SUNDAY: A great way to celebrate family day is with Grilled Flatiron Steaks (see recipe). On the side, add corn-on-the-cob, a green salad and crusty bread. Buy a coconut cake for dessert.
Plan ahead: Cook 2 extra ears of corn, and save 2 steaks and some cake for Monday.
MONDAY: Use Sunday's leftovers for Steak Salad. Toss packaged salad greens with leftover corn kernels and steak slices, some crumbled blue cheese, halved grape tomatoes and avocado slices. Add whole-grain rolls. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
TUESDAY: For a low-cost meal, try Tropical Pork Burgers. Heat grill to medium-high. Combine 1 pound lean ground pork, 2 tablespoons teriyaki stir-fry sauce and 2 green onions (sliced). Form into 4 (4-inch) patties. Coat patties, 2 green bell peppers (quartered), 4 whole green onions and 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh pineapple with cooking spray. Grill patties and peppers, turning twice, 8 minutes or until lightly charred. Brush with more teriyaki sauce. Add green onions and pineapple to grill. Grill everything 2 more minutes, turning often, or until internal temperature of the burgers is 165 degrees and vegetables and pineapple are tender. Serve with baked beans and whole-grain sandwich buns. Mangoes will taste great for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Enjoy Atlanta's Mexican chef Eddie Hernandez's Meatloaf (see recipe) with Tomato-Habanero Gravy for a new take on an old favorite. For the gravy: Place 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes and 1 habanero or jalapeno pepper in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to boil on high heat. Boil just until tomato skins start to crack. Drain in a colander. Remove stems from peppers. Transfer tomatoes and peppers to blender and puree until smooth. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add tomato puree. Cook 3 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings; serve with meatloaf. Of course, you'll want mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus alongside. For dessert, strawberries are in season.
Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf for Friday.
THURSDAY: Enjoy Lentil Soup for a no-meat dinner. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan on medium-high. Add 1 medium onion (chopped); cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 carrot (chopped), 1 red bell pepper (chopped) and 5 cloves garlic (sliced); cook 3 minutes. Stir in 5 cups water, 1 cup dried lentils, 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves. Serve with grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches. Plums are dessert.
FRIDAY: Heat the leftover meatloaf and gravy and serve it with noodles. Add a packaged green salad. For dessert, bite into juicy honeydew melon chunks.
SATURDAY: Be the hostess with the mostess and serve Rice-Stuffed Flounder With Broccoli (see recipe) to your guests. Add fresh baby carrots, a spinach salad and baguettes. Dessert is raspberry sorbet with chocolate wafer cookies.
THE RECIPES
Grilled Flatiron Steaks
2 tablespoons cumin
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 flatiron steak (see note)
Lime wedges
Combine cumin, garlic, sugar, zest and pepper; mix well. Press cumin mixture onto steak. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness; turn occasionally. Cover and refrigerate half of the steak for Monday. Carve remaining steak into slices. Squeeze lime wedges over steaks as desired, and serve.
Note: Can substitute boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 1/2 inches thick, if desired. Grill 22 to 26 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 170 calories, 23 g protein, 8 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate, 78 mg cholesterol, 97 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Meatloaf
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 jalapeno pepper, minced, with stem and membranes removed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of an 8 1/2-by-11-inch baking dish with the butter; set aside.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly to combine. Pat meat mixture evenly into the prepared dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Garnish with parsley.
Makes 8 servings.
Adapted from Turnip Greens and Tortillas by Eddie Hernandez and Susan Puckett (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 400 calories, 33 g protein, 23 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 108 mg cholesterol, 505 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1/2.
Rice-Stuffed Flounder With Broccoli
1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice blend
1 cup small fresh broccoli florets
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 (6-ounce) flounder filets
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 thin slices lemon
3/4 cup white wine or water
If necessary, discard seasoning packet from rice; cook rice according to directions, but without oil or butter. Add broccoli, green onion and tarragon the last 10 minutes of cooking, or cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat; cool about 10 minutes. Reserve 3 cups for now; freeze any remaining rice.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and egg yolk; set aside. When rice has cooled, add it, along with the tomatoes, to the mayonnaise mixture; stir to blend.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
To assemble: Place one filet in dish. Spoon a scant 2/3 cup rice mixture onto one half of filet; fold other half to cover. Secure with wooden picks if necessary. Repeat with remaining filets. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper; top each filet with two slices lemon. Add wine or water to pan. Bake 20 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with fork. (Filling should be 160 degrees.) Remove to plates with large spatula. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 317 calories, 23 g protein, 7 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate, 112 mg cholesterol, 766 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2 1/2.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com
Food on 07/18/2018