SEVEN DAY MONDAY Heat and Eat
SUNDAY Family
Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad (see recipe) is perfect for family day. Pair it with baked potato wedges coated with olive oil spray and sprinkled with chili powder and crusty bread. Top vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut for dessert.
Plan ahead: Prepare enough steak for Monday. Save enough watermelon for Thursday and ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping list: Ground coriander, ground cumin, beef tenderloin steaks, baby watermelon, coarse salt, pepper, baby arugula or spinach leaves, reduced-fat balsamic or Italian dressing, cherry tomatoes, red onion, crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, baking potatoes, olive oil spray, chili powder, crusty bread, vanilla ice cream, coconut.
Make a beef stir-fry with thinly sliced leftover steak, fresh or frozen stirfry vegetables and bottled stir-fry sauce. Serve the dish over rice and add whole-grain rolls on the side. Fresh cherries are a summertime dessert.
Shopping list: Fresh or frozen stir-fry vegetables, bottled stir-fry sauce, rice, whole-grain rolls, fresh cherries.
TUESDAY Meatless
Skip meat for Asian bean burgers. In a medium bowl, mash 3 cups cooked or canned reduced-sodium kidney beans (rinsed) with a fork or potato masher. Stir in ½ cup plain dry bread crumbs, 1/3 cup minced green onions, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Form into 4 patties. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes per side until heated through and crusty. Top with a sauce made of ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 1 tablespoon minced green onion and 1 teaspoon lowsodium soy sauce.
Serve on whole-grain buns with lettuce, tomato and cucumbers. Add oven fries (frozen). Make banana pudding with 1% milk for dessert.
Shopping list: Canned reduced-sodium or cooked kidney beans, plain dry bread crumbs, green onions, egg, low-sodium soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic, canola oil, low-fat mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, wholegrain buns, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, frozen oven fries, banana pudding, 1% milk.
WEDNESDAY Express
Make your own fast food tonight: Pan-fry a ham steak and serve it with mashed sweet potatoes. Add packaged salad greens and biscuits. Enjoy sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon for dessert.
Shopping list: Ham steak, mashed sweet potatoes, packaged salad greens, biscuits, apples, cinnamon.
THURSDAY Budget
Enjoy pork posole for a low-cost entree. In a 3quart or larger slow cooker, combine a welltrimmed 2- to 2 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (butt) roast (cut into bitesize chunks) with 1 ½ cups recaito (such as Goya). Mix well. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours. Stir in 2 cans (15 or 16 ounces each) rinsed hominy; cover and cook 10 more minutes or until hominy is heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve with a lettuce wedge and whole-grain bread. For dessert, enjoy a slice of leftover watermelon.
Tip: Recaito is a cilantro-based seasoning that is thicker than salsa.
Shopping list: Boneless pork shoulder (butt) roast, recaito (such as Goya), canned hominy, cilantro, lettuce, wholegrain bread.
FRIDAY Kids
Treat the kids to spaghetti pie tonight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Coat a 9inch glass pie plate with vegetable oil spray. In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs with a fork. Stir in 1 container (15 ounces) partskim ricotta cheese and ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese until blended. Add cooked spaghetti to cheese mixture and stir until well-coated. Transfer mixture to pie plate; top with 1 cup marinara sauce. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and 2 more tablespoons Parmesan. Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve. Add celery sticks and soft rolls. Popsicles are a cool dessert.
Shopping list: Spaghetti, vegetable oil spray, eggs, part-skim ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, celery, soft rolls, Popsicles.
SATURDAY Easy Entertaining
Invite friends for Anise-Orange Shrimp and Scallop Skewers (see recipe), a perfect summer feast. Serve the combo with honey ginger dipping sauce. Mix together ¾ cup fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sliced green onions and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. To the meal, add blackeyed peas mixed with chopped red onion and a light balsamic vinaigrette.
Start with your own gazpacho. Add sourdough bread. For dessert, make Summer Fruit Crumble (see recipe) and top with leftover vanilla ice cream. Be careful — the crumble is addictive.
Shopping list: Orange juice, canola oil, anise seeds, garlic powder, coarse salt, ground ginger, pepper, large shrimp, sea scallops, honey, low-sodium soy sauce, green onions, canned black-eyed peas, red onion, light balsamic vinaigrette, your own gazpacho, sourdough bread, fresh peaches or blueberries (or both), sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, butter, packaged yellow cake mix.