7day menu planner
SUNDAY:
Beef Cubes and Gravy (see recipe) will become a favorite at your house just as it is at ours. Serve it over egg noodles and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Add fresh asparagus and wholegrain rolls. Buy a Boston cream pie for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough Boston cream pie for Monday.
MONDAY: Try kid-friendly Fiesta Chicken and Rice for dinner. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together 4 cups cooked rice, 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms, 3 cups salsa, 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, 8 ounces sour cream, ½ cup unsalted chicken broth or water and 1 ½ pounds cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces). Spoon into a 9-by-13inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until bubbly. Serve with carrot sticks, corn tortillas and leftover Boston cream pie.
Plan ahead: Save enough Fiesta Chicken for Tuesday.
TUESDAY: Make Chicken-andRice Roll-Ups for a quick meal. Separately, heat Monday’s chicken and rice and some flour tortillas. Spoon the chicken mixture onto the tortillas and top with reduced-fat sour cream and some shredded 50 percent light jalapeno cheddar cheese. Roll and eat. Enjoy sliced avocados on the side. Canned plums are dessert.
WEDNESDAY: White Bean Chili (see recipe) is economical, plus we love the flavor. Serve it with a carrot salad and cornbread. Pears make a good dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Thursday.
THURSDAY: You’ll like the leftover chili just as well tonight, now that the flavors have blended even more. This goaround, serve it over brown rice, along with a spinach salad and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, scoop vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
FRIDAY: Egg salad sandwiches nourished me through my college days and have always been one of my favorite sandwiches, especially when they are on whole-grain toast with lettuce and tomato. Make your own or pick up some egg salad at the deli. Add a pickle or two and olives on the side. Serve with baked sweet potato chips. Red and green grapes are an easy dessert.
SATURDAY: Present Walnut and Panko Crispy Cod (see recipe) to your guests tonight. Add orzo tossed with freshly grated parmesan cheese; serve with mixed greens and sourdough bread. For dessert, have some leftover ice cream with caramel topping sprinkled with toasted coconut.
THE RECIPES
Beef Cubes and Gravy
1 ½ pounds well-trimmed beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions cut into ½inch wedges
1 (8-ounce) package sliced crimini or other fresh mushrooms
1 (1.1-ounce) package beefy
onion soup mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch Coarse salt and pepper to
taste
1 ½ cups dry red wine
Place beef, onions and mushrooms in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add dry soup mix. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and pepper. Pour wine over all. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours. Stir well before serving.
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 251 calories, 24 g protein, 8 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 71 mg cholesterol, 446 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
White Bean Chili
1 tablespoon canola oil 2 cups chopped onion 1 ½ tablespoons chile powder 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 (15-ounce) cans Great
Northern beans, rinsed 2 (14-ounce) cans unsalted
chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
or chicken breast
½ cup chopped seeded plum
tomatoes
¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh
cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice ¼ teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground
pepper
8 lime wedges, if desired
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven on medium-high. Add onion and cook 10 minutes or until softened and golden. Add chile powder, garlic and cumin. Cook 2 minutes. Add oregano and beans; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and water; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes. Place 2 cups bean mixture in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Add turkey or chicken; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper; mix well. Garnish with limes wedges if desired. Makes about 8 cups. Nutrition information: Each cup contains approximately 256 calories, 26 g protein, 4 g fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 45 mg cholesterol, 986 mg sodium and 10 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2. 1/8
Walnut and Panko Crispy Cod
¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped ¾ cup panko bread crumbs ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon dried dill
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour 1 pound cod fillets, cut into
3-inch long pieces Lemon dill topping:
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt OR
reduced-fat sour cream 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
teaspoon dried dill Lemon wedges for garnish
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat foil with cooking spray.
Stir together walnuts, bread crumbs, garlic powder and dill in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in a second shallow dish. Place flour in a third shallow dish. Roll fish pieces in flour (shake off extra), then egg mixture, then walnut mixture, pressing down gently, and place on baking sheet. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together lemon dill topping. Serve fish with lemon wedges and the topping.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 318 calories, 27 g protein, 15 g fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 114 mg cholesterol, 109 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.