Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUNDAY: Make family day a delicious one with Lime ChileRubbed Chicken. In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons chile powder, 2 teaspoons lime zest, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and 1/ teaspoon ground red 8 (cayenne) pepper. Rub both sides of 4 skinless chicken breasts or thighs with canola oil, then with spice mixture. Grill 10 to 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees or air-fry at 400 degrees and for 20 minutes, turning halfway. Serve with pinto beans, coleslaw and whole-grain rolls. Buy a coconut pie for dessert. Plan ahead: Cook enough chicken and save some beans and pie for Monday.
MONDAY: Make Chicken and Bean Tacos with heated, chopped leftover chicken and beans mixed with a little salsa. Spoon mixture into taco shells and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Alongside, add a shredded lettuce and diced avocado salad with a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy the leftover pie for dessert.
Plan ahead: If time permits, make Tuesday’s chili tonight to give the flavors time to blend.
TUESDAY: We’re always in the mood to try another great chili recipe, and Green Chile Chili’s (see recipe) flavor measures up just fine. Serve it with mixed greens and cornbread. Add chunky applesauce for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: Skip meat for Vegetable Paella (see recipe). Add mixed greens and wholegrain bread. Try peaches for dessert.
THURSDAY: Make the kids happy with leftover Chili Over Spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with baby carrots and soft rolls. For dessert, stir sliced bananas into instant chocolate pudding.
FRIDAY: Dinner will be quick tonight with deli egg salad spread on toasted whole-grain English muffins. Top with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and Canadian bacon. Serve with baked chips. For dessert, try plums.
SATURDAY: For the perfect fall dish, enjoy CarawayCrusted Pork Tenderloin With Sauerkraut and Apples with your guests (see recipe). Serve the delicious entree with mashed potatoes, steamed sugar snap peas, a red-tipped lettuce salad and a baguette. Surprise your guests with Blueberry Pudding Pie for dessert: Fill a graham cracker crust nearly to the top with blueberry pie filling and gently spread with a layer of vanilla pudding. Chill well, slice and serve.
THE RECIPES
Green Chile Chili
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound ground beef
3 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons hot paprika
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12-ounce) containers dark beer
1 cup salsa verde
2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
2 (15-ounce) cans tomatoes, with liquid
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven on medium. Add beef; cook 6 minutes or until no longer pink. Add chopped onion, chile powder and paprika; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer; bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes or until liquid has almost evaporated. Add salsa, green chiles, tomatoes and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Makes: 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with ground sirloin, no-salt added tomatoes, reduced-sodium beans and reduced-fat cheese) contains approximately 323 calories, 22 g protein, 8 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate, 35 mg cholesterol, 369 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choice: 2 ½
Vegetable Paella
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, chopped
20 fresh green beans, trimmed
1 carrot, diced
½ cup canned white beans, drained
½ cup frozen green peas
15 leaves spinach
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon paprika
Pinch saffron threads
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium. Add garlic and onion; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add green beans, carrot, white beans, peas, spinach and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until carrots start to soften. Stir in rice, broth, paprika and saffron; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently without stirring for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. At the end of cooking, remove the pan from heat; cover the paella with a damp cloth for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend well.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reducedsodium beans and unsalted broth) contains approximately 310 calories, 10 g protein, 4 g fat, 59 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 486 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 4
Caraway-Crusted Pork Tenderloin With Sauerkraut and Apples
2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon PLUS 1/8 teaspoon pepper, divided use
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided use
2 Gala or Fuji apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound sauerkraut, squeezed dry, rinsed and refrigerated
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels and sprinkle with caraway seeds, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, pressing lightly to adhere.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet on medium-high until just smoking. Brown tenderloins on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, apples, onion, remaining salt and remaining pepper to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in sauerkraut and sugar. Place tenderloins on top of sauerkraut mixture and roast in oven 12 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Using potholder, remove skillet from oven and transfer tenderloins to carving board; tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Slice tenderloins ½ inch thick. Stir dill into sauerkraut mixture and serve with pork. (Adapted from “The Complete One Pot Cookbook,” American’s Test Kitchen)
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 237 calories, 23 g protein, 8 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 61 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1