FOODMENU

Make dinner fun again with themed nights like Taco Tuesday and Fish Friday


We all know how overwhelming it could be to figure out what we're serving for dinner and then we tend to make the same thing over and over again, so here's the plan: I want you to come up with a theme night for each designated day during the week.

So, for example: Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesday, Whatever Wednesday, Pasta Thursdays, Fish Fridays, Stir fry Saturdays, and even healthy takeout for Sunday. Your family now has simple, delicious, super fun and healthy meals for every day of the week.
Here are some ideas!
MEATLESS MONDAY:
Slow Cooker Farro Soup



Slow Cooker Farro Soup



COOK TIME:
PREP TIME:
SERVINGS:
4

This soup not only offers many important vitamins and minerals, but it will also keep you full while helping you lose weight through improved digestive and metabolic systems. The high fiber content of the farro, kale and cannellini beans promotes healthy digestion, and the kale is also especially effective at aiding in detoxing and fat burning. This soup is as delicious as it is filling, and the slow cooker will also bring out the rich flavors this recipe has to offer.
Related: 10 foods for flat abs
Ingredients:
    • 1 cup farro, rinsed
    • 8 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 cups chopped kale
    • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
    • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
    • 1/2 large lemon, juiced
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • Black pepper to taste
    • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

 Preparation:
Place all the ingredients except the cannellini beans in the slow cooker. Cook in the low setting for 8 to 10 hours.
Add the beans to the soup and cook another 30 minutes before serving.
Reprinted with permission from The Sexy Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan by Ella Magers, Page Street Publishing Co. 2015.

Multigrain Veggie Burger

Multigrain veggie burger



COOK TIME:
PREP TIME: 60 
minutes
SERVINGS: 6-8




Ingredients:
    • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
    • 1 carrot, chopped
    • 1 cup white quinoa
    • 1 cup green wheat freekeh (whole-grain or cracked; see Cook's note, below)
    • 1/4 cup frozen English peas
    • 1/4 cup golden raisins
    • 1/2 cup oatmeal
    • Salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Vegetable oil
Preparation:
In a pot, sauté the pepper, onion and carrot in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and the quinoa and bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (if all water is not fully absorbed, remove lid and continue cooking until it is, checking frequently).
In a separate pot, if using whole grain freekeh, add it and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down heat to simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer until water is fully absorbed, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If using cracked freekeh, cook according to package instructions.)
Place oatmeal in a spice grinder or food processor fitted with the metal blade and grind until the mixture resembles flour. Reserve in a small bowl.
Once the grains have absorbed all the water and are fully cooked, combine and blend in the peas, raisins and a quarter cup of the oatmeal mixture. If the mixture seems too moist and does not hold together when you form a small amount into a ball, continue to add oatmeal in tablespoon increments.
Alternatively, if the mixture seems too dry, add water in tablespoon increments.
Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Form into patties and freeze for at least 4 hours and up to 3 months.
Heat the grill to medium high. Brush a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and place empty skillet on the grill grate for 5 minutes.
Place burgers in the skillet and close the grill lid. Cook for about 3 minutes per side. Burgers are ready when a crispy, golden-brown crust has formed on the outside.
Place grilled burger on a bun and garnish with toppings like lettuce, red onion and grilled tomatoes. A pita pocket also works well if the burger has a slightly crumbly texture.
Cook's note: Packaged versions of both cracked and whole-grain freekeh are also sold by companies like Bob's Red Mill.

TACO TUESDAY:




Lighter Beef Tacos

For the best flavor, warm the tortillas briefly in the microwave before serving


Photo by Reed Davis / Courtesy of Everday Food
COOK TIME:
PREP TIME:
SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients:
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • Coarse salt and ground pepper
    • 3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
    • 12 soft corn tortillas (6-inch)
    • Store-bought salsa and shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

    • Preparation:
      1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and bell peppers; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until water has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
      2. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season taco filling with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon filling onto tortillas, top with salsa and lettuce, and fold to enclose.

Jalapeño Roast Chicken Tacos

TV host Marcela Valladolid lightens up classic roast chicken by coating it with coconut oil instead of butter. For extra flavor, she stuffs jalapeños under the chicken's skin and fresh herbs in the cavity. Pile the shredded chicken into warm corn tortillas, then top with traditional garnishes like salsa, onion, cilantro, avocado, radishes, pickled jalapeños and a squeeze of lime. The finishing touch: a side of her healthy lard-free refried beans made with olive oil and the beans' cooking liquid.



SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients:
  • J
    ALAPEÑO ROAST CHICKEN
    • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1-inch pieces
    • 6 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh jalapeños
    • 1 5-pound whole chicken, giblets removed
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
    • 1/4 cup fresh oregano
    • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
    • 1 lime, sliced into rounds
    • HEALTHY REFRIED BEANS
      • 2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
      • 1 yellow onion, cut in half (one half for cooking liquid and other half chopped)
      • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
      • Salt, to taste
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
      • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, deveined, finely chopped
    • GARNISHES FOR SERVING
      • Corn tortillas
      • Salsa (homemade or store-bought)
      • Sliced avocados
      • Sliced radishes
      • Chopped onion
      • Minced cilantro
      • Pickled jalapeños
      • Lime wedges
    • Preparation:
      For the Jalapeño Roast Chicken:


      Marcela Valladolid's recipe for jalapeno roast chicken tacosPatty Lee / TODAY
      Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 475°F. Arrange squash in a heavy cast iron skillet just large enough to fit them all in a single crowded layer and dot 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Set aside.
      Carefully place jalapeños under skin of chicken. Stuff chicken cavity with garlic, oregano, parsley, lime and remaining coconut oil. Season heavily with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place stuffed chicken, breast side up, directly on top of squash.
      Roast chicken and squash, rotating pan halfway through cooking process, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165°F, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
      Let rest 10 minutes before carving or shredding. Shred for tacos, discarding bones and skin.
      For the Healthy Refried Beans:
      Place beans, 1/2 onion, garlic and 8 cups water in a large heavy pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3½ hours or until beans are soft. Make sure to add more water as needed.
      Season beans to taste with salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, stirring well to combine.
      Chop other half onion.
      Preheat remaining olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and jalapeño, and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the cooked beans and cooking water as necessary and use a bean or potato masher to gently mash them, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent scorching. Using a spatula or a flat wooden spoon, continue stirring and scraping the sides of the skillet until the beans dry out slightly and have cooked down to a paste. The beans should be moist and shiny. Serve.
      To assemble:
      Serve the shredded Jalapeño Roast Chicken with warm tortillas, salsa, sliced avocado, sliced radishes, chopped onion, minced cilantro, pickled jalapeños, lime wedges and Healthy Refried Beans.

WHATEVER WEDNESDAY:

      • Lower-Calorie Bacon Burger

  • 1100 CALORIES—that's what a typical Bacon Cheeseburger in a restaurant will cost you. By the way, that's not including the greasy side of fries.
  • Instead, try my slim-style version for a fraction of the calories (just 425!), fat and sodium. Trust me, it provides the same fantastic flavors—juicy beef, crispy bacon and melty cheese—without any of the lousy aftermath.

Ingredients:
    • 4 whole-grain hamburger buns
    • 1 pound lean ground sirloin or turkey (at least 90 percent lean)
    • 1/4 cup ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 chopped onion (optional)
    • 4 slices turkey bacon
    • Four slices reduced-fat cheese, any variety
Preparation:
Toast the buns.
Combine the turkey (or beef), ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, and onion, if desired, in a small bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 equal-sized portions and shape them into burgers. Set aside.
Coat a skillet with nonstick oil spray and warm it over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon and cook until crispy, following package directions. Set the bacon aside on a paper towel to drain.
Reapply nonstick oil spray to the skillet and cook the burgers about 5 minutes per side. When the burgers are done, top each with 1 slice of cheese. Cover the skillet to allow the cheese to melt. Add 1 slice of cooked turkey bacon (split into two pieces) to the top of each burger.
Layer the bottom buns with lettuce, tomato, bacon cheeseburger, pickles, chopped onion and a squirt of ketchup and/or mustard. Add the top bun and dig in.
NUTRITION: 425 calories, 36 g protein, 28 g carbs (3 g fiber), 17.5 g fat (6 g saturated)
Buffalo Chicken Chili
This hearty Buffalo chicken chili tastes hearty and delicious, but is actually low in calories.








SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients:
    • 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
    • 6 stalks celery, sliced
    • 6 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 pounds ground chicken (99% lean)
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or tomato juice
    • 0.25 cup hot sauce (see note below)
  • WHIPPED BLUE CHEESE TOPPING
    • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, at room temperature
    • 1/4 cup light/nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt
    • Preparation:
      Liberally coat a large pot or Dutch oven with oil spray, and preheat it over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes; add water, a tablespoon at a time, as necessary to prevent scorching.
      Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the ground chicken, reapplying oil spray if necessary. Sauté, stirring continuously and breaking the chicken into small pieces, for 5 minutes or until cooked through. As the chicken cooks, continue scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any large bits.
      Sprinkle in the chili powder and flour, and stir quickly to distribute them evenly. Immediately add the vegetable juice and hot sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
      Ladle the chili into serving bowls and serve with desired toppings.
      To make whipped blue cheese topping: In a small bowl, mash together the blue cheese crumbles and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Dollop on top of chili before serving

      Note: The amount of hot sauce you use will depend on the brand you select as well as your (and your family's) own personal tolerance for spicy foods. I advise adding 1/4 cup hot sauce to start with, then tasting the chili and adding more from there if you find it too mild.

PASTA THURSDAY:


    • Chicken with creamy garlic pasta and fresh basil


    • SERVINGS:
      4
    • Ingredients:
        • Oil spray
        • 3 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
        • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
        • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
        • 1/2 cup water
        • 6 ounces dry whole grain linguine
        • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (if needed)
        • 8 ounces assorted fresh mushrooms (such as button, cremini, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
        • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
        • 4 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
        • 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
        • 3/4 cup nonfat milk
        • 1/2 cup jarred roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
        • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or thyme

        • Preparation:
          Coat a large nonstick skillet with oil spray. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add chicken to the hot pan. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is browned, turning once halfway through cook time. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully add the water. Return to the heat and bring the water to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover the skillet. Cook for 9 to 12 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Remove the chicken from the skillet, reserving any liquid in the pan. Cover the chicken and keep warm. If necessary, add enough of the chicken broth to the pan to make 1/2 cup total liquid in the pan. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the liquid in the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until mushrooms and onion are tender. Add the cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted and combined with the vegetables. Stir in the milk, roasted pepper strips, and drained linguine. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until mixture is heated through and well coated with the sauce.Divide the pasta mixture among four serving plates. Thinly slice the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the pasta on the plates. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, or thyme.
        • FISH FRIDAY:
        • Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
        • SERVINGS: 6

        • Ingredients:
          • FISH AND MARINADE
            • 4 skin-on red snapper fillets, about 6 ounces each (can sub mahi mahi or tilapia)
            • 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
            • 1 scallion, white and green parts, minced
            • 2 cloves garlic, minced
            • 1⁄4 cup orange juice
            • 2 tablespoons lime juice
            • 2 tablespoons olive oil
            • 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
            • 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
          • SALSA
            • 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
            • 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced
            • 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
            • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
            • 2 tablespoons lime juice
            • 1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
            • 2 avocados, diced
            • 6 whole wheat tortillas
            • Preparation:
              To marinate the fish, place the fillets in a baking dish and pierce with a fork all over on both sides. Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, pour over the fish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
              Preheat the grill to medium high or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
              Grill the fish, flesh side down, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the fillets over and cook until opaque and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter, remove the skin, and flake the fish with a fork.
              Combine the tomatoes, mangoes, cucumber, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl and mix. Add the avocado and gently toss. Divide the fish evenly among the 6 tortillas. Spoon the salsa over each and garnish with cilantro.
            • Provencal-Style Fish Bake
            • SERVINGS: 4

            • Ingredients:
                • 1/3 cup chopped parsley(plus 2 tablespoons for garnish)
                • 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
                • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
                • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
                • 1 1/2pounds(1-inch thick) firm white fish fillets, such as halibut or Pacific cod, patted dry
                • 1 (14 ounce) can low-sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
                • 1 tablespoon low-sodium tomato paste
                • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
                • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
                • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick and rings separated
                • 1 cup trimmed fennel bulb, thinly sliced
                • 1 cup small canned white beans, rinsed and drained
                • 1 small lemon, sliced thin
                • 1/4 cup drained sliced pimento stuffed green olives

                • Preparation:
                  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1/3 cup parsley, herbes de Provence, lemon juice and olive oil in a zip top plastic gallon bag. Gently shake to blend. Add fish fillets to bag, seal and place in refrigerator to marinade while preparing the rest of the recipe.
                  In a medium bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and pepper. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish or 11x9x2 inch baking dish with non-stick olive oil flavored cooking spray. Line bottom of baking dish with onion and fennel; spoon tomato mixture on top. Cover dish with foil, bake in center of oven until onion and fennel are just tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
                  Remove foil from dish and stir in beans. Remove fish from bag, discard marinade, then lay fish fillets on top of tomato mixture. Next lay lemon slices on top of fish. Sprinkle olives all over, cover dish with foil and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and serve. Prep and cook time 45 minutes.