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Vegan Sloppy Joes

5/15/2020

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I have a fond memory of going to my Great Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Mickey’s house in Arizona when I was a kid. They had a large pool in their backyard and we would swim and have lunch with them each time we visited Arizona. My Aunt always served good food, and I especially remember loving her sloppy joes!  My sister and I would add chips to our sandwich for an extra crunch and scoop up the extra filling on our plates with more chips. There is something special about a sloppy joe sandwich that makes me think of those sunny days by their pool in AZ.  Today this Vegan version is dedicated to my Great Aunt and Uncle who have since passed away. I hope you enjoy this flavorful sandwich and that it is accompanied by sunny days and happy moments. 

Ingredients

½ cup diced yellow onion
1 small green pepper diced
1T olive oil
16oz tempeh 
¾ cup of tomato sauce
½ cup ketchup 
1T yellow mustard
1T apple cider vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1tsp smoked paprika 
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Directions
  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat
  2. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant
  3. Add the diced green peppers and saute for 1 minute
  4. Crumble the tempeh with your hands, it should resemble the texture of ground meat, and add it to the onion and peppers saute for 2 minutes
  5. Reduce heat to low and add the remaining ingredients, stir to incorporate.
  6. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes on low or until the tempeh is tender. 
  7. Serve on toasted whole wheat buns with a side of potato chips! 
  8. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
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Roasted rosemary vegetables

4/11/2020

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Growing up I used to dislike vegetable sides at dinner. I think during most of the 90’s people were eating vegetables out of a can and they lacked flavor, crunch and pazazz. Fast forward to Easter a few years ago when I was asked to bring a veggie side dish. Ugh.  So I decided to try something new. I knew that I liked roasted vegetables such as potatoes and carrots and onions, but I wanted them to have more warmth and flavor so I decided to open the spice cabinet and smell all of the spices until I decided on rosemary. This was one of the first recipes I created and I loved how it turned out. Since then I have eaten it as a side, or have even made it my main with the addition of pesto and a cut up veggie sausage.  These roasted veggies are perfect for a healthy side dish with lunch or dinner, they last a week in the fridge and can be enjoyed throughout the week! 

Ingredients

5 red potatoes peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 large carrots peeled and diced into coins
½ red onion sliced into ½ inch slices
Olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2T chopped fresh rosemary or use 1T of chopped dried rosemary 
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Directions 3-4 servings

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Add the veggies to a roasting pan or cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and add salt, pepper and rosemary. Toss to coat
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Toss halfway through.
  4. Let veggies cool before storing in an airtight glass container for all of your make ahead needs! ​
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Vegan Chickpea tacos

2/29/2020

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A couple of years ago my husband and I tried a Vegan diet. It was supposed to be a two week experiment, inspired by our trip to Veggie Fest, however, we decided to give it a go for six months!  It was fun, it was challenging, but mostly, it was a great opportunity to experiment with new foods. These tacos became our favorite for our weekly Taco Tuesday dinners, so much so, that my nickname became, “chickpea.”  This taco filling takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, lasts for a week in the fridge, and is perfect for making taco salads and burrito bowls too! I hope you enjoy as much as we did!
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​Ingredients

½ chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic minced 
2 Tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil
1 can of chickpeas (drained, not rinsed) 
1.5 Tablespoons of taco seasoning (we recommend Costco brand)
2 T of chopped cilantro 

6 hard taco shells warmed in the oven
Directions

  1. Heat a medium sized saucepan on medium heat
  2. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan 
  3. Add the garlic and onion and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes
  4. Reduce the heat to low, and add the chickpeas and the taco seasoning. 
  5. Mash with a potato masher until most of the chickpeas have been mashed. (If your mixture is too dry you can add a tablespoon of water.)
  6. Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro 
  7. Place filling into taco shells OR store filling in the fridge in a  reusable container for up to a week. 
  8. Add your favorite taco toppings! 
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Very Veggie Enchiladas

1/17/2020

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I think winter is really starting to get to me. I’ve been craving things I usually make in the summer like these Very Veggie Enchiladas. I always make these on our family summer vacations to the lake. We all take turns making dinner for our group of 14, and I pretty much always make this. I love how tangy the enchilada sauce is and the veggie filling is perfection! It’s a perfect Make Ahead solution for lunches or dinners for the week. Just simply reheat and you can have a Mexican fiesta any night of the week!

Ingredients
2.5 cups of tomato sauce*
1 T chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp oregano 
2 T olive oil
16 ounce of sliced mushrooms
1 green bell pepper diced
1 yellow onion sliced
3 T taco seasoning*
3-4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas
Chopped cilantro for topping
Directions (makes 10 enchiladas)
  1. Combine the tomato sauce, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano in a small saucepan and heat covered until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, peppers and onions. Cook until they soften.
  3. Add the taco seasoning and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and set aside.  
  4. Preheat oven to 350
  5. Evenly spread a couple of spoonfuls of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 oven safe dish
  6. Add a couple of spoonfuls of taco filling along with a sprinkle of cheese to your tortilla. Roll and add to the oven safe dish. Repeat this 10 times.
  7. Add the remaining sauce and cheese to the top of the assembled enchiladas and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
  8. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and ENJOY!
Notes*
  1. I like to use a basic pasta sauce as a base for this enchilada sauce. 
  2. Our favorite taco seasoning can be found at Costco
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Vegan jackfruit "chicken" noodle soup

