7-DAY MENU PLANNER
Sunday (Family)
Family day is a perfect time to serve your own ROAST CHICKEN. Serve the bird with BROWN RICE, GRAVY, STEAMED BROCCOLI and WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. For dessert, present STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM in pretty dessert dishes.
Plan Ahead: Save enough chicken and ice cream for Monday and cook enough rice for Monday and Wednesday.
Shopping List: chicken to roast, brown rice, gravy, broccoli, whole-grain bread, strawberry ice cream.
Monday (Heat and Eat)
Take advantage of the leftover chicken and rice when you prepare SPICY THAI CHICKEN SALAD. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, 3 cups cooked brown rice, 6 cups coleslaw mix and ¼ cup chopped cilantro. In medium bowl, whisk together 1 ¼cups Thai peanut sauce (bottled), ¼ cup canola oil and ¼ cup water. Add to rice mixture and toss to coat. Garnish with ½ cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts and serve.
Serve with ONION SOUP and BREAD STICKS. Scoop the leftover ICE CREAM for dessert.
Shopping list: coleslaw mix, cilantro, bottled Thai peanut sauce, canola oil, dry roasted peanuts, onion soup, bread sticks.
Tuesday (Budget)
PORK GOULASH (see recipe) is easy on the budget and easy on the cook! Serve with WHOLE-GRAIN NOODLES, MIXED GREENS and WHOLEGRAIN ROLLS. Enjoy FRESH PINEAPPLE CHUNKS for a light dessert.
list: boneless pork shoulder or loin, canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, beef-onion soup mix, paprika, garlic, caraway seeds, reduced-fat sour cream, fresh dill, wholegrain noodles, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, fresh pineapple.
Plan Ahead: Save enough goulash for Thursday.
Wednesday (Kids)
Kids will love helping prepare DIEGO’S MEATBALL MOUNTAIN RANGE (see recipe), inspired by the cousin of Dora the Explorer. Add a CHOPPED LETTUCE salad and SOFT ROLLS. For dessert, instant CHOCOLATE PUDDING made with 1% milk will continue their cooking lesson.
Shopping list: cooking spray, egg, onion, dry breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, coarse salt, 95% lean ground beef, meatless pasta sauce, wholegrain spaghetti, fresh broccoli, lettuce, soft rolls, instant chocolate pudding, 1% milk.
Thursday (Express)
Heat the leftover GOULASH and spoon it over COUSCOUS. Add a packaged GREEN SALAD and WHOLEGRAIN BREAD. For a light dessert, try KIWIS.
Shopping list: couscous, packaged green salad, wholegrain bread, kiwis.
Friday (Meatless)
PENNE WITH BEAN SAUCE is a no-fuss, no-meat entree. Cook a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach. Stir in 1 (16-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium cannellini beans and 2 cups no-saltadded or regular marinara sauce. Heat through and stir into any cooked pasta.
Serve with a LETTUCE WEDGE and GARLIC BREAD. Munch on OATMEAL COOKIES for dessert.
Shopping list: frozen chopped spinach, canned reduced-sodium cannellini beans, no-salt added or regular marinara sauce, any pasta, lettuce, garlic bread, oatmeal cookies.
Saturday (Easy Entertaining)
Invite guests for LEMON-HERB ROASTED COD WITH CRISPY GARLIC POTATOES (see recipe). Serve with STEAMED GREEN BEANS, an ARUGULA SALAD and a BAGUETTE. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.
Shopping list: extra-virgin olive oil, russet potatoes, garlic, coarse salt, pepper, skinless cod fillets, unsalted butter, fresh thyme, lemon, green beans, arugula, baguette, fruit tarts.
PORK GOULASH (TUESDAY)
Servings: makes 8 servings
Preparation time: about 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6to8 hours 2 pounds well-trimmed boneless pork shoulder or loin, cut into bite-size chunks 1 (14.5-ounce) can fireroasted diced tomatoes, with liquid 1 (1.1-ounce) packet beefonion soup mix 2 tablespoons paprika 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place pork. Add tomatoes, soup mix, paprika, garlic and caraway seeds. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in sour cream and top each serving with dill.
Per serving: 243 calories, 27 grams protein, 10 grams fat (38% calories from fat), 4.3 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 509 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 0.5.
DIEGO’S MEATBALL MOUNTAIN RANGE (WEDNESDAY)
Servings: makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: less than 25 minutes, plus pasta 1 egg, lightly beaten 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning ¼ teaspoon coarse salt ½ cup cooked brown rice ¾-pound 95% lean ground beef 2 ½ cups meatless pasta
sauce
8 ounces whole-grain
spaghetti
1 to 2 cups large fresh
broccoli florets, cooked
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 ½-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine egg, onion, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, Italian seasoning and salt. Add rice and beef; mix well. On a piece of waxed paper, flatten meat mixture into a 1-inch-thick square. Cut the square into a grid to make 20 equal pieces. (Kids can help here:) Roll each piece into a meatball. Arrange in prepared dish and bake about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat pasta sauce on low. Transfer cooked meatballs to sauce and wipe out baking dish. Cook spaghetti according to directions; drain. Transfer spaghetti to baking dish.
Add about ½ cup sauce without meatballs; toss to coat. Arrange remaining sauce and the meatballs on spaghetti in center of dish. (Kids can help here:) Arrange broccoli around edge to look like trees. Loosely cover with nonstick foil and bake 5 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and serve.
NOTE: Cut broccoli into smaller pieces before serving. (Adapted from “Dora & Diego: Let’s Cook,” Wiley.)
Per serving: 325 calories, 22 grams protein, 7 grams fat (18% calories from fat), 2.1 grams saturated fat, 44 grams carbohydrate, 66 milligrams cholesterol, 449 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Carb count: 3.
LEMON-HERB ROASTED COD WITH CRISPY GARLIC POTATOES (SATURDAY)
Servings: makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch rounds 3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ teaspoon coarse salt,
divided
½ teaspoon pepper,
divided
4 (6-to 8-ounce) skinless
cod fillets, 1 inch thick 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 thin lemon slices
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, garlic, remaining oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover; microwave on high (100% power) 12 to 14 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Stack potatoes in a shingle pattern in 4 rectangular piles that measure roughly 4 by 6 inches on prepared sheet. Pat cod dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper and lay 1 fillet, skinned side down, on each potato pile. Place butter, thyme sprig and 1 lemon slice on top. Roast 15 to 18 minutes or until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and internal temperature is 135 degrees. Slide spatula underneath potatoes and cod to gently transfer to individual plates and serve. (Adapted from “One-hour Comfort,” American’s Test Kitchen.)
Per serving: 411 calories, 34 grams protein, 17 grams fat (37% calories from fat), 6.6 grams saturated fat, 31 grams carbohydrate, 96 milligrams cholesterol, 464 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.
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!