Monday          Grilled Chicken, White Rice, Broccoli, Applesauce

Tuesday        Pork Tenderloin, Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Rice, Side Salad

Wednesday  Vegetarian Minestrone, Whole Wheat Baguette

Thursday       Pasta with Pork Tenderloin, Asparagus, Left over squash, Bell Pepper and Garlic with a Side Salad

Recipes

Grilled Chicken, White Rice, Broccoli, Applesauce

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids + 1-2 lunches

Ingredients

2 Cup White Rice (or Brown Rice if Making Ahead)

4 Cups Water

2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Olive Oil Spray (or canola oil spray)

Salt and Pepper

2.5 Cups Frozen Broccoli

2.5 Cups Applesauce, no sugar added

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350 or turn grill on high

1. Put the rice and water in the rice cooker and turn on quick cook.
2. Wash chicken, pat dry, spray olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Feel free to add other herbs- rosemary, basil, Mrs. Dash seasoning.  Or just leave plain.
3. Put chicken in a roasting pan and put in oven or put directly on grill and turn down to medium.
4. Cook broccoli in microwave 2-3 minutes. Check for doneness (fork pierces broccoli stalk easily) and microwave until ready.
5. If chicken is on grill, turn over after 6 minutes.
6. Portion applesauce across plates.
7. When chicken is done, (springs back to the touch and not pink inside), portion chicken, broccoli, and half the rice on plates and serve! (Save the other half of the rice for tomorrow’s meal)
8. Now that is fast, easy, delicious comfort food!

Pre-Prep Opportunities

1. Cook rice ahead of time and use brown rice.
2. Wash, spray and season chicken ahead of time and store in fridge.

Pork Tenderloin, Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Rice, Side Salad

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids for 2 meals

 

Ingredients

Rice from yesterday

1 large or 2 small butternut squashes (or purchase 32 oz. pre-diced squash)

Olive Oil Spray (or Canola Oil)

2 ½ Cups Frozen Green Beans (or fresh)

2 lbs. Pork Tenderloin (2 -1 lb. tenderloins)

Olive Oil (or other preferred oil)

Salt

Pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 for Squash and tenderloins

Or you can do the tenderloins on the grill

1. Remove rice from refrigerator, set in a microwaveable bowl and set aside.
2. Peel and dice butternut squash (or open package of pre-diced squash), and put on a lightly sprayed roasting pan.  Lightly spray squash and lightly sprinkle salt.  Top with a light dusting of cinnamon.
3. Pop squash in the oven. Set timer for 5 minutes.
4. Put green beans in a microwaveable bowl and set aside.
5. Rub tenderloins with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can add other seasonings to taste – rosemary, thyme, basil, etc.
6. Stir squash in oven and set timer for 4-6 minutes depending on how fast squash is cooking.
7. Place tenderloins in a roasting pan and put in oven or place on grill and turn down to medium.  If using the oven, consider a meat thermometer for accurate roasting.
8. Check tenderloin on grill every 3 minutes, turning a ¼ turn.  Internal heat should reach 170 degrees.  I often pull the meat just before it reaches 170 and let it stand for 10 more minutes as the meat will continue to cook. Check the temperature to make sure you have reached the target temperature.
9. Check squash.  Doneness check: Can a fork can easily pierce squash? If so, pull it out.

10. While tenderloin is standing, place green beans in microwave and cook for 2-3 minutes, checking for doneness and continuing to cook as necessary.

11. Next place rice in microwave and warm up.

12. Portion pork, green beans, rice and squash.  Serve!

Pre-Prep Opportunities

1. Peel and dice butternut squash.
2. Cook rice if you haven’t cooked on a previous day.

Vegetarian Minestrone with Whole Wheat Baguette

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids with 1-2 lunches

Ingredients

4 Cups (32 oz.) Vegetable Broth

1 large onion, diced

3 Carrots, diced

3 Celery Stalks, diced

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

28 oz can, or shelf stable container of Chopped Tomatoes, low or no sodium

2 small Zucchini, diced

½ Cup Barley, dry

1 Cup Kale, finely chopped

1 15 oz can White Beans, low or no sodium, rinsed

1 T Parsley, fresh minced

1 t Dried Thyme

1 t Dried Oregano

2 Bay Leaves

½ t Kosher salt or sea salt

1/8 t pepper

2 t Lemon Zest

Parmesean or Manchenga cheese (optional)

Whole wheat baguette or other whole wheat bread

Options:

Purchase pre diced onions, carrots, celery – approximate the amounts required.

If using a garlic press, toss the garlic membranes in the soup too for extra flavor.

Instructions:

1. Put everything except the cheese in a crock pot.  Add the spices and seasonings (including lemon zest) last.
2. Cook on low for 3 hours.
3. Serve with grated cheese on top and whole wheat bread.

Pre-Prep Opportunity

1. Dice onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and kale ahead of time and store in refrigerator.
2. Rinse beans ahead of time and store in fridge.
3. Zest lemon ahead of time and store in fridge.
4. Make the soup the evening before.  Put it on at dinner time. After 3 hours store in fridge.  Simply warm in a pot the next day and serve!

Pasta with Pork Tenderloin, Asparagus, Left over squash, Bell Pepper and Garlic with a Side Salad

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids + 1 lunch

Ingredients

8 oz. Whole Wheat Pasta

Left over pork tenderloin

1 bunch asparagus

Leftover Butternut Squash

1 Bell Pepper

3 Cloves Garlic

Olive Oil

¼ t salt

3 Cups of lettuce

Instructions

1. Boil water for pasta.
2. Dice pork tenderloin and set aside.
3. Wash asparagus and snap off hard end.  Place on a lightly sprayed roasting pan.
4. Lightly spray asparagus, squeeze ½ lemon on top and lightly salt.
5. Set aside.
6. Dice bell pepper.
7. Mince garlic.
8. Add pasta to boiling water.
9. Put asparagus in oven for 4 minutes.

10. Warm butternut squash in microwave for 1.5 – 2 minutes depending on how much is there. Microwave until cooked through.

1. 11.  Stir asparagus and put back in oven for 3-4 more minutes.

12. Drain pasta.

13. Put pasta back in pot and add bell peppers, garlic, and butternut squash.

14. Add asparagus.

15. Serve!

Shopping List

Entrees

2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

2 lbs. Pork Tenderloin (2 -1 lb. tenderloins)

Vegetables

1 large or 2 small butternut squashes (or purchase 32 oz. pre-diced squash)

1 large onion, diced

3 Carrots, diced

3 Celery Stalks, diced

6 Garlic Cloves

2 small Zucchini, diced

1 Cup Kale, finely chopped

1 bunch asparagus

1 Bell Pepper

3 Cups of lettuce

Fruit

2 t Lemon Zest

Dry Goods

2 Cups white or brown rice

Olive Oil Spray (or canola oil spray)

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil (or other preferred oil)

4 Cups (32 oz.) Vegetable Broth

½ Cup Barley, dry

1 15 oz can White Beans, low or no sodium, rinsed

1 T Parsley, fresh minced

1 t Dried Thyme

1 t Dried Oregano

2 Bay Leaves

½ t Kosher salt or sea salt

1/8 t pepper

28 oz can, or shelf stable container of Chopped Tomatoes, low or no sodium

8 oz. Whole Wheat Pasta

Frozen

2.5 Cups Frozen Broccoli

2.5 Cups Applesauce, no sugar added

2 ½ Cups Frozen Green Beans (or fresh)

Dairy

Parmesean or Manchenga cheese (optional)

Bakery

Whole wheat baguette or other whole wheat bread