Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Mango Quinoa Salad
From our best bites
2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.
Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.


Tuesday
Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
adapted from our best bites
2 medium zucchini (about 10″)
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or abt a teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend (the kind pre-bagged with parm/mozz/asiago/etc)
1-2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside. You’re gonna add that cheese in just a second! First take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.

Wednesday
Tortellini Bake
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/2 cup boiling water

1 green pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, sliced

1-3/4 cupsmarinara sauce

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

HEAT oven to 375°F.
COMBINE all ingredients except cheese in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.
BAKE 30 min.; stir. Sprinkle with cheese.
BAKE, uncovered, 10 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

Thursday
Cowboy Stew
3 cans minestrone soup
1 can ranch style beans
1 can rotel
1 can whole kernel corn
3 potatoes cubed
1 onion chopped

Cook in crock pot on low for 10 hours

Friday
Double Decker Tostadas

1 Package Tostada shells

Fat Free or Vegetarian Refried beans

low fat cheddar cheese or mozerella

shredded lettuce

1 small can enchilada sauce

Salsa

Fat Free Sour Cream

Mix refried beans and 1/2 can of enchilada sauce. Spread mixture on one tostada. Top another tostada with cheese and broil both layers in the oven for about 5 mins or until cheese melts. Put the Cheese layer on the bean layer and top with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.