7day menu planner

SUNDAY: Open your Global Pantry and look to Japan for the family day meal and try Japanese Steak Salad With Sesame Dressing (see recipe). Serve with crusty rolls. The family will line up for Raspberry Crisp for dessert: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss 3 pints fresh raspberries with 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium baking dish. Separately, combine 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Scatter topping evenly over berries and bake 40 minutes or until topping is golden and berries are bubbly. Cool slightly and serve.

Tip: Substitute blackberries for raspberries if desired.

Plan ahead: Save some steak and dessert for Monday.

MONDAY: Make Ginger Beef and Noodle Bowls with Monday’s leftovers. Combine 2 (14-ounce) cans unsalted beef broth, ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, divide 6 cups cooked and chilled vermicelli or other thin-cut noodles and leftover beef among 4 large soup bowls. Bring broth mixture to a boil; ladle boiling mixture evenly over beef and noodles. Garnish the soup with some matchstickcut carrots. Serve with a spinach salad and crackers. Warm the leftover crisp for dessert.

TUESDAY: Make it fast tonight with Sweet-and-Sour Ham Steaks. Heat ½ teaspoon canola oil in a large skillet on mediumhigh. Add 2 (7- to 8-ounce) ham steaks (halved) and cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove to serving platter. Add 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen sliced peaches (thawed and cut into bite-size chunks) and 1 (9-ounce) jar hot or sweet mango chutney and cook, just until hot, stirring frequently. Spoon over ham. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if desired. Serve with mashed sweet potatoes, a packaged green salad and cornbread. Apple slices are dessert.

WEDNESDAY: Celebrate July 4th with Classic Cheeseburgers (see recipe). Alongside, grill some corn-on-the-cob. For dessert, what’s more Fourth of July than watermelon and chocolate chip cookies?

Plan ahead: Save enough cookies for Friday.

THURSDAY: It’s great to be a kid and have Peanut Butter Roll-Ups for dinner. Spread peanut butter and honey or cheese slices on multigrain tortillas, roll and heat slightly. Add carrot salad on the side. The kids will love to make Blue Banana Boats (see recipe) for dessert.

FRIDAY: For a no-meat dinner, Scrambled Eggs With Chiles and Cheese are so easy. Beat 8 eggs in a bowl with a fork. Stir in 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Scramble as usual. Add a spinach salad with orange sections and red onion rings. Serve with leftover cookies and vanilla ice cream. Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.

SATURDAY: Invite special friends for Baked Chicken With White Beans, Tomatoes and Avocado. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium. Add 2 medium onions (chopped); cook 10 minutes or until browned and crisped. Stir in 1 (14-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes with their liquid and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and boil, uncovered, 1 minute. Stir in 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (rinsed). Bring to a simmer. Place 4 (5to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts among beans, spooning some of the bean mixture over chicken. Cover chicken and beans with 1 thickly sliced avocado. Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and bean mixture is bubbly. Serve with a mixed green salad and garlic bread. For dessert, buy some brownies and make Chocolate Brownie Sundaes with leftover vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

THE RECIPES Japanese Steak Salad With Sesame Dressing

For the marinade and

dressing:

3 tablespoons dry sherry 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium

soy sauce

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice

wine vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce ½ teaspoon grated fresh

ginger

1 (1 ½-pound) top sirloin

steak, about 1 inch thick ¼ cup water

2 tablespoons chopped green

onion

1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon dark (toasted)

sesame oil

For the salad:

3 cups sliced napa cabbage 3 cups sliced romaine lettuce

OR green cabbage

½ cup thinly sliced carrots ½ cup thinly sliced radishes ½ cup thinly sliced, seeded

cucumber

1 cup cooked rice, still hot 24 snow pea pods, blanched

(see note)

For the marinade: In a small bowl, combine sherry, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce and ginger.

Place steak and 1/3 cup of the marinade (reserving remaining marinade) in a resealable plastic bag; seal and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning once.

For the dressing: Add water, onion, sugar and oil to the remaining marinade; mix well.

Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Place steak on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 4 inches from heat. Broil 16 to 21 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning once. Let stand 5 minutes. Carve steak into thin slices and reserve half for Monday’s soup.

In a large bowl, combine napa cabbage with romaine or green cabbage, carrots and radishes; divide among 4 plates. Arrange cucumber, rice, snow peas and beef on salads. Serve with dressing.

Note: To blanch is to plunge into boiling water, then into cold water to stop cooking.

Makes 4 servings, plus 4 extra servings of steak.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 153 calories, 17 g protein, 4 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 42 mg cholesterol, 204 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: ½.

Classic Cheeseburgers

1 pound lean ground beef

1 ½ teaspoons steak

seasoning blend 4 whole-grain hamburger buns 4 (1-ounce) slices cheese such as cheddar, American or Swiss

4 lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

Desired toppings and condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, onion slices, pickles

Combine beef and seasoning in a large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into 4 (½-inch-thick) patties. Place patties on grill rack over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 8 to 10 minutes (or 7 to 9 minutes over medium heat on a gas grill), until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning occasionally. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns, cut sides down, on grill. Grill until lightly toasted. During last minute of grilling, top each burger with a cheese slice. Line each bottom bun with a lettuce leaf; top with tomatoes and toppings as desired. Close sandwiches and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 383 calories, 35 g protein, 17 g fat, 24 g carbohydrate, 92 mg cholesterol, 743 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½.

Blue Banana Boats

2 sheets fruit leather, any

flavor

4 (4-inch-long) thin pretzel

sticks

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen

blueberries

½ cup grape juice or juice

from frozen berries

4 small bananas cut in half

lengthwise

1 cup fruit sorbet

½ cup fruit such as mandarin oranges or grapes, cut into pieces

For sails: Unroll fruit leather and cut into 4 triangles, about 3 inches on all sides. With a sharp knife, make 3 small cuts along one edge of each triangle; thread onto pretzel sticks.

For boats: In 4 soup or cereal bowls, divide blueberries evenly; pour 2 tablespoons juice into each bowl. Place banana halves on opposite sides of bowl (trim banana to fit bowl if necessary); between the banana halves, place ¼ cup sorbet. Scatter fruit over all and push a pretzel sail into sorbet. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 283 calories, 3 g protein, 1 g fat, 69 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 274 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 4 ½.

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:

susan@7daymenu.com