Today’s What I Ate Wednesday is a little different, as it highlights 6 different dinners rather than one single day of meals.

Though I’d intended to prepare an entire week’s worth of vegan meals, trying the newly-opened Moe’s Original Barbecue (pretty tasty!) and visiting New Orleans on Saturday (when seafood beckons, you answer it!) got in the way. Mark and I did successfully prepare 6 different completely vegan dinners to enjoy, however.

Sunday: Oh She Glows’ lentil-walnut loaf with roasted brussels sprouts

Though this was much too labor-intensive to prepare during the work week, we both devoured it. Mark was a little skeptical, but I preferred this over actual meatloaf. It’s jam-packed with veggies, and the apple-balsamic glaze was delicious. This made lots of leftovers (one 9-inch loaf pan + six single servings in a muffin tin), so we enjoyed the small servings for lunch and froze the remainder of the loaf.

Monday: Roasted beet salad

Had I planned ahead, I would’ve prepared some roasted chickpeas to top our salads, but the baby spinach, roasted beets, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette were satisfying all the same. I have to say I missed our usual addition of goat cheese; one day I’ll have to attempt a vegan cashew “cheese.” We also ate some hummus and crackers on the side.

Tuesday: Falafel “burgers”

We stuffed pita pockets with falafel patties, red onion, tomato, and lemon-tahini sauce (simply lemon juice, tahini, and water to thin). Read all about that near-debacle here. Leftovers weren’t so bad for lunch Friday, however!

Wednesday: Peanut Butter Fingers’ carrot-ginger soup

Please make this soup now! This was incredibly easy, and we agreed it’s better than our standard tomato-white bean soup. I’m sure it would cook just as well on the stove top, but the slow-cooker made it nearly effortless. Chop 1 pound of carrots, 2 small sweet potatoes, 1 sweet onion, and add around 2 tbsp of freshly ground ginger (dried would probably work, too), 4 cups of vegetable broth, and salt/pepper to taste—and let it cook 8 hours on low. The soup was thick, creamy, and delicious on its own, but we also enjoyed it with a splash of light coconut milk. Hummus and crackers rounded the meal.

Thursday: Portobello mushroom “steaks,” green beans, and quinoa pilaf

It cracks me up how many vegetarian (or just veggie-loving) bloggers seem to share my former loathing of + sudden obsession with mushrooms. Both Mark and I used to hate them, but I think it’s because we’d only encountered those bland, dry, sliced mushrooms you find on salad bars and pizzas. Portobello mushrooms are in a class of their own. I love how “meaty” they feel, and they’re a perfect blank canvas for all sorts of flavors. This time, we seasoned ours with fresh rosemary and cinnamon-pear balsamic. Our green beans were simply canned (no salt added) and I think I’ve finally found a savory quinoa recipe that was delicious rather than just ok.

Friday: Gnocchi with marinara and green peas

We kept things simple Friday night by boiling some packaged gnocchi and tossing it with a simple marinara made from canned San Marzano tomatoes, a little red wine, basil, and rosemary from the garden. On the side we had some whole wheat breadsticks and frozen green peas. No too shabby—and it proves vegan meals can be just as simple as omnivorous ones (though I did miss the parmesan cheese on top of my gnocchi).

This challenge was fun, but Thursday night I found myself craving a steak! I rarely crave meat (even though I eat it a few times a week), but I think it was more of a “mental craving” than a nutritional one. I also missed the flavor and texture that toppings like goat cheese and parmesan can add to a dish. Whether you eat animal products or not, I think we all can agree that a diet centered on fresh, whole, plant-based foods is best for both our own health and the environment. Happy Wednesday, folks.