Sunday: Family
Gather the family for BOURBON-ROASTED PORK LOIN. Serve with BAKED SWEET POTATOES and garnish with fresh ORANGE SLICES. Add SUGAR SNAP PEAS and SOURDOUGH BREAD. For dessert, try COCONUT CREAM PIE.
Plan
Save enough pork and pie for Monday.
Shopping List
boneless pork loin roast, bourbon, French or other grainy mustard, honey, brown sugar, Sriracha, fine sea salt or other salt, pepper, olive oil, onions, Gala or Fuji apples, sweet potatoes, oranges, sugar snap peas, sourdough bread, coconut cream pie.
BOURBON-ROASTED PORK LOIN
Servings: makes 12 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 55 to 65 minutes; Standing time: 5 minutes
- 1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup French or other grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or other salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 Gala or Fuji apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into 6 pieces each
Place oven rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut a diamond-shaped pattern in the top layer of roast; do not cut deeply into the meat. In a small bowl, combine the bourbon, mustard, honey, sugar, Sriracha, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; mix well. Rub over all sides of roast; set aside. Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium. Add onions and apples; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes or until onions and apples are softened. Spoon mixture into roasting pan; arrange pork on top. Roast, uncovered, 45 to 55 minutes, basting a couple of times, until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove from oven; rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with apples, onions and pan juices. (Adapted from "Everyday Dorie," Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.)
Per serving: 241 calories, 23 grams protein, 10 grams fat (38 percent calories from fat), 3.1 grams saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 64 milligrams cholesterol, 176 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Make a quick PORK STIR-FRY with Sunday's leftover pork (cut into strips) and a package of any frozen stir-fry vegetables. Mix the pork-vegetable combo with prepared stir-fry sauce and serve the mixture over RICE. Add CRUSTY BREAD. If you're lucky, leftover PIE is waiting for you for dessert.
Shopping List
any frozen stir-fry vegetables, stir-fry sauce, rice, crusty bread.
Tuesday: Express
Run to the store and wrap up tonight's dinner with RANCH WRAPS. Top 4 (7- or 8-inch) flour tortillas with 8 thin slices cooked turkey breast, 1 large thinly sliced tomato, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup shredded lettuce, 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup ranch salad dressing. Roll tightly and serve. Heat canned reduced-sodium PINTO BEANS for your side. For dessert, PEARS are easy.
Shopping List
flour tortillas, sliced cooked turkey breast, tomato, shredded carrots, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, ranch salad dressing, canned reduced-sodium pinto beans, pears.
Wednesday: Budget
You'll be happy as a clam with the money you save serving -- what else? -- CLAM CHOWDER tonight. In a saucepan, mix 1 (4-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/8 teaspoon white or black pepper, 3 medium peeled and cubed potatoes, 1 rib sliced celery and 1 medium chopped onion. Bring to a boil; cover and cook on low 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. In a medium bowl, gradually mix 1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Slowly add mixture to broth. Add 2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans minced clams. Cook until boiling and liquid begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Serve immediately. Add a GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS to this easy meal. For dessert, TANGERINES are light.
Plan
To save time on Thursday, cook 1 1/2 cups brown rice in 3 cups water tonight.
Shopping List
unsalted chicken broth, dried thyme, white or black pepper, potatoes, celery, onion, 1 percent milk, flour, canned minced clams, salad greens, whole-grain rolls, tangerines.
Thursday: Meatless
Enjoy the nutty flavor of brown rice in VEGETABLE PILAF. Serve the flavorful rice-vegetable melange with a MIXED GREEN SALAD and CRUSTY BREAD. STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM is a perfect dessert.
Plan
Save half the pilaf and enough ice cream for Friday.
Shopping List
canola oil, fresh broccoli, fresh carrots, onion, fresh mushrooms, garlic, dried thyme, dried basil, coarse salt, pepper, brown rice, pecans, parmesan cheese, mixed greens, crusty bread, strawberry ice cream.
VEGETABLE PILAF
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 12 minutes, plus rice and pecans
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli
- 3 medium carrots, julienned
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 5 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans (see Note)
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil to medium. Add broccoli, carrots and onion. Cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until broccoli and carrots are soft and onion is beginning to brown. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add rice and pecans; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes, until well-blended and thoroughly heated. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese if desired.
Note: To toast pecans, place on baking sheet and bake 5 to 7 minutes at 350 degrees, or until nuts are fragrant and just beginning to darken.
Per serving: 232 calories, 6 grams protein, 8 grams fat (30 percent calories from fat), 0.8 gram saturated fat, 36 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 214 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Friday: Kids
The kids will think you're cool when you serve them STUFFED PITAS using leftover pilaf. Line the pitas with lettuce leaves. Combine the leftover pilaf with a 10-ounce package of cooked carved chicken breasts. Add a little unsalted broth or water to moisten if necessary. Heat the mixture and stuff the pitas. Serve them with baked CORN CHIPS. For dessert, you probably noticed that the leftover STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM needs some CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
Shopping List
pita bread, lettuce, packaged cooked carved chicken breasts, any unsalted broth, baked corn chips, chocolate sauce.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Your guests will feel special when you serve them FILETS MIGNONS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE. ROASTED RED POTATOES and SPINACH SOUFFLE (from frozen) are easy accompaniments. Add DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, RASPBERRY SORBET is delicious.
Shopping List
filets mignons, garlic, black pepper, unsalted beef broth, dry red wine, blue cheese, red potatoes, frozen spinach souffle, dinner rolls, raspberry sorbet.
FILETS MIGNONS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: less than 10 minutes
Cook time: 16 to 18 minutes
- 4 filets mignons, 1 inch thick (4 to 5 ounces)
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup unsalted beef broth
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium. Combine garlic and pepper in a bowl. Press evenly into both sides of each steak. Place steaks in skillet. Cook 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm. In same skillet, add broth and wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Spoon sauce over steaks and sprinkle with cheese.
Per serving: 191 calories, 26 grams protein, 8 grams fat (39 percent calories from fat), 3.7 grams saturated fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 183 milligrams sodium, no fiber.