7day menu planner

SUNDAY: Spice up family day with Roasted Peppered-Pork Loin. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub 1 (2- to 3-pound) welltrimmed boneless pork loin with a mixture of 1 ½ teaspoons garlic pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary. Place pork in a shallow pan. Roast 40 minutes to 1 hour (20 minutes per pound) or until internal temperature of pork registers 145 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted potatoes, green beans, mixed salad greens and biscuits. Make spice cake (from a mix) for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough pork and cake for Monday.

MONDAY: Use the leftover pork in this Southwestern Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry (see recipe). Serve it over rice. Add a spinach salad and whole-grain rolls. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.

TUESDAY: Skip meat for Bean Tacos tonight. Spoon heated, canned vegetarian refried beans into warm taco shells. Serve with bowls of shredded lettuce, diced avocado, chopped onion, salsa and sour cream. Add packaged yellow rice on the side. Fresh pineapple is a refreshing dessert.

WEDNESDAY: Be patriotic and serve the kids All-American Baked Spaghetti. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet on medium; add 1 medium onion (chopped), 1 clove garlic (minced) and 1 pound lean ground beef; cook 10 minutes or until onion is softened and beef is no longer pink; drain. Add 1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon coarse salt. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, break 8 ounces spaghetti into thirds. Place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add ½ cup water and mix. Add meat mixture and combine all ingredients. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover, stir and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese; bake uncovered 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with green peas (frozen) and soft rolls. Sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon sugar for dessert.

THURSDAY: Make it a quick meal tonight with kielbasa with grainy mustard and dill pickles, along with deli potato salad and pickled beets (from a jar) on the menu. Add rye bread. For dessert, keep it light with peaches.

FRIDAY: What could be better than great flavor and low cost, two characteristics of Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet (see recipe)? Serve the fiber-packed dish with warmed tortillas. Make lemon pudding for dessert.

SATURDAY: Invite friends for Creamy Linguine With Shrimp (see recipe). Serve with cherry tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Add a Boston lettuce salad and baguettes to round out the meal. Buy cheesecake for dessert.

THE RECIPES Southwestern Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry

2 cups cooked (leftover)

chopped pork loin

1 teaspoon chile powder

½ teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons canola oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

Toss pork with chile powder and cumin; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add onion and peppers; cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add pork and stir-fry 2 minutes or until hot; serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 155 calories, 20 g protein, 5 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 52 mg cholesterol, 56 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: ½ .

Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet

1 pound ground chicken (or

ground turkey breast) 1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons chile

powder

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coarse salt

3 cups cooked brown rice 1 (15- or 16-ounce) can chili

beans, lightly drained 1 tomato, seeded and

chopped, for garnish Sour cream and chopped fresh

cilantro for garnish

Heat a large skillet on medium-high; add chicken and onion. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is softened. Add chile powder, cumin, salt, rice and beans. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately with garnishes. Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 276 calories, 22 g protein, 4 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 48 mg cholesterol, 539 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 2 ½ .

Creamy Linguine With Shrimp

8 ounces linguine 2 tablespoons butter

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1 ½ -inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup heavy cream

4 teaspoons Tuscan seasoning

blend or Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled

and deveined

Freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish, if desired

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large, deep skillet on medium heat. Add asparagus and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until asparagus is softened. Add cream, seasoning, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally

Stir shrimp into skillet. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking water; toss to coat well. Serve immediately with grated parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired. Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 384 calories, 21 g protein, 20 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 171 mg cholesterol, 451 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 2.