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 ingredient's 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.
In honor of National Burger Month, I'm adding a burger to the mix each week. Last week, I made Shrimp Burgers with a spicy mayo that I reused for Patatas Aioli later in the week. This week, I'm reusing pineapple for Sweet & Sour Pork, Teriyaki Burgers and a Pineapple Salsa.
Here's what else I'm making:
Pantry Items Olive oil Cooking spray Canola or peanut oil Rice wine vinegar Fat-free sour cream or Greek yogurt Cornstarch Brown sugar Honey Soy sauce Sesame oil Cayenne Cumin Kosher salt Pepper
Grocery List based on servings for 2 w/ leftovers 1 lb boneless pork chops 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey 1 pineapple (or pre-sliced into rounds) 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese 2 yellow onions 1 bulb fresh ginger 1 carrot 1 red onion 2 red bell peppers 1 green bell pepper 1 jalapeño 1 lime 1 orange 1 tomato 1 bunch cilantro 1 8 oz can diced tomatoes 1 8 oz can black beans 2 good hamburger rolls 2 whole-wheat tortillas Brown rice
Day 1 -- Sweet & Sour Pork over Brown Rice *Makes leftover Brown Rice for Stuffed Red Peppers
Cook 3 servings brown rice according to package instructions. *Reserve 1 cup cooked rice for use in day 4.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger and 1 tsp cornstarch.
Cut 1/2 lb pork into 1-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper. Coat a wok lightly with peanut or canola oil and set over medium-high heat. Add pork and sear, tossing to cook on all sides, for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add 1/2 sliced onion, 1/2 sliced green bell pepper, 1/2 cup chopped pineapple and 1 carrot sliced on a bias, cooking until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add pork back in along with sauce, tossing to coat. Cook until sauce is thickened and pork is cooked tender, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve hot over brown rice.
Day 2 -- Teriyaki Burgers w/ Grilled Pineapple & Yam Fries *Makes leftover Yam Fries for side with Grilled Pork
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut each yam lengthwise into spears. Toss with 1 tsp brown sugar, salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and spray fries lightly. Place on lower rack of oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until golden brown and crisp on both sides. *Reserve half for use in day 3.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 lb ground meat with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 chopped yellow onion, salt and pepper. Form into two patties.
Whisk together 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp orange juice, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1 small clove minced garlic and 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger.
Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add sliced pineapple and cook, flipping once, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Brush patties with teriyaki glaze and add to pan glaze side down. Brush top half with glaze. Cook, flipping once, about 4-5 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
Warm buns and serve burgers topped with grilled pineapples and a side of baked yam fries.
Day 3 -- Grilled Pork w/ Pineapple Salsa *Uses leftover Yam Fries and makes leftover Pineapple Salsa for Quesadillas
Dice remaining pineapple and mix with diced tomato, 1/2 minced red onion, 1/2 small jalapeño, the juice of 1 lime, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Set aside to allow flavors to meld. *Reserve leftover salsa for use in day 5.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, salt, freshly ground black pepper and the zest of 1 lime.
Pour over pork chops.
Reheat leftover yam fries in oven.
Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add pork chops and cook, flipping once, until they are golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Serve hot topped with pineapple salsa and a side of baked yam fries.
Day 4 -- Stuffed Red Peppers *Uses leftover Brown Rice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds.
Place peppers cut side down on microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat and coat lightly with oil. Add ground meat, 1/2 chopped yellow onion, salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp each of cumin and cayenne. Cook until browned.
Stir in chopped fresh cilantro, can diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup rinsed and drained black beans and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, re-seasoning as needed. Mix in 1 cup leftover rice.
Stuff peppers with mixture and place into a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes.
Remove foil, top with shredded cheddar and bake for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until crisped and browned.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Black Bean & Pepper Fajita Quesadillas *Uses leftover Pineapple Salsa
Heat grill pan over medium-high heat and coat lightly with oil. Add 1/2 sliced yellow onion and green pepper, cooking until softened. Add in 2-3 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 tsp cumin and cayenne, salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rinsed and drained black beans.
Spread mixture over half of two tortillas and sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Fold each tortilla in half to cover.
Wipe grill pan clean and coat with cooking spray. Grill tortillas, pressing down, until golden brown and crisp on each side.
Slice into wedges and serve with pineapple salsa and a dollop of sour cream/Greek yogurt.
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