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Quick-Start Seven Day Meal Plan – Try it you’ll like it!

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MEAL PLAN – DAY 1

Breakfast

Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal
Steel-Cut-Oatmeal 3Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes
1/4 cup of McCann’s Quick & Easy Steel-Cut Irish Oatmeal or another brand
Add dash cinnamon or raw cane sugar
3/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sliced bananas, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or favorite fruit

Bring water to a boil. Add the oatmeal, reduce heat to low, simmer uncovered for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly and allow to stand for 1 minute before serving. Combine other ingredients in a medium bowl and ready to eat.

Lunch

Mock Tuna Sandwich
Mock Tuna Sandwich
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour

Make the spread early to allow it to chill.

Spread:
1 15 ounces can garbanzo beans (no salt), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sweet or dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup fat-free Soy mayonnaise
8 slices whole-wheat bread
lettuce (optional)
tomatoes
mustard (optional)

Mash beans with a bean masher. Place in a bowl and add celery, onions, relish, lemon juice, and fat-free tofu mayonnaise. Mix well. Chill to blend flavors. Spread bread with mustard, if desired. Place about 1/2 cup of the spread on four of the bread slices. Add lettuce, tomatoes if desired, close up, and eat. Cut of celery and carrot into sticks and eat with sandwich.

TOFU Mayo
This is a delicious mayonnaise substitute, without all the fat found in commercial vegan mayonnaise. Use this in any of your favorite recipes calling for mayonnaise.

Serving size: Variable
1 package silken tofu
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs raw cane sugar
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Procedure
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes to form a smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Dinner

Veggie Tacos
vegan-tacosServings: 8-10 tacos
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Watch Video

TACO FILLING:
6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup diced onion
2 doves of garlic, finely chopped or garlic powder
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 or 2 cans (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained

FOR THE TACOS:
8-10 hard corn taco shells or for less fat use store-bough corn tortillas
2 cups finely shredded lettuce
1 cup diced red or white onion
4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1 sliced avocado
Optional: Your favorite salsa

1. Heat the pan; add water to sauté the onion, and red bell pepper for 10 minutes until they are soft. Add the can tomatoes (drained) to pan on low heat, add garlic. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.
2. Add chili powder and cumin and stir in.
3. Stir in the kidney beans and chickpeas; cook for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the tacos: Place 1/4 cup of the cooked veggies in each taco shell. Top with some shredded lettuce and tomatoes. Add avocado and your favorite salsa if desired. Serve immediately. 

MEAL PLAN – DAY 2

Breakfast

Post Grape-Nuts Cereal w/Fruit
Grape NutsServings 1
Preparation Time: 2 minutes
1 bowl of Post Grape-Nuts Cereal
1 cup of soy, rice or almond milk
1/2 cup sliced bananas, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or favorite fruit (frozen or fresh)
1 cup of green tea
1 slice of toasted sprouted whole wheat bread
Combine cereal and fruit, add milk. Toast bread add favorite jelly or jam.

Lunch

Veggie Wrap
Vegetable-WrapServings: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes

¼ cup chopped spinach
½ avocado sliced
¼ cup of chopped carrots
¼ cup broccoli flowers
¼ cup cucumbers sliced (skinned)
¼ cup sweet corn
¼ cup chick peas
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
2 whole wheat tortillas or wraps
¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Prepare all the vegetables ahead of time, place large bowl. Layer vegetables on tortilla and sprinkle balsamic vinegar, roll up and eat!

Dinner

Sloppy Joes (from The Engine2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn)

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 12-13 minutes
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1 onion chopped onion
15 ounces (2 cups) Lentils canned (low sodium) or cooked
1 cup of water
8 ounces of tomato paste or use tomato sauce
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
4 whole grain buns
1 onion sliced into thin rounds (optional)
Sliced dill pickles

1 Sauté’ the onion & garlic on medium high heat in a nonstick skillet for 3-4 minutes, until just translucent.
2 Stir in the tomato paste or sauce. Add the remaining water and stir until thoroughly mixed, using more water as necessary to make a thick sauce. Stir in tamari, Worcestershire, and sugar.
3 Add lentils and thoroughly mix. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and tweak mixture to your liking: Add more maple syrup for a sweeter flavor, or barbecue sauce for a smokier or more fiery flavor
Place a generous amount of filling into each bun. Layer with lettuce, onion, sliced tomato, and any other fixings you enjoy. Add mustard or ketchup if desired.

Side Dish
Vegetarian Baked Beans
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 1 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
1 can vegetarian baked beans
Open can put in small sauce pan and cook for 5 minutes. Ready to serve.

MEAL PLAN – DAY 3

Breakfast

Almond French Toast
french-toastPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 or 12 (depends how hungry you are)
2 cups Almond milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash turmeric
6 or 12 slices whole wheat bread

Combine the almond milk with the brown sugar, cinnamon and turmeric. (Place in a blender jar and process briefly, use an immersion blender in a deep bowl, or place in a covered jar and shake well.) Dip slices of the bread into this mixture and brown on a medium-hot non-stick griddle. Serve with warmed maple syrup or fruit sauces or spread.
Hints: These are easy to store for later use. Place them in individual zip-lock bags and refrigerate. Reheat in microwave. They may also be frozen and popped into the toaster for reheating.

