7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Treat the family to Italian Marinated Steak (see recipe). Add roasted rosemary red potatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms. Add mixed greens and crusty bread. Lemon pie is dessert. Plan ahead: Prepare enough beef and vegetables for Monday; save enough pie for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover beef for Roast Beef Sandwiches on baguettes. Spread horseradish sauce over split baguettes. Mix 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard,
¼ cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon chopped chives or chopped green onion. Top the sliced beef with thin slices of brie cheese. Heat the leftover vegetables and add a lettuce wedge salad. For dessert, fresh pineapple is good.
TUESDAY: Save money with delicious Rice Bowls With Fried Eggs and Avocado for dinner. Mix 4 thinly sliced green onions with 2 cups cooked brown rice in a small bowl; season with coarse salt and pepper; mix well and divide into 4 individual bowls. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Crack 4 eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and pour into skillet; season with salt and pepper and cook until desired doneness. Transfer each egg to the outside edge of each bowl. Divide 1 avocado into slices and place on other side of bowl. (Adapted from Bon
Appetit.) Serve with hot sauce at the table. Add salad greens and toasted whole-grain English muffins. Dessert is leftover pie.
WEDNESDAY: This Layered Salad (see recipe) is quick and a great meal before fall is with us. Add baked corn chips. Try Asian pears for dessert.
THURSDAY: The kids will love Three-Cheese Pasta for dinner. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook 2½ cups penne or rigatoni pasta according to package directions; drain. In a medium bowl, microwave 1 medium orange bell pepper (chopped) and 2 green onions (white bottoms and 3 inches of the green tops sliced) on 100 percent power for 3 minutes, covered; drain. Set aside. Place 3 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart container; microwave on 50 percent power about 1 minute or until melted. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. With a whisk, mix in 2 cups milk. Cover and microwave on high about 5 minutes. Stir after the first 2 minutes and then stir again occasionally until thickened. Mix in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese and
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese until it melts. Add the cooked pasta and vegetables and mix well. Pour into the baking dish; top with panko and bake 30 minutes or until hot and slightly brown on top. Serve with fresh green beans and soft rolls. Dip sliced apples in a little caramel sauce for dessert.
FRIDAY: Keeping up the coolsalad idea, Quinoa Kale Risotto With Pistachios (see recipe) is dinner tonight. Add wholegrain rolls to the meal. Fresh blueberries with whipped cream are good for dessert. Plan ahead: Prepare enough quinoa for Saturday.
SATURDAY: Invite some guests to enjoy your grilled chicken. Alongside, delicious leftover quinoa will be even better tonight as the flavors will have had time to blend further. Add sliced cucumbers and red onion in cider vinegar along with flatbread to round out your meal. Coconut macaroons are a simple dessert.
THE RECIPES Italian Marinated Steak
¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup dry white wine 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon
juice 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon coarse salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 1½ pounds beef top round
steak, cut 1-inch thick
Combine all ingredients except steak in a small bowl. Place marinade in a resealable plastic bag. Add steak to marinade; turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 6 to 12 hours, turning occasionally. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak on medium 12 to 14 minutes for medium rare, turning occasionally. Remove from grill. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing across grain; serve.
Makes 4 servings plus leftovers for sandwiches.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 189 calories, 34 g protein, 5 g fat, no carbohydrate, 85 mg cholesterol, 163 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0
Layered Salad
For the dressing: 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with its liquid 8 ounces sour cream 3 ounces cream cheese,
softened 1 teaspoon cumin 1 clove garlic, minced For the salad: 6 cups chopped romaine (or
other lettuce) (see note) 1 (15-ounce) can black beans 1 ½ cups corn kernels
(thawed if using frozen) 2 avocados, diced and sprinkled with fresh lemon juice ¾ cup roasted red pepper strips 1 cup shredded cheddar
cheese 1 (6-ounce) can drained, sliced black olives ¼ cup sliced green onions
Mix together all dressing ingredients; set aside.
In a large straight-sided (or other) salad bowl, layer 4 cups lettuce, black beans, corn, avocados, red pepper, 2 more cups lettuce, cheese, olives and green onions. Cover top with dressing. To garnish, top with some shredded lettuce, cheese, olives and green onions, if desired. Cover; refrigerate up to 8 hours and serve. (Adapted from recipegirl.com) Makes about 12 cups. Note: Reserve some lettuce, cheese, olives and green onions for garnish, if desired.
Nutrition information: Each cup (prepared with reducedfat sour cream and cheeses) contains approximately 200 calories, 8 g protein, 12 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 20 mg cholesterol, 411 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Quinoa Kale Risotto With Pistachios
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ medium onion, chopped ½ red bell pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups uncooked quinoa,
rinsed 3 cups vegetable broth
½ cup white wine 1 teaspoon rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper 4 cups chopped fresh kale Zest of ½ lemon ½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium. Add onion, red bell pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add quinoa and cook for 1 minute more.
Meanwhile, heat vegetable broth, white wine, rosemary and black pepper together in a small pan until warm. Reduce heat to low. Add broth mixture to saucepan with quinoa mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Repeat this procedure for about 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, but not overcooked. Stir in kale, lemon zest and pistachios, and continue cooking until heated through but kale remains bright green. Serve immediately. Makes 6 cups. Nutrition information: Each cup contains approximately 335 calories, 12 g protein, 11 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 121 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.