week of meals

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at the start of the week, i like to jot down meal ideas and carry them with me in my little binder. the list changes with produce availability and what i'm in the mood for, but it's always there for reference. here is my list for this week:

dinner

• vegan minestrone soup with salad
• vegetable stir-fry with white rice
• lentil and potato soup
• raw pizza with salad
• persian tah dig

it's freezing cold out (snowing as i type this), so soup is on the menu twice this week. when i make soup, i try to double or even triple the recipe so i can freeze the rest in jars for those days when i just don't feel like cooking. they also make great quick lunches for when i'm babysitting.
edit: when freezing in glass jars, leave at least an inch headspace to prevent cracking.

white rice is easy to digest and when i cook it, i make extra for another meal. this saves time and energy. that is why i'm trying persian tah dig this week - to use up the leftover rice, and also to use up the big bag of organic potatoes i bought. (persian tah dig, i just learned, is an iranian dish with rice and potatoes.) i'm going to add turmeric since i'm always looking for ways to get it in.

i bought a big bag of russet potatoes with the vow to use every last spud. (too many times they spoil before i get to use them all). chopped potatoes made their way into the minestrone soup and next week i'm thinking of making baked potatoes loaded with veggies.

back to the rice - cooking rice used to intimidate me until i found this perfect white rice recipe.

perfect white rice (pressure-cooked)

2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

rinse rice well. in a pressure cooker with the lid locked, bring all ingredients to pressure and cook for 7 minutes, turning the heat down to medium. then turn the heat off and let the pot sit for 15 minutes. do not open the lid. the rice will continue to cook in the pot. open lid carefully after 15 minutes and fluff with a fork.

with my stir-fries, i just saute an assortment of vegetables with soy sauce and oil, then add the cooked rice to heat it. stir-fries are so simple and they make my favorite kind of leftovers. some veggies i've used in my stir-fries are: broccoli, bok choy, bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, peas, green beans, cabbage and zucchini or yellow squash. 

over the weekend i began to sprout mung beans. they'll make a nice raw element for our stir-fry. i may also sprinkle some on our raw pizza, soup and salads. sprouting beans and seeds is so easy and a great way to grow some of our own food during the winter months. see my tutorial here.


lunch: 

• leftover soup
• nori wraps with avocado
• mashed avocado and toast
• smoothies with green powder
• red lentils with nutritional yeast 

my favorite quick lunch right now is simply sliced avocado wrapped up in a nori sheet. so easy, yummy, and nutritious to boot! i just got the idea to add the mung bean sprouts to them, too!

red lentils are also great when you're short on time because they cook up so quickly. i just place about a quarter cup red lentils in a pot with about a half cup water and boil a few minutes until they're tender. with a little olive oil or butter, nutritional yeast flakes and salt, they're divine!

snacks:

• carrot curry flax crackers with hummus
• dehydrated mangoes
• coconut yogurt
• steamed non-gmo edamame
• fresh fruit (bananas, apples, oranges, pinapple)

as i mentioned last night, i made a sweet and savory flax cracker with carrot, curry and raisins. flax crackers are my go-to because they're easy for me to make and i like that they're high in omega-3's. i just happened to come across an article today that said eating the flax seeds provides much more nutrition than the flaxseed oil supplements. i also enjoy their crunchiness, though the seeds sticking to my teeth are still very annoying. they're worth it though.

carrot curry flax crackers with raisins

1 cup raw flax seeds
3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 raw shelled hemp seeds
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup shredded carrot (about 2 carrots)
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (optional)
1/2 tsp bragg's liquid aminos (optional)

place seeds and raisins in a large bowl with enough water to cover and let them soak for about an hour. add carrot and seasonings and stir. if the batter seems too stiff, mix in a little bit more water.

spread batter over two teflex sheets and dehydrate at 115 degrees until dry, flipping halfway onto mesh screens. if you don't have a dehydrator, these could probably be baked in the oven on the lowest temperature with the oven door cracked, but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

so there you have it - a week full of animal-friendly meals. (i left out breakfast because i usually just eat a banana.) this post was fun to put together and i got even more ideas as i was writing, so i will definitely try to do this again! what are you excited about making this week?