Meal Plan: Week of Feb 6

So, my latest obsession is this soup. I sub veggie broth for chicken and it's still a-mazing. Seriously, folks. And the beans themselves are perfection. Sunday, I experimented with making both a big pot of black beans and a pot of chickpeas using just the bean-applicable instructions and they both turned out wonderfully. So, now I have oodles of black beans and chickpeas to use this week, as well as a big pot of Spanish rice for the week. I'd say I did a pretty good job making use of my rainy Sunday.

So far, the plans are as follows:

Monday (that's today): Since I wanted to avoid Super Bowl crowds, I eschewed grocery shopping yesterday and will get it done today. This means I need a simple dinner. Voila. Black beans and Spanish rice. Served with: avocado, diced onion and cilantro. I also have fresh roti to serve on the side since I made a stop at the Indian market yesterday after my run.

Tuesday: Sandwiches. For David and me, that means Chickpea Tuna Salad. There are other recipes out there, but Robin Robertson's in the link above is the easiest I've found. Always turns out deliciously.

Wednesday: Martha Stewart's yellow lentil soup. I'm drawn to the cilantro chutney served alongside. And yes, I got the pappadum to serve with it.

Thursday: Taco night. The girls will eat the black beans again. David and I often prefer something a bit more meaty - such as quorn ground beef style sauteed with onions and taco seasoning or a lentil variety.

Friday: Pizza night. We have had two Friday nights of homemade pizza and it's hard to beat it. David and I have been making ours vegan, but we've continued to use cheese on the girls. Still, overall I feel better about knowing every single thing that's going into our dinner than ordering out or buying frozen. Now, if I can only learn to relax while I have two very young children "helping" me roll out pizza dough. Just breathe, right?

Saturday: I'm planning to have enough black beans left to mash into black bean burgers. And I am also hoping to get our CSA cabbage chopped into slaw by then as well. Wish me luck. I often feel daunted with the prospect of facing a cabbage.

That's our plans, though I'm also turning some of the chickpeas into hummus for the girls' and David's lunches. I felt super proud the other day when my four year old told me she only liked my homemade hummus. I hear that; store-bought varieties never match up in flavor or consistency.