happy new year!
plant-based meal planner + weeknight sheet pan recipe!
I haven’t lost it, it’s not January!
Here’s what happened; One night last week I was up late editing some recipes and listening to The Mel Robbins podcast. She started the episode with some thoughts on how September is like a second New Year, like a renewal or a reset, and I thought YES!
For better or for worse, it’s exactly like that. And it inspired this post and all the goodies inside!
After a summer of loose schedules and late bedtimes, we’re ready for more structure. September, like January, motivates us to spruce up our wardrobes, declutter the house, commit to new exercise routines, and just get our shit together in general, right?
This shift in pace also requires us to think about meal planning – breakfast, lunch, and most importantly weeknight dinner!
September arrives and a whirlwind of weeknight chaos comes with it.
Because let’s not sugar coat it, weeknights are just bananas! You get home, unpack, tackle homework or finish work-work, cook, clean, do drop-offs and pick-ups, and finally prepare all over again for the following day. All this happens in a matter of hours. Plus, you know, try to find some time to relax and get to bed at a decent hour.
Leading up to September you probably want an organized approach to weeknight meals. If you’re like me, you need a template or loose plan that can take the indecision or guess work out of dinner.
(Or maybe you have a tried and true, foolproof system that works perfectly for you — if so, keep on truckin!)
This weeknight conundrum is actually a new problem for me. I never had to have a meal plan before. It was just the two of us and Bernard was very much accustomed to dining on an assortment of foods — leftovers and new experiments I was working on.
But a lot has changed. George, my son, is almost 2 and not only am I discovering the joys (read aggravation) of trying to cook with a toddler at my feet but I’m also learning how his little toddler appetite, likes and dislikes turn on a dime!
I also have less free time. Rise Shine Cook has evolved from what it once was. After a couple of cookbooks, this membership, and some new projects in the works, I don’t get to play in the kitchen as much as I used to.
If I don’t plan, it’s a 5 alarm-fire, shit-show zoo.
We end up ordering in, eating something no one likes, or sitting down to dinner way too late — which never ends well.
I needed a strategy, a system — one tailored to the plant-based plate. To quote Dale Carnegie “an hour of planning is worth 10 hours of doing” and I can’t think of any place where this is truer than the crazy planet we call weeknight dinner.
So, I made a plan. It’s simple. I’ve stuck to it.
As we leave the languid days of summer behind and approach the transition that is September, I thought I’d share the meal guide I’ve created for myself as well as a sheet pan recipe that fits into the weeknight rush.
Here’s my plan:
Monday: Grain Bowl
Tuesday: Pasta
Wednesday: Sheet Pan or Skillet
Thursday: Stuffed Veggie or Stew
Friday: Handheld
I like to give myself parameters so I decided to build my plan around meal type. On Sunday morning I fill in our weeknight dinners in the planner below. You can print it every week and stick it on the fridge or even laminate it and fill it out using a washable market — this is what I do.
Printable Meal Planner Template
Here are some examples of what this might look like. Week 1 and 3 are all Rise Shine Cook recipes (with links) but of course I encourage you to use any of your favorite recipe resources or tap into your creativity and come up with your own meal ideas (like Week 2).
Example Week 1
Monday: Steamer Basket Bowl
Tuesday: One Pot Tuscan Pasta (from Plant-Based Delicious)
Wednesday: Sheet Pan Veggies and Tofu (recipe below)
Thursday: Stuffed Squash (this one will be featured in the Forks Over Knives Magazine holiday issue!)
Friday: Cauliflower Tacos (from Plant-Based Delicious)
Example Week 2
Here’s the same template but with meal ideas.
Monday – hummus, brown rice and roasted veggies
Tuesday – lentil Bolognese pasta
Wednesday — veggie stir-fry
Thursday – portobello pizzas
Friday — lentil sloppy joe
Example Week 3
And another week with recipe links.
Monday – Roasted Squash & Quinoa Bowls
Tuesday – Roasted Red Pepper Pasta + Steamed Kale
Wednesday — Tofu Teriyaki with brown rice
Thursday – Zucchini Rolls with Tofu Walnut Ricotta and millet
Friday — Black Bean Burgers and air-fried french fries
I’ve chosen these types of meals to reflect the season we’re entering and the intention is to give you a flexible plant-based framework.
