Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
7day menu planner
SUNDAY: For a special family day, prepare Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Season a 1-pound pork tenderloin with coarse salt and pepper. Mix together ¼ cup mustard and 3 tablespoons apricot preserves. Grill pork on medium 25 minutes, turning several times, or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees; brush with mustard mixture the last few minutes. Remove from grill and tent with foil; let stand 5 minutes and then slice. Serve with brown rice and baguettes. Enjoy sliced cucumbers and onions in Italian dressing. Make or buy a peach cobbler for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough cobbler for Monday.
MONDAY: Keep food costs down with tasty Quick Greek Stew. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and cook 1 pound lean ground beef 5 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon cumin,
½ teaspoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano and
½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 (5- or 6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach leaves; cover and cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Serve over couscous and garnish with toasted pine nuts. Add a lettuce wedge and wholegrain rolls. Heat the leftover cobbler for dessert.
Plan ahead: Marinate Tuesday’s beef overnight.
TUESDAY: Gather the family and celebrate the Fourth of July with Salsa Brisket (see recipe). Serve with corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, coleslaw and crusty rolls. Keep the festivities going with Star-Topped Blueberry Parfaits. Cut a 10
¾ -ounce frozen poundcake loaf into 14 slices ( ¼ inch thick); refreeze remaining cake. Spread 7 slices with ¼ cup red fruit jelly or jam (any flavor); top with 7 plain slices. Trim and discard crusts of the 7 “sandwiches.” With a 1 ¼ -inch star cookie cutter, cut a shape from 4 sandwiches; set aside. Cut sandwich trimmings and remaining whole sandwiches into ¾ -inch squares. Into 4 (8-ounce) parfait or wine glasses, place half the cake squares, 1 cup (2 cups total) fresh blueberries and 9 ounces vanilla yogurt (from 2 6-ounce) containers), dividing equally. Top with remaining cake squares and 1 cup blueberries. Spoon dollops of remaining yogurt on top of each parfait; top with a star and serve.
Cumin and Mustard Rack of Lamb and White Bean Salad
Plan ahead: Save enough brisket and buy enough blueberries for Wednesday. WEDNESDAY: Enjoy Tuesday’s brisket in today’s Brisket Sandwiches (use whole-grain buns). Add deli potato salad and sliced lettuce and tomatoes as sides. Leftover blueberries are good for dessert. THURSDAY: Ziti With Chard (see recipe) gives a new flavor to pasta. Serve the slightly salty-flavored greens and pasta combo with salad greens and garlic bread. Fresh plums are a light dessert.
FRIDAY: Tell the kids they are having Muffin Heads for dinner and watch them smile. Top each toasted English muffin half with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce and slices of cheddar cheese; broil until cheese is melted. Top with a silly vegetable face using halved red bell pepper rings (for the mouth), baby corn (for the nose), sliced black olives (for the eyes) and julienne carrots (for the hair). Continue the fun with Apple Pie in a Bowl for dessert. In a small bowl, spoon alternating layers of chunky applesauce, vanilla yogurt and crumbled gingersnaps; dust with cinnamon.
SATURDAY: You’ll want to invite special friends over to enjoy Cumin and Mustard Rack of Lamb and White Bean Salad (see recipe). Serve it with Boston lettuce salad and sourdough bread. Cheesecake with fresh raspberries is an outstanding dessert.
THE RECIPES Salsa Brisket
1 (5-pound) trimmed beef
brisket
Coarse salt and pepper to
taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup Worcestershire sauce 2 cups chipotle salsa or other salsa
Season brisket with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and salsa; spread over brisket. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place brisket and marinade in a heavy pot. Bake, covered, 5 to 6 hours or until tender. Slice meat across grain and serve. Makes 16 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 224 calories, 29 g protein, 6 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 88 mg cholesterol, 248 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Ziti With Chard
8 ounces ziti or other short
tube-shaped pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups coarsely chopped
Swiss chard leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups halved grape tomatoes ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ¾ teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ cup shaved fresh Romano or parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add chard and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Combine chard mixture, pasta, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, salt and pepper, tossing well. Top with cheese and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 353 calories, 11 g protein, 11 g fat, 53 g carbohydrate, 3 mg cholesterol, 724 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices:3 ½ .
Cumin and Mustard Rack of Lamb and White Bean Salad
2 frenched lamb racks (about
2 pounds each) 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons whole cumin
seeds
2 teaspoons coarse salt 1 teaspoon pepper
For the salad:
2 (15-ounce) cans butter
beans
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced 1 small red chile pepper, thinly sliced cup sliced sweet Peppadew peppers (see note) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh
basil, plus more for garnish 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
Carefully trim top layer of fat from lamb racks. Rub each rack with mustard. Sprinkle each rack with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat gas grill to high; brush with oil. Place racks on grill, fat-side down; cook until browned and racks can be easily flipped, about 5 minutes. Flip racks; grill about 5 minutes more.
Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook racks 15 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees for medium-rare. Remove to clean plate; let rest 5 minutes. Carve racks into chops, carefully slicing between each bone.
For the salad: In a large bowl, combine beans, celery, chile pepper, Peppadew peppers, basil, lemon juice and oil; toss to combine. Top with extra basil and serve with lamb.
Makes 8 servings (2 ribs each).
Note: Look for Peppadews in pickle aisle at the supermarket or on the salad/ olive bar.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 323 calories, 33 g protein, 13 g fat, 20 g carbohydrate, 82 mg cholesterol, 648 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½ .