Tuesday Dinner Ideas

One thing I've recently done that has helped tremendously is I made a list of routine meals to make and then at the bottom things I don't make often (for whatever reason) but love them. The top portion has about 25 stables and the bottom about 10 so I'm never without ideas. How about breakfast for dinner? We do that sometimes and its a great change. Everyone loves it.

If your fella is a vegan? I'd tell him to fend for himself. Sorry.

Monday night is pasta night at my house - tortellini, mac & cheese, spaghetti, etc.
Tuesday is "taco night" - we don't always have tacos - but burritos, enchiladas, etc.
Wednesday night is family night - we order pizza, Chinese or fast food like Popeyes
Thursday is open - I mix it up with pork chops, chicken, beef, whatever floats my fancy!
Friday is boys night in - they get Hungry Man meals and I'm out with my girlfriends
Saturday is a mix it up - again -
Sunday is leftovers

There's several recipes that are hits in my house:

8 oz pasta (I used Barilla medium shells, pinwheel pasta)
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 lb sausage
1 oz packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 ½ c chunky salsa
½ c water
¼ c sour cream
¾ c shredded cheddar cheese
¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While pasta is cooking, place ground beef in a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks. When the beef is cooked, drain any grease from pan. Add the taco seasoning, salsa and water and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
3. Once pasta is done, drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture. Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cheese will melt when thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

We just had a pork tenderloin for supper last night in smokey sweet BBQ sauce.
That wouldn't work with your vegan - but we sure enjoyed it!
How about eggplant parmesan?

We sometimes do a main vegetarian/vegan entree with some protein on the side.
We recently went to a restaurant where they had the most delicious vegan shepherd's pie with lentils, porcini mushroom gravy, and of course the mashed potatoes on top. Here's a link to one which looks easy.
http://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/

(it's minus the mushrooms, but again, easy)

Quinoa is also a high-protein grain; I've done vegan quinoa dishes with peppers, carrots and parsley; you can crumble some cheese on your and daughter's portions and serve with chicken or shrimp. Quinoa needs to be soaked and rinsed well, stored in fridge (because of the oil content, you don't want it to get a rancid flavor) and is a great substitute for bulgar wheat in tabbouleh. (That parsley, onions and tomato greek salad with lots of lemon).

Annie's Eats is a website I go to often. Lots of great ideas there and pretty easy, yet flavorful.

How about chilli - we enjoyed one this weekend
I like making soups - there's a great cauliflower soup on the Annie's website I make

eggplant parm, chicken alfredo (can use tofu as a chicken substitute) black bean tacos, veggie kabobs with refried beans on the side, grilled cheese and tomato soup. vegetable stew, i oculd probably name more if i had more time to sit and think

I just saw something that looked so good that I made a mental note of it to try to make it on my own. It was a pita with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, black olives and cheese and it looked so colorful and yummy that I have to make it. It was baked flat just like you would do a pizza. You didn't say if your husband eats cheese - I know some vegans don't but anyway hope this helps.

Have you tried looking at Betty Crocker.com for ideas?

I've gotten ideas from these websites:

https://healthymealsinminutes.wordpress.com/
https://www.mrfood.com/
http://www.delish.com/cooking/g484/meals-to-make-for-the-...

Good luck!

fajitas? With either grilled meat and/or veggies/refried beans.
Homemade soup (kale, bean soup is delicious, with vegan bisquits)
Stir fry with lots of veggies and ginger and garlic (saute some shrimp in a separate pan and you and your daughter can add it to your stir fry)
I like to make quinoa salad. Cook the quinoa and then add garbanzo beans, cucumber, avocado, tomato, fresh parsley. Make a dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
I also like to make an asian quinoa salad. Add cooked edamame, red pepper, green onion, and cilantro. Make a dressing of lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, a little sugar, and soy sauce.
That's all I have off the top of my head...There are so many vegan recipe websites that will give you great ideas. Have fun cooking!

TVP Textured Vegetable Protein.

Comes in beef flavor, taco flavor, all sorts of flavors. It's pretty good and completely vegan.

I've been surprised by using extra firm tofu as a meat substitute (my ds is a vegetarian; he lives on his own but when he comes to visit, I've learned to use tofu).

Tofu is quite bland and can take on lots of flavors. If you're not familiar with it, firm or extra firm tofu needs to be pressed before cooking, to get the extra water out (which would just make it soggy when cooked). To press it, place it on a few layers of paper towels, put a few more on top, and weight it down with something heavy. A brick wrapped in foil (for sanitary reasons), or a heavy skillet will do. I usually do this on a rack (a cooking rack or something similar) in the sink.

Then crumble it up with your hands. Toss it with cumin and some chili powder, saute it in a frying pan in a little oil until it's browned and crispy, and it makes a great taco filling that seems like beef. Sprinkle Chinese five spice powder over it, saute it, and serve it with shredded cabbage (red and white and green), and a simple dressing of olive oil and a tiny bit of sesame oil, and something crunchy (chow mein noodles), or rice.

Another idea is a roasted tomato sauce. Place cherry tomatoes on a roasting pan (I put parchment paper on a rimmed cookie sheet, but a cake pan would do as well), and sprinkle with a tiny bit of olive oil, some chopped basil, and a bit of salt. Roast them at about 425 degrees until they're slightly blistered and soft. Gently mash them with a fork, and serve over pasta, or with garlic bread (Ina Garten's garlic bread recipe online is excellent). Or put them on top of toasted rustic bread with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the top, and a side salad.

I made homemade potato soup tonight with garlic bread on the side. I top mine with shredded cheese and bacon, but those could totally be skipped. Used up most of the vegies I had laying around the house and tasted great on this wintery day (we had a big snowstorm yesterday and a late school start today). I also make vegan chili (because we like it - not because we are vegans) and portobella "hamburgers", but I am guessing you already have those in your rotation. We also LOVE fancy salads with tons of fun fixings!

Good luck!