April 7th Newsletter
April can be an intensely busy month. For those of us with school or jobs, the grind can feel overwhelmingly constant and unending, particularly now in the middle of spring waiting for summer to come along.
If that’s you, then you may need a few easy, comforting meals to prepare. I’ve got you covered. This week’s menu features recipes I like to make when I just don’t have any juice left, but still want something healthy and nourishing for dinner.
Menu for the week of April 8th:
Tofu Bahn Mi
Tofu Banh Mi: Though it looks complicated, this delightful sandwich comes together quickly and is comforting all around. You get some delicious protein with crunchy tofu. Feel free to pick and choose what goes in your sandwich in case you don’t have a few of the ingredients I call for.
Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae
Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae: This heartwarming, protein-rich soup isn’t at all difficult to make. It’s perfect for those nights where it’s still cold outside and you want something hot and delicious for dinner that comes together quickly. Kimchi is also a great detoxer when you need to reset your system.
Vegan Nachos
As an extra this week, I’m also including my recipe for vegan nachos. There are as many nacho recipes out there as there are people, but for what it’s worth, this vegan nacho recipe has proven to be one of our favorites. And y’all, we take our nachos seriously in this house! What’s more, this recipe utilizes leftovers from jackfruit taquitos. We almost always have just a little bit more jackfruit filling and plenty of green salsa to use, and what better way to use it than on nachos?
Turn on your oven to 350°. Rinse a can of black beans (or pinto). Heat in a small saucepan over low heat, adding a pinch of salt, some cumin, cayenne, and anything else you’d like. Just heat them so they’re warm and don’t have that metallic flavor (5 - minutes). Take off the heat. Meanwhile, briefly warm up your leftover jackfruit on the stove.
Take a large 9x13 pan and place some tortilla chips on the bottom. We like to layer our nachos like a lasagne. Place half of your black bean mixture and jackfruit on top. Scatter all over. Add a fourth of the vegan nacho cheese.
Put some more tortilla chips on top of this, reserving a few just in case. Add the rest of your black bean mixture and jackfruit and the rest of the vegan nacho cheese. Put in the oven and let heat up for about 10 minutes or so.
Take your pan out of the oven and add as much green salsa as you like. You can also add anything else you’d like: some pickled onions (as shown in the image), vegan sour cream, vegan cobija cheese, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, etc.
Good luck to everyone out there. You got this! Eat well and be well,
Rachel