Here is my meal plan for the nine days, which this year comes out to basically one week of meatless meals. Enjoy it!
So how are the three weeks going for all of the Mammas out there? For me it feels very heavy this year plus we are in the midst of getting ready for a bar mitzvah right after Tisha B’Av, trying to get my mother into the country, and helping my married daughter move. Thank God for simchas and distractions!
Anyway, I thought I’d give you a heads up on my meal plan for the nine days, which this year comes out to basically one week of meatless meals. In our house, we hardly ever eat meat during the week so the nine days are not such a big deal, yet somehow it’s still kind of a project around here.
Something I try to do year round is to go heavier on the fruits and vegetables and lighter on the gluten and sugary foods. Lighter is appreciated around here because everyone jus
it feels so much better after the meal yet still full, since healthy food supplies the body with the nutrients it needs thereby calming down the hunger mechanism.
In our house, we hardly ever eat meat during the week so the nine days are not such a big deal, yet somehow it’s still kind of a project around here.
For Sunday I am planning on making a cream of broccoli soup (I keep it vegan with coconut cream), tuna/avocado wraps, sweet potato chips and vegetable sticks with ranch dressing.
For Monday we’re going to have vegetarian chlli, corn chips, guacamole, salsa and a lettuce salad.
Tuesday is fish day: Tilapia coated with turmeric, garlic and paprika, white beans in a tomato sauce, sauteed cauliflower with butter and lemon juice, Israeli salad.
Wednesday: homemade pizza day, which one of my sons makes with cole slaw on the side made by another son.
Thursday: homemade falafel, French fries, which one of my sons makes, Israeli salad, pita.
For Friday lunch I am making a big vegetable soup and potato kugel with home made pickles on the side.
For Third meal and breaking the fast: bagles and lox, lasagna, Italian salad and vegetable sticks with ranch dip.
Tuesday is fish day!
A couple of tips:
- Add heavy cream to the lasagna sauce for extra yumminess (tip from my mother in law)
- Soak the fish in lemon juice for a few hours prior to preparing and baking – this takes away the fishy smell (one of my friends taught me this).
- Even four year olds and certainly older kids, can chop up vegetables for a salad!
- For a more hearty flavor, put up the vegetable soup the night before and simmer until ready to serve the following evening.
Having this week planned ahead will allow me to focus on other practical things that I need to take care of and most importantly, on properly mourning during these days and especially on 9 Av.
I won’t be planning the meals for the end of the holiday until we’re closer to that point. Somehow it feels like too much for me to plan all of that at this point. I’ll see what we’ve eaten in the course of this week and from there, determine what kind of.