you can make the patties up to two days ahead before sautéeing them. Serve them as a vegetarian main dish, side, or appetizer.

T H U R S D A Y 

Aglio e Olio Spaghetti Squash

This easy dinner is one of my favorite spaghetti squash recipes, especially on busy weeknights. It's much healthier and lower-carb than traditional pasta noodles. All you need is five ingredients plus extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

F R I D A Y

Fattoush Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Fattoush salad is a Middle Eastern bread salad designed to use up leftover pita bread. This version features peak-season bell peppers tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, crispy chickpeas, and fried pita bread pieces. It's dressed in a light vinaigrette.

W E E K E N D

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

This vegetarian tamale pie starts with a dressed-up cornbread mix and is topped with Tex Mex-spiced Beyond Beef (any plant-based meat substitute works in this recipe), cheese, and whatever toppings you like. Pickled jalapeño slices, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and black olives are all fair game.

D E S S E R T

Easy Cherry Cobbler

This is a super easy cherry cobbler that uses canned pie filling and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! The topping is a fluffy cake-like topping perfect for any cobbler you make this summer.