Batch cook a tray of roasted vegetables:

Roast a big tray of vegetables in the oven with some olive oil, thyme and /or rosemary, salt and pepper. I love using vegetables like squash, red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic cloves with the peel still on to prevent them from burning (then removing the skins once cooked). A good temperature/timing range to always think of when roasting veggies is high and fast, or low and slow.

For example: Roasting at 425ºF for 30-35 minutes. Or roasting at 350ºF for 1 hour. When I don’t want to follow a specific recipe I usually roast at anywhere between 400-425º F until the vegetables are golden and tender.

Here’s a great example and recipe for roasted vegetables and vegan pesto:

Batch cook a pot of beans or lentils

I cook a pot of beans during the weekend or on Monday mornings and that means I have my main proteins for a few meals all sorted out. You can of course also use canned beans and buy an assortment to have lots of different options.

Meal template 4: Basic veggie bowl

The bean or lentil you’ve made (or use canned if you prefer) + Grain of choice + Steamed greens (kale, broccoli, broccolini, collard greens, etc), topped with lots of nutritional yeast and garlic powder + A topping of guacamole or salsa or both, all served as a bowl

Meal template 5: Instant turmeric stew with rice

Any vegetables you have in the fridge, chopped and quickly sautéed in a pan + Your cooked beans + Spices (for example cumin, paprika and turmeric) + Tomato paste + Coconut milk + Rice for serving + Fresh herbs for topping (optional) + Mango chutney for serving (optional)

Meal template 6: Taco salad

Your favorite greens and dressing + Chopped tomatoes and cucumbers + Warmed up beans with some cumin, chili powder and salt + Guacamole + Salsa + Crunchy tortilla chips stuck whole into the toppings to scoop up all the goodies

Batch Cook a Grain (Quinoa, basmati rice or brown rice, couscous, sushi rice or your favorite)

The simplest way to cook a grain is to cook it with the ratio of water to grain recommended in the package, a veggie bouillon cube, a few dashes of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Meal template 7: Easy peasy vegan meat, veggie burger, veggie sausage, seitan, tofu or tempeh

Cooked grain + Grilled vegan meat alternative of choice with grilled peppers and onions + a big raw salad with lots of greens and crunchy vegetables + A simple dressing with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper

Meal template 8: Japanese bowl

Cooked and seasoned sushi rice + Rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced and quickly sautéed with soy sauce + shelled edamame or tofu tossed with ponzu sauce and scallions + Nori seaweed strips or wakame seaweed salad (or both) + Grated daikon + Sesame seeds + Extra soy sauce or ponzu sauce for serving