On the Menu

It's been another couple of busy weeks at Well on Wheels headquarters, and so this post will be a summary of menus offered during that time.  As we transition to cooler weather, seasonal veggies such as butternut and acorn squash and Brussels sprouts make an appearance.  Hooray!  I welcome their return (more so than the cold)!!

Baked Tofu with Mushroom Gravy, Steamed Asparagus and Quinoa

Pan-fried Tempeh with Broccoli and Carrot Sautee on Quinoa

Maple Glazed Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash with 

Wild Rice and Red Bean Pilaf and Toasted Pine Nuts

RAW Special:  Zucchini Lasagna with Macadamia "Rawcotta" 

and Sundried Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara

This week's entrees

Baked Tofu with Dijon Glazed Brussels Sprouts and 

Cinnamon Spiced Baked Butternut Squash

Pumpkin, Spinach and Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice

Baked Polenta with Portobello Mushroom Sauce, 

Escarole and White Beans, with Toasted Pine Nuts

This Week's Menu

It's been a busy October already here at Well on Wheels headquarters, which is why this "weekly meals" post will cover about two weeks' worth of photos from a couple of menus.  My favorite meal is the one at the top of this post, which was a substitute entree for a client of mine who is doing a raw food cleanse.  I love the complimentary colors of the luscious red pepper and sundried tomato marinara contrasted with the vibrant green spiralized zucchini and fresh basil chiffonade that's topped with a creamy cashew cheese sauce.  Not only does it look gorgeous, but the flavors were outstanding.     

It seems so long ago, but summer still lingers on with warm temperatures and sunshine during the day.  So I'm still including some seasonal warm weather veggies like zucchini in my menus.

The meals from two weeks ago included a spicy Jerk Tempeh with Red and Green Peppers and Brown Rice.  This always makes me think of tropical island breezes, crystal blue water, and bright sunshiny skies, which we haven't seen much of this season.  And so, they appear here in food form.

The second entree is a simple preparation with a ton of flavor.  Dijon Glazed Portobello Steak combines with a rich Mashed Sweet Potato and Yam with Coconut Cream and Steamed Broccoli.

Entree #3 for the week packed a little spicy kick.  Peanut Sauce is something I can eat nearly every day, and it paired really well with the veggies in this meal:  Baked Tofu with Cabbage and Carrot Slaw on Brown Rice.

This week's menu returns to the seasonal theme with zucchini.  This entree features a similar sauce to the raw meal at the top of this post, but uses roasted red peppers as the base.  The sauce accompanies a Baked Zucchini Boat with Cumin-Spiced Brown Rice and Black Bean Stuffing.

The second entree is a vegan take on a comfort food favorite, Stroghanoff.  I used tempeh and mushrooms in this preparation, and thickened the creamy sauce with tahini instead of the traditional yogurt.

The final entree of the week is one that had me swooning since I was able to enjoy a little leftover for lunch today.  The Millet and Red Lentil Patties with Coconut Curry and Stringbeans make for a hearty meal that is not only satisfying, but pretty decadent as well.

Mine tasted best eaten while sitting out on the back deck in this rare 70 degree October weather.

This week's menu

This week's menu was inspired by the stacks of bright green asparagus gracing the refrigerated produce shelves at my local independent grocer.  How could I not make something with it?

Meal #1 was the lemon-infused Tofu Piccata with Quinoa and Fresh Asparagus.  The piccata sauce is made with rice milk or soy milk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and capers.  It's that little bit of salty brine from the capers and tang from the lemon juice that bring it all together.  Plus, I love the way the colors and textures complement each other as well.

Meal #2 was a Sweet and Sour Tempeh with Broccoli and Pineapple on Quinoa.  Again, there was a pleasant contrast of flavors that made this dish one you want to dig into, and the contrasting colors are pretty eye-appealing as well.

The final dish doesn't look like much on screen, but believe me, it's purely decadent comfort food.  The Seitan Stew with Root Vegetables is made with a thick, rich gravy that gets its flavor from tamari and tahini.  Sautee a bunch of crimini mushrooms and shallots together in a pot, deglaze with cornstarch and water, season with tamari, then thicken with tahini.  Add the cubed seitan, roasted sweet potato, parsnip and carrot, and you'd never know this was vegan.

This week's menu

I've been craving broccoli and greens this week, which makes sense since we're transitioning to a new season and both help with cleansing and detoxing all that winter gloom.  And so, these were the featured ingredients in this week's menu.

The first entree combined a little mashed sweet potato comfort food with an early spring veggie, asparagus.  Since it still feels like winter, I thought this pairing worked well.  And the orange and green color contrast looks pretty groovy on the plate, too.

The second entree was a simple tofu stir-fry with bok choy, broccoli and carrots.  It's seasoned with toasted sesame oil to add a little bit of richness.

The final entree was a hearty Tempeh Stroganoff with broccoli.  I used Bionaturae's curly rombi pasta because it looks like little flying carpets, and sometimes we just want to escape from the world.

This week's menu

This week's theme was variety.  I was working with a core menu of seasonal ingredients, but had clients with different food preferences.  Because my menus can be customized to suit individual tastes and dietary needs, I was able to make modifications to each dish while also maintaining a balance of delicious flavors, colors and textures.

One entree was Baked Tofu with Curried Butternut Squash Risotto, Toasted Coconut, and Brussels Sprouts.  The risotto is a heavenly, almost decadent, accompaniment to this meal and while one of my clients enjoys its creamy, coconutty taste profile (as do I!), another client requested something lighter, so I made a Mashed Butternut Squash instead.

