Family life runs a whole lot smoother when you are armed with a weekly meal plan.
Lindsey Hargett shares how to recharge your menu ideas and get your fridge stocked for a week at a time!
Shrimp with Pesto and Zucchini Noodles
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons, divided extra virgin olive oil
1-2 dozen large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper, to taste (or any favorite seasoning)
4 zucchini
½ cup macadamia nuts
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
1 clove of garlic
Pesto:
Add ½ cup oil into blender or food processor first, followed by macadamia nuts, cilantro, garlic,
salt and pepper. Blend/process until smooth.
Shrimp:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, or your favorite
seasoning, and saute in the pan until pink. Do not overcook.
Zucchini noodles:
Using a spiralizer, spiralize the zucchini, stopping every couple of turns to cut the zucchini so
that you don’t have too long of noodles. Place the noodles in a large pot with 1 inch boiling
water, cooking uncovered for about 3-5 minutes until the noodles are slightly soft but still firm.
Toss the noodles with pesto and top with shrimp.
Kale, Kielbasa and White Bean Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz beef Polska Kiebasa Sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 1/3 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14.5 oz cans) lowsodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 oz kale, thick ribs removed, chopped (about 1 1/2 bunches. 5 oz if using precut)
2 (14.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded parmesan cheese, for serving
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until slightly browned, stirring occasionally,
about 5 minutes. Remove sausage, while leaving oil in pan, and drain sausage on a plate lined with paper towels and
set aside.
Return pot to medium heat, add carrots, onion, and celery and saute 3 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
Stir in chicken broth, water, parsley, rosemary, oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over
mediumhigh heat, and allow to gently boil 10 minutes. Add kale and cannellini beans and allow to boil 10 minutes
longer until kale and veggies are tender. Stir in cooked sausage and add more broth to thin, if desired. Serve warm,
top each serving with parmesan cheese.
Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie
8 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced and rinsed in a bowl of water
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped asparagus
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups shredded chicken
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup allpurpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 puff pastry sheet, left whole for 1 large pie
1 large egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9”x13” baking pan with nonstick spray.
To make the filling, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add leeks and carrots and cook,
stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, while stirring, until the
vegetables are tendercrisp, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in peas and chicken.
To make the sauce, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently,
until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually pour in chicken stock
and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to
taste.
Add sauce to the chicken filling and gently toss to combine.Pour the filling into prepared pan, then top with puff pastry
and gently cut 4 vents in the top of the crust. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water, then brush onto the pastry crust.
Place into oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.
Butternut Squash Soup
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sprig fresh or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 white onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
(optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and cayenne)
Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and
nutmeg to a slow cooker. Toss to combine.
Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a
fork. Stir in the coconut milk.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a
traditional blender, and puree until smooth, being very careful when working with the hot liquid.) Taste, and season
with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed
Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Applesauce
5-6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cubed
4-6 boneless porkchops
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Heat butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops, saute each side for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.
While cooking the pork chops, peel the apples and cube them into 1 inch pieces. Put the apples in a large bowl and
toss with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place browned pork chops in the slow cooker and top with coated
apples. Put lid on slow cooker and cook, on low, for 6-7 hours. Apples will soften into applesauce during the cooking
process.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 lbs cubed stew meat
1/4 cup of flour
10-15 small red potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
2 cups sliced celery (about 2-3 stalks)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp allspice
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cornstarch
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Toss cubed beef in flour, shaking off the excess. Sear the meat
with the minced garlic in the pan until browned on all sides. Once browned, add to the slow cooker with any drippings
from the pan. Add the potatoes, peas, onion, carrots, celery, and can of tomatoes. Combine spices (except bay leaf)
and beef broth, whisking lightly to combine. Pour over meat and vegetables. Add in bay leaf. Stir to combine, then
cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours, or high for 6-7.
About 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about 1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it
back to the stew, stirring gently to combine. This will help thicken the stew, so if you want it even thicker, repeat the
process once more about 15 minutes after the first addition.
Download Lindsey’s Meal Prep Planner here.
Studio 5 Kitchen Sponsored by: Blendtec www.blendtec.com
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