1/5/2020

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I first discovered jackfruit on our vacation to Tucson this fall. I had the very best jackfruit tacos at this incredibly popular vegan Mexican restaurant called Tumerico. If you are in the Tucson area, you should check it out! I couldn’t believe how authentic the jackfruit taco tasted and how filling it was. Since then I have made a few jackfruit recipes and have been experimenting with it in various ways (more to come!). My first creation turned out great and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to use this unripe canned jackfruit!  If you do not wish to venture into jackfruit, I have an equally yummy option to add chickpeas instead, which can be found in the “notes” section. Chicken noodle soup was always my favorite when I was a meat-eater and this is the closest I have come to replicating those flavors. The best part about soup, is that it’s make-ahead friendly and also can be frozen for a quick meal in the future. I hope you enjoy this Vegan Jackfruit “chicken” Noodle soup!


Vegan Jackfruit “chicken”Noodle Soup
Makes 8 servings 

2 - 20oz cans of Jackfruit (in brine or water, not in syrup!)**
2 tsp poultry seasoning 
2 tablespoons of olive oil plus more for sauteing jackfruit 
5 cloves of garlic chopped 
4 large carrots peeled and chopped
4 large celery stalks chopped 
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 cup of chopped fresh curly parsley leaves 
1 tablespoon of dried basil 
8 cups of veggie broth 
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked noodles - preferably Rotini 

Directions 

  1. Drain, rinse** and thoroughly dry the jackfruit, then cut off the “core” of the jackfruit and discard. You want to keep the part that shreds easily. 
  2. Heat a large skillet on medium and add some oil to to bottom of the pan.  Add the jackfruit and the poultry seasonings and stir to combine. Cook and stir occasionally for about 5-8 minutes until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 
  3. In a large soup pot heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant 1-2 minutes, making sure not to brown.
  4. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are soft. 5-7 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally and not to let the vegetables brown. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. 
  5. Add the prepared jackfruit and stir to combine.
  6. Add the veggie broth along with the parsley leaves and dried basil. 
  7. Bring to a boil, then cover a simmer on low for 25-35 minutes until carrots are tender. 
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  9. Serve with cooked noodles of your choice! 
  10. Soup lasts 1 week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Do not combine the noodles with the soup when storing for a make-ahead meal as they will soak up too much liquid.


Notes **
  1. It’s very important to rinse the jackfruit thoroughly so that you get rid of the overwhelming brine taste.
  2. Canned Jackfruit can be found at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. If you prefer not to use Jackfruit, canned chickpeas are an amazing substitute.  Just eliminate the poultry seasoning and make sure you rinse your chickpeas. Add them at the end with the noodles. 


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Vegan chickpea salad sandwiches

10/27/2019

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My favorite sandwich growing up was always tuna salad.  I recall the days when my mom would pack it for me in my lunch with crackers so I could make mini tuna cracker sandwiches! When I became a vegetarian nearly eight years ago, I was definitely missing the flavors of this classic sandwich, so I decided to recreate it with chickpeas.   It’s great on whole grain buns, or on bread toasted in the oven with melted cheese, or simply as I had it as a child, with crackers. Make a double batch for a week’s worth of make-ahead lunches!


Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

1 can of chickpeas drained, and rinsed 
1 Dill pickle diced fine 
2 small celery stalks diced fine
1 green onion diced fine
1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons of vegan mayo
1 teaspoon of yellow mustard
Dash of salt, pepper and paprika (to taste) 

Instructions 

1. Mash the chickpeas with a potato masher until mostly mashed and only small pieces remain.
2. Mix in all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. 
3. Enjoy on whole wheat buns, or as open-faced sandwiches toasted in the oven with sharp cheddar cheese or as a snack with crackers!
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THe bEST Vegetarian Chili

10/5/2019

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This vegetarian chili is filled with healthy veggies and two varieties of beans and it's sure to warm you on a cool day. 

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
1 onion chopped fine
1 red pepper chopped fine
7 cloves of garlic minced
3 tablespoons of Chili Powder
1 tablespoon of Cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups of water
½ cup of light beer
2 - 16oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 can of Kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of chickpeas or black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup of frozen corn
1 ½ teaspoons of salt
½ cup of cilantro
Juice from one lime

Directions:
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil In a large soup pot over medium heat
  2. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes
  3. Add the red pepper and cook until both are soft
  4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute 
  5. Add the 3T of Chili powder, 1T of Cumin and ¼ t of cayenne pepper and stir together until fragrant.
  6. Add 1 ½  cups of water along with the ½ cup of beer and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken
  7. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 t of oregano and 1T of brown sugar to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
  8. Add the beans & chickpeas, corn, salt, cilantro, and lime juice.  Adjust seasonings as needed. I sometimes add a bit more beer. 
  9. Cook until the corn is heated through. Serve with sharp cheddar cheese, whole wheat noodles and diced green onion! 


Recipe adapted from http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/

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    Author

    I am a music teacher, professional musician and a vegetarian. I created this site with the mission to share recipes that make life a little more organized, and enjoyable!  ​

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