Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners--November 9-13
Every Sunday, we publish a week of Cooking Light dinner plans filled with our favorite recipes—both from current issues and classics. Each meal is designed to be ready and on the table in 45 minutes or less so that you have more time to enjoy the food you’ve prepared and the company of those you’ve prepared it for.
If you like having a healthy meal plan but want something customized to your dietary or caloric needs, check out The Cooking Light Diet. It’s a calorie-driven weekly meal plan—breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—based on your dieting goals and food preferences.
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
The Plan: Monday: Roasted Cod with Almond-Thyme Breadcrumbs with Orange Salad with Arugula and Oil-Cured OlivesTuesday: Pork Medallions with Scallions and Magic Green Sauce with Herb Roasted PotatoesWednesday: Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine with Lemony Kale SaladThursday: Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs with Honey Mustard Glazed CarrotsFriday: Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup with Goat Cheese CrostiniDessert Bonus: Apple-Toffee Hand Pies
Monday: 5 ingredients, 20 minutes, and fit for a white tablecloth restaurant, Roasted Cod with Almond-Thyme Breadcrumbs is the perfect way to start off your week. The toasted crumb and almond topping is almost like a savory granola, adding crunch to the flaky, tender cod. It's citrus season, so serve up the fish with an equally so-easy-yet-so-elegant side, Orange Salad with Arugula and Oil-Cured Olives.
Orange Salad with Arugula and Oil-Cured OlivesTuesday: Yes, another 5-ingredient recipe that's simple yet impressive, Pork Medallions with Scallions and Magic Green Sauce is gorgeous and simply delicious. The "magic sauce" gets a vinegary hit from jarred caper brine and herbaceousness from fresh cilantro. Keep the simplicity theme going with Herb Roasted Potatoes.
Herb Roasted PotatoesWednesday: Plenty of sautéed cremini mushrooms dress up the classic creamy pasta in this quick Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine. Refrigerated fresh fettuccine cooks up in about 5 minutes, so you can start the sauce just as you put the water on to boil and both with finished at the same time. Kale is the leafy green mascot of fall; Lemony Kale Salad is a perfect pairing for the pasta.
Lemony Kale SaladThursday: The key to Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs is a hot oven and a hot cast-iron skillet. Both allow the skin to get very crisp while the meat remains juicy, all in under 20 minutes. Serve with wilted spinach and crisp-tender Honey Mustard Glazed Carrots.
Honey Mustard Glazed CarrotsFriday: Time to use up the produce and other ingredients from the week. Use remaining kale, carrots, and chicken thighs for a fast Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup. Serve with a torn piece of whole-grain French bread baguette, or slice, toast and dress up a little with Goat Cheese Crostini.
Goat Cheese CrostiniDessert Bonus: Turkey Day is still a few weeks away, but that doesn't mean those fall desserts are out of reach. Apple-Toffee Hand Pies. Refrigerated pie dough and toffee chips bring these adorable pies together in a snap.
