People are still clamoring for the meal plans. Good thing this is so easy. I’m leaning toward simplicity this week. Or as the wellness world likes to say, leaning into simplicity. Here’s my vegan menu for the week.

Monday — leftovers. If we don’t do this from time to time we waste food. When The Chef cooks over the weekend he throws down. The great thing about eating plants is that everything goes with everything. I’ve got so many roasted and grilled vegetables in the fridge it doesn’t matter that there isn’t a specific meal plan tonight. Vegetables work great with other vegetables.

Tuesday — Black Beans on Toast with Avocado and Tomato from Vegan For Everybody. Don’t think a flimsy slice of toast. Think big-ass slices of toasted sourdough piled high like an open-faced sandwich. With jalapenos and The Chef’s home-pickled onions.

Wednesday — Sweet Potato Red Flannel Hash from Vegan for Everybody. Think hearty colorful breakfast scramble in a skillet without the eggs. Instead of eggs this one features tempeh, which is a protein-y, meat-y magic potion made of deep-fried beans. Bless the Indonesians for discovering this. If you like any kind of boneless compressed animal chunks formed into food shapes like nuggets or patties or bites or “fingers,” you’d like tempeh.

Thursday — Lemony Red Lentil Soup from Thug Kitchen, with sandwiches. Light, bright, zingy, and sassy. I’ll probably just do a tomato sandwich with vegan mayo and whatever leafy green we’ve got hanging around. If The Chef wants a meat sandwich he will facilitate it himself.

Fri/Sat/Sun — Whatever The Chef makes, vegan for me plus his own addition. Last weekend he did Friday classic spaghetti (with sausage for him), Saturday Asian stir-fry (with steak for him) and Sunday mixed grill (with trout for him).

If we can do it you can do it.

— Mercy