I love homemade meals with my fiancé, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't have a game plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I've bought (and I HATE wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal plan and grocery guide. This way, I can make the most of my ingredients and my leftovers.
Last week I shredded leftover BBQ Chicken Thighs to use for garlicky Spicy Chicken Sandwiches. This week, I'm using store-bought sun-dried tomato pesto in both a Whole Wheat Penne and Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Pesto Stuffed Tenderloin.
Here's what else I'm making:
Pantry Items Olive oil (regular and extra virgin) Balsamic vinegar White wine vinegar Cooking spray Chicken stock Parmesan cheese Butter Whole grain mustard Dijon mustard Honey Soy sauce Paprika Kosher salt Pepper
Grocery List based on servings for 2 w/ leftovers 2 sword fish filets (5-6 oz each) 1 lb beef tenderloin roast 1 yellow onion 1 head garlic 1 bunch mixed greens 1 bunch asparagus 1 bunch basil 1-2 lemons 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes 4 oz garlic & herb goat cheese 1 jar sun-dried tomato pesto (or make your own) 1 box whole wheat penne 1 package frozen puff pastry 1 box herb & garlic couscous (whole grain optional)
Grilled Swordfish w/ Lemon Basil Butter *Makes leftover asparagus for use as side and in Stuffed Tenderloin
Prepare lemon basil butter: Mix 2 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and ½ tsp freshly grated garlic.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Wash and trim tough ends off asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes until browned and crisp, turning every minute or so. *Wrap half + a few more spears of the cooked asparagus in aluminum foil and reserve for day 2.
Brush swordfish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Dollop lemon basil butter onto cooked swordfish and serve with side of grilled asparagus and wedged lemon.
Day 2 - Garlic Mustard Beef Skewers w/ Asparagus & Couscous recipe adapted from Bobby Flay *Uses leftover grilled asparagus *Makes leftover couscous for use as side
Prepare couscous according to package instructions. *Reserve half cooked couscous for use in day 4.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Cut tenderloin into 1 inch thick slices. Refrigerate half of the slices for use in day 4. Cut the other half of the slices into cubes and place on skewers. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Whisk together 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, ½ tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard, ½ tbsp Dijon, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ tsp paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Brush beef skewers with glaze and grill until browned all around, about 2-3 minutes per side, brushing with the glaze while cooking.
Reheat foil-wrapped asparagus on the grill at the same time. *Reserve a few spears for day 3 before reheating.
Serve beef skewers hot with grilled asparagus and couscous.
Day 3 - Whole Wheat Penne w/ Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Cook two servings of penne to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid.
While hot, toss pasta with a large spoonful of sun-dried tomato pesto and chopped fresh basil, adding enough cooking liquid to moisten.
Serve topped with parmesan and more fresh basil.
Day 4 - Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Pesto Stuffed Tenderloin *Uses leftover Asparagus and Couscous
Pound sliced tenderloin pieces to ¼ inch thickness.
Spread with goat cheese, pesto, and halved asparagus spears. Roll to close and secure with toothpicks. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sear until a golden-brown crust forms on all sides, about 5-10 minutes per side. Remove from pan and add a ¼ cup chicken stock, scraping up brown bits. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by half.
Meanwhile, reheat leftover couscous.
Pour pan juices over the rolls and serve with warmed couscous.
Day 5 - Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart w/ Mixed Greens
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out 1 sheet pastry dough into a 10-12 inch square. Fold over ½ inch border and press edges to seal. Brush a thin layer of Dijon inside border.
Place dough on parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
Heat skillet over medium heat and add 1 sliced onion and 2-3 cloves minced garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange onion mixure atop pastry dough and top with sliced tomato. Crumble goat cheese over dough and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper.
Bake until pastry is golden-brown and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.
Slice and serve over mixed greens tossed with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
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