Vegan Meal Plans – early-February – weeks 05-06

Isn’t it great not having to decide on all those dinners by yourself?

I love it when I put the finishing touch to a meal plan and discover that it is 9 pages long instead of 10! Usually it means a shorter prep session for you, and lots of “cook once eat twice without getting bored” meals too!

FAMILY VERSION NOTES

• Beefy pho soup is on the menu this week. It was inspired by a friend’s Facebook posts about travelling through Vietnam and documenting all the amazing vegan food he encountered. Memories of Montreal’s hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurants – and their “steaming locomotive” bowls of fragrant soup – came rushing back in… and I just had to share. It’s really, really important to use whole spices there, not ground, otherwise you’ll end up with a gritty broth. If you do not already have star anise, whole cloves, or cinnamon sticks, I recommend asking a neighbour first, and secondly looking for them in bulk. You can also skip them altogether (especially if you are not a fan of that flavor combination) and enjoy your noodle soup in a regular vegetable broth. If you do have those spices at home already, but they are quite old, worry not: whole spices tend to keep their flavor much longer than ground.
• I know I said I was going to put away my rolling pin until next December… but I lied! If yours is in storage, just cook some rice, or buy ready-made roti. But otherwise I recommend mustering the courage to roll your own Indian flatbread. It may sound a little bit scary, but it’s really easier than it seems… and weirdly empowering in this age of convenience food. WARNING: Only undertake this project if you have some time before the hungry hordes start rioting.

MINI VERSION NOTES

I appreciate your feedback so far! Please keep on emailing me with your questions and suggestions.