7day menu planner
SUNDAY: For family day, make this simple Creole Pepper Steak. Combine 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper and ½ teaspoon black ground pepper; mix well. Press evenly onto both sides of 1-pound beef top-round steak. Grill over medium coals 16 to 18 minutes for medium-rare; turn once. Let stand 5 minutes; carve steak diagonally into thin slices and serve. Accompany the steak with your roasted red potatoes and roasted carrots. Add a lettuce wedge salad and dinner rolls. Meringue cookies from the bakery are a melt-inyour-mouth dessert. Plan ahead: Grill an extra 1-pound steak, prepare extra potatoes and carrots, and save enough rolls and meringue cookies for Monday.
MONDAY: Make Steak Salad for a quick meal. Buy a packaged mixed greens salad and combine it with leftover sliced beef, leftover chopped potatoes and leftover chopped carrots. Drizzle with a light vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve with bean soup from the deli and leftover rolls. Leftover meringue cookies are a quick dessert.
TUESDAY: Call the kids for Tuna Nuna Dinner. Cook 3 cups rotini pasta according to package directions; drain. In the pasta pot, mix 1 (6-ounce) can drained chunk white tuna in water, 1 (10 ¾ -ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1 soup can water and 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed). Cook 2 minutes on medium; stir in cooked pasta, and heat 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from heat and add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; stir until melted. Serve with green beans and a chopped lettuce salad. Make Teddy Graham Pudding for dessert. Mix chocolate Teddy Grahams into instant vanilla pudding. Garnish with whipped cream. Plan ahead: Save enough Teddy Grahams for Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY: Black Beans and Rice (see recipe) will bring everyone to the table in a hurry. Serve the spicy dish with coleslaw. Stir chopped red bell pepper into the slaw for a flavor boost. Chunky applesauce and leftover Teddy Grahams make a good dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough coleslaw for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Stop by the deli for a barbecued rotisserie chicken. Add baked beans and some leftover coleslaw along with cornbread to the meal. Peaches are dessert.
FRIDAY: Chicken and White Beans Provencal (see recipe) offers flavor without extra calories. Serve with a spinach salad and baguettes. For
dessert, orange sections are refreshing.
SATURDAY: Everyone at the table agreed that Baked Cod With Cherry Tomatoes and Chickpeas (see recipe) should go into the yummy “keepers” file. Serve the colorful fish dish with fresh broccoli florets and whole-grain rolls. Make Baby Berry Tarts for dessert. Spoon 1 (8-ounce) package strawberry cream cheese spread into a pastry bag or large, sturdy food bag with a star piping tip. Pipe the cheese into 15 mini phyllo dough shells (prepared according to package instructions). Slice each of 15 fresh strawberries about 3 times from tip nearly to top. Fan slices; place on filling to garnish.
THE RECIPES
Black Beans and Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 small fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
in seasoned sauce 1 large tomato, chopped
¼ cup picante sauce 4 cups hot cooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium. Add onion, peppers and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Stir in beans with sauce, tomato and picante sauce. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until heated though. Serve over rice. Makes 5 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 352 calories, 13 g protein, 5 g fat, 64 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 619 mg sodium and 11 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 4 ½ .
Chicken and White Beans Provencal
1 tablespoon canola oil 1 pound chicken cutlets 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, chopped 2 (14 ½ -ounce) cans chopped
stewed tomatoes with liquid 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 teaspoons dried basil ¼ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini
beans, rinsed
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add chicken; cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove; set aside.
In same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add garlic and onion and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add beans and chicken. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is slightly reduced. Spoon beans and liquid into a serving bowl and top with chicken. Makes 5 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 412 calories, 35 g protein, 5 g fat, 54 g carbohydrate, 58 mg cholesterol, 564 mg sodium and 14 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3 ½ .
Baked Cod With Cherry Tomatoes
and Chickpeas
5 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, divided use 2 teaspoons ground coriander,
divided use 2 teaspoons paprika, divided use ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 1 teaspoon coarse salt,
divided use 2 pounds skinless cod filets,
divided into 8 portions 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas,
rinsed 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved ¼ cup chicken broth 2 shallots, minced 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Chopped cilantro for garnish
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, cayenne and ¾ teaspoon salt. Rub cod evenly with mixture. Place cod in resealable plastic bag, seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by13-inch baking dish, combine chickpeas, tomatoes, broth, shallots, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, remaining coriander, remaining paprika, remaining salt and pepper. Nestle cod into chickpea mixture. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until fish is opaque throughout. Drizzle with remaining oil and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium chickpeas) contains approximately 282 calories, 24 g protein, 10 g fat, 23 g carbohydrate, 43 mg cholesterol, 358 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½ . Recipe adapted from The Make
Ahead Cook from the editors at America’s Test Kitchen Susan Nicholson is an Atlantacookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com