In this post, we take you through our formula for building a healthy, balanced vegan meal. Fresh vegetables, protein-packed lentils, and tasty couscous come together in this flexible weekday meal. 

Weeknight dinners at Chew’s residence must consist of three important components:

1.) Veggies (whatever is on sale)

2.) Grain (rice, quinoa, pasta)

3.) Veg protein source (tofu, tempeh, lentils)

They also have to be what I call “throw it all together” meals, which means minimal effort, quick to make, and no meticulous ingredient list involved. I always enjoy “kitchen sink” recipes that allow flexibility when it comes to what you need to make the dish. It’s a great way to reduce waste and use what you have already to save money and be more efficient in the kitchen!

Usually, my “meal prep” on Sunday involves chopping vegetables and cooking a type of grain in advance; this way I always have ready to cook veggies on hand, and some sort of grain to go with the veggies (this makes it super easy to throw together something like a dish of fried rice!). Chopping veggies right after my grocery trip means that nothing gets unused by the end of the week, and also means that you’ll never have the excuse of being “too busy” to whip up something nutritious to eat! (I’m guilty of eating plain sourdough as a meal on its own if I don’t have chopped veg on hand).

A tip I have if you don’t like to eat rice that’s been cooked for a few days is to freeze your rice in little saran wrap parcels. They can be easily heated back up in the microwave, or if you bring your lunch to work or school, you can simply put it in your lunchbox in the morning and it will be defrosted by lunchtime! I love having these ready in my freezer for those days I just need a super quick meal and I have no other grain on hand. It’s minute rice without all the preservatives and salt!

This recipe is simply an easy, nutritious meal idea. You can use your favourite or seasonal vegetable from the market, cook some lentils for a source of complete protein, and use your favourite grain for this dish. I chose green lentils, zucchini and grape tomatoes, as well as an israeli couscous mix for this dish. I love israeli couscous because of its texture; it kinda resembles orzo pasta but in rice form!