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Last week, I talked about Fundamental Foods – ingredients I prepare on Sunday to enjoy during the week. Here’s exactly what I made last week:

• black rice
• quinoa
• roasted vegetables (mushrooms, sweet potatoes, parsnips, shallots)
• sautéed broccoli rabe
• sautéed kale
• beans
• bell pepper slices
• leeks sautéed with a ton of ginger

Armed with these choices, I was able to throw together most of the week’s meals with very little additional work.

For breakfast, I had quinoa with almond milk, apple cider, raisins, ground flax seed and walnuts. Another day, I had the black rice fried in olive oil with the leeks and topped with an egg (this is a play on this recipe). I also had cold cereal with fresh fruit & almond milk.

For lunch, I had the same rice with leeks & eggs a couple of times (can you tell I really love this gingery dish?) I also paired the quinoa with broccoli rabe & beans; or with the leeks and tofu. And the rice again with the roasted vegetables, drizzled with bottled miso vinaigrette.

A frequent snack was pepper slices dipped in packaged hummus.

For dinner, my husband and I enjoyed acorn squash halves baked until tender, stuffed with the kale, beans & topped with Parmesan cheese. Another night, it was polenta topped with the roasted veggies and more Parmesan. We also had soup made with some vegetable broth from my freezer (you could also use a good-quality packaged vegetable broth), the kale and beans.

Whenever I felt our meal didn’t have enough protein, I added some of the beans on the side. They’re delicious enough to eat plain.

We ate out a couple of times, and I had two work lunches. But the foods I prepared on Sunday took care of all my breakfasts, five of my lunches and four of our dinners. Not bad for a few hours of work.

How are you getting ready for your week’s meals? I’d love to hear if you tried any of my recipes or techniques. Leave a comment on this blog entry with your input.