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Vegan Meal Plans – Late-May – Weeks 21 & 22

This meal plan balances crunchy pleasures and creamy goodness. It’s also a fantastic one for lunches as I find it to generate a reasonable amount of leftovers. (That is, if you don’t have two fast-growing teenagers that clear their plates and then the whole dish. Govern yourself accordingly.)

NOTES

• Jackfruit is yummy and fun to eat, but not particularly filling. I added a can of pinto beans to those recipes for extra protein.
• Speaking of jackfruit… please look for the “young (or green) in water” (or brine) kind that comes in a can. Asian markets are the best place to buy it at the best price, but many other grocers sell it now. Do NOT buy the type that comes pre-shredded in vacuum packs. First of all, it’s very expensive. Secondly, practically everyone I know who has tried it has found it far less appealing than the canned kind. I used to list it as an alternative in the meal plans, but not anymore. (If your experience differs, I would love to learn from you.)
• Jarred roasted red peppers vary immensely in their taste and quality. Some are delicious and sweet. Others are acidic and tasteless. If you know a great brand that you love, feel free to use those. Otherwise, you’ll be roasting your own. It’s not that hard, promise.
• Family plan only: Did you know that you can effortlessly bake risotto and it tastes just as good as the stovetop kind? While the oven’s on, add some chickpeas and asparagus and enjoy an amazing treat that takes just minutes to pull together. (Do some yoga stretches while everything’s in the oven.

Ever wonder what jackfruit looks like in the wild? Check out this spiky beauty on the menu picture.