7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Enjoy a simple family meal with this Chunky Turkey and Vegetable Chili (see recipe). Pick up a vegetable platter with dips to munch on. Make cornbread. A platter of brownies makes for a sweet finish. Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Monday; save enough brownies for Wednesday.
MONDAY: Heat the leftover chili and serve it over brown rice. Garnish it with sour cream. For dessert, peaches are good.
TUESDAY: The kids will have fun reading their dinner with this Alphabet Soup. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine
½ pound well-trimmed beef stew meat cut in ¾ -inch cubes, 1 (14 ½ -ounce) can stewed tomatoes with liquid, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 1 (1-ounce) envelope (from 2-ounce package) dry onion soup mix. Mix well; cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. A half-hour before serving, stir in 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables (partially thawed) and ½ cup alphabet pasta. Cover and cook on high 30 minutes. Add water to thin if desired. Stir and serve with peanut butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread and a chopped lettuce salad. Cut kiwis in half for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: You won’t feel deprived with low-cost Fusilli With Walnuts (see recipe), because it’s delicious. Serve with a lettuce wedge and crusty bread. For dessert, warm the leftover brownies and top with vanilla ice cream. Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Skip meat tonight for filling Rotini Beany. Cook 8 ounces rotini pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave 1 chopped green bell pepper on 100 percent power for 4 minutes or until softened; drain. Add 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce and 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed). Microwave 6 to 8 minutes on high or until hot. Add 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach leaves; microwave 3 minutes. Add cooked pasta; mix well and serve. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. Add a green salad and garlic bread. Top leftover ice cream with caramel sauce for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough caramel sauce for Friday.
FRIDAY: Look for Ready Pac’s (or another brand’s) Bistro Bowl salads in the produce department. The full-meal salads are of excellent quality. Serve the
salads with deli soup and cheese toast. Vanilla pudding swirled with leftover caramel sauce is dessert.
SATURDAY: A romantic dinner for two? Easy! Make simple Baked Raspberry-Mustard Chicken Breasts for your valentine. Place 2 (6- to 8-ounce) bone-in skinless chicken breasts on a rack coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 to 9 inches from heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken registers 165 degrees. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves with 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and brush on chicken the last few minutes of broiling. Serve with stuffed baked potatoes (frozen) and peas and onions (frozen). Add a Boston lettuce salad and dinner rolls. For dessert, swoon over these Chocolate Shortbread Bars (see recipe).
THE RECIPES
Chunky Turkey and Vegetable Chili 2 pounds ground turkey 1 (1.48-ounce) packet chili
seasoning 1 cup water 1 cup finely chopped carrots 2 medium zucchini squash,
chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 (15-ounce) cans seasoned
pinto beans 2 (14 ½ -ounce) cans diced
tomatoes Shredded cheddar cheese for
garnish
Chopped red onion for garnish
In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook ground turkey 8 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Stir in chili seasoning and water until seasoning is well-blended. Add carrots, squash, onion, beans and tomatoes and their liquid. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are softened; stir often. Ladle into bowls. Garnish each serving with cheese and red onion. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (without garnish) contains approximately 302 calories, 30 g protein, 8 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 435 mg sodium and 8 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
Fusilli With Walnuts 12 ounces whole-wheat fusilli pasta ½ cup walnuts ¾ cup unsalted chicken stock ½ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon dried sage Ground black pepper to taste 2 ounces sliced prosciutto or bacon, finely chopped ( ½ cup) 1 (5-ounce) package fresh
baby spinach 1 tablespoon butter
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, crush walnuts with a rolling pin. Toast them 3 minutes in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add chicken stock, sour cream, sage, pepper, prosciutto or bacon, spinach and butter. Bring to a simmer on medium, stirring. Cook just until spinach wilts and butter melts. Drain pasta. Add to pan with sauce and toss to coat. Serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reducedfat sour cream) contains approximately 351 calories, 12 g protein, 14 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate, 24 mg cholesterol, 251 mg sodium and 8 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3. Chocolate Shortbread
Bars 1 cup softened butter 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly
packed 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon orange zest ¼ teaspoon almond extract 2 cups flour 1 cup chopped toasted
almonds, divided use 1 (12-ounce) package
semisweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer. Beat in egg yolk thoroughly. Add vanilla extract, orange zest and almond extract and beat 2 to 3 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl to ensure thorough mixing. Add flour and ½ cup almonds and mix on low until just combined. Spread dough into a 9-by-13inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven; sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Return to oven for 30 seconds or until chocolate chips melt. Remove from oven; spread melted chocolate evenly over surface. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup almonds. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Makes 24 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 241 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 28 mg cholesterol, 71 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2. Susan Nicholson is an Atlantacookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com