7day menu planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUNDAY: This Classic Beef Pot Roast (see recipe) reminds me of the one that my mother used to make. (The same pot roast where I would carefully remove the carrots and hide them.) Serve it with a spinach salad and whole-grain rolls. Slice angel food cake, top it with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and add a dollop of whipped cream for an easy dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough beef, vegetables and blueberries for Monday; save enough cake for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Make Vegetable Beef Soup with Sunday’s leftovers by chopping 2 cups of the beef and all of the vegetables. Then add 5 to 6 cups lower-sodium beef broth, along with 1 cup frozen succotash, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 (14 ½-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Serve with deli coleslaw and crusty rolls. For dessert, enjoy the leftover blueberries.
TUESDAY: The little ones will come running for Kids Chicken Fingers (see recipe). Serve with curly oven fries, celery sticks with a dip and soft bread sticks. Drizzle the leftover cake with strawberry sauce for dessert. Plan ahead: Prepare the lentils and the rice for Wednesday. Save some strawberry sauce for Saturday. WEDNESDAY: Skip meat and enjoy Lentil and Wild Rice Soup. Rinse and sort ½ cup lentils and combine with 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Let stand 1 hour; rinse and drain. Cook 1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice blend according to package directions. To the rice, add the cooked lentils, 3 cups unsalted vegetable broth, 1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables and 1 cup milk. Heat and ladle into bowls.
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with a smoked mozzarella, Boston lettuce and mango chutney sandwich on sourdough bread. Add cucumber spears. For dessert, pears are easy.
THURSDAY: Even a Frenchman would be impressed with Faux Cassoulet. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a 3-quart casserole, mix 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (rinsed), 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, 1 (14-ounce) package kielbasa (diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces), 1 (15-ounce) can nosalt-added tomato sauce, 1 ½ cups thinly sliced carrots, 2 thinly sliced small onions (separated into rings), ½ cup lower-sodium beef broth, 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme, 2 cloves minced garlic. Cover and bake about 1 hour or until hot and bubbly and carrots are tender. Serve the hearty bean-and-sausage combo with mixed greens and a baguette. Sprinkle peaches with nutmeg for dessert. FRIDAY: It’s one of those nights when a whole meal frozen dinner can come to the rescue. Choose any frozen stir-fry meal and add broccoli florets, a packaged green salad and garlic bread, and dinner is on the table. How about a scoop of chocolate ice cream for dessert?
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
SATURDAY: Invite guests for Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops With Pineapple Salsa (see recipe). Serve with rice, grilled zucchini and sourdough bread. For dessert, drizzle leftover strawberry sauce over leftover ice cream.
THE RECIPES Classic Beef Pot Roast
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 boneless cross rib chuck roast or arm chuck roast (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 pound red-skinned potatoes (about 1 ½ inch diameter), halved
1 pound baby carrots
2 large onions, each cut into 8 wedges
Combine flour, salt and pepper. Coat roast with 2 tablespoons mixture, reserving remainder.
Heat oil in stockpot on medium until hot. Place roast in pot; brown evenly. Pour off drippings. Combine broth, tomato paste and thyme in stockpot; whisk in reserved flour mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Stir gravy. Add potatoes, carrots and onions to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour or until roast and vegetables are forktender. Carve into slices or chunks; serve with vegetables and gravy.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 300 calories, 31 g protein, 8 g fat, 25 g carbohydrate, 54 mg cholesterol, 389 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.5.
Kids Chicken Fingers
¾ cup panko
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon paprika
1 pound chicken tenders
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon melted butter
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
In a resealable plastic bag, combine panko, cheese, garlic powder, salt and paprika. Dip half the tenders into egg; place in bag, seal and shake to coat. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken and coat with cooking spray. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, turning after 3 minutes, until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 251 calories, 31 g protein, 10 g fat, 8 g carbohydrate, 136 mg cholesterol, 463 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.5.
Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops With Pineapple Salsa
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
4 boneless pork loin chops,
¾inch thick, trimmed 3 rings fresh or canned pineapple (about 6 ounces)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grate.
In a bowl, combine chile powder, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Rub on both sides of pork. Grill pork 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly charred and internal temperature is 145 degrees. Grill pineapple 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chops from grill; let stand 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice pineapple and finely dice jalapeno pepper. In a bowl, combine pineapple, jalapeno and lime juice. Serve chops with the pineapple salsa.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 236 calories, 28 g protein, 8 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 86 mg cholesterol, 333 mg sodium and 2 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