SUNDAY: Make family day special and serve Italian Roast Pork Loin. Pour 1 cup Italian salad dressing into a resealable plastic bag; add 1 (2- to 3-pound) boneless pork loin. Seal and refrigerate overnight. Remove pork; discard dressing marinade. Pat pork dry and sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon garlic pepper. Place in a shallow pan and roast 1 hour at 350 degrees or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted red potatoes, green beans, mixed salad greens and sourdough bread. Make or buy a blueberry cobbler and top it with a smidgen of vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough pork and cobbler for Monday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover pork in Pork and Mushroom Quesadillas (see recipe). Serve with a leaf lettuce salad. Top the leftover cobbler with whipped cream for dessert.
TUESDAY: Let the kids feast on burgers tonight. They might want to add cheese along with their favorite trimmings. How about some corn-on-the-cob and baby carrots, too? Make s'mores in the microwave for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Make a no-meat night special with Penne With Fresh Tomato-Arugula Sauce (see recipe). Add whole-grain bread. Sprinkle fresh strawberries with sugar for dessert.
THURSDAY: For a festive dinner, try Baked Beans-Tuna Chef Salad. Divide among 4 dinner plates: 1 (12-ounce) bunch romaine, torn into 1/2-inch pieces. On top, arrange 2 to 4 hard-cooked eggs (cut into 6 pieces each), 2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna (drained and flaked), 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, 1 (16-ounce) can vegetarian baked beans (such as Bush's). Drizzle with 4 tablespoons Italian dressing (or another kind). Serve with crusty bread. Sprinkle fresh peaches with nutmeg for an easy dessert.
FRIDAY: Make Garden BLTs for a quick meal. Spread 8 slices whole-grain toast with mayonnaise. For each sandwich, layer 1 slice toast with 2 slices cooked bacon, 2 slices tomatoes, 8 thin slices cucumber, 1 thin slice sweet onion, 1 medium lettuce leaf, and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining toast. Cut in half on the diagonal. Serve with hash-browned potatoes (refrigerated). Fresh blueberries with whipped cream satisfy your sweet tooth.
SATURDAY: Extend an invitation to special friends for Arroz Con Pollo (see recipe). Serve it with a red-tip lettuce salad and baguettes. A simple dessert of meringue cookies and raspberry sorbet is a perfect ending.
THE RECIPES
Pork and Mushroom Quesadillas
12 ounces cooked (leftover) pork, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tablespoon PLUS 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided use
6 ounces fresh sliced crimini mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced green onions
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
4 (9- to 10-inch) flour tortillas
Stack pork slices and cut crosswise in half, then cut each stack lengthwise into matchstick-size pieces; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add mushrooms and onions; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until softened. Remove from skillet; add pork and stir-fry 1 minute. Remove pork and wipe skillet with paper towels.
To assemble, sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla. Top each with pork and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle each with another 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold in half, pressing gently. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Cook quesadillas, 2 at a time, on medium heat 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden and cheese is melted, turning once. Remove quesadillas from skillet; loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and quesadillas. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve.
Makes 4 quesadillas.
Nutrition information: Each quesadilla contains approximately 452 calories, 37 g protein, 17 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 88 mg cholesterol, 569 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2 1/2.
Penne With Fresh Tomato-Arugula Sauce
12 ounces penne pasta
1 pound diced tomatoes (about 2 cups)
3 cups arugula, cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in thin shavings (about 3 ounces) (see note)
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine tomatoes, arugula, basil, oil, vinegar, garlic and salt. Add cooked pasta to bowl and toss. Top with cheese shavings and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Note: To make cheese shavings, pull a vegetable peeler across a wedge of cheese.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 325 calories, 13 g protein, 9 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate, 10 mg cholesterol, 398 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Arroz Con Pollo
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron OR ground turmeric
11/2 cups frozen tiny green peas, thawed
1/4 cup sliced Spanish olives with pimientos
In a small bowl, mix salt, paprika and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over chicken.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 minutes per side or until golden. Remove chicken from skillet. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in rice and garlic. Continue to cook about 1 minute. Stir in broth and saffron. Bring to boil. Return chicken to skillet; cover. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in peas; cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with olives and serve.
Makes 12 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 215 calories, 22 grams protein, 6 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrate, 80 mg cholesterol, 369 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
Food on 06/07/2017