fall weeknight healthy MEAL PLAN MONDAY Pumpkin, Apple and Honey Nut Squash Soup Mixed Green Salad with Super Simple Salad Dressing

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1 healthy fall weeknight MEAL PLAN Embrace the season and fill your plate with the bounty of fall. Squash, kale, leafy greens, apples, figs, grapes and sweet potatoes. If you eat what s in season, it s fresher and more likely to be grown locally. Make your game plan for the week, that way you can shop once and be prepared for a week s worth of healthy dinners. And the best part is you won t have that endless loop of What s for dinner? on repeat in your head. Here s a game plan for weeknight evenings when energy and time are at a premium. MONDAY Pumpkin, Apple and Honey Nut Squash Soup Mixed Green Salad with Super Simple Salad Dressing TUESDAY Salsa Verde Chicken with Kale Guacamole and Pickled Red Onions WEDNESDAY Bolognese over Spaghetti Squash THURSDAY Spatchcooked Chicken Shortcut Caesar Salad Marcia Smart is a cooking instructor, recipe developer and food writer. Memorial Hermann partnered with her to put together this simple, healthy menu. FRIDAY Easy Tortellini Casserole

2 MONDAY pumpkin, apple and honeynut squash soup Enjoy Meatless Monday with a vegetable-based fall soup. Pumpkin, apple and honeynut squash soup is a favorite this time of year. If you can t find small honeynut squash, use one butternut squash instead. Serve with a mixed green salad dressed with super simple salad dressing and a warm baguette. 2 tablespoons avocado oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 carrots, sliced 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced 3 cloves garlic, diced 2 honey nut squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out (substitute 1 butternut squash if you can't find honey nut) 3 baby red potatoes, diced (no need to peel) 1 small 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste Salt and pepper to taste, about 1-2 teaspoons Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. On a roasting pan, place the honey nut squash cut side up with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Roast in the upper third of the oven for minutes until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Stir onion until translucent. Add carrot, apple and garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté about 1-2 minutes; be careful not to burn the garlic. Scoop out the flesh of the roasted squash and add it to the soup pot along with the potato, pumpkin puree and broth. Cover and simmer the soup until vegetables are very tender, about minutes. Puree the soup with a handheld immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor, being careful not to scald yourself from the steam. Return the pot to the stove and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if necessary. If the soup is too thick, add coconut milk or stock to loosen it. If you'd like, add a dash of hot sauce to punch up the flavor (this doesn t make the soup spicy, it just enhances the flavors that are already there).

3 MONDAY Super Simple Salad Dressing 1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced shallot (you can substitute 1 teaspoon minced garlic if you prefer) Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil In a mason jar with a tight fitting lid, add together all the. Seal tightly and shake to emulsify. Alternately, in a medium size bowl add the first four. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Let the salad dressing come to room temperature before shaking it will and drizzling on your greens.

4 TUESDAY Salsa Verde Chicken (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot) Taco Tuesday keeps things simple and pleases everyone at the table. Super easy salsa verde chicken comes together in the slow cooker or Instant Pot with four simple. Use the shredded chicken for soft tacos, quesadillas or taco salads. Guacamole made with lacinato kale adds a nice component of fresh winter greens. 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken (either breasts or thighs or a combination of both) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 12-ounce jar salsa verde Slow Cooker Method: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with garlic powder, cumin and salt and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in the salsa verde and stir to combine. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks. Keep warm (in the slow cooker covered with a lid) until ready to serve in taco shells, tortillas or in a salad bowl. Instant Pot Method: Season chicken with garlic powder, cumin and salt and place in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Cover with salsa verde and stir to combine. Close the lid and cook on the poultry setting for 10 minutes. Make sure the vent on the lid is set to the sealing position. When it's finished cooking, use the quick release or let the steam release naturally. Shred the chicken with two forks and serve.

5 TUESDAY Kale Guacamole Juice of 2 limes (about 2 tablespoons) 4 small Lacinato kale leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped ½ cup white or yellow onion, chopped (or less to taste) ¼ cup cilantro leaves 1 small Serrano or jalapeno, deseeded and chopped 3 large ripe avocados, halved, pitted and peeled ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste) In the bowl of your food processor, combine the lime juice, kale, onion, cilantro, Serrano and salt. Pulse until combined. Add the avocado and pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt or lime juice if necessary. Note: If you do not have a food processor, make sure the kale and cilantro is well chopped and combine with a potato masher or mash well with a fork.

6 TUESDAY Quick Pickled Red Onions 1 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 cup water 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 red onion, cut in half and sliced very thin into half moons In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water and kosher salt. Place the sliced red onion in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour the simmering rice vinegar mixture over the onions. Cover and soak minutes. Let onions come to room temperature before serving.

