Instant Pot Pinto Bean Soup [15 min]: Sort and rinse the pinto beans, removing any broken or yucky beans and stones, if any. Then dice the onion, garlic, celery and jalapeno. Turn on the instant pot to the ‘sauté’ setting and warm 1 tbsp olive oil (or ¼ cup water) until it shimmers. Add the veggies and ½ tsp salt and sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
Add the spices and toss, letting them toast for 1 minute. Then add the beans, 6 cups of water or broth, and bay leaves. Seal the lid, cancel ‘sauté’, then set to high-pressure for 40 minutes. Proceed with the rest of the meal prep, but when it finishes cooking, do a quick pressure release, then stir in the canned tomatoes and additional salt to taste, setting the IP back to ‘sauté’ to warm through the tomatoes. After, turn off the IP and set aside the pot of soup to cool while you continue meal prepping.
Taco Casserole [25 mins]: While the soup cooks, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 9×13 casserole dish.
Rehydrate the TVP by adding to a large heat-safe bowl and pouring over enough hot water to cover; let sit for 5 mins. At the same time, add the cashews to a bowl and pour the hot water on top, then let soak until it’s time to make the cashew cheese sauce.
Drain the water from the TVP, then strain and press out remaining liquid through a sieve. Toss the TVP in the bowl with the soy sauce and spices. Warm 1 tbsp neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat, then cook the TVP for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of the moisture has evaporated and has become nicely browned. Then stir in the black beans, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes and salsa and let heat through, about 5 mins.
While the TVP mix cooks, add all cashew cheese ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high speed for 60 seconds, until it forms a smooth, creamy sauce. Then, add the crushed tortilla chips to the bottom of the casserole dish, cover with the TVP mixture, then pour the cashew cheese sauce overtop in an even layer. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese layer is golden and bubbling.
While the casserole bakes, prepare the cornbread [10 mins]: Make the flax egg in warm water, then let it sit for 5 mins. To a high-speed blender or food processor add the flax egg, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, tofu, nutritional yeast and maple syrup. Blend on high-speed until smooth.
Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, and salt, then blend once more until a thick batter has formed. You may need to stop once or twice to scrape down the sides and push down the ingredients to help it blend, plus you may add an extra ½ cup of water if needed.
Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined 9x9 baking tin and use a spatula to smooth it into a nice even layer. Increase oven temperature to 375F, then bake for 30 mins until the edges are slightly golden and the top has begun to 'crackle'. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove and place on a cooling tray.
While the cornbread bakes, chop the veggies for the eggy bowls [30 mins]. Then heat 1 tbsp olive oil (or ¼ cup water) in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the veggies, spices and salt to taste. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked but still slightly firm, don’t overcook! Then transfer veggies to a heat-safe container and set aside.
Replace the skillet, and crumble in the blocks of tofu and add the diced jalapenos. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu has slightly browned. Meanwhile, add all eggy sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk together to combine until smooth. Turn the heat down to medium-low, pour over the sauce and stir into the tofu. Cook for a further 5 minutes until most of the sauce has absorbed and the tofu is nicely coated and moist.
Add all cooked components to food storage containers once cooled, and refrigerate.
