7-DAY MENU PLANNER
There’s hardly anything easier to prepare than a Baked Turkey Breast. Serve it with your Macaroni and Cheese, stirring in a drained can of diced tomatoes with green chiles to perk up the flavor. Alongside, add a Spinach Salad and whole-grain rolls.
For dessert, buy a Boston Cream Pie.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough turkey and Boston Cream Pie for Monday.
Susan Nicholson
SUNDAY (Family) MONDAY (Heat and Eat)
Use the leftover turkey for Turkey Melts: Place 4 slices toasted wholegrain bread on a baking sheet. Divide 8 teaspoons grainy mustard and spread on bread. Top each bread slice with 2 slices turkey; divide slices from 1 apple and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese among sandwiches. Broil 6 inches from heat source until cheese melts. Serve with Brown Rice and a Romaine Salad. Slice the leftover Boston Cream Pie for dessert.
TUESDAY (Kids)
Use a packet of seasoning mix and ground beef to make Sloppy Joes; serve the mixture over wholegrain hamburger buns. Add oven fries (from frozen) and carrot and celery sticks. Peaches make a good dessert.
WEDNESDAY (Easy Entertaining)
Expect a new tiara when your cupcake swoons over Maple-mustard Pork Tenderloin and Pears: Cut 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin into 8 medallions. In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tablespoons honey mustard, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add pork; cook 4 to 5 minutes, turning
once. Add maple-mustard sauce and 2 firm pears (cored and cut into 8 wedges each). Cook 2 more minutes or until pears are tender.
Spoon medallions, pears and sauce over mashed sweet potatoes. Add tiny green peas (from frozen), a bibb lettuce salad and dinner rolls.
For a sweet finish, heartshaped brownies (see recipe) are perfect.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough brownies for Friday.
THURSDAY (Meatless)
Tonight’s Grilled Threecheese Sandwiches are easy and full of flavor:
Coat one side of dense white bread with cooking spray and place coated side down on a heated skillet or grill. Sprinkle with coarsely shredded Asiago, sliced part-skim mozzarella and sliced Fontina cheeses. Top with another slice of bread and coat top with cooking spray. Grill, pressing down with spatula, until bread is golden and cheese is
melted, turning once. Repeat for each sandwich.
Serve with any creamy lower-sodium Tomato Soup and a Spinach Salad. For a light dessert, try chunky applesauce.
FRIDAY (Budget)
For a low-cost meal, this Southwest Chicken Skillet (see recipe) is just right. Serve it with a lettuce wedge and extra tortillas. For dessert, enjoy orange sections.
SATURDAY (Easy Entertaining)
Invite guests for a special meal of Scampi with Fettuccine (see recipe). Add a mixed green salad and garlic bread. For dessert, serve Raspberry Sorbet with Butter Cookies.
HEART-SHAPED BROWNIES (WEDNESDAY)
Servings: makes 15 heart-shaped brownies
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes; cooling time 10 minutes
12 tablespoons butter
11/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder 3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 7-by-11-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch foil overhang; spray with cooking spray.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Stir in sugar and cocoa powder until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until combined. Stir in flour and salt until a brownie batter forms. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan and cool completely on wire rack. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out brownie hearts.
Turn heart cutter upside down every other heart to get the most brownie heart cut-outs. (Recipe by Gwynn Galvin, Swirlsofflavor.com.)
Per brownie: 200 calories, 3 grams protein, 11 grams fat (47% calories from fat), 6.2 grams saturated fat, 24 grams carbohydrate, 62 milligrams cholesterol, 165 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Carb count: 1.5.
SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SKILLET (FRIDAY)
Servings: makes 5 servings Preparation time: less than 15 minutes
Cooking time: less than 15 minutes
1 tablespoon canola oil 1 pound chicken tenders,
cut into 1-inch pieces 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, red pepper, onion and mushrooms, or similar combination 1 (15-ounce) can reducedsodium black beans, rinsed
1 cup chunky salsa 1 (8-inch) flour tortilla, cut into 2-by-1-inch strips (see note)
1 cup shredded 50% light
cheddar cheese Reduced-fat sour cream
for garnish
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on mediumhigh. Cook chicken 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in vegetables, beans and salsa; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are softened. Sprinkle with tortilla strips and cheese. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and garnish with sour cream.
Note: For crispy tortillas strips, bake at 425 degrees for 4 to 7 minutes or until crisp.
Per serving: 317 calories, 33 grams protein, 10 grams fat (28% calories from fat), 3.1 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 78 milligrams cholesterol, 623 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.
Carb count: 1.5.
SCAMPI WITH FETTUCCINE (SATURDAY)
Servings: makes 4 servings Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: about 5 minutes plus pasta
8 ounces fettuccine 2 tablespoons olive oil
11/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and tails removed
2 medium green onions,
thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped
fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped
fresh parsley 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Cook and drain fettuccine according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium. Cook remaining ingredients in oil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat; toss fettuccine and shrimp together in skillet. Serve warm.
Per serving: 424 calories, 42 grams protein, 9 grams fat (18% calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 45 grams carbohydrate, 274 milligrams cholesterol, 330 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 3.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlantabased 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.