Sunday: Family
Perk up family day with SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN with GREEN BEANS. Serve the combo with ROASTED POTATOES, a ROMAINE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. Buy a LEMON PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough pie and prepare an extra pork tenderloin for Tuesday.
Shopping List
stir-fry sauce, spicy barbecue sauce, honey, pork tenderloin, fresh or frozen green beans, sliced almonds, potatoes to roast, romaine, sourdough bread, lemon pie.
SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN WITH GREEN BEANS
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes; standing time: 10 minutes
- 2 tablespoons stir-fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons spicy barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 (1- to 1 1/4-pound) pork tenderloin
- 3 cups fresh or frozen green beans, thawed
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed shallow roasting pan with nonstick foil. In small bowl, mix stir-fry sauce, barbecue sauce and honey until well-blended. Place pork in pan, tucking under small end. Brush pork with sauce. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven. Arrange green beans around pork; drizzle with any remaining sauce. Sprinkle beans with almonds. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, brushing pork occasionally with drippings. Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 145 degrees; tent pork with foil. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve pork with green beans.
Per serving: 235 calories, 27 grams protein, 6 grams fat (22% calories from fat), 1.1 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 74 milligrams cholesterol, 234 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Monday: Budget
Prepare this economical CHILI for tonight: In a large nonstick skillet, cook 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped small red bell pepper and 2 cloves minced garlic on medium heat 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Spoon into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in 2 (16-ounce) cans rinsed reduced-sodium red kidney beans, 2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes (with liquid), 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon cumin. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours.
Serve over BROWN RICE. Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and CORNBREAD (from mix). Enjoy BLUEBERRIES for dessert.
Shopping List
lean ground beef, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, canned reduced-sodium red kidney beans, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, chili powder, coarse salt, black pepper, cumin, brown rice, lettuce, cornbread mix, blueberries.
Tuesday: Heat and Eat
Heat and slice the leftover pork tenderloin along with your favorite barbecue sauce and spoon it into whole-grain tortillas. Wrap and garnish with reduced-fat sour cream. Serve with canned reduced-sodium PINTO BEANS and SLICED AVOCADO on LETTUCE. Slice the leftover PIE for dessert.
Shopping List
barbecue sauce, whole-grain tortillas, reduced-fat sour cream, canned reduced-sodium pinto beans, avocados, lettuce.
Wednesday: Kids
Call it a funny name like SPAGHETTI WITH ORANGE AND GREEN STRIPES, and the kids will like it. Cook 1 pound spaghetti according to directions. Cut 1 pound zucchini and 1 pound carrots into ribbons (see TIP) and add to pot 1 minute before pasta is done. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in same pot. Add 1 clove minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Return pasta and vegetables to pot. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss. Add reserved water as necessary. Serve with CHERRY TOMATO HALVES, DIP and BREAD STICKS. PEACHES are a simple dessert.
Tip
Call it a funny name like SPAGHETTI WITH ORANGE AND GREEN STRIPES, and the kids will like it. Cook 1 pound spaghetti according to directions. Cut 1 pound zucchini and 1 pound carrots into ribbons (see TIP) and add to pot 1 minute before pasta is done. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in same pot. Add 1 clove minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Return pasta and vegetables to pot. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss. Add reserved water as necessary. Serve with CHERRY TOMATO HALVES, DIP and BREAD STICKS. PEACHES are a simple dessert.
Shopping List
spaghetti, zucchini, carrots, butter, garlic, lemon, coarse salt, pepper, cherry tomatoes, dip, bread sticks, peaches.
Thursday: Express
For an easy meal, look for prepackaged spices with a recipe card, such as McCormick's Recipe Inspirations. We liked the CHICKEN MARSALA, but other flavors are good, too. Alongside, try MASHED SWEET POTATOES (from frozen), a packaged GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. Buy TAPIOCA PUDDING for a sweet treat.
Shopping List
Prepackaged spices with recipe card and additional ingredients as listed on package, frozen mashed sweet potatoes, packaged green salad, whole-grain bread, tapioca pudding.
Friday: Meatless
You won’t miss meat with BROCCOLI AND GOAT CHEESE FRITTATA tonight. Serve it with a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM is an easy dessert.
Shopping List
large eggs, coarse salt, extra-virgin olive oil, whole milk, broccoli, lemon, herbed goat cheese, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, strawberry ice cream.
BROCCOLI AND GOAT CHEESE FRITTATA
Servings: makes 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes; standing time: 5 minutes
- 12 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces (1 cup) crumbled herbed goat cheese
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt until combined. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet on medium-high until shimmering. Add broccoli and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently until broccoli is crisp-tender and spotty brown. Add water, lemon zest and juice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until broccoli is just tender and skillet is dry. Add goat cheese and egg mixture to skillet; cook 30 seconds, using rubber spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form and spatula leaves a trail through eggs but eggs are still very wet. Transfer skillet to oven and bake frittata 6 to 9 minutes, or until frittata is slightly puffy and surface bounces back when lightly pressed. Using rubber spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and transfer to cutting board. Let sit 5 minutes; slice and serve. (Adapted from "Five-Ingredient Dinners," America’s Test Kitchen.)
Per serving (4 servings): 359 calories, 27 grams protein, 26 grams fat (63% calories from fat), 9.5 grams saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, 590 milligrams cholesterol, 594 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 0.5.
Per serving (6 servings): 239 calories, 18 grams protein, 17 grams fat (63% calories from fat), 6.4 grams saturated fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 393 milligrams cholesterol, 396 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
For an elegant guest meal, enjoy FILLET OF SOLE WITH WHITE GRAPE AND CHARDONNAY SAUCE. Serve it with RICE, GREEN BEANS and a BAGUETTE. For dessert, CITRUS SORBET and BUTTER COOKIES are perfect.
Shopping List
leek, white grapes, olive oil, butter, sugar, chardonnay wine, half-and-half, fresh dill, sole fillets (or flounder or tilapia), rice, green beans, baguette, citrus sorbet, butter cookies.
FILLET OF SOLE WITH WHITE GRAPE AND CHARDONNAY SAUCE
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: less than 20 minutes
- 1 leek
- 10 ounces white grapes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 cup chardonnay wine
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- Chopped fresh dill to taste
- 4 (4- to 6-ounce) sole fillets (or flounder or tilapia)
Dice white part of leek into small cubes; peel and quarter grapes; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium. Add leek and sugar; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes to reduce liquid. Stir in half-and-half, grapes and dill to taste. Meanwhile, in another nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil and butter on medium. Add fish fillets; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Serve the fish with the sauce.
Per serving: 344 calories, 16 grams protein, 20 grams fat (50% calories from fat), 8.1 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 417 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.