7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Celebrate Dad’s day with Steak, Green Beans and Tomatoes. Cut 1 pound beef top sirloin (¾ inch thick) in half and then into ¼-inch strips. In a resealable plastic bag, place beef and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette. Turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to 2 hours. Heat large skillet on medium-high. Add 2½ cups cut green beans (2-inch pieces) and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add 1 cup halved grape tomatoes; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove from skillet; season with coarse salt and pepper; keep warm. To same skillet, add half the beef (drain and discard marinade); stir-fry 1 to 3 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef. Divide 1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach among four plates. Top with the beef and vegetables. Divide ¼ cup shaved parmesan among four plates, if desired. Drizzle with more balsamic dressing. Serve with roasted red potatoes and carrots. Add whole-grain rolls. Buy brownies for dessert and serve them with fresh strawberries. And be sure to give Dad a big hug. Plan ahead: Save enough brownies for Tuesday. MONDAY: Try no-meat Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas tonight (see recipe). Serve the enchiladas with a shredded lettuce salad. Sliced kiwi is a light dessert. Plan ahead: Prepare enchiladas the day before and refrigerate; add 10 minutes to baking time. Save enough enchiladas for Tuesday. TUESDAY: Dinner is almost ready, just heat the leftover enchiladas and serve with deli carrot salad. Leftover brownies are good for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough carrot salad for Friday. If time permits, prepare Wednesday’s stuffed peppers and refrigerate. Increase baking time by 10 minutes. WEDNESDAY: Picadillo-Stuffed Peppers (see recipe) are good with any color bell pepper. Serve them with buttered noodles, mixed salad greens and wholegrain rolls. Grapes are great for dessert. THURSDAY: Why let the kids have all the fun? Let the grownups enjoy Smoked Salmon Pizza. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a prepared 12-inch thin pizza crust on a baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until hot and crisp. Spread crust with ½ Steak, Green Beans and Tomatoes cup whipped cream cheese, 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (cut into strips), 1 cup diced ripe tomatoes, ⅓ cup diced red onion, 2 tablespoonsand 2 tablespoons capers chopped (rinsed) fresh parsley. Season to taste with pepper. Slice and serve with a spinach salad. Pears are practical for dessert. FRIDAY: Make it Chili Dog night for the kids. Cook hot dogs, and top (in hot dog buns) with hot canned chili and shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with leftover carrot salad. For dessert, top fresh blueberries with whipped cream. SATURDAY: Try something new tonight and invite guests for Pork With Asparagus and Mint (see recipe). Serve it with jasmine rice. Add steamed baby bok choy and sesame bread sticks. Buy tapioca pudding, garnish it with toasted coconut and serve with sliced mango for dessert.
THE RECIPES Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas
2 teaspoons canola oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper,
chopped 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, ⅓ cup juice reserved 1 (15-ounce) can black beans,
rinsed 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, PLUS 8 teaspoons for garnish 3 cups shredded cheddar
cheese, divided use 1¼ cups enchilada sauce,
divided use 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
½ cup sour cream Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans and green chiles. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in ½ cup cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese. Spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about ¾ cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll; place tortillas seamside down in baking dish. In a small bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover tightly with nonstick foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Serve immediately. Makes 10 enchiladas. Nutrition information: Each enchilada (prepared with reduced-sodium beans and reduced-fat cheese and sour cream) contains approximately 251 calories, 14 g protein, 9 g fat, 31 g carbohydrate, 24 mg cholesterol, 511 mg sodium, 6 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices 2.
Picadillo-Stuffed Peppers
6 medium red, yellow or green bell peppers ½ cup water 1 (25-ounce) jar mushroom and olive pasta sauce, divided use 1 pound lean ground beef 2 small zucchini, diced 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ⅓ cup raisins ⅓ cup sliced green olives with pimentos 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top ¼ of each pepper; remove core and seeds and reserve tops. Stand peppers and tops in baking dish. Add water, cover and microwave on high (100 percent power) 5 to 7 minutes or until peppers are softened. Stir 1½ cups pasta sauce into water in dish. Meanwhile, cook beef, zucchini and onion in a large skillet on medium-high for 7 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are almost tender. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, cumin and pepper; cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from heat; stir in raisins, olives, vinegar and remaining pasta sauce. Spoon mixture into peppers in dish; replace tops. Coat peppers with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until sauce bubbles and pepper tops are lightly charred. Serve. Makes 6 peppers. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 270 calories, 19 g protein, 10 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 43 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium and 5 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices 2.
Pork With Asparagus and Mint
1 tablespoon canola oil 2 tablespoons roasted red chile paste, such as Thai Kitchen (see note) 2 tablespoons fish sauce OR
soy sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 1 medium onion, cut into ¼inch slices 3 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces ¾ pound pork (pork loin or thin pork chops), cut into thin strips (¼ inch thick, 1 to 1½ inches long) 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin, ¼-inch strips ⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Heat oil in a wok or skillet on medium-high. Add chile paste, fish sauce (or soy sauce) and sugar; stir well to combine. Cook 1 minute. Add onion and asparagus; stir-fry 3 minutes. Cover and cook 3 to 5 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove cover and add pork and bell pepper. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until pork is cooked through. Add the mint, toss to combine and serve. Makes 4 servings. Note: Look for roasted red chile paste and fish sauce in the international section of your supermarket. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 215 calories, 20 g protein, 10 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 48 mg cholesterol, 778 mg sodium and 4 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 1. Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be
reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com