Gather the family for mustard-garlic roast pork loin (see recipe). Serve it with succotash. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 1 medium chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 chopped red bell pepper and ¼ teaspoon each coarse salt and pepper. Cook, 6-8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add 1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans (thawed) and 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear) and cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar. Add mixed greens and cornbread (from a mix). Everyone will like banana pudding for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough pork for Monday.

SHOPPING LIST: garlic, fresh thyme, Dijon mustard, olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, boneless center-cut pork loin roast, onion, red bell pepper, frozen lima beans, corn on the cob, red wine or sherry vinegar, mixed greens, cornbread mix, banana pudding.

Use Monday's leftover pork for cuban sandwiches. Fill Kaiser rolls with sliced pork, deli sliced ham, Swiss cheese and dill pickles. Wrap sandwiches in foil; heat in 350-degree oven to melt cheese. Serve with plantain chips. Fresh blueberries are good for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: Kaiser rolls, deli sliced ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, plantain chips, fresh blueberries.

It's economical and has a great taste, so put maple-mustard chicken thighs (see recipe) on the menu tonight. Serve with potato salad, coleslaw and whole-grain rolls. Fresh cherries are your dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: spicy brown mustard, light brown sugar, maple syrup, yellow mustard, onion powder, cider vinegar, lower-sodium soy sauce, pepper, garlic, bone-in skinless chicken thighs, coarse salt, potato salad, coleslaw, whole-grain rolls, fresh cherries.

Children will like them, as will the adults, so root beer sloppy joes (see recipe) will work for the whole family. Serve them on whole-grain buns with oven fries (frozen) and celery sticks. Finish with strawberry-banana smoothies. Add to blender: 1¼ cups plain low-fat yogurt, 2 cups strawberries, 1 small banana, peeled and halved, 4 teaspoons almond or peanut butter or 2 tablespoons hemp seed hearts. Process on low speed 10 seconds or until mixture is combined but still coarse in texture, scraping down sides of blender as needed. Increase to high and process 1 minute or until completely smooth. Serve.

SHOPPING LIST: ground sirloin or turkey breast, onion, garlic, chili powder, dried thyme, dry mustard, coarse salt, pepper, ketchup, root beer or other dark soda, whole-grain buns, frozen oven fries, celery sticks, plain low-fat yogurt, strawberries, small banana, almond or peanut butter or hemp seed hearts.

Make a fast meal and call it tuna, tomato, red onion and olive pita. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons each fresh lemon juice and olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each coarse salt and pepper. Add 3 (5-ounce) cans drained solid white tuna, ½ small thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup halved grape tomatoes, ¼ cup each pitted, halved Kalamata olives and coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley. Gently toss to combine. Open 4 small whole-grain pita halves and fill with mixture. Serve with baked chips. Slice cantaloupe for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: lemon, olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, canned solid white tuna, red onion, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, flat-leaf parsley, whole-grain pitas, baked chips, cantaloupe.

Everyone will like fettuccine with asparagus and romano cheese. Cook a 9-ounce package refrigerated fettuccine and 1 pound fresh asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces) for 3-4 minutes or until asparagus is a brilliant green and pasta is tender but firm. Drain well. In a large bowl, combine hot pasta and asparagus with 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces and ⅔ cup freshly grated Romano cheese. Toss well; season with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Add a spinach salad and garlic bread. How about sliced papaya for dessert?

SHOPPING LIST: refrigerated fettuccine, fresh asparagus, butter, Romano cheese, coarse salt, pepper, fresh spinach, garlic bread, papaya.

Invite friends for asian chicken burgers. Heat broiler. In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground chicken breast, 1 egg (slightly beaten), 3 chopped green onions, 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro; mix gently. Form into 4 (½-inch-thick) patties (mixture will be moist). Broil on broiler pan coated with cooking spray 6 minutes or until browned on top. Turn; broil 2-3 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve the burgers on whole-grain buns with pasta salad and sliced lettuce and tomatoes alongside. Buy a cheesecake for dessert and top each slice with strawberries.

SHOPPING LIST: ground chicken breast, egg, green onions, soy sauce, cornstarch, fresh ginger, garlic, fresh cilantro, cooking spray, whole-grain buns, pasta salad, tomatoes, lettuce, cheesecake, strawberries.

MUSTARD-GARLIC ROASTED PORK LOIN (Sunday)

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes; Standing time: 5 minutes

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (3- to 3⅓-pound) well-trimmed boneless center-cut pork loin roast

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine garlic and thyme. Whisk in mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Brush pork with mustard mixture; transfer to a roasting pan and roast 40 to 45 minutes or until the center of roast reaches 145 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes. Carve into slices and serve.

Per serving: 217 calories, 26 grams protein, 12 grams fat (50 percent calories from fat), 3.4 grams saturated fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 69 milligrams cholesterol, 244 milligrams sodium, no fiber.

Cooking time: fewer than 20 minutes

Combine spicy brown mustard, sugar, syrup, yellow mustard, onion powder, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and garlic; mix well. Place half of the mixture in a resealable plastic bag; reserve other half. Add chicken to bag; seal. Refrigerate 2 hours; discard marinade. Heat grill to medium-high. Remove chicken from bag. Sprinkle with salt. Place the chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve with reserved mustard mixture.

Per serving: 329 calories, 39 grams protein, 13 grams fat (37 percent calories from fat), 3.6 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 208 milligrams cholesterol, 495 milligrams sodium, no fiber.

ROOT BEER SLOPPY JOES (Wednesday)

Cooking time: fewer than 30 minutes

1 (1-pound) ground sirloin or turkey breast

½ teaspoon each dried thyme and dry mustard

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup root beer or other dark soda

4 whole-grain sandwich rolls or buns

Heat oven to 400 degrees to toast buns. In a large nonstick skillet, cook ground meat 6 minutes until no longer pink; drain. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chili powder, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in ketchup and root beer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Serve on toasted rolls or buns.

Per serving: 377 calories, 30 grams protein, 7 grams fat (16 percent calories from fat), 2.2 grams saturated fat, 50 grams carbohydrate, 60 milligrams cholesterol, 1,079 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Print Headline: Strawberry-banana smoothies a nice midweek dessert

This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of News Tribune Publishing.