Vegetarian Meal Plan - Week 9

Easy vegetarian meal plan with comfort dishes that can be prepped in 15 minutes or less (except the enchiladas, which take 20 minutes of prepping). This week's dinners star cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and 3 kinds of legumes.

The first few years after I graduated from culinary school, I veered towards more complicated recipes. I wanted to have some fun with all this new knowledge I now had. I still love to bake, especially breads. But for our weekly dinner? I look for something easy and fast, without sacrificing flavor. And this week's vegetarian meal plan fits the bill.  

M O N D A Y

MEDITERRANEAN BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Get the recipe here by Minimalist Baker

Prep Ahead: I nearly always have beans on hand. And more likely than not, they're chickpeas. Canned chickpeas always have a flavor that I don't like, so I make my own. If you want to do this too, check out my post Five Tips For Perfect Cooked Dried Chickpeas. It's my most popular post every single day of the year. 

If you want, you can make the sauce ahead of time. But since you can also make it while the chickpeas and potatoes are roasting, it won't save you any time. 

Make it a Meal: I love Morning Star Farms Chorizo Crumbles, a fabulous vegan alternative for the real thing. If you want to add some umami flavor to this dish, this is what I recommend. 

Omnivore Tip: Add sautéed chorizo or sliced pre-cooked sausages.

T U E S D A Y

LENTIL BOLOGNESE

Get the recipe here.

A true bolognese, besides including beef, is finished with milk. This is a vegan version, that's finished with a little coconut milk to add a little creaminess without the dairy, and without much coconut flavor.

Prep Ahead: Since this gets prepped in 15 minutes and the sauce cooks together with the lentils, there's no need to prep anything ahead.

Make it a Meal: I serve mine over spaghetti squash, but feel free to ladle it over regular pasta or buns, sloppy joe style.

Omnivore Tip: Make it more traditional and add cooked ground beef.  

W E D N E S D A Y

CAULIFLOWER HASH (With an Egg)

Get the recipe here by An Edible Mosaic.

This low-carb vegetarian dish looks filling and the perfect comfort food for a snowy night, which we're getting a lot of right now.

Prep Ahead: There's only a scant 8 minutes of prep time for this recipe, so there's no need to prep ahead, unless you want to chop up the cauliflower in advance. If you so, just store it in a plastic bag or sealed container.

Make it a Meal: Be sure to top the hash with an egg or two.

Omnivore Tip: I wouldn't add any meat to the hash, as I think it would overwhelm the cauliflower. And this recipe is all about the cauliflower. But Carnivorous Maximus, my husband, will demand meat. So I plan to serve it along side a couple of pork chops.

T H U R S D A Y 

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS

Get the recipe here.

I'm a huge fan of Mexican food, and it's part of my vegetarian meal plan at least once a week. I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and the dishes usually come together fairly quickly.

Prep Ahead: This recipe calls for 20 minutes of prep time. I don't always have time (or patience) for that at the end of a long day, so I'll make the filling ahead of time. That should reduce the prep time to about 5 minutes. 

F R I D A Y

CAULIFLOWER SKILLET STEAKS

Get the recipe here.

I created this recipe some time ago for McCormick. They had recently introduced a new line of skillet sauces, and asked a group of us to create recipes for them. Unfortunately the sauce I selected is no longer available, so I would substitute their Fajita Skillet Sauce, and eliminate the capers and raisins.

Prep Ahead: This recipe calls only for 10 minutes of prep time, so there's no need to prep ahead.

Omnivore Tip: Sauté, broil or grill a steak, and top with this sauce.

W E E K E N D   B A K I N G

SOFT DINNER ROLLS | POTATO ROLLS WITH CHIVES

Get the recipe here.

As I've mentioned in other posts, this is a time of year I love to bake. Particularly bread. Bread isn't nearly as hard to make as I once thought it would be, and bread baking - for me - is a meditation.

If you make any of these 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.

Did you miss my other Weekly Menu Plans? Check them out here for more meal planning recipes for vegetarians with tips for the omnivores at the table + menu planning tips:

For some general vegetarian meal planning tips and 5 dinner ideas, check out Vegetarian Meal Plan + Tips For Omnivores // Week 1.

For questions to ask your self when meal planning, check out Vegetarian Meal Plan + Tips For Omnivores // Week 2

Vegetarian Meal Plan + Tips For Omnivores // Week 4 includes 5 dinners and 5 common mistakes made when meal planning for the coming week.

My Vegetarian Meal Plan + Tips for Omnivores // Week 5 post includes 5 ideas for making meal prepping easier along with 5 easy vegetarian dinners.

And finally, Week 6 Vegetarian Meal Plan talks a little about meal planner options, although I really need to research this more now that I'm getting back into the cooking groove.

For more Weekly Meal Plans, go here to check them out.