Another entree this week was Triple Green Tofu made with Asparagus, Green Beans, and Broccoli.  For my client with an aversion to green beans, I substituted zucchini.  Anything green in this stir-fry works well, since it all gets tossed in a sauce spiced with red pepper flakes that adds a refreshing little kick.

The last entree was Broccoli Rabe, White Beans and Marinara with Fresh Basil on Baked Sundried Tomato Polenta.  I like polenta as an alternative to the ubiquitous pasta, and I think the sundried tomatoes add a nice tanginess.  Bitter greens are the way to go as we transition to a new season!

This Week's Menu

There's an Indonesian peanut sauce I've been making all winter that I never get tired of, so it made an appearance on the menu this week for several clients of mine.  It's seasoned with chili powder, ginger, toasted shallots, and garlic, then right at the end just as it begins to bubble in the pot, I stir in some coconut cream to thin it out.  This is so delicious with poured over wide rice noodles, baked tofu and broccoli.

For the second entree I made Pan-fried Tempeh with Wild Rice Pilaf and Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts.  I realized I hadn't made anything with wild rice for quite some time, and I really like this blend of rices from Lundberg Farms.  The complimentary flavors of tart apple, sweet dried cranberries, and green onion all worked really well together, and the crunch of toasted pecans added some richness to the mix.

The third entree was Barbecue Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Dijon Green Beans.  I guess I've been in the mood for summer lately, and this dish makes me think of grilling outside, sitting in my yard with the sun shining on my face.   Soon enough!

This week's menu

I recently shared my recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Coulis with a student and since it came out so delicious, I decided to make it for a client this week.  It's probably one of the easiest sauces to make, and yet the flavor is so rich and decadent.  It goes nicely with Cumin Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Baked Zucchini Boats, which is how I served it this week.

The second meal was Cornmeal Crusted Tofu Cutlets with Quinoa and Broccoli with Cauliflower Cream.  I had been wondering what to make with cauliflower since it's in season right now, and remembered this luscious sauce (I guess I must be feeling pretty saucy this week!).  The cauliflower is cooked until fork tender, then pureed with nutritional yeast, miso, rice milk, and a little olive oil and sea salt.  You'd never know it's as healthy as it is.

The third entree was Curried Chickpea and Cashew Quinoa Pilaf with Stringbean Amandine.  The quinoa pilaf is modified from a recipe that called for couscous, but since I can't eat wheat I substituted the quinoa, which I think tastes even better.  There is kind of a sweet-spicy-savory-flavor combo with a nice balance of natural sweetness from raisins and spice from curry powder, cinnamon and turmeric. Perfectly sublime.

This week's menu

I've been making a lot of tofu scrambles this week, inspired by a recent recipe created for the Superbowl.  One was southwestern style with red and green peppers, mushrooms, and onions and seasoned with chili powder.  Another was tofu florentine with spinach and mushrooms.

For one of my clients this week I chose a mix of zucchini and yellow squash seasoned with nutritional yeast and oregano.  All of these were served with a generous side of curried homefries.  This makes a perfect breakfast-for-dinner entree, but really, I could eat it any time of the day.

Another entree this week was a Spicy Triple Green Tempeh Saute with Brown Rice.  The three green veggies were broccoli, asparagus, and green beans, and the spicy sauce included red pepper flakes, tamari, sesame oil, mustard, and Thai chili sauce.

The final meal was a hearty Green Lentil with Sauteed Greens and Maple Glazed Butternut Squash. [apologies for the glowing orange orbs of butternut squash in the photo] The squash was baked in the oven and caramelized on one side, then it was topped with maple syrup for a few more minutes in the oven to form a glaze.  This is a simple, yet satisfying dish inspired by seasonal staples.

This Week's Menu

I went back to basics for a couple of the entrees on this week's menu.  It always helps my planning when clients have a craving and can let me know what they want.  In this case, it was stir-fry. Something so simple that I rarely ever make it, and yet, once I do, I always say to myself, "this is so good.  I should make it more often."

So the stir-fry included baked tofu triangles, broccoli, carrots, and snow peas. I served it with short-grain brown rice, again, something that tastes so sweet and delicious on its own that I could eat it all the time, and yet I rarely do.

Another basic was Mediterranean Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Baby Spinach, Cannelini Beans and Fresh Basil.  I love these flavors in the summer, which is where my thoughts are as we experience yet another snow storm and prepare for frigid temperatures over the weekend.  I should rename this pasta "California Dreamin'."

The final item on this week's menu was inspired by a recent cooking lesson where my student and I experimented with Oven-roasted Brussels Sprouts.  They're so delicious tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and caramelized under high heat of the oven.  The little errant leaves that separate from the heads get extra crispy and flavorful, which is my favorite treat.  I served them with Pan-fried Tempeh and Perfectly Mashed Potatoes.  Yum!

This Week's Menu

Seasonal veggies, creamy goodness, comfy comfort food... that was the theme this week.

I think my favorite on the menu would be the Mac 'n' Cheese 'n' Stuff, which is kinda like if Mac 'n Cheese hooked up with Cauliflower Au Gratin and created this love child.  Then it's topped off with a crunchy topping of toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs.  I could eat it every snow-stormy day this winter.

Next up is the Baked Tofu with Warm Savoy Cabbage and Carrot Slaw and Quinoa.  I always forget to cook with cabbage, but this week I remembered!  It's so sweet and delicious.

Finally, the Panfried Tempeh with Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potato and Rutabaga and Steamed Broccoli.  I love throwing a mix of starches together and mashing them up.  This week it's the slightly bitter, slightly sweet rutabaga (purple turnip) which makes its appearance on the menu.  Yum!