I hope it’s helpful and please share any ideas that have helped you in the comments.
Now onto this week’s recipe!
Sheet Pan Veggie and Tofu Dinner
This is an easy sheet pan dinner. Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you – it’s mostly spices! First you toss the tofu in spices and bake. Then you toss the veggies in spices and add to the pan of tofu and bake. The sauce is optional. I often just add a squeeze of lemon when I’m too busy! See variations for more serving ideas.
Makes 3 servings
Time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Tofu
1 (14 ounce/400 g) block extra firm tofu
2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Veggies
4 cups (400 g) bite size cauliflower florets (1 small head cauliflower)
1 red, yellow, or orange Bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, cut into 1-inch (2.2 cm) pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch (2.2 cm) pieces
3 tablespoons (12 g) nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Pinch black pepper or to taste
Tahini Sauce
¼ cup (60 g) stirred tahini
2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt (omit if using hot sauce)
½ to 1 teaspoon vinegar based hot sauce, optional
Water to thin
HOW-TO
Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a large baking sheet or 2 medium sheets with parchment paper.
Meanwhile, prepare the tofu. Drain the tofu and cut into ¾ inch cubes and place in a large bowl. In a small, separate bowl, mix the smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder.
Pour the tamari or soy sauce over the tofu and toss until all the tofu is coated. Sprinkle half the spice mix over the tofu and toss again with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix over the tofu and toss again until all tofu is coated in spices. Once the oven is preheated, spread the tofu out on one side of the parchment-lined pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Now prepare the veggies. Put all the chopped veggies in a large bowl (rinse and dry the same bowl used for the tofu).
Mix the spice mixture for the veggies (nutritional yeast through black pepper) in a small bowl (same bowl used for the tofu spices) and sprinkle half the spice mixture onto the veggies and toss to combine. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over the veggies and toss until all the veggies are coated in spices.
After 10 minutes, move the tofu over to one side to of the pan and spread the veggies out on the other side of the pan in a single layer. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender (maybe beginning to brown on their edges) and the tofu is firm. Divide among bowls and enjoy! See Variations for serving suggestions.
While the veggies and tofu are baking, make the tahini sauce (if using). Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and add water, one to two tablespoons (15-30 ml) at a time, as needed to get a pourable consistency. I usually add about 6 tablespoons of water.
Variations
You can serve this meal as is or pair with just-cooked brown rice or quinoa. I usually make a batch of quinoa or brown rice on Sundays and reheat it.
Prepare Ahead
If you want to prep some of his meal the night before or the morning of, you can chop all the veggies and keep them in a container in the fridge and you can also measure the spices for both the tofu and veggies and keep them in separate bowls on the counter. You can also make the sauce ahead of time as well. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Printable Recipe
What’s coming up…
There’s lots of great stuff coming from Rise Shine Cook in September and through the fall, including some cool things I’ve never done before!
First, I have a plant-based protein post and interview coming that’s going to blow your socks off! Protein is the subject of never ending debate and I have a guest joining us here that will answer all of your questions and put you at ease about feeding your family plant-based meals. In fact, she’ll make you even more motivated to keep cooking this way.
Recipes: It’s a mixed bag! We’re turning kale into an anti-inflammatory 20-minute meal. There’s also an apple pie breakfast spinoff, stuffed peppers, and the best thing I ever did with beets! Maybe the second best thing, these beet brownies are crazy good.
What gear I use: An equipment guide is coming where I’m sharing all the gear I use with links.
Who knows, there might even be a cooking class invite coming your way! 😌
Happy cooking my fellow foodies! I love you guys and I’m so happy you’re here with me on this journey!
-Ashley
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Cooked the sheet pan tofu and vegetables recipe tonight and it was delicious. I kept 'taste testing' the tofu, and that sauce is sensational. Many thanks.
I ll give this a try. Regarding the bowls, I have ignited these until now. But just got my Zoe results and the news is not good. ( weird as I thought I was eating well and vegan) . I think the bowls will bring it to the next level .... I like the simplicity of the structure . Can’t wait for cooking class