Gena Hamshaw - The Vegan Week: Meal Prep Recipes to Feed Your Future Self [A Cookbook]

Fast Meals for Weeks Without Prep

No matter how intentional you try to be with your meal prep, there will be weeks when the plan falls apart.

Fear not. Even without a productive weekend of meal prep, its possible to get something homemade on the table fast. Dinner toast (aka an open-faced sandwich) has come to my rescue more times than I can count, while instant oatmeal is a lifesaver if I havent prepared any make-ahead breakfasts. Here are some of my favorite almost-instant meals.

Cook cup / 40g plain quick oats in the microwave according to package directions, using half water and half nondairy milk for your liquid. Stir in or top with the following:

• Banana slices and peanut butter

• Freeze-dried strawberries and shelled hemp seeds

• Fresh or frozen blueberries and chopped walnuts

• Chopped pitted Medjool dates and tahini

• Chopped dried apricots and chopped pistachios

Toast bread or leave untoasted. Pile with any of the following and serve closed or open-faced:

• Hummus and vegetables (any kind)

• Cucumber slices and vegan cream cheese

• Vegan bacon, lettuce, tomato, and smashed avocado

• Mashed roasted sweet potatoes, jarred roasted red pepper, and tahini

• Peanut butter, banana slices, and a drizzle of agave nectar

Boil as much pasta as you need according to package instructions. When the pasta is cooked, stir in the following:

• Marinara sauce and store-bought vegan meatballs

• Marinara sauce mixed with Tangy Cashew Cream ()

• Store-bought vegan pesto and chickpeas

• Garlicky Green Sauce () and cooked broccoli florets

• Roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, chopped vegan sausage (homemade or store-bought), and olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste

Combine cooked rice (homemade, packaged, or defrosted) with canned beans. Add a steamed green vegetable. Heat over the stovetop or in the microwave. Smother this with your favorite dressing from the Sauces, Spreads, Dressings & Dips chapter (beginning on ).

Heat as many corn or wheat tortillas as you need. Fill them with Tangy Pinto Beans ().

As a new vegan, I was quick to dismiss concerns about eating enough protein. In fact, I would roll my eyes when asked the question that all vegans dread: Where do you get your protein?

Then I became a dietitian. As I deepened my education and training, I was forced to reevaluate some of my previous assumptions about plant-based nutrition, including my blas attitude toward sourcing protein.

Yes, vegans can obtain all the protein they need from plant-based foods. But doing so isnt necessarily effortless, especially if youre new to meatless cooking. For this reason, Ive learned to make plant proteins the backbone of my meals.

This chapter features homemade, everyday vegan proteins, created with my favorite high-protein plant-based foods: legumes, soy foods, and seitan. If you bookmark any chapter in the book, let it be this one.

I make my Simple Eggy Scramble () or simply scooping it up with a toasted English muffin for a fast, protein-rich morning bite.

I use Chickpea Walnut Taco Meat ().

There have never been more vegan meat options in grocery stores. Im so glad that these products exist, but I also love the economy and satisfaction of making plant proteins from scratch. Preparing my own seitan sausages (see ), for example, has been a revelation. Homemade seitan is so much easier than I thought it would be, and its less expensive than brand-name options.