Writer Helping Writer(s): Vegetarian Meals

By Jessica

Our dear Kristie is coming up on a particularly grueling part of her day job wherein she will be spending many long hours at work for MANY MONTHS and when I say many, I mean that she'll be eating her meals at work. The majority of her meals. That sort of schedule can make meal planning difficult (what am I talking about? *I* have difficulty meal planning on my best day) and eating vegetarian (or vegan) can add an extra layer of complication.

I offered to take on the task of suggesting some quick and easy veg friendly meals that she could tote along to work. Note: I eat vegetarian, not vegan but usually it's not hard for her to tweak my stuff to her liking. 

I tried to come up with things that would use similar ingredients in multiple ways to make shopping more streamlined without the meals being identical to prevent boredom. I also went mainly for real foods that she could cook on a day off and take as leftovers during her working week so that the kids would have real foods as well, not just salads (but there are a couple of salads in there too) or pre-packaged convenience foods which would obviously be the simplest option.

Main ingredients: Chickpeas, Zucchini

Chickpea salad (essentially as a replacement for tuna or egg salad) which could be eaten in a wrap, on a sandwich or stuffed into a tomato. I used mayo in mine and I also pulsed mine in the food processor briefly to make it more like tuna salad and easier to eat in a sandwich or stuffed into a tomato. You could obviously stick with the original recipe or use veganaise, either way. I really didn't use the recipe for anything more than the idea, honestly, I made it exactly as I would my own tuna salad and well,  I am ADDICTED TO THIS.

Stuffed Zucchini 

Marinated Garbanzo Beans I LOVE these. Seriously, I make them all the time. My suggestion to make them into a meal is to take zucchini and run it through a mandoline so it comes out like spaghetti pasta ribbons. Slap the ribbons into a mason jar, top with the marinated ceci and eat as a cold pasta dish. YUM.

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

Main Ingredients: Quinoa and Black Beans

Veggie burgers I've already posted about these but I love them.

Quinoa salad with black beans

Barbados Black Bean Cakes with Mango Salsa

Quinoa wrap

Personally I also just like to spice up some black beans with traditional taco seasonings, mustard seeds, nutritional yeast and some turmeric and cook them down with a bit of veg stock. I then slap that mixture into a soft tortilla (your choice) and top it with some cabbage, shredded carrots and avocado tomatillo dressing.

You could use the leftover cabbage and carrots to make a coleslaw, make some baked beans, a cheese sauce and throw the whole thing over tortilla chips with the dressing or salsa of your for nachos.

Main Ingredients: Lentils, Kale (or Spinach) and Tomatoes

Red Lentil and Spinach Soup 

Crispy Squash Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese (I know, you could maybe sub the cheese)

Lentil Meatballs in Lemon Pesto

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans (I subbed kale for the chard when I made this)

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (I'd sub veg stock for the chicken stock listed in the recipe)

Here's an idea I have for something that could be "cooked" in tandem at home and at work. Roast up some veg at home (whatever veg you prefer, I love the frozen Normandy mix from Costco and always have it in my chest freezer in the garage) keep a container of couscous at your desk and some veg stock in the work fridge. When you are hungry just heat up the correct amount of broth in the microwave and pour it over your measured amount of couscous, slap a cover on it and let it sit while you reheat your roasted veg. Once everything is ready, mix together and bam! Dinner!

I have a ton more ideas, but hopefully this helps! 

{Photo credit: me}

Comments

[Kristie]

Jess, this is SO GREAT. I've made my grocery list for next week so I can make some of these dishes. i especially love the chickpea salad, it even looks like tuna salad! You're really the best friend, thank you so very much for your hard work.