Day One:
Pork Medallions with Balsamic Honey Glaze
Ingredients:
For reduction & marinade:
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
1-2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
Vegetable or Canola Oil for searing
Directions:
Cut pork tenderloins into 1.5 inch medallions (rounds).
Mix reduction & marinade ingredients, divide in half. Put half in a Ziploc bag & reserve the other half for the reduction sauce.
Marinate pork medallions from 1-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cover the bottom of a medium high sided skillet with a light film of canola or vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork slices in one layer and sear for one minute. Turn and sear for 1 minute more, until lightly browned. Transfer the slices in 1 layer to a 9x13 pyrex dish, leaving spaces between the slices.
Roast for 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from the oven and keep warm, loosely covered until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, in the hot searing pan (still heated to medium-high), deglaze pan with the white wine (or chicken stock). Add the reserved marinade and whisk until reduced by half & thickened.
To serve place pork medallions on a platter and spoon the balsamic honey reduction over them. There will be extra sauce left over and it is super yummy so put it on the table as a dipping sauce that people can add if they wish. Trust me, they will.
* I served this with mashed potatoes & steamed green beans.
Day Two:
Taco Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 small chopped onion
1 cup taco sauce
3/4 cup water
1 - 4oz can diced green chilis
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1/2 bag tortilla chips, broken, divided
2 cups shredded cheddar
Garnish (to taste):
Chopped tomato
Chopped green pepper
Chopped green onions
Sliced black olives
Sour cream
Salsa
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11x17 baking dish and set aside.
Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until browned. Drain fat. Stir in taco sauce, water, chilis and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
Layer half of broken chips on bottom of baking dish. Cover with half of meat mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat.
Bake uncovered 25 minutes or until bubbly on the sides with cheese all melted.
Top with garnish items above and serve.
Day Three:
Low Fat New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
4 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, drained and juices reserved
3/4 cup instant potatoes (2 oz pkg is perfect size)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
3/4 cup fat free half and half
a few shakes of dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook bacon in dutch oven over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic & thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes, wine, bay leaves, and reserved canned clam juice; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Whisk potato flakes, corn starch, and bottled clam juice in bowl. Microwave until mixture is thickened and smooth, about 1 minute. Stir potato flake mixture into pot and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add half and half, parsley, and chopped clams to pot and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes (do not let chowder boil or it will curdle). Discard bay leaves and season with salt & pepper. Serve.
Day Four:
My Big Dream Greek Pasta*
This makes two dinners - one to eat & one to freeze for another time.
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound rigatoni
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium red onion, diced
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small pkg crumbled feta cheese with garlic & herbs
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt (or regular)
1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions:
Spray two 1 qt casserole dishes with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook just until tender, around 7 minutes (see pkg directions). Drain and divide between the prepared baking dishes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chicken, olive oil, feta, lemon zest, oregano, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella and mix until incorporated. Spoon the mixture over the pasta, dividing evenly between the two dishes. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan & mozzarella.
Cover one container with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
To freeze the second one, cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and cook as above OR to cook from frozen, remove plastic wrap, re-cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 20 minutes uncovered.
Day Five:
Crockpot Sweet & Sour Ribs
Ingredients:
3 pounds (approx) pork spareribs cut into 2 or 3 rib sections (we use baby backs)
Brown Sugar Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Make the brown sugar sauce first by combining brown sugar and flour in a medium saucepan. Add water. Add the next five ingredients and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat and stir until boiling and thickened - about 10 minutes.
Layer ribs in slow cooker, spooning sauce over each layer. Cover. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high 5-6 hours, basting occasionally with sauce. Serve over rice.
Shopping List for Week Five
1-2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 pound ground beef
bacon
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 pounds (approx) pork spareribs (we use baby backs)
2 cups shredded cheddar
Sour cream
3/4 cup fat free half and half
1 small pkg crumbled feta cheese with garlic & herbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
bulb of garlic
2 onions
1-2 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 bunch green onions
3 medium sized potatoes
1 medium zucchini
1 medium red onion
1 lemon
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
dried rosemary
balsamic vinegar
cup honey
olive oil
Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
dried thyme
bay leaves
cornstarch
dried parsley
Nonstick cooking spray
dried oregano
italian seasoning
brown sugar
flour
white vinegar
soy sauce
ketchup
ground ginger
garlic powder
Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 cup taco sauce
1 - 4oz can diced green chilis
Sliced black olives
Salsa
4 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams
3/4 cup instant potatoes (2 oz pkg is perfect size)
1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
1 pound rigatoni
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 bag tortilla chips, broken, divided
1 1/4 cups white wine (or chicken stock)
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