7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Lemon Chicken With Rice and Artichokes ( see recipe) is perfect for family day. Serve the one- dish meal with a Boston lettuce salad and dinner rolls. Apple turnovers and vanilla ice cream are a family kind of dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
MONDAY: Beef Stir- Fry With Spinach ( see recipe) is easy on the food budget. Serve it over brown rice, and add a romaine salad and whole- grain rolls. For a light dessert, try pears. Plan ahead: Prepare enough stir- fry and cook enough rice for Tuesday.
TUESDAY: Take advantage of those leftovers for Beef- Stuffed Peppers. Split orange or yellow bell peppers in half lengthwise. Place cut- side down in baking dish. Cover and microwave on 100 percent power for 1 minute per pepper; drain. Meanwhile, chop and combine the stir- fry with the leftover rice, moisten with unsalted beef broth and heat. Stuff peppers with mixture; sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and serve. Add tiny green peas and whole- grain bread. Fresh or canned tropical fruit is a light dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Select any frozen stuffed burritos for a supereasy meal. Garnish the stuffed burritos with sour cream. Serve them with steamed carrots. For dessert, plums are easy.
THURSDAY: What could make kids happier than to have Cheeseburger Melt for dinner? Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9- by- 13- inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together 1⅓ cups baking mix ( such as Bisquick),
¼ cup water, 2 eggs and 1 cup ( 1 ½ cups total) of shredded cheddar cheese. Spread in dish. Cook 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey, or mixture of both, in a large skillet on medium- high for 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain well. Add 1 ( 10 ¾ - ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables; heat 5 minutes or until hot. Spread over batter. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Bake 1 to 3 more minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into squares and serve. Garnish with salsa if desired. Serve with cherry tomato halves. Fresh pineapple chunks for dessert.
FRIDAY: You won’t have any leftovers of delicious Spaghettini With Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil. Place cooked whole- wheat spaghettini in a large bowl and add 2 ounces herb- flavored goat cheese cut into small pieces, ½ cup chopped fresh basil, ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; stir until well- blended. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium- high. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add 2 cups halved grape tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ⅔ cup unsalted vegetable broth; cook 1 minute. Add tomato mixture to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve with mixed greens and garlic bread. Instant pistachio pudding for dessert.
SATURDAY: We’re putting HerbBaked Tilapia ( see recipe) on our favorites list. Serve it with refrigerated hash- browned potatoes, green beans, a bibb lettuce salad and crusty bread. An easy dessert is leftover ice cream with strawberry sauce.
THE RECIPES Lemon Chicken With Rice and Artichokes
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ - inch strips 2 ½ cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 3 cups cooked rice ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup unsalted chicken broth, divided use 1 ( 14- ounce) can water- packed quartered artichokes, drained 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese
Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray on mediumhigh. Add chicken, onion and bell pepper; cook 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cooked rice, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and half the broth; cook 2 minutes. Stir in artichokes and remaining broth; cook 1 minute or until heated. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 400 calories, 37 g protein, 5 g fat, 51 g carbohydrate, 92 mg cholesterol, 618 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3 ½ .
Beef Stir- Fry With Spinach
2 tablespoons reduced- sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided use 1 pound boneless sirloin steak, thinly sliced 1 pound packaged spinach 2 yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced 4 green onions, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and ginger until smooth; set aside.
Heat wok or large skillet over medium- high until a drop of water sizzles in pan. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil; swirl to coat. Add steak and stir- fry 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to plate.
Microwave spinach on 100 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted.
Heat remaining oil in same skillet over medium- high and swirl to coat. Add peppers, onions and garlic; stir- fry 3 minutes or until vegetables soften. Return steak to skillet. Stir soy sauce mixture and add to skillet. Stir- fry until sauce bubbles and thickens, about 1 more minute. Divide spinach among 4 plates; top with steak mixture and serve. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 238 calories, 29 g protein, 8 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 58 mg cholesterol, 394 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1. Adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook ( Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.)
Herb- Baked Tilapia
4 ( 4- to 6- ounce) tilapia filets ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons minced green onions ¼ cup dry bread crumbs 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. Place tilapia on foil.
In a small bowl, combine parmesan, mayonnaise and onions; spread evenly over fish.
In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper; sprinkle over fish. Coat fish lightly with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 154 calories, 20 g protein, 4 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 48 mg cholesterol, 442 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½ .
Susan Nicholson is an Atlantabased cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com