Lunch

Baked Potato and Salad
Baked potato1 large potato

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the potatoes carefully, and prick the skin with a fork several times. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for about one hour. Or microwave for 8-10 minutes wrapped in wet paper towel.

Salad
½ head romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 to 3 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into small wedges
1 small red onion, sliced thin
red wine vinegar or favorite fat-free salad dressing
pepper, to taste
Tear the lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces and transfer them to a large salad bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion. Sprinkle dressing and toss to combine.

Dinner

Creamy Corn Chowder
Corn ChowderPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

3 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
3 cups frozen corn
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons of diced pimiento
1 cup of soy or rice milk
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the broth, onion, potatoes, and corn in a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, add seasonings, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove 3 cups of the soup and place in blender. Blend until smooth. Return to the pot. Add the pimiento and milk. Season with pepper. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Optional: Add toasted whole wheat French bread as a side or a small dinner salad.

MEAL PLAN – DAY 4

Breakfast

Hash Brown Potatoes
hash-browns
Servings 2-4
Preparation Time: 1 minute
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
1 bag Ore-Ida Country-Style Hash Browns (frozen)
1 diced onion
2 slices of sprouted whole wheat bread (toasted)

Pour potatoes into a dry, nonstick frying pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with BBQ sauce, ketchup or salsa.

Lunch

1 bowl of Creamy Corn Chowder soup (left over from last night’s dinner).

Add a mixed green salad.

Dinner

Vegetable Stir-Fry w/ Brown Rice
Vegetable Stir Fry½ onion, sliced into half rounds
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 stalks of broccoli (cut)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, combined
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 bunch basil for garnish, rinsed and sliced

Heat a large, sprayed skillet or wok for 3 minutes. Add the first ten ingredients in the order listed, stirring for 1 minute after each addition. Serve warm over rice. Add soy sauce, if desired.

MEAL PLAN – DAY 5

Breakfast

Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal

Steel-Cut-Oatmeal 3Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes

1/4 cup of McCann’s Quick & Easy Steel-Cut Irish Oatmeal or another brand
2 tablespoons raisins
dash cinnamon or raw cane sugar
3/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sliced bananas, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or favorite fruit

Bring water to a boil. Add the oatmeal, reduce heat to low, simmer uncovered for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly and allow to stand for 1 minute before serving. Combine other ingredients in a medium bowl and ready to eat.

Lunch

Vegetarian Pizza
Veggie PizzaPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 6

1 cup of fat-free Italian style sauce
1 large Kabuli Pizza Crust
Assorted toppings: chopped onions, chopped green peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped pineapple, chopped broccoli, chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, black olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread the sauce over the crust. Add the toppings of your choice. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden. Slice and serve.
Hint: Kabuli pizza crust is made by Dallas Gourmet Bakery. Many natural food stores carry this brand. Or you may order it by calling (972) 247-9835. It is made with no dairy or added oils. There are many fat-free Italian sauces available in natural food stores and supermarkets. Use a marinara, spaghetti, or pizza sauce
for a traditional taste.

Dinner

Bean & Corn Enchiladas
Bean & Corn Enchiladas
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Enchilada sauce:
2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Place all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well combined. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more chili powder if desired. Set aside.
10 corn tortillas or whole wheat tortillas
4 cups mashed or refried pinto beans (no-fat)
1 cup chopped green onions
1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2.25 ounce can sliced ripe olives, drained
1-2 tablespoons chopped green chilies (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To assemble casserole:
Place the beans in a large bowl. Add the onions, corn, olives and green chilies (if you wish). Mix gently until well combined.
Place 1½ cups of the sauce in the bottom of a large non-stick oblong baking dish. Take 1 tortilla at a time and spread a line of the bean mixture down the center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, placing them snugly next to each other. Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolled up tortillas, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle a small amount of grated soy cheese over the top, if desired. Cover with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and tofu sour cream, if desired.
Variation: This may also be made with corn tortillas instead of the wheat tortillas. You will need about 15-16 corn tortillas. The remaining directions remain the same.

MEAL PLAN – DAY 6

Breakfast

Veggie Benedicts (from McDougall’s Quick & Easy Cookbook)
breakfast-veggie-benedictPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2-4
For the ‘Hollandaise’ sauce:
1 cup cashew milk (see recipe below) or use soy milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of paprika
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Place the cashew milk in a saucepan. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Set aside. (If you need to reheat this just before serving, do it slowly while stirring with a whisk.)

For the base:
1 vine-ripened tomato
½ avocado
4 fat-free English muffin halves

Slice the tomato into 4 medium-thick slices. Peel and slice the avocado. Toast the muffin halves. Place the tomato and the avocado on the English muffin halves. Ladle about ¼ cup of the sauce over each muffin half and serve.

Hints: The sauce may be made 1 day ahead of time and slowly reheated. This saves time on a busy morning. The sauce is also great with asparagus, other vegetables or potatoes.

