Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Make family day extra-special with Grilled Lamb Kebabs With Peaches (see recipe). Serve the lamb with couscous and Green Beans and Pecans. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium. Add ½ red onion (minced); cook 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Add 1 pound fresh green beans; stir to coat in oil and onions. Add ¼ cup water; season with coarse salt and pepper. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer to serving dish; top with ½ cup pecan pieces. Add whole-grain bread. For dessert, top angel food cake with chocolate ice cream and fresh raspberries.
Tip: Save some lamb, cake and berries for Monday; save enough ice cream for Wednesday.
MONDAY: Make Lamb Pitas for dinner. Heat some of the leftover lamb (cut into small pieces) and sprinkle with a little cumin and dried oregano. Top 4 warmed no-pocket pitas with lamb, lettuce, sliced red onion, cucumbers and sliced tomatoes. Add a dollop of plain yogurt. Fold or roll and enjoy. Serve with tabbouleh from the deli. Top the leftover cake with leftover berries.
TUESDAY: For an easy no-meat dinner, try Fettuccine With Tomatoes and Artichokes (see recipe). Serve with a lettuce wedge and garlic bread. Sliced kiwi makes a good dessert. WEDNESDAY: For dinner, look for your favorite brand of chicken burgers, or make your own. Serve them on toasted whole-grain buns with sliced avocado, tomatoes and lettuce. Add baked sweet potato chips. For dessert, scoop some leftover ice cream. THURSDAY: These Eat-More-Fish Tacos will bring the kids to the table. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat it with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tilapia filets on foil. Bake 10 minutes or until opaque throughout. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Lay filets on softened corn tortillas, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado and the sauce. Add canned black beans alongside the tacos. Bite into a nectarine for dessert. FRIDAY: This economical Chicken Stew (see recipe) goes into our “favorites” file. Serve the stew over brown rice and add a green salad and crusty rolls. Pears are an easy dessert. SATURDAY: Serve your guests Cornmeal-Crusted Scallops.
In a resealable plastic bag, combine 1 pound sea scallops, 3 tablespoons cornmeal, ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ½ teaspoon paprika; shake to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet on mediumhigh. Add scallops and cook 3 minutes, turning once, until golden and just cooked through. Serve with corn-on-the-cob and Chipotle Slaw. Toss 1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix with 1/3 cup coleslaw dressing and ¼ cup chipotle-flavored light or regular mayonnaise. Add sliced tomatoes and crusty rolls. Buy fruit tarts for dessert. Tip: Dry scallops with paper towels before coating.
THE RECIPES Grilled Lamb Kebabs With Peaches
3 pounds leg of lamb, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes 1 small red onion, cut into ½inch wedges 1/3 cup peach jam 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon coarse salt 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper 2 peeled, halved fresh peaches 16 (½-inch) cubes cheddar cheese
Soak 16 wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes.
Place lamb cubes and onion in a large pan.
In a medium bowl, combine jam, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic, red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper; pour over lamb and onion. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.
Remove lamb; discard marinade. Alternate lamb and onion on each skewer. Grill kebabs about 4 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, cover and let stand.
Grill peaches, cut side down, 3 minutes or until browned and juicy. Cut each peach half into 4 wedges. To serve, place a peach wedge and one cheese cube on each lamb skewer.
Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 289 calories, 38 g protein, 12 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 113 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½.
Fettuccine With Tomatoes and Artichokes
8 ounces fettuccine 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichokes packed in water 6 plum tomatoes 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon basil pesto 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium seasoned salt 1 teaspoon minced garlic ¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Cook fettuccine according to package directions; reserve ¼ cup cooking water and drain the rest. Cut artichokes and tomatoes into ½-inch cubes. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add pesto, salt and garlic. Cover and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and stir to loosen browned bits of food in skillet. Add artichokes and tomatoes. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally or until tomatoes begin to soften and sauce is hot. Add reserved cooking water and drained pasta. Toss to mix. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 344 calories, 12 g protein, 8 g fat, 54 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 536 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3 ½.
Chicken Stew
2 teaspoons canola oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 teaspoon curry powder 2 teaspoons Caribbean jerk seasoning ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper ¼ cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons drained capers 1 (16-ounce) can reducedsodium black beans, rinsed 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, curry, jerk seasoning and pepper. Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 4 minutes. Stir in wine, capers, beans and tomatoes and their liquid. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 189 calories, 21 g protein, 4 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 48 mg cholesterol, 507 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1