Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - December 18-22

November 13, 2017
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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. Look for one on a newsstands to find more delicious dinner inspiration.
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Monday: Roasted Salmon with Oranges, Beets, and Carrots

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Roasted Salmon with Oranges, Beets, and Carrots

This sheet pan main is as elegant as it is easy. Serve on any weeknight, or for guests with a whole-grain side and seasonal salad. One large (1 1/2-lb.) fillet, also called a side of salmon, will stay moist at the higher oven temperature.

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Tuesday: Orange, Tofu, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Orange, Tofu, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

Fresh orange juice perks up this speedy stir-fry, becoming a sticky, glossy sauce for the colorful vegetables. A quick coat in cornstarch helps the tofu develop a supercrisp crust without needing to fry in lots of oil. It's a good idea to have every element at the ready by the stove before you start to cook, as the stir-fry will come together very quickly.

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Wednesday: Apricot-Sage Chicken with With

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Apricot-Sage Chicken With Carrots

Dinner doesn't get much easier than this eight-ingredient, one-pan dish. The secret is jarred apricot preserves; much more than a spread for toast, it balances the earthy sage and pungent mustard in the pan sauce and gives everything a glossy coat.

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Thursday: Creamy Kale Caesar Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Creamy Kale Caesar Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

We leave out the anchovies for a kid-friendly take on classic Caesar salad. Instead of romaine, we use dark, bumpy lacinato kale leaves; a quick massage makes them perfectly tender. And instead of adding raw egg to the dressing, we add a soft-boiled egg to each serving so the yolk can run over all.

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Friday: Pan-Grilled Mackerel with Creamy Millet Puree

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pan-Grilled Mackerel with Creamy Millet Puree

Rich mackerel is a sustainable seafood option. The puree here is an interesting blend of intentionally overcooked whole-grain millet and steamed cauliflower. The texture is similar to grits, and the flavor is more like creamed cauliflower soup. It goes beautifully with the sweet-and-sour agrodolce-like relish.

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Dessert Bonus: Eggnog Banana Bread

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Eggnog Banana Bread

A mash-up of the retro holiday drink and the classic quick bread makes perfect sense: Booze, cream, and nutmeg pair perfectly with banana, vanilla, and brown sugar. These whole-grain mini loaves are a great alternative to cupcakes, and much easier to package without a dome of messy frosting.

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