The past week was a bit busy and thus I didn’t cook a whole lot. Or at least it seems that way. We didn’t get to the Hot and Sour Soup – it was just too much to make the lettuce wraps AND the soup. And we didn’t find the time for the Chickpea Curry, although it will probably be tonight’s dinner, even though I am feeling a need to grill something today.
This week should be relatively normal and so I am planning 4 meals as usual. Two of the meals will wait until the weekend since I have never made them before and they are a bit more complicated. You see, we went to the local international market and an Asian market this weekend – just to get one or two things – and of course ended up with too many goodies. Of particular note, I bought some frozen bean curd sheets and frozen lotus root. My husband spent a year in China in college and when he sees all these familiar-to-him ingredients, he wants me to make them into dishes he remembers. So, off I go, searching the web to find a good recipe to start with. Oftentimes, one of my first stops is Book of Yum. She spent time in Japan and has a lot of great ethnic, vegetarian recipes to share. I knew she had made lotus root before so I went searching and sure enough, I found a recipe that met my husband’s approval.
The plan for this week:
Fried Tofu with Lotus Root Stir-Fry and rice – a new-to-us recipe.
Sushi Rice Bowl with Miso Soup – sushi flavors without the hassle of assembling the rolls.
Chinese Vegetarian Chicken Rolls with Stir Fried Bok Choy – a new-to-us recipe and ingredient (bean curd sheets).
Black Bean and Quinoa Salad with Veggie Burgers
As always, this menu is posted over at OrgJunkie, where you will find hundreds of other meal plans. And I am also posting over at The Gluten Free Menu Swap, hosted by Gluten Free Goodness, where this week’s theme is kale. As you can see, I am still not with the program when it comes to following the theme. Oh well. Although I have been wanting to try the kale chips people are talking about. So, I will keep my eyes open for kale at the store and maybe I will make them as a treat.
What are you eating this week?
Beyond Rice and Tofu 
Ah your menu sounds mouth-wateringly fantastic! Asian flavors are hands-down my favorites and for a long time were the only cuisines I cooked. (They are the most easily vegan and GF!) I have a great district here for getting all those treats, which reminds me I haven’t been for a while and need to stock up on some staples!
I love, love, love lotus root. There’s something about it, so crisp and crunchy and so beautiful to look at it.
As far as kale chips go… I have been wanting to make them for a long time, but I recently had some from a new vegan “fast food” restaurant and thought they were terrible. So I’ve lost a considerable amount of enthusiasm for trying to make them at home.
Have a wonderful week of cooking!
I haven’t had lotus root yet. Previously I have let my husband cook it and eat it. But this time I am going for it.
I will be sure to report on the kale chips…I found some at the store yesterday. If we like it we may have to grow some this fall!
Happy cooking to you too!
Sounds like you’ve got a busy week of cooking ahead of you. Sounds good, though. I’m going to try the kale chips this week.
You don’t have to follow the theme for the gf menu swap. Of course if you host, you can choose the theme. ;)
I bought some kale yesterday so I can weigh in on some kale chips at least! Maybe one of these weeks I will host…
I’ve never tried lotus root, now I’m curious! thanks so much for joining the menu plan.
[…] joins us for the first time–welcome!–from Beyond Rice and Tofu, a GF vegetarian blog. Of course, she’s had me looking up lotus root with her talk of a Lotus […]
Never tried lotus root either. Book of Yum is a great place to find things like that. Sea is an adventurous cook.