7 WEDNESDAY Easy Weeknight Bolognese Weeknight Bolognese is a savory dinner that comes together rather quickly. It s packed with carrots, zucchini and squash, and if you serve it over sautéed spinach or spaghetti squash, there s no need for a vegetable side dish. 2-3 tablespoons olive oil ½ yellow onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 yellow squash, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes 2 pounds ground beef 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1-inch piece of Parmesan rind In a large high-sided sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the vegetables for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and let simmer until warm. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a food processor and purée until smooth. Set aside. In the same pan you use to sauté the vegetables, pour a drizzle of olive oil and allow it to heat up. Add the beef to the pan, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and sprinkle generously with salt. After the beef loses it s raw red color, add the vegetable mixture to the pan. Stir to combine, adding the Parmesan rind to the pan. If the beef needs to be broken up into smaller pieces, use a pastry blender or a potato masher to break it up in the pan. Taste for seasoning. Cover and simmer on low until ready to serve. Before serving, discard the Parmesan rind.

8 WEDNESDAY Cacio et Pepe Spaghetti Squash 1 medium spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving Fresh ground pepper Kosher salt to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in a baking dish filled with a 1/4 cup water. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender; it may take up to an hour for larger spaghetti squash. Cool squash at room temperature for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to break up spaghetti-like strands. Transfer cooked spaghetti squash to a bowl and discard the skins. Drizzle in olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano and several generous grindings of fresh cracked pepper. Toss well to combine. Serve warm with extra Pecorino and pepper on the side.

9 THURSDAY Spatchcocked Chicken Later in the week, interest in cooking starts to wane and the pull of takeout is strong. Stick with a dinner that s easy to prep and easy to clean. Spatchcocked chicken takes all of 30 minutes to cook and makes your whole house smell delicious. Fill your sheetpan with sliced carrots look for rainbow varieties that add color to the mix and parsnips for an easy vegetable side dish. Serve with shortcut Caesar salad, either tossed with romaine or thinly shredded kale pound chicken 1/8 cup olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 4 whole garlic cloves in their skin 6-7 basil leaves, chiffonade (optional) 1/4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped (optional) 1 lemon, halved Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Use kitchen shears to cut along one side of the backbone, then cut along the other side and remove (reserve for stock if you'd like). Flip chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. You can also ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you. Place the chicken skin side up on a half-sheet pan or roasting dish and rub with the olive oil. Make sure some reaches the underside of the chicken so that it doesn't stick to the pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt and tuck garlic cloves near the chicken. Roast for about minutes, until the chicken is golden brown (a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in the thickest part of the meat). Remove chicken from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the chiffonade of basil and the juice from half a lemon. To cut into serving pieces, divide the breast meat into two or three portions, carve off the drum sticks and cut the thigh meat in half. Drizzle pan juices over chicken and surround with lemon wedges.

10 THURSDAY Shortcut Caesar Salad 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 well-minced anchovy filet 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplaner 2 level tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan 1 1/2 cups croutons (homemade or store bought) 2-3 romaine hearts In the base of your salad bowl, add the anchovy paste, the grated garlic clove, mustard, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Mix well to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Tear the romaine leaves into small pieces and add to the salad bowl, along with the shaved parmesan and croutons. Toss to combine.

11 FRIDAY Easy Tortellini Casserole Easy tortellini casserole will feed a crowd if you have friends coming over at the last minute. Stir in a generous amount of greens to the mix: Arugula, Swiss card and spinach are all delicious in this super easy dinner. Serve with a simple salad. 1 1/2 pounds cheese tortellini (frozen or *fresh) 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage 2 cups packed fresh spinach, Swiss chard or kale (center ribs removed) or 1/2 cup frozen spinach 1 25-ounce jar marinara 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes and their juices 1/4 teaspoon salt Fresh ground pepper Red pepper flakes (optional) 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade, for garnish

12 FRIDAY Easy Tortellini Casserole Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Once the water boils, add the tortellini and cook about 1 1/2 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you want it to be al dente. *If you are using fresh cheese tortellini there is so need to boil it or cook it in advance. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage and break it up into small pieces. Once it's lost its raw red color, add the greens and cook it until they wilt. Add the marinara sauce and the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper or red pepper flakes if needed. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. Add the drained tortellini and top with the remaining sauce. Stir the casserole a bit to get sauce distributed throughout the casserole. Make sure sauce is covering the top layer of tortellini; if not, push the tortellini down into the casserole otherwise the edges of the pasta will be crispy. Top with the mozzarella and the parmesan and bake at 400 degrees in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with a chiffonade of fresh basil and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

13 For more recipes and health and wellness related information visit: spr.ly/6002e86nr Some recipes may include peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat. Please make note of dietary restrictions before preparing.