Dinner Recipes, Summer Meal Plan #4

What to cook for dinner this week:

1.) Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw 2.) Chili Chicken Nachos with Chimichurri Sauce 3.) Steak Salad Wraps with Yogurt Sauce and Crushed Tortilla Chips 4.) Beef Stir Fry with Green Beans and Mushrooms 5.) Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes with Balsamic Vegetables 6.) Cocktail: Cranberry Green Chili Lemonade

On this page, you’ll find a meal plan for the week. Each meal is designed to build on the previous night’s efforts by using leftover ingredients. A little = a lot. You’ll also find a preparation schedule and grocery list.

Meal Prep, Day by Day

(A shopping list for this week’s meals is at the bottom of this page)

Day #1

What’s for Dinner Tonight: Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw

• Prepare a double amount of the marinade for the mahi-mahi. Use half (about ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons) to marinade tonight's fish, and reserve the other half for Chili Chicken Nachos on Day #2.  If Day #2 for you is tomorrow, go ahead and get the chicken in the marinade: Lay the chicken in a shallow baking dish, pour the marinade over the top and turn the chicken in the sauce to coat. Cover and refrigerate until tomorrow evening. If you're not planning to make the Chili Chicken Nachos for a day or two, reserve the marinade in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• When making the pineapple coleslaw to top tonight's fish tacos, prep a double amount of the vegetables only - not the coleslaw sauce. So, shred ½ lb red and green cabbage and 2 carrots, and slice 1 whole red bell pepper,and 10 radishes. Reserve half of the vegetables in a covered container in the refrigerator for Steak Salad Wraps on Day #3.

Day #2

What’s for Dinner Tonight:  Chili Chicken Nachos with Chimichurri Sauce

• If you didn't get the chicken for tonight's nachos in the marinade last night, do it in the morning. Lay the chicken in a shallow baking dish, pour the marinade over the top and turn the chicken in the sauce to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Make double the amount of chimichurri sauce. You will probably need to do this in two batches. Reserve half of the sauce (1 batch) to marinate 24 oz of flank steak that will be used on Day #3 and Day #4.
• Marinate Flank Steak. If you are planning on making Steak Salad Wraps tomorrow night, marinate the steak tonight.  Add ¼ cup soy sauce to the reserved chimichurri sauce, lay 24 ounces of flank steak in a shallow baking dish and cover with chimichurri sauce, turning it in the pan so all sides are coated. Cover and refrigerate until tomorrow evening. You'll use half the steak for Steak Salad Wraps on Day #3 (tomorrow) and the other half for Beef Stir Fry on Day #4.
• If you are making the tortilla chips for tonight's nachos, make enough to reserve about 16 chips for Steak Salad Wraps on Day #3. If using purchased tortilla chips, save somewhere between 20 - 25 chips for the Steak Salad Wraps.

Day #3

What’s for Dinner Tonight: Steak Salad Wraps with Yogurt Sauce and Crushed Tortilla Chips

• If you haven't already, get the steak in the chimichurri marinade in the morning so that it can soak for a while in all those flavors. Marinate a total of 24 ounces of steak. Add ¼ cup soy sauce to the reserved chimichurri sauce, lay the steak in a shallow baking dish and cover with chimichurri sauce, turning it in the pan so all sides are coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Cook all 24 ounces of steak tonight, but reserve half of the cooked, sliced steak for Beef Stir Fry on Day #4.
• To serve, use the extra vegetables you prepared while making Mahi-Mahi tacos on Day #1 and the reserved chips from Day #1.

Day #4

What’s for Dinner Tonight: Beef Stir Fry with Green Beans and Mushrooms

• Using the reserved flank steak that you cooked on Day #2 will save you a lot of time in preparation for tonight's meal.
• Double the amount of rice in the recipe for tonight's Beef Stir Fry, so that you end up with a total of 4 cups cooked rice. Use 2 cups for tonight's meal and reserve the other 2 cups for Stuffed Tomatoes on Day #5.
• Follow the recipe instructions for tonight's Beef Stir Fry to prepare green beans and mushrooms - but double the amount, cooking a total of 24 ounces of each. Use half in tonight's stir fry and reserve the rest for balsamic glazed vegetables on Day #5.

Day #5

What’s for Dinner Tonight: Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

• These are one of my favorite things to eat in the middle of summer when tomatoes are soooooo fresh and flavorful. Pull the extra rice, green beans, and mushrooms that you cooked on Day #4 out of the refrigerator. The rice will be used in the tomato stuffing and the green beans and mushrooms will be used for balsamic glazed vegetables.

This Week’s Featured Cocktail: Cranberry Green Chili Lemonade with (or without) Lemon Vodka

Suggested Recipes for the Baker:

• Chocolate Orange Truffle Tart
• Peaches and Cream Crepe Cake
• Ginger Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze
• No Sugar Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Shopping List, Weekly Summer Meal Plan #3

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*Does not include ingredients for suggested baked goods.

• ½ lb red cabbage
• ½ lb green cabbage
• 2 large carrots
• 10 radishes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 24 oz fresh green beens, ends trimmed – Or frozen green beans, thawed and patted dry
• 24 oz button or baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and sliced
• 28 cloves of garlic
• 4 large yellow onions
• 8 large tomatoes, ripe but still firm
• 1 jalapeño
• 5 limes
• 8 large romain lettuce leaves
• 4 & ½ cups chopped cilantro
• 4 cups fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 20 oz. pineapple chunks, fresh or canned (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 & ½ lbs Mahi-mahi fish fillets, fresh or frozen
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; about 2 lbs total
• 24 oz flank steak (or skirt steak)
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 cup jasmine rice
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 7 teaspoon ground cumin
• 5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 & ½ tablespoon corn starch
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 & ½ cups soy sauce or tamari
• 8 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ¾ cup beef broth
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar (unseasoned)
• 1 & ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 12 oz Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 & ½ cups plain, unsweetened greek yogurt
• ½ cup peanut oil
• 1 & ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup corn oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter

If making homemade tortilla chips: (If not making homemade tortilla chips, purchase 1 large bag of tortilla chips.)

• 30 corn tortillas
• 1 & ½ cups corn oil
• Kosher or coarse ground sea salt

For this week’s cocktail:

• 2 cups frozen cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (approximately 12 lemons)
• ½ cup stevia – OR ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup roasted green chilis, seeds and peel removed, chopped – spicy or mild, or a mix of both
• Candied lemon peel (optional, for garnish)