Cashew Milk
Make sure you use raw cashews, not roasted ones, and make sure you blend this thoroughly and then strain it to remove any pieces that did not get blended.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Servings: makes 2 cups
½ cup RAW cashews
2 cups water
Place the cashews in a blender jar with 1 cup of the water. Process until very smooth. Add the remaining water and blend until no large pieces remain. This may take a minute or two. Strain after processing to remove any remaining pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lunch

Veggie Wrap
Vegetable-WrapPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 2

¼ cup chopped spinach
1 avocado sliced
¼ cup of chopped carrots
¼ cup broccoli flowers
¼ cup cucumbers sliced (skinned)
¼ cup sweet corn
¼ cup chick peas
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
2 whole wheat tortillas or wraps
¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Prepare all the vegetables ahead of time, place large bowl. Layer vegetables on tortilla and sprinkle balsamic vinegar, roll up and eat!

Dinner

Spinach Lasagna (from McDougall’s Quick & Easy Cookbook)
Veggie LasagnePreparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Watch Video
Prepare the ricotta before assembling the lasagna.
Tofu Ricotta:
12.3 ounce package silken tofu
1 pound fresh water-packed firm tofu
teaspoons minced garlic
1½ cups nutritional yeast
pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup soy milk

Combine all of the above ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

1 recipe Tofu Ricotta
1-2 bags fresh, washed spinach
8 ounces lasagna noodles
7 cups fat-free pasta sauce
12 ounces Soy mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup soy parmesan cheese
Place the tofu ricotta into a large bowl. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the lasagna noodles, stir, cook uncovered until just softened. Do not overcook. Remove from water and drain, hanging them up to dry slightly. OR use the no-boil lasagna noodles and eliminate this step entirely.

Prepare the spinach next. Use at least 1 bag, 2 if you really like spinach. Steam the fresh spinach just until slightly wilted (about a minute or two), drain well, then either mix the spinach into the tofu ricotta or layer the spinach over the tofu ricotta in 2 batches before sprinkling with the grated soy cheese. (See assembly directions below.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. (Remove any excess oil with a paper towel.) Place 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and smooth over the bottom. Place 1 layer of the noodles over the sauce. Then add half of the tofu mixture and smooth out. Sprinkle half of the soy cheese over that, then spread 2 cups more of the sauce over the cheese. Add another layer of noodles, the rest of the tofu mixture, the remaining cheese, 2 cups more of the sauce, and the rest of the noodles. Spoon the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the noodles (make sure you cover all the edges), sprinkle some soy parmesan over the top. Cover with parchment paper and then cover with foil.

Bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Variation: This may be made with frozen spinach. Use a 10 ounce box (or more) and thaw in a colander. Drain well and press out any excess water with your hands. Mix into the tofu ricotta before assembling lasagna.

Hints: This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before baking. Add about 15 minutes to the baking time.

MEAL PLAN – DAY 7

Breakfast

Blueberry Pancakes
Blueberry PancakesPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4-6
1 ¼ pancake mix (can use three or four varieties of Arrowhead Mills pancake mix: multigrain, oat bran, buckwheat, and cornmeal)
1 ¾ cups water or milk substitute
2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine the mix and the liquid in a large bowl, stirring to remove lumps. Fold the blueberries in the batter. Heat a dry skillet until a drop of water dances on its surface. Spraying the skillet once should allow for three batches of pancakes. Cook until the batter begins to bubble and the bottom of the pancake is golden. Flip and cook on the other side until both sides are golden.

Variations: Add bananas, or strawberries with walnuts or pecans to batter. Or sprinkle pure coca chips into the batter for a chocolate treat.

Lunch

Sweet Potato Roundsw/Cauliflower and Leafy Greens
Sweet Potato Rounds wSidesPreparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
2 sweet potatoes, skinned, sliced
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Slice sweet potatoes into one inch slices, place the rounds on a sprayed baking sheet, sprinkle them with a small amount of brown sugar and cover with foil. Cook for 25 minutes, turning once. Remove foil after 15 minutes to allow slices to brown. Serve with green beans and sweet corn, season with salt and pepper or favorite spices.

Sides
Cauliflower
2 cups of fresh cauliflower

Boil or steam green cauliflower until tender.
Kale or Spinach

3 cups of frozen or frozen kale or spinach
Boil in water until tender.

Dinner

Pad Thai w/ Tofu & Broccoli
vegetarian-pad-thai 23 tablespoons vegetable stock or water
1 garlic clove, minced
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
12 ounces flat rice noodles, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, then drained
1 pound broiled tofu cubes
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup bean sprouts
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons home-toasted peanuts, chopped
8 sprigs cilantro

Heat the vegetable stock in a wok or large nonstick skillet until it starts to bubble.
Cook the garlic in the vegetable stock for 1 minute, until the garlic begins to brown lightly
Add the onions, noodles, tofu, broccoli, and sprouts one at a time, stirring for 45 seconds after each addition.

Add the chili powder, sugar, tamari, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro or cashews.