SUNDAY: Gather the family for Mustard-Garlic Roast Pork Loin. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a paste with 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Massage into a 3- to 4-pound boneless pork loin roast. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature is 145 to 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Farro Salad With Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs (see recipe), mixed salad greens and flatbread. Everyone will like banana pudding for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough pork for Monday and enough farro salad for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Use Sunday's leftover pork for Cuban Sandwiches. Fill Kaiser rolls with sliced pork, deli sliced ham, Swiss cheese and pickles. Wrap sandwiches in foil; heat in 350-degree oven to melt cheese. Serve with plantain chips. Fresh blueberries are good for dessert.
TUESDAY: They're economical and have great taste, so put Baked Chicken Pesto Packets on the menu. For each packet: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 chicken thigh, 1 tomato slice and 1/4 of a zucchini (sliced) on one side of an 18-by-12-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil. Spoon 1 teaspoon pesto over chicken mixture. Fold foil over chicken and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for air circulation and expansion. Repeat for more servings. Place packets on baking sheet; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Place packets on plates. Cut a large "X" across the top of each packet; be careful of steam when you fold back foil and serve. Add leftover farro salad and whole-grain rolls. Fresh cherries are your dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Kids will love them, and so will the adults, so Root Beer Sloppy Joes work for the whole family. Heat a large skillet on medium. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil and 3/4 cup chopped onion and cook 3 minutes. Add 12 ounces lean ground beef sirloin; cook 4 minutes or until beef begins to crumble; stir. Add 1/2 cup unsalted tomato sauce, 1/4 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup root beer, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon chile powder and 1 teaspoon tomato paste. Bring to simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve on whole-grain buns. Add oven fries and celery sticks with any dip. Finish with Creamsicles.
THURSDAY: Make a fast meal with Tuna, Tomato, Red Onion and Olive Pita. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 3 (5-ounce) cans drained solid white tuna (or cooked fresh tuna), 1/2 small red onion (chopped), 1/2 cup grape tomatoes (halved), 1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and halved) and 1/4 cup roughly chopped flatleaf parsley. Gently toss to combine. Open 4 small whole-grain pita halves and fill. Serve with baked beet (or other) veggie chips. Slice cantaloupe for dessert.
FRIDAY: Skip meat and enjoy the vegetables of the season with Zucchini-Onion Frittata (see recipe). Serve with fresh okra and corn-on-the-cob. Fresh pineapple with toasted coconut is a delicious dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite friends for Lemon-Oregano Chicken Kebabs (see recipe). Serve over couscous and add Corn Salad With Feta and Mint. In a large bowl, place 3 cups fresh cooked corn (about 5 ears), 2 medium chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 cup crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and toss. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves; toss again. Add coarse salt and pepper to taste. (Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007.) How about fruit tarts for dessert?
THE RECIPES
Farro Salad With Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs
1 1/2 cups farro (see note)
1 teaspoon coarse salt plus more to taste
1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup seeded and chopped cucumber
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse farro under cold running water 2 minutes; drain. Cook farro with 1 teaspoon salt according to directions, drain. Transfer to large bowl to cool. When cool, add tomatoes, onion, cucumber, chives and parsley. Toss to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, vinegar, salt to taste, pepper and oil. Add to salad and toss to mix. Refrigerate overnight or serve immediately at room temperature.
Makes about 8 cups.
Note: I cooked the farro in a slow cooker with 5 cups water for 3 hours on high, then drained and cooled.
Nutrition information: Each cup contains approximately 206 calories, 6 g protein, 7 g fat, 29 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 268 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
Zucchini-Onion Frittata
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided use
4 eggs
8 egg whites
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Chopped seeded plum tomatoes for garnish
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large oven-safe skillet, melt butter on medium-high. Add zucchini and onion; cook 12 to 14 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons parmesan.
In a large bowl, whisk together all eggs, milk, salt, pepper and basil. Pour over vegetable mixture. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Garnish with tomatoes. Slice and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with 1-percent milk) contains approximately 126 calories, 12 g protein, 6 g fat, 5 g carbohydrate, 133 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1/2.
Lemon-Oregano Chicken Kebabs
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 to 20 cherry tomatoes
10 to 12 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
2 lemons cut into thin slices
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cut chicken into 16 bite-size pieces. Combine the chicken, oil, garlic and oregano. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes to 8 hours.
Thread alternating pieces of chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, green onions and lemons onto 4 metal skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush remaining marinade over skewers. Grill on medium-high 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from grill; let stand 2 minutes and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 278 calories, 38 g protein, 8 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 109 mg cholesterol, 343 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
Food on 08/23/2017