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Weekly Dinner Plan for November 22-28: Low Carb Style

November 22-28 features Tacos, Lemon Chicken, Pork Tenderloin and Thanksgiving treats

By Barbara Evangelista, Publisher November 18, 2020


See below for links to previous meal plans


If meal planning hasn't been part of your weekly routine, I really suggest you give it a try. Life is really stressful right now, and my brain is scattered following the news, trying to manage the kids and their school work, prepping for the holidays, running my business, and just staying on top of everything else.  Decisions feel like too much work, and having a meal plan frees me from one more daily decision.  It's such a relief to look at my calendar in the morning, see what I'm making for dinner, put out the meat to thaw, and know what the plan is for later in the day -- all I have to do is execute.

Here's what I do to make a meal plan:  I grab my family calendar off the wall, and pull together the current cookbooks I have out of the library and my list of family favorite dinners. This list is invaluable. I keep a piece of paper on the fridge where the kids and I write down the names of favorite recipes.  The first 20-30 on the list came from memory; the rest have been added as I try new dishes.  If a dish gets the thumbs up from at least 3 family members (my husband, me and hopefully one kid), it goes on the list.  Two of my kids are very picky and will eat very few of the dishes I make, but they're old enough to make their own food if they need to.  That list is my go-to resource and the first place I look when planning meals for the next 2 weeks.  Then I sprinkle in other recipes that I've seen so that I can keep trying new dishes and hopefully add some more to our favorites list.

And that's it.  I try to do it once every 2 weeks.  I go through each recipe immediately and add anything to the shopping list that I need, so I can do a big shopping run and have everything I need for the dinners.


Tacos

Skip all the starch and sugar in taco seasoning packets and make it at home with herbs and spices you already have in your pantry.

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (use smaller amount for less spiciness)

  1. Saute ground beef in a pan over medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces.  Once brown, drain off extra fat.
  2. Mix herbs and spices in a small bowl and add to browned ground beef.
  3. Add 2/3 cup of water and simmer until most of the water has evaporated and beef is well-seasoned.

Serve with taco shells, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped avocados and other toppings.  A taco shell is about 7 g net carbs so if your daily allowance permits it, one or even two taco shells is OK on a low-carb diet.  If not, serve taco beef over cauliflower rice or a salad, sprinkled with cheese and other toppings.


Chicken with Lemon & Artichokes from George Stella's The Complete Low-Carb Cookbook

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup quartered artichoke hearts, canned or jarred, drained
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons butter

  1. Place oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Once the oil is hot, generously season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, cooking 4 minutes on each side.
  3. Add the red onion and garlic and cook 1 additional minute before adding lemon juice and chicken broth. Let simmer 1 minute.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in artichoke hearts, capers, and butter. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Serve with cauliflower rice (for low carb eaters) or regular rice plus green vegetables such as brussels sprouts, asparagus or green beans.


Savory Pork Tenderloin

1.5 lb pork tenderloin
Montreal steak seasoning

  1. An hour or two before you plan to roast the pork, bring it out of the fridge and place it on a baking pan lined with foil and lightly sprayed with oil.
  2. Sprinkle the tenderloin very generously with Montreal steak seasoning, using about 2 teaspoons.  If needed, press it into the pork to make sure it adheres.
  3. Pull up the sides of the foil and lightly fold the foil around the pork.  Allow it to sit for 1-2 hours for the meat to relax (just like our muscles, meat relaxes when it's warmer and becomes more tender). Don't leave the pork out for more than 2 hours though.
  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Pull back the foil and lay it flat, exposing the pork.  Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the meat temperature reaches 145 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer at the center.

Serve with mashed cauliflower (add butter and cheese) for low carb eaters, or mashed potatoes, and green vegetables.


And with Thanksgiving next week, here are a few low carb dishes appropriate for the feast!


Praline Pumpkin Pie from George Stella.

Yes, you can have pumpkin pie!  You'll need to use a low carb sweetener and chopped pecans for the crust, instead of a typical flour crust.


Low Carb Cranberry Sauce from Wholesome Yum

Cranberries are a lower carb fruit.  


Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole from Wholesome Yum

Using half sweet potatoes and half cauliflower still gives it that great sweet potato flavor but reduces the carbs.  It even has a sweet nutty topping!


Shopping List

1.5 lbs ground beef
1.5 lb pork tenderloin
4 boneless chicken breasts

Butternut squash
1 head cauliflower
1 red onion
1 lemon
Minced garlic
Lettuce
Avocados
12 oz bag fresh cranberries

3 cups pecans

Taco shells

Chicken broth
Can artichoke hearts
Bottle of capers
Can of pureed pumpkin

Shredded cheddar cheese
Butter
Pint heavy cream
4 eggs


From the Pantry

Cinnamon
Low carb sweetener
Chili powder
Cumin
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Montreal steak seasoning
Vanilla extract
Pumpkin pie spice



Links to past weekly meal plans:

Oct 18-24 Meal Plan:  Introduction, low-carb recipes and shopping list for Chili, Baked Salmon, Chicken Fajitas, Shrimp Jambalaya, and Ham, Potatoes & Beans

Oct 25-31 Meal Plan:  Staying motivated plus recipes and shopping list for Roasted Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Chicken Soup, Zucchini Lasagna, and Shrimp Scampi

Nov 1-7 Meal Plan:  Carbs in healthy vegetables plus recipes and shopping list for Beef Stroganoff, Basil Coconut Curry Shrimp, Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables, Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast and Chicken Parmesan

Nov 8-14 Meal Plan:  A little bit about dessert plus recipes and shopping list for Meatloaf, Chicken Cacciatore, Tuscan Sausage Stew, Chicken Pesto and Fathead Pizza




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