Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - November 20-24
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Monday: One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
We made pasta night easier by cooking the noodles right in the sauce. This not only saves on cleanup; the stock also infuses the pasta with flavor as it cooks, and the starch helps to thicken the sauce so it clings.
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Tuesday: Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry
Ginger and sambal oelek, a chile-garlic paste that’s now at most supermarkets in the international aisle, made this recipe a favorite by providing bold flavor in no time. Have all ingredients ready at the stove so they can go in at just the right moment.
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Wednesday: Classic Beef Pot Roast
This dish is our most popular recipe ever and it's a real crowd-pleaser. To serve, carve the roast into large pieces, ladle the rich broth over the top, and sprinkle with fresh flat-leaf parsley.
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Thursday: Turkey Sandwiches with Kimchi Slaw and Miso Sauce
Use those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers in a modern update of a sandwich. The robust flavors of nutty sesame oil, tangy-garlicky- pungent kimchi, and salty-sweet white miso give your palate a wel- come change of pace. The sandwich also feeds your gut healthy probiotics (kimchi, yogurt, and miso) plus pre- biotics (whole-grain bread) to keep the good bacteria well fed.
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Friday: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach
This reader favorite has half the carbs of classic lasagna. If you bake the squash ahead, store the squeeze-dried strands in a zip-top bag, and stack the empty squash “boats” between damp paper towels before refrigerating.
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Dessert Bonus: Grapefruit-Campari Bars with Shortbread Crust
Treat yourself to a sophisticated riff on lemon bars. This grown-up treat embraces the bitterness in both grapefruit and Campari, balancing the flavor with a rich, buttery shortbread crust. When we create our healthier desserts, we think about where the fat will be best used—we strategically place it where it will make the most difference. Here, a good amount of butter goes into the whole-wheat crust to give it an irresistible shortbread-like texture. Just be sure to lightly pat the crust in place; if you press too hard and compact it into the baking dish, it will become dense and tough.