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  3. Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - January 8-12

Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - January 8-12

January 03, 2018
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Credit: Greg DuPree
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: Korean Barbecue Pizza

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Korean Barbecue Pizza

We gave a crowd-pleasing classic like barbecue chicken pizza a Korean spin. Fresh mozzarella is mild enough to complement the caramel and chile notes in the sauce and is a great canvas for the fresh carrot and radish salad on top. Roll out and build the pizza on a large sheet of parchment paper so you can place both directly on the hot pizza stone. The bottom of the crust will still be crisp, and you’ll avoid any potential flops from counter to oven.

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Tuesday: Kale, Tomato, and Pancetta Pasta

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Kale, Tomato, and Pancetta Pasta

Tomatoes need a little extra love during winter. This pasta uses them in two ways: first melted into the pancetta drippings for a saucy base, then sautéed until gently blistered with the kale and garlic. Vary the green depending on what you have on hand; shredded Brussels sprouts, chard, or spinach would work. Orecchiette ("little ears" in Italian) have a catcher’s mitt shape that’s ideal for holding the crispy bits of pancetta. You could also use whole-grain shell pasta or rotini.

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Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin and Collards Skillet

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Pork Tenderloin and Collards Skillet

Collards fair nicely in a quick sauté; slice into thin ribbons so they wilt quickly and stay tender. Canned black-eyed peas also save time. Pork is a natural pairing for greens and black-eyed peas. Here a lean, perfectly seared pork tenderloin is the star.

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Thursday: Chicken with Broccolini and Farro-Beet Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken with Broccolini and Farro-Beet Salad

This one recipe gives you a full meal for four people—a hefty plate that goes heavy on the vegetables and provides nearly one-third of your daily fiber goal and just over 80% of your protein goal. The simple parsley sauce pulls everything together, offering a burst of fresh herbal flavor that brightens the dish. We call for precooked farro for speed and convenience, but if you have time, you can cook your own from scratch; aim for one-half cup cooked grains per serving.

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Friday: Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

We've turned our favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich—when the cheese hits the hot pan and becomes a lacy, golden crisp—into a garnish for quick, creamy tomato soup. Grated Parmesan cheese melts and melds with crispy panko breadcrumbs in the skillet into silver dollar-sized crisps, then are flipped to brown on the other side. If you don’t have half-and-half, stir a spoonful or two of the pureed soup into yogurt until smooth, then stir that mixture back into the soup.

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Dessert Bonus: Easy Jasmine Rice Pudding

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Easy Jasmine Rice Pudding

Treat yourself to a comforting bowl of warm, creamy rice pudding and enjoy a better night’s sleep. The goji berries sprinkled on top add fruity chew, while the pepitas offer nutty crunch and a tryptophan boost. Look for both at specialty grocery stores. If you can’t find them, sub tart cherries or pomegranates for the goji berries and walnuts for the pepitas; walnuts also contain tryptophan. A mild, less expensive honey works beautifully here; save the pricier, more robust honeys for a recipe where their flavor will be front and center.

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    1 of 6 Monday: Korean Barbecue Pizza
    2 of 6 Tuesday: Kale, Tomato, and Pancetta Pasta
    3 of 6 Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin and Collards Skillet
    4 of 6 Thursday: Chicken with Broccolini and Farro-Beet Salad
    5 of 6 Friday: Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps
    6 of 6 Dessert Bonus: Easy Jasmine Rice Pudding

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    Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - January 8-12
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