Weekly Meal Plan Releases

SmartyPlants Weekly Meal Plan - Released on 10-8-21

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By SmartyPlants | October 8, 2021

Here comes fall, ready or not!

The leaves are falling, the squirrels are fattening up, and the pumpkin patches are full of giggling kids. Don’t you just love it?

And, our recipes this week are sure to give you a big, warm hug of deliciousness, because we are getting into satisfying comfort food already! We’ve recreated 2 of our childhood favorites, that Mama Caruso would make us as kids, and a treasured Tex-Mex stand-out.

This week we're offering you Pasta e Fagioli, Tamale Pie, and Chicken-Style Chow Mein, which includes our new and dazzling, Simple Chow Mein!

It’s time to pour yourself a glass of apple cider, and get into some cozy cookin’!!

 

Pasta e Fagioli

This warm and comforting bowl of pasta and beans is a Caruso family favorite! We pronounce the Fagioli, or beans, as “FAH-ZOOL”, in the Neapolitan dialect. Our grandma Caruso’s family was from Naples, and she always said she was, “NAH-BUH-LEE-DON”. In her native dialect, she called this soup, “Pasta Fazool”, and so do we. Italians like to keep food simple, and our childhood Pasta Fazool was made using only a few ingredients. We followed Grandma's lead, by simply using garlic, tomatoes and a dash of oregano. We add cannellini beans, and pasta to fill us up, and top it with our coarse and cheesy Walnut Parmesan. Mama mia!

Plant Based Pasta e Fagioli
 
Tamale Pie
Our Tamale Pie is a great way to spice up your Taco Tuesday! First, we make a quick chili with deep, smoky flavors. We spread that in a baking dish and top it with a simple, slightly sweet cornbread batter, and bake it until the cornbread is nice and fluffy, and golden brown. Then, we top it with our cooling Jalapeño Lime Crema to balance the heat. Talk about Tex-Mex comfort food!


Plant Based Tamale Pie

 
Chicken-Style Chow Mein
Along with Atari, The Bionic Man, Tang, Sea-Monkeys and Saturday morning cartoons, there is something else that fills us with 70's nostalgia—Chicken Chow Mein! Our mom made this all the time when we were bell-bottoms and toughskins-wearing 70’s kids. This is definitely not an authentic, Asian dish. We think mom may have come with it straight off the label on a Campbell’s soup can. It was the 70’s, after all. This was a time when cooking was all about speed. Open a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, and there you have it—instant gravy! We still crave this dish, so we’ve plant-powered it. We sauté green peppers, onions and mushrooms, and use cashews and mushroom stock for a creamy, dreamy, nutritious, and delicious, gravy. Instead of the store-bought, deep-fried, Chow Mein noodles of our past, we make our own oil-free, whole grain version. We top it all with our crispy Chicken-Style Soy Curls. Wow! It may not be the prettiest dish, but it is jam-packed with flavor, and feels like a hug from childhood. Turn on some Bee Gee’s, and dig in!

Plant Based Chicken-Style Chow Mein

 
Simple Chow Mein
Crispy, crunchy, garlic bread! Who doesn't love to have a nice piece of garlic bread, alongside a great pasta dish? Or with a big salad? Or even made into a meatball sub! We took everything we know and love about garlic bread, and made our version, without using butter or oil. Our secret ingredient? Tahini, which gives it a rich, savory flavor. Get ready for some crunch!


Plant Based Simple Chow Mein

 

Feed your body the food it craves!

At least 3 new recipes drop every Friday morning. By eating fewer processed foods and animal based foods, and leaning into more nutrient-dense plant foods, you will transform your life!
All recipes are created and tested by the SmartyPlants team to be delicious and nutritious. As a Weekly Meal Plan member, along with the newrecipes, you'll also have access to all recipes in the recipe box, a custom meal planner and a dynamic grocery list generator!

If you’re not a Weekly Meal Plan member yet, what are you waiting for?

Join the Weekly Meal Plan Here

 

 

New to plant based eating? Don't know what to buy, how to cook or where to start? Try out 28 Day Kickstart!  We'll give you all the recipes, grocery lists, prep and plan info, how to videos and great support!
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