7-DAY MENU PLANNER
Sunday (Family)
Don’t let the goblins scare the family from enjoying MUSTARD-CRUSTED PORK ROAST for dinner. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season 1 (2-pound) trimmed boneless pork loin roast with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Place in a shallow pan and roast 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 cup garlic croutons in a resealable plastic bag; roll with rolling pin or bottle until crushed. Remove roast from oven; spread surface with 2 tablespoons spicy mustard and sprinkle with crouton crumbs. Return to oven; roast 10 to 15 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes; slice and serve.
Add vegetarian BAKED BEANS, ZUCCHINI SQUASH and WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. For dessert, GHOSTLY GRAVEYARD CAKES (see recipe) will keep the howling monsters away.
Plan ahead: Save enough cakes for Monday and enough pork for Tuesday.
Shopping list: boneless pork loin roast, coarse salt, pepper, garlic croutons, spicy mustard, vegetarian baked beans, zucchini squash, whole-grain bread, neon blue food coloring, neon yellow food coloring, canned ready-to-spread white frosting, flaked coconut, creamfilled snack cakes (such as Twinkies), chocolate frosting, oval-shaped cookies (such as Pepperidge Farm Milanos), crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, if desired.
Monday (Budget)
Tonight, prepare economical ONE-POT TACO BEEF AND RICE (see recipe) for dinner. Serve the Mexican treat with a ROMAINE SALAD and CORNBREAD (from mix). For dessert, enjoy the leftover CAKES.
Shopping list: lean ground beef, onion, garlic, less-sodium taco seasoning mix, tomato sauce, salsa, instant brown rice, shredded cheddar jack cheese blend, lettuce, reduced-fat sour cream, tomato, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, taco shells or tortillas (if desired), romaine, cornbread mix.
Tuesday (Heat and eat)
Use the leftover pork and make BARBECUE PORK WRAPS. Shred the pork; stir in some barbecue sauce and heat in the microwave. Spoon into warm corn tortillas and top with SALSA, reduced-fat SOUR CREAM, SHREDDED LETTUCE and SLICED JALAPENO PEPPERS (from jar). Serve with deli COLESLAW. PEACHES are a light dessert.
Shopping list: barbecue sauce, corn tortillas, salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, lettuce, jar sliced jalapeno peppers, deli coleslaw, peaches.
Wednesday (Express)
Buy deli CHILI and serve it over BROWN RICE for a quick meal. Garnish with chopped GREEN ONIONS. Add MIXED GREENS and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS to round out the meal. For dessert, top VANILLA ICE CREAM with CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping list: deli chili, brown rice, green onions, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce.
Thursday (Meatless)
Who could miss meat when you serve delicious SPAGHETTI WITH BEANS AND GREENS (see recipe)? Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and ITALIAN BREAD. How about PEARS for dessert?
Shopping list: wholegrain spaghetti, coarse salt, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, grape tomatoes, canned cannellini beans, packaged arugula, lemon, Parmesan cheese, lettuce, Italian bread, pears.
Friday (Kids)
Kids will be in the mood for TURKEY CHEESE WRAPS WITH HONEY MUSTARD. In a small bowl, mix 2 cups plain hummus, 3 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. For one wrap: Spread ¼ of the mixture over one large whole-grain flour tortilla, leaving ¼inch space around the edge. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded 50% reducedfat cheese on each wrap. Place 2 slices deli turkey and 1 lettuce leaf on top of the cheese. Roll each wrap and wrap in waxed paper like a burrito. Serve with BAKED CHIPS. For dessert, try FRESH PINEAPPLE SPEARS.
SHOPPING LIST: plain hummus, honey, Dijon mustard, large whole-grain flour tortillas, shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, deli turkey, lettuce, baked chips, fresh pineapple spears.
Saturday (Easy entertaining)
Invite special friends for ROASTED SALMON WITH FRESH SALSA. Heat oven to 425 degrees; line a rimmed baking pan with foil. Mix together 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon ground coriander and ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder. Rub spice mixture over 4 skinless salmon fillets. Place fish on baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, ¼ cup chopped tomato, 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Serve salmon with salsa.
Add LONG-GRAIN AND WILD RICE (from mix), BROCCOLI FLORETS, a BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD and CRUSTY ROLLS. Buy a CHERRY PIE and top with leftover VANILLA ICE CREAM for dessert.
Shopping list: chili powder, cumin, coarse salt, ground coriander, chipotle chile powder, skinless salmon fillets, red bell pepper, tomato, green onions, cilantro, limes, long-grain and wild rice mix, broccoli, Boston lettuce, crusty rolls, cherry pie.
GHOSTLY GRAVEYARD CAKES (SUNDAY)
Servings: makes 10 servings
Preparation time: about 5 to 10 minutes per cake
Cooking time: none
9 drops neon blue food
coloring, divided
9 drops neon yellow food
coloring, divided 1 (16-ounce) can readyto-spread white frosting 1 ½ cups flaked coconut 10 cream-filled snack
cakes (such as Twinkies) Chocolate frosting 10 oval-shaped cookies (such as Pepperidge Farm Milanos)
Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (if desired)
In a medium bowl, mix 3 drops blue and 3 drops yellow food coloring into frosting. Set aside. Shake coconut in a large plastic bag with 6 drops blue and 6 drops yellow coloring until coated. Cover cakes (Twinkies) with green frosting. Sprinkle with green coconut to create a grasslike finish. To make“tombstones”: Place chocolate frosting in small plastic bag. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag. Squeeze out the letters “RIP” onto each oval cookie. Place one cookie into one end of each cake. Arrange cakes on a serving platter to create a graveyard. If desired, surround with crushed chocolate cookies to make “dirt.”
Per serving: 468 calories, 3 grams protein, 19 grams fat (36% calories from fat), 9.7 grams saturated fat, 72 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 357 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count:
5.
ONE-POT TACO BEEF AND RICE (MONDAY)
Servings: makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: under 20 minutes
1 ¼ pounds lean ground
beef
½ cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons lesssodium taco seasoning mix
1 (15-ounce) can tomato
sauce
1 cup salsa
1 cup uncooked instant
brown rice
⅔ cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar
jack cheese blend
1 cup chopped lettuce Reduced-fat sour cream 1 small tomato, chopped Sliced jalapenos
Cilantro
Taco shells or tortillas, if
desired
Heat a large nonstick skillet (with deep sides) over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, garlic and taco seasoning; cook 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, salsa, rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add your favorite toppings, such as shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro. Serve dish on its own or in taco shells or tortillas.
Per serving (without tortillas): 361 calories, 28 grams protein, 12 grams fat (30% calories from fat), 5.4 grams saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, 69 milligrams cholesterol, 906 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.5.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu. com. Follow Susan on Twitter: @7DayMenu. The Menu Planner is also accessible at 7daymenuplanner. com. Read Susan’s blog: makingthemenu.com. And check out Susan’s book! “7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies” is on shelves now. Order yours on Amazon.com today!