7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Tuck the children in early and invite some friends for Beef Tenderloin Steaks With Blue Cheese Topping (see recipe). Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, a Caesar salad and dinner rolls. For dessert, chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream with sliced strawberries will ring in the New Year in style. Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream and strawberries for Monday and enough mashed potatoes and cake for Tuesday. MONDAY: Start the New Year in a traditional good-luck way by making Hoppin’ John (see recipe). Take no chances on your luck and add collard greens and cornbread. Top leftover ice cream with leftover strawberries for dessert. TUESDAY: It’s time to save money to pay those holiday bills, and Stuffed Meatloaf (see recipe) is a tasty way to economize. Serve the spinach-filled loaf with leftover mashed potatoes, green beans and whole-grain rolls. Enjoy leftover cake for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf for Wednesday. WEDNESDAY: One of the best things about meatloaf is enjoying the meatloaf sandwiches that are sure to follow. Serve slices of the leftover loaf on focaccia bread topped with fresh watercress. Add baked veggie chips. For dessert, plums are easy. THURSDAY: Skip meat for delicious Mushroom Farfalle With Goat Cheese. Cook 8 ounces farfalle according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add 12 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and 2 tablespoons dry white wine; stir. Add ¼ cup half-and-half, ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ½ cup unsalted vegetable broth (or more, if needed). While pasta is still warm, stir in 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Just before serving, stir in 4 cups chopped fresh spinach and 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese. Stir to combine. Serve with a romaine salad and garlic bread. Slice kiwi for dessert. FRIDAY: Drop by the deli and check out their soup of the day. While you’re there, pick up some egg salad and packaged salad greens. Sprinkle the egg salad with chopped fresh dill if desired. Add crackers on the side. Fresh pineapple is an easy dessert. SATURDAY: Gather the family for Golden Chicken With Potatoes and Mushrooms. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ pounds red potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces) and 8 ounces whole white mushrooms (quartered), chopped leaves from 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the potatoes and mushrooms around chicken. (If vegetables don’t fit in a single layer, place some under the chicken.) Roast 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes and serve. Alongside, add steamed fresh broccoli, a lettuce wedge and sourdough bread. Boston cream pie is always a favorite dessert.
THE RECIPES Beef Tenderloin Steaks With Blue Cheese Topping
For the topping:
2 tablespoons cream cheese 4 teaspoons crumbled blue
cheese
4 teaspoons plain yogurt 2 teaspoons minced onion Dash ground white pepper For the beef:
4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 pound total)
1 large clove garlic, halved ½ teaspoon coarse salt 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
parsley Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Rub steaks with garlic. Place steaks on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 13 to 16 minutes for medium (145 degrees), turning once; 1 to 2 minutes before steaks are done, top evenly with cheese mixture. To grill instead, place steaks on grid over medium, ashcovered coals. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes for medium (145 degrees), turning occasionally. About 1 minute before steaks are done, top evenly with cheese mixture. After removing from heat, season with salt, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 179 calories, 22 g protein, 9 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 69 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium and no fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Hoppin’ John
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme 3 cups cooked or canned
black-eyed peas, rinsed 1 (14 ½-ounce) can petite
diced tomatoes, drained 1 (4-ounce) can diced green
chiles, drained
1 cup unsalted chicken broth Coarse salt and ground black
pepper
8 ounces vegetarian sausage
or mild turkey sausage 3 cups cooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium. Add onion and celery and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and thyme. Transfer to a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add peas, tomatoes, chiles, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, heat a large skillet on medium. Crumble and cook sausage about 6 to 8 minutes or until no longer pink. Add to slow cooker along with cooked rice, stirring to combine; Makes Nutrition 6 servings. serve. information: Each serving (prepared with reducedsodium black-eyed peas and no salt added tomatoes) contains approximately 322 calories, 18 g protein, 5 g fat, 51 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 399 mg sodium and 11 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 3 ½.
Stuffed Meatloaf
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
(about 1 ounce) 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese 1 ½ pounds ground turkey or
ground chicken
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup milk Heat oven to 400 degrees. Soften tomatoes according to package directions; set aside. In a medium skillet, cook spinach and onion on low 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in cheese and set aside. In a large bowl, combine turkey or chicken, oats, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, milk and reserved sun-dried tomatoes; mix lightly but thoroughly. Coat a baking rack place with in a cooking broiler pan spray lined and with foil. Shape two-thirds of meat mixture into a 9-by-6inch loaf on rack. Make a deep indentation down center of loaf, leaving indentation; a 1 ½-inch fill with edge spinach around mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture to encase spinach filling. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until juices reach 165 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes and slice. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reducedfat cheese and 1 percent milk) contains approximately 168 calories, 25 g protein, 3 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 60 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium and 3 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com